Finally, they figured out who would testify in court. Giovanni, along with Knox and Chambers, went straight to find him.
“Count Blois. I don’t think this is our first meeting.”
Giovanni looked down at Enoch with a murderous look.
“Where have I seen that before?”
Enoch Blois didn't seem at all flustered by the black crowd that suddenly came looking for him.
“Ah! I think I saw you at Delina House.”
Enoch Blois took off his hat and shook Giovanni's hand.
“Long time no see. How have you all been?”
Giovanni took the gun out of his pocket as soon as he reached out.
“Do you know who came to chat with you leisurely?”
“Eek! I don’t really like people pointing guns at me.”
Enoch took a step back, looking exaggeratedly frightened.
"Let's put that aside and talk. Shouldn't we know why you're here?"
“Haven’t you noticed already? You’ve been talking nonsense about our boss.”
“Oh, really, this is difficult. I knew this would happen, so I applied for witness protection...”
This time, a gun was aimed at the back of Enoch's head.
“It’s not something you can get away with by just playing around.”
Knox spoke in a low, cold voice, different from his usual manner.
“You’ll have to tell me every single thing you said there.”
“...If I answer everything, will you just let me go?”
"Of course."
Giovanni answered without hesitation. Enoch narrowed his eyes, seeming suspicious of the rapid response.
"...I get it."
This time, the answer came a beat later. Having finally secured his safety after a series of twists and turns, the Count of Blois followed them to the tavern.
It was a place where music was playing, and it was difficult to hear what was being said at the next table.
The three of them ordered some random drinks and pulled Enoch to a corner seat.
“I wish you had ordered brandy.”
As Enoch grumbled, Chambers, who was sitting across from him, kicked the chair he was sitting on.
“Oh! That’s surprising. Why is the chair cold?”
Knox also took the glass in front of him.
“There’s nothing for you to drink here. Just answer my questions honestly.”
“Everyone is so impatient because they can’t catch me.”
Enoch realized that the only way to get back quickly was to confess quickly.
"I went there and didn't say much. I just said that the Marquis of Starr suddenly left the National Foundation Day party."
“Don’t be ridiculous. Count Blois, you’re supposed to give crucial testimony at this trial?”
“Who said that nonsense?”
“So that’s all you have to say at trial?”
"Yeah! What else can I say? That's all I know."
Seeing Enoch sincerely express his grievances, it seemed as if that was all there was to it. Investigation revealed that the Blois family had no special connection to the imperial palace.
"Yes, we'll let you go this time. But if you hear anything other than what you told us at trial, we won't let you off the hook."
“I see. Then I can go now.”
The three people made eye contact.
Enoch's words at trial weren't enough to prove Killian's case. It seemed more expedient to detain him and interrogate him, either to quickly identify the culprit or to prove Killian's alibi.
“Yes, I’ll go now.”
At Giovanni's words, Enoch stood up and put on his hat.
“Then, everyone, work hard!”
Enoch hurried out of the tavern, fearing he would be caught again.
But there was a meaningful smile on Enoch's lips as he turned around.
Should I say, "Why of all things?" or "Thank goodness"?
It was vacation time, and John came back home.
“I heard my uncle went to jail?”
Emily was momentarily speechless at the direct question asked childishly.
"I read the article roughly, but could you elaborate? What's going on?"
“Would you like to change your clothes and come down?”
“Yes. Oh! And I’m not hungry, so you don’t have to pack me a meal.”
John, curious about the story, ran up the stairs two steps at a time.
Then, after a quick shower, he changed his clothes and came down with water dripping down his head.
“Would you like some snacks?”
“Yes, I like it.”
Emily gave John cookies and cold milk after his long carriage ride.
Perhaps because he was thirsty, John gulped down the milk.
“I’m ready to listen now!”
Although she felt strangely uneasy seeing his excited appearance, Emily calmly relayed what had happened so far.
John listened intently, even adding interjections here and there.
After a while, John, who had heard Emily's story, asked.
“So you’re saying my uncle isn’t the culprit?”
“Of course. He was always with me on National Foundation Day.”
“He was with Emily, so why wasn’t his alibi proven?”
As the thought came to her, Emily clenched her hands in anger and said,
“They can’t believe me because I’m family.”
“Hmm, or maybe there were people who saw my uncle when you were enjoying the festival in the village?”
“Because we were wearing masks, no one could properly see our faces.”
“It’s very difficult.”
John crunched the cookie with a serious expression.
“But was the crime weapon found?”
"No."
“Sending him to prison with so little evidence? Whoever it was, they must have been determined.”
Emily considered telling the story of the palace, but then stopped herself. It seemed like too much for a child.
“If we could at least confirm the body, we could prove my uncle’s innocence.”
Emily's ears perked up at John's fleeting words.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, there are quite a few clues you can get from the corpse.”
If they were knights belonging to the Imperial Palace, they could probably attend the autopsy... Emily shook her head as she thought of someone who could help.
“John, do you know much about autopsies?”
“Yes, if you study poison, you have no choice but to study it together.”
“I see. I was just wondering, could you tell me something?”
