She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 82

The Culprit Is Inside (2)

Sierra studied the faces of the performers on the stage one by one. Though discouraged, they were filled with joy at the chance to showcase their craft. Their spirit sufficed. She didn't expect a flawless performance.

Her gaze fixed on the young child standing dead center on the stage. He was barely thirteen, with round blue eyes and golden hair that recalled a baby angel. Sierra smiled with satisfaction as she observed the boy's youthful face. Blue water mana drifted around his body.

[Sierra] "So that genius child is today's main star."

Watching him calmed her racing heart. Water mana possessed a purifying energy. She quietly observed Guardian as he recited his history aloud.

[Sierra] "His name is Guardian. A puppeteer recently hired by the Felix Troupe to direct this entire production."

Cassius nodded.

[Cassius] "Correct. Despite his youth, everyone praises his genius talent."

Sierra leaned back and crossed her arms. On stage, the playwright standing near Guardian delivered an impassioned speech.

[Playwright] "The puppet show we will perform today at the Pandore Opera is Chouette."

Cassius, Sierra, and the troupe members had chosen this play with absolute care.

Sierra sank deeper into her seat and narrowed her eyes. A supporting actress chimed in eagerly.

[Actress] "It is a love story between a private detective named Chouette and a noble lady!"

The audience stirred at the summary.

From Sierra's vantage point, she watched the nobles exchange puzzled whispers. They undoubtedly discussed how they had never heard the title Chouette before.

Of course they haven't. Chouette is an original creation of this troupe.

She smirked, resting her chin on her hand. Only one reason drove her and Cassius to choose the Felix Puppet Troupe. The plot of Chouette perfectly suited their current operation.

[Playwright] "Now, let the performance begin."

The actors bowed so deeply they nearly prostrated themselves. Finally, the theater went dark, and the puppet show commenced. Sierra pushed up her glasses with her middle finger and bit her lower lip.

Would Chouette conclude without a hitch?

Would the genius child with blue mana, Guardian, survive safely?

And...... would their plan succeed?

Simply put, a magical puppet show involved enchanted dolls performing on a stage. The dolls used in the performance stood roughly fifty centimeters tall, smaller than a young child. The production required well over fifty puppets.

The puppeteer, Guardian, controlled all fifty puppets. From beneath the stage, he manipulated the dolls according to the plot. Matching his direction and movements, the troupe members provided the voices like voice actors.

Sierra watched the show with sweaty palms and swallowed hard. Cassius, too, remained focused on the stage.

[Sierra] "Cassius."

[Cassius] "Yes?"

She smiled at him with a meaningful expression.

[Sierra] "Guardian is an incredible puppeteer."

Cassius nodded. A proud smile played upon his lips. Ignoring his joyful expression, she redirected her gaze to the stage.

[Sierra] "Focus on the play now."

[Cassius] "......Alright."

He replied with a trace of lingering disappointment to her sharp warning. But Sierra already lost herself entirely in the performance. Naturally so, as the play rushed toward its climax.

[Actor] "M-Murder! Someone is dead!"

At those words, an exquisitely crafted doll sprinted across the stage. Behind the scenes, an actor voiced the character in tandem with the movement.

Seated in their private box, Sierra and Cassius concentrated on the unfolding drama.

I never expected a puppet show to have such outstanding quality.

Blending mystery and romance, Chouette quickly reached its peak—specifically, a tense scene where the detective attempted to kill the murderer.

[Actor] "How dare you attempt to slaughter innocent citizens like us!"

The puppet jerked subtly, pointing a finger with fluid grace.

[Actor] "You are the greatest killer of our time!"

[Actor] "Who is the murderer who killed Chouette?!"

[Actor] "Aha! I finally know your identity!"

The actors threw their booming voices forward from behind the puppets.

Sierra watched the play in silence, thoroughly intrigued. The climax—the capture of the killer—approached.

For a dramatic effect, the stage would soon plunge into absolute darkness. Aware of the impending blackout, Cassius leaned close and whispered into her ear.

[Cassius] "We could afford to be much bolder, don't you think?"

She let out a soft laugh at his words.

[Sierra] "Cassius, you need to focus. Do you really have time to act romantic?"

He adopted a more serious expression.

[Cassius] "Well, romantic acting feels rather important too."

She looked at him, then snapped her head away.

[Sierra] "No one is here to watch us perform, so please focus. On the puppet show."

Despite her blunt tone, a strange tickle brushed against the inside of her chest.

At least the tension is gone.

Perhaps that was his intention all along.

With a much lighter heart, Sierra stared back at the stage. Cassius also watched the performance intently. She noted his fists repeatedly clenching and unclenching.

Then, at long last, the lights flashed one final time and died. Every puppet gracing the stage vanished.

[Audience] "......What is this?"

Confusion gripped the theatergoers. Sierra pressed a switch on the table, opening the front window of the private box. Through the narrow gap, she listened to the voices below.

[Noble] "Is this part of the stage effects?"

