novelraw Chapter 90 : Hidden Secrets in History
Chapter 90 : Hidden Secrets in History
Chapter 90: Hidden Secrets in History
Hearing Aurelia’s reply, Levi raised an eyebrow.
It was not an unexpected answer, but to be safe, he still needed to confirm it.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Aurelia nodded.
“Every member of the Baskerville Family receives a personal badge during their coming-of-age ceremony, with their name engraved on the back…………”
As she spoke, Aurelia flipped over the badge and pointed to the corroded, almost illegible letters on its back.
“Here is my grandfather’s name. I have one just like it.”
As she said this, Aurelia took off a badge from her own chest and placed it before Levi for comparison.
Levi took it and examined it carefully.
Indeed, it was very similar to the badge he had received.
Compared to the old, corroded one, Aurelia’s badge was clearly newer, with patterns and letters still sharp and clear.
“Mr. Levi, may I ask where you obtained this badge?”
At this moment, Aurelia’s expression was quite serious.
Levi’s reputation as a detective was already well known throughout Mist City, and of course Aurelia had heard of him.
But what she had not expected was that, as soon as Levi came to her home, he immediately produced her grandfather’s badge?
Even magic tricks couldn’t be that fast!
“It was merely a coincidence.”
Levi did not explain the matter of Wolf Head Village in detail to Aurelia.
He felt there was no need to tell her that her grandfather’s head had been hung up for decades.
Hmm? Wait a moment—The Wolf God of Wolf Head Village was Aurelia’s grandfather.
Which meant he was Sir Baskerville the Younger.
And Little Red Riding Hood was the Wolf God’s daughter.
So by generation, what should Miss Aurelia call Little Red Riding Hood? Aunt?
Levi subconsciously began pondering this question.
After all, generations were still important, weren’t they?
“Is Grandfather still alive?”
Aurelia did not grow angry at Levi’s silence, but only stared at him and asked her next question.
“…………… Please accept my condolences.”
That was all Levi could say.
“I thought so.”
Aurelia was not as distraught as one might expect.
She only sighed softly.
“This badge, then, has returned to its rightful owner.”
Levi stood up and nodded to Aurelia.
“However, Miss Baskerville, there is something I’d like to ask your help with.”
“What is it?”
“I would like to see the historical records of the Baskerville Family.”
Levi fixed his gaze on Aurelia as he made his request.
He knew that families with such long histories often kept their own records, somewhat like a family genealogy, detailing the deeds of ancestors and family heads.
Of course, compared to diaries, these records were usually beautified.
But Levi thought they were still worth studying.
His focus remained on the first Baskerville family head who had been attacked.
But that incident had taken place many decades ago.
For Aurelia, that was already her great-grandfather.
Finding usable clues directly was impossible.
Thus Levi could only look through family records, in hopes of finding something useful.
“No problem, the library has a special section for storing those records. When would you like to see them?”
“If possible, right now.”
“Very well.”
Aurelia picked up the bell on the table and gave it a shake.
Soon, the maid opened the door and entered again.
“Take Mr. Levi to the historical records section of the library.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“Thank you.”
Levi nodded politely to Aurelia, then turned and followed the maid out.
Aurelia, meanwhile, remained seated, her expression unchanged.
Only when Levi’s figure had completely disappeared did she quietly exhale.
Immediately after, however, her brows furrowed again.
Clearly Levi was not much older than she was, so why did her heart beat so quickly when facing him? How strange!
Perhaps it was simply because she hadn’t been resting well recently.
Aurelia thought for a moment, then decided she should turn in early tonight.
After all, she was now the head of the Baskerville Family and had to maintain her health.
Perhaps she also needed to find some time to visit the hospital for a check-up………
On the other side, the maid led Levi into the library.
“This is the place, Mr. Levi.”
The maid guiding him was nearly forty.
Seeing Levi, she was not as nervous as the younger ones, but still spoke politely.
“If you need anything, you may ring the bell to summon me. I’ll stay here and follow your orders at any time.”
“Then, if you don’t mind, shall we chat a little?”
Levi sat down and gestured for the maid to sit as well.
After a brief hesitation, she nodded and sat down.
“May I ask your name?”
“Fosco Gladys.”
“Gladys……… Miss?”
“Yes.”
“You must have worked here for a long time.”
“Of course. I’ve worked here since I was sixteen. My parents also served here. My father was a gardener, and my mother was a maid, just like me.”
This was quite common in noble households—not only nobility was passed down generation to generation, but their servants as well.
After all, servants’ lives revolved around their masters, and the noble household was their workplace.
It was not unusual for romances to blossom there.
Especially in an old aristocratic family like the Baskervilles, it was even more so.
The nobles encouraged this, since they too had children.
Rather than letting their children mingle with outsiders of unknown origin, it was much more reassuring to let them grow up and play together with the children of trusted servants.
Of course, once the children grew up, their statuses would naturally no longer be the same.
The servants would have to call them “Young Master” or “Young Lady,” their attitudes would become respectful, and between them would lie a sad, thick barrier.
It was no longer like the old days, when they could grab a pitchfork together to hunt badgers…… Oops, lost my train of thought.
“I want to talk with you, about some matters concerning the Baskerville Family.”
Hearing Levi’s inquiry, Madam Gladys immediately became somewhat uneasy.
“Oh, sir, we are only servants, it would be improper to gossip about our masters……….”
“I can understand your loyalty to the Baskerville Family.”
Levi was not surprised by Madam Gladys’ refusal.
“But I hope you can understand, my coming here is not to meddle in some petty schemes between nobles.
My only purpose is to investigate and resolve these strange events currently happening to the Baskerville Family.
