Within the cut, squished between the mattresses were a dozen bottles of liquid. Each a shade of purple and with their own tags. Instantly the room garnished a stronger scent.
Bei Tan lifted up a small bottle and examined it.
The lid of the bottle had thousands of intricate holes, each pierced an equal distance from each other. In spite of their size, the still holes allowed for the scent of the liquid to embrace the room.
Bei Tan found it thought-provoking. Had Lady Ina been unable to detect these obvious smells? Maybe she was an airhead or put them here herself? He gently brushed his fingers across the label, the words were blacked out suspiciously. The exterior of the bottle was unusually sticky contrary to its smooth appearance.
Some of the liquid had escaped and stained it.
"Ina? You're awake as well?"
Bei Tan turned around. At the door, a man with grey hair stood in a long silk one-piece. The man's face was streaked with old age; however, his aura held a dominant intensity. This sight reminded Bei Tan of a person who had been important in his life – his father. Although long ago, along with his mother, that person had left the world where Bei Tan, too, had died.
Due to this a majority of his life was spent alone without family, and sadly, despite his welcoming personality, without friends. It wasn't a problem with those around him but rather the barrier he had built around himself, often secluding himself. As a distraction, he immersed himself in his career and rarely gave himself peace or breaks.
Only recently before his death, Bei Tan began gaining recognition due to his incredible recollection of evidence and discovery of solutions. Coworkers began gathering around him. When he passed away, it was a regrettable event; but there was nothing left behind and nothing to yearn there.
"Dad…" The word came out Bei Tan's mouth uncontrollably. Fortunately, for him, he wasn't exactly incorrect.
"Ina… could you not sleep. What is that you're holding?" Ina's father questioned.
"Father, I woke up due to the sounds of a servant in my room. This bottle of liquid I found stored in my mattress! Isn't it weird?" He replied obediently. Bei Tan found his a good chance to extract information from the old man. It was a risky gamble since he was still uneducated on how this world functioned and of its customs. Maybe all these weird incidents were usual and happened with a logical reason.
"That…" The man stopped abruptly.
"What is it?"
"Come with me. I'll call someone to set a new room next to mine for you."
"Father?"
Bei Tan struggled to catch up in the long dress as the old man's footsteps increased to an unexpectedly quick pace. This caused him to trip and tear the fabric of his flamboyant gown. After setting up a new room and calling for the top members of the kingdom's military, Ina's father personally escorted his daughter into the room.
"Go to sleep. The air in your room is contaminated. Do not go near it. I'll explain later." He said to Bei Tan in rush before eyeing a man down the hall.
The detective, now heir, entered the new room, surrounded by guards, cautiously. The air was tense and he did not dare open his mouth even though he was curious.
This rectangular room was a dull grey with only a simple white bed pressed against the wall and, across it, a plain openable window. Despite its plain visuals, Bei Tan found this room far more comfortable. He jumped on the bed and stuffed his face in the pillow, muffling the few voices outside.
There was no smell.
Still stretched across the bed, Bei Tan felt a sharp poke in his thigh. He turned on his back and readjusted the blade's strap before pulling the covers over his feminine body. Like a blank canvas, staring at the ceiling allowed Bei Tan to fall into a thoughtful daze.
The liquid. The guards. The Throne.
Although it wasn't exactly coherent was the situation was, Bei Tan knew whatever was in that liquid wasn't good judging from Father's reaction. It was bad enough for him to storm across the porch; bad enough for a room change to occur; bad enough for guards to be called for protection, and probably bad enough to poison Lady Ina.
The liquid had burnt at his fingers when he touched it, even if it was the smallest sting Bei Tan had felt it. Judging from its placement, someone attempted to either slowly kill or frame Lady Ina . Even if the latter motive didn't seem that reasonable from the placement of the evidence, it was still quite possible. Bei Tan laid absorbed into his own questions.
"Long exposure to that smell in the air would have probably suffocated me," He mumbled in analytical speculation, "The sweet scent of it might have allowed any suspicions to be dismissed as simply a woman's fragrance…. Since this body doesn't seem damaged, it probably was placed there recently." He continued to mumble. Someone wanted Lady Ina dead, but not instantly it seemed. He was in trouble.
Bei Tan closed his eyes. It seemed like there was more to the throne than a simple backstory.
Even though his mind was spiraling, he fell into a deep sleep.
Within the blink of an eye, it was already the first morning Bei Tan was in this world.
Light breathed through the room. Under the dart of sunlight between the curtains, sparks of dust glistened like snowflakes in the air. Bei Tan stirred in his sleep. As he turned on his side, the sheathed knife dug uncomfortably into his skin. His eyelids flickered lightly as he dragged his sleepy-self off the bed. Across on the table was a brand new set of clothing. It too was red like his room and sleepwear had been.
"Lady Ina must have loved red." He said, rubbing his face.
This was going to be a challenge.
Bei Tan felt his face burn as he slowly began to take off his clothes.