KFBRV Pt 2 Ch 94

[Officer] "Ha. The way you’re acting, someone might think you were dragged here unjustly."

The middle-aged officer, who had been polite until now, openly showed his disgust. He crushed his cigarette into the ashtray, as if it had lost its taste. The officer beside him chided his senior.

[Lev] "Senior, look at her. See, I told you there's no need to go easy on them. Criminals never change."

The man who spoke was tall, scrawny, and looked about twenty-five. The young officer gestured at Paula with his chin.

[Lev] "Giving her a chance to confess is bullshit. Look at her attitude when we treat her gently. The only answer for trash like this is to shave their heads and throw them straight into prison!"

Though the young officer seemed annoyed with his senior, his boiling rage was clearly directed at Paula. He found it unforgivable that she dared to talk back to his superior.

Paula, however, didn't grasp the danger.

Pr—prison? That's where real criminals go.

She was stunned by the absurd idea that she could be sent to prison just because of Sasha's words.

[Paula] "How can you throw an innocent person in prison?! Can the Imperial Watch afford to be this incompetent?!"

Her shrill voice pushed the young officer over the edge. He jumped to his feet and grabbed her by the collar.

Clatter.

The chair he had been sitting on crashed to the floor.

[Lev] "Incompetent? An arsonist who can't even be reformed dares to lecture us?"

She was dragged roughly across the desk, gasping and choking. The middle-aged officer had to forcefully pry Lev's hand from her collar.

[Officer] "Hey! Lev! Why are you so worked up? Calm down."

Though Lev had only held her for a few seconds, her face had turned pale enough to faint.

Arsonist.

That single word dragged up a memory from two years ago—a memory she had buried deep in her mind.

Only then did her eyes fall on the folder sitting in the middle of the desk. She frantically flipped open the cover, seeing her name scrawled across it.

[Paula] "……!"

Clipped to the very first page of the bundle was a clear black-and-white photograph. It was a picture of her, smiling as she walked away from the fire. Detailed witness testimonies and investigation records were attached alongside it.

She staggered backward and collapsed into her chair.

Why? He said I wouldn't get caught. There hasn't been a single trace of this for two years!

She forced out a weak defense.

[Paula] "I was brought here because of the…… the ring, right? How did the charge suddenly change?"

[Officer] "Yeah, the ring. That was the deciding factor. Even with a picture of the arsonist right in front of us, we dreaded how long it would take to track this person down. But would you look at that? The former Countess filed a report about a stolen ring, and it came with a drawing of your face right next to it."

Opening her mouth had only dug her grave deeper.

[Paula] "……"

Paula knew best whether she was guilty or not. Thus, her entire demeanor shifted dramatically from when she believed she was innocent. She went completely silent.

To avoid the officers' eyes, she stared down at the documents.

Instead of pressing her further, Lev picked up his fallen chair and sat down.

Paula didn't know it, but her reaction was as good as a confession. The officers decided to simply observe her in silence.

Unaware that even this reaction would be used against her in court, Paula desperately searched for a way out. Then, a thought struck her.

Aren't lawyers…… aren't lawyers meant for times like this?

She wasn't familiar with such situations, but she had heard rumors. When things looked bad, it was better to call a lawyer than to speak for yourself.

But she didn't have a lawyer to call. She had always sneered at the "working class" for not being part of the true noble world, but in reality, she was just an arrogant maid.

Sasha was a rotten rope to hold onto, and Charlotte had proven herself useless days ago. That meant she only had one person left.

[Paula] "Call Viscount Köndel for me."

As always, it was Viscount Köndel. She felt embarrassed to ask for his help again, but she was in no position to be picky.

[Lev] "Why would Lord Köndel come for someone like you?"

The young officer's voice dripped with sarcasm.

[Paula] "I am Lord Köndel's fiancée. Tell him his fiancée is asking for him, and tell him to bring the family's legal counsel."

The air in the interrogation room froze instantly. The Imperial Watch could boast about its power all it wanted, but that authority only worked on commoners and the new bourgeoisie. Against the hereditary nobles who had supported the Empire for generations, the Watch was nothing.