That is all.
Do you understand what I mean?”
Madam Gladys stared at Levi in silence for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
“………………… I understand, Detective.”
“Good.”
Levi took out his notebook and leaned comfortably back in the soft chair.
“First, I want to ask—regarding the earliest disappearance, what was your view on it?”
“At that time I had not yet been born, and my parents never spoke of it in front of me.”
Madam Gladys shook her head.
“Only that, back then, everyone thought it was just an accident.”
“An accident?”
“Yes.
Such things happen at times.
A horse was startled, someone strayed in the forest, disappeared……… City people might not understand, but the forest is extremely dangerous.
Whether noble or commoner, once you lose your way, you may never come out.”
“Hmm, very well.”
Levi knew that Gladys clearly did not wish to speak further about matters she did not know, so he shifted direction.
“Then let’s talk about the case of Sir Baskerville the Younger.
According to the report I saw, the next morning someone knocked on the door, and upon entering discovered the corpse?”
“Yes……….”
At this subject, Gladys’ face grew much paler.
“I still remember Madam’s appearance at that time. She lay there on the bed, eyes wide open, as if she had seen something terrifying. Her body was torn apart……… By the Holy Lord above, it was far too dreadful. I had never seen Madam like that before. She was so pitiful, to end up in such a way……… Truly……….”
“Wait.”
Hearing this, Levi interrupted Madam Gladys’ account.
He took his pen and quickly sketched a few lines in his notebook, drawing the outline of the corpses he had seen before in Wolf Head Village.
“Was it like this?”
“Yes, it looked something like that……………”
Looking at the sketch, Madam Gladys recalled for a moment, then nodded.
“And then? You discovered Sir Baskerville the Younger was gone?”
“Yes. There was blood everywhere. We also found footprints leading out the window, but there was nothing outside. Beyond was the second-floor roof, with no path nearby. All of us searched the entire manor from top to bottom, but we couldn’t find Master, so we had no choice but to call the police.”
“And it was after this that the rumors spread?”
“Yes.”
“The reason?”
“Because of the footprints.”
“Footprints?”
“Yes.”
Madam Gladys nodded.
“In the bedroom, they weren’t human footprints, but looked more like wolf prints soaked in human blood. After that, word spread, and it turned into this irresponsible rumor.”
At this point, Madam Gladys was clearly very displeased.
“Then I have another question.”
“Please ask.”
“Why is this curse called the Demon Hound of Baskerville? Dogs have had nothing to do with any of this, right?”
“I don’t know either.”
Madam Gladys shook her head again.
“Perhaps someone deliberately wanted to slander the Baskerville Family, so they fabricated such a rumor.”
“Very well. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Levi closed his notebook and smiled at Madam Gladys, who stood up.
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
Saying this, Madam Gladys turned and walked out of the library, closing the door behind her.
Levi kept watching her figure until it disappeared from the doorway, then finally withdrew his gaze.
Alright, time to look through the records.
Looking at the bookcases stretching up to the ceiling before him, Levi rubbed his hands together and stood up.
The historical records of a family were far too long; he did not intend to read them all.
Levi had already decided—he would start with the first generation, then gradually work forward.
Anyway, he had plenty of time, and he refused to believe that he could not discover some clue.
So Levi circled the bookcases several times before finally finding a volume almost buried beneath dust and cobwebs—《Record of the First Baskerville Knight》.
After wiping the dust clean, he sat back down and began reading at ease.
However, what Levi had not expected was that, upon just opening it, he stumbled upon a great drama.
“……… When Baskerville was abandoned in the forest, she was not yet one year old.
At that time, no one knew that this woman would one day leave such a bold and colorful mark on this turbulent continent……… Wait a moment, the Baskerville Knight was a woman?”
Levi had to admit, this opening surprised him somewhat.
He had always heard people speak of the Twelve Knights of the Round Table, and had subconsciously assumed they were all men.
But the Baskerville Knight was actually a woman?
That was rather interesting.
Levi read it as if it were a biographical novel.
In fact, in his eyes, it really was like a grand heroine’s tale.
The heroine, abandoned by her family from infancy, grew up raised by beasts in the forest, and thus gained the eyes of an eagle, the ears of a wolf, the speed of a leopard, and the strength of a bear.
She soon became famous locally, and word reached Emperor Arthur.
He sought her out and invited her to join his grand expedition to unify the continent.
The two fought, and the heroine was defeated by Emperor Arthur.
Willingly, she became his knight and joined him in conquering the continent.
However, it did not end in the cliché of marriage between the two.
According to the book, the heroine fell in love with another soldier in her own army, and the two eventually married.
Still, Levi discovered something interesting—after she joined Emperor Arthur’s campaign, because she often used her beast-like powers to capture fleeing enemies, she was also called Arthur’s Hound………
Finally, the heroine bore a daughter, designating her as the heir of the Baskerville Family……… Hmm?
At this point, Levi suddenly furrowed his brows, as if realizing something.
He put the book down, stood up, and began searching the shelves again.
This time, he quickly found the genealogical records of the Baskerville Family.
Opening them, he examined every detail carefully.
“Good heavens, what a discovery this is!”
The more he read, the brighter Levi’s eyes became.
He had found something extremely interesting—something no one had ever noticed!
That was, in the Baskerville Family, aside from the three male Baskerville lords recently lost in the curse incidents, all the rest had been women!
Yes, from the first generation until now, except for those three, every head of the Baskerville Family had been female!
And coincidentally, only when these three men became the heads did the curse of the Demon Hound of Baskerville arise upon them!
To say there was no connection at all………… Levi absolutely refused to believe it!
Now the question was—what exactly was the connection?