BLOODY LOVE'S
Episode 80's

While Jose was busy dropping off Nolan and researching the archive center, Marco had already reached home.

When he got home, the first thing Marco did was walk quickly to the second floor. George saw her halfway through, then hurried to follow her from behind.

"We haven't changed anything and haven't touched any of the objects in Mr's workspace" he said in a tone as calm as possible.

"Hans and Gerald are still in there too?" Marco never thought how things could get out of control in an instant. He only went away for a moment.

"No, they're in the other room. Sleep."

Marco looked at George. His two slightly silvery eyebrows curved perfectly in question. "Great!" said cynical. "Are they sleeping well?"

"Sir, both of them I found were unconscious" George said. Steps ceased. The two of them were already in front of the large wooden door that locked Marco's work space.

"You locked the door?" Marco pulled out the master key from inside his pocket.

"Sure, sir, I'm preventing anyone from getting inside." George said quietly, "There will definitely be a big commotion."

After the door opened, Marco realized what George had meant.

Her study room now looks like the rooms depicted in a mystery novel. With all the old books, the expensive wood-cooked furniture, the coffee-smelling fragrance from the two cups of Gerald and Hans, all rolled into disarray.

Marco took a slow breath looking at this mess. His feet stepped past the pile of books, papers, and broken glass scattered. Wallace is still tied to his seat as Marco left. His face was pale as cotton. His eyes opened, like blame. His tongue was sticking out.

Wallace is dead.

Marco did not need to touch the neck and check Wallace's pulse to make sure of that. Urine and the smell of feces that come out is enough to prove it.

Marco flicked his hand in front of his nose, then walked towards the sofa set that was in the room. A foul smell filled the room, but he did not care. Marco landed his body on a single sofa, then moved his hand to call out to George. "Tell me what happened, from beginning to end."

George approached, completely unperturbed by Marco's strange nature. An ordinary person would definitely be shocked, scared, or panicked to see a corpse in his own study. But George had been working as a butler in the Argent family home for twenty years. Although he was still surprised to find one, the corpse was nothing new to him.

"When Master left, Gerald and Hans asked to bring two cups of thick and hot black coffee. Ordinary maids would of course not be able to enter Master's room, so I'm the one who escorted. When I put the cups down, both of them said strange things. They felt that they heard strange noises, they also said that Mr. Wallace was saying crazy things. Both of them asked me to lock this room from the outside, preventing anyone from entering uninvited."

Marco frowned.

"It's still daytime, sir, I think they're just being too careful because of the strain. But of course I grant it if it makes them calmer. So, I locked the door from the outside. I remember hearing Mr. Wallace yelling that what we were doing was useless. I don't know who he's talking about, who 'he's' Mr. Wallace is referring to, but he thinks, 'he's' it's coming to free him."

"What did Hans and Gerald do?" Marco interrupted.

"They were each on Mr. Wallace's left and right side. Hans clasped the fruit knife, Gerald clenched his hands together in a position ready to hit. It's like they're looking for something. I asked them what was really going on, but they asked so much that I would ask nothing so that no one would hear. They're just asking for the door to be locked from the outside."

"Then?"

"I did it, then went down to continue the work below. Just fifteen minutes Sir, I feel unsettled and want to see what the three people were doing above. When I was about to knock on the door, I heard a noise like a drawer opened and closed. Since I thought the two of them were doing something presumptuous, I immediately opened the door with a spare key." George felt his waist, causing a gentle tinkling sound. The key chain he always carries and keeps there. "When I tried to open the lock, it sounded the sound of broken glass and also falling items."

"The louder, sir, it's like someone wants to destroy this room. And that's exactly what I saw when the door opened, it was like this" George looked around the room sadly. It looked even sadder because of the messy room than it was because a corpse was tied up in a chair. "Hans and Gerald I found lying on the floor. They fainted, apparently. There's a bump on Gerald's head. Hans himself doesn't seem to be hurt."

"And Mr Wallace?"

"Mr Wallace is like that. I searched carefully into every corner of the room, but found no one."

Marco was silent for a moment. His forehead puckered as he thought hard. "Is the window still closed?" he said when he saw the locked window. The window lock was in Marco's pocket.

"Yes, sir, still. Everything remains as it is now, except for Gerald and Hans who I've moved into the next room."

"When you checked this room, you didn't hear any particular sounds? Certain smells? What are you feeling? Tell me everything."

George tried to understand the question before answering carefully, "I did not hear any suspicious noise or the sound of something being dropped. But I heard the sound of breathing. You could assume that this was just an old man, but when I checked the room, I felt that I was not alone."

Marco raised both eyebrows.

"Yes, it's true that there's Gerald and Hans in this place. And I also know, maybe I feel uncomfortable because of the body. At that time, I felt like I was being watched. If you ask me about the scent, I smell the same odors now, just ...."

"Just?" insist Marco.

"I smell the blood, Sir. Samar, but it was clearly the smell of blood. I got to see Mr. Wallace up close, but there were no open wounds like him. Hans and Gerald were also unharmed. Maybe my smell is messed up in shock."

"No, don't underestimate anything you see, feel, or smell, George." Marco said sharply. "That's a bad habit. You shouldn't have done it, House Servant Chief Argent. Everything you've been through should always be an important note you remember."

George hurriedly lowered his head. "I'm sorry, sir."

Marco looked at Wallace from where he was sitting. Even after death, the man still bothered her. But there may have been certain things that Hans and Gerald had heard. Both of his workers said that Wallace was saying crazy things. Marco wanted to know what the two were saying. It could be an important clue.

"When checking the room, you didn't close the door?"

This time George was silent for a long time. The man took a deep breath, then said in a low voice, "I closed it down while checking the room, but left it open at the moment of lifting Hans and Gerald out."

"Already expected," Marco flicked his finger. The smile under his whiskers expanded in the form of a grin.

"I'm sorry, sir? Sir expected it?"

"Yes, you're not alone, George. There was someone else when you checked the room. I told you, don't underestimate your own instincts. There was someone else in this room, and clearly, he came and went through the door."

"How is it possible? I've checked it, sir. I'm swaddling don't see—"

"You don't see," Marco cut quickly. "That's the point, George. What if you can't see that guy?"

***