MHC 31

Chapter 31

It had already been five days since Chloe had stayed in the imperial palace.

Today as well, she finished getting dressed with the help of a palace maid. The maid assigned to her said she would return in half an hour to escort her to breakfast.

A short but rare moment of rest.

Leaving the dressing table, Chloe stepped into the small adjoining room next to her bedroom.

Jane was lying there.

Bringing over a large basin, Chloe soaked a dry cloth in lukewarm water.

“I’ll find them. No matter what.”

She whispered softly as she carefully wiped Jane’s face with the damp cloth.

Thankfully, Jane—who had seemed on the brink of death—was holding on. Moreover, her wounds were slowly healing.

With her relatively free hand, Chloe gently clasped Jane’s hand.

All of Jane’s fingernails had fallen off, so her hands were wrapped thickly in bandages. Once delicate and pretty despite years of labor, they now resembled something like a mummy’s.

Looking at them with sorrow, Chloe pressed a kiss on top of her hand.

She hoped that the sincerity and warmth of these lips—which had touched countless patients on the battlefield—would reach her precious Jane as well.

“I’ll find them… and punish them.”

The location where Jane had been found, and the timing—it was all suspicious.

Even if Jane had supposedly gone back home, the timing didn’t match.

Even if she had reached the northern region and suddenly changed her mind to go into the forest, it still should have taken at least another day before she was found.

The only explanation was that her destination had been the forest from the very beginning.

“Come to think of it… Helena’s reaction was strange.”

As Chloe followed the scent of the case, Helena came to mind.

Helena had confidently said Jane wouldn’t return, but when Chloe pointed something out, her expression froze in shock—as if she had something to hide.

If the coachman, bribed by Helena, had taken Jane there…

If, as Chloe suspected, there had been something wrong with the carriage itself, then the timing made sense.

And if Helena had indeed ordered the coachman, it would also explain why both he and the carriage had disappeared.

Suddenly, something flashed in Chloe’s mind.

Her hurried hand reached for the table. She snatched up a document envelope, inside which was a detailed illustration of Jane’s condition at the time she was found.

It included the extent of her injuries, what she had been wearing, the amount of blood on her clothes, and whether there were any additional traces.

Chloe had deliberately avoided reading it before, afraid to face the scene.

But now, it was a crucial clue she could no longer ignore.

Steadying her trembling heart, she unfolded the paper without hesitation.

“…!”

The drawing showed Jane’s condition when she was found in the forest.

She’s wearing the exact same clothes she left the duke’s residence in.

It was proof that Jane had headed not to her hometown, but to a remote forest.

There had to be more clues.

Chloe stared intently at the illustration, as if inspecting the crime scene itself.

The carriage.

Something new caught her eye.

It wasn’t just bloodstains on Jane’s clothes.

There were fragments—crumbled pieces of something. At first glance, they looked like bits of straw or wood picked up in the forest, but they seemed processed—artificial.

Like the surface of a wooden carriage commonly used by servants.

…If I can identify the carriage from this fragment…

If it belonged to the duke’s household, it would be easier to identify the coachman—and even the one who had hired him.

Knock, knock.

Lost in thought, Chloe didn’t notice how much time had passed until a knock sounded at the door.

It was the maid, ready to escort her to the dining hall.

Chloe placed the paper back into the envelope and sealed it.

As she stepped outside, the maid waiting there bowed.

“I will guide you to His Majesty’s dining hall.”

The dining setting had become familiar.

So had the emperor—and the mask that covered his face.

As Chloe absentmindedly looked at Kuhn, his gaze met hers.

“How is the maid’s condition?”

Chloe had been about to bring it up herself—good timing.

“She still shows no signs of waking, but she seems to have passed the critical stage.”

“I see. I hope she recovers soon, so your worries can ease.”

Kuhn said this as he sliced ham to place between bread.

“Your Majesty… I read the report about Jane from when she was found.”

Meanwhile, Chloe spread strawberry jam over her bread. A sweet and tangy scent filled the air.

“There was something strange.”

“Something strange?”

“There were wooden fragments on her clothes, likely from a carriage wall. If she had been moving around after getting off, they should have fallen off long ago. It suggests she was still in the carriage until the accident occurred.”

Kuhn nodded.

“I see. You said she was returning home from the north?”

“Yes. Her hometown isn’t too far from the duke’s territory, but there’s no reason she would go to where she was found.”

“Then she didn’t encounter misfortune there—she was taken there to meet it.”

“Exactly. Also, we should check whether carriage fragments were collected as evidence. I think they could be an important clue.”

Seeing Chloe speak with confidence as if the puzzle was coming together, Kuhn smiled faintly.

“I’ll summon the physician who wrote the report this afternoon. And the guard who handled the case as well.”

“Thank you, but I have a festival meeting this afternoon… Could it be moved earlier or later?”

With so many important matters overlapping, it would be easier to adjust something flexible.

Kuhn raised an eyebrow.

“You attended meetings all day yesterday, didn’t you?”

Indeed, Chloe had been immersed in meetings and reports for days. She had even skipped meals, worrying the maids.

“Take today to rest and speak with them. You represent the empire, but you’re not the only one attending those meetings. Leave the rest to the duke.”

“…I understand.”

“If you’re worried about numbers, we can assign one of the duke’s sponsored aides to take your place.”

With no room for excuses, Chloe had no choice.

She decided to skip the meeting for now, investigate Jane’s case, and get some rest.

At least I can work on reports in my spare time.

After lunch, Chloe stayed in the imperial library before heading to the reception room at the appointed time.

According to Jane’s physician, based on her injuries, it was highly likely she had been attacked by someone.

The guard in charge handed over the collected evidence.

Inside the envelope were Jane’s clothes and debris found on them.

The carriage fragment.

It was presumed to be part of a carriage.

“Yes, that’s correct. It appears to be from a wooden carriage used by servants or laborers.”

After confirming this with a palace carriage repairman, Chloe requested that he identify similar models.

Once that was done, they could compare them with the duke’s carriages.

It would take time—but it was the surest way to identify the culprit.

There’s still a lot of time left.

After hours of discussion, it was already afternoon.

Should I go back and read a book?

Going back to the library felt awkward with dinner approaching.

After some thought, she decided on reading.

Stretching her stiff body, she felt a refreshing tingling sensation spread through her limbs.

Then, suddenly, a note from the physician caught her eye.

Perhaps it was the elegant handwriting—it reminded her of someone.

Come to think of it… I haven’t written back yet.

She remembered the letter from her friend Kuhn.

Returning to her room, she took out paper and a pen.

Perhaps conscious of the beautiful handwriting she had seen earlier, she wrote more carefully than usual.

“Though it’s late, thank you.
Thanks to you, everything was resolved.
Perhaps I should say a miracle found me.

You would probably say you did nothing, Kuhn.
But I believe this miracle came to me through you.

I wish I could meet you and thank you in person…
It’s a pity.

Someday, we’ll meet again, won’t we?

To my dear friend,
—Chloe”

Normally, she would have ended with a simple well-wishing.

But today, for some reason, she wanted something different.

So she ended with a question—one that hinted at longing.

He’ll understand what it means.

Sealing the letter with wax, Chloe paused.

Should I give this to His Majesty?

She suddenly thought of the emperor.

Another Kuhn—the one who connected her to her friend.

Does His Majesty know I exchange letters with a friend who shares his name?

It felt strangely coincidental.

And does Kuhn know… that I’m being helped by an emperor with the same name?

At this point, it almost felt more plausible to think…

That the two were the same person.