ALL NOVEL Chapter 210.2
Leticia swiftly flipped the box upside down.
“There’s a letter.”
Margaret said.
“Please read it, miss!”
“It’s not difficult. Margaret, are you excited right now?”
Not that she wasn’t, but Margaret was almost bursting with anticipation.
“Oh dear. I’m sorry. I might get to see the famous genius princess solving the case! If I’m in the way, I’ll stand far away. Just- I’ll secretly watch from outside the gazebo.”
Leticia was taken aback by Margaret’s enthusiasm.
“By any chance… Margaret, did you know me before you started working at this mansion?”
“Yes- actually, I’m the princess’s fan.”
Margaret admitted shyly.
“The genius detective princess! The entire nation is enthralled by the cases you’ve solved.”
Leticia chuckled.
“Well, it’s not bad to have an audience. Let’s read the enclosed letter together.”
Margaret eagerly nodded.
Then, Margaret and Leticia leaned in to read the letter.
The beginning of the letter read:
[I am writing this letter with great difficulty as I have no one to consult or seek help from.]
“Hmm, the beginning is similar to other letters.”
Leticia remarked. The letter continued…
[In the village where I grew up, there is a famous place called ‘Rock Flower Tomb.’ Every spring, flowers bloom between the rocks, a hidden attraction. One day, I went for a walk there and slipped, falling down a steep path.]
“Why such a long preamble, Miss? It’s so tedious. So what does this bronze bead have to do with this?”
“Margaret, let’s read with a bit more patience. Since you seem to know how to read, please read it to me,” Leticia said.
Margaret cleared her throat.
“After rolling down the steep path and losing consciousness, when I opened my eyes, I found myself inside a castle.”
“Suddenly? A castle below the steep path?”
Leticia adjusted her posture.
“I was in the hall of an unknown castle. Suddenly, the doors of the hall burst open, and beautiful maidens came pouring out. They looked at me and said, ‘Are you our guest? Please come this way. Wash your hands and join the feast!'”
“…”
“And I was escorted to a banquet hall set for a splendid feast.”
“…Hmm.”
Leticia tilted her head.
Margaret seemed surprised and continued reading.
“I then met the owner of the castle. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen, with silver hair and striking blue eyes. He welcomed me warmly and personally poured me a drink.”
“…”
“And at the end of the banquet, the silver-haired man said he had a gift for me.”
Imitating a man’s tone, Margaret continued:
“I am going to give you a marvelous gift now. But once you accept this gift, you can never ‘discard’ it. However, if you truly wish to rid yourself of it, you can transfer it to someone ‘more capable’ than you. Otherwise, you must live inseparably from the gift.”
Margaret’s face paled.
The story was taking a strange turn.
“But I was so intoxicated that I agreed without thinking.”
“And then?”
“In my drunken state, I fell asleep. I don’t know how much time passed, but when I woke up, I was surrounded by complete darkness. The smell of damp earth was everywhere, and there was nothing around me.”
The content of the letter was becoming increasingly eerie.
Margaret’s hands were shaking.
“When I opened my eyes… Aaah!”
“What, what’s wrong, Margaret?”
“I can’t read any further, it’s too scary.”
“I’ll continue.”
Leticia frowned.
“After sitting in a daze for a while, a faint light began to seep in. Feeling my way along the walls, I found myself in what seemed like a basement. To be exact, a large mound of dirt ‘leading to an underground staircase.’ When I used a rod as a walking stick to help me out, I realized it was a human bone. Yes, I had spent the night in a grave.”
“Eek!”
Margaret covered her ears.
“The strange events began the next day.”
Leticia gritted her teeth.
“These two bronze beads.”
Margaret blinked.
“When I returned home that day, I discovered the two bronze beads in my trouser pocket. Thinking of my unfortunate experience, I threw the beads outside. But no matter how much I threw them away, they kept coming back to me. Suddenly, I would find these beads watching me from inside the house.”
“…”
“Since that day, I couldn’t sleep at night, and I couldn’t work properly during the day. One day, while trembling with fear, thinking it would be better to die…”
Leticia’s brows knitted.
“That night, I remembered what the silver-haired man had said. ‘This gift can only be transferred to someone ‘more capable’ than you.’ So I would like to transfer these beads to princess Leticia de Lewellton.”
Leticia’s lips slowly curled into a smile.
“I wish to transfer them to you.”