Kiichi leaned slightly towards Sévon, his voice dropping just enough so that it wouldn't be lost among the noise of the estate.
"So... how did Masao die, exactly? Poison or something dramatic?" he asked, scratching the side of his head.
Sévon didn't respond right away.
He stretched one arm lazily above his head, his joints creaking with a faint crack as if the whole situation was more boring to him than anything else. A quiet yawn followed, completely unselfconscious and utterly out of place in a room full of tension.
Only after that did he put both hands back into his pockets.
"I'm not sure.I don't have all the information yet."Sévon said matter-of-factly.
Kiichi blinked.
"That's... reassuring."
Sévon's eyes flickered briefly towards the inner corridor of the estate, where a few servants stood nervously whispering among themselves.
"But from what I heard, his body was found completely lifeless." he said quietly and evenly,
Tasia's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Lifeless?" she repeated. "You mean hollow... perhaps?"
There was a brief pause.
Sévon nodded slightly.
"That is the possibility I am leaning toward."
Kiichi's slouching posture straightened just a little.
"Hollow, as in…drained?"he whispered, his voice dropping even further.
In a world like Yorna, where nobles were known to surround themselves with guards, physicians, and magical protective charms, an inconspicuous and "lifeless" death in one's own bed was not only fishy.
It was intentional.
Tasia shifted her gaze to the upper levels of the manor.
"If it was poison," she said matter-of-factly, "the physicians would have detected residues in the blood."
Her gaze shifted to the nobles assembled before them.
"If it was an assassination method, there would be evidence of internal damage or external trauma."
Kiichi crossed his arms.
"But there aren't any, right?"
Sévon shook his head once.
"None reported."
As the three Sweepers spoke in hushed tones, the tension in the estate did not dissipate, but rather, it merely shifted.
In the middle of the room, one of Esyn's servants drew closer to her and leaned in, whispering something so softly that even the nobles surrounding them couldn't pick up a single word. Esyn didn't flinch or react right away; she merely listened. Then, after a brief moment, she gave a small, elegant nod.
Without raising her voice, she ever so slightly adjusted the sleeve of her robe and turned toward the exit as if the whole scene had already lost its significance. Her five servants moved as one, forming a subtle pattern around her. They started walking toward the doors of the compound.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Yasuko's voice suddenly cut through the air, sharp and laced with anger.
All eyes in the room turned. Yasuko Shirai's eyes blazed with anger as she fought against the servants holding her arms back.
"You think you can just walk out of here? Just like nothing happened?" she shouted as the attendants holding her back were unable to contain her when she lunged at them again.
"Filthy vermin! You've killed my husband!" she screamed as the servants tightened their hold on her.
"Madam! Restrain yourself!"
But Yasuko was now flailing about like a wild animal.
Esyn, on the other hand, didn't even glance at Yasuko until after Esyn had taken several steps forward while being led by her entourage. Each step was slow, graceful, and done with no rush as she moved across the polished floor of the estate with no noise. Only when the noise of Yasuko's yelling reached a crescendo did Esyn stop and briefly acknowledge Yasuko before continuing on her way. Kiichi looked on in amazement.
"Cold," he said quietly.
Tasia looked over at Kiichi.
"She is either extremely confident or extremely dangerous," she said in a whisper.
Sevon said nothing.
Well-formed and stable, Yasuko continued to yell at Esyn as her servants moved through the crowd towards the front of the room. With a hustle of movement, the crowd parted slowly but steadily in front of them. The nobles turned their heads and looked toward the six people moving through the agitatedly-moving mob with an array of judgments and perceptions on their faces.
Just outside of hearing distance, Yasuko yelled to Esyn,
"Do not ignore me!" She continued to attempt to free herself from the two attendants holding her in place, but she was unable to.
When Esyn reached Sévon, Kiichii and Tasia, she was almost taller than the three of them put together. The heavenly aroma of perfumed oils followed her as if it was leading a group of people into the house of a friend. Her movements were graceful as she had a good posture with her head lifted and her shoulders, hips and ankles aligned.
It almost appeared at that moment that she was going to ignore them completely, but a second later her eyes met Sévon's eyes. There were a few moments of what seemed like slow-motion and her lips broke into a slight smile, which was very subtle.
Then she narrowed her eyes at him in such an obvious and calculated manner. It felt as if she was staring him down without using words and challenging him to stay.
Kiichi blinked.
"Did she just...";
Tasia narrowed her eyes at him, but did not speak.
Sévon, on the other hand, offered no reply whatsoever to her glare.
His face remained completely expressionless as if there was absolutely zero value in her glare. When it became clear that he wouldn't respond, Esyn's facial expression softened just a little, and she walked right past him without saying one word.
Her followers closely and right behind her in an orderly and organized manner created a corridor through which Esyn walked out of the huge entrance to the compound.
Outside the mansion, you could faintly hear the sound of carriage doors opening.
You heard the sound of her getting into her carriage and taking a seat with elegance to give everyone the impression that she was a lady of the highest order. Once she was seated and the servants were in their positions, she was out of the carriage and rolling away from the estate like it was just a social call to say "farewell."
Inside the room, Yasuko's quick breaths filled the void she had created.
"She's escaping.You all saw that, right? She ran because she is guilty!" Yasuko snarled as she clenched her teeth.
Kiichi scratched at his cheek while glancing back at the exit nervously.
"Or maybe she's just walking away because she knows we can't touch her," Kiichi said softly.
Tasia didn't disagree but Sévon still stared at the door now that it was closed, a little more intent and focused than he had been previously.
"Interesting," Sévon said quietly.