The Reason Why the Forsaken Fake Returned Chapter 22

Shailoh, having received a firm answer, glanced around. She needed to end the conversation before it went any further.

 

“By the way, are you happy now, Claire?”

 

“…”

 

“I hope you stay happy.”

 

Because I want to make sure you know how it feels when it all falls apart. Shailoh swallowed her next words and turned away.

 

Just as Claire, eyes blazing, was about to grab her by the hair,

 

“T-There you are.”

 

The balcony door, which had been closed, suddenly opened, and someone interrupted. Shailoh tilted her head in curiosity.

 

“Baroness Boris?”

 

“I was looking for you. You haven’t been around for a while…”

 

Baroness Boris, her cheeks flushed, cast a sidelong glance at Claire, who was standing next to Shailoh. Claire’s eyes flickered for a moment as she met the baroness’s steady gaze. She clenched her fist briefly and then quickly fled the scene as if escaping.

 

What is Claire trying to hide? Her reaction upon seeing Baroness Boris was too peculiar to be simply called surprise. Lost in thought, Shailoh lifted her head at the touch of a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Where have you been, Sasha? I’ve been looking for you.”

 

“Oh, I just went out to the balcony for some fresh air.”

 

“You didn’t run into anyone, did you?”

 

“Well, I did see Claire.”

 

“…What?” Caleb’s eyes narrowed, seemingly caught off guard by the unexpected news.

 

“We didn’t have any special conversation. I don’t think she’ll reveal my identity to anyone. She seems to believe there’s a powerful figure backing me, and that I have some kind of weakness. That’s probably why she hasn’t mentioned anything to her family.”

 

“Should I look into it?”

 

Shailoh immediately shook her head. “I’ll handle it myself. This is my revenge.” Though she relied on him emotionally and still received his help, she had to dirty her own hands. She couldn’t live by leaving everything to him.

 

“That means…”

 

Caleb’s expression turned peculiar after being flatly rejected. Just as he was about to say something, an older man approached, interrupting their conversation.

 

“Baron, the master is waiting for you.”

 

The master referred to the former chief of security for the southern region, who was hosting this gathering. Caleb became alert and straightened his back. With a silent sigh, he extended his arm to her. Shailoh gladly took it.

 

As they walked down the long corridor, she remained tense the entire time. Just when it seemed like the hallway and stairs would never end, the servant guiding them stopped in front of a door.

 

“Master, I’ve brought the guests.”

 

“Let them in.”

 

As soon as permission was granted from inside, the heavy door swung open, revealing the room. Shailoh took a deep breath inwardly and slowly raised her bowed head.

 

In the dimly lit office, a man with broad shoulders like a mountain stood with his back to them. He slowly turned around, a long pipe in his mouth. “Baron Cal, I hear you have something to say to me.”

 

“Actually, it’s not me, but my companion, Miss Sasha Griche.”

 

Shailoh clenched and unclenched her fists behind her back. She had anticipated that someone who had once overseen security for such a vast region would be no ordinary person, but facing his sharp gaze and imposing stature made her feel intimidated.

 

“Miss Griche?”

 

“Yes.” Caleb answered softly, instinctively wrapping his hand around Shailoh’s, which had turned ice-cold without her realizing it.

 

Startled, Shailoh turned her head and then let out a sigh of relief, calming her racing heart. His affectionate eyes were gazing at her, and the familiar warmth of his touch eased the tension that had risen to her throat.

 

“It’s an honor to meet you, Sir.” Following proper etiquette, Shailoh lifted the hem of her dress slightly and greeted him, then got straight to the point. “The reason I dared to ask Baron Cal for this meeting is because I have something to say regarding a murder case that happened three years ago.”

 

“A murder case, you say.” The eyes that had been looking at her disdainfully, perhaps expecting a bribe, turned sharp at Shailoh’s words. “It must be about the guild leader of the Grid Merchant Guild murder case.”

 

“Yes.”

 

With Caleb by her side, she felt no fear.

 

While Shailoh took a deep breath, the chief of security, who had been rubbing his face in frustration, sank into the couch. “…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

“I came to discuss that matter with you.”

