Celine sat quietly on a wooden chair painted azure, repeatedly wiping away tears with a lace handkerchief. Across the metal desk from her, a man sat with a serious expression, scribbling something down in a notebook.
The man asked with a slight frown.
“Is that true?”
“I tried to hide her because she was my precious little sister, but... I felt like if I continued like this, everyone would be in danger. I gradually began to think this wasn’t right.”
Celine's voice trailed off, choking with sobs. The man gave her a moment to calm down before asking again, more calmly.
“Is there any evidence to suggest that your younger sister had a close relationship with the Duke?”
“Only Medea, one of the Frogen Alliance, wears a rose diamond necklace.”
“Are you saying that the rescued younger sibling had that item?”
"Yes. Besides, it's an extremely expensive jewel, a luxury item only afforded to high-ranking nobles who associate with Medea. Why would they give it to someone who's been kidnapped?"
It wasn't the lieutenant colonel who gave her the necklace. A soldier from a warring nation wouldn't necessarily give a rose diamond from the enemy's land. He must have lied to protect Diana.
She swallowed her sorrow and wiped away the tears that flowed down her face. Her reddened nose and eyes were pitiful. Celine slowly fanned herself, looked up at the ceiling, and sighed, "Ahh," as she continued.
"My father was completely unaware. When my sister realized I'd caught wind of this, she tried to set my room on fire. Although I couldn't bring the necklace, which was the evidence, the servants who were there will testify."
“Yes, Miss Claire. Thank you for your testimony.”
"Detective, please don't tell anyone I reported this. I'm so afraid of the consequences. I mustered up my courage to protect my father."
"We are maintaining strict confidentiality to protect the whistleblower. Don't worry. We will continue to do our best to protect Miss Claire."
"Thank you."
Celine, her face stained with tears, stood up calmly and bowed politely. Her beautiful platinum hair flowed down, sparkling.
The detective, seeing Celine's fresh appearance and pitiful expression, had no doubt that she was a righteous and good woman who would expose evildoers.
It was she who accused Diana.
You were born evil, bad from the start. This is simply a righteous act that exposes evil beyond family relationships.
So, punishing the wicked is a necessary evil. To me, you are an evil person.
Celine, who had been chewing over and justifying things she had always taken for granted, let out a shallow sigh.
The admiral's mansion is located in a port city where the naval headquarters is located, so it's close to the sea. Outside my room window, I could see the harbor, bustling with people like a swarm of ants.
It was said to be a welcoming gesture to the returning warships after the recent naval battle. Before the ships arrived, the atmosphere was lively and festive, with the sound of their horns blaring.
But the returning warships looked like blackened, burned, and crumpled pieces of scrap metal. The sight of them, like a defeated army, gradually sombered the once-excited atmosphere.
The ship, which had been heavily bombarded, slowly entered port, its appearance horrific, leaking oil and black smoke. As the desperate sight of the warship drew closer, the cries of women waiting for their husbands or lovers who had gone to battle began to mix in.
“They say we lost the Eastern Sea Battle.”
My nanny, standing beside me and looking outside with me, informed me. I nodded slowly and sighed.
The man asked with a slight frown.
“Is that true?”
“I tried to hide her because she was my precious little sister, but... I felt like if I continued like this, everyone would be in danger. I gradually began to think this wasn’t right.”
Celine's voice trailed off, choking with sobs. The man gave her a moment to calm down before asking again, more calmly.
“Is there any evidence to suggest that your younger sister had a close relationship with the Duke?”
“Only Medea, one of the Frogen Alliance, wears a rose diamond necklace.”
“Are you saying that the rescued younger sibling had that item?”
"Yes. Besides, it's an extremely expensive jewel, a luxury item only afforded to high-ranking nobles who associate with Medea. Why would they give it to someone who's been kidnapped?"
It wasn't the lieutenant colonel who gave her the necklace. A soldier from a warring nation wouldn't necessarily give a rose diamond from the enemy's land. He must have lied to protect Diana.
She swallowed her sorrow and wiped away the tears that flowed down her face. Her reddened nose and eyes were pitiful. Celine slowly fanned herself, looked up at the ceiling, and sighed, "Ahh," as she continued.
"My father was completely unaware. When my sister realized I'd caught wind of this, she tried to set my room on fire. Although I couldn't bring the necklace, which was the evidence, the servants who were there will testify."
“Yes, Miss Claire. Thank you for your testimony.”
"Detective, please don't tell anyone I reported this. I'm so afraid of the consequences. I mustered up my courage to protect my father."
"We are maintaining strict confidentiality to protect the whistleblower. Don't worry. We will continue to do our best to protect Miss Claire."
"Thank you."
Celine, her face stained with tears, stood up calmly and bowed politely. Her beautiful platinum hair flowed down, sparkling.
