Chapter 76
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 76
“……”
“Have a safe trip. It looks like I won’t be able to leave until tomorrow at the earliest, so you should at least go see our daughter.”
Then, smiling, he brushed past Charlotte. The moment he was past her, the smile vanished from Dietrich’s face.
Charlotte.
The one he had wanted to let go of countless times, yet could never bring himself to release.
Love and hatred stood back-to-back, separated by nothing more than a sheet of paper. Thus, Dietrich couldn’t tell if what he felt was love, hatred, or both.
Ting, ting.
Sitting ramrod straight as she worked, Barbara turned her gaze toward the bell hanging from the ceiling.
The palm-sized summoning bell, suspended from a braided cord, was ringing. The one chiming now was connected to Oscar’s office.
Pausing her work, Barbara neatly organized the documents she had been reviewing and placed them in a safe. Some called her office “a miniature Pelfe Bank,” as one entire wall was lined with safes.
She smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt, patted it down, and left her office. At the entrance, she collected the coffee intended for Oscar, then climbed the stairs to the central hall, acknowledging the greetings of the Wolves she passed.
As she entered, Simon, who was standing by the window, looked over at her. He had been receiving a report from his direct Wolves, and as he turned his attention to Barbara, they too fell silent and looked at her.
Simon turned fully toward Barbara and gave a slight nod. In response, his direct Wolves followed suit, turning respectfully toward her and bowing deeply.
In the world of the Wolves, this was the norm. Abel Sting was simply an anomaly.
Barbara returned Simon’s nod with a brief one of her own and headed for Oscar’s door. Seeing this, Simon left his Wolves and walked over to her.
Stopping in front of the massive door carved with a wolf’s face, Barbara turned to look at Simon.
“If you have something to report, why didn't you do it earlier?”
At her question, Simon von Bernheim, who carried himself with an air more aristocratic than any noble, shrugged.
“I wanted to go in with you today, senior.”
He was likely doing this because Oscar’s mood was bound to be foul the day after a rain. There was no harm in it. After all, two were better than one.
But today was different.
“Give it ten minutes before you come in.”
Simon’s eyebrow twitched, but he didn’t press her for a reason.
“Understood.”
Barbara signaled the Wolves guarding the door, and they opened it as if they had been waiting.
The cool air of the reception room greeted her. Perhaps because it was the day after the rain, the air drifting through the room was not only chilly but also damp. She would have to air it out and start the heating when Oscar was away. Otherwise, mold would form in no time.
Barbara’s gaze briefly drifted toward the dressing room connected to the reception room. But it was only for a split second; she immediately headed for the office where Oscar was waiting.
Knock, knock.
“Your Excellency, it is Barbara. I am coming in.”
There was no answer from within, but silence was his answer, so Barbara opened the door.
Unlike the dark reception room, the office was bright and warm, its large windows flooded with sunlight. Oscar stood by one of them, his long shadow stretching alongside the shadow of the window frame, reaching almost to Barbara’s feet.
Barbara stepped carefully to avoid his shadow. Placing the coffee tray on the wide desk, she poured the steaming liquid into a cup. Only after skillfully testing it for poison did she lift the cup and saucer and approach Oscar.
His profile, so sharp it looked as though it had been carved by a master’s chisel, appeared dark even in the brilliant sunlight, as if he were still wandering in the rain.
Staring at the steam rising from the coffee cup, Barbara spoke.
“I have administered one contraceptive pill to the target.”
“C-Could you please give me just one more pill…?”
The memory of those words, which had left her momentarily speechless, flashed through her mind, but the veteran wolf skillfully brushed the thought aside. The girl had begged for another, but Barbara had refused. One pill was more than enough; there was no benefit in taking too many contraceptives. Such medicine could easily become a poison with just a few altered ingredients. After all, wasn't it a drug designed to snuff out the very bud of life?
Oscar did not reply. He simply took the coffee cup she offered and drank in silence.
A hollow silence hung in the air.
There was much Barbara wanted to say to Oscar. However, her self-defined role—that of a servant who had raised and served her master from his side—filtered out any personal words before they could leave her throat.
So, Barbara decided to do what she could.