“You want to learn? Yes, I understand.”
John ate the last cookie in one bite.
Killian's prison life went by peacefully thanks to Dmitry.
“His name is Tony, and he’s in for assault, so he’ll be out in three years.”
During his only 30-minute break during the day, Dmitry sat on the lawn introducing his younger brothers to Killian.
“And this guy, Max, he looks fine on the outside, but he was on drugs, so it’s best not to talk to him. He’s not your average idiot.”
“But will they accept them into the Gotio family when they're released?”
"He's an incredible drug tester. As long as you give him psychiatric medication three times a day at the right times, he's pretty much safe to take."
While Dmitry was explaining, drooling profusely, a guard stood in front of Killian.
“Visit.”
Killian slowly stood up. The guard was already walking away.
“Then have a good trip!”
Dmitry saw him off.
'Who's here?'
Well, since the trial was coming up, he thought Pete would come and follow the guard.
But the person sitting in front of him was Emily, the person Killian had been longing to see so much.
Killian awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. What would Emily think of his cropped hair and prison uniform?
As Killian entered, Emily rose from her chair, tears welling in her eyes. She was speechless at the sight of his unfamiliar appearance.
“Are you here?”
Killian tried to speak calmly and sat down across from Emily.
“I came to check on you.”
Emily's voice was trembling slightly. Killian barely managed to suppress the urge to caress her cheek.
“I’m doing well, so don’t worry.”
"Do they provide proper meals? They don't give you old, inedible food, do they? Do you have blankets for sleeping?"
Emily, who grew up beautifully as the only daughter of a Count's family, had no way of knowing about prison life.
“Is there a window in the room? You’re not going to be starved of sunlight all day, are you?”
Finally, Killian chuckled.
“It’s not as bad as you might imagine.”
“Are you laughing right now?”
Emily raised her voice as if she were frustrated.
“Are all your questions answered now?”
“...No. There’s no way it can be resolved.”
Killian felt complicated and nuanced when he saw Emily's concern.
“What will you do if the trial goes against you?”
“What do you want to do?”
Killian asked with a soft smile, as if he didn't want to burden Emily's mind.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you broke up with me?”
"I am."
Emily bowed her head, overcome with sadness and feeling a lump in her throat at Killian's words.
“I came because I missed you.”
He'd never expected such words to come out of Emily's mouth. Killian stared blankly for a moment, doubting his ears.
But Emily spoke once more, as if to reassure Killian that what he had heard was true.
“I missed you.”
“...”
Killian couldn't even say the words that he wanted to see Emily, as if someone was choking him.
“Count Blois. I don’t think this is our first meeting.”
Giovanni looked down at Enoch with a murderous look.
“Where have I seen that before?”
Enoch Blois didn't seem at all flustered by the black crowd that suddenly came looking for him.
“Ah! I think I saw you at Delina House.”
Enoch Blois took off his hat and shook Giovanni's hand.
“Long time no see. How have you all been?”
Giovanni took the gun out of his pocket as soon as he reached out.
“Do you know who came to chat with you leisurely?”
“Eek! I don’t really like people pointing guns at me.”
Enoch took a step back, looking exaggeratedly frightened.
"Let's put that aside and talk. Shouldn't we know why you're here?"
“Haven’t you noticed already? You’ve been talking nonsense about our boss.”
“Oh, really, this is difficult. I knew this would happen, so I applied for witness protection...”
This time, a gun was aimed at the back of Enoch's head.
“It’s not something you can get away with by just playing around.”
Knox spoke in a low, cold voice, different from his usual manner.
“You’ll have to tell me every single thing you said there.”
“...If I answer everything, will you just let me go?”
"Of course."
Giovanni answered without hesitation. Enoch narrowed his eyes, seeming suspicious of the rapid response.
“Sending someone off shouldn't mean sending them straight to hell.”
This time, the answer came a beat later. Having finally secured his safety after a series of twists and turns, the Count of Blois followed them to the tavern.
It was a place where music was playing, and it was difficult to hear what was being said at the next table.
The three of them ordered some random drinks and pulled Enoch to a corner seat.
“I wish you had ordered brandy.”
As Enoch grumbled, Chambers, who was sitting across from him, kicked the chair he was sitting on.
“Oh! That’s surprising. Why is the chair cold?”
Knox also took the glass in front of him.
“There’s nothing for you to drink here. Just answer my questions honestly.”
“Everyone is so impatient because they can’t catch me.”
Enoch realized that the only way to get back quickly was to confess quickly.
"I went there and didn't say much. I just said that the Marquis of Starr suddenly left the National Foundation Day party."
“Don’t be ridiculous. Count Blois, you’re supposed to give crucial testimony at this trial?”
“Who said that nonsense?”
“So that’s all you have to say at trial?”
"Yeah! What else can I say? That's all I know."
Seeing Enoch sincerely express his grievances, it seemed as if that was all there was to it. Investigation revealed that the Blois family had no special connection to the imperial palace.
"Yes, we'll let you go this time. But if you hear anything other than what you told us at trial, we won't let you off the hook."
