Chapter 81 : 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐬
✦ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟖𝟏 ✦
❝𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐬❞
⟪𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫.⟫
𓆩⟡𓆪───────𖤐───────𓆩⟡𓆪
…Even Johannes Schultz.
He stood there, caught in a moment of rare vulnerability. His carefully woven composure unraveling—if only for a breath—at the sight of me.
It wasn’t like him.
Johannes Schultz, master of concealed emotion, was never one to feign or manipulate expression. He simply was. But now… he looked shaken. As if he truly hadn’t expected to find me here.
“…It just so happened that I was the first witness.”
My voice wavered with the tremors in my chest. I cleared my throat discreetly, masking the quake with borrowed strength.
“First witness?”
“You mean the Duchess?”
Edward’s voice collided with Johannes’s in perfect dissonance.
Johannes’s face twisted further, then gave way to a bitter laugh. He raked his fingers through his hair—a gesture I knew too well.
“Why on earth are you in the Jaywock district…?” His gaze sharpened. “There must be a reason. You didn’t come here by chance, did you? Could it be… because of that incident again?”
That incident.
He meant my father.
Though in truth, my visit wasn’t about my father—it was about the murderer. But I didn’t want to connect the two. I shook my head.
“…No.”
He looked at me then, as though truly seeing me for the first time.
As if none of this made sense to him.
“I suggest we go to the basement,” Edward interjected coolly, clearly irritated by the rising tension. “The scene awaits. And the crowd is beginning to stare.”
We descended the stairs, our steps echoing in weighted silence.
𓆩⟡𓆪───────✦───────𓆩⟡𓆪
The basement smelled of iron and dust.
The corpse lay sprawled, her story already ended. Edward glanced toward the body, then addressed me.
“What condition was the victim in when you arrived?”
“I saw the criminal.”
I cut straight to the point. No use delaying the truth.
“…What?”
Edward and Johannes turned simultaneously, disbelief in their eyes.
“I saw him. Right after the murder.”
Edward pulled me gently aside, his face grown solemn.
“You saw the killer’s face?”
“You’re only asking that now?” Johannes snapped, eyes fixed solely on me. “Did he see yours? Are you hurt? Where was your escort?”
“There are no injuries,” I replied, steadying my breath. “The escort pursued him on my request.”
“So you did see his face.”
Johannes exhaled a curse beneath his breath, running a hand down his face before seizing my hand.
“How did that happen? More importantly—why were you here?”
His eyes bore into me, seeking something I couldn’t name.
I pulled my hand from his grasp and addressed Edward instead.
“The man… he wore a black hood. But I caught a glimpse—blue eyes. His hair was light.”
I turned to Johannes then, noticing how his face paled.
The man had heard me whisper Johannes. And he had smirked—as if mocking me. As if daring me to uncover the truth.
And now here stood my husband—rushing to the scene like some belated hero.
But… what authority did the Navy have on land?
“Why… is the Duke even here?”
My voice trembled as I asked.
“Oh. With the rise in murder cases, I requested assistance from the Navy,” Edward replied, shrugging. “He had no idea the witness was you.”
So… he wasn’t here because of me?
Still, Edward’s earlier question lingered.
“Madam, why were you here? This isn’t a place for nobility to wander.”
“…Just happened to pass by.”
“Pass by? You descended into a tavern basement by chance?”
His tone sharpened. I faltered—but only for a breath.
“No. I heard something… strange. A noise. So I came down to check.”
“Do you expect us to believe that?”
Johannes’s voice was incredulous.
“Yes.”
I met his gaze, unflinching.
How could I explain the truth? That I remembered a past life? That I knew the future because this world was a book?
That would only make things worse.
Edward interjected again. “So, you’re saying the culprit had blue eyes.”
I nodded. “Yes. At least, it seemed so. It was dark. His hair—light. His build—”
I hesitated, glancing between Edward and Johannes.
“…Similar to His Highness.”
Edward’s brow furrowed.
“You mean me?”
“A tall man. Blue-eyed. Light-haired,” Edward muttered. “Not a common combination. That may narrow the search.”
“My escort followed him. We’ll hear something soon.”
“I’ll make a note of that.”
As Edward walked off to instruct the officers, Johannes returned to sit beside me.
“Where is Ahin?”
“She went on an errand. I discovered the scene while she was gone.”
“This doesn’t add up. And you’ve yet to explain what you’re doing here.”
“I was walking. Trying to clear my head.”
I met his eyes. “And you, Duke? May I ask where you’ve been?”
“…Why do you ask?”
“I’m your wife. I worry.”
The words carried a blade behind their softness.
I needed to know.
He looked at me for a long moment, then exhaled.
“I was at the Naval Headquarters. Edward summoned me. We came together.”
The perfect alibi.
But was it real?
Before I could press further, Edward returned.
“It’s a rudimentary case. The tavern owner—murdered. The cash register emptied. Robbery, most likely. The killer must’ve fled upon being spotted.”
“That doesn’t sit right with me.”
I spoke before I could stop myself.
“What if it was staged to appear as robbery? What if the killer intended to mislead us?”
Edward raised a brow. “That’s a rather elaborate theory.”
“Then allow me to elaborate.”
Was I truly that desperate to connect Johannes to the crime?
Was I seeing shadows that weren’t there?
But how many tall men with light hair and blue eyes could exist in Mussen?
“At this point,” Edward said with a mock grin, “shouldn’t we consider you, Duchess? You did appear at the scene. Perhaps you know more than you’re telling us. Perhaps even… collusion with the Duke?”
“You’re talking nonsense.”
Johannes’s voice sliced through the tension.
Edward chuckled. “Kidding, of course. Just pointing out how absurd your deduction sounds. Isn’t that fair, Duchess?”
Was it truly a jest?
Edward Windsor… knew something.
His gaze lingered too long. His words too precise.
I stared at him for a moment before answering softly.
“…Of course. It’s not me. And—of course—it’s not my husband either.”
My eyes drifted toward Johannes.
And yet, even as I said it—
My heart whispered doubt.
𓆩⟡𓆪───────✦ 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝… ✦───────𓆩⟡𓆪
