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LOS 81
It didn't take long for news to break that the Glubihne magazine company, having earned a vast sum of money "for certain reasons," had acquired a similar company overseas.
How could a minor magazine like Glubihne suddenly come into enough money to expand abroad? It was a complete mystery.
Some speculated that since the situation in Beldam showed no signs of improving, they had scraped together loans to flee the country entirely.
Once people reached that conclusion, their curiosity about Glubihne quickly faded. After all, it was just an unpopular magazine. They'd likely go bankrupt and end up buried in debt soon enough.
Having captured the industry's attention for a brief moment, Glubihne returned to being "just another mediocre magazine" and was forgotten by everyone.
No one imagined that a magazine that had failed to achieve any significant results in Beldam would garner such immense attention abroad.
I gave a request to the reporter who visited me as a representative of Glubihne.
"Continue publishing your usual articles as if nothing has happened. It should look like you are simply moving the headquarters. Because it's a small magazine, it will attract attention at first, but interest will soon fade."
Beldam society was not so idle as to keep its eyes on a single magazine. This was especially true these days, with provocative information rampant under the leadership of certain individuals.
"Wait until you can normally publish the magazine there. You must not be hasty. If the Intelligence Agency notices something is strange, everything will go down the drain."
Since the radio broadcast incident, the Intelligence Agency had left Eloise Bismarck alone, but that didn't mean I had completely escaped their sight. I was still Giles Hessen's lover.
After that, I continued to meet with Glubihne officials under the guise of purchasing books.
"Will a manuscript of this quality be sufficient?"
After carefully scanning the manuscript, I finally nodded. However, they still seemed uncertain about the plan.
"It may not produce as great an effect as you desire, My Lady. We don't know how this incident will be received abroad..."
"It's fine."
It really was fine. I didn't think a mere existence like myself could shake the world. Perhaps I would end up achieving nothing and simply wasting my efforts.
"Proceed for now. The results will provide the answer."
If Beldam wouldn't listen to me, I could appeal to others. If my story reached even one person, and if that could help me and Giles even a little bit.
Sometimes I wonder. Can something like this really save Giles? In any case, within Beldam, he is essentially a certified death row inmate. What use is it to move public opinion outside of Beldam?
Still, I had to keep doing something. Otherwise, I was too anxious to sleep.
If this didn't yield results, I would simply find another way.
Before long, Glubihne, having moved its headquarters to another country, successfully published my story.
I knew of this fact instantly. What other reason would the Intelligence Agency people have to storm into the mansion with such grim faces?
Arent Holtzman was standing at the entrance, looking at me. As the head of the Count Bismar household, I greeted him with a smile.
"It's been a while, Agent. Would you like a cup of tea?"
Of course, we all knew he hadn't come for tea.
He spoke, his words mixed with a sigh.
"Miss Eloise... I assume you are aware that you have no right to protest what is about to happen."
Go ahead and try. I was prepared to pay any price.
It was as if he had read my mind. As if no useless additions were necessary, he gestured with his chin toward his attendants. Some of the servants screamed as the large men tried to seize me.
"Wait! What are you doing to the young lady? She is the head of the Count Bismar household!"
Josef protested, pulling the attendants away from me. I felt a bit grateful to him. Though it was a title in name only, it seemed there were servants who truly cared for me.
"Miss Eloise will need to stay elsewhere for a while."
"I cannot accept this unless the young lady agrees."
"This is for the sake of the state."
At those words, Josef was left speechless, only glancing back and forth between Arent and me. I calmed the righteous servant before he could get more agitated.
"It's alright. Nothing will happen to me."
"But..."
"Where am I going?"
Even if I resisted, there was nowhere left for me to retreat. Knowing this well, I didn't bother asserting my pride.
Arent stepped aside and said,
"Follow me. We will take care of the rest."
I stepped forward without hesitation. I had experienced far worse situations several times before. Furthermore, knowing they couldn't kill me yet, I had no reason to hesitate.
