IMLC 10

Chapter 10

What’s going on?

Did they recognize Kaillen?

Well, Kaillen was quite popular among the citizens of the Empire.

As a child, Kaillen had been exiled to the frontier. There, he resolved the conflict with the Tetra tribe and even discovered a vast Torpaz mine before returning triumphantly to the capital.

With his handsome appearance and his seemingly kind personality—even if much of it was an act—people of all ages and backgrounds adored him.

If someone who knew my face saw me together with Kaillen, that would be troublesome.

After all, I was still a member of his fan club.

That morning, Dylan had returned the belongings I had pawned.

Pulling my wide-brimmed hat low over my face—a hat painstakingly decorated by skilled craftsmen—I prepared to step off the train.

Then Kaillen, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped.

“I greet the Small Light of the Empire.”

Someone had greeted Kaillen.

Had they come to welcome him?

I rose onto my tiptoes, trying to see what was happening ahead, but the gigantic Caspian completely blocked my view.

“What is the Imperial Guard doing here?”

The Imperial Guard?

At Kaillen’s words, my ears perked up.

The Imperial Guard was an elite military organization responsible for protecting the Emperor, the Imperial Family, and the Imperial Palace.

They possessed independent investigative authority granted directly by the Emperor.

They could arrest and investigate commoners, nobles, and even members of the Imperial Family.

I’d also heard they were full of tall, handsome people.

I even removed my hat and craned my neck, hoping to see through the gap beside Caspian.

Then—

“We received information that Eliana Rudd is aboard this train.”

Me?

Why were they looking for me?

“Eliana Rudd?”

“Yes. She is the primary suspect in the arson of the Imperial Library.”

When Kaillen questioned them, one of the Imperial Guards immediately answered.

“Me? I what? A suspect?”

I shoved past Caspian and pushed my way forward.

I even nearly knocked Dylan off balance in the process, but that was hardly important right now.

Five Imperial Guards stood lined up.

The eagle—or perhaps hawk—symbol of the Imperial Guard was proudly embroidered on their chests.

When I appeared, one of the guards standing behind pulled out a sheet of paper.

He compared the document with my face several times before whispering something into the ear of the mustached man standing at the front.

“Are you Eliana Rudd? You are under emergency arrest as a suspect in the arson of the Imperial Library.”

What kind of nonsense is this?!

“Who put you up to this?”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I didn’t do it!”

The place was unpleasant and dark.

I didn’t even know where I was.

I’d been dragged away directly from the station, and I had no idea how much time had passed.

Bang!

The man questioning me slammed his hat onto the table.

“We have a witness who saw you wandering around that area on the second day of the banquet!”

I hadn’t even seen a single ant.

Who exactly claimed to have seen me?

“I already told you! I got lost while looking for the restroom!”

This was the fifth time I’d repeated the same explanation.

The Imperial Guard officer stood up.

Planting both hands on the table, he leaned over me threateningly.

“You think such an absurd lie will work?”

It was like he couldn’t hear me.

The Imperial Guard seemed to have already decided on the answer.

They simply wanted to hear it from my mouth.

I absolutely—

Absolutely could not mention Kaillen Liveliden.

He was the protagonist of this world.

The man who would avenge his mother.

The future ruler of the Empire.

And if I became even more deeply entangled with him, there was no telling how much the original story might change.

Biting my lower lip, I sharply turned my head away.

The guard stared at me for a long moment.

Then he sighed and left the room.

When the heavy iron door slammed shut, an unpleasant silence settled over the chamber.

A chill ran down my spine.

I shivered involuntarily.

Spring had already arrived.

During the day, it was almost as hot as summer.

Yet this place felt freezing cold.

Rubbing my chilled fingers together, I closed my eyes.

Mother and Father must be worried sick.

I hoped my brother didn’t know.

Father was probably running around everywhere, sweating as he tried to get me released.

Mother was likely crying in her room and praying.

Even though she wasn’t religious, she always prayed to whichever god seemed available whenever something went wrong.

Perhaps it was because Eliana Rudd’s memories remained inside me.

