“What did I do wrong to be sent to prison?”
Merran, who had just come downstairs after nursing Claisey, was startled by the unexpected arrival of a Palace Guard.
“It is the Guard Station, not a prison.”
The soldier replied in a blunt voice. Although he claimed it wasn’t a prison, his expression and attitude were those of a man dragging someone off to one.
“It’s the same thing! Who doesn’t know there’s a temporary holding cell inside the Guard Station? And why on earth would our young lady be hauled off to the Guard Station so abruptly?”
The maid, Anna, shielded Merran with her body and protested.
“It will be revealed later.”
The soldier was equally unkind this time.
Merran asked calmly, “Will you give me time to prepare?”
Fortunately, the soldier allowed Merran a moment to get dressed.
As Anna helped Merran put on her outdoor clothes, she asked, “Should I wake up Miss Claisey?”
“No. Her fever hasn’t gone down yet.”
As Merran fastened her buttons, she thought back to the party last night. She had been a bit mischievous toward Claisey, but it certainly wasn’t enough to cause any legal trouble.
The party had been peaceful throughout, and everyone was happy—except for one person.
“Could it be Florence? Did she frame me?”
Merran felt uneasy at the thought of Florence, who had glared at her as if she wanted to kill her. Florence had disliked Merran ever since she was eleven—despite claiming to be her aunt’s best friend.
As Anna draped a cute fur cape over Merran’s shoulders, she shook her head.
“That’s impossible. Miss Florence has a personality so righteous it’s almost stubborn.”
“A righteous person bullies a child much younger than her? She was spouting nasty things at me even when I was eleven.”
“She did say some harsh things. But Miss Florence was only sixteen then, and she was doing it for Miss Claisey’s sake.”
“What does that have to do with anything? She’s my aunt’s friend. That makes me like a niece to her.”
Anna barely managed to swallow the words, “Miss Florence’s younger sister is even younger than you.”
She liked Florence well enough, but her loyalties were to Claisey and Merran. She couldn’t side with Florence if it meant upsetting Merran.
“Shall I come with you?” Anna asked worriedly as she brought out Merran’s hat.
Merran checked her reflection in the full-length mirror. She looked perfect.
“No, it’s alright.”
Merran smiled confidently and left the room. As long as she had confidence, courage, and wisdom, she could resolve any misunderstanding.
***
Fifteen minutes after Merran had set off for the Guard Station with burning determination, the report reached Kishin.
Kishin paused his work and left his office to meet her. However, someone had beaten him to it: Dernic.
Furthermore, this line-jumping was clearly intentional. Dernic had coordinated with the eccentric woman who was pulling weapons out of her handbag, intending to ensure that Kishin wouldn’t be angry with anyone—least of all him.
Standing in front of the small interrogation room, Dernic scanned his surroundings and knocked on the door.
“Yes.”
As soon as he heard the woman’s voice, Dernic hurried inside. Because the lighting was dim, he couldn’t immediately make out her face. Assuming Kishin had brought the right person, Dernic sat in the chair opposite her.
“Hey, let’s get our stories straight—”
Dernic froze as he finally caught sight of her face.
Merran didn’t find his reaction strange; she was used to men being dazed by her looks. Of course, none of them had been as strikingly handsome as this one.
Merran, who had come intending to resolve the misunderstanding with charisma, felt a surge of good cheer when the investigator turned out to be an incredibly handsome man, looking at her as if he had fallen for her at first sight.
It seemed this would be easy to clear up.
“Marie noona?”
The silver-haired man muttered her mother’s name. Merran was startled.
“Do you know my mother?”
The name “Marie” wasn’t rare, but Merran was certain he had meant her mother. She knew she bore a striking resemblance to her, and everyone who had known Marie Kalasi Omal was shocked the first time they saw her daughter.
“Marie Kalasi Omal. My goodness. Are you noona’s daughter?”
As expected, he knew her mother’s name perfectly. However, the reaction that followed was bizarre. Merran flinched. He looked to be around her age, yet he was speaking like an elderly relative.
When the man clasped his hands together with an awestruck expression, Merran felt uneasy and leaned back. Then, unexpectedly, tears welled up in his eyes.