Now, the servants, including Josef, could say nothing and only watched as I departed. Suddenly, my eyes met Adele's. She couldn't maintain eye contact for long and hurriedly lowered her head.
They did not show me the way. The car windows were blocked with black cloth, and no one spoke throughout the journey.
It seemed I had made them quite angry. Well, even so, it wasn't surprising. I had roughly expected it.
Still, I wished I knew how the public had reacted...
After a while, I stepped out of the car and was pushed through the entrance before I even had a chance to look up at the building's architecture.
Even as they hurried my pace, I diligently scanned my surroundings. Fortunately, it didn't seem like they had brought me to a brutal place. Not yet.
Was this another mansion? Or a building owned by the Intelligence Agency? The interior of the building, which was practically empty, gave me no information.
"Where is this?"
I gathered my courage to ask, but Arent replied curtly without turning around.
"It is a safe place, so there is no need to worry."
"I was already in a safe place."
"At least here, no one will be able to bother Miss Eloise."
I wasn't so stupid as to not understand the meaning behind his words.
We continued walking. This building was much larger than I had imagined. Moreover, every spot where there should have been a window was nailed shut with boards, making it feel desolate.
Since it had come to this, I decided to be a bit more brazen.
"How was the reaction?"
He ignored me. But I didn't stop.
"If you're this angry, it means I didn't work in vain, right?"
His pace quickened slightly. I could feel him adjusting his glasses and letting out a deep sigh. It seemed my words were true. I had to find out if I had truly done something meaningful, even in this manner.
Still, it was true that I was a bit worried. If these people intended to lock me away in a deep place, how was I supposed to help Giles now?
I was already sketching out an escape route when Arent suddenly stopped.
"Please enter."
He said as he opened another door. I looked up at his expressionless face once and then walked in obediently.
My first impression was that the room was larger than expected. Of course, it wasn't cozy at all. The stark white room felt almost cold.
Someone stood up from a corner of the room. Thinking it was simply another attendant, I had been ignoring him, but then I turned my gaze toward him.
In that moment, I couldn't help but lose my composure.
"Anna?"
Giles was there. Fortunately, he looked fine. He didn't seem to have been tortured, and he looked much cleaner than I had feared. Only heavy-looking handcuffs bound his wrists.
Giles also seemed to realize this was reality and called my name with a certain voice.
"Anna!"
"Giles!"
My mind went blank, and I blindly ran to him and threw myself into his arms. Of course, Giles couldn't hug me back. It didn't matter. I hugged him with all my strength.
I bit my lip, fearing this might be one of those hollow dreams, but fortunately, it didn't seem to be a dream. The feel of the fabric covering his firm body was vivid. It's not a dream. This was reality.
Tears streamed down my cheeks unconsciously. It was even more so because I hadn't expected to meet Giles again in this way.
Giles looked confused, but at the same time, he had a sorrowful expression. As he twitched his hands, the chains made a clanking noise.
I looked up at Giles to ask him something. Giles, did they mistreat you? How have you been? Were you safe? Nothing happened, right?
But they seemed to think even that amount of time was a waste. Our reunion came to an abrupt end.
Men who looked like soldiers grabbed me and roughly tore me away. Before I could protest, I was thrown to the floor. My skin was scraped against the rough wooden floor, and blood beaded up.
"What are you doing?"
An angry Giles tried to approach me, but even he was restrained by the soldiers. With his arms held back, he looked down at me with eyes full of anxiety.
I also sensed that something was about to happen to me. Looking around, Arent had already disappeared, and only the soldiers surrounded me. Among them, I spotted a familiar face.
It was the Major who had visited me, Luise Gottlieb.
"Luise, what are you trying to..."
She looked down at me with an exceptionally grim face and gave an order in a voice I hadn't heard before.
"...Begin."
"Luise!"
Giles's shout had no effect on them. Large soldiers approached me. Upon spotting the batons in their hands, I instinctively curled my body into a ball and covered my head with both hands.
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