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85.
Zahidra studied him intently before nodding.
"Your words ring true. From this ‌‌moment forward, I decree that Zeppelin, Earl of Devonshire, shall be confined to the Count's Mansion. Alfred, dispatch word to the nearby Security Force at once ‌‌‌‌and have them maintain surveillance of this ‌‌‌‌place."
Chaos erupted throughout the hall.
The ‌‌‌gathered nobility in the Hall of ‌‌Light, caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, milled about like a flock of sheep without direction.
"This is a false accusation, Your Majesty! Unscrupulous individuals have conspired to destroy me! Why would I orchestrate such treachery at my own gathering? Moreover, that painting—you...!"
Zeppelin's voice rang out loudly as the Emperor's knights dragged him away.
But it was already too late.
Zahidra barked ‌‌‌sharply. ‌‌‌
"Silence! The Knights of God shall uncover ‌‌‌‌the truth ‌‌‌of this matter. Take the Earl to his estate at once!"
"Zahidra! Your Majesty!"
Once Zeppelin had vanished from the Hall of Light, Zahidra exhaled deeply.
"Given how matters have unfolded, it would be best to conclude the gathering here. As ‌for that painting, I shall have it secured in the Imperial Palace to prevent any tampering with the evidence."
The murmuring crowd immediately began preparing to depart at Zahidra's words.
From a distance, Julian caught sight of Alicia ‌‌‌clinging to some man, tears streaming down her face.
'That must be Octavio.'
Octavio's face was twisted into a pitiful grimace.
The gentle mask he habitually wore had long since fallen away.
Thick veins bulged prominently across Octavio's forehead.
His wide-eyed gaze burned with malice directed at the Emperor.
His eyes held a sharpness that could have cut down a man with a glance alone.
Julian let out a silent whistle upon witnessing Octavio's menacing expression.
'One could believe him to be the reincarnation of a demon.'
"How was my performance?"
Zahidra, whose face had already returned to its usual benevolent expression, spoke casually to Julian.
"Magnificent, Your Majesty."
Zahidra listened intently to the murmurs of the crowd, each person ‌‌advancing their own theories.
"Would the Earl of Devonshire do such a thing if he were sane? He must have offended someone of considerable standing."
"There are few people of higher rank than the Earl. Who could possibly have done this?"
"It might not be someone of high rank. How many enemies does the Earl of Devonshire have? And now that ‌‌‌the Knights of God are involved, he's truly taken a serious blow."
"So the Earl of Devonshire is ruined? What about my investment?"
"Let's wait and see. I'll have to put my plans to invest in new ventures on hold for now."
Just as Rebecca had ‌‌‌anticipated, those who had been tempted by Zeppelin's business ventures began to waver.
Of course, the Earl of Devonshire would not be completely ruined by this alone, but he would certainly suffer a ‌‌significant blow.
Zahidra contemplated ‌‌what advantage he might gain from this situation.
His gaze ‌‌‌turned toward the painting depicting the fanatic.
After observing the painting for a moment, Zahidra's eyes widened.
"That's... Zeppelin, isn't it?"
Though the expression differed from Zeppelin's usual demeanor, making it ‌‌‌difficult to discern at first glance, upon closer inspection it was unmistakably him.
Julian let out a soft chuckle and spoke.
"Yes. I was just playing around."
"That's unlike you—such a childish prank. Won't that create an escape route? There's no reason he'd ‌‌draw his own face into the portrait."
"But it could be true, couldn't it?"
"What?"
"It's possible that Zeppelin is a fanatic devoted to the Temple, just like the ‌‌‌portrait suggests."
"Do you have proof?"
Zahidra's eyes sharpened.
Anyone who had ‌‌‌conspired with the Temple even once was no different from a traitor to him. He would have to cast them out immediately. ‌‌‌‌
Julian answered in an unhurried tone.
"I have none. It's merely my speculation."
"Don't speak nonsense."
Zahidra turned his gaze forward again, his expression slightly deflated.
Julian spoke.
"We'll know the truth by observing how the Knights of God treat the Earl. Those very Knights of God who defy even the Emperor's commands."
"True. We shall see."
Julian briefly wondered whether ‌"we shall see" referred to Zeppelin or the Knights of God.
"Your Grace...!"
At that moment, someone urgently seized Julian's arm.
Startled by the violent trembling of ‌that grip, Julian looked down in alarm.
It was Kanna.
Her glistening chestnut ‌‌eyes searched for him desperately.
Her entire body was drenched in sweat, as ‌if she had rushed here in haste.
Tears streamed down Kanna's face.
Julian stared at her with a hardened expression.
"Rebecca is in danger! Rebecca is in danger!"
"What...?"
"There's no time! Hurry!"
Kanna grasped Julian's wrist with ‌‌‌‌crushing force and bolted toward the exit.
Passersby she collided with frowned, but Kanna paid them no mind, cutting through the ‌‌crowd.
Julian matched her swift ‌‌‌‌pace, his long legs driving forward.
Rebecca was in danger.
* * *
Further searching seemed unlikely to yield anything of value.
I retrieved the ledgers from memory ‌‌‌and ‌‌returned them all to their original places.
Once I locked the safe and restored the bookcase to its proper state, the study returned to its original appearance, as if no one had ever broken in.
The sound of horses neighing outside suggested the banquet had already ended.
Everything had ‌‌certainly gone well.
I smiled faintly and ‌‌‌retrieved the rope ladder I had brought. Then I opened the door leading to the balcony.
Fresh air rushed sharply into my nostrils.
