It was a peculiar greeting.

Why would someone staying only in the mansion not be safe?

But given the recent unrest in the country, and him being on the front lines of that fight, it must be so.

Understanding this, Delphine smiled brightly.

“Of course. What could possibly make me unsafe while I stay here in the mansion?”

Staring at her intently, he suddenly asked before leaving the room:

“Del. Is it still the same?”

Without subject or object, Delphine could immediately grasp the man’s intention.

As a result of closely observing the man’s reactions over the past few months, she had come to read his mind so thoroughly.

Never before in her life had she known, understood, and grasped someone so deeply.

The fact that all of this was for the sake of a thorough deception made her heart complicated.

But she mustn’t hesitate here.

Especially not now, on the brink of finally uncovering the truth she had poured her heart and soul into.

“Of course. I love you.”

Delphine answered, skillfully hiding her true feelings.

Looking at her intently, he smiled, his eyes crinkling after a beat.

“…I too. I love you, Del.”

Delphine smiled back at him like an affectionate couple.

Soon, the study door closed.

The smile that had lingered on Delphine’s face disappeared as if washed away.

At last, he had departed.

Soon to be mounted on a great warhorse, wearing a snow-white uniform that would soon be stained with blood.

Left alone, Delphine quickly began to change out of her voluminous dress.

To go to the red-light district late at night, some preparation was necessary.

Delphine put on a suit she had prepared in advance for today, and pressed a fedora onto her tied-up hair.

Soon, she had taken on the appearance of a rather convincing gentleman.

Then, after putting the hidden radio in her pocket, she picked up another object beside it.

A strange object with a smooth, elongated body.

Lin and Velli called this silver object, which she had never seen before, a ‘gun’.

“A… gun?”

It was an item she had received during discussions at headquarters for today’s operation.

When it was finally decided that she would join the operation, Lin, who had been opposing it all along due to the danger, handed her this object.

“It’s a really strange-looking thing.”

“That’s right. It’s designed purely with function in mind.”

“What function?”

What kind of purpose would result in such an odd shape?

As Delphine tilted her head and asked, Velli answered with an angelic smile.

“Murder.”

Velli kindly finished explaining that it was used for piercing bodies to wound or kill.

Murder. Murder…

Delphine examined the gun she had received then, carefully holding it in her hand.

A cold touch without a hint of warmth.

It was the first time in her life she had held something more dangerous than a pen nib or knife.

She recalled Velli’s advice, given in a nonchalant tone.

“If you want to kill, you should aim for the heart if possible. You know that, right?”

“…”

She probably wouldn’t need to use it, but she should carry it just in case of any unforeseen situations.

Thinking that, Delphine also put the gun in her pocket.

Afterwards, she headed to Cookie’s house on Netherfield Street.

“Welcome, Delphine. Your suit looks dashing.”

“Thank you. Pardon my intrusion, Cookie.”

Delphine entered Cookie’s shack, taking off her fedora.

Her statement to Ioan about going to the bakery wasn’t strictly a lie, since she had come to see Cookie.

Thus, Delphine erased the faint guilt of having told a lie.

“The day has finally come.”

At Cookie’s words, Delphine nodded with a solemn face.

Today’s operation was as follows:

A small core team including Lin, Velli, and Marian would infiltrate the Purcell manor in District 1.

The rest of the personnel would be mobilized to detain Ioan in District 3.

Delphine had decided to join the District 1 infiltration team.

Not only did she know District 1 better than anyone, but she could also pair up with Lin to charge posium.

“Delphine, you said you’d wait here until the radio call comes, right?”

“Yes. Until Purcell makes a move.”

All they had learned through their planted spy was that Duke Purcell would move today.

So they decided to scatter around Netherfield Street and wait for them to move.

The place assigned to Delphine was Cookie’s house.

“…As if I wouldn’t know. They placed me here because it’s the safest, right?”

Delphine grumbled in a slightly disgruntled tone.

She was sick and tired of Lin’s treatment of her as a helpless noblewoman.

Despite infiltrating the human factory and successfully navigating various operations, he still worried about her.