“Why are you crying?”
The silver-haired man lifted the corners of his mouth faintly. “Noona is my savior. Did your mother ever mention me?”
“A savior? My mother?”
“Yeah. Ten years ago—”
However, just before Merran’s curiosity could be satisfied, a cool, pleasant voice commanded from the door, “Get out.”
Merran stood up abruptly, thinking it was directed at her.
“No, I was talking to him.”
The silver-haired man signaled for Merran to sit back down and stepped out himself. As the door closed, Merran was left utterly confused.
After a moment of deliberation, she quietly pressed her ear against the door.
***
Merran’s attempt was futile. As soon as Kishin pulled Dernic out, he took him far away from the interrogation room to ensure they couldn’t be overheard.
“What on earth are you doing?” Kishin asked, suppressing the urge to grab Dernic by the collar. Even the elite guards hadn’t noticed Dernic sneaking in. “I clearly told you I would handle my own identification.”
“Look at this guy. Is now the time for you to be angry? You should be thanking me instead.”
Dernic stood tall, not shrinking away in the slightest. A furrow appeared on Kishin’s brow. He reached out to touch Dernic’s forehead, then noticed the tear streaks remaining on his face.
“You’ve finally gone completely mad. How am I supposed to explain this to the Grand Duke?”
Dernic just pushed Kishin’s arm away and laughed. “I’m perfectly fine. In fact, I’m feeling great.”
“It must be the aftereffects of the dark magic…”
“You’ve got the wrong person.” Dernic left out the second part: *And I have found the right person.*
He hadn’t intended to look for Marie’s daughter, but seeing someone who looked just like his savior had sparked an instinctive fondness.
Kishin frowned even harder as Dernic’s mouth twitched. It was unpleasant.
“Wrong person? What are you talking about?”
“The hair color is completely different. Miss Merran has blonde hair. That handbag arms dealer had darker, deeper-colored hair.”
As Kishin reached for his blade, Dernic leaped back.
“Why are you getting angry at me when you’re the one who brought the wrong person?”
“If you knew the hair color, why didn’t you tell me in advance?”
Dernic, previously in high spirits, was instantly deflated. Kishin summoned Phils to reprimand him once more. He was certain Phils had bungled the investigation and let the real culprit slip away, as Phils had confidently stated that Merran was the only woman who met every condition.
Phils retorted, feeling unjustly accused, “Sir Kishin, it’s the truth. Merran Omal was the only woman who fit the three conditions you provided.”
Dernic intervened, “What are the three conditions?”
Phils shot a cold glare at Dernic and answered sullenly, “The three you relayed, Sir Dernic. Do you not remember? A noblewoman who attended the Laberton family party on November 30th, in her early to mid-twenties, who passed through Valowal Road between ten and eleven o’clock in the evening.”
Dernic had gladly meddled in the investigation, but now he grew quiet.
“If it’s the Omal Marquisate, there should be three young ladies. Didn’t you fail to verify it properly?”
“I went to 12 Driblue Street, but that wasn’t the Omal family home, Sir Dernic. It was her aunt’s house. Merran Omal was living with her aunt.”
Dernic asked cheerfully, “You never know. Perhaps the arms dealer I met has a youthful face?”
“But the aunt said she didn’t pass through Valowal Road at that time, did she?”
“Then—”
Kishin, feeling a headache, cut them both off.
“Enough. I will verify every house that passes through Valowal Road one by one. That will be faster.”
Phils asked, looking dejected, “Then what should we do with Miss Merran?”
Dernic stepped forward quickly. “I’ll take her home.”
However, Kishin did not want the investigation to get any more tangled.
“No. You are coming with me.”
When Kishin grabbed his arm, Dernic shouted, “Why?”
He had wanted to talk more about Marie *noona* while escorting Merran home, but Kishin’s menacing gaze shut his mouth.
“You need to confirm the faces.”
“Then let’s start with 12 Driblue Street. While we’re at it, let’s both escort Miss Merran home. It would serve as an apology for the mistake.”
Dernic didn’t give up, but it was useless.
“Fine, we’ll start with 12 Driblue Street. Phils, keep Merran Omal detained here for two hours so she doesn’t return in the meantime.”