If You Devour Poison / Doku Wo Kurawaba Sara Made Chapter 11: The Elderly Butler Thomas

After loading Julieta’s trunk full of personal items, I placed it in the baggage area and then climbed into the carriage with Julieta. She was holding the bouquet given to her by her ladies-in-waiting. Together we headed to the Asbal mansion.
The Asbal mansion was located only a certain distance away from the royal castle, within the capital’s residential area, which was known for housing the upper-class nobility.
As the Prime Minister, it might have been better to set up residence within the castle’s vicinity. However, as the basement built under the Asbal mansion also served as an emergency shelter for royalty in the past, this was the better choice.
When the gates to the mansion came into sight, the coachman called out to me, “My lord, it looks like there are guests”.
I slid a finger within the gap of the window curtains and opened a gap to look outside. Standing at the mansion’s entrance was the butler Thomas, my son Sigurd, as well as the Knight Commander Jolga.

“Again, it’s exactly as expected.”
“…Father, who are the guests?”
“It’s Sigurd and the Knight Commander. Julieta, it’s been a while. Feel free to act spoiled with your brother.”
“Oh my.”

As I was being comforted by Julieta’s giggling while she hugged her bouquet, the horse carriage reached the mansion’s entrance. Thomas opened the carriage’s doors, dipping into a bow with a “Welcome home, my lord”. I generously nodded in return and reached out a hand to Julieta before Thomas did. Sigurd had a slight knit to his brows as his gaze landed on Julieta’s leg in its cast as she climbed down the carriage half-carried by me. The lady he had a hand in pushing into hell. The enemy of Nasha, for whom he harbored feelings that could not be voiced. However estranged they might be, she was still his sister. Perhaps, he was already starting to feel some guilt? Such naivety will only bring him regrets in the future.

“Lady Julieta, welcome back.”
“Thank you, Thomas. I’m home.”

Thomas’s expression faltered for a brief moment at Julieta’s kind reply. However, as expected of a butler employed in the Asbal family since the previous generation, he regained his calm demeanor in an instant. After ordering the footmen to bring in the luggage, he smiled gently at Julieta.

“Milady, you must be tired. Your room has been prepared, would you like to take a rest first?”
“Is that so? …In that case, I shall heed your suggestion. Father, may I be excused?”
“Yes, go ahead. After all, I seem to have guests.”
“…”

Staring at me as I chuckled quietly, Sigurd and the Knight Captain’s expressions turned sour. It seems like before our carriage arrived, the three of them had not been able to reach an agreement.
The elder butler, Thomas. He was the Head Butler of the Asbal family and was also a supporting character in Prime Minister Anderheim’s heir, Sigurd’s route as well as the route of the hidden capture target, the Knight Captain Jolga, who appears after capturing Sigurd.
Thomas lamented at the suffering cries of the commoners under the Asbal family’s heavy taxations and had reported them countless times to both the previous lord and Prime Minister Anderheim. However, all of them were heartlessly dismissed.
In despair, Thomas aided Sigurd, who had been troubled by his relationship with his father, with entering the Knights’ squad. Thus, after Sigurd built a close friendship with the Crown Prince and stood on the side opposing his father with the Sacrificial Priestess Nasha as the core, Thomas became the spy that leaked the Asbal family’s movements to the Crown Prince’s faction.
…What a convenient existence.
That is, of course, to [me].
After seeing off Julieta and her attendant, I invited Sigurd and Jolga and headed to the parlor with a fireplace.
As soon as he sat on the leather sofa opposite, Jolga immediately requested to appoint Sigurd as an escort. On paper, it was to guard and observe the recuperating Julieta. In truth, their aim was probably to keep an eye on me and to search the grounds.

“Julieta and I are fine with it, but what about you? Even in name, aren’t you part of the Knight Guards attached to His Highness, the Crown Prince?”

In other words, he was the head guard.