“You’re complaining about being told to stay safe? You really are a peculiar person, the more I see you.”

Cookie chuckled at her, ending with a hoarse cough.

Her face showed more signs of illness than when Delphine had last seen her.

Observing her, Delphine casually handed over a small pouch she had brought along.

“Well… it’s not polite to visit someone’s home empty-handed, so I brought a little something.”

Cookie’s eyes widened as she received the pouch and opened it curiously.

“…This is.”

“I bought a little of each kind. …Because I didn’t know what kind of snack Cookie had eaten back then.”

“After crying for days, my mother saved up two weeks’ allowance to buy me one tiny, nameless dessert.”

She had remembered that conversation and bought these in advance.

Cookie very slowly took out a small madeleine from the pouch.

“This… This is it. The snack I ate back then. The one my mother bought me.”

Her face was tinged with nostalgia.

“It was the first time I’d had bread with so much butter… I was so happy.”

“…Go ahead and try it.”

Delphine gently urged, looking at her thin body.

“What about Delphine?”

“I don’t really like sweet things.”

When she firmly shook her head, Cookie carefully picked up a madeleine.

However, just before the soft bread touched her parched lips…

A loud bang startled them both, making them look up.

The old wooden door had been broken down.

Beyond it appeared two men wearing masks.

One of them was carrying a large sack, big enough to fit a person.

For a moment, the first thought that crossed her mind was ‘Are they La Rouge operatives?’

However, that thought was immediately proven wrong.

“The black crystal points to this place!”

“Which of the two is it?”

“They said Lady Pryde, so it must be the woman! Why are you asking!”

Delphine was wearing a men’s suit.

Sensing danger, Delphine instinctively pulled out the gun from her pocket.

At the same time, the masked men rushed into the room.

“No!”

It was Cookie who screamed.

The room was too small to take even a few steps.

They scooped up the terribly thin and light Cookie.

“Don’t kill her! Take her like this!”

She had to stop them.

Delphine bit her lip hard.

The end of the gun barrel pointed at them trembled.

“Aim for the heart.”

But the three people were too closely entangled. Cookie might get hurt.

Instead of the heart, Delphine aimed at the head of the masked man who was a bit further from Cookie.

Bang! Bang!

One bullet grazed the masked man’s cheek and lodged in the wooden wall.

“Ugh! What’s this! There’s someone with a strange weapon!”

“Just go! The Duke will take care of the cleanup!”

They tried to rush out of the room after roughly shoving Cookie into the sack.

Delphine fired another shot, gritting her teeth and concentrating.

One bullet pierced the leg of one of the men.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the one carrying the sack.

“Aaargh!”

He dashed outside, ignoring his companion who fell screaming.

Delphine ran down the wooden stairs after him.

But by the time she reached the street, the man was already too far to catch.

Realizing this, Delphine immediately grabbed her radio and shouted:

“Lin! Can you hear me? Cookie’s house! Cookie has been kidnapped!”

The response was brief.

“One man captured! One escaped!”

Delphine shouted again, and shot at the other leg of the man who was now trying to escape while dragging one leg.

Bang!

“Aaaagh!”

She climbed back up to the second floor with trembling steps, looking for any clues that might remain.

The narrow room stained with blood was hopelessly empty.

Only a single madeleine lay on the floor, not even a bite taken.

“Delphine! Are you alright? What about Cookie!”

The first to appear was Lin.

After that, Velli and Marian, along with the select few La Rouge operatives, rushed to Cookie’s house.

Delphine, with a pale face, opened her mouth towards them.

“…They were looking for me, for me.”

“For you?”

The black crystal.

The mention of a duke.

The clues they left behind pointed too clearly to the mastermind.

Duke Purcell was looking for her.

Why?

Though she didn’t know the reason yet, one thing was certain.

They had to find Cookie.

Today’s long-planned operation hadn’t changed.

They were going to take advantage of his movement to go to Purcell’s manor anyway.

Looking at the madeleine fallen on the floor, Delphine spoke with a resolute expression, as if making a declaration.

“Let’s go to Purcell’s manor.”