Chapter 9

The car carrying Carlisle quickly left the capital, Aerondo.

Once the splendid cityscape disappeared and they drove for a while through sparse grasslands, a vast area surrounded by barbed wire appeared. Uniformed men guarding the only entrance hurriedly opened the iron gate.

The car sped inside and stopped at a massive three-story building deep within, in a very secluded area. The building, reminiscent of a container at a harbor, was guarded by soldiers who strictly prohibited outsiders from entering.

Before Henry could open the door from the passenger seat, Carlisle opened it himself and walked past a large “No Entry” sign without a second glance. A man who had rushed over from the opposite building stood at attention and raised his hand to his forehead.

“You’ve arrived, Sir.”

“Is everything alright?”

Carlisle greeted with a slight nod and scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes. The long rifles carried by patrolling soldiers caught the sunlight glinting off the bayonets.

Bermingwell was an outlying area of Aerondo, home to Rein Kleint’s secret manufacturing facility.

On the surface, it belonged to a military domain, but with royal approval, it was currently used as Rein Kleint’s laboratory.

“No issues. The experiments are proceeding smoothly.”

“I’ll check with my own eyes. Open the door.”

As he was about to go inside, Carlisle suddenly paused and turned his body quickly. His sharp gaze fixed on the forest beyond the barbed wire, then he snatched the rifle from the hand of a nearby guard.

“Let me borrow this for a moment.”

It happened in a blink. He snapped open the barrel to check the chamber, then shouldered the rifle and fired toward the woods.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed across the wide field. Birds startled by the unexpected noise took flight, their wings flapping, and leaves rustled in the wind.

In the otherwise quiet surroundings, the manager and guards looked around, unsure what had happened. The distance to the forest was just barely within range, and the area before it was empty.

As people exchanged puzzled looks, wondering if it was a warning shot, something dropped from a tall tree with a thud. Guards gasped as they saw a heavy figure writhing on the ground.

The intruder staggered to his feet, limping as if his leg was broken, and quickly started running away.

“Rats everywhere. I shot the leg, avoiding any vital spots, so he won’t get far.”

Carlisle tossed the rifle back to the guard, and the manager yelled urgently,

“Catch him!”

As the guards rushed toward the woods, Carlisle turned away.

He ignored the guard’s shock at the distance between the woods and the facility and headed for the building, where the massive doors swung open. Inside, a cacophony of metal and hammering filled his ears.

It was like a forge, the harsh metallic noise coming from employees busily testing various parts.

The unexpected arrival of the director made them stop their work and bow their heads. Most had military backgrounds, so their movements were crisp and disciplined.

Carlisle gripped each shoulder, conveying his appreciation, then entered the office, where the manager, Norman, soon arrived, panting.

“They didn’t catch him, did they?”

Norman bowed deeply, feeling suffocated by the expected answer.

“I apologize. He escaped using a prearranged escape route, aided by others hiding nearby.”

Such meticulous preparation suggested domestic competitors rather than foreign involvement.

“Sit down. At least I’ve confirmed security hasn’t slackened.”

“I knew they wouldn’t give up, but I didn’t expect them to be so bold as to scout during the day.”

‘Rats’ referred to industrial spies targeting Rein Kleint’s products. That included not just companies in Windfog but also spies sent from other countries. In other words, anyone coveting Rein Kleint’s technology, regardless of nationality, could be involved.

Goldright, which he’d heard about before coming, was no different.

Even if they deployed more troops, those people would never give up.

“So, what brings you here without notice?”

“I came to check on the rats, but clearly there’s no need to ask. If they’re probing in broad daylight, there must be a lot of crazy ones.”

“They were quiet for a while, but recently I saw some lingering nearby—they withdrew just before we could threaten them. I didn’t expect it today…”

Norman’s lament made Carlisle’s expression darken.

“This place was exposed a few months ago, so it can’t be helped.”

No matter how strict the security, those persistent types inevitably revealed the location. The only relief was that most just hovered outside; none had succeeded in entering.

Naturally, it was impossible to breach this tight security. They were simply wandering around, hoping to find something.

Carlisle had paid close attention to security, and there hadn’t been any leaks in two years.

A pointless effort.

Yvonne had never been here, so there was no way she could know anything about the new weapon. Even if that man approached her, what information could he possibly get?

But the fact that Ethan, who would surely know this, still acted, unsettled him.

Carlisle realized he’d come here impulsively, which was unlike him, and stood up to leave.

The manager then brought up something unnecessary.

“You must be busy with the divorce, so don’t worry about this place. I’ll take responsibility and check everything.”

Carlisle didn’t want to continue the conversation and left immediately. Just before getting in the car, he asked absentmindedly,

“Yvonne. The Duchess has never been here, right?”

“The Duchess? Of course not. I’m always on standby, and if she had come, I would have notified you.”

He’d asked something obvious.

What was he thinking?

Even after three years of marriage, he’d never spoken to his wife about business, so how could Yvonne possibly find her way here?

Even if she came with the help of an employee, she’d need his permission to enter the building, especially to reach the third floor where his private office was and learn about the new weapon.

Ethan was just barking up the wrong tree.

Carlisle concluded as much and was about to get into the car when a soldier suddenly spoke up.

“Um, actually… The Duchess, she did come here once.”

“Yvonne came here?”

Carlisle shot a sharp look at the unexpected answer. The soldier swallowed nervously but spoke as if it was the truth.

“It was… about a month ago.”

A month ago, Carlisle had been living at the facility, monitoring the development closely. Unexpected side effects had appeared, and the researchers were working day and night, barely sleeping, to solve them.

He hadn’t returned home and hadn’t explained the situation to Yvonne.

“Norman, what’s this about? I never received any report.”

Norman, also surprised, blinked and pressed the soldier.

“Why didn’t you report it? All visitors must be recorded, even if they’re employees!”

“She saw you were inside and left right away. She said not to mention it since you were busy. I thought she’d told you herself…”

It was standard to report visitors to a superior, but since it was late at night and the wife had come, he assumed they’d spoken and didn’t report it.

Carlisle listened quietly, his eyes narrowing. An impossible thought struck him.

* * *

Returning straight from Bermingwell to the headquarters on Crown Avenue in central Aerondo, Carlisle dismissed everyone and sat in his office chair, lighting a cigar.

‘How long did Yvonne stay here?’

‘Not long. She was here for only about twenty minutes.’

The soldier’s report confirmed it at the main gate. The guard on duty saw the carriage with the Polshared seal and the Duchess inside, and instead of reporting, simply let her through.

Yvonne entered, didn’t meet him, stayed for about twenty minutes, and left. And during that time, no one knew exactly where she went or what she did.