“Under His Highness’ orders, I am temporarily withdrawn from the Knight Guards and am now part of the Royal Knights again. There is no cause for concern.”
“Humph, that’s fine. In that case, properly protect Julieta. I’ll say this first… Julieta is far weaker than you may think. Take care of her.”
“…I understand.”

I waited for Sigurd’s acknowledgement, then called over Thomas, who had been standing in a corner of the room.

“Thomas, I’ll hand this to you.”

The necklace that I held out to Thomas, was a single key with the Asbal crest engraved on it. Jolga was confused about it but the expressions of Thomas and Sigurd, who knew what it was, changed in an instant.

“Lord Anderheim, that is…?”
“…It’s a key.”
“I can tell that much at a glance.”
“…Sir Jolga. This is the master key of the mansion.”
“What…?”

The mansion’s master key, as its name suggests, is held only by the master. With that single key, entry is possible into any place within the mansion. That includes even the room that Morin wishes to investigate… the Asbal family’s secret basement.
Ignoring Jolga who had frozen in shock, I tossed the master key in Thomas’ direction.

“This is a good opportunity, Sigurd. When Julieta is resting in her room, you should spend that time learning how to manage the fiefdom. Thomas, I’ll allow your usage of the key. Gather the necessary materials and guide him.”
“…Hah?”

Sigurd’s foolish voice. For a son of mine, he sure shows his surprise too easily.

“What do you mean by ‘hah?’ In the coming future, I will leave this mansion. After all, this mansion has to be handed over to the current Prime Minister. At that time, I will step down as the fief lord. That position will then be handed to you.”
“…What are you deciding on your own!”
“Lord Anderheim, regardless of circumstances, that is absurd. For close to ten years, Sigurd has barely been close to the Asbal lands. As such, even if you tell him to become the lord, he will just be confused.”

I sneered at Jolga’s words.

“Isn’t it ironic coming from the main culprit? Oh, Sir Knight Commander?”
“…Ngh.”
“…To make things clear, I had no intention of making you lord after me. However, the situation has changed. I no longer have time to wait and groom a successor. Neither did I say that you will continue being lord forever. When the situation has calmed down, you can decide to do anything, be it returning the territory to the country or donating it to the church, or even appointing another lord.”
“…What are you scheming?”
“I have no such plans… I’m simply tired.”

I let out a huge sigh.
I leaned back against the sofa and looked up with uncertain eyes at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

“For the sake of the royal family? For the subjects? I no longer wish to suffer for such ridiculous reasons. It’s not worth my beloved Julieta being treated so horribly.”
“…Father?”
“…That’s blasphemy, Lord Anderheim.”
“Report it to His Highness if you wish. In any case, it doesn’t matter to me.”
“…”

I lowered my gaze from the ceiling and let it wander, and Thomas, standing motionlessly with the master key in hand, entered my sight.
In Sigurd’s route, Thomas would find a chance to steal the master key and find evidence of illegal doings in the basement that only Anderheim could enter. In Jolga’s route, the master key played a key role in finding decisive evidence of a certain secret between Anderheim’s first wife, Sigurd’s mother, and Jolga’s former fiancée, Yurikano and Jolga.
In either route, it’s a tool that Thomas went to great efforts to obtain.
Yet, it was suddenly handed to him. Undoubtedly, he must be feeling bewildered.
Now then… It’s about time to execute the plan.

“…Ah yes. First, I should teach you how to enter the basement.”

Thomas stiffened even further while Jolga and Sigurd exchanged incredulous looks in disbelief. To Morin and the others, they had predicted records of illegality to be hidden in the Asbal family’s mansion. And yet, to be invited in so matter-of-factly. As my actions were far from their expectations, they didn’t know how to react.

“Even with the master key, the door to the basement requires a certain technique to open. After all, the lock is a bit tricky. I’ll show you on location, come, follow me.”

There were no objections to that suggestion.
I grabbed the candlestick that was placed on top of the fireplace and led the three of them towards the staircase to the basement.