[Noble] "I don't think so...... Why did all the house lights turn on?"

The panicked crowd murmured for a long time. Sierra leaned out to glance at the adjacent boxes. The Crown Prince and the Princess remained in their seats. Though their exact expressions were obscured...... every noble allied with the imperial family stayed put.

She blinked, waiting for the next move. Before long, Felix's piercing scream rang out from beneath the stage.

[Felix] "What on earth?!"

[Audience] "......"

Everyone stared at Felix in bewilderment. Dust coated his face, a sign of frantic searching during the blackout.

[Felix] "Guardian! Guardian is gone!"

[Audience] "Guardian?"

The audience knew little of Guardian. Felix scanned the room with a sorrowful expression, then beat his chest in frustration.

[Felix] "The puppeteer! Look, there are bloodstains on the floor......"

A young noblewoman in the front row unleashed a shriek loud enough to make anyone faint.

[Noble] "Kyaaaah! It-It's true...... Bl-Blood! There's blood!"

At the mention of blood, the noble ladies shrieked first, closely followed by the sheltered young lords.

Pandemonium erupted instantly throughout the theater. Amidst the chaos, the private box holding Sierra and Cassius remained the sole island of tranquility.

[Sierra] "......Finally."

The patrons on the ground floor showed utter shock.

No one is missing from the ground floor.

Which means the culprit is......

Sierra narrowed her eyes. Cassius gently took her stiffened arm, encouraging her to relax. Yet the tension didn't dissolve so easily. Her teeth chattered, but a cold, logical clarity filled her mind.

Below the stage, the frantic nobles screamed or cast their eyes upward toward the private box where Sierra and Cassius sat. They clearly expected him to provide answers. But he merely tightened his fists and closed his eyes...... refusing to give the crowd the words they desired.

Remaining calm, Sierra spoke softly.

[Sierra] "Cassius, you were absolutely right."

The puppets required for the show, and even the puppeteer himself, had vanished.

Observing the unfolding crisis, she smirked and brushed her hair back. This crossed beyond a mere shock or the ruin of a theater troupe; it threatened the very honor of the Ideos Ducal House.

She set her cellophane glasses on the table and spoke with firm resolve.

[Sierra] "The culprit is right here......"

Amusement and irritation blended across her features.

[Sierra] "......in this room."

Cassius rose, catching her train of thought. It was time to identify the criminal who had taken the bait.

As soon as he finished speaking, the window of the private box slid upward. The nobles raised their trembling gazes to peer inside. Now, they could look directly at them.

[Noble] "The-The Duke is......"

[Noble] "......with his lover."

[Noble] "But the performance they prepared so carefully is ruined. What happens now?"

The crowded nobles lowered their voices, whispering intensely.

In moments like this, one had to play the part. Sierra lifted a pale face, simulating utter astonishment at the turn of events.

A sickly appearance certainly proves useful at times.

Possessing robust health in reality, Sierra nevertheless weaponized her pale complexion. She sighed deeply and leaned against Cassius' chest. His firm muscles twitched at the contact. Swallowing hard, she murmured.

[Sierra] "Good heavens...... Whatever happened, Your Grace?"

Cassius remained silent for a beat before wrapping an arm around her trembling shoulders. Just as he excelled at feigning affection...... he executed this performance flawlessly.

[Cassius] "Whoever dared to frighten my lover, insult a production crafted by the Ducal House, and kidnap our puppeteer......"

[Cassius] "I will never let them stand unpunished."

Sierra closed her eyes, leaning into the strength of the arm holding her. She played the fragile maiden to perfection.

[Cassius] "The capital guard and the police knights already surround the Pandore House. To ensure your safety, knights from the Ideos House will escort each of you home."

Relief washed over the crowd at his declaration. Under any other circumstance, they would remain uneasy. However, the capital's populace held deep faith in the Duke of Ideos, the hero who had won a hopeless war against monsters.

Heavily armored knights clad in the Ideos uniform marched through the opened doors with perfect discipline.

Right at that very instant, as comfort spread through the audience, the imperial family's private box, previously shrouded in darkness, transformed into a transparent cube. This change signified that the royals intended to speak. Nobles who had prepared to follow the escorts froze and slid back into their seats.

Seated on a velvet sofa similar to the one Sierra and Cassius occupied, the two royals commanded the attention of the entire room. Sierra stared into the imperial box with a tense gaze.

True to his reputation, the Crown Prince lounged like an idle playboy. Leaning against the armrest, the prince maintained a faint, elegant smile. No trace of terror touched his face—an impossible reaction for someone facing a sudden disappearance.

As Sierra studied the Crown Prince with a strange expression, the Princess' resolute voice pierced the air.

[Iliena] "I am deeply disturbed by this turn of events."

Her booming voice demanded the attention of every soul present. Though her tone remained flat and her expression haughty, the rims of her eyes shone an unusual red, as if she had just wept. Yet her rigid posture made it clear she felt compelled to deliver these exact words.

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