The Fake Madam Disappeared

“... We plan on increasing the number of surveillance personnels.”

Johann concluded his report. By now, whether it was approved or not should have been given, but there was only silence. Raising his head, he saw Edmund, as expected, staring off at a distance. Precisely, at Daphne’s portrait.

Even in the middle of Johann’s report, Edmund would be distracted by the portrait several times. And whenever that happened, Johann would quietly call him.

“Your Excellency.”

“... Approved.”

Fortunately, his ears were still open even when his mind was elsewhere.

“Sir Benjamin mentioned that he would stay at home for a few more days before coming back.”

“He’s back in his hometown after many years, so let him spend time with his family.”

“Your Excellency, there’s something I need to tell you…”

Just as Johann’s lips moved, the door burst open and Nick entered.

“I’ve figured out how to unwrap the paper.”

Edmund immediately handed him the note he had been holding. Nick boldly unfolded the complexly twisted paper. The note was fully unfolded after quite some time.

“This is… a secret code.”

Johann muttered as he looked at the note filled with unknown characters. It was impossible to know what was written on the note, since the characters were only known by the people involved.

“Decoding this would take time, but that’s not what’s important right now.”

Johann shook his head at Nick’s words.

“We need to decode the contents of this note in order to know why they exchanged letters.”

“I’m saying that’s not what’s important right now.”

“Then what is?”

“Phew… someone from Bled will arrive in two days.”

This was the information Nick got.

The Duchess and the people from Bled had been exchanging letters roughly every month. Given that there had been no other movements from Bled, it seemed the Duchess had sent a letter just before her disappearance.

“And it has been a month since the Duchess disappeared. If someone from Bled shows up, it means that they’ve helped the Duchess on her disappearance, but if no one shows up…”

“That means Daphne also deceived Bled.”

“It’s unlikely, but it’s possible.”

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Edmund was left alone in his office after Johann and Nick left, tapping his fingers on the table while staring at Daphne’s portrait. He reached out to the portrait but stopped at a hair’s breadth.

‘If Daphne received help from Bled…’

‘What should I do? Should I let her go? Or should I search for her?’

Edmund asked himself. ‘Which do I truly hope for?’

He lowered his hand reaching out for the portrait. An unanswered question suddenly came to his mind. Suddenly, a scene from an old memory resurfaced in Edmund’s mind.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

It had been less than a month since Daphne had demanded a wedding as grand as a royal marriage. Whenever Daphne and Edmund met, it was always for a clear purpose.

“How long do you think it will take?” Edmund asked as he put his arm inside the tailcoat he hadn’t worn in a while.

“An hour. You won’t be late for the meeting.”

Dressed in a tailcoat, Edmund opened the door and saw Daphne sitting on the sofa with the painter in front of her.

“I greet Your Excellency,” the painter, who was arranging his supplies, bowed deeply.

“You came,” Daphne raised her hand naturally, which Edmund took and left a light kiss on the back of her hand.

They were obviously two people who were about to get married – if not for their painfully stiff expressions.

When people learned that the painter was going to paint Daphne and Edmund, many people asked him to confirm if the two people were really in love. No matter how stiff their expressions were, the painter had to admit that they were truly in love. After all, it was none other than Edmund who tenderly kissed her hand.

“Let’s start.”

The painter, who had been quietly watching their exchange, was stunned at Edmund’s words.

“Will you stay in that position?”

Daphne remained sitting while Edmund stood next to her. Naturally, with Edmund’s strikingly handsome appearance, simply standing didn’t seem out of place, but the inexplicable distance between them ruined the harmony.

“Your Excellency, could you move a bit closer to Lady Bled?”

At those words, Daphne raised her head while Edmund lowered his. Their eyes met. Edmund took a step closer to Daphne. Now, they were significantly close to each other.

“Lady Bled, could you also move closer?”

Edmund flinched. He was holding his breath. The strong scent of perfume from any woman who passed by always gave him a throbbing headache. Ever since he started using cigars as a way to take sedatives and painkillers, he had become particularly sensitive to the smell of perfume.

This distance should be fine, but he would need to breathe if he didn’t want to hold his breath for the entire hour. If she moved any closer...