The detective, seeing Celine's fresh appearance and pitiful expression, had no doubt that she was a righteous and good woman who would expose evildoers.
It was she who accused Diana.
You were born evil, bad from the start. This is simply a righteous act that exposes evil beyond family relationships.
So, punishing the wicked is a necessary evil. To me, you are an evil person.
Celine, who had been chewing over and justifying things she had always taken for granted, let out a shallow sigh.
***
The admiral's mansion is located in a port city where the naval headquarters is located, so it's close to the sea. Outside my room window, I could see the harbor, bustling with people like a swarm of ants.
It was said to be a welcoming gesture to the returning warships after the recent naval battle. Before the ships arrived, the atmosphere was lively and festive, with the sound of their horns blaring.
But the returning warships looked like blackened, burned, and crumpled pieces of scrap metal. The sight of them, like a defeated army, gradually sombered the once-excited atmosphere.
The ship, which had been heavily bombarded, slowly entered port, its appearance horrific, leaking oil and black smoke. As the desperate sight of the warship drew closer, the cries of women waiting for their husbands or lovers who had gone to battle began to mix in.
“They say we lost the Eastern Sea Battle.”
My nanny, standing beside me and looking outside with me, informed me. I nodded slowly and sighed.
"The war will continue until the armistice negotiations are concluded."
My nanny placed a thick book on the desk and turned her gaze from the window to me.
"Little Miss, how about we go to the bookstore in the square today? You love books. I like reading, but I also like writing, so I was thinking of buying a writing guide."
She suddenly suggested that we go out together.
I don't like going out much by nature, and I shook my head, saying I didn't really want to go out, but she was strangely persistent and insisted on it.
“I’m sure there are a lot of books you’ll like. The bookstore is quite large.”
Was she always this interested in me? We weren't even close enough to go out together. Lately, she'd only come by occasionally to talk.
A strange thought occurred to me at the suggestion, and I began to feel suspicious.
“I don’t want to go.”
“It would be nice if you went...”
The nanny's wrinkled hands clasped together in a quiet gesture reflected a deep sense of pity. I glanced at her and turned away indifferently, but she gently grasped my shoulder and tried to persuade me.
“Is there anywhere you’ve always wanted to go? Would you like to go with me today?”
“Why do you keep trying to take me out?”
“Because it has to be that way.”
The nanny's voice, her forehead deeply wrinkled, was strained with regret. She even wore a worried expression, as if something bad would happen if she didn't go out right away.
Suddenly, I felt a strange feeling of discomfort, my skin becoming cold.
"What..."
Before I could even sense the unsettling omen, the door burst open without a knock. Men in dark blue uniforms entered, glancing back and forth between me and the nanny, then fixating on me.
A bearded officer strode over to me, stood in front of me, and called my name.
“Miss Diana Clare.”
"Yes."
"There's been a report about your relationship with a high-ranking Frogen official. Considering you're the daughter of a Navy admiral, I won't handcuff you, so I'd appreciate your cooperation."
I quickly grasped what had happened and stood up obediently. My nanny placed a hand on my shoulder.
“It’s cold. I’ll bring out a warm coat for you.”
The nanny's face, as she draped a thick cashmere coat over my shoulders, was immaculate, yet pale. A familiar scent wafted past my nose. The coat draped over my shoulders was the one Noah had draped over me that day.
I subconsciously realized something: she was trying to make me run away under the pretext of going out.
She, who has been in this mansion the longest, may be related to Noah. It's also why she covered me with a blanket that day when I was trapped in the stable in the bitter cold. It's why the original Diana survived, not starving or freezing to death. Ultimately, she couldn't prevent her death, but she was secretly helping her.
Now that I noticed, I gave my nanny a quick smile. Her eyes wrinkled, and she smiled bitterly at me.
You are that person. A children's book writer who writes stories about dogs and wolves.
I followed the officers who were pushing me on the back as if they were recruiting me.
An anonymous tip claims that the kidnapped Diana Claire was having an affair with a high-ranking Frogen official. The evidence is a rose diamond necklace, a rare mineral found only in the Medea Mine, a Frogen Alliance union...
There were already countless articles about Noah and my relationship. It was definitely Celine's doing, out of spite.
If you turn your back on the Duke of Belford, Chancellor Groenendaal, a powerful politician, will not remain silent. He will be branded as the lover of a high-ranking enemy officer and the one who rescued a spy.
So, the admiral probably couldn't easily touch me. But she was a more fearless and bold woman than I had imagined.
"Diana Claire. You are being investigated here and then transferred to the Security Bureau on charges of stealing operational secrets from the Eastern Sea Battle and leaking them to the Frogen side."
In a dark interrogation room, a man who appeared to be an investigator sat across from a metal desk and spoke in a solemn voice. Startled by the sudden question, I rubbed my cheek and asked back.
