Chapter 6 (Part 2)
The beauty in front of him, who smiled as if she felt relieved after killing so many people, seemed more cruel than a demon.
“You demon…”
This is a dream! It must be a dream!
Despite his desperate cries, Meia’s expression didn’t change.
“Even if you scream, no one will come here. You said so yourself. Don’t you remember? It’s strange that you can’t remember what you said just a while ago.”
Hearing his own words reversed, fear overwhelmed him.
“Don’t worry. I’m trying not to kill you. If you answer me politely and properly, I’ll let you off easily. I’m a kind hunter, you see.”
Just a moment ago, the man thought he was the hunter, about to ruthlessly hunt the woman in front of him. But in front of Meia, he was not a hunter at all. He was just a foolish prey who believed he was a hunter.
The tears streaming down his cheeks quickly froze.
“What’s your name?”
“It’s Luinz.”
Luinz begged Meia to spare him.
“When you were about to kill me, and now that the roles are reversed, you’re shamelessly asking for your life?”
“You can’t kill people like this…… and not feel guilty…….”
Luinz was so terrified and unable to believe the reality that he just wanted to turn away from it all.
“Have you ever spared anyone who begged for their life?”
Luinz couldn’t say a word to Meia’s question.
His face, pale with fear, gradually turned into one of sheer terror.
***
Theodore took Hemann, who was about to return to the study, and went to the fabric store where Aethon and Meia had gone. As soon as the knights guarding the door of the store saw Theodore, they approached and bowed.
“Your Grace!”
“Your Grace!”
“Who are you?”
“I am Knight Raijin of the Grand Duke Florence’s household.”
“I am Knight Arthur of the Grand Duke Florence’s household.”
Theodore nodded as if he understood and dismounted, asking them about Meia’s whereabouts.
“Where are Lady Meia and Aide Aethon?”
Knight Arthur stood at attention and replied.
“Yes! She went into the store together with Sir Aethon.”
“Why are you standing here? Did Lady Meia instruct you to wait at the door?”
“Yes! She instructed us to guard the entrance before going inside.”
Another knight continued.
“In case they do not return within an hour, one of us was to enter and check their safety. If they were not inside, Raijin here was to return immediately to report to the Grand Duke’s household.”
“Did Lady Meia give all these instructions?”
“Yes, she did.”
Hemann, listening to the knights, was impressed by Meia’s foresight. He also understood why Aethon kept exclaiming ‘Grand Duchess.’
“Your Grace! Lady Meia is truly remarkable.”
The sudden praise from Hemann made Theodore’s expression brighten briefly before darkening again. He looked coldly at the fabric store ahead and spoke.
“Open the door immediately.”
As the knights opened the door, Theodore walked into the store. It was filled with a variety of fabrics on display.
Theodore looked around but did not see her.
“I don’t see Lady Meia…”
The store owner, seeing customers enter, greeted them cheerfully.
“Welcome!”
Theodore’s expression turned cold. Hemann stepped forward and spoke to the owner.
“Did a silver-haired lady and a brown-haired man come here?”
“Yes? They came in earlier but left through the back door.”
Theodore spoke coldly.
“It would be wise not to lie.”
Roman felt as if Theodore’s gaze was like a knife scraping his skin, making him shiver.
Feeling intimidated by the sudden chilling atmosphere, he asked,
“What is your relationship with them?”
“They are guests of the Grand Duke Florence. My guests.”
“My guests…?”
Guests of the Grand Duke Florence. This meant that the man in front of me was… surely not!
Hemann, standing behind Theodore, glared at Roman and said,
“Bow your head immediately. This is His Grace, the Grand Duke Florence.”
Roman hiccuped like someone caught stealing food.
His face turned pale, and his expression froze.
Theodore asked once more.
“They couldn’t have left through the back door. She promised to meet me here.”
“They went out. They will return soon through the back door.”
Roman had to buy time somehow. He needed to hide Meia and Aethon quickly!
Theodore glared coldly at Roman with raised eyebrows.
When Aethon was struck by a knife and fell, the only person Meia thought of was Theodore.
Since childhood, she had faced various assassination attempts and dangerous situations, and even while dominating the ruthless social circles, she had never thought of anyone.
Even when studying to become Empress was tough, and she couldn’t play, or when she first encountered an assassin, she never thought of ‘mom’ or ‘dad.’
She had always solved dangerous situations herself.
She had never thought of anyone or needed anyone in such situations.
But in this situation, she thought of ‘Theodore.’
Why did I think of him?
This feeling, these thoughts were unfamiliar and strange to Meia.
The only thing certain was… it was hard to escape the thoughts of Theodore she had now.
