It gave her a fresh feeling walking for a while on the brightly sunlit street. Her colleague, Quincy, habitually said that although it was tiring, fieldwork suited him, and now she could understand that feeling.

When she entered the office after finishing the outing that wasn’t as long as expected, Gemma was at her desk with the lights brightly lit.

“I’m back.”

After briefly greeting first, Chloe immediately started working again. But before the repetitive typewriter sounds could continue, Gemma addressed her.

“Been somewhere?”

“Yes. I needed to check the spelling in a manuscript due tomorrow.”

“So you often leave your desk like this?”

Gemma, who had been occasionally showing hostility, seemed quite uncomfortable today. If not that, this wasn’t a situation where anyone would pick at such details.

Looking at her standing with crossed arms, Chloe shook her head.

“No. This was the first time. But this time it was a situation where I had to go out. Did something happen at the office while I was away?”

Gemma didn’t seem pleased with her calm answer. Immediately, a bundle of documents appeared with a bang.

“These need to be typed by the end of this week.”

“…This week?”

Seeing the considerable amount at a glance, Chloe couldn’t help but ask again.

Moreover, Gemma hadn’t given her anything until yesterday, saying there were no materials to hand over. How did this much appear overnight?

“Is it difficult? How about focusing sincerely on your assigned work first? Please hurry as much as possible.”

It was clearly intentional. This was obviously meant to give her a hard time somehow.

But what she just received was also her assigned work. Chloe began stacking the documents neatly to one side without showing any particular emotion.

“I’ll deliver them when they’re done.”

That was the end of her response. She didn’t want to engage in unnecessary power struggles in the office. From experience, that was just a useless war of attrition. But the other party seemed to think differently.

Gemma, who thought she would return to her place after silently receiving the documents, stood still without moving. Finally, Chloe’s eyes, which had been fixed on the typewriter again, looked up.

“Is there something else?”

“Miss Chloe, how far did you study?”

“Pardon?”

“The school you graduated from. I graduated from the Oslo Girls’ School.”

The question that came back to her question about remaining business was abrupt to the point of being rude. Gemma, who first revealed her education without being asked, looked satisfied.

Of course, Oslo was the largest city in Artion after the capital. Graduating from that city’s girls’ school was something to be proud of. But even so, it didn’t make all her current behavior understandable.

When Chloe didn’t answer, the other party became even more triumphant. Her face had already concluded that her opponent had no education worth mentioning.

“This is advice as your senior. You need to learn work much more gradually, Miss Chloe. To properly understand artistic works, you need sufficient basic knowledge as a foundation. Ask if you want to know which books to reference. I’ll select appropriate ones for you.”

Only after finishing her words did Gemma finally return to her place.

Chloe, knowing at which point her colleague had regained her sense of superiority, didn’t bother to argue. No matter how proud one might be of the Oslo Girls’ School, it couldn’t compare to the prestige of the Royal University. But since she hadn’t graduated, she didn’t want to bring up that fact either.

Moreover, if her identity were revealed by mentioning unnecessary facts, that would be much more troublesome.

Heaving a silent sigh, Chloe picked up the documents. With having to process this much volume within this week, there was no time for distractions.

Before long, Chloe was completely absorbed in her work. She was so focused that she didn’t even notice Gemma’s humming, which was deliberately loud after returning to her seat.

***

Andert, who had tossed and turned all night before falling into a light sleep, checked the clock first. 4:30 AM. Not an appropriate time to visit someone else’s bedroom.

He looked at the faces of the lawyer and butler who suddenly appeared in front of his bed. If it was this urgent, it must be something serious.

Andert clenched his fist at the sudden premonition.

“News has arrived from those searching for Lady Dietrich’s whereabouts in northern Saphi.”

Daniel, breathing heavily, held out a paper that was particularly white. Was it just his feeling? Andert quickly unfolded the letter, shaking off the thoughts flooding in that brief moment.

