Masera remembered the round handwriting in the itinerary Cynthia had made during their honeymoon.
‘Cute handwriting.’
He would never admit that he had thought that at the time, no matter what.
In any case, the angular letters in the note were different from Cynthia’s usual handwriting.
“Handwriting…”
Helene muttered.
Were they close enough to distinguish such things? The informant said they barely even shared a bed?
‘Even so, there’s no way he’ll find out it’s my handwriting.’
The letters and invitations she had written so far had been written with great care, elegantly and neatly.
Then Masera took out a piece of paper from his pocket and showed it.
“This is my wife’s handwriting.”
A certain officer read aloud the writing that was densely written on the paper.
“…Central Mosaic Cell, Poho Glacier, Harmonica, Cadmium, Mium Mium Mi? Is this a code?”
“It was a word chain game, and proof that I won.”
Masera answered confidently.
It was the paper they had used for the word chain game on the way from the official residence to the villa.
Judging from the traces of the pen tip bursting in the cadmium and mium mium mi parts, there seemed to have been a serious conflict in those parts. What on earth did they bet on?
“Isn’t it deliberately modified?”
Valeria, who still couldn’t shake off her suspicion, questioned him, and the investigator answered instead.
“No matter how much you modify it, your unique handwriting remains. There’s a saying that you can’t hide your habits.”
“How do you know that?”
In response, the investigator introduced himself with a serious face.
“I am a Doctor of Letter Art with a major in World Linguistics and Graphology, and currently a ‘handwriting analysis expert’ affiliated with the Intelligence Agency.”
‘Why is an authority in this field here of all places?’
Feeling embarrassed, Helene picked up her teacup and moistened her throat.
Since the organizer of this social event was a high-ranking military official, specialized talents from each field had gathered in one place.
Masera neatly folded the word chain game paper and put it in his pocket as if it were precious, and then gestured to the investigator.
The investigator, who received his signal, continued.
“The found note contains two people’s handwriting. The density of the ink used and the thickness of the pen are also slightly different. The second sentence appears to have been written later.”
Helene, who immediately understood the words, blinked.
She had not written the phrase ‘Let’s run away together’, so she was thinking that maybe there was a chance to escape.
Helene turned around when she felt someone tapping her shoulder, and her eyes widened.
“Sister.”
Cynthia, who had appeared at the seat before she knew it, took out an envelope that looked like an invitation.
‘…!’
Helene’s face turned pale as she realized what it was.
It was the invitation to the Duke’s family that Cynthia had taken from Helene in the past. She had contacted Dahlia and brought it quickly.
“You wrote this for me before the wedding, didn’t you? It looks similar to the handwriting on the note, can you explain it?”
Helene’s usual handwriting, which she had written without any care, was exposed.
It was very similar to the handwriting on the note that Masera had.
“…You!”
Helene frowned and hurriedly managed her expression, feeling the gazes around her, but it was already too late.
People who saw the invitation were looking at Helene with surprised eyes.
Valeria was also staring at Helene with eyes that wanted an explanation.
Helene clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white.
Even if she had said from the beginning that it was the work of the kidnappers, it would have been just as difficult. If the Intelligence Agency stepped in to investigate, the fact that she was involved would have been revealed.
‘First, buy time, silence them with power and money, and then get rid of the evidence.’
Helene decided to change the subject immediately and said.
“Cynthia, then would you like to write a sentence that I call out in traditional language? To be sure, we need to check several letters.”
There was no way Cynthia, who was from a maid background, could write in traditional language.
‘Everyone will question Cynthia, who does not have the educational level of a noble.’
“Okay.”
Helene scoffed at Cynthia, who answered confidently.
Traditional language was so difficult that it had to be taught from a young age, and it was never something that could be learned in a few months.
Helene said with a smile.
“Write down one of the famous phrases from Tolstoy’s book.”
‘I’ll make you reveal your true colors and be humiliated in the end.’
Cynthia would not know any foreign writers, and there were no translated versions of traditional language.
