Chapter 87
87
*
A short while later, they arrived at the office on the highest floor of the Royal Police Headquarters. Regardless of rank, the location of this office symbolized the immense power the room's occupant held within the Royal Police.
Soon, the door opened, and Hugh Gun Hunter rose with a smile.
"Viktor Dampfelt, sir. What brings you all the way here?"
"Scarlett said you interrogated her."
"You know I was on a tour with Crown Prince Yuli Irene, don't you?"
"Of course."
Viktor continued.
"But that doesn't matter."
"What do you mean, it doesn't matter?"
"I mean, even if you didn't interrogate her, my ex-wife said you did, so that's how it's going to be."
"Viktor, sir, I don't understand..."
Larry, who had entered with them and was trembling, belatedly understood Viktor's words that the Royal Police Headquarters would disappear. He looked out the window and saw that the navy had surrounded the building, and some were entering.
Hugh Gun Hunter said,
"This is treason. You must know that our Royal Police are managed by His Majesty."
Viktor, with his hands behind his back, glanced out the window and said,
"If you cooperate, it won't go that far."
"Viktor, sir!"
"If you have any loyalty to the royal family, keep this between you and me."
From his words and gaze, Hugh Gun Hunter knew that negotiating with Viktor Dampfelt was no longer possible. He wasn't looking for a reasonable explanation; he simply wanted to push through whatever he wanted.
Hugh Gun Hunter sighed, grabbed his jacket, and said,
"Let's go to the Naval Residence."
Viktor, with a satisfied expression, gestured towards the door as if to tell him to go ahead. Hugh Gun Hunter put on his jacket and left the office.
The navy had already occupied the hallway. Hugh Gun Hunter looked around at the navy with a dumbfounded expression.
The navy already knew to some extent that the Royal Police had broken up Viktor Dampfelt's marriage through relentless interrogation. On top of that, Evan Wright revealed in the capital newspaper that the Royal Police were responsible for publishing her face, which further fueled their anger.
"That trash!"
One spirited navy member, unable to contain himself, tried to attack Hugh Gun Hunter, but his colleagues quickly grabbed him and stopped him.
Hugh Gun Hunter took a deep breath. The navy, who had shared life and death in the sea of death, recognized Viktor Dampfelt not only as the captain of their ship but also as a comrade. That's why their anger was even fiercer.
The fleet centered around the Rubid Ship usually consisted of six ships, but in wartime, it effectively took control of all the navy. Adam Irene held the title of commander of the navy, but he only had the honor; he likely had no idea how to actually operate the navy.
Even if he did know, it was highly doubtful whether the other naval officers would follow Adam Irene's orders rather than Viktor Dampfelt's, who had spent most of his life at sea. Getting rid of Viktor Dampfelt had now become a necessity, not just a consideration, for the royal family.
Hugh Gunther signaled his subordinates and followed the navy out of the Royal Police Headquarters.
*
Viktor's occupation of the Royal Police Headquarters would surely be very welcome news to Crown Prince Yuli Irene. He, who had been trying to cut Viktor out at every opportunity, would not fail to exploit Viktor's major moral flaw.
Viktor sat facing Hugh Gun Hunter in the drawing room of the Naval Residence and began the interrogation.
"Let's start the conversation."
What conversation? He had kidnapped him.
Hugh Gunther thought so, but he opened his mouth.
"Whatever you want to say."
"My wife said you interrogated her."
"But you know that's not true."
"I wonder why my wife would say that. Of course, it's also concerning that she had memory problems both times she visited the Royal Police Headquarters."
Hugh Gun Hunter paused at his words. Then, he said nonchalantly.
"Once could be a mistake, but twice?"
"Scarlett was there when Isaac Crimson went to the police station too."
"Well, I have no idea."
Hugh Gun Hunter said calmly.
A moment later, the butler poured tea into their cups. Viktor took a puff of his cigarette in the meantime and put it in his teacup. With a hiss, smoke billowed into the cold air.
"I'm not going to drink it, but you should."
Hugh Gun Hunter paused at his words.
Viktor took out another cigarette.
"Good tea. Hard to get."
"Hmm."
"Why? Does the Hunter Family consider that tea cheap?"
Hugh Gun Hunter was looking at the beautiful maple-colored teacup. He was confused about whether he could drink it.
Viktor knew pirates better than anyone in Salantie. If he wanted, he might be able to get a memory-erasing drug through pirates.
Hugh Gun Hunter couldn't bring himself to drink the tea and said,
"I'm fine, no tea for me."
"Oh, dear."
Viktor leaned back in his chair, tilted his head, and asked,
"Are you afraid I put something in it?"
"......"
"Drink it. Before I force it down your throat."
Hugh Gun Hunter's arm trembled at Viktor's words. He overturned the teacup and stood up.
