Chapter 52
“How long do you think it’ll take? Just waiting around is boring.”
Michelle crossed her legs and spoke with clear disinterest.
We hadn’t even been tailing for that long, and she was already bored.
Michelle let out a long yawn beside me.
“If it was going to be like this, you should’ve sent someone else. Why insist on coming yourself?”
“As I said before, I came because I wanted to get to know this young lady better. Anyway, please wake me up when the doctor comes out.”
With that, Michelle leaned against the inner wall of the carriage, folded her arms, and closed her eyes.
“……”
“Sigh…”
Duke Calix looked at Michelle and sighed, shaking his head.
Sleeping so openly in front of your superior? She’s got guts.
Watching Michelle like that reminded me of how I had accidentally fallen asleep yesterday. I was told to rest, but I hadn’t meant to sleep. I must’ve dozed off without realizing. When I woke up, there was a blanket covering me. Did the Duke tuck me in?
I glanced at Duke Calix—and our eyes met.
“What is it?”
“A-ah, nothing. It’s nothing.”
He asked with a gentle smile, and my heart began to race on its own.
“Lady Elena, are you feeling unwell? Your face is red.”
Duke Calix leaned closer to get a better look. Concern filled his gaze.
Gasp. This can’t be happening!
“N-no! I’m not sick! I’m fine!”
“You don’t look fine. Your face is completely red. Do you have a fever?”
I shook my head desperately, but Duke Calix reached out and placed his hand on my forehead. His warm hand rested gently there.
“I don’t have a fever! I think I’m just a little hot!”
“Hot? Should I open the window?”
“Y-yes! That would be great! Ahaha!”
“You should’ve said something earlier. Don’t hold it in if you’re uncomfortable.”
Duke Calix opened the window as he spoke.
“Thank you…”
I couldn’t lift my head. If our eyes met again, I felt like my feelings would be completely exposed.
Even after quite some time had passed, Dr. Scott still hadn’t come out of the guard post. Night had long since fallen outside.
We had lunch and even dinner in the carriage with the food Michelle went out and bought, but we didn’t catch even a glimpse of Dr. Scott.
“This is taking way too long. Should I pretend to need help and go into the guard post to check—”
“Oh? Isn’t that the doctor?”
Just as Michelle, tired of waiting, was about to suggest a new plan, we saw Dr. Scott emerge from the building.
We held our breath and watched him. Instead of getting into a carriage, he began walking somewhere.
“He didn’t get in a carriage.”
“Let’s get out and follow him.”
At Duke Calix’s suggestion, we all exited the carriage. Keeping our hoods up and maintaining some distance, we followed Dr. Scott quietly.
Was he always this fast?
Dr. Scott moved quickly, weaving through alley after alley like he was searching for an exit in a maze.
Where on earth is he going?
Just as we were puzzling over it—
“Hide!”
Dr. Scott turned around suddenly, and Duke Calix pulled me back while whispering. As a result, I ended up pressed against him behind a wall.
I hadn’t expected this!
And once again, my heart pounded like it was having a seizure. As I held my breath, worried my thudding heart would be heard, I heard another heartbeat right next to my ear.
The Duke’s heart is racing too. Is he nervous about getting caught?
Still, it probably wasn’t for the same reason as me.
I hadn’t realized how tall the Duke was. Being this close, the difference in our height really hit me. Was he always this tall?
“Thankfully, we weren’t spotted.”
Duke Calix exhaled and whispered softly.
“Um, Duke…”
“Yes?”
“You can let go of me now.”
“Ah, sorry. Were you uncomfortable?”
He quickly released the arm that had been holding me.
“No… not at all…”
“Hm.”
Michelle looked at us with a weird expression, clearly amused.
“You two. Ohoho.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Heehee.”
She looked like she was about to say something, but fell silent when the Duke shot her a stern look, only to giggle again with a strange sound.
What’s with her? Ugh, now’s not the time for this.
“Let’s hurry and follow him.”
We resumed tailing Dr. Scott. But then, he suddenly darted into a side alley and started running. Caught off guard, we lost him at a three-way junction.
“I don’t see him anymore…”
“We lost him. And this was our best chance too.”
“He’s a lot quicker than he looks.”
Duke Calix and Michelle agreed with me. The whole day had been tense and draining, and we had nothing to show for it.
“What do we do now? We didn’t learn anything.”
“That’s not true. We did learn one thing.”
“……”
“Dr. Scott didn’t head south.”
“Oh.”
Only then did I recall what the Duke had shown me in that report. According to the previous investigation, Dr. Scott was supposed to leave the guard post and take a carriage south.
But today, he hadn’t gotten into a carriage—nor did he go south. Still…
“What if he’s going south after stopping somewhere else first? Maybe he has another errand before visiting his brother. Like buying a gift or something.”
“But this is a residential area. Unless his brother lives here, there’s no reason for him to come through this neighborhood.”
“Should we investigate this alley more thoroughly?”
At Michelle’s suggestion, Duke Calix responded.
“Yes. Find out who lives in each house, what they do. It’ll take some time.”
“There are so many homes here.”
“Elena, let’s head back to the estate for now. It’s too dangerous to split up and search this place at night.”
“Okay.”
In the end, we left the alley the way we came and had to return to the Duke’s estate. It was frustrating how little progress we made.
Dr. Scott, having turned into the alley, had noticed someone following him.
‘Who is it? They’re probably not just headed the same way as me.’
He figured whoever it was, he had to shake them off. If they happened to be going to the same place, they’d get there on their own.
So he deliberately twisted and turned through the alleys, and then, when the timing was right, dashed down a shortcut.
Running at his age and after so long was grueling. His heart pounded like it would burst, and his mouth tasted like metal.
“Still… glad I lost them…”
Breathing heavily, Dr. Scott stood still for a long moment to catch his breath. Once he’d calmed down, he started walking again and entered an ordinary-looking house.
The door wasn’t locked. He entered without turning on any lights and walked deep into the house.
Opening the back door revealed another connected building, and he descended into its basement. There, he finally reached his destination.
“You’re early, Dr. Scott. The Master hasn’t arrived yet.”
A man standing guard at the entrance, hood pulled low, spoke in a low voice.
“Then I’ll go in and wait.”
“Go ahead.”
Dr. Scott passed the man and walked deeper inside. The chair the Master always sat in was empty. Several other hooded figures stood quietly around it—nothing unusual for this place.
As he stood and waited, Dr. Scott couldn’t hide his nervousness. His clenched fingers fidgeted restlessly.
Finally, after quite some time, the Master appeared from another entrance, wearing both a mask and hood, and took his seat.
“May the Master’s light spread far and wide.”
Everyone, including Dr. Scott, greeted him in unison.
“You have something special to report today, don’t you, Dr. Scott?”
“Yes, Master.”
Dr. Scott answered nervously, his voice tight with tension.
“Or… do you not?”
The Master’s flat voice chilled Dr. Scott to the bone. Cold sweat trickled down his back, and his mind went completely blank.