“I see. Then I can go now.”
The three people made eye contact.
Enoch's words at trial weren't enough to prove Killian's case. It seemed more expedient to detain him and interrogate him, either to quickly identify the culprit or to prove Killian's alibi.
“Yes, I’ll go now.”
At Giovanni's words, Enoch stood up and put on his hat.
“Then, everyone, work hard!”
Enoch hurried out of the tavern, fearing he would be caught again.
But there was a meaningful smile on Enoch's lips as he turned around.
***
Should I say, "Why of all things?" or "Thank goodness"?
It was vacation time, and John came back home.
“I heard my uncle went to jail?”
Emily was momentarily speechless at the direct question asked childishly.
"I read the article roughly, but could you elaborate? What's going on?"
“Would you like to change your clothes and come down?”
“Yes. Oh! And I’m not hungry, so you don’t have to pack me a meal.”
John, curious about the story, ran up the stairs two steps at a time.
Then, after a quick shower, he changed his clothes and came down with water dripping down his head.
“Would you like some snacks?”
“Yes, I like it.”
Emily gave John cookies and cold milk after his long carriage ride.
Perhaps because he was thirsty, John gulped down the milk.
“I’m ready to listen now!”
Although she felt strangely uneasy seeing his excited appearance, Emily calmly relayed what had happened so far.
John listened intently, even adding interjections here and there.
After a while, John, who had heard Emily's story, asked.
“So you’re saying my uncle isn’t the culprit?”
“Of course. He was always with me on National Foundation Day.”
“He was with Emily, so why wasn’t his alibi proven?”
As the thought came to her, Emily clenched her hands in anger and said,
“They can’t believe me because I’m family.”
“Hmm, or maybe there were people who saw my uncle when you were enjoying the festival in the village?”
“Because we were wearing masks, no one could properly see our faces.”
“It’s very difficult.”
John crunched the cookie with a serious expression.
“But was the crime weapon found?”
"No."
“Sending him to prison with so little evidence? Whoever it was, they must have been determined.”
Emily considered telling the story of the palace, but then stopped herself. It seemed like too much for a child.
“If we could at least confirm the body, we could prove my uncle’s innocence.”
Emily's ears perked up at John's fleeting words.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, there are quite a few clues you can get from the corpse.”
If they were knights belonging to the Imperial Palace, they could probably attend the autopsy... Emily shook her head as she thought of someone who could help.
“John, do you know much about autopsies?”
“Yes, if you study poison, you have no choice but to study it together.”
“I see. I was just wondering, could you tell me something?”
“You want to learn? Yes, I understand.”
John ate the last cookie in one bite.
***
Killian's prison life went by peacefully thanks to Dmitry.
“His name is Tony, and he’s in for assault, so he’ll be out in three years.”
During his only 30-minute break during the day, Dmitry sat on the lawn introducing his younger brothers to Killian.
“And this guy, Max, he looks fine on the outside, but he was on drugs, so it’s best not to talk to him. He’s not your average idiot.”
“But will they accept them into the Gotio family when they're released?”
"He's an incredible drug tester. As long as you give him psychiatric medication three times a day at the right times, he's pretty much safe to take."
While Dmitry was explaining, drooling profusely, a guard stood in front of Killian.
“Visit.”
Killian slowly stood up. The guard was already walking away.
“Then have a good trip!”
Dmitry saw him off.
'Who's here?'
Well, since the trial was coming up, he thought Pete would come and follow the guard.
But the person sitting in front of him was Emily, the person Killian had been longing to see so much.
Killian awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. What would Emily think of his cropped hair and prison uniform?
As Killian entered, Emily rose from her chair, tears welling in her eyes. She was speechless at the sight of his unfamiliar appearance.
“Are you here?”
Killian tried to speak calmly and sat down across from Emily.
“I came to check on you.”
Emily's voice was trembling slightly. Killian barely managed to suppress the urge to caress her cheek.
“I’m doing well, so don’t worry.”
"Do they provide proper meals? They don't give you old, inedible food, do they? Do you have blankets for sleeping?"
Emily, who grew up beautifully as the only daughter of a Count's family, had no way of knowing about prison life.
“Is there a window in the room? You’re not going to be starved of sunlight all day, are you?”
Finally, Killian chuckled.
“It’s not as bad as you might imagine.”
“Are you laughing right now?”
Emily raised her voice as if she were frustrated.
“Are all your questions answered now?”
“...No. There’s no way it can be resolved.”
Killian felt complicated and nuanced when he saw Emily's concern.
“What will you do if the trial goes against you?”
“What do you want to do?”
Killian asked with a soft smile, as if he didn't want to burden Emily's mind.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you broke up with me?”
"I am."
Emily bowed her head, overcome with sadness and feeling a lump in her throat at Killian's words.
“I came because I missed you.”
He'd never expected such words to come out of Emily's mouth. Killian stared blankly for a moment, doubting his ears.
But Emily spoke once more, as if to reassure Killian that what he had heard was true.
“I missed you.”
“...”
Killian couldn't even say the words that he wanted to see Emily, as if someone was choking him.
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