"Do you think I'll give in to such threats, Viktor, sir?"
"Then did you think you could mess with my wife and get away with it?"
"The Royal Police never did that."
"If you didn't, I don't see why you can't drink the tea."
"......Yuli Irene will not stand idly by. If the Crown Prince steps in, then Viktor's actions will be nothing more than treason."
"You're so confident because you have Yuli backing you."
"Yes. Of course. He is the Crown Prince, after all. Considering that you haven't even been recognized as royalty yet, the gap between you two is so wide that it's hard to even call it a gap, wouldn't you say?"
"I suppose so. Is that why my lover went to Yuli when she came from the sea?"
"Yes. My sister is a clever girl."
"I see."
Viktor replied and slowly stood up. Then, he slowly took off his gloves.
As his smooth, beautiful hand was revealed, Hugh Gun Hunter, as if his professional instincts as a police officer were activated, was examining his hand. And he realized that he was still wearing his wedding ring.
'Wedding ring?'
Andrei, who had been sent here as a spy, would not have had the opportunity to see that elegant man's bare hand either. No one would have known that he always wore his wedding ring on his left hand, even after the divorce.
Viktor picked up his teacup, which had his cigarette extinguished in it.
"Yours is already spilled, so there's nothing I can do."
"Sir, sir!"
Hugh Gun Hunter shouted, but Viktor had already grabbed his lower jaw with his hand. And he pressed his head back and poured the tea between his spread fingers.
Hugh Gun Hunter struggled, but he couldn't move against his grip. Ironically, he was looking up at Viktor, thinking that he was a terribly beautiful being.
Is this what it means to be possessed by a demon, he thought. He understood a little why his sister, while loving Viktor Dampfelt, would cry that she would drown with him in the sea if he ever left for the sea and came back.
Viktor said in a gentle tone.
"Good boy. Swallow."
"Ugh!"
"Swallow."
Tea and tobacco went down Hugh Gun Hunter's throat together.
Viktor watched with indifferent eyes and said,
"There's no drug. I don't want to put that much effort into catching and killing you."
"......"
"I'll send you back when your master comes, so stay here quietly."
He said, wiped his tea-soaked hand with a handkerchief, put his gloves back on, and left the drawing room. As Viktor left, Hugh Gun Hunter covered his neck with his trembling hands and took frightened breaths.
He couldn't believe his actions. Until now, according to the reports Hugh Gun Hunter had received, Viktor had been the epitome of a rational human being.
"Like mother, like son..."
Just as Marina Dumpelt was out of her mind, Viktor Dampfelt's mind didn't seem entirely sound either. He seemed to have lost his reason to some emotion beyond anger.
A moment after he left, the drawing room door opened. Hugh Gun Hunter, thinking that Yuli Irene had already arrived, stood up, his face turning pale. A familiar face, but with an unfamiliar atmosphere, was standing in front of the door.
'Shirley Holmes.'
Saying that Scarlett Crimson was an easy target was only in relation to those around Viktor Dampfelt.
Shirley Holmes, standing in front of him now, literally had nothing. No family, no friends, no lover, not even a community that would give her a little attention.
The amount of drug administered to that Shirley Holmes was life-threatening. Unlike Scarlett Crimson, who couldn't regain consciousness for a long time even with a small amount, Shirley Holmes, who had a strong body, showed no abnormalities even after being injected with a large amount of the drug.
Shirley was rolling her black, round eyes, looking inside. Hugh Gun Hunter felt fear in those eyes.
Shirley soon came hopping like a rabbit to where Hugh Gun Hunter was.
"What is it?"
When Hugh Gun Hunter asked, Shirley took out a knife hidden behind her back and said,
"Is it you?"
"Speak respectfully. How dare a wench like you speak to—"
"I'm asking if it's you? The one who made me like this."
As Shirley's knife touched his chin, Hugh Gun Hunter shouted.
"Sir! Viktor, sir! Sir!"
Shirley turned around nervously when Hugh Gun Hunter shouted.
She cursed and continued.
"Do you know how I live? Do you know what it's like to remember everything? You have to go through the same thing. Just you wait. I'll desperately save money, buy that drug, and feed it to you. You'll know what it's like to want to die remembering everything! You have to know!"
A moment later, the navy rushed in and pulled Shirley away.
"Shirley! Calm down!"
"Let go of me, you navy bastards!"
"We know, so calm down! Geez, why are you so strong!"
The navy tried to drag Shirley away, but Shirley kept looking back to check on Hugh Gun Hunter.
"I think that's the guy! He gave me the drug! He made me like this!"
Shirley struggled and shouted before being willingly dragged away by the navy.
Hugh Gun Hunter's face did not easily return to its original color, as if someone was constantly choking him. Reality had struck him, who had been under the protection of the Hunter Family and the royal family.