MLHRGD 45

#45. Trial (3)

For a while, the two of them sat quietly holding hands, simply feeling each other’s presence.

Then, Sasha spoke to Pavel inwardly.

[Thank you, Pavel.]

Pavel turned his face to the side, embarrassed by Sasha’s honest gratitude, his cheeks slightly red.

Seeing Pavel’s reddened ears, Sasha’s eyes curved as she smiled.

Thanks to Pavel, she felt at ease.

‘So this is why people seek counseling.’

While marveling, Sasha blinked.

‘Should I take this chance to confide my other worries to Pavel too?’

No sooner had she thought that—

“Say it,” Pavel said right away.

“I’ll listen to anything.”

It was a reassuring statement.

Pavel probably only meant that he would listen like a bamboo grove taking in a whisper, but his serious expression made it feel as though he would somehow solve whatever problem was given to her.

One way or another, it was clear he was thinking of her. Sasha’s heart softened.

“Hmm, so…”

But the situation was a bit complicated to explain in words.

Furrowing her brows as she thought, Sasha tightened her grip on Pavel’s hand and began to speak in her mind.

[His Grace the Grand Duke entrusted me with full authority over this matter.]

“Father did?”

[Yes. And now I’m worried. I don’t know what I should do.]

Sasha let out a small sigh.

[There are so many people involved… I don’t know how to deal with them.]

It was a problem worth worrying about. Pavel didn’t know how to respond, only parting his lips.

‘I want to help her…’

How good would it be if he could solve Sasha’s worries for her at times like this?

But right now, Pavel lacked both the experience and eloquence.

Frustrated, he did the only thing he could—squeeze her hand to show that he was listening carefully.

A bright smile returned to Sasha’s face.

She didn’t have Pavel’s ability to read thoughts, but she could still sense that he simply wanted to comfort her.

[Still, talking to you like this… my mind was all tangled, but it feels clearer now.]

“Then keep talking. Until you’re all untangled.”

“Can I?”

Sasha blinked as she asked, and Pavel nodded.

[Then, sorry, but please keep listening.]

There was no spoken conversation.

Sasha rambled on with her thoughts, and Pavel simply nodded from time to time, silently listening.

After some time,

‘How strange.’

Simply voicing the words she’d kept inside to another person lightened her heart and mind.

Sasha looked at Pavel with a much brighter expression.

[Yeah. I think I’ve got a rough idea of what to do now.]

As that thought ended, Sasha, who had been silent, finally parted her lips.

“Thank you, Pavel.”

Pavel’s hand trembled.

‘…Thank me?’

He had always thought of his ability as cursed. He prayed every day for it to disappear.

But now that he realized it could be of help to Sasha, his thoughts changed.

Maybe this ability wasn’t so bad after all.

Once his mindset shifted, Pavel thought of a way his ability could help Sasha.

“Should I help you?” he asked suddenly.

“Huh?”

“I’ll help you.”

At first his voice was cautious, but confidence soon tinged it.

“What do you mean?”

“Use my ability.”

“What?”

“If you use my ability during interrogations, it’ll be easier.”

“But…”

Sasha hesitated.

‘What if they’re having terrible thoughts? Pavel would hear all of it…’

It wasn’t something a child should be exposed to.

More than that, she knew Pavel disliked using his ability.

‘He hates reading other people’s minds. No, I can’t let him.’

After a short moment of contemplation, Sasha steeled herself.

“I appreciate it, but I don’t need your help.”

It was a firm refusal. But Pavel didn’t back down.

They were still holding hands, so he could hear exactly why Sasha had rejected his offer without hesitation.

Seeing Sasha avoid the easier path for his sake only solidified Pavel’s resolve.

“It’s fine. I don’t care what kind of garbage those people are thinking. And besides…”

Pavel shrugged nonchalantly.

“I don’t hate my ability as much anymore.”

“…Really?”

Sasha asked carefully, worried he was just saying that for her sake. Pavel replied lightly.

“Yeah. Actually, I like it. I feel like my ability’s useful.”

Sasha’s expression wavered.

“But…”

“Let me help you.”

Pavel’s voice was full of desperate sincerity meant to persuade her.