To observe Oscar and try to discern his true feelings.
It was then.
“Her condition?”
At the sound of Oscar’s voice, Barbara looked at him. Though he omitted the subject, she understood instantly.
She studied him, trying to discern what lay beneath the question. His voice was no different from usual. He didn’t drag his words, and his low tone carried its typical chill. His face, visible only in profile, showed not the slightest twitch.
His breathing was steady, the muscles of his face were relaxed, and his gaze was as sharp as a honed blade.
Looking at him now, it was as if nothing had happened last night. Keeping her eyes on Oscar’s face, Barbara spoke.
“She seems exhausted, but her life is in no danger.”
“……”
Oscar merely drank his coffee again without a word. He asked nothing further. It seemed that was all the information he required.
A moment later, Oscar set his cup back on the saucer she held. Having stared out the window the entire time, he finally turned, as if to move.
Perhaps whatever thoughts had been swirling in his mind had reached a conclusion, or perhaps he had simply managed to cut them short.
Barbara took a step back in sync with his movement. But just as she was about to clear his path—
“……?”
Oscar froze. Just as he was about to pass her, he stopped in his tracks as if he had spotted something, then looked back out the window. His blue eyes, bathed in sunlight, did not wander; they were fixed on one precise spot.
Barbara’s gaze followed his.
What was he looking at in the landscape stretching beyond the glass? What had caught his attention? Or…
Had he been waiting for something all this time?
She saw the annex surrounded by the green forest. Standing against the backdrop of the wind-swayed woods, there was nothing particularly eye-catching about it. No suspicious movements, and the garden was also…
As Barbara scanned the landscape, trying to guess where Oscar was looking, her eyes suddenly narrowed.
“……”
The garden between the annex and the main building.
Someone was walking straight across it.
Not all blond hair was created equal. This was a brilliant, gorgeous blonde that seemed to capture the radiant sunlight itself. Beneath it were sharp, striking features and a dashing figure that exuded style, even from a distance.
It was Abel.
Dressed to the nines, Abel Sting looked almost like one of the famous princes of Herod. He wasn’t called Reinhardt’s greatest Gold Digger for nothing.
Staring at Abel as he walked toward the main building with a light, cheerful stride, Barbara shifted only her eyes to look at Oscar beside her.
He remained completely still, staring out the window. His blue eyes, however, were moving slightly, tracking something.
Barbara spoke.
“It seems he made an appointment early this morning and is now on his way to see the target.”
“……”
There was no reply. As expected, his silence was answer enough.
It was then.
Knock, knock.
A polite knock broke the stagnant air of the office. As Barbara turned, a familiar voice came from beyond the door.
“Your Excellency, it is Simon.”
Barbara set the coffee cup down on the tray and checked the clock. Exactly ten minutes had passed.
She walked across the office and opened the door. The precise Simon von Bernheim entered, his face expressionless. By then, Oscar had already turned from the window and was standing near his desk.
Simon strode toward him and stood at attention like a soldier. Oscar gave him a nod, signaling him to get to the point, and Simon immediately began his report.
“Last night, Grand Duke Baden’s trial was concluded. Not only was he dismissed from his position as president of the Pelfe Bank, but his title of Grand Duke and all his authority were also revoked.”
At Simon’s report, a cold, sharp light flickered in the eyes of both Oscar and Barbara.
“He took it back almost as soon as he gave it, but to wrap things up this quickly…” Oscar murmured with a faint chuckle.
“Are you referring to the King of Pelfe?” Simon asked.
“Yes.”
“He must have been in a hurry.”
“Undoubtedly. He must have been driven half-mad watching Baden run amok all this time. Ah, if his title was revoked, is he no longer Baden?”
“That is correct. Furthermore, several charges have yet to be tried. The way things are going, there is a seventy percent chance he will be sentenced to death.”
“And what is the probability of him being assassinated within the remaining thirty percent?”
“I would estimate it at over ninety percent.”
Oscar’s smile widened.
“I heard his mother, Countess Ilya, fainted upon hearing of the revocation of his title. Shall I have information gathered on her as well?”
“Gather it, but there is no need to report it. Keep it on file, and bring it to me only if necessary.”