“Haa… .”

Edmund blinked a few times. It wasn’t him that let out a sigh but Daphne. She slightly shifted her body closer to Edmund.

As he inhaled, reaching his limit, Edmund furrowed his eyebrows in anticipation of the familiar throbbing pain. Instead, what greeted him wasn’t a harsh perfume or a headache but a faint, soft scent of skin.

“Your Excellency, could you place your hand on Lady Bled’s shoulder?”

Pausing at the unexpected scent of skin, Edmund reached out his hand. With her long hair flowing down her shoulder, the soft strands slipped through his fingertips when he did so. He initially thought that her brown hair was nearly black. But he realized that it was because all their previous encounters were in dimly lit places.

Seeing Daphne’s hair for the first time in a bright place, it wasn’t just a dull and common color – it was as soft as cotton as he felt it in his hands. When his hand moved, the hair nestled between his fingers slid and slipped.

Edmund’s gaze involuntarily shifted to Daphne’s face – a forehead with a gentle dip, her soft lashes blinking slowly, a nose that was neither high or low, and lightly colored lips.

Thump.

His heart thumped, just like the first time they met and made eye contact.

He stared at her for a long time before the painter spoke again.

“Your Excellency, will you continue to look at the Lady like that?”

Edmund quickly averted his gaze when he noticed Daphne’s head move at the painter’s words. With her movement, the hair in his fingers slid down. Too bad.

‘Too bad?’

Realizing what he was thinking, Edmund flinched as if he had been struck by lightning.

“... Lady Bled, let’s stop here for today. I have urgent matters to attend to.”

Edmund quickly turned away before Daphne could fully turn her head and make eye contact with him. The painter’s flustered voice calling out to him grew distant, like a ringing in his ears, but what he couldn’t ignore was the gaze that followed him until the door closed behind him.

“Is it finished already, Your Excellency?”

Johann, who had been waiting for him outside the door, closely followed him.

“Let’s go.”

Once inside the carriage, Edmund looked out of the window trying to catch his breath. His heart was racing even though he didn’t run. His heart, which only ever raced when he exerted himself, was now beating rapidly in a completely unexpected situation.

Edmund frowned. *This feeling is really… unpleasant. *

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

“Wh-what?” Angela asked in an agitated voice. “You want… more jewels?”

“Yes.”

In contrast, the voice answering Angela was unnervingly calm.

If only her body were in working order, Angela would have loved nothing more than to tear out the maid’s hair and feed her to the beasts.

Not satisfied with having taken a necklace adorned with a jewel the size of a thumbnail, the maid was now demanding more.

“You’re locked up in prison now. I am taking a huge risk by helping you, and yet you think a small necklace would make up for it?”

“Y, you…”

Angela trembled in anger, but there was nothing she could do. Seeing Angela’s reaction, the maid turned away without hesitation.

“You don’t want to? Then forget it.”

“Wh-when did I!”

Angela hurriedly grabbed the maid.

‘I have no choice.’

A few jewels wouldn’t be enough to bribe a guard, and this maid was her only way out. Angela anxiously bit her lip.

“I-I’ll give it to you. I’ll give it to you, o-okay?”

Only then did the maid step closer to Angela.

“B-But there’s a problem.”

“What is it?”

“I-I don’t have any jewels with me n-now.” Angela had no intention of getting swindled.

“I-I’ll give when I get out safely.”

Angela’s plan was simple. It was true she didn’t have any jewels with her now. She would use this as an excuse to meet with the Chambermaid first, clear her name, and get out of prison. Then, she would tear this maid to pieces.

“You want me to believe that?”

“Huh?”

“You could just tell me where the jewels are.”

The maid even said that it was so simple so what could be the problem.

“Y-You might betray me.”

“Hah.”

The maid laughed in disbelief. Then, she took a step closer and looked down at Angela.

“Hey. It doesn’t seem like you understand what situation you’re in now. Right now, you should be begging me, and even then, I might not even help you.”

“What…?”

“You’re making me laugh.”

Bang!

“Ack!”

The maid roughly kicked the iron bars. Angela, clinging to the bars with her immobile legs dragging, was thrown backward by the force.