"-Well, for a castle, it's a castle!"
As they stood in front of the huge entrance, the small group was speechless. Layton and Luke had seen this building before, but to see it up close was much more impressive!
"-Let's hope the Duke will be kind enough to welcome us..." thought Luke.
Victoria readjusted her beetle, eyebrows furrowed.
"-Either way, he won't have a choice.
-How can you be so sure, Miss Victoria?
-I always have the last word when I want something, Professor Layton." She smiles at him.
The archaeologist walked first to the huge black oak door. He grabbed one of the heavy rings and knocked it against the wood. A very old little woman came and opened it. Her little beady eyes were wide open when she saw the strangers.
"-You're not from Rosenberg, am I mistaken?"
Layton readjusted his top hat.
"-Yes, ma'am, we're just passing through. Are you one of the Duke's employees?
-Yes, but call me Magda, I like to be called by my first name rather than "ma'am.""
They looked at each other. It was the Magda the locals were talking about the day before.
"-Well, Magda, if you don't mind, we'd like to talk to Duke Hohenhart, would that be possible?
-Please follow me."
The group entered the huge castle. As they walked through the long, endless corridor of the brightest light, Luke and Layton tried to watch every nook and cranny for clues. Victoria and Descole were right behind them and did the same.
The young woman began to sigh and yawn bored.
"- Is everything all right?
-Yes, yes, what happened last night kept me up all night.
-I must confess, I had a hard time sleeping.
-Must be because of your perfume, no?
-My... perfume? "
"Vicky" was looking away, confused. Descole was rather bewildered.
"-Yes, your perfume. I can't describe it, but...
-You like it, don't you?"
She turned red and babbled.
"-You could say it like that, yes..."
Descole giggled, amused.
"-You really have the art of complimenting in a very special way.
-I shouldn't have said anything...
-But no, but no. If it makes you feel any better, I like yours too."
She turned crimson.
"But how...?
-Did you forget you wore my cape last night?
-Evidently, that explains everything..."
She wanted to change the subject as soon as possible, Descole was troubling her for some reason she couldn't find. She hadn't noticed a dull smile hanging over her face.
"-Professor, weren't we supposed to tell Mrs Magda about this whole affair?" Whispered Luke.
Layton nodded.
"-Let's wait for the right moment, you never know.
-We'd better be on our guard, after all we're not the only ones who want that mirror...
-You got that right, son."
The good woman stopped in front of a large pearly door.
"-After you, he's ready to receive you."
And the group entered cautiously...
"-You're not playing a trick on us, I dare hope for you?
-But n-no! I assure you, she's the one who told me.
-She trusts you?
-I think so, yeah. Can you stop pointing that gun at me?"
Swallow lowered the gun and put it away.
"-It's simple. If you're lying, I'd be happy to put a bullet in your skull.
-A little too direct...
-I don't have time for fools like the people in this shantytown."
She waved to her soldiers.
"-To the castle of this Hohenhart."
And she burst out laughing. Inwardly, she wanted to get this story over with as soon as possible. She was only doing it for her boss, who seemed to see a little too much in the pink. Just the thought of that girl pissed her off and would give anything to kill her with her own hands. What did he see in her? She still hadn't found the answer to that question.
Oh, and there was this Bronev guy, too. Although he was much more interested in that part. But he'd taken a backseat to it.
Finally, she had to focus on her main mission: That damn Rosenwald Mirror.
"-That mirror, hm. I was expecting this topic of conversation actually."
The Duke sat wisely in front of them. Magda had taken care to serve tea to the guests and was also listening attentively to the conversation. The professor was ready to extract any information.
"-There's something I'd like to understand...
-I'm listening.
-I understand the mirror was created by a certain Isaac Rosenwald.
-Yes, it was...
-Then why do you have it in your possession?"
The Duke giggled slightly. His guests were rather well-informed.
"-The Rosenwalds were nothing but fools, scum of the worst kind.
-Why's that?
-This goes back years ago with our ancestors. I don't want to talk about it.
-I see... -So it's because of Cornelia Hohenhart that you seem to hate each other and the Rosenwalds."
Friedrich was taken unawares.
"-But how?
-Agnes told us about it." Cut Victoria off, impatient.
The man put his monocle back on and sighed.
"-Ah, you've met Agnes...
-A quite charming woman.
-Hmm..."
Victoria stared at the Duke, fluttering her eyelashes quickly. Descole had guessed she was using her charm. She minauda:
"-You know, the sooner we get that information, the less we'll bother you.
-Professor, Victoria's weird... "
And she went on, with a big angelic smile on her pretty little face.
"Anyway, you know we'll get to the bottom of this, don't you?
-All right."
Layton didn't really approve of her methods, but the Duke had given in, which suited him. Luke, still far too young, didn't really understand her behavior either.
"-Cornelia was one of the daughters of my ancestor, Friedrich. She met this Isaac guy one day. And sadly they fell in love."
-Unfortunately...? Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Descole asked.
"-Ha! A Hohenhart with a peasant like the Rosenwalds? You're joking, I hope?
-Mr Duke, if I may be so bold as to say, the habit doesn't make the monk, you know." Victoria bids.
"-It's a matter of principle here. These poor people don't deserve us."
What outrageous words they thought. Luke couldn't help but ask:
"-What happened when his father found out about the affair...?
-He locked up Cornelia in the castle.
-But that's awful!
-It was only for her own good. As for Isaac, mad with rage, he murdered his so-called beloved.
-But...
-Here's your information."
Victoria was clenching her fist. Who did he think he was, underneath all that fake Duke pomp and circumstance? Besides, there was something wrong with his story.
"-If I were the kitten, I wouldn't pull out the claws." Descole whispered to her.
"-But the kitten is dying to scratch someone.
-There's no use getting angry.
-Hmm... -That's true."
Then she sighed a deep sigh before she got back to that falsely cheerful smile.
"-Would it be possible to see the mirror, Mr Hohenhart?
-Magda will take you there... After all, I'm not responsible for your misfortunes.
-We know that.
-This way, young men."
Magda led them up a spiral staircase to the basement and stopped in the middle of the path.
"-You know... I knew Miss Cornelia."
The gang looked at each other and Layton continued.
"- Could you...
-I'll tell you everything I know."
She continued quietly down the stairs.
"-At the time, I was just a little girl, but I was old enough to understand this sort of thing, you know. Mademoiselle Cornelia was a kindness like no other. I lived in the castle with my late mother, who was her appointed governess."
She turned to the group who listened to her with the greatest attention.
"-The other housekeepers were also all aware of her relationship with this Isaac. We were doing our best to help her see him, as her father would never have accepted such an affair.
-And this, unfortunately, came to light.
-Yes, it did."
She started pointing her index finger up in the air.
"-But believe me, Isaac would never have dared to murder his beloved!
-What do you know about Isaac?
-Well, according to rumors, he would have gone mad and taken refuge outside of civilization.
-So I guess that's where he must have created this mirror from.
-That's what I think too, sir."
Layton thought over and over again. If that's what he thought, how come the Hohenharts had this mirror? What if...
"-Here we are. Are you sure of yourself?
-Magda, we've never been more sure of ourselves!" cried Luke.
"-Take us to that good-for-nothing Duke, or this will end badly. You wouldn't want this to end badly, would you?"
The terrified young maid led her and her soldiers to the said Duke.
"-I give you the bull's-eye that Layton and her boyfriends are already here."
She giggled.
"-That's perfect."