Chapter 121
“Um, Deputy Director?”
“Yes, please speak.”
Linate replied calmly, as if nothing had happened. The distance between us was barely two palm widths.
“Shall we head up to the room now?”
“That would be best.”
I glanced down at his hand still holding onto my cloak. I wanted his gaze to follow mine, but his eyes seemed fixed on some point in the air, unmoving.
I’ll need him to let go if I’m going to move.
“However, I think you’ll need to let go of my cloak before I can go up…”
His violet eyes, glowing faintly in the dim light, shifted downward. His gaze soon landed on the hand clutching the cloak.
His eyes, unusually wide, blinked rapidly. It was only then that Linate seemed to realize he had been holding my cloak. Startled, he hurriedly stepped back.
“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…”
He wiped his face as if washing it dry, and for some reason, the motion seemed strangely familiar. A low exhale slipped out between my teeth.
“Now that I think about it, even at the Riley household, you grabbed the hem of my dress, didn’t you? Sometimes, Deputy Director, your actions precede your words…”
I shut my mouth tightly as I noticed Linate’s face turning pale. Had I said something wrong?
“I’ll go ahead first.”
“Ann, are you not going to the Marquis’s residence again today?”
“I told you I couldn’t go for a few days.”
“You’ll feel better as soon as your fever goes down.”
“The problem is that the fever doesn’t go down even with medicine. You shouldn’t think about anything else; just focus on getting better.”
Ann watched Ella, flustered and fumbling from the fever, and quietly reflected on the past few days.
Four days ago, Olivia had suddenly summoned her. Three days ago, in the morning, Olivia’s personal maid, Margaret, had generously given her special leave.
The next morning, she was supposed to return to the mansion, but upon coming home after some time, she found Ella collapsed on the floor.
It could all be a coincidence, but Ann couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling. Something about her conversation with Olivia four days ago stuck in her mind.
“Ann, you know that Rosevelia will soon become Crown Princess, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“From now on, I’d like you to take charge of my room instead of Rose’s.”
Taking charge of Olivia’s room wasn’t just about cleaning.
She had subtly asked Ann to become her aide by entrusting her room, and everyone in the Marquis’s residence knew the hidden meaning behind her words.
“My room, ma’am?”
“Yes. I’ve heard you work meticulously.”
“Then what about Miss Rosevelia’s room…?”
“Someone else will handle it. Don’t worry. Rose is staying elsewhere for now, and once she becomes Crown Princess, she’ll rarely visit the mansion. I thought it’d be a waste of your skills to just clean an empty room.”
“Even so, I’d like to clean Miss Rosevelia’s room, ma’am.”
“Is that so? Then keep doing a little more. I like you, so tell me whenever you need my help.”
Olivia’s voice was kinder than usual, yet her gaze was icy and distant when looking at Ann.
When Ann bowed slightly and then looked up, she met Olivia’s cold, unfeeling eyes.
“And then Margaret giving me leave so suddenly, and my sister collapsing at home despite usually being very healthy… it doesn’t feel like just coincidence…”
Ann immediately brought a local doctor upon finding the collapsed Ella. The diagnosis was a common fever, but Ella’s condition didn’t improve much even with medicine.
“Even after taking all the medicine the village doctor gave, the fever hasn’t gone down. Should I try another doctor?”
Sitting back in the wooden chair, Ann let out a low sigh. Doctors accessible to ordinary villagers were limited. Unless one had money, options were scarce.
“Still, it might be possible to bring a doctor from the plaza…”
“Sis, I’ll head to the plaza.”
Ella’s voice was hoarse.
“Why the plaza?”
“I have something to check. I’ll be back soon, so just sleep deeply until then.”
Ann grabbed her robe from the chair and left the house. The plaza wasn’t too far, and she could return within two hours if she hurried.
“If I’m lucky, I might even get a carriage along the way and return in an hour…”
Walking along familiar alleys, Ann suddenly stopped. She had felt as if someone was following her, but when she paused, no footsteps approached.
“Who is it? Why are they following me?”
Her heart raced. Trying to calm herself, Ann pretended to adjust her robe, then bolted forward.
“Please, don’t follow me.”
Her desperate mutter went unheard. The dull footsteps echoing through the empty alley weren’t from one person alone. Focusing on the main road, Ann clutched her skirt and ran as fast as she could.
Just a bit further…
As she neared the main road, Ann had to stop. Not by choice, but because she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she let out a short scream.
“Vincent, go to the archives and fetch these materials.”
“Yes, Director.”
Vincent, head of the Beast Research Department, glanced at the papers he had been handed and headed straight toward the windows. Gale lifted his head slightly at the approaching footsteps.
“Gale, the Director asked me to go to the archives. Will you come with me?”
“You’re asking me?”
“Yes. Everyone else seems busy, so I asked you.”
Vincent shrugged casually, as if nothing was wrong. Indeed, glancing around, everyone else seemed preoccupied.
“So, everyone else seemed busy, and you thought I was the only one doing nothing?”
“No, I mean…”
Gale watched Vincent, who seemed momentarily speechless, then stood up.
“Vincent has been acting a bit odd lately.”
He hadn’t done anything overtly suspicious, but they had been making eye contact more frequently than before.
Not only that, he would suddenly approach as if he had something to say, then walk away without saying anything.
“Maybe I should ask him directly this time.”
“Well, as you saw, I wasn’t doing anything. Do I just need to go to the archives?”
“Yes. Just bring the records the Director asked for.”
Gale tilted his head at Vincent’s stiff tone and hurried to follow him.
“How many records are there?”
“Quite a lot. I can’t carry them all alone.”
“Really?”
Vincent folded the papers in half and glanced at Gale walking near the window.
“But you seem to prefer the window side even when walking.”
“It’s just a habit.”
Gale kept his gaze outside the window. He already knew the Riley family was watching him; their gaze had become as familiar as air.
“We’re here. Let’s go in.”
Vincent knocked and entered the archive, approaching the administrator recording entries. The administrator glanced at Vincent and Gale in turn.
“Which department are you from?”
“Vincent Glaser, Beast Research Department.”
“Gale, also Beast Research Department.”
“Please enter.”
Gale closely followed Vincent and asked quietly:
“Was this the usual administrator here?”
“Administrators rotate periodically. Must have changed.”
Gale nodded and entered. Some curtains were drawn, and a few cleaning staff were dusting.
“What kind of records are these? Research materials?”
“Let’s go inside first.”
Vincent led him to the back of the archive, where most of the department’s materials were stored.
“What’s over there? Look at the papers the Director gave you.”
“Gale, listen to me first.”
“You’re acting a bit strange, you know?”
“I know. That’s why I said let’s go naturally.”
Vincent’s voice sounded urgent, even desperate. Gale followed him.
“How far are you planning to go…”
Vincent stopped. Gale looked around; the back of the archive was unusually dark, curtains drawn completely.
“It doesn’t seem like anyone is cleaning here. Did someone intentionally draw the curtains?”
“Gale, go greet him.”
Vincent stepped aside, letting Gale pass.
“What do you mean greet him…”
Gale saw a man rising from a chair: jet-black hair, piercing blue eyes, tall and sturdy.
Though not in formal attire, Gale immediately recognized him.
The Crown Prince of the Fonnes Empire, Ian Klein Martinez.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
