~Chapter 13~
“Riche!”
Edith stopped short in the middle of the dusk-darkened street. Beneath the clock tower—their meeting place—Gisela was waving at her. The moment she spotted Edith, she hurried over, her cheeks pale and stiff from the cold, as though she had been waiting for quite some time. Edith’s expression turned apologetic.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Have you been waiting long?”
“No, not even an hour yet. I just came out a bit early.”
“Still. You must be freezing. Let’s go inside somewhere.”
As if she’d been waiting for those words, Gisela linked her arm through Edith’s. Edith stiffened at the sudden contact for a moment, but soon allowed herself to be led down the narrow alley.
A short while later, Gisela brought Edith to an old café tucked away from the main streets. Peeling whitewashed walls, withered vines shriveled by the winter wind, and a faded awning—nothing about the café was luxurious, but it was filled with the cozy warmth unique to aged places.
They sat facing each other by the innermost window. Since Gisela had been so desperate to meet, Edith had expected her to get straight to the point, yet Gisela remained silent until their tea arrived. An awkward stillness settled over the table.
In the end, Edith spoke first.
“Gisela?”
Startled, Gisela lifted her gaze from her teacup—only to quickly lower it again once their eyes met. Edith frowned slightly.
“What is it that you’re so hesitant about? It’s fine. Just say it.”
“……”
“Gisela.”
Even with Edith’s firmer tone, Gisela couldn’t bring herself to speak. Contrary to Edith’s assumption, it wasn’t because the matter was difficult—it was because she had nothing to say. After spending the past few days hovering around Edith and making things up because of that mysterious man, Gisela had completely run out of topics. Especially ones that could fill two whole hours.
‘Should I ask about her hometown? No, I already did that last time… We talked about her family too…’
Every idea that came to mind was something she’d already asked before.
‘What am I even supposed to do to keep her here? Ugh, I shouldn’t have gotten dragged into this.’
“Gisela.”
Edith called her again just as Gisela was internally panicking.
“…Do you need money, by any chance? Is that why you’re hesitating?”
“What?”
“If that’s it, it’s okay. Tell me. How much do you need? I don’t have much spare money, but—”
Edith’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if she were nearly certain. Gisela shook her head vigorously.
“N-no! It’s not about money!”
“Then what is it? If you’re not ready to talk yet, we can do it another time.”
“Wait! I will— I mean, I’ll tell you!”
Gisela grabbed Edith with a desperate expression as she shifted as though she might stand up at any moment.
She had to say something. Anything.
“Well, actually…”
Meanwhile, as Gisela struggled desperately to keep Edith occupied, a long shadow descended upon the roof of Shasha’s estate. Clad in black from head to toe and looking like an extension of the darkness itself, the man was—once again—Jekart. His movements were so light they barely registered as he crossed the rooftop. With his infiltration route already planned, he moved without hesitation.
Sliding down the railing, he reached a second-floor window at the edge of the estate. When he grasped the frame and gave it a light shake, the window opened with a dull metallic click—as if by magic. Considering Edith had carefully locked it before leaving, it was almost laughable. During his previous reconnaissance, Jekart had already loosened the lock. For someone specialized in infiltration and assassination, such tricks were effortless.
After briefly checking his surroundings, Jekart slipped inside.
Even without lighting a lamp, his eyes—accustomed to darkness—could make out the vague outline of the room. Furniture of various sizes, everyday necessities… If he remembered correctly, this was a storage room. Having found nothing here during his last search, he opened the door without hesitation.
A long corridor stretched out before him. He walked down it at a leisurely pace, making no effort to conceal his presence. At this hour, the estate should be empty. If the woman named Gisela kept her promise, he had at least two hours.
‘Where would it be?’
His target was clear: the Enigma hidden somewhere in the estate. Ideally, he wanted the codebook containing its settings. Stealing the device itself was an option, but it would draw too much attention. If they realized their plan had been exposed, there was a strong chance they’d change course.
After searching the second floor without success, he moved down to the first. Unlike upstairs, faint warmth lingered here. Moonlight pouring through the large windows made the space surprisingly bright.
As he headed toward a room facing the living area, he noticed something on the table—a trace of the last person who had been there. Neatly folded, it was a note.
His gaze skimmed over the rough, masculine handwriting, then stopped on a familiar script.
[I suddenly had plans come up today, so I’m heading out. I won’t be late. If you haven’t eaten yet, check the kitchen!]
It was the same handwriting he’d seen by the seaside. Though the message wasn’t addressed to him, his feet naturally carried him toward the kitchen.
He’d expected something more elaborate, but inside the pot—now completely cold—was nothing more than tomato stew.
A soft scoff escaped him. A vegetable-only stew, of all things. For a woman known to be a picky eater, it was surprisingly healthy. Curiosity got the better of him. He took a spoon from the cupboard.
It was admittedly brazen, given he’d broken into someone else’s home—but one bite wouldn’t leave a trace.
He tasted the stew.
The rich umami of tomatoes filled his mouth, accompanied by a faint hint of basil. Aside from being slightly under-seasoned, it was utterly ordinary. The strange sense of déjà vu—like he’d eaten it somewhere before—was probably because of that. Brushing it off, he cleaned the spoon and turned away.
Just then, a sound reached him as he exited the kitchen and returned to the living room.
Jekart froze in the darkness.
He hoped he’d imagined it, but cruelly, voices drifted in from the front door.
“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”
“I told you I’m fine.”
Judging by how familiar the conversation sounded, it seemed the owners of the estate had returned. Much earlier than expected.
Jekart’s eyes darted around. The open living room offered nowhere to hide, and there wasn’t enough time to retreat upstairs. That was when he noticed a door in the corner of the room.
Without hesitation, he moved toward it.
He closed the door just in time—click—as the sound of the front door unlocking cut through the silence.
Their voices carried in from the living room.
“What if it starts hurting again?”
“It’s just cramps. I could’ve stayed there, honestly. You’re always overreacting.”
“How could I leave you there when you said your stomach hurt? You were even retching the whole time because of morning sickness.”
“Honestly… I wonder when this morning sickness will ever end.”
Their conversation continued, but Jekart could no longer focus. The moment he stepped into the room, a familiar scent filled his lungs.
Clean soap.
The same scent he’d smelled on the woman.
Around that time, he noticed a veiled hat hanging from a standing rack against the wall.
By now, he could guess whose room this was.
That woman’s.
The realization plunged Jekart into that strange, unsettling sensation again—the one he felt every time he encountered her. Like sandpaper scraping against his nerves.
Outside the door, the oblivious couple spoke again.
“Both Lord Perel and Lady Edith are out.”
They must have found the note. The sound of short, shuffling footsteps faded, followed by the clatter of a pot being opened.
“Wow, tomato stew. I suddenly really want some… I shouldn’t eat it, right?”
“Go ahead. I’ll make another portion for Lord Perel.”
“And where does that confidence come from? You’re terrible at cooking.”
“Hey. I’m good, I told you.”
The couple bickered for a while before falling quiet, the woman saying she was tired. Judging by the sound of the door, they’d gone into the master bedroom.
Only after the estate sank into complete silence did Jekart finally move.
In the ownerless room, a long shadow slid silently across the floor.