Thinking about him now was the same as already thinking about him.
“I don’t know why I’m thinking about him.”
That was something to think about later. Meia snapped her fingers, and the wind blew.
The ice powder on the floor disappeared like dust swept by a broom.
“There were still ice crystals left.”
Luinz hung his head and shed tears. He couldn’t even bury the bodies of his loyal subordinates and brothers.
They were frozen solid and shattered like ice sculptures, blown away by the wind. It was as if they never existed. It all felt like a dream.
“Do you know what they call the situation where I killed your subordinates?”
Luinz silently wept in anger.
“It’s called self-defense.”
Meia looked at Luinz, who couldn’t move his legs and hands because they were frozen.
“What is your relationship with Roman, the fabric store owner?”
He wished this reality was a dream. If it were a dream, he would wake up, leave far away, and live a good life.
At the same time, he thought of ‘that person.’
If he could just buy some time, there was still hope of escape. If ‘that person’ came.
“We just help each other out.”
“Good. Your tongue isn’t frozen. When the tongue starts to freeze, the heart also gets colder and eventually freezes solid.”
Meia explained the terrifying scenario kindly and gently.
“To keep your tongue from freezing, you need to keep talking. I hate chatter, but I understand your babbling so your tongue doesn’t shatter.”
Luinz, trembling from the cold, pleaded for his life to the haughty Meia, who seemed to expect gratitude for her leniency. Survival was all that mattered now.
“P-Please spare me.”
Meia clapped her hands joyfully and spoke to Luinz.
“I spared you, so why do you keep asking for your life?”
Luinz swallowed at Meia’s words.
“I hope you answer my questions well, Luinz.”
Meia never trusted people’s words. She believed more in their actions.
However, she didn’t expect to hear good answers. She just didn’t believe 100%.
She never believed anything until she faced the truth.
That was something she learned directly from David, the former Duke Hatzbellua, her father.
“There are slaves in captivity, aren’t there?”
They spoke of selling her for a high price. That meant they were involved in human trafficking and surely had slaves hidden somewhere. At the very least, she could find a ledger.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
***
“Your name is Roman, right?”
The fabric store owner Roman, who was kneeling before Theodore, tried to calm his trembling hands and body to answer his questions.
“Y-Yes, Your Grace.”
“Are you really saying that Aethon and Lady Meia went out the back door and you don’t know anything else?”
The back door led to just an alley. There was nothing there…
Theodore wanted to draw his sword and cut off Roman’s head immediately, but finding Meia was the priority.
Suppressing his rising anger, he spoke.
“Why would they go out the back door? They should be here…”
“I… I truly don’t know.”
Roman knew he must not speak, even if it meant his death.
He had already handed Meia over to ‘them.’ He assumed the man was already dead.
He had merely handed over a pretty woman who pointed out the fake silk, as usual!
But for the Grand Duke Florence to come looking for that woman and man…
Roman couldn’t reveal his troubled thoughts. He had to believe that ‘they’ had handled things well.
“Are you anxious?”
Roman was terrified of Theodore’s gaze looking down at him.
“Yes, because you don’t know. That had better be true. Let’s talk about something else.”
“What?”
“You sold fake fabric to the Grand Duke Florence’s household.”
“T-That was a mistake.”
“A fabric seller didn’t know? A mistake? That doesn’t excuse you.”
Roman said nothing. There was nothing to say. He had deliberately sold the wrong fabric.
“You don’t need to tell the whole truth. Even if you do, your future won’t change!”
Bang!
Theodore slammed his fist on the table.
“Eek!”
Roman trembled and fell to the floor. Theodore watched him with cold black eyes.
“If you’re feeling fear now, you should know it’s time to make an important choice in life. So…”
Bang! Bang!
“Speak!”
Roman, pale with fear, knelt and bowed his head.
“I always try to govern Florence by remembering my father’s words. My father always said to give everyone, commoner or noble, three chances! I’m giving you your third chance now… Roman.”
Roman bowed his head and began to sob.
Theodore, feeling irritated by the sight, stood up and walked toward the back door.
Hemann followed him.
There seemed to be no point in questioning Roman any further. He had waited long enough and given him chances.
He didn’t want to waste more time. He needed to find Meia quickly.
“It’s too late now…”
At Theodore’s words, Roman lifted his head and screamed.
“I was wrong! I deliberately sold the wrong fabric.”
Roman tried to speak through his screams, but the knights gagged him and began to tie him up with ropes.
“Versha, take him to the underground prison.”
“Understood.”
Theodore turned and gave Roman one last cold glare before quickly heading toward the back door.
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