After Luciana exited, Duchess Isabelle walked in. Even after seeing her for the second ti, Jack was still stunned by her beauty. He was mute for a while even after the duchess sat down and waited for him to begin asking her question. She smiled and made a small cough to wake Jack up from his daze.
"Ah, forgive . That's very improper of . Your Grace must have gotten used to n turning their heads on you."
The duchess giggled softly, "I would think that you outworlders have a fair share of beauties, I do not think that I will be special if compared to your kind."
"Oh, on the contrary, we find it hard to discover among our kind soone as elegant and as fair as you in both manners and look. You can easily topple our top beauty."
The duchess let out a straightforward laugh now, "I do not know you outworlders are such teasers. Don't let my husband hear you, he is a jealous sort."
Hearing that, the mory of a level 65 Rare Elite ca back to Jack. He imdiately threw his fascination on the duchess' beauty out of his mind.
"Let us begin then, shall we?" He said in a serious tone. "Where were you in the morning two days ago?"
"On my bed, in my bedroom," the duchess answered.
"The whole morning?"
"The whole day."
"I'm sorry to pry, the head maid inford
of your weak body. Was it because of this condition that you have stayed in bed for the whole day?"
"No need to feel sorry. It is not really a secret, everyone in this mansion knows about my condition. I have good days and bad days, badly most of the ti, unfortunately. During these bad days, I stayed mostly in bed and have dications regularly."
"Then I guess today is one of your good days?"
"It is. Lucky for you, ain't it? Not so for , as I have been planning to go for a walk in the garden on this rare occasion."
"Ah, I'm sorry. I won't take much of your ti," Jack said with an apologetic expression.
The duchess giggled, "I'm just ssing with you. A walk in the garden is sothing I can do so other ti. Having a conversation with an outworlder though, is not sothing so common. So, I'm actually looking forward to this talk."
"Oh… Then… I'll try to make this talk… longer?"
"As long as it does not cause my husband to beco suspicious, hm?" The duchess narrowed her eyes teasingly.
"I think we better keep this conversation formal," Jack went back to a serious tone. "Did you see anyone during the morning two days ago?"
"My husband, as he left to his workroom in the morning. Then head-maid Jina ca in to clean my room and accompany
and took care of my dication. The maid Luciana ca for a bit as well to talk with Jina. Apart from that, not many things happened. My days during bad days were pretty much boring."
"When did you find out about the theft?"
"When Jina ca back again in the afternoon with my lunch. She told
about the coming of the castle guards and the theft."
"You didn't see the barrier formation around the estate?"
"No, I was in my bedroom all the ti, rember?"
"Don't your bedroom have windows? I thought the main bedroom for Duke and Duchess should have large windows showing the best view of the estate, shouldn't it?"
"We have windows, but that barrier formation is not exactly clear to see through a window, right?"
"Is it?" Jack didn't notice this, he had only seen the barrier when he was outdoor.
"Yeah, try seeing it. It was not obvious, unless you open up the windows and peer outside, it will not be obvious in a glance. And that's what I do after I heard about the theft from Jina, I asked her to help
to a window and had it opened so I can see the dancing light in the sky. It was not every day you get to see such a view."
Jack was deep in thought as he pondered sothing.
"Is there anything else you want to ask?" The duchess asked.
"I think that's it for now, I will look for you again if I think of so other things to ask."
"Then how about I give the questions now? Tell
about you outworlders, where you ca from, and how did you get into this world?"
Getting invited to a conversation by beauty was every man's dream, but as Jack was about to gladly converse with the duchess, the mory of the level 65 Rare Elite ca back again. He courteously said, "maybe another ti. I need to finish these interviews as soon as possible while the clues and mories are still fresh. The longer we delay, the harder it is to get back the duke's stolen item."
Duchess Isabelle smiled, she did not seem to be bothered by Jack's rejection. "All right, we can find so other ti to talk when you are free. You will have to excuse
then."
"A mont, one more question," Jack said as he thought of sothing. "Do you know what kind of painting that was stolen?"
"It was a painting?" The duchess gave him a frown. "I can't recall a painting that warranted this much attention. But then again, I don't exactly know what my husband keeps in his workroom, I never venture there."
"I see. Okay then. Thank you for your ti. Do you need my help going out?" Jack offered.
"It is fine. I can walk on my own in my good days," the duchess replied.
Jack kept the last interview for the main suspect. Maid Joselyn ca into the study room accompanied by a guard, who then left after making sure that there was no other exit in the room. Joselyn sat on the chair quietly, Jack could see a trace of nervousness in her eyes. Was it because she was worried about being frad as the thief or because she really was the thief?
"Maid Joselyn, I'm going to…" As Jack was about to begin asking his questions, the maid cut him off, "I'm not going to say anything."
Jack frowned. "That is unwise, maid Joselyn. If you are not telling your story, people will consider you to be the thief. You don't want that, do you?"
The maid kept his mouth mum. She was not even looking at Jack, her eyes were on the exit door.
"If you can explain what had happened in the morning two days ago, perhaps I can help you to prove your innocence," Jack tried to persuade.
Still no response.
"This is not the way to do it, maid Joselyn. It would be in your best interest to talk to . Perhaps you were just in the wrong place and the wrong ti when the painting was stolen. I'm sure there is an explanation. If you will just tell , I can help you to work it out."
No change of expression in the maid's face.
Damn! this woman is adamant, Jack cursed in his mind. Since he could not persuade her to talk by trying to place her as an innocent party, he decided to change tactics with a conversation that placed her as the culprit.
"You threw the painting out through the small opening below the window, right?"
While Jack was saying, he paid good attention to the maid's expression. His Dragon's Eye skill granted him incredible perception on details, he could detect minute changes on a person's face if he put his focus into it. He could see the maid's eyebrows made a small twitch after he asked the question.
"It must be a sha that the Duke decided to go back to his room. He ended up finding about the theft too soon. You have no chance to go and retrieve the painting you have thrown out of the window."
She was still not giving any response, but Jack could see the restlessness in her eyes.
"But fortunately, you have made a backup plan. You didn't need to go and take the painting which you have thrown out of the window by yourself."
The maid's eyebrows started to make a small frown.
"Admit it, you have an aide who collaborated with you. He or she was the one that picked up the painting that you have thrown out of the window."
She finally turned to look at Jack, she uttered with a trembling voice, "You… know nothing!"
She then leaned back on her chair, folded her arm, and kept quiet with a troubled face.
Jack frowned. Her reaction was a bit different from the raging retort he was expecting. Why did she sound more like a helpless victim?
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