I Became a Side character in a BL novel

68-The interrogation (2)

Droit's POV

After a short break we continued again. The next person to enter was Lord Walter. The nephew and adopted son on the Late Countess. And the supposed heir to her estate.

He looked nothing like the smug, sharp-tongued youth I had seen the day before. His usual arrogance was gone, stripped away by grief. His eyes were rimmed red, his face pale and drawn.

He sat down quietly, his voice low when he finally spoke. "Do you mind if we make this quick? I'm... not feeling very well."

"Of course," I said, keeping my tone even. "We'll keep it brief. Did you notice anything unusual last night?"

He shook his head slowly. "No... nothing. I last spoke to my aunt during supper. She was..." He paused, his throat tightening. "She was so full of life, even yesterday." His voice cracked, and for a moment, I thought he would break down completely. But he caught himself, took a slow breath, and continued.

"When did you find out about her death?" I asked softly.

He swallowed hard. "Around six... maybe ten or fifteen minutes past. I heard a commotion outside my chamber. When I came in, I saw Mary and the maid, Claire, already there. The Countess was lying still on the bed."

I hesitated before the last question. "Lord Walter, you are aware that, as her adopted son, you may be inheriting the Countess's estate?"

He looked up at me, his gaze steady now. "I don't know about that," he said quietly. "That is for the law to decide."

His tone was composed. Maybe too composed.

Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "Regardless, I will be stepping up to take care of the household and my sister, Bessie, until she's married. It's what my aunt would have wanted."

I nodded, making a note of that. "Thank you, Lord Walter. That will be all for now."

He stood up, bowed slightly, and left the room without another word.

I murmured. "My first impression of him was that of an ungrateful brat. But today... he looked like a changed man "

Lassells said quietly, "Death can change a man."

We moved on to the next guest.

It was, Her Highness, Princess Sylvia.

When she finally took her seat, she didn't wait for us to begin.
"Do we have any suspects yet?" she asked.

Lassells and I exchanged a quick glance. No one had dared to begin an interrogation by questioning us.

I cleared my throat. "Your Highness, that's something we'll be able to determine once we conclude the questioning of all guests. For now, we're only collecting statements."

She inclined her head slightly, "Of course. Take your time, Inspector. Please, go ahead."

Her voice was gentle, but the command in it was clear.

"Very well. Yesterday evening you attended service at the chapel?"

"Yes," she replied easily. "Lord Arron and I visit the church every Sunday. Yesterday was no exception."

"And when did you return from the chapel?"

"A little past six," she said. "Just before supper."

I nodded, recalling the dining hall. "You joined the Countess for dinner?"

"I did," she said. "You were there as well, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes," I admitted. "Though not everyone was. Three guests were absent. Lord Arron, Lady Rosetta, and His Highness the Crown Prince."