The people precious to Eliana had naturally become precious to me as well.

I had been Han Seoha of South Korea.

But I was also Eliana Rudd.

If I got out of here safely, I’d be a much better daughter.

But how was I supposed to escape this situation?

Arson against the Imperial Library was an extremely serious crime.

It could even be considered treason against the Imperial Family.

If things went badly, my entire family could be punished for rebellion.

As I desperately searched for a way out—

The heavy iron door suddenly opened again with a loud metallic groan.

This time it wasn’t the man interrogating me.

A woman entered.

Of course, the same eagle—or hawk—symbol was proudly embroidered on her chest.

“Hello. My name is Tenesa Tollang. You are Lady Eliana Rudd, correct?”

Her atmosphere was completely different from the previous interrogator.

With a gentle smile and a soft voice, she offered me a cup of warm tea.

When I wrapped my hands around the cup, warmth spread through my palms.

“You must be quite shaken.”

I paused before taking a sip and looked at Tenesa instead.

She leisurely drank her own tea before setting down the cup.

The sound of porcelain touching the saucer echoed loudly through the quiet interrogation room.

Smiling sweetly, she slowly flipped through the pages of my personal records.

“You’ve been in the capital for less than a year.”

Her voice trailed off.

“I heard you were too sick to even participate in your debutante.”

She glanced at me over the documents.

“But you seem healthy now.”

Huh?

Without drinking any tea, I set the cup back down.

“I also heard that four months ago, you became seriously ill. People around you supposedly believed you were going to die.”

What exactly was she trying to say?

I narrowed my eyes.

“Afterward, there were quite a few rumors that ‘Lady Eliana seemed like a completely different person.'”

Tenesa smiled.

Only the corners of her lips moved, creating a strange and unsettling expression.

“You occasionally attended tea parties, but never even ordinary social gatherings. Yet suddenly, of all days…”

Her smile widened.

“You danced with Prince Kaillen on that specific day.”

Oh?

Look at this woman.

“What does dancing with Prince Kaillen have to do with the arson case?”

At my question, Tenesa’s eyes widened.

However, she quickly composed herself.

Setting the documents down, she rested her chin on one hand.

“Prince Kaillen also wasn’t present in the banquet hall that night.”

“So?”

“What I’m trying to say is…”

Letting her words trail off, Tenesa stood and slowly walked around the table toward me.

She placed a hand on my shoulder.

Then she leaned close to my ear.

“You. Who paid you to carry this out? Understand?”

So this was the answer they wanted.

These people already knew.

They knew everything.

They were interrogating me because they wanted confirmation from my own mouth that Kaillen was the arsonist.

But if they already knew everything—

Why weren’t they arresting Kaillen directly?

Why were they detaining me instead?

The answer was probably…

“Do you have evidence?”

“What?”

“I asked if you have evidence. Evidence that I started the fire that night.”

Tenesa’s red eyebrows shot upward.

“I did get lost and wander near the area. That’s true.”

I met her gaze directly.

“But I never entered the library.”

I continued.

“And I was wearing an elaborate banquet dress. Even in the dark, it would have stood out. Did the person who supposedly saw me claim they saw me enter the library?”

“That’s…”

“And I’d like to ask something too.”

Without blinking, I stared straight into her eyes.

“Why did Prince Kaillen invite me to dance that night?”

Tenesa clenched her fist.

Her hand trembled.

Watching that, I snorted.

Who did she think she was dealing with?

I possessed all of Eliana’s memories.

Combined with my twenty-seven years of life from my previous world, I effectively had more than forty years of experience.

At that moment, the iron door opened.

A younger-looking Imperial Guard entered and whispered something into Tenesa’s ear.

“What? Why all of a sudden?!”

Tenesa’s sharp voice pierced the room.

The guard only shook his head helplessly.

Then—

A low, chilling voice echoed through the room.

A voice I recognized.

A dangerously attractive voice.

“To detain an innocent citizen of the Empire like this…”

A brief pause followed.

“I must say I’m deeply disappointed.”

It was Kaillen Liveliden.