Around 7:00 AM on November 18, 1797, a loud scream echoed through the home of the Minister of Finance. When the guards rushed to the source, they were shocked. The minister's servant boy was on the floor, trembling and covering his mouth in fear. The minister's son lay lifeless, not breathing.
News spread quickly. When the police arrived, they were even more surprised. According to the guards, no suspicious person had entered or left the house that night—or at least, they hadn't seen anyone.
8:00 AM, November 18 - Morven's Watch Shop:
Morven stood beside Marcus, as always, watching his work closely. He was strict, believing even a small mistake could make a pocket watch lose its accuracy.
Marcus, feeling nervous under Morven's gaze, kept working. Finally, he took a deep breath and said,
"Master, your watching is great, but can you at least not look at me like that? It feels like I'm facing the angel of death!"
Morven calmly removed his glasses, closed his eyes, and rubbed them. After a moment, he put his glasses back on and turned to Marcus.
"Get back to work and stop complaining."
Suddenly, the shop bell rang. Morven took a deep breath and signaled Marcus with his eyes to leave the workshop and greet the customer. Marcus nodded, stood up, and walked out. Less than a minute later, he burst back in, panting.
"Master… the minister's son is dead!"
Morven paused, surprised. He took off his glasses, placed them on the table, and turned to Marcus.
"What… which minister?"
Marcus replied quickly, "The Treasury Minister's son!"
Morven gave a small smirk, grabbed his hat from the coat rack, and put on his long coat calmly. He turned to Marcus and said,
"Why are you just staring at me? Put on your coat—we're going."
He picked up his cane, stepped out of the workshop, and looked at the minister's guard who brought the news. He tapped his cane hard on the shop's ceramic floor.
"Is the carriage ready?"
The guard nodded fast. "Yes, Mr. Blacktide!"
Marcus stepped out, ready, and said, "I'm ready too, Master."
Morven smiled at Marcus, and the three of them left the shop.
30 Minutes Later - Minister of Finance's Home:
The servants were either terrified or stunned. The minister's guards stood in line as he shouted at them. Then, the sound of a carriage and horses arrived.
The carriage rolled into the minister's courtyard. After it stopped, Morven and Marcus stepped out. The minister rushed toward Morven.
"Mr. Blacktide, my son… they killed my son. I have no heir left. Please, find the criminal… show me my son's killer!"
Morven listened with a smile and finally said,
"I haven't even seen your son's room or the servant who found him yet!"
The minister pointed to the mansion and led the way to line up the servants. After he left, Morven smirked at Marcus.
"See? When they need you, they treat you like a king. When they don't, you're just a watch seller to them. All nobles are the same."
Marcus stayed quiet. Three minutes later, the minister respectfully waved Morven over. Morven and Marcus climbed the stairs slowly and entered the main hall. Morven looked around at the servants and asked,
"Minister, which servant first saw your son and screamed?"
The minister looked at Morven, then at a girl, and said,
"That girl, Mr. Blacktide. She screamed."
Morven stepped away from Marcus and the minister, walked to the girl, and bent down to her level.
"What's your name?"
The girl, scared, answered,
"Elizabeth, sir."
Morven stood straight, smiled, and turned to the minister.
"At least I know she didn't kill your son. Show me his room."
The minister, surprised, started climbing the stairs and signaled Morven and Marcus to follow.
Two minutes later, due to Morven's slow pace with his cane, they reached the room. Morven looked around and said to the minister,
"Thank you. I'll return to my office to put everything together and start my investigation."
After saying goodbye, Morven and Marcus left the mansion. In the courtyard, Morven turned to the minister.
"Thank you, Minister, but we won't take the carriage."
He turned to Marcus and said softly,
"Marcus… let's walk."
Marcus nodded, and they left the mansion. As Morven stepped out of the gate, he looked at the sky and falling autumn leaves.
"Rain is coming. Maybe it'll fall tonight. We should've brought an umbrella."
Marcus, confused, said,
"But it's not even noon yet—it's still morning!"
Morven smiled.
"I said we're going back to the office. Did you believe that?"
Before Marcus could reply, Morven raised a finger to his lips.
"Shh… be quiet. We're going to the shop."
He turned and started walking back the way they came, his cane tapping the ground. The sound of the cane and rustling leaves matched perfectly. Marcus stared in surprise, then hurried to walk beside him. Together, they headed toward the watch shop.