I Became a Side character in a BL novel

70- A neat murder

Droit's POV

The fire was low, a soft crackle filling the dim study. I sat close enough to feel its heat, a cup of coffee cooling in my hands. The table beside me was crowded with notes, interrogation records, all marked and underlined.

Footsteps approached. Lassells came in quietly and lowered himself into the chair beside me, letting out a long breath.

"So," he said, staring into the flames, "who do you think it was?"

"There's nothing to think," I answered, "and at the same time... far too much." I tapped the corner of my notebook. "Lady Mary, the eldest daughter, named successor. Against every southern custom that prefers a male successor. Against everything the Countess herself seemed to believe. Lord Walter was always meant to inherit it all. Even she favored him."

"And yet," Lassells murmured.

"And yet she left him only land and coin. Enough to last him a generation, yes, but not the title. Not the county. And she left nothing for her younger daughter, Bessie. Nothing at all. That part makes no sense..."

Lassells shrugged. "Property and wealth can twist a person. It pushes people to kill, to betray their own blood and flesh. That means Lady Bessie could have done it... Finding out your mother left you nothing? That is enough to turn anyone into a cold-blooded killer"

"Or even Walter," he said. "Everyone knew he expected the title. Losing it all just like that can drive a man to a bloody rage."

"Or," I added, "it could be Lady Mary herself."

He turned sharply toward me.

"Think about it," I said. "The will she left behind is a provisional will. It could still be changed. But if the Countess died before making the final draft, then this version becomes the only one that stands. No revisions. No corrections."

Lassells said. "Meaning..."

"Meaning," I said quietly, "that if someone ensured the Countess never finished her final will, Lady Mary would secure the title forever."

The fire cracked loudly.

Lassells leaned back, arms folded, eyes narrowed in thought.

After a long moment he asked, "Have you spoken to his highness about any of this?"

I shook my head. "No. Not yet."

"Why not?"

"I want to confirm one thing before I do." I picked up the provisional will, flipping it to the bottom where the witness's signature sat neatly beside the Countess's own. "This signature... the supposed witness. When we interviewed him, he claimed he had no knowledge of any will."

"Yes. He didn't mention anything" Lassells said.

"Exactly"

"Why would he do that?" Lassells asked quietly.

"That," I said, tapping the page, "is what I intend to find out."

Lassells gaze drifted back to the fire. "Maybe he's trying to protect someone."

I nodded slowly. "It seems so."

Soon, both of us retired to our beds. The day had taken a toll on us, I passed out almost immediately after my back hit the bed.

The night passed faster than I expected.

When I made my way to the great dining hall the next morning, the weight in the air hit me before I even sat down.

Everyone was there. Everything looked normal.

But nothing felt normal.

The Countess's chair stood empty at the head of the table, and that alone was enough to silence the room. No one touched their plates. The guards posted around the hall were double what we had yesterday. Even their presence didn't make anyone feel safer.