Weren’t You the One Who Was Dying? Chapter 26

‘Elzers, for now, ask your colleagues to come over again.’

‘What are you even planning to do, Delphi?’

 

Of course, I wasn’t some brilliant investigator or detective, so I knew absolutely nothing about investigation techniques or procedures for catching a thief.

All I had was a shallow bit of knowledge—from the countless novels I’d read in my past life—about how things usually played out when incidents like this happened.

And right now, I was trying to lean on that cliché knowledge.

In other words, since this world was basically a novel too, I was hoping—please—that the incident would unfold like one as well.

I carefully observed Elzers’s colleagues the entire time they stayed in his house.

‘That person… looks suspicious.’

Among them, I noticed one person who stood out.

The one who kept glancing at the belt.

‘From Elzers’s point of view, he wouldn’t want to suspect his colleagues.’

It’s hard to doubt people close to you.

But Elzers’s scholar colleagues weren’t close to me at all, so I could suspect them without hesitation.

Some time passed after the group left the room. I stayed hidden in the wardrobe the entire time, barely breathing.

‘He’ll come back. I’m sure of it.’

But contrary to my expectations, time just kept passing.

‘No one’s coming.’

I could hear conversation and the clinking of glasses outside, but inside this room—where the belt was—nothing happened.

“Shall we wrap things up?”

“Yes, it was fun, Elzers.”

Soon, I heard Elzers and his colleagues tidying up. It seemed like nothing was going to happen and everyone was about to leave.

‘Was this a bad move after all…?’

Sitting alone in the wardrobe, I rubbed my numb legs and bit my lip.

Maybe I should’ve just called in a professional investigator.

‘If it were Ehit, he’d probably say I should’ve used a different method and scold me with that stiff expression of his.’

No—back at Salon Ohastein, he’d hidden like this too. He waited quietly until the other side revealed their true nature, then appeared.

‘Where was Ehit hiding back then? In a wardrobe like this?’

With his build, it’d be a miracle if the wardrobe didn’t break.

‘If he’d been hiding in here with me, both of us would’ve had to fold ourselves up like origami.’

That image made me smile without realizing it.

‘Wait—what am I thinking?’

Why am I imagining Ehit being here?

‘I must be losing it from sitting in this wardrobe too long!’

I should just go out. My plan had already gone down the drain anyway—

At that moment.

Without even a creak, someone reentered the room.

“……”

I froze with my hand on the door, holding my breath as I watched him.

It happened fast. Completely naturally, he swapped the belt in an instant. It didn’t look like his first time. Then he calmly left the room.

“I’m looking for the restroom—where is it, Elzers?”

His casual voice faded away.

“……”

I’d forgotten even to blink. Only after my eyes dried out did I squeeze them shut and open them again. My heart pounded hard.

‘I knew it… I was right.’

I wanted to fling the wardrobe door open and rush out immediately, but it still wasn’t enough.

With slightly trembling hands, I took out a small bell and a rod from my clothes. Inside the wardrobe, I rang the bell twice—ding, ding.

“What was that sound?”

I heard Elzers’s colleagues murmuring outside.

The bell was a signal Elzers and I had agreed on.

Once if it was the man with glasses, twice if it was the short red-haired man, and three times if it was the one with long gray hair.

Elzers continued.

“Oh, right. I found the watch too.”

His acting was stiff, like reading from a script, but it didn’t matter anymore.

“It seems an acquaintance was curious about it. They borrowed it for a bit.”

“They borrowed it? Something that expensive, without saying anything? What kind of acquaintance does that?”

“They only borrowed it briefly. I’ve got it back now.”

“What? That can’t be—”

The voice of the man who’d taken the belt sounded flustered. At least he was behaving exactly like a cliché villain.

Kind-hearted Elzers hesitated for a moment, then spoke to his colleague.

“Hand over the belt first, Pedian.”

“W-what are you talking about?”

The red-haired man named Pedian played dumb.

“Ister, Hexha, help me out.”

“What are you doing? Let go!”

I kept listening closely to the conversation outside.

“Wait—stop! I’ll explain everything…!”

Pedian, who’d been struggling, suddenly fell silent. A heavy stillness followed.

It seemed the three had found the belt on him.