“Is it confidential?”
"After the loss of classified documents from the Naval Command, we suffered a major defeat in the Eastern Sea Battle. There was testimony that you were seen entering the Admiral's quarters and the Commander's office."
I sat there, my hands hanging limp, as if in a daze, when suddenly I came to my senses. Had Celine, in a state of deep thought, stolen operational secrets and passed them on to the Grogen side, leading to their defeat in the naval battle, and blaming me for it?
It was a maddening act, aimed solely at accusing me of being a spy. Having seen the original, I knew that the protagonist, Celine, wasn't inherently stupid.
However, I didn't realize that she was so brutal that she was decimating entire legions of sailors on the battlefield. Now that I was accused of being a spy, even if I had exposed the woman's despicable duplicity and evil deeds, it would all be dismissed as lies.
The reason she went this far was because shr was either completely turned down by the lieutenant colonel or had given up on him. I raised the corners of my mouth into a hollow smile.
If things continued this way, I'd probably be hanged or shot. Fortunately, there wasn't as much torture or coercion as I'd feared during the interrogation. After the tediously long interrogation, I was placed in solitary confinement in a small prison outside the facility.
Entering the solitary cell painted on all sides in dull colors, I plopped down on the cold iron bed and muttered a sigh.
“Celine is as crazy as I am.”
Early in the morning, a woman with auburn hair ran down the long hallway of the mansion, holding a newspaper in one hand.
She burst into Noah's room without knocking, bursting open the door. Molly, normally calm and collected, called out to him in an uncharacteristically shrill scream.
“What’s going on, traitor?”
Noah, who was standing up straight and buttoning his shirt, looked back at Molly with a mischievous look in his eyes.
“The Belford newspaper published an article by a children’s author.”
Molly, panting and catching her breath, handed him the newspaper, repeating the words "children's author." Noah sat leisurely on the sofa and slowly unfolded the paper.
There was only one line written in the serial column.
"Black dog, wolf, whoever it is, please save the girl."
His face, fixed on the newspaper, showed no signs of agitation or change in expression. He simply gazed meaningfully at that single line, sinking into silence.
Perhaps it was a look of calm and composure.
The only sound that filled the room was Molly's nervousness, her nails clicking loudly.
Noah calmly put down the newspaper and lifted his chin. His long, slender fingers expertly tied his tie, tying it in a smooth knot.
“It was faster than I thought.”
Noah answered concisely, stood up, and put on the coat he'd taken off. His demeanor was relaxed and laid-back, but somehow, it felt taut, almost torn.
Molly's gray eyes, watching him act so calmly even in this urgent situation, grew increasingly bewildered. The beautiful Duke smiled elegantly, his eyes narrowing.
In contrast, he held a military pistol in one hand, the muzzle pointed straight at her.
"Plans have changed, Molly. I have to go now."
He let out a deep sigh, his voice soft and muffled. A sharp gunshot rang out within the quiet mansion, as if signaling the beginning of something.
This was the moment when Duke Noah Rotsilt's madness began.
"Little Miss, how about we go to the bookstore in the square today? You love books. I like reading, but I also like writing, so I was thinking of buying a writing guide."
She suddenly suggested that we go out together.
I don't like going out much by nature, and I shook my head, saying I didn't really want to go out, but she was strangely persistent and insisted on it.
“I’m sure there are a lot of books you’ll like. The bookstore is quite large.”
Was she always this interested in me? We weren't even close enough to go out together. Lately, she'd only come by occasionally to talk.
A strange thought occurred to me at the suggestion, and I began to feel suspicious.
“I don’t want to go.”
“It would be nice if you went...”
The nanny's wrinkled hands clasped together in a quiet gesture reflected a deep sense of pity. I glanced at her and turned away indifferently, but she gently grasped my shoulder and tried to persuade me.
“Is there anywhere you’ve always wanted to go? Would you like to go with me today?”
“Why do you keep trying to take me out?”
“Because it has to be that way.”
The nanny's voice, her forehead deeply wrinkled, was strained with regret. She even wore a worried expression, as if something bad would happen if she didn't go out right away.
Suddenly, I felt a strange feeling of discomfort, my skin becoming cold.
"What..."
Before I could even sense the unsettling omen, the door burst open without a knock. Men in dark blue uniforms entered, glancing back and forth between me and the nanny, then fixating on me.
A bearded officer strode over to me, stood in front of me, and called my name.
“Miss Diana Clare.”
"Yes."
"There's been a report about your relationship with a high-ranking Frogen official. Considering you're the daughter of a Navy admiral, I won't handcuff you, so I'd appreciate your cooperation."
I quickly grasped what had happened and stood up obediently. My nanny placed a hand on my shoulder.
