Doreen crouched in the corner of the prison with her hands on her knees.
She has been locked up here for almost a week.
This is a completely closed room, isolated from the outside world.
There was no one else except her, and she couldn't even hear other people's voices. When eating, drinking, and taking out the trash, she had to first enter Room A in the back room. The warden would wait until the warden confirmed that she had entered Room A before going through the ceremony to remotely
Lock the door of Room A, and then send someone into Room B to put food and water in and take away the garbage.
There was nothing in her room except a wooden tray for food, a wooden bowl for water, a small toilet for excretion, and a "bed" like a sleeping bag spread on the floor of Room A.
Empty.
Only when being interrogated will strangers wearing rings or white gloves and stern faces push in the door.
As long as they look at each other, Doreen will immediately lose consciousness.
That's a very uncomfortable feeling.
It's like immersing your head in ice water and being frozen until you lose consciousness.
She didn't even know what questions she answered, or when they left... It was as if she had lost consciousness after drinking too much.
When she woke up, she would feel that her brain was extremely hot, as if she had a fever. It would take several hours for her to recover.
But the good thing is that while she is being held in this confinement room, the fear and anxiety that slowly accumulated in her heart will disappear without a trace as that state comes.
Doreen was very worried.
Did he leak the information about Mr. Ghirlandaio while he was unconscious?
Or is there already a fight going on outside? A fight for the right to inherit the throne? Or a fight between uncle and nephew?
Will His Highness Dmitry be exiled?
After all, he doesn't look very smart...
I heard that Grand Duke Ivan is not in good health. Will something happen to him? He was assassinated by Mr. Ghirlandaio, saying that he died of illness and then took the opportunity to seize the throne or something, and His Highness Dmitry will be exiled to
Abroad... it still feels very possible. However, Grand Duke Ivan is said to be a very good person, so it is best not to die...
Mr. Ghirlandaio - No, His Highness Ghirlandaio does not seem to be as discriminatory towards werewolves as his brothers. If he could become the Archduke of Winter, maybe the situation of us werewolves could be slightly improved...
Not sure, right?
But, but if I know so many secrets, will I be silenced by Ghirlandaio?
"...Woo."
Thinking of this, Doreen wailed and buried her face between her knees.
——I feel cold, I.
At this moment, there was a squeaking sound.
The door, which was tightly closed and had no door handle, was opened from the outside. Two hands of winter came in, holding the door from one side to the other, looking straight ahead.
...Hey, I haven’t gone in and locked the door yet?
Doreen shivered and looked at the door with some strangeness and fear.
Normally, she had to enter Room A and lock herself before she could open this door.
Why aren't you worried about me running away this time?
Difficult, is he finally going to be executed?
"——Doreen."
Mr. Ghirlandaio's voice came from the door.
The middle-aged man with a gentle smile on his face and his facial features as deep and handsome as a sculpture walked in through the two Winter Hands.
"Mr. Ghirlandaio..."
Doreen responded quietly.
She reluctantly tried to stand up from the ground.
But because I had squatted for so long, my legs were numb, so I stumbled and fell forward.
Before she could fall into Ghirlandaio's arms, he quickly grabbed her shoulders and helped her up.
...Is it an illusion?
Why do you feel that Mr. Ghirlandaio's hand is so strong... It's like a stone statue come to life.
But she quickly reacted and broke free to stand upright.
"——Hug, sorry, Mr. Ghirlandaio! I'm rude!"
Doreen tried to make her voice as loud as possible, but it was still too quiet to be heard clearly.
She was terrified of her own clumsiness.
And I felt my throat tightening with fear, and my gums and fingertips were slightly numb.
Ghirlandaio revealed a somewhat incomprehensible... strange, almost scrutinizing smile.
...This smile seems to have been seen somewhere.
Yes.
The teacher seemed to have shown this expression when he selected her...
"Doreen."
"Yes...! I...I'm here."
Her voice became smaller and smaller.
But Ghirlandaio just patted her on the shoulder and showed a gentle smile: "Don't be nervous.
"By the way, why are you so afraid of me? You obviously haven't been like this before."
Me, what can I say?
Because I don’t know if I have leaked the secret, I don’t know if I will be silenced...
Looking at Doreen who was hesitating, Ghirlandaio's eyes became deeper and deeper.
As if to break the silence, the middle-aged man with black hair and eyes slowly spoke:
"Don't be nervous, nothing happened."
"What does it mean..."
"Everything is the same as before."
Ghirlandaio said as if casually: "By the way. If you are released, what are your plans in the future?"
"If you plan to..."
Doreen hesitated and couldn't answer anything. She didn't know what the right thing to say was.
"……I have no idea."
She hesitated for a long time and finally said this.
This is the truth.
Because I didn’t know what the “right” words were, I had to tell the truth in the end.
At least this way you won't regret too much if you get the answer wrong.
"But if possible... I want to go find [Teacher]."
"Professor Wolf."
"Yes."
Doreen bit her lip—literally bit her lip. She sucked her own blood like a baby sucking milk.
"I want to ask him...why he gave me such a task. And, to him, who am I..."
As she talked, Doreen's voice became smaller and smaller.
She became more and more lost.
In fact, there is no need to let [Professor Wolf] give the answer himself.
She has long understood... that she is just a disposable tool.
——After all, Professor Wolf himself is not a werewolf.
He adopts and raises werewolf orphans just to achieve his own goals. From this point of view, Professor Wolf is no different from other people who regard werewolves as tools.
"In that case."
Ghirlandaio said warmly: "Why don't you just follow me first."
"……you?"
Doreen looked at Ghirlandaio in surprise.
But... is this necessary?
I'm obviously just a useless werewolf.
I don't know anyone, and I don't have any special skills. I just know how to follow orders...and I can't do anything well.
"Yes, follow me."
Ghirlandaio said slowly: "I want to go to the underground world first to do some things. After that, I just want to go to Professor Wolf and ask him face to face about some things. From this point of view, our
The goal is the same, isn't it?"
Are the goals...the same?
Doreen looked at Ghirlandaio blankly.
In her eyes, the gentle smile of the middle-aged man was reflected.
It seems to be particularly convincing.
"It's like being a teacher."
she whispered.
"What?"
"No, there isn't."
Doreen felt inexplicably more fond of the person in front of her.
Since you are just a tool... why not let someone who wants you use you.
Thinking this way, Doreen felt that her mood had improved a lot.
——Where she can't see.
Ghirlandaio held two crystal bells in the palm of his lowered left hand.