「The Saphi Police Department has found a body similar in appearance to the missing person.

— Light brown hair (length covering more than half of the back)
— Height of 5 feet 4 inches
— Slim build
— A woman estimated to be in her early to mid-twenties
— Found a train ticket from Hanover in her pocket (matches the date the missing person left Hanover)

However, the body is damaged. It appears they have been in a carriage accident. Therefore, we cannot confirm the identity with just the photo and personal information provided.
Please provide additional information that can help identify the missing person.」

Saphi Police Station? Body? Carriage accident?

Andert let out a hollow laugh at the string of incomprehensible words.

“Daniel, what nonsense is this?”

“……”

Though it was harsh language never heard before, Daniel paid no mind.

More importantly, they needed to confirm if that body was Lady Dietrich. But those who brought the news were professionals who made their living finding people. They naturally had keen eyes and exceptional instincts.

If even such people were confused… it was concerning. Plus, the fact that she had a train ticket from the same date Lady Dietrich left Hanover.

As a lawyer, he had to consider the worst-case scenario. And Andert’s reaction to the news was equally worrying. His eyes, which had grown sharper as he lost weight recently, were fixed on empty space.

As feared, Andert felt like he was dreaming. After unconsciously releasing a breath he had been holding, he tore the paper he was holding into shreds. He wanted to completely erase this unpleasant news somehow.

He had hired professionals but they turned out to be incompetent. How could they connect an unidentified body to Chloe?

Andert thought it was nonsense. Though he immediately denied it, his heart had already started beating unsteadily. As the pulse spread throughout his body without subsiding, he paced around the bedroom.

After hesitating several times, Daniel spoke in a tense voice,

“Still, you need to confirm it properly.”

“No. Daniel, tell them not to waste energy on useless things. They said Saphi was likely but that turned out wrong too.”

Andert flatly rejected the lawyer’s opinion.

But rationally, Daniel was right. He knew this fact even though he didn’t want to admit it. However, his mind was too confused now to make proper judgments.

Finally, Roman, who had been watching with a grave expression, stepped forward.

Of course, this news had nothing to do with Lady Dietrich. But separately from that, he had a duty to assist his master. In any case, he had the responsibility to help Andert make the best decisions.

Roman spoke with that single intention,

“Master. Even if you give new orders to those in Saphi now, it would be best to complete the confirmation process.”

“……”

“If you give the order, I will quietly visit the Saphi Police Station.”

But even Roman would find it difficult to identify whether the disfigured body was Lady Dietrich. They would need to know Lady Dietrich’s physical characteristics. For now, Andert’s confirmation was absolutely necessary.

Roman didn’t speak his next words. Andert would have already understood what he meant to say. However, whether to accept it or not was entirely his decision.

Exchanging careful glances with Daniel, Roman waited silently. Andert, who had slumped down on the bed, seemed to need time.

As the butler who had stayed closest to him judged, he was experiencing severe internal conflict. Of course, he understood perfectly well with his head. What needed to be done in this situation.

But his heart strongly resisted accepting it. Decisively, he was afraid. What if that person really was Chloe? What if he really could never see her again?

All his efforts to find Chloe were based on the premise that she was alive. But if that wasn’t true… what was he supposed to do next? Andert slowly clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly. The blue veins running from his hand to his wrist writhed with each movement.

No, it couldn’t be. There was no way Chloe could be lying in a morgue.

Andert kept telling himself inwardly. After barely grasping his wavering reason, he stood up from the bed where he had unconsciously sat down. It was after making up his mind.

“Daniel, tell them this. Leave Saphi immediately and go to Hanover. Tell them to start searching for Chloe there again. And Roman.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“Find out the fastest train to Saphi. I’ll go myself.”

“Yes. I’ll move right away.”

At the words that he would go himself, Roman quickly bowed his head. For now, confirming whether the ominous news was true had to come first.

Thus, two hours later, Andert and Roman boarded a train bound for Saphi.