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Chapter 18
Upon arriving in Lynsdale, they split up to track the traces of the Beltham noblewoman who had fled. Giles was doing the same. However, he had one more person he was looking for.
Giles cautiously followed Lily under the pretext of searching for Martina Solz. He carried a roughly drawn portrait based on Lily’s likeness and approached passersby.
“Have you seen a woman who looks like this? She’s not dangerous… I’m just personally looking for her.”
Most people said they hadn’t seen anyone like that. He anticipated it wouldn’t be easy. Unless one created a commotion while walking around the village, finding someone here was naturally difficult.
Moreover, it was uncertain whether Lily was even in Lynsdale.
Half a day of questioning while juggling his mission yielded no results. Desperate, Giles, looking haggard, stopped a man walking past him.
“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”
Seeing Giles’ uniform, the man immediately adopted a friendly demeanor.
“How can I help you?”
“Have you seen a woman who looks like this?”
The man studied the drawing for a long time, then his expression suggested he remembered something.
“Does she have black hair?”
He pointed in a direction.
“I saw her last night leaning against a building over there. I thought she might die—she was shivering in the rain, wearing only a thin piece of cloth. I was going to report it, but a girl living in that house let her in. I don’t know if she’s still there, though.”
Giles thanked him and headed toward the building. His steps regained purpose. Meeting Lily again would be everything he could wish for.
Could Lily be here?
Giles knocked on the front door. Knock, knock.
“Anna?”
A freckled young woman opened the door. She froze at the unexpected visitor. Sensing trouble, she asked,
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m looking for someone.”
Giles presented the worn drawing.
“She has black hair and blue eyes. Have you seen her?”
The woman stared at the drawing and slowly nodded.
“Yes. That’s her. Anna.”
“What did you say?”
“She knows her name. She said her name is Anna Keating.”
Sheila Carlton grew anxious. She was facing a tall, well-built revolutionary officer.
His presence was intimidating. Though polite and gentlemanly, his eyes betrayed a cold-blooded gaze that made Sheila naturally tense.
He was undoubtedly a revolutionary who had fought for the country for people like Sheila. But that also meant he had tortured and killed many. Sheila didn’t need anyone to tell her—she could feel it from his face.
The officer seemed slightly relieved, bowing his head after obtaining the information he wanted.
“Thank you for your cooperation. Well then.”
As he seemed ready to leave, Sheila stopped him.
“Wait a moment.”
The officer paused and turned toward her. His gaze, dark as the shadows of an abandoned house, sent a chill down her spine.
“Is the girl dangerous?”
She asked carefully. The officer’s expression didn’t change.
“Well… if you’re looking for her, I’d like to know just in case. I hope she’s not Beltham…”
“Miss Carlton.”
His low voice cut her off. Though he maintained a gentlemanly demeanor, it was clear he did not like her question.
Gradually, the icy expression softened, as if a candle had been lit in a dark room. He smiled gently and said,
“Don’t worry. She’s a good citizen, like you. She’s not involved in any suspicious events. I’m simply trying to repay a personal debt by finding her.”
“Oh… I see.”
“So don’t be uneasy. Whether I find Anna or not, there won’t be any trouble.”
The officer nodded lightly and left. Alone, Sheila let out a relieved sigh and smiled. Of course—there was no way she had unknowingly hidden a Beltham.
She hummed as she prepared lunch. She boiled water, chopped vegetables, and prepared spices. Under the Belthams’ rule, she couldn’t have dreamed of having such ingredients. Cooking brought her great satisfaction. Now, all of this was hers.
The fragrant bread was similar. While bread was common in Ipswin, being able to eat such high-quality, soft bread at will felt like a blessing.
She set the table with vegetable soup and white bread. Just as she was about to sit down, there was a knock.
Knock, knock.
Sheila stopped and looked toward the door. Could it be Anna? She hoped so. She hurried to the door, thinking she must tell Anna that an officer had come looking for her.
“Anna, is that you?”
She looked at the visitor, but it wasn’t Anna. Another man stood there, looking down at Sheila. He had a gentle, warm expression and smiled.
“Hello.”
Sheila felt her face flush.
“Ah… hello.”
“I’ve been asking around, and it’s exhausting. I’m trying to find my cousin, but I can’t get in touch with her. May I ask if you’ve seen Anna Keating nearby?”
Suddenly, a memory struck Sheila. Anna had mentioned that her family would come for her!
“Yes! Anna stayed here, but I don’t know where she went. She might return soon. Anyway, Anna stayed here last night. Oh no, she probably doesn’t know her family came…”
“Don’t worry. You’ll find her soon. This town is small, after all. But one thing bothers me… I heard the revolutionaries visited your house just now. Did anything happen?”
Sheila shook her head.
“Nothing. They just came looking for someone. Oh, now that I think about it, they were also looking for Anna! Maybe they can help you find her faster. Shall I tell you where their office is?”
The man looked surprised.
“The revolutionaries were looking for Anna? Did she do something wrong?”
“No, no…”
“Please, tell me everything.”
He smiled again, earnestly.
“Please tell me why they were looking for Anna.”
I realized one thing: this town didn’t have a train station. To leave for another area, one had to take the streetcar, which was costly to go far.
In other words, I had no way to leave immediately.
All I had were a few stolen coins. I needed more money, but I had no idea how to get it. If only I had stolen some jewelry back at the mansion…
Winter was approaching. It was too cold to survive outside, and the sun set early—a major problem for me.
Yesterday, I was lucky to spend the night in someone’s bed, but I couldn’t count on the same luck tonight.
The sweater Sheila gave me was warm, but it couldn’t block the winter chill. I shivered, huddled in the warmest corner I could find.
As the sun set, people disappeared from the streets. Shop lights went out one by one, leaving empty streets. What should I do? I had to think. I had to survive tonight somehow.
I couldn’t freeze to death here.
