Even though she had clearly drunk strong alcohol, her mind remained perfectly clear. It must be because she'd awakened.
As she quietly followed behind him, she realized that the Grand Duke barely made any sound when he walked.
Just like he had on the battlefield.
Was this simply one of his habits? Or some lingering aftereffect of war?
She thought she knew Victor Bayern—the Commander and the Grand Duke—fairly well. But as a man who had set aside those titles...
Ibel knew absolutely nothing about him.
The only things she understood were that his back was remarkably straight, his posture impeccable, and that wherever the moonlight settled, the muscles beneath his thin shirt became clearly visible.
And that he was exceedingly courteous to ladies.
Even if that "lady" happened to be dressed as a man.
"...I can't tell whether this is a dream or reality."
She truly couldn't.
A short while later, after washing up in the small bathroom attached to her room, Ibel sprawled across the bed with both arms stretched wide.
Everything felt insane. She had drunk far too much because of it, yet her eyes remained wide awake.
Sleep simply wouldn't come.
A comfortable bed and meals I can eat until I'm full...
It was hard to believe.
When she woke up, it felt as though she would still be on the battlefield, with the officers she'd joked around with coming over to check whether she was still alive.
If she told them about this dream, they would probably clutch their stomachs laughing.
That had been my reality.
Pulling the rustling blanket up over her face, she let out a small breath.
War, surgeries, artillery fire.
And the warm wine she'd just drunk.
It felt as though she were standing at the boundary between reality and unreality.
As anxiety began creeping in for no reason, Ibel immediately grabbed her pillow and took a deep breath.
Wondering whether his nights were like this too.
After escorting Ibel inside, Victor spoke in a low voice without even turning around.
"Starting tomorrow, investigate Abel Claren. I hear he's somewhere in one of Lindau's gambling dens."
"Understood."
Matthias, who had been following behind carrying documents, bowed his head.
In all the time he'd served him, his master had never once behaved irrationally.
He was always reasonable, practical, concise in his orders.
This side of him was completely new, and Matthias found it difficult to adjust.
I couldn't dare eavesdrop on their conversation, so I stayed back...
But he was dying of curiosity.
What on earth had they discussed in there?
Who exactly was that person, that cross-dressing somehow seemed natural on her?
And how in the world did she know Morse code?
Even he couldn't decipher it—and it was almost certainly a specially modified code.
Ah, could she be an elite agent from the Intelligence Department that he knew in the past?
Considering the circumstances, it wasn't an unreasonable conclusion. Nothing else seemed remotely plausible.
"Umm... What should we do if we find this Abel Claren fellow?"
"He seems to be in need of some correction."
"Ah, yes! Understood!"
Though industrialization was spreading and a new era was dawning, the darker corners of society had not yet disappeared.
Understanding the Grand Duke's meaning, Matthias bowed and withdrew.
Thinking that whoever this Abel fellow was, he must have lived a truly awful life if His Grace believed he "needed correction."
"What—what is this?! You people—! Mm! Mmph!!!"
A few days later, in an alley behind a gambling den in the port city of Lindau.
Abel, who had drunk away every coin he'd extorted from his sibling and fallen asleep on the street, was suddenly subdued by several large men and thrown into a carriage.
"Is this because of money? Who sent you? Northwick? Or Coran?"
He had borrowed money and fled without repaying it more than a few times.
As he rattled off the names of loan sharks he could remember, Abel's bleary eyes searched for a way out.
They were twins born from the same womb.
His sibling had graduated at the top of a university class?
If he truly wanted to, he could have done that too.
He was always drunk—or high—but that was only because he was too intelligent. The world was simply too stupid. Too frustrating. That's why he'd fallen into gambling.
No matter what excuses he attached to it, one thing couldn't be denied:
Abel's mind was every bit as sharp as Ibel's.
Unfortunately, only in the worst possible ways.
They're dressed like ordinary laborers, but those clothes are new. Every one of them, including the coachman. No patches, no repaired seams. Especially the shoes—they're spotless. They bought those specifically for this job.
Which meant the person who hired them was probably of high status.
I don't recognize a single face. I've been avoiding loan sharks for years. No mistake—these men aren't here because of debt.
Faced with danger, Abel's brain worked faster than ever.
Faster than when calculating an opponent's hand in cards.
"Come now, gentlemen. Why would you do this to a worthless fellow like me?"
Grinning shamelessly, Abel secretly twisted his wrists.
His hands and feet were tied, but they hadn't gagged him.
Why?
What was the reason?
People this thorough should have covered his mouth too.
"I've never harmed a soul in my life. Perhaps you've mistaken me for someone else?"
No one answered.
No one even looked him in the eye.
Which means they specifically came for me. Someone hired them.
Good.
The alcohol was wearing off too.
How much information could be extracted from silence alone?
If I'd known this would happen, I would've squeezed more money out of that brat. Got kicked out yesterday because I came up short.
Even in a situation like this, those were the thoughts crossing his mind.
Then suddenly, he froze.
He'd never considered it before, but could it be—
"Ah. Ahahahaha! Ibel! It was Ibel, wasn't it? That bitch sent you because she didn't want to give me money anymore!"
Tears formed in his eyes from laughter.
Bent over, cackling for quite some time, Abel shook himself violently and shouted:
"Stealing her own brother's name and living under it—and now trying to kill me too! Amazing, truly amazing! That's how someone born from the same womb should be! Always acting so noble, saying she'd become a doctor and all that! Pretending to be so high and mighty! Turns out she was rotten underneath too! Blood will tell, won't it?! Ahahaha—!"
Thud.
The man sitting across from him drove a fist into his stomach.
The impact was so powerful that Abel nearly blacked out.
His vision swam.
Some time later.
The carriage arrived at its destination.
At the entrance of a gray building, a sign creaked ominously in the wind.
[Grayhaven Institute for Mental Reformation]
"A pleasure to meet you, miss. My name is Granny Vanya."
"Ah... Nice to meet you."
"Please, speak comfortably. I've been ordered to take good care of you."
Early the next morning.
After a peaceful breakfast consisting of fragrant bacon, raw eggs, warm bread, expensive cheese, fruit, and a salad loaded with olives—
someone came to see Ibel.
The elderly woman had snow-white hair and an impressively sturdy build. Her appearance was warm, bold, and cheerful.
"When I was younger, I served as the Bayern family's nanny. I also received basic combat training and occasionally acted as His Grace's bodyguard in emergencies."
"Ah."
"These days I'm the head maid at the main estate. I took a vacation and came here."
No wonder she had such a comforting presence.
Vanya threw open the curtains with a flourish and clapped her hands.
"Now then! Let's get you prepared, miss. I purchased several dresses on the way here, and we'll see whether any alterations are needed."
Dresses...?
She couldn't even remember the last time she'd worn one.
Including the memories of war, it felt like at least seven years ago.
Once she settled into the prepared bath, Ibel spent the next two hours receiving care from head to toe. Her hair was short, so drying it took little time.
"Actually, with it this short, attaching a chignon is much easier. Hoho."
Looking at the wigs arranged on a trolley, Ibel made a horrified face.
Still, there was no helping it.
Dressing up was part of her mission now.
"There! Your makeup is finished. What do you think? It's been quite some time since this old Vanya got to show off her skills."
Opening her eyes, Ibel was startled by the reflection in the mirror.
The woman staring back looked like an entirely different person.
"You've got real talent with makeup."
"Thank you for the compliment. Before becoming head maid..."
A faint smile appeared on Vanya's face.
"I served Lady Susanna for many years."
The late Lady Susanna.
