A deafening scream that echoed through the halls.
In an instant, one of the diligent manservants dashed to the side of Duke Hermann, his heart racing with concern.
"Your Grace! Your Grace!"
Hermann, his voice filled with a mixture of confusion and frustration, asked "What madness is this?! Are you okay?!"
The panting manservant, still overwhelmed by shock, managed to point shakily towards the upper floors.
Responding to the commotion, Viscount Greldine inquired "What's wrong? Answer!" his curiosity piqued.
However, the traumatized manservant was unable to form coherent words, his emotions rendering him speechless.
Sensing his distress, Viscount Sonova offered a comforting gesture and said, "Please, speak up... or we won't know what's going on."
In the midst of it all, Hermann, feeling little patience for such an interruption, began to make his way towards the exit.
"I don't have time for this," he declared.
Suddenly, the manservant's voice broke through the turmoil, his tone filled with urgency.
He cried out the name "Nune," referring to the maid.
Without a moment's hesitation, Hermann abandoned all intentions of leaving and sprinted up the staircase, driven by concern for Nune's well-being.
Greldine and Sonova, alarmed by the unfolding events, called out for him to wait, but Hermann's primal instincts to protect his maid compelled him to disregard their pleas.
Within Hermann's racing mind, questions swirled, "Did something happen to her?"
Room after room, Hermann tirelessly scoured each floor of the mansion, his determination unwavering.
Greldine and Sonova, struggling to keep pace with Hermann's swift strides, watched his distress with growing curiosity.
...
As they all entered the next room, a horrifying spectacle materialized before their eyes, causing Hermann to instinctively recoil in sheer horror.
"N-n-no! No!"
The once-pristine floor now bore the gruesome stains of blood, while a pungent concoction of odors filled the air, assaulting their senses.
Bewildered and traumatized, the Duke remained momentarily speechless, consumed by the unimaginable sight that lay before him.
Sonova spoke, "What's goi--"
Before he could fully ask about the cause of Hermann's distress, Greldine swiftly intervened, placing a gentle hand over his mouth to silence him.
His eyes widened as he gestured towards the chilling tableau that unfolded before them.
There, sprawled on the ground, lay Nune, the maid, bearing the brunt of this nightmarish ordeal.
The distressing scene painted a bleak picture - her legs splayed open, a distressing slimy substance seeped from her violated vagina, mingling with the crimson tide of blood and other bodily fluids that had escaped her.
Her delicate flesh was corroded and ravaged.
The very essence of life had seemingly drained from her eyes, leaving behind a shell of a person, a mere vessel, robbed of her sanity and agency.
"How did this happen?!"
Overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions, Hermann fell to his knees, his body wracked with sobs that tore from the depths of his soul.
"Why did this happen?!"
Tears streamed unchecked from his eyes, as if pleading for the answers that eluded him.
The agony and despair in his voice echoed through the chamber.
...
As Sieghart nonchalantly strolled into the horrendous scene, his ever-present air of aloofness seemed untouched by the gruesomeness before him.
Balancing a saucer and teacup delicately in his hands, he tilted his head slightly to survey the unfolding tragedy.
His piercing blue eyes locked onto his father's slumped figure, a silent plea for answers etched across his face.
"Father?" Sieghart's tone carried a hint of curiosity, his voice smooth and unaffected. "What's happened here? What's wrong with the Duke?"
Greldine, attempting to shield his son from the horrors that had transpired, glanced at Sieghart with a mixture of concern and resignation.
"This is no place for you, my boy," he advised, his voice strained.
"Hm?"
"You must return home with the coachman at once. It's not important for you to know the details."
Sieghart, the epitome of composure, simply raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a tight smile. "Of course, Father. I shall do as you say." Taking a leisurely sip from his teacup, he mused to himself, "But one cannot help but be intrigued by such a scene..."
Turning towards Hermann, Sieghart approached the Duke with measured steps. "Are you alright, Your Grace?" he asked with a smooth baritone voice that mirrored his confident demeanor.
Hermann, his words choked by the weight of his grief, could only manage a stuttered response.
"I-I... I'll be... fine..." he stammered, his voice dripping with shock and disbelief.
With a graceful nod, Sieghart backed away from the Duke.
He made his way down the corridor and passed by Viscount Sonova Beech, purposefully addressing him with a sardonic tone.
"Ah, Viscount Son of a Bitch?"
Sieghart's lips curled into a sly smile as he savored the flicker of ire that danced across Sonova's expression.
Visibly irked, Sonova's voice trembled with suppressed rage.
"You impudent fool!" he seethed, inching forward, ready to unleash his fury upon Sieghart.
However, Greldine, ever the arbiter of peace, reached out and held him by the shoulder. "He didn't mean it that way..."
"...Sorry..." Sonova calmed down. "All this has me on edge..."
Sieghart cleared his throat, "I apologize sir, it was a mistake, Sir. Sonova Beech and Son of a Bitch sound oddly alike, it was just an unfortunate error..." He bowed his head, still holding both saucer and teacup. "Please, forgive my error."
"Whatever," said Sonova.
Greldine's mind racing with the urgency of the situation.
He approached Hermann, desperately searching for a solution to the chaos that had unfolded.
"Hermann, we must deploy guards to lock down the entire mansion," he proposed. "The killer may still be lurking within these walls."
However, there were only about two guards around.
The remaining were either deployed across Falrynth or protecting the other wives and children of Duke Hermann.
Hermann, his face pale and trembling, collapsed to the ground, his legs unable to support his shattered spirit.
"I... I don't know what to do, Greldine," he confessed, in a state of despair. "Everything's unraveling so quickly before my eyes... It's too overwhelming."
Instinctively, Greldine turned to Sonova.
"Sonova, you must take care of the Duke," he ordered. "Ensure his safety while I protect my son and the ladies. We can't afford any more tragedy."
Sonova nodded silently, his gaze fixated on the traumatized Duke.
He positioned himself beside Hermann, ready to shield him from any further harm.
Meanwhile, Sieghart watched with detached curiosity, maintaining his customary air of calm indifference.
Greldine turned to his son, directing him to follow as they made their way towards the foyer.
Sieghart obediently nodded.
In the foyer, Elena, Sieghart's stepmother, rushed toward them, her eyes wide with concern.
"Greldine, what's happening?" she implored, fearful.
With a heavy sigh, Greldine prepared himself to deliver the grim news.
"There's been a murder, Elena," he admitted. "The maid's been killed. But please, don't tell Stella. She's already burdened with enough pain."
Sieghart, ever the astute observer, raised an eyebrow as he gazed at Stella, who wept in the comforting arms of Martha, his stepmother.
An air of concern clouded his stoic expression as he turned to his father, questioning the safety of their current location.
"Father, shouldn't we stay in the Zegion Mansion? This place is far too dangerous," Sieghart proposed, his voice laced with feigned worry.
I mean, it's not like I killed her or anything. I promised I wouldn't... So, I rendered her incapable of speech. That's not bad, is it...? And those slimes did a good job, I got some EXP and skill points.
About 300 skill points and 400 EXP.
Since Nune didn't feel much pleasure, the pleasure point to skill and EXP conversion rate was low.