“I thought that if Cedine died, Karen wouldn’t be able to resist showing up. Karen… I’ve known her since she was twelve. I was certain I’d never see another genius like her in my lifetime. But then I hear she died during a not-so-difficult operation. Karen Liere, of all people!”

The Duke let out a hollow laugh.

“I’d sooner believe the neighbor’s dog could speak than believe Karen is dead. And a partially damaged body from an explosion? Ha! We’re all experts in that field, aren’t we? That’s why Karen only left part of the face intact instead of completely destroying it. She did find a woman who looked quite similar to her.”

“I understand Your Grace was also present at the identification, but.”

“Yes, of course I had to be there since it was all staged for my benefit, wasn’t it?”

“At the time, Your Grace confirmed that it was indeed Karen Liere’s body.”

“What else was I supposed to say? That the little rat had outsmarted me and ran away? That she had procured a similar-looking body and laid it there in her place? Should I have said that in front of everyone?”

Ivlik was only half-listening to the Duke’s words, examining the neatly arranged torture instruments. There was a variety, from what looked like surgical equipment to carpentry saws. The Duke had already experienced half of them.

“At first, I pretended to be fooled by the lie to put Karen at ease. Over time, the hidden party’s guard would naturally lower. I decided to wait for that moment. But a year passed, then two years… and now it’s been six years, and that wretched Karen Liere still shows no signs of appearing.”

“Because she’s dead.”

“Bullshit.”

“She’s buried in the Wintermore family cemetery. Forget six years, she won’t appear before Your Grace even after sixty years.”

“I don’t believe it.”

The Duke growled.

“So you shot and killed Cedine, disguising it as the work of your political opponents?”

“Karen has always been overly protective of her sister since childhood. With her personality, she wouldn’t sit still after hearing her sister was shot dead. She would definitely track down the culprit and seek revenge. I’m a man who owes many debts to that girl Karen. Knowing the surest way to lure the opponent out of the cave, it would be strange not to use it, wouldn’t it?”

The Duke spat out bloody foam onto the floor. Ivlik was still staring at the torture instruments. His long, firm fingers slowly brushed over the cold tools.

“But my expectations were completely off. Karen, who was supposed to appear, didn’t show up, and you went crazy…!”

The Duke asked if the rumors circulating were true. He rambled on about how there had once been rampant rumors that Ivlik had brought both sisters into the mansion, making the older one his official wife and the younger one his young lover.

“No wonder you always defended Cedine by mentioning your dead wife. Was she not your sister-in-law but your lover? If so, I’m sorry. To have killed a woman you’ve been with for quite some time right before your eyes…”

Ivlik, who had been looking down at the torture instruments with disinterested eyes, picked up a hammer. The hammer wielded by the 190cm tall soldier struck the Duke’s left instep. A horrific scream erupted from the Duke’s throat. Ivlik looked at the half-crushed foot, and when the Duke started cursing instead of screaming, he struck the right instep.

“Aaaargh!”

“Jonathan James Crotsfield. Nine months ago, you hired three professional killers and ordered them to snipe Cedine Liere as she was leaving St. Agnes Church in the Toreya area. Cedine Liere died at the scene. Do you admit to your crime?”

“Yes! I killed that woman! Aaaargh, you bastard! Wintermore!”

The Duke glared at Ivlik with bloodshot eyes, trembling. He shouted that he was supposed to have breakfast with His Majesty at the palace tomorrow morning, and if he wasn’t released by then, His Majesty would come personally. He also yelled about how long he thought he could keep him confined here.

Towards the end, he let out a sound that was hard to tell whether it was begging for his life or just struggling. It seemed the premonition that Ivlik wouldn’t let him live had struck him. Facing a horrific death, the Duke was going half-mad.

This phenomenon often occurred when torture went on for too long. As Ivlik Wintermore was a skilled torturer and interrogator, he knew how to bring a prisoner’s mind back at times like these.

Creak.