I lifted my gaze toward the sky.
"A ‌‌‌full moon."
The round, luminous orb hung veiled behind clouds, casting dark shadows across the pristine balcony.
I walked across the shadow-dappled stone and approached the railing, peering down at the ground ‌‌below.
Beneath the dizzying height stretched an ‌‌‌‌empty expanse of lawn.
Concerned about intruders, they had planted no trees—leaving no shadows or crevices beneath the balcony where one could hide.
Kanna, who had been standing motionless in that barren space, spotted me and waved urgently.
I exhaled in relief.
Now I only needed to descend the rope ladder and escape with Kanna—the perfect completion of my mission.
Before securing the ladder to the railing, I glanced at the glass door connecting the balcony to the Study.
The full-length window reflected only my own image, gripping the railing.
'Right—a one-way ‌‌mirror. Visible only from inside.'
Troublesome, but there had been no sound of movement yet. I ‌‌hurried to grasp the ladder's clasp.
"Was this your doing?"
The door burst open and someone lunged at me.
Before I could even hook the ladder to the railing, he seized my shoulder with brutal force.
The sharp pain tore a cry from my lips.
I thrashed violently, desperate to lower the ladder, but ‌‌the man shook me with overwhelming strength.
My hat and the rope ladder tumbled to the ground.
'Damn it!'
I caught a glimpse of the ladder falling and Kanna's horrified expression before I clenched my teeth.
"Where do you think you're running? The Hall of Light was your work too? Who's behind this?"
Eyes like an angry sky ‌‌bore down on the back of my ‌‌head.
From his voice alone, I recognized him as Zeppelin.
Zeppelin spun me around to face ‌‌‌‌him, forcing me to look up from the ground below.
"Tell me now! Who sent you? Was it Emperor Zahidra?"
Zeppelin seized my collar as if to hurl me down at any moment, shoving my ‌‌body beyond the railing.
My arched back teetered precariously against the edge.
If he released his grip, I would plummet straight to the earth below.
'Stay calm.'
My limbs trembled, but I forced my breathing steady.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze from the abyss.
"Stop. My head is ringing."
I grasped Zeppelin's wrist—the one crushing my collar—firmly.
And I met his eyes directly.
Zeppelin's mouth fell open.
"You are...?" ‌‌‌‌
With my hat gone, my long golden hair cascaded across my shoulders.
The clouds had parted, and the moon now shed its generous light upon my pale face.
My deep blue eyes gleamed with the clarity of a still lake.
My sharp, piercing gaze cut upward at Zeppelin like a blade.
Rebecca's lips, red ‌‌as a ripe apple, curved into a radiant smile.
"Have you been well?"
Zeppelin ‌‌faltered at the sight of Rebecca's unexpected beauty.
Seizing the moment, Rebecca gathered her strength and drove her forehead toward his skull.
Crack!
The sound of bone colliding against bone echoed sharply.
Losing his balance, Zeppelin staggered backward, his grip on Rebecca's collar dragging her down with him.
Rebecca, who had fallen atop him, rose to her feet with a displeased expression, rubbing her forehead.
She looked down at Zeppelin coldly and spoke in a quiet, cutting tone.
"Your skull's as hard as ever—seems you've recovered well. Your face looks decent too; you must have been eating and living comfortably. I was hoping you'd suffered, but what a disappointment."
"You...."
Zeppelin rose, his eyes vacant with disbelief.
The wind swept through, and Rebecca's ‌‌‌hair danced in the breeze.
Unconcerned with the strands clinging to her face, Rebecca lifted her chin and spoke.
"Don't forget me. You still owe me mountains of debt. Isn't that right, my ex-husband?"
"Rebecca...."
Zeppelin murmured her name, etching every detail of her face into his mind.
His eyes began to glisten with moisture.
Color seeped into the hazy grayscale of ‌‌his memories.
The fog that had filled his mind slowly began to lift.
"Ahhh!"
Zeppelin clutched his head as an overwhelming torrent of memories consumed ‌‌‌him in an instant.
A girl playing in a pristine snow field—that was Rebecca.
A woman extending her slender fingers gently across my palm among ‌‌suitors—that was Rebecca.
Rebecca blushing in the snow field as she accepted my proposal,
Rebecca in a magnificent wedding dress, shyly gazing up at me,
Rebecca on the bed with a radiant face, breathing heavily, radiating an intoxicating essence,
was my bride alone, beautiful as an angel descended from heaven—my dream.
Tears streaming down his face, Zeppelin dropped to his knees before Rebecca.
Rebecca covered her mouth slightly as she spoke.
"My, your memory has returned? I'm glad my headbutt was effective."
Zeppelin's parched lips trembled.
Joy welled up ‌‌across his tear-stained face.
"You've returned to me. My Rebecca."
Rebecca ‌‌‌‌‌stared at Zeppelin's happy smile with a look of displeasure.
His joy was still unbearable to her.
Rebecca leaned down toward the kneeling Zeppelin and whispered.
"That's right. I've returned. But not as your Rebecca."
"No. You have returned as my Rebecca. Ah, my beautiful Rebecca."
Zeppelin reached ‌‌‌‌‌toward Rebecca's face with ‌a half-dazed expression.
Rebecca let out a scoff and coldly brushed away Zeppelin's hand as it reached toward her.
"Don't ‌‌‌‌even think about touching ‌me. It's revolting."
The Countess who fled has returned.
E-book publication.

January 12, 2022
Author.

Long night sky
Publisher.

Desert fox
Published by.

Woongjin ThinkBig ‌‌‌Co., Ltd.
Submission received.

naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.

blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.

@wjt_fennecfox

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