 

“Since we didn’t find the suspect, it’s practically a closed case. Shailoh Diponz poisoned the guild leader of the Grid Merchant Guild, who was pressing her too hard, and then vanished without a trace. And still…”

 

The head of security, who had been speaking, suddenly blinked at a sense of unease that surfaced. As he looked at her intently, he realized that the woman before him seemed familiar. Not from a performance, but as if he had known her from long ago… She resembled someone he knew.

 

“Claire Diponz…?”

 

“I look a lot like her, don’t I?” It felt like walking into a lion’s den. Her heart raced, and her mouth went dry. Shailoh wiped her sweaty palms on her dress and confessed clearly. “I’m Shailoh Diponz, the fake lady and the murder suspect.”

 

“W-What is this… Immediately…!”

 

“Sir Roderick.”

 

The shock only lasted a moment before the former head of security, rising with the intent to sweep away everything in sight, as if he might strike her down at any moment. Caleb quickly stepped in front of Shailoh. The head of security, eyes blazing with fury, roared with murderous intent.

 

“Baron Cal! Why on earth did you bring this woman to me?”

 

“Please, just hear her out until the end.”

 

“But!”

 

She was the murderer they had been desperately searching for. For some unknown reason, she had come to them on her own, and they couldn’t let her slip away. Roderick, who was losing his composure in anger and shock, froze at the cold words that followed.

 

“If you trust me, sit down and listen to her story until the end.”

 

“Even if it’s you, I can’t comply with such a request!”

 

“I suppose I didn’t express myself clearly.”

 

“If you understand, then quickly—”

 

The words were cut short. Caleb took a step forward and pressed down on Roderick’s shoulder, guiding him to sit on the couch. As Roderick awkwardly settled and tried to shake off Caleb’s hand, a chilling voice descended from above.

 

“This isn’t a request, Roderick.” Caleb leaned in and whispered so that Shailoh couldn’t hear. “So shut up and listen.”

 

Though the words were rude, the oppressive force bearing down on him made Roderick freeze. Having spent years on the edge of life and death, mingling with vicious criminals, he could sense it instinctively. The man before him was no ordinary person. He might be concealing his fangs now, but he was someone who could tear him to shreds at any moment.

 

“Ugh…” In the fierce standoff, it was Roderick who eventually surrendered. He slumped back onto the couch and picked up a new tobacco leaf to smoke in his pipe. “Very well. But if she tells an absurd story, she should be taken to trial and made to pay for her crimes.”

 

“Of course.” Shailoh nodded resolutely and made a request to Caleb. “Then could you please step out for a moment, Baron?”

 

“What?”

 

“I want to speak with Sir Roderick alone. It would be easier for both of us to focus that way.”

 

Though his reaction was one of disbelief, Shailoh had no intention of backing down. After a brief standoff, Caleb finally rose from his seat.

 

“Whenever you need help, just call for me. I’ll be right outside.”

 

“I will. Thank you.”

 

With a faint smile from Shailoh, Caleb left the room.

 

Left alone with Roderick, Shailoh began her story from the beginning: losing her mother under a bridge, life in an orphanage, the chance encounter that resulted in her being brought in by the duchess, and what happened after the real lady returned. She recounted how she tried to leave everything behind, only to be falsely accused of murder and forced into hiding.

 

Roderick listened intently, as if he wouldn’t miss a single word. When Shailoh finished, Roderick seemed drained, as if the weight of the story had sapped his strength. “To think such things happened… How am I supposed to believe you? And why are you confessing all this to me now? I’ve already retired.”

 

“This is the handwritten confession and report from the coroner who conducted the autopsy.”

 

“If it’s that, I’ve already—”

 

“Once you read it, you’ll understand. The poison that killed the guild leader of the Grid Merchant Guild isn’t something common; it’s a poison that could only have been obtained from the duchess’s family. The coroner confessed that he lied out of fear of the Diponz family.”

 

Tracking down the coroner, who had gone into exile far away after retiring, wasn’t easy. However, it was a task that had to be done, so with Caleb’s help, they eventually found him.

 

“I don’t know. I know nothing about this.”

 

Yet, the coroner refused to speak, fearing potential repercussions. Shailoh considered forcing the truth out of him, but that would have been no different from the methods of the Diponz family. Moreover, the coroner looked as if he’d rather bite his tongue and die than be coerced further.

 

Pondering the situation, Shailoh soon made a decision.