Chapter 60
I got out of Edward’s carriage and headed straight for the naval headquarters.
“Hey, hey! Miss, watch where you’re going!”
“A ship’s coming in!”
The port was bustling with noise.
It was hard to believe that this was the same place where an execution had taken place not long ago—it was now filled with life.
The sun sparkled on the beach sand, and people bustled about busily.
It was as if the nightmares of war and the burden of heavy taxes had all been buried beneath the sea, at least for a while.
I stopped among them and looked toward the execution platform.
Stains of blood still marred the blade of the rusty execution device, never properly cleaned.
The memories of that day remained vivid. I had been trying to bury them, but when I allowed myself to recall it, everything came back with painful clarity.
The sound of the blunt blade striking the former Duke Schultz’s head, the silence of the crowd who had jeered moments earlier, and the large hand that gently covered my eyes as I wept, unable to emerge from the sorrow of losing my father.
It was a form of kindness.
Johannes had likely known. Known that I didn’t even have the presence of mind to shield my own eyes.
So he had covered them for me—to keep me from seeing what might become a lasting trauma.
Afterward, we had gone to confirm my father’s body at the naval headquarters.
Now, I was walking that same path again.
Recalling that day made my thoughts swirl even more chaotically.
If he had approached me like that on purpose from the very beginning…
Even as I walked along the shoreline, my mind was consumed with thoughts about the relationship between Johannes and my father.
I felt guilty for suspecting the person who had helped me, yet the anxiety that he might have approached me for some other reason clung to me stubbornly.
“My lady, I think we’re here. Wow, it’s really big.”
Ahin, walking a step behind me, said this.
Lost in thought, I had arrived at the entrance to the naval headquarters without realizing it. I looked up at the large building blocking my path.
Once I entered and identified myself, a startled naval officer guided me to the commander’s office on the third floor.
“Commander, the Duchess is here!”
The door opened, and Johannes Schultz turned to face me. The sunlight slanting through the window lit up his golden hair brilliantly.
Beneath his usual stern expression, a faint smile—the kind that seemed painted on—appeared.
“You’re late. Was the road crowded?”
I stared at Johannes, leaning by the window.
It felt like ages since I last saw him in his naval uniform.
It reminded me of the day we first met at the port.
“My lady?”
I had drifted off in thought again, and his voice brought me back. I blinked in surprise.
“…What did you say?”
“I asked if the road was crowded.”
He repeated his question in his usual, indifferent tone. Though his expression was as stoic as ever, I felt I could read it a little now.
He was testing me.
If Johannes asks you anything, it’s best to tell the truth. There were quite a few people following you.
Recalling Edward Windsor’s warning, I decided to be honest.
“Oh, I happened to run into Prince Edward.”
Whether they were escorts or people sent to spy on me, it likely meant my every move was being reported to Johannes.
“The carriage stopped in front of the police bureau by coincidence.”
It was the truth—there was no need to panic. I spoke calmly, and Johannes raised an eyebrow.
“He wanted to chat for a bit, so I was held up. I tried to refuse, but, well… it’s hard to say no to royalty.”
If he asked what we talked about, I was willing to tell him.
But he didn’t ask. Instead, he offered me a convenient excuse.
“Next time, just use me as your excuse. I’ll handle the fallout, so don’t worry.”
Johannes said with a smile. And then—
You’re crazy. How do you plan to deal with the aftermath?!
Ha. So you really think I committed murder?
What… was that memory?
I clutched my head as a rush of unfamiliar sensations overwhelmed me.
A woman and man arguing fiercely. Their faces weren’t clear, but the man… somehow reminded me of Johannes.
When I shut my eyes tightly, he rushed over with a startled expression.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Johannes grabbed my arm. A sharp chill ran down my spine.
I instinctively shook off his hand.
“Ah… sorry. I was just surprised.”
“It’s alright.”
He said it was fine, but he must’ve been startled.
Maybe because of what Edward had said, I couldn’t look Johannes in the eye. Something about him made me feel uneasy.
Maybe I should’ve just ignored Edward.
I probably shouldn’t have listened to him. After all, everything he said was just suspicion—no solid proof.
He might’ve just wanted to drive a wedge between Johannes and me.
Feeling bad for treating Johannes so coldly, I changed the subject.
He didn’t seem embarrassed that I had shaken him off. I asked,
“By the way, why did you call me here?”
“To verify some personal effects.”
His answer came without hesitation.
“Personal effects? What do you mean?”
Hadn’t everything been returned already? I tilted my head, and he explained.
“While clearing out the battleship, we found a personal item in Sergeant Isaac’s cabin that had been missed.”
“What…?”
“Just in case.”
He walked over to the window, opened a drawer, and placed an item on the desk.
My eyes widened when I saw it.
“Do you recognize it?”
I slowly approached. Looking at the finely carved box, I murmured,
“…Yes. It belonged to my father.”
“It doesn’t seem to open.”
Of course it didn’t. This box was made with a code that only my father and I could solve.
The box made of buffalo horn could be opened by my mother and father’s code. This ivory one was for my father and me.
Unless someone deliberately broke it, it couldn’t be opened.
But it was so finely crafted, like an ornamental object, that even if it never opened, no one would suspect otherwise.
I stroked the box and said,
“Yes. It’s not meant to open.”
They say trust is the foundation of marriage.
But I couldn’t blindly trust Johannes—not when there was a chance he had deceived me.
So I couldn’t show him anything related to my father.
But I couldn’t let him know what I was thinking, either. I forced a smile.
“I’m really glad you found it. Thank you.”
Johannes had suggested I ride back with him, but I declined, using fatigue as an excuse.
As I left the commander’s office, I felt the stares of the naval officers lingering in the hallway.
They all seemed to be examining my face closely.
They were probably curious about the face of the commoner woman who had supposedly stolen Johannes Schultz’s heart.
“My lady, what is that? The design looks unique.”
Ahin, walking with me, asked. Her eyes were fixed on the ivory box.
“Oh, it’s one of my father’s belongings.”
“Oh… I’m sorry.”
Her bright expression quickly shifted to one of embarrassment. She fidgeted apologetically.
Her face turned pale.
“No, it’s okay.”
It wasn’t okay at all—but I forced a smile.
Ahin and I soon got into the navy carriage Johannes had prepared.
Suspicions about Johannes were one thing, but work was another.
I headed straight to the office to take back the duties that Sir Pratt had been handling for me. He must’ve been exhausted from handling things alone.
But instead of Sir Pratt, I found Marilyn in the office. Looking around, I asked,
“Huh? Marilyn, what are you doing here? Where’s Sir Pratt?”
She told me he had finished everything and gone to rest in his private quarters—completely exhausted.
Then she said she had been waiting for me with eager anticipation.
When I looked at her curiously, Marilyn brightened up even more and raised her voice.
“I heard you’ll be attending the ball hosted by Prince Edward soon. So we’d better start preparing, don’t you think?”
