Translator: Nox

The Mansion Awaits Spring

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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Fezin clicked his tongue as he flipped through the investigation report.

The pages were diligently filled with nonsense—claims that the suspect’s blinking rate increased by an average of seven times after 12:17 PM compared to before, or that the hallway temperature was one degree higher than the room where April was held.

Fezin picked up the internal phone on the wall of the police station. Tossing the report onto the table, he spoke into the receiver.

“The Provincial Capital Police Station is filled with officers who have plenty of years but zero talent. Is this some kind of retirement home for people to slack off before they quit?”

At his words, the Chief of the Provincial Capital Police replied awkwardly.

• Please, don’t speak so harshly.

“It’s the truth, yet you think it sounds harsh? Then how should I put it? Have you all been living too comfortably?”

The Chief was far older and higher in rank than Fezin, but he couldn’t point out the arrogance of a young man dispatched from the Empire—especially one who was the Grand Duke’s only living kin.

While on the phone, Fezin reached out and grabbed the collar of April, who looked like she was about to fall out the window while staring outside.

April turned around with a look of displeasure, but he ignored her entirely and continued.

“Me, living comfortably? You’re saying that to someone who’s been living in the Empire, away from his family, serving as a police officer… Fine, just discipline the officers here and buy me a drink later. I’m hanging up.”

After saying his piece and hanging up, Fezin spoke to April, who was glaring at him.

“What? Why are you staring?”

“Am I a child? Let go of me.”

“That’s exactly what children think. Because they have overinflated egos.”

She already felt insulted by being treated like a child, and Fezin’s retort only made it worse.

April snapped back sarcastically.

“You haven’t changed a bit. You really should have.”

“Why should I? I’m already magnificent.”

His brazenness left her speechless.

She wanted to fire back another remark, but since they hadn’t had a proper conversation in seven years, she felt she would only lose the argument. She turned her head back toward the window instead.

Looking out again, she asked with feigned indifference.

“I heard the Church asked for the trial to be handed over to them?”

“Witches are their specialty. Or rather, they like to think of them as their specialty.”

“What does Miller think?”

Fezin matched April’s casual tone and replied nonchalantly.

“Hyung wants to hand you over to the Church.”

“Because he thinks I might kill the Grand Duke couple? How exactly?”

“Who knows? If you really are a witch, it would actually be possible.”

At Fezin’s impassive expression and answer, April let out a sigh despite herself.

Hearing the story, she had to admit it sounded strange even to her own ears.

She was the one who knew best that the lights in the mansion flickered on every day, despite the gas being cut off.

She had experienced that fog as well. She just hadn’t known people were dying in it.

April realized that she could only prove her innocence if there was no evidence linking these two supernatural events together.

Fortunately, finding such evidence was difficult for the police as well.

It would be easier to wipe out organized gangs threatening the Grand Duchy’s security or the smugglers stationed primarily along the coast.

It would be easier to hunt down the poachers who appeared incessantly.

It was the same for Fezin’s own future.

He needed to achieve those kinds of visible results to help his promotion as a police officer. Sitting here with a woman who had been locked away for seven years and knew nothing of the world was a waste of time.

Convinced that Fezin also wanted nothing to do with this, April asked.

“That fog… it was during winter all three times, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, just when it was starting to get cold.”

“Other than that, the dates and days of the week were all different.”

“Even you’ve managed to figure out what the police have gathered.”

Fezin’s words were a jab at the Grand Duchy Police.

It seemed they had presented facts known by everyone in the Grand Duchy—even April, who had been confined to her home for seven years—as the results of their ‘investigation.’

As expected, they couldn’t prove her guilt.

April asked.

“Have you ever experienced the fog?”

“Not yet. I suppose I will this time.”

Fezin had spent all his time in the Empire, and even when he visited the Grand Duchy, he never came during the winter, which was even colder than the Empire. He’d had no reason to experience it.

Soon, the Night of the Witch would arrive, and with it, the fog.

Confirming that the report contained nothing of substance, Fezin grabbed his coat from where it hung loosely on the rack.

“Get out.”

Just as April remembered, the interior of the police leather coats had compartments designed to hide weapons.

He didn’t have a weapon on him, but the mere sight of those spaces sparked a flicker of fear. April gripped the windowsill tightly.

“No.”

Fezin replied as he buttoned his coat and fastened his belt.

“Then stay here. I’m going to investigate the Lunos estate.”

“Lunos? You mean we’re going home?”

“Where else would we go?”

“The Church.”

At April’s answer, which was a mix of wariness and relief, Fezin let out a short, mocking laugh without looking at her.

“We’re not going there. Regardless of my personal feelings toward you, handing a trial over to the Church hurts a policeman’s pride.”

Only after saying that did he look back at April and realize, belatedly, that she was trembling. It seemed she had truly been considering the possibility of being dumped at the Church.

Her face was as pale as a ghost, looking as though she could barely remain standing.

Deciding he needed to get her back to the Lunos estate first, Fezin strode out of the interrogation room. April let go of the windowsill and hurried after him.

As April stepped out of the police station, small stones flew at her from the citizens who had followed the prisoner carriage.

When she narrowed her eyes and glared at them, they recoiled in fear.

From within the crowd, she could hear the sobbing and wailing of those who had lost family members to the fog.

“Why aren’t you handing the trial over to the Church?!”

“A witch isn’t a problem for the police to solve!”

Amidst the shouting, hands reached out and grabbed at April’s clothes.

Unable to keep up with Fezin’s brisk pace, April’s body was suddenly yanked in one direction. Toward the direction of the Church.

At that moment, the sound of a gunshot rang out, and people froze, covering their ears.

April froze as well. When she opened her eyes, she realized the sound had come from Fezin’s gun.

It hadn’t looked like he was carrying a weapon in his coat—where on earth did he hide it? Well, at least the brat really did become a policeman, she thought.

As Fezin shielded her and led her toward the carriage, April found herself thinking such idle thoughts.

With Fezin’s help, April managed to climb into the waiting carriage.

Only after the carriage began to push through the crowd and gather speed did she finally relax.

She covered her face with trembling hands. She felt sorrow and fear, but the emotion that overwhelmed everything else was rage.

The burning desire to restore the Runos family filled every vessel of her heart.

But was it even possible?

With no prospect of fulfilling that desire in sight, her mind went blank.

Would she have to live forever with this unresolved, terrible anger?

The unbearable fury made her feel like she was about to burst into tears, but she forced them back.

She couldn’t cry, because she was afraid her tears of anger would be mistaken for tears of fear.

She absolutely did not want to be seen that way. If there was one thing she never wanted anyone to discover, it was her fear.