𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗𝟗
Chloe, who had come into the crown prince’s office accompanied by Celine,
Looked visibly nervous.
Contrary to Celine, who stood boldly before me, the crown princess,
Chloe seemed timid and lacking in confidence.
ㅤ
With her blonde hair and green eyes, Celine’s appearance clearly identifies her as a high-ranking noble,
While Chloe, with brown hair and eyes, bears colors that make her no different from a commoner.
ㅤ
Of course, Chloe, who has been employed as a court lady, is not a commoner.
She must be at least a noble’s daughter, expected to have excellent grades at the academy.
And yet, what could explain this lack of composure?
ㅤ
I thought she looked pale, but it seems that her heavily applied makeup makes her look completely white.
While she gives off a plain impression, the thick layer of white powder on her face is concerning.
ㅤ
“Crown Princess, I have brought Chloe.”
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“Thank you. Celine, you may leave the room.”
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I cannot have Celine present while talking to Chloe.
From now on, four people will have to confirm that the handwriting in the report is the same.
If it looks like Chloe has done more than just copy it neatly,
It can be assumed that someone has been burdened with the work.
ㅤ
Celine is also a subject that must be doubted, after all.
When I tried to leave only Chloe, both of them seemed agitated.
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Celine looks at Chloe with concern,
And Chloe looks at Celine as if clinging to her.
. . .I understand that they are close friends, but I must hear from Chloe.
ㅤ
After a brief pause, Celine bowed and left the room.
She looked concerned about Chloe, who seemed uneasy until the very end.
ㅤ
ㅤ
“Sorry for calling you so suddenly.
This is Celine’s report, Chloe transcribed it, so there’s no mistake, right?”
ㅤ
“Eh, ah, yes.”
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“You mean you transcribed Celine’s report as is?”
ㅤ
“Y, Yes. That’s right. I transcribed it as is to make sure there were no mistakes.”
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I see. So it seems that Celine is the one who made this report.
Then, who are the other three?
ㅤ
“Chloe’s handwriting is very neat.
It’s written carefully and is very easy to read.
Are you asked to transcribe for anyone else besides Celine?”
ㅤ
“. . . . . .No. Just Celine.”
ㅤ
“. . .I see. Understood.”
ㅤ
Only Celine has asked her to transcribe.
I feel like there’s no lie in those words, but then what about the other three?
I was about to ask when I saw Chloe’s hand trembling.
She’s tightly holding her left hand with her right, pressing it firmly.
Looking at that hand, I feel a sense of déjà vu.
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. . .Maybe it’s impossible to get it out of Chloe.
So that’s how it is.
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“Sorry about that. Chloe has very neat handwriting, so it caught my attention.
I also heard about Celine’s transcription from her.
The chief court lady’s eyes are bad, so she’s transcribing it to make it easier to read.
Keep up the good work.”
ㅤ
“T, Thank you. . .”
ㅤ
I tell Chloe, who seems relieved, that she may leave.
With her timid attitude to the end, Chloe awkwardly bows and leaves the room.
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“She left quickly. Was it okay not to ask Chloe?”
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Why I didn’t ask Chloe directly, David asks curiously.
Since I called her just to send her back without asking,
It’s not unreasonable for David to have doubts. However. . .
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“. . .Chloe, she’s probably being abused by someone.”
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“Eh?”
ㅤ
“I saw a bit of the back of her hidden left hand. It was bruised.
And her cheek was swollen, although she was hiding it with makeup. Someone hit her.”
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“. . .And that’s related to that report?”
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“I don’t know yet, but she was very frightened.
I thought it might be bad to force it out of her, so I didn’t ask.”
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I could see that the hand she was gripping had turned a reddish-black.
Her lack of confidence, her trembling body, filled with fear.
. . .I remember myself, standing before the former chief court lady,
That already seemed like someone who had been oppressed for a long time.
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“So that’s what it was.
Here’s Chloe’s information, Chloe・Balland.
She’s the eldest daughter of the Count Balland family.
She has never been in charge since becoming a court lady.
She has always been assigned to miscellaneous duties.”
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“Why has she always been assigned to miscellaneous duties?
She’s in the same batch as Celine, right?”
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“Yes, that’s right. . .She’s been a court lady for seven years now,
Normally, she would have been in charge of something within two or three years.”
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David also thinks it’s strange, tilting his head.
When I asked David for more detailed information,
Chris knew about Chloe.
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