# 34
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A fleeting silence.
The eyes that met her in surprise froze Dana in place. Cold drops ran down her back.
Dana stood unable to say a word, staring at Jimmy lying in front of her.
Any answer he gives will only increase his awareness.
They stared at each other without a sound.
As Dana stood still, Jimmy's gaze began to darken.
His eyelashes trembled as if he was trying hard to hold on, but his confused eyes had lost their sharpness.
I wish he thought this was all a dream...
Dana held her breath, praying in her secret.
Finally his lips moved.
He blinked slowly...and then fell back asleep.
Dana was about to release the pent-up breath, then held it again. Her heart was beating violently.
She made sure, silent for a few seconds, that he had completely fallen asleep. Soon his regular snoring filled the place again. A clear sign of deep sleep.
She reached for the two library keys she had loosened earlier.
There were two of them.
I held them together and quietly left the room.
She was afraid that the light of the magic lamp would reveal her, so she placed it at the door, and contented herf with carrying a small lamp.
She moved at a measured pace, not even sure how she was walking or if she was breathing evenly, due to the intensity of the tension.
She struggled to muffle her footsteps as she passed Jimmy's room on her way to the library.
And finally—
He cracked.
Dana inserted the key into the library lock hole. Fortunately, the first clue was correct.
As soon as she turned the knob and entered, her sight was filled with cabinets crowding the two walls.
“Ha…”
She let out a short, empty laugh as she looked around.
Gilded watches, statues, cufflinks and brooches studded with small stones.
However, there was nothing of real value among all this; They are all poorly made pieces.
As an employee of the Ministry of Magic, Dana had frequently dealt with high-ranking nobles.
Although she had only seen their jewelry from afar, its elegance was clear.
'Jimmy is just a pretender.'
She stared with disdain at a watch whose gold plating had faded. Her money, for which she spent working nights and days off, was nothing but fuel for his empty obsession.
She exhaled sarcastically, then started looking for the necklace.
As expected from someone who hates studying, there were no books or papers around.
'Where does he hide it...?'
I searched the ornate cupboards for a long time, to no avail. She wiped the sweat that had gathered on her forehead as she scanned the entire room.
When her tired gaze fell on the desk, she stopped.
'It doesn't make sense...?'
I approached the office located in the deepest part of the library. She never found him sitting in front of a desk in her entire life with him.
However… his presence here meant something.
Jimmy, who couldn't stand boredom, would never leave an office like this without a purpose.
He would have added a new closet instead of keeping an office.
'It must be of some use.'
She began to inspect the wooden desk. On top of it was only a large, heavy clock.
Her hand touched the small drawer. The wood slid softly as I opened it.
'Nothing here.'
She sighed deeply and surrendered to her fatigue, sitting on the ground. The sky outside the window got brighter.
It's been a long time. And dawn is imminent.
'Should I give up today...?'
She raised her head heavily—
Suddenly, whack!
“Ah!”
Her head hit the corner of the desk hard.
The sound of the incident was loud enough to frighten her, so she quickly looked around.
She listened outside the room... Fortunately, everything remained still.
She wiped her head, which was throbbing with pain, and was about to stand up...
'What is that?'
Something sparkled under the desk.
Dana came closer, crawling on her knees, and brought the lamp closer.
Unlike the front, which was mounted on legs, the back of the desk was surrounded by dense hardwood.
Why does it look like a wall in the back while it is open in the front?
It looked like a piano.
Dana felt the lower part of the back, and her fingers touched something.
Small keyhole.
'An office hiding a safe...?'
She quickly flashed a light underneath it, then inserted the remaining key she had taken from Jimmy.
Knock.
The metal mechanism spun, and it didn't take long to open the safe.
Finally, the door of the small safe opened.
Her ID card appeared. Several envelopes were stacked on top of each other.
'Finally found it...!'
Her irritation was short-lived; Her hands moved quickly. She had to get out before Jimmy woke up.
Which one among them?
She had to find Viscount Hamburn's necklace without delay. Time passes.
Dawn breaks.
'I'll take it all.'
The decision didn't take seconds.
She gathered all the papers and quickly headed to her room. She took out a large suitcase that she used for outdoor missions.
She put the papers on the bottom, then buried them under her clothes.
'Jimmy will notice soon. I have to leave.'
Neither Jamie nor any of the Viscounts would leave her alone.
They were breaking into her workplace out of greed for money. And work…
These people are capable of creating chaos within the Ministry of Magic itf.
She had to disappear until she got a lawyer.
'I'm going to take the first vacation of my life.'
She smiled bitterly.
She didn't have much luggage, so she packed the bag quickly. Her drunken family won't wake up until afternoon.
She didn't have long left.
'I'm finally leaving.'
She didn't feel the slightest bit of nostalgia for those left behind. She was supposed to be relieved...
However, a burning bitterness flowed at the corners of her eyes. It wasn't a longing for a family, but pity for her old, young f...
The little girl who used to roam this palace, sweeping and polishing its corners.
“...No. “Forget it.”
Dana shook her head vigorously. Then I opened the palace door.
She crossed the grass that tickled her ankles, hurried into the garden, and headed to the large gate.
She pushed it with all her might.
As it slowly opened, the outside appeared before her—the morning sun that announced a new day…
And a sweet chirp...
They were all expected scenes.
But this man who appeared before her eyes...
“...Edwin?”
He presented her with an unexpected moment.
Dana's eyes widened in astonishment. The body, which had become stiff with cold and tension, began to melt.
It is enough for her to see him to calm her heart.
"Are you well?"
Edwin ran to her as soon as he spotted her. He examined her with great concern.
"Were you hurt? Did anyone bother you...?"
He was wearing the same clothes he had worn yesterday. His hair was always messy.
Dana looked up at him, realizing it.
“Edwin...”
Then she rested her forehead on his chest.
“Turks... you waited here all night...?”
It wasn't just waiting.
He kept roaming around the palace all night, fearing that she might be in danger.
His silent movements, his keen hearing, were directed towards her until dawn.
Ready to rush at her at any moment.
He didn't say a word.
Just include it.
***
“Aren't you tired?”
Dana asked as she stood in front of the Ministry of Magic gate, her tone steeped in worry.
“Can you go to work?”
“I'm totally fine.”
He actually looked in excellent condition, with alert eyes that did not look like someone who had stayed up all night.
But Dana remembered that he postponed starting his work for a whole month due to his deteriorating health.
It was clear that he was acting tough so as not to worry her, and this made her pity.
“You also stayed up all night.”
“I'm used to this. But you...”
“I'm used to it, too.”
He fought nocturnal monsters repeatedly, staying up nights after night without being affected.
He had the innate physical ability to last three days without sleep.
But Dana, who did not know this, continued to look at him with pity until they entered the ministry, passing the potions administration department.
Before she entered her office, she held his hand.
“I will start my vacation today.”
"This is amazing."
Edwin received the news with great relief. He hoped that she would rest quietly in his home, away from all fear.
“And if my family members come after me...?”
“Don't worry. The knights will take care of it.”
Knights? Dana looked like she didn't understand what he meant.