EMBRACE || a violet evergarden fanfic #1

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Gilbert Bougainvillea's POV

Dawn was only starting to rise when my men and I arrived in Leiden town square. Our arrival must have caused a commotion, because soon, everyone was already up at their feet and had their heads poked out from the window to see what was going on.

"Spread out, and if you find anything similar to this vial," I lifted a dark blue-purple vial from my pockets for the men to memorise, "call for my attention." I told them, and in a matter of seconds, they were off.

I took the investigation myself, and visited one of the local physician's place. He was shivering to his core when I stepped inside the store, and his customers quickly ushered themselves out, though throwing me a backwards' glance. I slid the vial across the wooden counter towards his direction,

"I suppose you know what this is?" I asked.

The physician shook his head vigorously, "N-no, not at all, sir."

"Sire?" I whirled around when I heard my personal guard ; Akashi, enter the store, the heavy shuffling of his armoured boots against the wooden floorboards and several other men followed suit. He extended both hands which had his sword clasped in between them and bowed, before looking at me straight in the eye, full of worry. "I have something to report, sire."

I looked from the physician to Akashi, "Do speak."

"My men and I discovered something that may concern Lady Violet," He began, "the doer is in fact, one of the townspeople. One of the higher-ranking townspeople, that is. If you look closely at the material and quality of the vial, sire, you may also think that way."

One of my brows raised questionably as I examined the vial carefully. What conclusion was so important for me to draw out that would add evidence to the case of Violet's spiked drink? "Glass beads," I thought aloud, and nodded at Akashi's direction.

"Glass beads aren't available nor sold in Leiden town square," Akashi continued, "and if they were, only residents with a lot of money would be able to purchase them. But this is not the case in Leiden. Which means whoever spiked Lady Violet's drink is a Marquess or Marchioness."

My ears perked up at that. The only guests who'd chatted with my brother and Violet were in fact - the Marquess and Marchioness of Leiden, and live just a few miles away from the town square in the Rhododendron residence. The Marquess was one of my father's bestest friends, while the Marchioness rarely speaks and always keeps to herself.

"Head to the Rhododendron residence, and have the couple arrested," my fingers clenched around the glass-beaded vial angrily. I whirled around fiercely to the physician behind me, who was still quivering to his core. "The poison is clearly behind your mastermind. And this is the only mercy I will give you." I drew out my pistol and shot him square in his forehead.

Akashi threw me a worried gaze, "Sire?"

"Send out a decree. The physician passed away due to consuming his own poison, and his health was deteriorating as fast and we were unable to cure him. This shop will no longer be satisfying customer's needs and nobody shall be allowed to enter." I barked.

The guard who'd been tasked to send out decrees scribbled out my order, and then scurried away on a horse back to the Bougainvillean residence for it to be finalised and stamped with Bougainvillean ink.

I swung myself on horseback and rode to the Rhododendron residence, Akashi and the rest of my men following behind. I left the store the way it is ; the physician's lifeless body draped over the wooden counter - his blood painting the brown colour crimson red.

I tugged on the reins of my steed when the guard stationed in front of the residence blocked my path, and I narrowed my eyes. "What business do you have in the Rhododendron residence, young man?" He demanded, his chin lifted high.

"We wish to seek an audience with the Marquess and Marchioness," Akashi spoke up from behind me.

My horse shifted uncomfortably, and my frown deepened when the guard shook his head in denial and said, "The Marquess has fallen ill, while the Marchioness is having tea with her guests. Nobody is allowed inside until further notice, unfortunately."

"Unfortunately, they will have to leave," I shot him my icy glare, "if they do not, we might have to force ourselves inside Rhododendron residence." The guard growled and held his rifle at ready,

"You will not!" He exclaimed.

I drew in a sharp breath, and shifted to a more comfortable position on the saddle, "Sir,私の部下と私は,心からの敬意を払いながら,カップルに害を及ぼすことはありません." I told him.

"I am under the order of the Marquess," He stood firm on his ground, "and I will not let him down!" He fired the air, and my horse reared up on its hind legs in fear - my bottom met the ground as I landed after struggling to get ahold of the reins.

"Sire!" I lifted my hand to stop Akashi from coming to my aid, and the guard had smoke coming out of his nostrils in anger. I was about to speak again, but was interrupted when the gold-encrusted gates behind the annoyed guard slowly gave way, and the Marchioness and her army of ladies-in-waiting scurried out.

I got to my feet, brushing dust off of my uniform, and that was when the guard noticed the tiny detail he had been missing, and dropped to a low bow. Akashi smirked, and I stole a glance at the Marchioness, "Is this how the Rhododendron residence discipline their guards? If it is, I'd say, if they were to change shifts to the Bougainvillean residence, Dietfried would had had them punished with sixty lashes." I commented.

"I-I beg for your forgiveness, sire," He stuttered in fear, "I was only following orders."

I handed my horse's reins to Akashi, and stared down at the guard. "You may rise," I told him, and focused my attention back to the Marchioness. "Now back to the matters at hand, I wish to speak to you alone." I gestured to her army of ladies-in-waiting who were at their curtsy position behind her.

"Come in," the Marchioness extended an arm to the courtyard behind her after a moment's thoughts.