“When I think my ability can help someone, especially you, Sasha… it doesn’t feel so awful anymore.”

Sasha’s eyes widened. She’d never thought of it like that.

After a moment’s hesitation, she squeezed Pavel’s hand tightly.

“Then… I’ll be counting on you.”

“Yeah.”

Pavel grinned.

The two of them pressed their foreheads together and began to think of ways to make use of Pavel’s ability.

Interrogation Room.

A narrow, dark room with only a faint lantern on the table for light.

The man brought in for questioning lost heart at the dim, oppressive atmosphere.

“Sit here.”

A large knight guided him with a heavy voice.

“Y-yes.”

The man carefully sat where he was instructed.

“I’ll blindfold you.”

The knight covered the man’s eyes with a thick cloth.

Already frightened, the blindfold doubled his tension.

He gulped down hard.

Soon after—

Creeeeak, step step.

He heard the sound of the door opening and light footsteps.

‘Who’s coming?’

With his vision blocked, his other senses grew sharper.

The chill brushing his skin, the sound of the mysterious person’s footsteps drawing nearer—everything made goosebumps rise.

‘Ugh, I wish this would be over soon…’

Then something cold touched the back of his neck.

“Eek!”

“Stay still!”

The man trembled violently in fright, but the knight forcibly straightened his posture.

“Th-there was something… no, there’s still something touching me—”

“It’s part of the procedure. Pay it no mind.”

Cutting off the man’s rambling, the knight began the interrogation.

“You are the owner of Anton Trading, which primarily supplies wheat to the Gorky Marquisate, correct?”

“Y-yes, that’s…”

The man stammered. He could still feel the unknown cold touch at the back of his neck.

But as he continued answering, the touch seemed to grow warmer.

‘It doesn’t feel like metal. More like… human skin?’

It suddenly felt like a person’s hand was pressed to his neck.

A hand? Who was holding him, and why?

‘If I slip up, are they going to strangle me…?!’

The plausible guess made him tremble harder.

Swept up in fear, the man spoke obediently, making the interrogation progress smoothly.

Even after the questioning ended and the mysterious hand left his neck, he couldn’t relax.

Step step, creeeak—

The presence behind him completely disappeared as the door opened and closed.

He could only release the breath he’d been holding once the footsteps faded away.

“Wh-what… what was that just now?”

“……”

The knight silently removed his blindfold, then warned him as he left.

“Never speak of what happened in there.”

The method Sasha and Pavel devised for interrogations was simple.

Inside the interrogation room, they left Andrei—the trustworthy knight—for security. When the subject was brought in, their eyes were blindfolded.

Then Pavel would quietly enter and make physical contact with the subject to read their thoughts.

The interrogation itself was conducted through Andrei.

Andrei’s task wasn’t complicated. He only had to read the questions Sasha had prepared in advance and listen to the answers.

Even the most skilled liar can’t hide the instinctive thoughts that flash through their mind when hearing a question.

Pavel would catch those fleeting fragments of truth.

As a result—

“That guy we just questioned… every word out of his mouth was a lie,” Pavel reported.

“Really?”

“Yeah. He lied about knowing nothing, lied about how he would never have done it if he’d known. He knew everything and deliberately deceived us.”

“Got it.”

Sasha drew a big “X” over the man’s name.

Soon, the page filled with names marked either “O” or “X.”

There were very few “O” marks meaning honest answers. Most were filled with lies and excuses.

‘Now that the interrogation is over, I should feel relieved… but I don’t.’

Looking at the page full of X’s, Sasha lifted her head.

“Thanks to you, it went smoothly. Thank you, Pavel.”

“…No.”

Seeing Sasha’s gentle smile, Pavel clenched his teeth. He shouldn’t be hearing thanks.

The interrogations had made something clear to him.

Sasha was being disregarded because of him.

Because he was lacking and unworthy, his wife Sasha was treated the same way.

‘It’s all because of me.’

Pavel clenched his fists.

From now on, he would never allow this to happen again.

He would become so strong that no one could ever disrespect him or Sasha.

He would ensure Sasha lived a life where she was admired by all.

He would make it happen, no matter what.