Ivlik opened the basement door. A woman who had been waiting in the corridor entered. The Duke, who had been cursing that he would curse Ivlik even from hell if he killed him, that he would drag Cedine Liere’s soul down to burn in hellfire, suddenly fell silent.

“It’s been a while, Duke Crotsfield.”

“……”

“You murderous bastard.”

Karen’s eyes blazed coldly. While Ivlik was dealing with the Duke, she had heard everything through a special device in the next room. Throughout the listening, she had been struggling to control her anger. Finally, when the confession came out of his mouth, Karen put down the receiver-like device and stood up.

“Crotsfield. It’s not the Lieutenant Colonel who’s going to kill you today.”

Ivlik left Karen in charge and exited the basement. The sound of the Duke raving about how he knew she was alive grew fainter. As Karen closed the iron door of the basement, the corridor fell silent again.

Ivlik walked through the dark corridor and went upstairs.

Three days ago, he had sent all the employees away. The butler, who had insisted on staying by his side until the end, had to be sent on vacation. The butler left the mansion with an uneasy face after the young master told him to go and rest for a few days in a place with good water and air.

With everyone gone, the already large house felt even larger and lonelier. The mansion, approaching its 200th year, was enveloped in a desolate atmosphere.

Ivlik entered Cedine’s room and sat down at the foot of the bed. Since her death, Ivlik had practically lived in this room. When he opened the wardrobe and storage cabinets, Cedine’s scent would spread through the air. Whenever he missed her, he would bury his face in her clothes and inhale the scent, but now there was no trace of Cedine’s fragrance left anywhere.

Ivlik reached under the bed and pulled out a jewelry box. When he opened the lid, he saw a small soldier and a ballerina. He wound the spring attached to the side of the jewelry box all the way. When he let go of the spring, the soldier and ballerina began to dance.

The music box had no sound. He had wound the spring like a madman, and when the performance ended, he would wind it again repeatedly until one day the sound suddenly stopped. It was a problem that could have been solved by having it repaired, but Ivlik left it as it was.

He silently watched the soldier and ballerina dancing without music, then took out a photo from inside the jewelry box. It was his wedding photo. The only regret was that it was a black and white photo, not capturing the colors. On that day, Cedine, who was a bridesmaid, wore a light apricot-colored dress that was so fresh and dazzling that it drew the attention of many guests.

Ivlik looked at the ten photos over and over again. Now that Cedine’s body was buried in the cold ground, photos were the only way to see her again.

How much time had passed? Karen’s voice was heard from the door.

“Crotsfield is dead.”

Karen’s voice, dry like the winter wind, showed no emotion. Instead of answering, Ivlik wound up the spring of the jewelry box that had stopped at some point. The ballerina lady only circled around the soldier, drawing a circle, never looking at him. He thought their appearance reminded him of himself and Cedine.

“I checked if the recording was done well on my way back. It was fine. I put the 5-minute record containing his confession on top of the evidence materials.”

“……”

“I’m going to visit Cedine’s grave. After that… I don’t know.”

“……”

“For now, I want to leave this city.”

Karen stared at Ivlik, who was sitting on the floor. The faces of the two people who had lived only for revenge since losing Cedine Liere were strangely similar. An empty expression, as if their hearts had been hollowed out. Nothing could hurt them anymore. Because there was nothing left to be hurt.

“We probably won’t meet again. I’ll say goodbye here.”

Karen, who was turning away, suddenly stopped. She stared blankly at the man who seemed even more broken than herself.

Take my sister to the viscount’s residence and be her strong protector from now on. By strong, I mean not sending her to a so-called birthday party held by her adoptive father for her.

That was the only condition Karen had put forward in agreeing to the fake marriage. Ivlik must have thought he managed his expression well at the time. He actually did. However, Karen’s highly trained senses detected the subtle changes in the Lieutenant Colonel’s face.

There was a faint joy at the end of Ivlik’s voice as he answered that he understood. Because of that, Karen was able to feel a bit more at ease. The rumors about Bluebeard’s private torture chamber following Ivlik were not something Karen particularly cared about.