“It’s cold. I’ll bring out a warm coat for you.”
The nanny's face, as she draped a thick cashmere coat over my shoulders, was immaculate, yet pale. A familiar scent wafted past my nose. The coat draped over my shoulders was the one Noah had draped over me that day.
I subconsciously realized something: she was trying to make me run away under the pretext of going out.
She, who has been in this mansion the longest, may be related to Noah. It's also why she covered me with a blanket that day when I was trapped in the stable in the bitter cold. It's why the original Diana survived, not starving or freezing to death. Ultimately, she couldn't prevent her death, but she was secretly helping her.
Now that I noticed, I gave my nanny a quick smile. Her eyes wrinkled, and she smiled bitterly at me.
You are that person. A children's book writer who writes stories about dogs and wolves.
I followed the officers who were pushing me on the back as if they were recruiting me.
An anonymous tip claims that the kidnapped Diana Claire was having an affair with a high-ranking Frogen official. The evidence is a rose diamond necklace, a rare mineral found only in the Medea Mine, a Frogen Alliance union...
There were already countless articles about Noah and my relationship. It was definitely Celine's doing, out of spite.
If you turn your back on the Duke of Belford, Chancellor Groenendaal, a powerful politician, will not remain silent. He will be branded as the lover of a high-ranking enemy officer and the one who rescued a spy.
So, the admiral probably couldn't easily touch me. But she was a more fearless and bold woman than I had imagined.
"Diana Claire. You are being investigated here and then transferred to the Security Bureau on charges of stealing operational secrets from the Eastern Sea Battle and leaking them to the Frogen side."
In a dark interrogation room, a man who appeared to be an investigator sat across from a metal desk and spoke in a solemn voice. Startled by the sudden question, I rubbed my cheek and asked back.
“Is it confidential?”
"After the loss of classified documents from the Naval Command, we suffered a major defeat in the Eastern Sea Battle. There was testimony that you were seen entering the Admiral's quarters and the Commander's office."
I sat there, my hands hanging limp, as if in a daze, when suddenly I came to my senses. Had Celine, in a state of deep thought, stolen operational secrets and passed them on to the Grogen side, leading to their defeat in the naval battle, and blaming me for it?
It was a maddening act, aimed solely at accusing me of being a spy. Having seen the original, I knew that the protagonist, Celine, wasn't inherently stupid.
However, I didn't realize that she was so brutal that she was decimating entire legions of sailors on the battlefield. Now that I was accused of being a spy, even if I had exposed the woman's despicable duplicity and evil deeds, it would all be dismissed as lies.
The reason she went this far was because shr was either completely turned down by the lieutenant colonel or had given up on him. I raised the corners of my mouth into a hollow smile.
If things continued this way, I'd probably be hanged or shot. Fortunately, there wasn't as much torture or coercion as I'd feared during the interrogation. After the tediously long interrogation, I was placed in solitary confinement in a small prison outside the facility.
Entering the solitary cell painted on all sides in dull colors, I plopped down on the cold iron bed and muttered a sigh.
“Celine is as crazy as I am.”
***
Early in the morning, a woman with auburn hair ran down the long hallway of the mansion, holding a newspaper in one hand.
She burst into Noah's room without knocking, bursting open the door. Molly, normally calm and collected, called out to him in an uncharacteristically shrill scream.
“What’s going on, traitor?”
Noah, who was standing up straight and buttoning his shirt, looked back at Molly with a mischievous look in his eyes.
“The Belford newspaper published an article by a children’s author.”
Molly, panting and catching her breath, handed him the newspaper, repeating the words "children's author." Noah sat leisurely on the sofa and slowly unfolded the paper.
There was only one line written in the serial column.
"Black dog, wolf, whoever it is, please save the girl."
His face, fixed on the newspaper, showed no signs of agitation or change in expression. He simply gazed meaningfully at that single line, sinking into silence.
Perhaps it was a look of calm and composure.
The only sound that filled the room was Molly's nervousness, her nails clicking loudly.
Noah calmly put down the newspaper and lifted his chin. His long, slender fingers expertly tied his tie, tying it in a smooth knot.
“It was faster than I thought.”
Noah answered concisely, stood up, and put on the coat he'd taken off. His demeanor was relaxed and laid-back, but somehow, it felt taut, almost torn.
Molly's gray eyes, watching him act so calmly even in this urgent situation, grew increasingly bewildered. The beautiful Duke smiled elegantly, his eyes narrowing.
In contrast, he held a military pistol in one hand, the muzzle pointed straight at her.
"Plans have changed, Molly. I have to go now."
He let out a deep sigh, his voice soft and muffled. A sharp gunshot rang out within the quiet mansion, as if signaling the beginning of something.
This was the moment when Duke Noah Rotsilt's madness began.
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