Chapter 69
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Though the road from Merrow mansion to the winter market was well-maintained and even had a railway, getting to the closer Lunos mansion took longer.
As a result, they arrived late at night.
April felt guilty about taking up Fejin’s entire day off, yet simultaneously wanted to stop him from returning to the capital.
It wasn’t that she felt helplessly excited about him, or that she wanted to do anything for him.
While there was some excitement, it wasn’t overwhelming. That seemed more on Fejin’s side. Of course, sexual desire was an entirely different matter.
Strangely, when with him, even though he sometimes irritated her, she wanted to keep being together. His words were both amusing and annoying, yet she wanted to see him.
“Have I grown attached?”
When April spoke before getting out of the carriage, Fejin shook his head.
“No.”
“Then what?”
“It’s a conflict between finding me unpleasant to look at and thinking I might be useful in bed based on my appearance.”
“…Wow. How did you know?”
“That’s how most women feel about me.”
April laughed incredulously at Fejin’s nonchalant response.
When Fejin extended his hand from outside the carriage to escort her, she didn’t want to take it.
Taking it would mean getting out, which would mean sending him away.
Even though the Deus family had caused her family’s downfall and her parents’ death, her desire to be with him wouldn’t disappear.
April mocked herself.
How pathetic could she be?
Had seven years of loneliness driven her mad?
When April didn’t take his offered hand, Fejin leaned into the carriage and asked,
“Too tired to walk?”
In April’s opinion, this was Fejin’s only redeeming quality besides his looks.
Whenever April was reluctant to leave the carriage for any reason, Fejin would create an appropriate excuse in the form of a question.
It meant she didn’t have to say things she didn’t want to say. April thought this must be a skill he’d developed through countless conversations with women.
When April nodded, Fejin immediately grabbed her legs and pulled her out, then lifted her into his arms.
April wrapped her arms around his neck in surprise and fear.
“What are you doing?”
“Keep people away.”
Fejin ordered the servants, and one immediately ran to ensure no one would pass through to April’s room.
Hannah, who had been about to run to April when Fejin’s carriage appeared, pouted but quickly returned to her room happily when given sweets.
April sighed but, being truly tired from walking around the vast winter market, rested her head relatively quietly on Fejin’s shoulder.
Fejin set her down in her bedroom and looked at his hands that had held her.
He felt as if the shape of her body remained on his hands where they had held her shoulders and thighs.
Fejin turned toward April, who was watching him intently, and reached out to remove her fur coat. April flinched and stepped back.
“It’s my day off. I need to go.”
When Fejin indicated he would only remove her coat and stop there, April nodded reluctantly.
He hung her coat on a chair and returned to her.
Looking at April’s dress, Fejin criticized,
“Stop buying things for others and get yourself some clothes first. I’ve memorized all your clothes by now, what you have.”
“I’ll handle my clothes myself.”
“Not interested?”
“You seem more interested.”
“Of course I am. Never denied it.”
Fejin spoke while his gaze traced her dress.
The green silk dress had lost its luster with age, and its original color was fading.
Fejin asked,
“But you wear this one especially often?”
“It was a beautiful dress originally.”
“It’s still beautiful. Just worn.”
April noticed his gaze stopping at her chest and him swallowing instinctively.
April narrowed her eyes and said,
“Go. And date someone. This won’t do, you.”
“People of our class can’t date. You know that.”
“That’s true…”
April couldn’t finish her sentence as Fejin pulled her into his arms with one hand on her waist. April said,
“When you’re close, I have to look up.”
“What can I do about it? Just look up.”
“Who did you take after to be so cold? Neither of your parents were like this.”
“They died too early for me to take after them.”
At his casual words, April’s expression turned serious and she smacked his arm.
Fejin examined various aspects of April’s face before continuing,
“I shouldn’t keep looking.”
“Why?”
“You’re too pretty.”
“Why is that a problem?”
“You might appear in my dreams.”
“Dreams?”
“If you appear, it’ll be a nightmare.”
This time she didn’t stop at one hit.
This time Fejin pretended it hurt, and the intense tension between them dissolved.
April pushed his back and said,
“Get out. Don’t come back.”
“That’s not up to you, yet you say it anyway.”
Fejin left the bedroom grumbling while rubbing where she’d hit him.
After chasing him out like that, April ended up watching as his carriage departed.
She watched for a long time until it disappeared from view.
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Fejin returned directly to Investigation Headquarters.
Several police officers had arrived at headquarters.
Trevor Hill, the Second Division officer who had been tailing Devin Meyer, reported to Fejin.
“It appears certain that Police Chief Meyer received an Imperial order.”
Paul, who was listening, asked in confusion,
“What Imperial order could there be for the Grand Duchy police when the Commissioner is here?”
“That part isn’t clear, but…”
As Trevor trailed off, Fejin pressed his temples and said,
“What’s clear is that we shouldn’t interfere with Police Chief Meyer’s actions.”
“Yes, that seems to be the case.”
Fejin clicked his tongue while checking the investigation report from the Second Division.
While flipping through the report listing everyone who had entered and left Devin Meyer’s mansion, Fejin stopped at one page.
It showed a visit from Jona Tavisi of Tavisi Company, one of the Grand Duchy’s gas suppliers.
“What’s wrong?”
When Paul asked from beside him, Fejin pointed to Jona Tavisi’s name.
Over the past seven years, Fejin had investigated Tavisi Company, which supplied gas to Lunos territory, regarding April’s gas lamps.
He had clearly investigated and recorded the fact that Tavisi Company had never supplied gas to Lunos territory.
Yet now Jona Tavisi’s name appeared at Devin Meyer’s mansion.
Logan, who had been chatting with the Second Division officers, spoke up when he heard Jona Tavisi’s name.
“They must be trying to bill for gas usage?”
“Why would Police Chief Meyer do that?”
When Trevor asked Logan, he shrugged to indicate he didn’t know.
“I’m not sure, but wouldn’t it be part of the Imperial order? To make things difficult for Miss April.”
“They’ll arrest her.”
All the police officers present turned to look at Fejin after his conclusion.
Fejin merely tapped his cigarette ash and said nothing more.
Logan, quickly grasping the situation, muttered,
“So the Grand Duchy police are creating a pretext to arrest Miss April.”
