CH 121

“Sorry to keep you waiting. May we change locations for a moment? I will see you two separately.”

Keira: “If possible, I hope we can finish it quickly.”

“Haha, of course. It’s a formal procedure, so you don’t have to feel pressured.”

The investigator waved his hand as he said it and led Keira into a luxurious parlor.

The investigator even pulled the chair for her. 

It was a sight that would cause countless criminals interrogated by him to shed tears of blood. 

“Please tell me about what happened at the auction house the day before.”

Keira: “Um, wait a moment.”

If that’s what they wanted to know, she could have sent them a written statement. She didn’t understand why they bothered to call her here instead.

Even though Keira complained to herself, she recounted what had happened the day before.

Keira: “So, with the help of Her Highness, my name was cleared.”

“You’re as sharp as I was told. Others might have thought it was the new employee’s overzealous enthusiasm.”

Keira: “Because his behavior was suspicious in many ways.”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she recalled the scandal she had suffered when they forged her penmanship in the past.

Perhaps the investigator interpreted her frown differently because he put his pen down quickly and said.

“Gosh, I’m afraid I’ve wasted too much of your time. We’re done here, so you are free to leave. Thank you for your cooperation.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The officers saw Keira off, and she went outside. Erez wasn’t out yet, so his interview must still be ongoing.

‘Should I wait for him?’

Immediately after that thought, Keira shook her head. Less than a day had only passed since they had silenced the nonsensical rumor. 

She didn’t need another excuse to be seen with Erez at the Imperial Palace.

Keira: “Tell Mr. Shore that I’m exhausted and I’ll go ahead.”

“Yes, Your Ladyship.”

Riding a horse-drawn carriage was prohibited inside the Imperial Palace, so Keira had no choice but to walk to the far-off front gate.

There wasn’t a single cloud today, and the sun shone brightly. After walking for a while, sweat formed on her forehead. 

Keira: “If I had known this would happen, I would have worn something lighter.”

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Emily: “They could have asked you to just send a written statement, so why did they call for you?”

Keira: “That’s what I’ve been saying. As soon as we get home, tell the kitchen to prepare sorbet.”

Apparently, the Investigation Bureau was in the deepest place among the outer palaces. In this sweltering heat, it was really a desperate structure.

Just as Keira was about to speak again…

Keira: “Huh…”

Emily: “What’s the matter, milady?”

Keira suddenly stopped in her tracks. The servants in the Imperial Palace tasked to guide her also stopped and followed Keira’s gaze.

‘That’s the side of the palace?’

Emily’s head tilted. There was nothing out of the ordinary, so she didn’t know what caught Her Ladyship’s attention.

Emily: “What are you looking at?”

Keira: “The person sitting at the entrance to my palace over there.”

Emily: “Sorry? Where?”

Keira: “They look familiar.”

Emily: “Um, wait a moment…”

Emily squinted and spotted someone sitting there. It was half the length compared to the people passing by.

Emily: “Can you even see the face of someone far away? All I know is they’re wearing white clothes.”

Keira: “The clothes aren’t white; it’s long white hair. The clothes look gray.”

Emily: “Wow, you can really see it.”

Emily heard that the five senses of people with strong mana were particularly sensitive, but it was amazing to see it firsthand. 

‘Anyway, who has long white hair?’

One person came to mind.

Emily: “Could it be Lady Cosette…?”

At that, Keira nodded her head slightly.

Emily: “Why is she over there?”

Keira: “I don’t know that either.”

Keira looked back at the Imperial Palace attendants, silently demanding an answer.

The servants carefully exchanged glances with each other, and soon, one of them stepped forward and answered.

“I heard she was begging Her Highness for forgiveness. She was accused of disturbing the Princess by helping Countess Rheol with her hasty judgment.”

Keira: “Hasty judgment?”

In other words, it meant she only made a mistake and wasn’t involved in the Countess’s scheme?

‘Good for you.’

The Empress’s seat was vacant, and the Empress Dowager no longer appeared in social circles because of her health.

As such, Cosette, who hasn’t solidified her position as the daughter of the Grand Duke, could not expand her presence in society when the Princess was angry at her.

