Episode 98

All eyes turned to the young girl.

She shrank under the weight of so many stares, lowering her head.

The woman who seemed to be her mother widened her eyes and asked,

“Is that… really true? When did this happen?”

The knight, relieved that they had finally found a witness, brightened as he spoke.

“Are you certain?”

“I-I’m not sure!”

“That’s alright. We’ll determine that ourselves. Just tell us exactly what you saw.”

The girl hesitated for a moment before finally opening her mouth.

“Well… I was just running an errand. That alley always has a lot of drunk troublemakers, so I was trying to walk quietly past them.”

The knight quickly scribbled down notes in his journal, nodding for her to continue.

“I heard a scream from the alley entrance, so I thought another fight had broken out. But I had to pass by that way, so I hurried forward. And then…”

The girl’s face paled. Her small hands trembled as though recalling a nightmare.

“T-The troublemakers were dead—brutally killed. And in front of them, a man was standing there. He had just killed them… and he was humming while carving strange symbols into the wall.”

Fear flashed in her eyes as she clenched her fists.

“I was so scared that I turned around and ran away as fast as I could.”

“He was carving symbols into the wall…?”

There was no clearer evidence to confirm the culprit’s identity.

The girl’s mother looked horrified, as if hearing this for the first time.

“Why didn’t you tell me about such a dangerous thing before?”

“I-I was just too scared! If I talked about it… I thought he might come after me…!”

She had been suffering in silence, too afraid of retaliation to speak up.

That explained why she had hesitated for so long, even when the knights were gathering testimonies.

“It’s alright. That man will never find you. We will not only protect your secret but also ensure your safety.”

The patrol officer crouched down in front of her, his voice gentle and reassuring.

When the girl saw the Karsian Grand Duchy’s emblem embroidered on the right side of his uniform, she finally nodded slightly.

“Can you describe what he looked like?”

“He was very, very tall. He was wearing a black cloak, so I couldn’t see his face well. He had a scarf wrapped up to his nose.”

A tall man in a black cloak.

“And… his eyes. I only caught a glimpse, but they were a deep red.”

A man with piercing red eyes, barely visible above his scarf…

I had met someone like that before.

‘That man… the one beside Jenna.’

There was no doubt.

Thinking back, Jenna and that man had appeared in various alleyways back then.

‘Could he have been inscribing explosion magic circles at that time?’

If that was true… then Jenna might be involved in this incident as well.

‘That’s impossible.’

Was there anyone in this world who knew Jenna better than I did?

I knew everything about her personality, her values, and her beliefs.

She was a protagonist with a heart as gentle as sunlight, someone who couldn’t even kill an ant.

Behind her bright and cheerful nature lay the loneliness of her childhood in an orphanage, but the Selber family had helped her heal and move forward.

When I met her recently, she hadn’t changed much.

Even Ludwig, despite meeting her for the first time as a complete stranger, had been concerned for her as if she were a friend.

Jenna was the kind of person who devoted herself to others.

“……”

But there was one thing—I only knew half of her.

I had no idea who she was before the original story began.

When I first met her in the South and then officially again at the New Year’s banquet, I had sensed something was off. She had felt… like a completely different person.

Shaking my head, I dismissed the thought.

‘It’s too soon to suspect Jenna.’

She had left the orphanage and climbed her way up to the capital all on her own.

The hardships she had endured… I couldn’t even begin to imagine them.

‘But…’

At the very least, it was clear that Jenna had a close connection to the suspect in this case.

Whether she was involved or not, she held the key to identifying the culprit.

“Ludwig, I need to speak with you. Let’s move somewhere more private.”

Ludwig nodded at my words.

Soon, we made our way to a secluded part of the ruins.

“I also encountered the man that girl described.”

“Are you certain?”

“It was during the explosion incident I got caught in last time. I saw that man there… and I also saw Lady Selber standing beside him.”

Ludwig’s expression shifted in surprise at the unexpected name.

“Lady Selber? But at that time, she hadn’t yet returned to her family.”

“Yes. I met her before she was reunited with the Selber household. I don’t know if it was just a coincidence….”

Even now, it still felt strange. Out of the vast southern region, I had run into her in that very place.

“Are you saying Lady Selber is involved in this case?”

At Ludwig’s question, I shook my head.

“I can’t say for sure. Even if she is connected, there’s a high chance she was being used. What I’m saying is—she might be able to help us catch the culprit.”

“That’s true. If she has a personal connection with him, the investigation would progress more smoothly.”

“Exactly. But that depends on whether she’s willing to cooperate.”

I couldn’t be certain that Jenna would help us.

This was the worst disaster to date, with countless casualties.

‘The Jenna from the original story would definitely roll up her sleeves and do everything in her power to help.’

But for some reason, I couldn’t be sure of that now.

Jenna had been strangely cautious about what had happened in the South. She had even acted as though she wanted me to keep quiet about it.

Since this was a serious matter, we could legally summon her as a witness, but if she refused to speak, there wouldn’t be much we could do.

“I’ll meet her in person first.”

That would be the better approach.

* * *

By the time I returned to the capital, it was already deep into the night.

“You must be tired. Thank you for escorting me all the way back.”

“It’s nothing. If anything, I received more help from you today.”

Ludwig said as he accompanied me to the front of my mansion.

“Still, don’t overdo things on your own. You could get caught up in something dangerous.”

Ever since I mentioned my plan to meet with Jenna privately, Ludwig had been subtly expressing his concerns.

He didn’t trust Jenna.

He believed she was directly involved in the case.

‘You used to be willing to give her your heart and soul…’

His attitude was so unfamiliar—too unfamiliar.

“I understand. I know how to take care of myself.”

I chuckled lightly as I spoke.

“Now, you should really go. You even escorted me all the way to my doorstep.”

“I was planning to walk you to your room.”

“I’d rather not spend the entire day getting scolded by my grandfather and father.”

At my words, Ludwig let out a laugh.

“Then go inside. I’ll contact you by letter.”

“Take care, Ludwig. And thank you for everything today.”

Ludwig hesitated, watching me until I closed the door behind me before finally turning to leave.

Once I reached my room, I asked Nella to bring me some stationery.

“Who are you writing to?”

“Arzen. I’ve been neglecting him too much lately.”

“It really has been a long time since we last saw Young Master Arzen.”

Since Nella had known Arzen since childhood, she held great affection for him.

Likewise, Arzen had always treated Nella like his own nanny.

“You’ll see him soon.”

“Oh my, really?”

I nodded and began writing in elegant handwriting.

The letter invited Arzen to visit the Drenihan estate after such a long time.

And…

[I’ve grown personally close to Lady Jenna Selber since we met at the New Year’s banquet. We get along well, and I think we could become good friends. If Lady Selber is available, I’d like for her to visit along with you.]

Arzen had always worried about whether Jenna could adjust well to high society.

‘If I tell him that I want to be friends with Jenna first, he’ll definitely help bring us closer together.’

Once finished, I sealed the letter and handed it to a servant for delivery.

It wouldn’t be long before the Selber siblings visited.

Outside my window, the night sky had fully settled into darkness.

 

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