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“I… I don’t know… truly, I don’t… I’m just an old man,” Hector stammered, fear making his voice tremble. He was far too old to resist her, so he tried to y the pitiful victim.

“If you don’t know, then let’s sit down and talk it through properly.”

Caitlin withdrew the shears and her foot, settling herself in the chair beside him. With a sharp crack, she pped the shears down on the table.

“Tell me, what was your rtionship with Walter? Did you have any contact over the past decades?” she asked.

“N–no…” Hector wiped the cold sweat from his brow, clearly shaken now that she had released him.

“Is that so? Then do you know Dustin? The Silent Order’s Number Zero?”

“I don’t know him,” Hector muttered, shaking his head.

“That’s impossible. The Seventh Door is your domain, isn’t it? I found Dustin there. If he’s working for them, then he’s your dog. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of him.”

“I haven’t involved myself in the business of the Seventh Door for years. I have no idea what it looks like now.” Hector used retirement as his excuse.

Caitlin wasn’t fooled. She pressed on. “But you do know Forrest, don’t you? He’s your man.”

“Never heard of him…”

“Then let me exin it to you. The Jonathan family built its empire through the underworld. You’ve got moneyundering channels across countries. Forrest—whose real name is Carlos–runs the underground bank in Departure City, V Country. That bank just happens to be one of the Seventh Door’s channels. So both Carlos and Dustin are part of yourwork. Am I wrong?”

Her eyes bore into him, sharp as a de.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! None of this makes sense to me,” Hector insisted.

As he spoke, his gaze flicked toward a bronze ornament on the table. Thinking she hadn’t noticed, he reached for it.

Caitlin’s hand was faster. She snatched it up and found it concealed a panic rm.

“Trying to call someone to clean up your corpse?” She smashed the ornament down hard on the table, ring at him with rising fury. “I’ll ask you onest question. The massacre of Walter’s family–were you the one behind it?b” /b

Hector’s eyes widened in terror. Panic flooded his features, but he still denied it. “How could I? Walter may have been my half–brother, but we hadn’t spoken in decades. Why would I harm him? With the Jonathan family’s fortune, what reason would I have to plot against othersb?/bb” /b

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“So no matter what I ask, you’ll deny it.”

“I didn’t do it. Why should I confess? Do you even have proof?” Hector tried to turn it back on her.

“Proof? My mother herself is the witness. She told me that you stole the second half of Yun’s Aromatic Codex from her. Isn’t it time you handed it back?”

“Your mother? Isn’t she dead?b” /b

The slip was fatal.

“Oh? Just moments ago, you swore you hadn’t been in touch with the Jonathan family for decades. So how is it you know my mother is dead? Where exactly did you hear that news?”

“…” Hector froze, realizing he’d trapped himself. After a pause, he muttered, “Caitlin, believe me or not, I never had any Yun’s Aromatic Codex. I’ve never even heard of it, neverid eyes on it. Maybe your mother was mistaken.”

“You’ve truly never seen the Codex?”

“Never.”

Caitlin let her surprise show. “Such a famous book, and you im ignorance? Perhaps the second half had no cover, so you didn’t recognize it. No matter. I brought the first half with me. Hector, would you like to see it?”

“Oh?b” /b

His eyes betrayed him. He wanted to see it. Desperately.

Caitlin drew out a bundle wrapped in oiled cloth from her inner pocket. Carefully, she unwrapped it to reveal an ancient book. The title gleamed on the cover: Yun’s Aromatic Codex.

“Look closely, Hector. Do you recognize it?”

He leaned in, scrutinizing it. Nicoletta’s words echoed in his mind: with both volumes together, one could uncover the map to Antis and im the Shard of Life. With it came freedom from sickness and the promise of long life.

For an old man staring down death, its allure was irresistible.

“I’ll show you.”

Caitlin opened the book to a middle page. Yellow powder spilled across the parchment, wriggling with something alive.

Just as Hector frowned, thinking the pages were worm–eaten, Caitlin thrust the book against his face.

When she pulled it away, his face was smeared with yellow powder. A thin worm had already burrowed into

his nose.

“Achoo! Cough, cough-” Hector clutched at his face, choking, panic rising. “What is this? What have you

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done to me? I can’t–can’t breathe-”

He copsed back into the chair, writhing in agony.

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Caitlin calmly tucked the false Codex back into her pocket. Looking down at him, she said coldly, “That bwas /bjust one of my pets. A parasite. It’s inside you now. When it stirs, it’ll ravage your body until you’re begging for death.”

Hector slid from the chair onto the floor, rolling in pain.

“Help me… save me…” he gasped, wing at her pant leg.

“Even a doctor couldn’t help you now. Only I can.” Caitlin shook free of his grip, stepping back to tower over him.

“Now, I’ll ask again. Do you know Carlos–also known as Forrest? Are they the same man?”

“Yes… yes, the same…” he admitted through gritted teeth.

So it was true. Forrest was Carlos.

“Where is he now?”

“The Seventh Door…”

“Good. Then answer me this. The massacre of Walter’s family–was it carried out under your orders?”

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