In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You - Chapter 74

Eric gripped his slightly trembling hand even tighter.

He had to gather proof that Count Dennis was murdered. That meant he couldn’t allow himself even a moment of weakness.

Eric, who had briefly been lost in thought, turned his gaze back to the head butler.

“Where is the maid who served my father tea?”

“She hasn’t been seen since that day, so I asked around and barely found out. Her mother fell seriously ill, so she went back to her hometown.”

“Her hometown… What a convenient excuse.”

Eric’s lips curled into a cynical smile, and the butler’s eyes, filled with unease, cautiously looked at him.

“I heard she had Madam’s permission. Could it be she was silenced? The other maids said she’ll be back in a few days…”

“You’re more naïve than I thought. That maid didn’t go to her hometown. And she’ll never be able to return here again.”

“A-Are you saying Madam had her killed?”

“What wouldn’t the woman who killed my father’s husband be capable of?”

“What…?!”

The butler raised his voice without realizing it, then quickly looked around and lowered it again. His eyes, widened with shock, didn’t even have time to blink.

Unlike the flustered butler, Eric’s voice was cool and composed—almost chilling.

He looked at the butler coldly. His voice was firm and unwavering.

“We don’t have time. While I distract them with business, you need to find out where the maid went. They won’t be paying attention to the butler’s movements.”

“But how could I possibly find a maid who’s vanished…?”

“Surely one of the staff is still in contact with her.”

As Eric crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, the butler’s lips grew dry with nervousness.

“H-How do you know that…?”

“If she was the one serving the tea, she must’ve been quick and sharp—someone smart enough to handle things cleanly. A clever maid like that would’ve left some kind of connection behind before leaving.”

Eric’s gaze turned cold, as if he saw right through everything.

Sweat rolled down the butler’s back. How had Eric figured out so much in such a short time?

Only now did the butler understand why Count Dennis had chosen Eric to carry on the family legacy.

“Don’t miss even the smallest clue. You must find out everything.”

“But what if something goes wrong while we’re doing this, young master…?”

Burdened by the heavy responsibility, the butler hesitated.

He was afraid—afraid that he would never be able to shake off the guilt of failing to protect his master.

He quietly lowered his gaze. A short sigh escaped, born from the pressure weighing on him.

Eric looked him over, then slowly furrowed his brow.

“That might happen. Like you said, I could get caught in their trap and not make it out.”

“But I still have to find out. It’s the only way you can be freed from your guilt of failing to protect your lifelong master—and the only way I can escape the pain of losing my father and doing nothing about it.”

At those words, the butler instinctively lifted his head. His eyes were filled with Eric’s icy blue gaze, sharp as blades.

“This is something only you can do. Can I count on the skills my father trusted and relied on?”

“Young master…”

The butler nodded firmly, showing his resolve.

Eric, who had been watching him with a calm expression, slowly turned his gaze to the mansion in the distance.

His cold, sharp eyes remained fixed there for a while.

“This is just the first step—why are you so surprised? The next steps are even more important. Things won’t go as smoothly as we hope. Still, hold onto what’s yours, no matter what.”

As Eric remembered his father’s words, his eyes darkened with emotion—too deep to describe.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again.

“Miss, Miss!”

Jacob, who had gone to the pharmacy, rushed into the house and knocked urgently on Aria’s door.

Aria, who was tidying up her messy bed from the night before, turned her head toward the sound.

“Come in.”

Jacob entered the room, resting his hands on his knees, panting heavily.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Miss, listen… Count Bailey has suddenly passed away!”

“T-The Count…? He was in perfect health! How could that happen?!”

Aria’s voice rose in shock at the unexpected news.

“He died suddenly last night. No one knows why, but there are many suspicious things about it.”

“Suspicious things?”

Jacob looked around nervously, then took out a small box he had hidden in his coat.

Inside was a broken piece of a teacup.

“T-This… This was the Count’s favorite teacup. He treasured it because the late Emperor had given it to him as a gift.”

“Young Master Eric secretly sent it to me. He suspects it’s connected to the Count’s death. He asked me to investigate the contents of the tea.”

“The contents…?”

Aria’s pupils quivered slightly, then dropped to the teacup piece, heavy with realization.

Just the broken cup and its hidden contents were enough for her to understand Eric’s suspicions.

He believed the Count was murdered.

After Eric visited that day, he hadn’t shown up again for a while.

Now, Aria understood why. Eric had been quietly investigating the Count’s death.

After staring at the cup for a moment, Aria turned to Jacob.

“What do you think? Can you figure out what was in it?”

“Of course, Miss. I run the best pharmacy in the market, after all. At first, the scent was so unusual that I couldn’t place it, but then I remembered.”

Jacob’s wrinkled eyes were more serious and focused than usual. After taking a breath, he continued.

“This is a rare herb you can’t find anywhere in the Orphen Empire. Even a tiny amount is deadly. It’s a poisonous plant.”

“A poison?!”

“Yes. If mixed into a strong-scented tea, its smell disappears. That’s why it can kill someone so discreetly. It’s traded in secret.”

Jacob lowered his voice as he added,

“Of course, that only works if all evidence is removed. The scent fades, but traces remain on the cup.”

“Who would do such a thing…?”

As Aria murmured to herself, a sudden thought flashed through her eyes.

The one who would plan something this serious. The one with a clear motive to kill the Count.

There was only one person.

The Countess—who wanted to keep Eric from inheriting the title and pass it to her own son.

“That’s why the young master can’t leave the Bailey house. The only way to uncover the Count’s death is there…”

A heavy silence fell over the room—as if prearranged.

Jacob, seeing Aria’s pale face, looked worried.

“Miss, please don’t worry too much. If anyone can uncover the truth, it’s Young Master Eric. He survived a brutal war, didn’t he?”

“Yes, but…”

“I also hired some watchmen to help the young master. They’re tracking down the merchant who imported the poison. It’s a rare plant, so there are few sellers. We’ll hear something soon.”

Despite Jacob’s reassuring words, Aria couldn’t shake the darkness from her face. Her heart was full of fear for Eric’s safety.

A deep silence again filled the room. As if by some unspoken agreement, Aria remembered that night.

The night she had been in Eric’s arms, she realized something.

That within his embrace, she felt a thrilling sense of peace—like she had been reborn.

“You’ll never be able to take a single step away from me.”

Just like Eric said, she hadn’t been able to leave him for even a moment. No—he had become her entire world.

As the heavy atmosphere lingered, Jacob gently tried to comfort her.

“Miss.”

When she didn’t respond, he called her again, softly.

“Miss…”

“Jacob, I can’t just sit here. I need to be by the young master’s side. Even if I can’t do much, I want to comfort him.”

“You want to go back to the Bailey house? To that hell? No, I can’t let you go back to danger!”

Jacob’s shocked voice echoed through the room. His pale face stared straight at his mistress.

Aria took his cold hands and spoke softly.

“He’s the one who brought me this far. Without him, I’d never have found my grandmother—or my voice.”

“Miss, still…”

“I love him. No—I love him with everything I have.”

Aria’s red lips trembled slightly.

Jacob’s eyes soon filled with only the image of his mistress. His pupils quivered ever so slightly.

Though Aria’s face wore a soft crescent smile, her voice was firm and clear.

“Please understand me, Jacob. Can you do that?”

“Miss…”

A hollow sigh slipped through Jacob’s parted lips. There was no way to change his master’s determined heart.

In the end, all he could do was nod. It was a silence that swallowed his fear.

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