Nobles possessed legal immunity from arrest by the Watch. Within their own territories, they acted as kings with the final say in legislative, judicial, and executive matters.

Offending such highborn individuals would ruin an officer's career—if they were lucky. If they were unlucky, they would lose their heads.

And she had named Köndel, a family with a long, prestigious history.

Though it was merely the claim of a criminal, the officers couldn't ignore even the slightest possibility that it was true. Both Lev and the senior officer stiffened in their seats.

[Officer] "I will send a messenger to Lord Köndel immediately."

Lev, who had been arrogant moments before, completely unlocked the bronze cuffs dangling from her wrist.

While they waited, they offered her a warm meal and brought hot towels so she could wipe her face, since she hadn't bathed in a week.

Their sudden change in attitude flooded her with relief. It also made her realize just how essential Köndel was to her life.

However, after half a day of waiting, the man who arrived at the station was not someone she recognized.

[Man] "You called for me urgently?"

His receding hairline made him look far older than his thirty-odd years. Deep, dark circles sagged under his eyes. Despite layering expensive clothes and accessories, he looked vulgar—like a shabby donkey.

[Officer] "Yes, sir. It is an honor. Your fiancée urgently requested that the Viscount bring a lawyer."

[Man] "So, where is this woman?"

Paula guessed his identity. Since this man clearly wasn't Köndel, he had to be someone else.

[Paula] "Are you…… the lawyer Lord Köndel sent?"

[Man] "And who are you?"

[Paula] "You're the legal counsel, right? I am Lord Köndel's fiancée, the one who asked for you."

The man stared at Paula in utter disbelief.

Hah.

He let out a scoffing laugh, turning his eyes away from her as if she were a piece of trash, and immediately scolded the officers.

[Man] "You should filter out the nonsense of a crazy woman! You dare summon me over this garbage?"

He pointed a disgusted finger at Paula's hands.

[Man] "Could that possibly be my fiancée? Commoners are all the same. Anyone can see those are the hands of a maid."

Though her hands were soft for a maid who did hard labor, they could never compare to the hands of a noble who had never worked a day in her life.

[Man] "My reputation may have faded recently, but how could a commoner suffer from the delusion that she is my fiancée? Hah! I rushed over here thinking Lady Luise had claimed to be my fiancée."

Paula blinked in confusion.

What is this old donkey talking about? The way he speaks, he makes it sound like he is Köndel.

But she knew Köndel's face better than anyone. That was why she assumed this man was the lawyer. She thought he was playing a cruel joke on her.

[Paula] "Mister. This is the Imperial Watch. Stop impersonating a noble before you get in trouble, and just do your job as a lawyer."

A creeping dread began to rise in the corner of her mind, but she refused to accept it. If she did, she would lose her mind. So, she forced herself to believe her own absurd logic—that the lawyer was merely playing a prank.

[Man] "Look at her. She's clearly lost her mind, hasn't she? Deal with her yourselves. No matter how crazy she is, impersonating the fiancée of a prestigious family? Commoners these days have no manners and no sense. Tsk!"

He muttered irritably. He then began haranguing the officers, demanding to know how they would compensate him for his disappointment.

It seemed "Lady Luise" wasn't a fiancée, but rather a woman this man was aggressively pursuing.

However, his ruined mood was nothing compared to the horrific despair crashing down on Paula.

[Paula] "No. No, it can't be. There's no way. You can't be Lord Köndel."

It was a bizarre situation where both sides denied the other. The officers exchanged glances, trying to make sense of the madness, but they were completely lost.

[Paula] "He definitely asked me to marry him. He said he was Gustav Köndel. He helped me, he even saved me—"

She muttered, her voice trembling with terror.

[Paula] "You can't be Köndel. You can't be the real one. I know he is real! That man is the real one, and you are a fake! The man who is going to make me a noble is the real one!"

Only then did the donkey-like man click his tongue in understanding.

[Man] "It seems you fell for it. You got played by the bastard who has been impersonating me."

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