As it happened, Michael was also investigating the purple pills circulating in the underworld because of another client.

‘Did he come to me knowing I’m investigating the source of the drug?’

Michael went along with Oscar Oestenberg’s words for now.

“I see that happened.”

“Even so, when someone who ate military food falls into dishonor, it’s social execution. Whatever pension they were receiving would be cut off too. I want this resolved quietly and smoothly for their sake.”

“Is Otto McLaren the conductor?”

“More of a handler than a conductor. The drugs are sold through a cell organization that cuts off the tail when problems arise. Military intelligence has its limitations, so I’m looking for reliable human intelligence, and I’d like you to play that role, Mr. Rohasch. Would that be difficult?”

“Well now, you’re asking me to be a spy rather than a consultant. May I have some time to think about it?”

“Of course.”

Michael fell into troubled contemplation. Otto McLaren was a small fry he didn’t need to worry about much, but his superior, Don Carlo, was a difficult person to deal with. 

As the boss of Kazispa, Don Carlo loved his wife dearly and probably couldn’t completely abandon Otto McLaren, who was his wife’s brother. The family bonds in the underworld were supremely selfish.

Mafia members lived lives where they never knew when they might die, so they didn’t build families. They could keep as many women as they wanted, but having children with those women required the boss’s permission. That’s how significant family ties were.

After waiting for a while, Oscar said:

“If it’s difficult to decide now, would you give me your answer when I come next time?”

“Yes, I’ll tell you then. Is that all for the consultation? I assume the request is different content?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then, let’s choose the ingredients first. How would you like me to prepare your dish?”

“Suddenly cooking?”

“Ah. This is our terminology. It means I’ll handle whatever prey you designate. Are you surprised?”

“Do you perform assassinations too?”

“I’m a lawyer, not a killer. I certainly don’t accept requests to kill people.”

“That’s a relief. So our country’s judicial system isn’t completely rotten.”

“Haha!”

“The prey is.”

Michael’s laughter stopped abruptly. He waited for Oscar to continue.

* * *

Muriel went to the salon where Jacqueline had sold her hair and dyed her hair red. That day, Jacqueline was shocked and demanded to know why she had dyed it such a color.

‘Did you want to seduce men like a canary too?’

She couldn’t bring herself to say those words out loud. Instead, she tried to persuade Muriel to dye it again with a color similar to her original hair color, pushing the hair dye toward her. 

Her hair quality would deteriorate, but it wouldn’t be a big problem if she took good care of it for a few months.

But Muriel rejected Jacqueline’s suggestion. Just as Jacqueline was about to ask what the problem was, she read Muriel’s true feelings in her wavering eyes. So, you’ve become a canary too. Knowing each other too well was also a problem.

That’s when the nightmare began. Jacqueline unleashed all her pent-up emotions and cornered Muriel. It was the first time. Muriel finally burst into tears when Jacqueline, who had always supported her and understood and tolerated her shortcomings, criticized her so harshly.

Muriel had her own accumulated frustrations and cried out in anger.

‘Don’t treat me like a child! Do you know how much self-loathing I feel every time you talk to me like that? I’m not you! I can’t overcome things through effort like you do! I don’t want to! Waaah!’

Muriel said she felt the difference between herself and Jacqueline when she saw Jacqueline wake up the day after being beaten unconscious by the orphanage director and smile about how refreshing the morning air was.

‘I can’t live without things like you can! If I want something, I must have it! I, I’m leaving. Get out of my way!’

The day Muriel left home, Jacqueline cried her eyes out, wondering if Muriel had really abandoned her. It seemed unlikely since she had left all her belongings behind. 

Jacqueline comforted herself thinking that Muriel would return soon once her feelings settled. They were adults now and old enough to take responsibility for themselves. Jacqueline waited for Muriel and reflected on her own words and actions.

‘Is it wrong to live positively? I just want to live happily.’

Jacqueline didn’t think she was wrong. So she lived even more diligently to show Muriel. She wanted to show her how well she was doing later. She was still angry at Muriel, but at the same time, she hoped she was doing well.

But Muriel Dolly Peyton was headstrong until the end.

When Jacqueline received mail on the designated day, she instinctively knew it was from Muriel even though the sender’s name was different. With trembling hands, she opened the envelope and read the note inside.

[Come see me.]

