The courtyard outside Kavala's office was packed with people.
Among them stood individuals who appeared to be merchants, but there were also beggar boys, elderly women, and children as young as three years old.
Most of them were so absorbed in the splendid palace they were seeing for the first time that they didn't even understand why they'd been brought here.
"What is this, Dnieper?"
"While tracking down your treasure, we ended up apprehending quite a number of people, Sister."
"Why?"
Dnieper pointed to a ragged beggar boy among the crowd.
"That child was given a ring by an unknown traveler. He ran to the bakery with it, desperate to buy bread."
Then he gestured toward a man standing beside the boy.
The man wore an apron covered in flour and egg stains.
"That man—the baker—felt sorry for the boy. He gave him bread in exchange for the jewel. At first, he thought it was a worthless fake and left it on the counter for days. Then a customer recognized it and expressed shock. The baker sent it for appraisal."
After that, the chain grew: appraisers, jewelers, auction house employees—one after another became involved.
"The old woman discovered her grandson playing with a bracelet he'd found lying in the street. She tried to locate the owner..."
Dnieper pointed to each person systematically, explaining their involvement.
One merchant claimed that a man resembling a southern farmer had sold him part of a diamond necklace, insisting it was a family heirloom.
An arms dealer reported that a traveler purchasing multiple weapons had paid with gold rather than cash.
The more Kavala listened to Dnieper's explanations, the more incomprehensible it all became.
What was that gypsy woman doing with those priceless jewels?
Most of the treasures had been traded at absurdly cheap prices. Some had even been used for charity.
And what made it even stranger...
"The treasures were discovered in various locations across the entire continent—not just the north, but the south, west, and east as well. Some claim they were brought in by travelers. Others say local leaders took them out. Still others insist they were found purely by chance."
The sources were all unclear. The scope of the discoveries was impossibly broad.
Kavala's gems had been traded throughout the entire continent.
"Is this truly the work of that gypsy woman?"
How could wandering gypsies possibly move in such an organized manner?
Moreover, the way they'd concealed the identities of those who'd handed over the jewels felt almost... professional. Like the work of trained operatives.
Dnieper conveyed his assessment with a grim expression.
"I believe... we need to investigate again, keeping in mind the possibility that the culprit is someone else entirely—"
"Shut up."
Kavala ground her teeth, muttering under her breath. But eventually, she couldn't contain her fury any longer.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH! Shut it! AAAAAAK!"
The people in the courtyard turned to stare at Kavala's outburst.
They didn't know who she was. They began muttering amongst themselves.
"Why is she acting like that?"
"Who is this woman?"
"She seems like a noble lady, yet she shouts so crudely."
"How strange..."
Kavala felt even more disgusted watching them gossip—completely unaware of what they'd done.
"Take them all away!"
Dnieper hesitated.
"Should I... eliminate them?"
Kavala kicked Dnieper's shin mercilessly with the pointed tip of her shoe.
"Ugh!"
She spoke softly from above Dnieper's bent head, her voice dripping with venom.
"You're talking nonsense, Dnieper."
Her eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
"If I kill that many people at once, won't the entire world know it was my doing?! You stupid fool—that's why you've always been like this! Do you want to be kicked out again and forced back into mercenary work?!"
Stomping her feet in fury, she stormed back into the building.
Her heavy, rage-filled breathing could be heard echoing all the way to the end of the hallway.
The humiliated Dnieper clenched his fist tightly.
It was the sight of a man trying desperately to control his emotions.
Callius received word that the men he'd sent to dispose of Kavala's treasures were returning.
The report delivered via messenger didn't contain much detail, but Callius could tell just from the excited, flying handwriting how well his men had carried out their orders.
Chloe will be delighted by this news.
Chloe—who had orchestrated this entire smokescreen operation—had emphasized repeatedly that money wasn't the goal. She'd even destroyed several jewels right in front of Callius to prove her point.
Her face had been filled with pure joy as she gleefully shattered those beautiful gems.
It was as if she were shouting silently to someone: Cry and resent this! Suffer!
Even without directly stating who that someone was, or what her revenge was for, Callius understood just by watching her expression.
I imagine Kavala is quite... heated right now.
What else could it be but to savor destroying Kavala's treasures?
Amusingly enough, Chloe seemed to believe that if she kept it a secret, no one would figure it out.
If Brentian had witnessed that scene, he would have been devastated to learn the truth about the person he so stubbornly suspected.
Brentian was like a cunning fox who suspected that a naive-looking rabbit actually had a wildcat hiding inside.
Callius chuckled and quickly finished reviewing the last of the papers requiring his attention before rising from his seat.
I need to tell Chloe that everything went perfectly.
Last night had been a failure, but tonight he was determined to make her smile.
With that resolution, he headed toward her bedroom.
I sent Lamia home early from her duties—she looked exhausted—and returned alone to my chambers to sit before the fireplace.
The wood crackled and burned.
I warmed my hands, which felt as cold as ice, by the dancing flames.
As I stared at the fire, my mind grew hazy. Various thoughts drifted through my consciousness.
I dealt with Kavala's spy today.
Even thinking about it myself, I had looked rather impressive earlier.
I can't believe I actually did all that by myself.
I had identified the real culprit who murdered Vanessa through my own judgment and determination—without hiding behind anyone's protection.
I can do this!
My confidence was overflowing.
You're doing pretty well for yourself.
Since returning to the past, I've been gradually achieving my goals and making steady progress.
Everything is going well.
And yet...
Why does my heart feel so heavy?
I pressed my hand against my chest.
My breathing felt shallow and labored.
Whenever I was alone, this terrible anxiety would creep over me.
Loneliness and fear seemed to be dragging me down into some dark, suffocating depth.
Death.
When I closed my eyes, the last image of Vanessa I'd seen in the maids' quarters returned vividly.
Would I have died like that too?
My face overlapped with Vanessa's in my mind.
Was I like that as well—dragged away by Andrea's knights and mocked to death in a dark forest?
I shuddered, imagining myself dead.
I can't believe Vanessa is actually dead.
Vanessa, who had been living a perfectly normal life just moments ago. Complaining about all sorts of trivial things.
She was never kind to me, but she was someone I'd always seen up close.
When I thought about that person being dead, all sorts of thoughts about death flooded my mind.
An indescribable weight pressed down on my body, leaving me gasping for breath.
Someone... please help me.
It was at that moment—when I was desperately wishing for salvation—
"Chloe, are you all right?"
My savior, Karl, appeared before me without fail.
I sat in my chair and peered at Karl's face over the back of it, then hastily pulled the blanket off my lap.
"Karl...! It's you! You came at exactly the right time. I was waiting for you!"
"I heard one of your maids was murdered. I came running as soon as I heard people whispering about it. Are you all right?"
His face was filled with genuine concern.
My nose stung when I heard that he'd come running straight here for me.
As soon as I saw Karl, my lips began to tremble involuntarily, and tears welled up in my eyes.
"Karl, today was..."
I wanted to tell him that today had been such a difficult day. That I couldn't understand the complex, painful feelings filling my heart.
I wanted to be held by him like a child and cry for comfort.
I rose from the rocking chair in front of the fireplace, preparing to approach him—
When suddenly—
Knock, knock.
A soft knock sounded.
"I'm entering, Chloe."
The door opposite from where Karl stood—the door leading to Callius's chambers—opened quietly.
And Callius stepped into my bedroom.
Two men.Two doors.One moment.
To Be Continued...
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