Rodion was composed.

“But then why……”

Could a person really die like this? Everything that had happened since I was pulled into this novel had been bewildering at times, but always within the bounds of reason.

But this……

Thoughts chased each other in circles through my mind. Perhaps the shock of the attack earlier was hitting me belatedly. My vision swam and my breath caught in my chest.

“Katerina Vladimirovna.”

Rodion, noticing my state, turned me to face him. His expression grew serious at once.

“I think it would be better for you to go downstairs and rest for a moment. I’ll take care of things here.”

“I’m fine.”

“Your face is pale.”

I touched my cheek without thinking. My fingertips were cold. My face was colder still.

Just then.

“Katya!”

Ivan burst through the door hard enough to break it off its hinges. He came running and seized my hand.

“Are you all right? I heard the gunshot and I’ve been looking everywhere for you…… Are you hurt? Your hands are freezing!”

Where had he come from? I looked at Ivan in bewilderment.

His expression was on the verge of tears. Was he really that worried about me? Or was there something else…… some other motive……

“Ivan Ivanovich.”

Rodion placed a hand on Ivan’s shoulder.

“Would you take Katerina Vladimirovna downstairs? Samsonov will give you a room.”

Ivan looked up. The moment he spotted Rodion, his expression changed completely. The anxious, puppy-like look he had worn while watching me vanished in an instant, replaced by open contempt at the corner of his mouth.

“Are you giving me orders?”

Ivan’s sardonic question drew no change from Rodion’s expression.

“Hardly. You’re my guest, not my subordinate.”

Ivan stepped forward with an aggrieved look and grabbed my wrist.

“Either way, stop playing the guardian. Katya’s coming with me regardless. Aren’t you, Katya?”

Hah……

“Ivan.”

“Yes?”

“Let go. I’ll go on my own.”

“But……”

“Shh.”

Ivan flinched and released my hand. He had already reverted to that forlorn, puppy-like expression.

I sent Ivan out and stood at the door with my hand on the handle.

“Oh, Rodion Nikolayevich, would you send me a letter with any developments? I think I ought to head home now.”

Rodion gave a brief nod at my words.

“A shame, though.”

“What is?”

“I did a good deed, so I thought perhaps I might be rewarded……”

He tilted his head toward the chair where the intruder was bound as he said “good deed.”

“……A reward?”

“I was going to ask for the first dance. This is a ball, after all.”

And he looked down at me without another word. Come to think of it, something about him today was…… different from usual.

Was it the dim, indirect lighting of Samsonov’s estate? He was in the same uniform as before, with the same impassive expression, but tonight he seemed somehow…… dangerous.

“That must be a joke.”

“Was it not amusing?”

I shook my head. Rodion took one step closer.

“It wasn’t a joke.”

He said it in a low voice, and pressed his lips to the back of my gloved hand.

“Good night, Katerina Vladimirovna.”

My face flooded with heat and I backed out of the room as quickly as I could. Ivan, who had been waiting outside, said something, but I didn’t hear it.

‘Give me a break.’

Give me a break. Who did he think he was, the male lead of a romance novel?

I muttered under my breath and quickened my pace. For some reason, I couldn’t seem to settle my heart.

* * *

I slipped away on my own and quickly looked around. Before going home, I needed to accomplish what I had come here for.

Find Samsonov and persuade him to give up on me. It didn’t even require much effort. Samsonov found me first.

“I didn’t expect you to bring that young gentleman along.”

“……You mean Ivan Ivanovich?”

“There are too many ears here. Walk with me for a moment.”

I hesitated briefly, then followed him out of the estate.

We walked along a path through the garden. Voices murmured in the distance, far enough that the words were indistinct.

“What exactly is going on?”

Samsonov asked without preamble.

Hmm, this didn’t seem to be heading in a romantic direction. But saying anything careless might raise suspicion.

“I have no idea what you mean.”

Samsonov clicked his tongue at that.

“I thought it was you who said to stay away from that young man. So what was that business two weeks ago all about?”

Two weeks ago. He must have heard about the incident with Ivan jumping into the river. With that many witnesses, it was hardly surprising.

“Was I supposed to just let a person drown?”

“That would have been preferable.”

I could hardly believe my ears. But Samsonov continued without any change in expression.

“Why, miss, those were your own words to me. You said that once Ivan Ivanovich was dead, everything would be resolved without needing to ask anything of me.”

Katerina said that? Between that and the letter Ivan mentioned, what on earth had passed between these two?

What was certain was that Samsonov and Katerina had made some kind of deal. But there was a limit to how much information I could extract this way.

Time to switch to that strategy.

“Hah…… I suppose there’s no helping it. I’ll be honest with you.”

I pressed my fingertips to my temple and let out a deep sigh.

“What do you mean……”

“I have quite a few gaps in my memory right now.”

“……?”

“I had some bad vodka. Got thoroughly swindled by some wretched distiller.”

“Are you having a laugh at my expense?”

“Do I look like someone who makes unfunny jokes like that?”

“No, so you really mean…… God, this is maddening.”

Samsonov groaned as though in pain. I blinked with the most innocent expression I could manage.

“……Fine, listen carefully, miss. Whether you’ve actually lost your mind or you’re just pretending, please, until I find a way to handle things, try to keep a low profile.”

“A low profile? Such as?”

Samsonov abruptly turned me around. On the first floor of Samsonov’s brightly lit estate, someone was standing at a window.

‘Ivan……?’

Samsonov muttered through his teeth.

“That young man, miss, is a convict who should be in Siberia! He’s exactly the person you told me not to get involved with!”

“Siberia…… what?!”

“You seem to remember where the exile colony is.”

Samsonov gave a scornful laugh.

But I had nothing to say. Ivan Ivanovich as a convict was something that had never happened before, not once across any loop.

Ivan the defeatist had committed a crime serious enough to be sentenced to exile? And on top of that, had escaped?

“That can’t be right……”

When I murmured that, Samsonov let out another sigh.

“There’s nothing more to be gained from talking right now, so let’s get you home first. As for your memory…… I’ll find some way to deal with it.”

Samsonov muttered quickly and walked me to the carriage.

“W, wait, just one thing!”

I snapped out of my daze and called out urgently through the window.

“What was the job I asked you to do?”

“……It was a matter of finding a certain man.”

“A certain man, who?”

Samsonov’s lips twisted.

“Only a demon would know.”

And the door closed.

* * *

A few days later, Olga woke me from my morning sleep.

“Hey! Katya! How long do you plan on sleeping?! If you have nothing to do around the house, at least help the maids, or do some embroidery if nothing else. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, rolling around in bed until the sun is high in the sky?!”

Ever since I had pried money out of the old man at breakfast the other day, Olga had been particularly aggressive toward me.

She had seemed fairly persuaded at the time, but now that the money was actually in my hands, it seemed to be eating at her.

The problem was that I was not in a mood today to receive her irritation with any grace.

Thwack.

Olga took a heavy feather pillow squarely to the face and crumpled right down onto the carpet.

It was a pillow, so it couldn’t have hurt much, but she was visibly shaken by what I had done.

“You…… you……”

“You’re being noisy. Get out.”

I had no patience left for bickering, and no desire to placate her.

‘I thought things were going reasonably well this loop…… What on earth were you doing out there, Katerina……’

Since the party at the estate a few days ago, I had made several attempts to contact Samsonov and find out the details of Katerina’s commission. But Samsonov stubbornly refused to speak. Apparently there was some special clause that prevented him from disclosing the contents even to the client herself.

I still didn’t know why the serial killer had targeted my life either. Not that I had expected much, but the police investigation had made no progress whatsoever.