At the end of Helene’s gaze, full of ridicule, she saw Cynthia holding a fountain pen and writing something down.
Soon, she held up a piece of paper with round handwriting on it.
“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
*Quotation: Leo Tolstoy, 『Anna Karenina』
‘What the… She translated it into traditional language so naturally?’
Helene had a blank expression on her face.
“…You, you said you weren’t good at traditional language?”
“When did I say I wasn’t good at it?”
Cynthia retorted confidently.
The handwriting analysis expert investigator approached and examined Cynthia’s handwriting.
“It’s definitely not a note written by the Princess. The handwriting is different.”
Then, comparing the note with Helene’s invitation, he said with a confident face.
“The first sentence of the note is indeed the handwriting of the Duchess.”
The banquet hall became silent in an instant. The opinions of the whispering people were divided into two.
“Is it true that the Duchess and the Prince are having an affair, and they are trying to put the blame on the youngest Princess to hide it?”
“It may be to keep Prince Carlos, the eldest son, in check. You have to think about who benefits.”
Helene, who roughly guessed what was being said, gritted her teeth. Now all that was left was authority.
“What would I, the Duchess, gain from plotting such childish things? It’s quite unpleasant.”
When she crossed her arms and frowned, the whispering people looked at her and shut their mouths.
In response, Cynthia looked at the people with a worried face.
“This incident seems to be a conspiracy by extremists to alienate our family. So…”
Cynthia continued seriously.
“Would you please collect the note, the invitation, and my handwriting that I wrote in front of everyone as evidence and take it to the Intelligence Agency? I want to investigate to the end and reveal the mastermind to clear my sister’s unfairness.”
‘That cunning bitch!’
Is she going to go all the way? Helene sent Cynthia a furious look.
* * *
“Brother, did Father ever give Cynthia separate education?”
Was it possible that she had been secretly educated while being hidden as a maid? If not, today’s events would not make sense.
“Why are you asking me that?”
Carlos asked, pulling on his loosened tie.
“You were the one who took care of her especially when she was young, weren’t you? Even to the point of being beaten by Father.”
Carlos tilted his head as if lost in thought, listening to her words.
“She must be quick to learn. She’s not stupid.”
“It’s not that level.”
He, who was touching his gray-gold hair, turned to her with cold eyes.
“What are you trying to say?”
“What?”
“Are you asking me to keep my mouth shut? That you’re the one spreading scandalous rumors linking Cynthia and me.”
When Helene narrowed her eyes, Carlos said.
“Lena, you’re always obsessed with the unique and special. Come to think of it, I faintly smelled your perfume from the servant who delivered the note to me.”
Helene used a perfume that was one of a kind, made by a perfumer.
But if that scent was coming from someone else, it meant that they were close to her. For example, a personal maid.
“Okay, let’s say I ordered it. So what?”
Helene added with a laughing voice.
“It’s not wrong.”
Carlos quietly looked at her.
Helene covered her mouth and giggled, then immediately became serious and asked back in a cold voice.
“Was it really a coincidence that you ran into the Prime Minister’s daughter while you were with Cynthia in the forest?”
Valeria happened to witness the two hugging.
It was a perfect timing for a coincidence.
Suddenly, he remembered the memories of being caught by his father and beaten every time he secretly did something for Cynthia when he was a boy.
Even Cynthia didn’t know about it, so how would Helene know that he had been beaten?
Only then did he realize the whole story, and he let out a hollow laugh and touched his forehead.
“I should have known.”
My wicked sister had told on everything. She wanted to be treated specially by Father.
‘We were not a normal family, but a competitive relationship where we had to trample on each other to get ahead.’
“Carlos, I am a powerful person who cannot be touched recklessly with the Duke’s family behind me. So think carefully about how you will act in the future.”
Helene turned around with a mask-like smile on her face.
If Cynthia was someone who benefited from coincidence, Helene was someone who was hell-bent on disguising and using coincidence.
