Chapter 63
Sir Fret was silent. Eventually, he walked to the window, drew the curtains, paced the room for a moment, and then returned to me.
“I don’t know what exactly happened to Müssen…”
“…”
“But I think it’s best that you refrain from going out for a while. I suspect the master’s inability to return may also be related to this incident…”
“I see.”
I slowly nodded.
Once Sir Fret left the study, I sat alone, deep in thought.
I didn’t know why, but absurd thoughts kept surfacing in my mind.
The ridiculous idea that the person who killed my father might be the same one abducting the women.
It was a ridiculous notion. I squeezed my eyes shut.
Then I remembered Edward’s warning in the carriage.
“Anyway, be careful. The situation in Müssen isn’t good. I know it sounds untrustworthy, but you shouldn’t place complete trust in your husband either.”
“What do you mean? What’s wrong with Müssen…?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
He said it was something they could no longer keep hidden and had to announce eventually.
To prevent further victims, it was better to issue a warning and have people be cautious.
But as if mocking such precautions, another bold headline had taken over the news:
“Murder without a corpse—how long will it continue?”
“Where Have the Women of Müssen Gone?”
Johannes chuckled bitterly at the outrageous headline on the front page of the newspaper.
The Müssen Police Department—Edward Windsor, to be precise—had kept this serious case hidden all this time, only revealing it after it had grown out of control.
They gave a plausible excuse, saying they delayed the announcement to avoid alarming the citizens, but Johannes knew Edward Windsor wasn’t the type to be so considerate.
He was a member of the royal family who didn’t care much for the lives of commoners.
Johannes knew the real reason Edward was now exposing the case: to bring trouble to Duke Schultz of Müssen.
Still, criminal investigations fell under the jurisdiction of the police. And since Edward had already once faced public backlash…
“The public opinion has mostly been contained, due to the royal family’s involvement.”
Public opinion is always biased. People are easily swayed and once someone gains control of the narrative, manipulating the masses becomes easy.
Johannes looked at the subordinate giving the report. With a troubled expression, the man handed over a document.
“I’m sorry to have to report this, sir.”
“Why would you be sorry? All we have to do is catch the culprit and expose Edward Windsor’s antics.”
But how, exactly?
Though he spoke lightly, he too was weighed down with concern.
Moreover, even the agents he had planted near Edward had failed to provide any useful information. The man was clearly being extremely cautious.
Johannes let out a soft sigh and motioned with his chin, signaling for his subordinate to leave.
Then, a new layer of confusion unfolded.
It started the next morning with a letter that arrived at Navy HQ, where Johannes had stayed up all night.
It was short but impactful.
“I know the real killer behind the murders shaking Müssen. I believe I can help you.”
The sentence that made Johannes scoff came immediately after:
“I have one condition. If you divorce your wife, Miss Edith Prim, I’ll tell you who the real killer is.”
He furrowed his brow deeply.
Miss Edith Prim? Whoever wrote this clearly disapproved of his marriage to Edith. Not even referring to her as the Duchess Schultz, but calling her Miss.
What kind of prank was this? But Johannes knew better than anyone that this was no joke.
In this situation, there were only two types of people bold enough to pull something like this:
The royal family—or the killer himself.
As he stared at the letter, one word suddenly caught his eye.
“Commander.”
The moment he saw that word, one face flashed through his mind.
Isaac Prim…? No way.
Edith didn’t believe Isaac was dead, but he had seen the man die with his own eyes.
Even if it was Isaac Prim… Johannes had no intention of letting Edith go.
He crumpled the letter in frustration.
It seemed more and more people were unhappy about his marriage to Edith. Perhaps it was time to put a permanent end to such meddling.
It was the second day since I had first heard about the missing persons case. Johannes returned to the mansion at dawn.
Woken by the sound of his arrival, I watched as he collapsed onto the bed.
Any lingering awkwardness I felt about hugging him in my sleep had mostly faded. More than that, I was shocked and worried about the murder case.
Johannes looked exhausted after just two days—his face clouded with worry as he lay next to me, silent for a long time.
He must be very tired.
Still, there were so many things I wanted to ask. So I gently called out to him.
“Duke.”
There was no reply.
“Are you asleep?”
I tried again, but still, no answer.
Thinking he must’ve already fallen asleep, I cautiously sat up and leaned over. He was lying with his eyes closed.
He must’ve fallen asleep. Understandable, given the circumstances. He probably heard about the case the same way I did—from the news two days ago.
The sun was beginning to rise. A soft light streamed through the window, casting a glow on his face.
I quietly stared at Johannes.
Had I ever looked at his face this closely before? I found myself marveling at his handsome features. Just then, his eyes flew open.
Startled, I gasped as our gazes met—his shadowed, piercing blue eyes locked with mine.
“Ah!”
As I tried to recoil in surprise, Johannes suddenly grabbed my wrist. He tightened his grip and pulled me on top of him.
In an instant, I ended up straddling him, blinking rapidly in shock.
“What is this?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
“Spying on someone’s face while they sleep?”
“I wasn’t spying…!”
“You looked that closely and now you’re denying it?”
He chuckled lowly, his Adam’s apple moving as he laughed.
Embarrassment surged through me, both from being caught and from feeling teased.
I struggled to break free, but the more I wriggled, the closer I got to him, until I gave up altogether.
Now, stuck in a rather compromising position, I continued the conversation with a half-exasperated expression.
“When are you going to let me go? Will you if I admit I was looking at your face?”
“I already knew, so it doesn’t matter.”
Johannes replied casually, and I burst out, irritated:
“You were awake and pretending to be asleep!”
“You haven’t called me ‘you’ like that in a while. I like it.”
“…Anyway!”
“So it’s okay to stare if I am sleeping?”
“That’s…”
The words got caught in my throat. It wasn’t really spying.
“I’m your wife. I should be allowed to look at my husband’s face, shouldn’t I? And you, Duke, are the one holding me like this in such an awkward—”
“Awkward position? What’s so awkward about this?”
“I mean, this is really embarrassing, so could we please—”
I never got to finish.
In a flash, Johannes sat up, so now I was sitting fully on top of him, facing him.
Our upper bodies were pressed tightly together, his solid chest clearly felt through my thin nightgown.
“Is this not embarrassing?”
Our faces were now close enough for me to feel his breath. I averted my eyes in flustered panic.
“If what you said is true, then this shouldn’t be a problem between husband and wife.”
