13.
The only ones left lingering near the trio of chatterboxes were their own kind—the sort of people too oblivious to sense when to retreat. One of them, the one who had spoken first, kept fishing for reactions from the crowd, clearly enamored with their own deduction.
“Looks like things are going to get much bigger than we thought, don’t you think?”
Although they were gloating over my impending misfortune, their remarks actually sparked a glimmer of satisfaction in me.
“One moment, officer.”
I requested a brief reprieve from the guard escorting me toward the detention center. Then, I turned back to the trio, wearing the most arrogant expression I could muster.
“Is the name of House Renkels something that can be tossed around so lightly in idle gossip? I wonder what your aunt—no, what Count Renkels would think if she heard about this…”
Although I hadn’t seen her many times, the fact that Count Renkels was my mother’s older sister remained an immutable truth.
*It’s not like I started this.*
The trio’s faces drained of color the moment I invoked the name of Count Renkels. They had finally realized their slip of the tongue.
*That’s enough for today.*
I offered a slight, lopsided smile and turned back toward the detention center. Once Connie was released, they would pay the price for this.
“This way. However, outsiders are required to undergo identification procedures before entering, so please wait a moment.”
The guard led me to a temporary waiting room just inside the entrance. This was clearly as far as an outsider could go without clearance. I waited about ten minutes on a sofa that offered surprisingly decent cushioning for the Imperial Palace detention center, until the guard finally returned.
“Entry permitted. Miss Carolina Diaz.”
With the permit granted, the guard’s attitude shifted; he became noticeably more respectful, as if my status had transformed from an annoying intruder to a guest. I gave a slight nod and followed him into the heart of the facility.
*It’s dark.*
The building was relatively new, yet it carried the heavy, stagnant air of a place where light dared not linger.
*Even the guards look exhausted.*
Somewhere in the distance, a muffled shout echoed. My stomach tightened.
*They promised they would keep her safe.*
My expression stiffened. Sensing my unease, the guard began to offer reassurance.
“The further in you go, the more the rooms for noble prisoners appear. Since Miss Constance is currently detained as a witness, she is being held in this inner section.”
“I should hope so.”
The guard flinched, as if my breezy comment carried the weight of a threat. Fortunately, my anxiety evaporated the moment we arrived at Connie’s cell.
“Here it is.”
*It’s actually quite decent.*
It looked less like a cell and more like a modest guest room in a noble household, save for the single wall of iron bars.
“Miss Constance is not permitted to leave, but you, Miss Diaz, are cleared to enter. Would you like to go inside?”
The guard held up a silver key.
“Oh, yes.”
When I accepted, the iron-barred door groaned open. I ducked my head and stepped inside. Once I was fully in the room and straightened my back, the space opened up before me.
*This is livable enough.*
No work, three meals a day.
*Come to think of it, there’s no one here.*
“Where is Connie?”
I turned to ask the guard, who was busy locking the door with a clatter of keys.
“Perhaps she is washing up? The bathroom is behind that partition.”
The guard gave a vague shrug and turned to leave, mentioning he would return in an hour. “There are no other inmates in this vicinity, so you may talk comfortably.”
“Thank you.”
I offered my thanks to his retreating back. As the silence settled, the faint sound of running water drifted from behind the screen.
*Must be nice, Constance.*
I took a seat at a small tea table, waiting. Twenty minutes passed. Then thirty. Still, she didn’t emerge.
“Is she taking a soak?”
I wondered if the cell even had a bathtub. After another five minutes, the water finally cut off. Soon, Connie stepped out from behind the partition, dressed in comfortable loungewear.
“Eek!”
She caught sight of me and let out a shriek.
“Calm down. It’s me.”
I spoke clearly, and the screaming finally ceased.
“Ri-Na?”
“Yes.”
Connie hurried over. Her face was glowing, as if she had been sleeping and eating well.
“It really is Carolina. Did you come to get me out?”
Despite the warnings she’d surely received from the Emperor’s side about her indefinite stay, she looked bored. And underneath that, a flicker of genuine hope shone in her eyes.
*You’re acting like this while locked in a cage?*
I was about to scold her, but the words died in my throat.
“No, I got caught too.”
I held up my wrists, panting, and Connie slumped to the floor, defeated.
“Why you?”
She looked like someone who’d had their final meal snatched away by a crow.
“You didn’t have any particular justification, so you’re in a similar situation to me?”
She fired off questions without waiting for answers, showing remarkably little concern for the situation.
*She truly believes she’ll be out soon.*
I lowered my head, suppressing a chuckle. Because of the angle, the shadows masked my face, giving me a melancholy air that sparked Connie’s imagination.
“Don’t tell me you have to share the room with me? I haven’t been here more than a few days. Is that why they gave me such a large room?”
Was this her most urgent concern? I hoped I’d simply misheard her.
“Why? Do you hate it?”
I lifted my head and crossed my arms, affecting a prim tone.
“A-ah, no. It’s fine. It reminds me of the Academy.”
Connie scrambled to recover. I shook my head at her, knowing she was likely stressing over the single bed.
“I’m lying. I wasn’t dragged here.”
When I revealed the truth, her expression brightened.
“Really? I never mentioned your name once.”
She thumped her chest, boasting of her loyalty, which only made me angrier.
“Connie.”
I called her name with a grave face, then fell silent. Connie grew restless.
“Yes, why?”
I waited, letting the silence hang, before speaking.
“Why did you do it?”
“Huh? Do what?”
“I was the one who wrote that report.”
Connie sheepishly scratched the back of her head. “Well, you were just the one who wrote it. It was a trap meant for me, so I couldn’t drag you into it.”
It seemed Connie had sniffed out Donovan’s schemes early on.
“And thanks to you being outside, things worked out well, didn’t they? But how did you know the Emperor’s adjutant?”
Connie smiled brightly, as if trying to smooth over the entire ordeal.
“You really…”
I acted as if I were going to pull her into a headlock, then hugged her tightly instead.
*What would you have done if things hadn’t worked out? You fool.*
Because Connie was significantly shorter, her nose bumped hard into my shoulder.
“I think my nose bone broke.”
She struggled to pull away, feigning agony.
“Bones don’t break that easily.”
I held her for a long time, refusing to let go. Not until the hour passed and the guard returned.
“Um…”
We had been in the middle of tearing the trio of chatterboxes to shreds when he arrived. Seeing us hugging—one of us in very skimpy attire—the guard laughed awkwardly and backed away.
“Should I come back a little later?”
I knew what he was thinking, but I had no interest in anyone of her stature.
“No.”
I let go of Connie and turned. “If I stay here any longer, it will be difficult for you, officer.”
The hallway outside was empty. It was clear that entry to this zone was restricted.
*It’s a security matter.*
If I dragged this out, the day Connie was released might be pushed back further. I straightened my wrinkled clothes and stepped out of the iron-barred door.
“Connie, when you get out, let’s go to that pub we couldn’t visit before.”
The owner’s daughter is all better now. I looked back at her and offered my brightest, lightest smile.
“Yeah.”
Connie smiled and nodded. It was a touching moment of connection.
“Oh, wait a moment. Officer, by the way, what’s for dinner tonight?”
That was until she asked the guard about the dinner menu.
*Maybe I should have asked them to move her back to her original room.*