‘If this was how it was going to end, why do something like that in the first place?’

I let out a quiet sigh. For Elzers, being betrayed by a colleague must’ve been a huge shock—but for me, finding the culprit was an enormous relief.

Breaking the silence, Elzers asked Pedian,

“Where is the Kelling watch?”

“The watch? Are you suspecting me of that too?”

“Kelling watches are rare and leave a strong mark. They say once you wear one, it leaves a trace for a week.”

“T-that’s impossible. What are you talking about? That can’t be—”

“They say it’s because of the material in the strap. Each watch leaves a unique trace, and with Estard solution, you can tell exactly which watch was worn.”

“……”

“I’ll have the Estard solution brought in.”

Elzers delivered the lines he’d practiced—awkward, but clear. Then he drove in the final nail.

“Once I see it with my own eyes… I’ll have no choice but to hand you over to the Investigation Bureau.”

“Elzers.”

“If you return the watch now, I’ll let it go without another word, Pedian.”

The outside grew quiet again. I heard the other two asking in confused voices if that was really true, then another stretch of silence followed.

‘It’s time for me to go out.’

But just then, the door burst open.

“Pedian!”

Click. The sound of the door locking was followed by loud banging as someone tried to force it open from outside.

“Huff, huff….”

The red-haired man flung open the window.

“Give me some time too, Elzers!”

Shouting that, Pedian tried to climb out the window. He was trying to escape.

‘Not before we get the watch back!’

I threw open the wardrobe door and leapt out.

If he escaped now, there’d be no way to pull Elzers out of his mountain of debt.

“Get down!”

I grabbed Pedian from behind as he put his foot on the window frame. Startled by the sudden hand, he screamed as if he’d seen a ghost.

I said calmly,

“If you leave now, I’ll call the military immediately.”

“Who are you? Please—please—at least give me some time to think!”

Begging like he’d seen a specter, Pedian realized the person confronting him was smaller than himself.

He shoved me aside and tried to flee through the window again, but I grabbed him once more.

‘Does he have as much experience escaping as he does stealing?’

Even trying to strike his weak points to knock him out didn’t work.

I wanted to open the door and get help from Elzers and the others, but I was afraid he’d escape in that instant.

After struggling, Pedian ran toward the dresser.

“Stop it—what are you doing now—”

In his panic, he grabbed whatever was within reach.

It was the fake belt he’d swapped in.

“……!”

Murmuring “I’m sorry,” he lunged at me. I tried to dive back into the wardrobe, but there wasn’t enough time.

The belt was raised high. At that moment—

Thunk!

Something flew straight at Pedian’s face.

‘A stone?’

Pedian let out a groan and collapsed, and in that split second, I reached for the belt in his hand.

But Pedian—half-crazed by now—was faster.

His arm rose again, and the belt cut through the air like a whip.

With bare hands, maybe I could’ve done something—but not like this.

My body stiffened, shrinking without time to dodge.

‘What are you doing? I told you to take care of your health!’

For a brief moment, Ehit’s voice echoed in my ears.

He was always someone who took health very seriously.

‘If he saw me getting hurt like this, just how pathetic would he think I am…’

Snap!

At the sound of the belt striking down, goosebumps raced over my body. Then came the sharp pain—

‘…It’s gone?’

What just happened?

I flung my tightly shut eyes open.

“…What on earth do you think you’re doing.”

Blink.

Thinking I was hallucinating, I closed my eyes and opened them again.

Ehit had Pedian expertly subdued, pinning him down. At the same time, the door that had been slammed and rattled burst open with a bang.

“Dapflen! Are you okay?!”

Elzers rushed in, his face soaked with tears.

As Elzers helped me up and I nodded, I could only stare blankly at Ehit’s shirt shoulder, where blood was already starting to bead.

I shook off Elzers’s hand and hurried over to Ehit. Still holding Pedian down, he looked back at me.

“Ehit.”

His shoulder muscles were tensed hard as he restrained Pedian’s arm, and the red line of blood only grew darker.

I stared at it, then turned and shouted at Elzers,

“What are you doing, Elzers!”

Ehit tied up Pedian’s hands, and Elzers and the other scholars pressed him down with their bodies.

Only after striking Pedian’s neck and knocking him fully unconscious did Ehit finally let go.