Nobles who didn’t want to get on the Imperial family’s bad side wouldn’t invite Cosette to social gatherings.

Keira: “Then why is she doing this outside the palace? If she wants to ask Her Highness for forgiveness, shouldn’t she go directly to her?”

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“That… Her Highness wouldn’t allow her to enter the palace.”

Keira: “So will she be on her knees in front of the palace until she’s forgiven?”

“Yes, that’s what I heard.”

Keira glanced up at the sky. It’s hard to find even a single little cloud.

How could she survive in the scorching sun without a single veil in this kind of weather?

‘Or maybe it’s just to show that she’s struggling?’

Keira looked at Cosette’s kneeling back and then turned around.

Apart from whether she would be forgiven, it would be hard to forget the suspicion that she played a part in Countess Rheol’s plot.

Keira: “Let’s go, Emily.”

Emily: “Yes, milady.”

Keira’s goal of returning home quickly and resting was shattered the moment she stepped into the mansion.

Robert: “The Marquis of Edinburgh is waiting for you.”

Her brow furrowed slightly at her butler’s voice.

Keira: “Grandfather? For what reason?”

Robert: “Didn’t he come here because he was worried about milady? Well, something like that happened yesterday.”

Keira: “But to come and see me…”

Robert: “He probably never expected something like this to happen.”

It’s an everyday occurrence for Keira, but it might be a tragic event for him.

‘Even Father didn’t think this would happen…’

In the eyes of others who didn’t know the truth, Cosette was just an innocent puppet controlled by Count Weinberg.

However, there was not much time left before the mask was broken.

Keira: “So, where is Grandfather?”

Robert: “He was initially escorted to the drawing room, but we figured it might be boring to wait, so I escorted him to the garden. It looks like he’s on a walk; would you like me to take him back to the drawing room?”

Keira: “No, it’s fine.”

While grumbling that she had no idea why she went outside in this hot weather, Keira walked straight to where her grandfather waited.

Fortunately, he was standing under the shaded pavilion.

At the sound of footsteps, the Marquis of Edinburgh looked back.

Marquis: “Keira.”

An expressionless face gazed back at the Marquis. His only granddaughter seemed too calm to be overshadowed by his great anxiety.

Marquis: “I’m glad you look okay.”

Keira: “Didn’t you hear the whole story until the end? They can’t hurt my reputation.”

It wasn’t Keira who was facing social suic*de but Cosette and Countess Rheol.

Keira took a few more steps forward and said.

Keira: “By the way, I don’t think you came running just because you were really worried about me…”

Marquis: “How quickwitted. I cam here because I don’t think what I’m about to say should be sent through a messenger.”

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For that reason, Keira walked alone to the garden after dismissing all of her attendants.

What would someone as busy as the Marquis of Edinburgh come and tell her?

Keira’s face hardened with tension. She remembered when her grandfather confessed that he was the one who killed Rowena Weinberg.

She was worried about what other shocking confessions he would reveal this time.

Marquis: “The hideout you asked for last time…”

Keira: “Haa…”

Marquis: “…? Why?”

Keira: “It’s nothing. I was just relieved.”

Depsite her worries, he wasn’t here to drop another bomb, so she let out a sigh as her tension eased.

Keira: “It doesn’t matter. Go on.”

Marquis: “I’m here to tell you that I’ve completed the hideout you asked for last time. We have prepared four locations in the east, west, north, south, and east directions around the capital.”

The Marquis began enumerating the hideout locations as Keira memorized them. He didn’t give her a document for fear that it might fall into someone else’s hands.

Marquis: “I’ll tell you just in case, but don’t put the locations on paper.”

Keira: “Of course. I’m not stupid enough to have this on record.”

Then he smiled happily and nodded.

Keira: “It’s been a long time since you’ve been here, so how about having a cold drink in the drawing room? The weather is hot too.”

She understood why he chose a remote place to tell the secret, but it was just too hot. 

Her nape was wet with sweat.

After seeing off her grandfather, Keira turned around, vowing to take a bath.

“…!”

Then, one man, who hastily disappeared through the window on the third floor behind the annex, caught her eye.

She couldn’t take a closer look because the other person quickly bowed his head, but if her guess was right, he must be…