Muriel had learned to write in Jacqueline’s handwriting and even absorbed her habit of writing certain letters in a distinctive way. After confirming it was Muriel, Jacqueline rushed to the address written on the note.

The place was a convent on the northern outskirts of the capital. At the entrance, she boldly stopped a nun and asked abruptly.

“I’m here to see Ruby Munro.”

“Just a moment, sister. Please wait here.”

After some time, the nun who came to Jacqueline delivered the news of Muriel with a sorrowful face.

“She joined God’s embrace three days ago.”

“Ah…”

‘So this is what Uncle Michael warned about.’

She recalled his words that while he understood the feelings of families and acquaintances searching for missing persons, the disappointment and pain they might experience upon finding them could be even greater. 

Experiencing it firsthand, Jacqueline’s chest hurt so much she could barely breathe. She let out an empty sigh. No tears came. She just couldn’t believe Muriel was dead, feeling like the world was deceiving her.

The nun handed something to Jacqueline.

“Before she passed away, she asked us to give this to any woman looking for Ruby Munro. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

What the nun gave her was also a note. Judging by the material, identical to the note in the letter, she had indeed been staying at the convent. 

Since the convent performed funerals for those who died there, it was typically sought out by people without families or vagrants looking to end their lives.

‘You dying there means you didn’t consider me family.’

That’s how Jacqueline interpreted it.

‘You didn’t even leave behind that humble gravestone. You took away even a place for me to mourn. Then I’ll respect your wishes.’

With a deeply twisted heart, Jacqueline followed Muriel’s will.

‘I too, I too will forget about someone like you and live well to show you.’

Jacqueline uttered curses she hadn’t used since vowing to become a teacher. Damn b*tch, nasty b*tch, crazy b*tch.

“This is unbelievable, really… Haha.”

Jacqueline crumpled the note in her hand, looking thoroughly fed up. She thought about throwing it into a well but suddenly became stubborn. She felt she needed to see just how low this person, who couldn’t even be called a friend, would go before she could let go of even the slightest attachment. This note also had an address written on it.

[Everett Orphanage, 587-1 Hilness Street.]

The place where Jacqueline and Muriel first met.

* * *

By the time she arrived after boarding the last carriage to the capital and traveling for several hours, it was well past midnight. Looking at the brightly shining clock tower in the square, she saw it was past 3 AM.

At this hour, District 6 was crowded with people like moths drawn to light. Everyone was either enjoying gambling at gambling houses or watching risqué canary performances when they should have been sleeping with their lights off. It was also Jacqueline’s first time not going home by this hour.

Jacqueline became slightly frightened seeing drunkards collapsed here and there. She looked around for patrolling security forces, but they were unlikely to be in this place that was virtually extraterritorial.

All she could do was walk quickly to her home. Even that wasn’t easy with so many people around. She carefully sidestepped to avoid bumping into people ahead and entered an alley with fewer people.

Someone coming from the opposite direction didn’t see Jacqueline and they collided. With the impact, she staggered backward, but someone firmly caught her.

“Careful.”

Jacqueline glanced down at the ground. Broken glass shards were scattered everywhere. If she had fallen backward, she could have been seriously injured.

“Th-thank you.”

The man saw Jacqueline’s red hair and asked with an indifferent face.

“You’re a face I haven’t seen before. Are you new?”

Jacqueline quickly shook her head before the man could misunderstand.

“I’m not a canary. My home is this way, I’m just passing through.”

The scent of wine mixed with strong cigar smoke like burnt wood hit her nostrils. He grabbed Jacqueline’s face with his hand, forcing her to look at him. 

In the narrow alley under moonlight, the man examined Jacqueline’s features with lustful eyes. She had a quite cute face that appealed to his taste.

‘Bad luck. If it weren’t for this situation, I would have taken her straight to a hotel.’

“You look delicious. What’s your name?”

“Ugh!”

When Jacqueline shook her head vigorously trying to free her captured face, the man’s grip grew stronger. He sneered. It was both ridiculous and pathetic to resist when she knew it was futile. 

But the woman’s pained groan aroused him. Suddenly, he wondered if her heated breathing in bed would also excite him.

“Miss, would you like to sleep with me?”

He spoke in a rather gentle tone, like coaxing a stray cat, but to Jacqueline, it sounded like an air raid siren.