I Think My Husband Might Be a Murderer - Chapter 12

***

The bitter smell of cigarettes pricked the tip of the nose.

Fret Gunner, watching his inscrutable superior, continued his report.

“…Next is the report concerning Miss Prim.”

Only then did Johannes’s gaze, which had been fixed on the documents the entire time, rise calmly.

In the darkness, his blue eyes shone like stars.

Those eyes are always frightening.

Shaking his head, Fret Gunner began his report on Edith Prim after a brief silence.

“The servants’ attitude toward Miss Prim seems to have improved significantly. It would’ve been nice if you had explained things earlier.”

Fret subtly reproached Johannes. But he merely nodded without much reaction.

It was a signal to continue the report.

Perhaps it was due to their long-standing relationship, but as long as he didn’t overstep, Johannes was fairly tolerant.

“She also asked if you had told me to fire her.”

Fret Gunner was never one to show curiosity about anything. This time was no different.

“She seemed more anxious than usual. She claimed she was fine, but her eyes trembled slightly.”

“The reason?” His head tilted slightly.

“I suspect it’s financial. She asked me for a certificate of employment. I believe it may be for a loan.”

“A loan? Is her salary not enough?”

Fret Gunner responded immediately, “No. Her salary is at least twice that of employees at other noble households. We’ll need to investigate further to determine where it’s being spent.”

“How long will that take?”

“At most two days.”

It seemed to be a satisfactory answer. Johannes gave a small nod of his chin.

“And her adjustment?”

A faint trace of dismay spread across Fret’s face. He adjusted the cravat tightly wrapped around his neck in frustration.

“Why ask that now? She’s only just begun to open up to the other servants, so I expect she’ll adjust soon enough… In terms of work, there’s nothing remarkable.”

Johannes wore a bored expression again.

“All right.”

A truly succinct dismissal.

Fret Gunner lowered his head once more and gave his final report to Johannes.

“She also asked that all conversations be kept confidential, which makes me very uncomfortable to be reporting them like this.”

Johannes scoffed.

***

My joy from receiving the employment certificate was short-lived.

Even the bank I had trusted refused to help me.

“I’m sorry, but our policy has changed. Loans are only available to employees with over three months of service.”

It was a face that said they got these kinds of inquiries all the time.

Why does every path feel like walking on thorns?

I stood blankly in front of the bank, staring down at the employee certificate that had turned into nothing more than a piece of paper.

‘Should I just act crazy and ask for help? No. I’ve already received all the help I could by being hired.’

I didn’t want to be considered someone who didn’t know her place and end up getting fired.

But the repayment deadline was tomorrow. What should I do?

At this point, I had no choice but to try negotiating when the loan collector came.

Today, the cold air felt even sharper than usual.

***

“Are you Miss Edith Prim?”

Just as I stepped out of the house to head to the ducal estate, someone blocked my way.

He had neatly combed ashen-brown hair and wore a clean-cut suit. Beside him stood a burly man glaring at me.

“Who are you…?”

The man promptly took out a business card and held it out. His gesture was deliberately polite.

“I’m from Banux. The name’s Finn Schneider, and I’m a department manager. Feel free to call me whatever you like.”

“Ah…”

Banux. A familiar name.

It was the loan company stamped on the debt repayment agreement.

As I stood frozen in panic, the man beside Finn Schneider leaned in threateningly. A foul stench hit my nose.

“Hey, if you borrow money, you should pay it back on time. Doesn’t a person need to have some integrity?”

“Enough. You’re scaring the lady.”

Finn Schneider raised a hand to stop him. But the large man kept grumbling despite the warning.

He stood in the doorway with his arm outstretched, continuing to intimidate me.

“We lent you that huge sum purely out of goodwill. You ought to return the favor. How can you just disappear for three years without paying a cent? What, think you’re running some kind of tough business?”

I was already scared, but I tried not to show it and spoke as calmly as I could, “I’m sorry, but I’m on my way to work. Could we talk this evening instead?”

Even though I asked politely, the burly man was stubborn.

He clung to me with ridiculous excuses, as if afraid I might try to run.

Eventually, he grabbed my wrist so I couldn’t move.

“Ah…!”

“Pavid, please stop. Our company isn’t without class. We’d be laughed at by the competition.”

“But we’re pressed for time too. We’ve cut into our precious work hours to come collect this damned money.”

“Even so, this isn’t the way.”

Thank goodness there was someone like Finn Schneider.

Still, Pavid glared at me, warning me not even to dream of escaping again.

“If I were going to run, I would’ve already left Musen the moment I received this.”

I held out the debt repayment agreement in my hand and continued calmly, “First, I sincerely apologize for failing to repay the debt. I had no knowledge of my father’s liabilities.”

“I see. That must’ve been quite a shock.”

Pavid insisted that ignorance was no excuse and declared firmly that they were only here to collect the money. But Finn Schneider brushed him off lightly.

“Tch! Oh, so you’re educated, huh? Think you’re better than everyone!”

Pavid, who had been ignored the whole time, sneered and nodded mockingly. Even then, Finn Schneider kept a smile on his face.

“Still, we would like a definitive answer.”

I checked the clock on the building across the street.

It wasn’t long until work started…

But these people weren’t going to let me leave until they had a resolution.

Even if Finn Schneider was willing to be flexible, the man named Pavid would block the way.

Still, it didn’t seem like either of them expected me to actually repay such a huge amount.

“Miss Prim, if you don’t mind, could we discuss the repayment terms? We’re not so inflexible as to demand the money right this second. But I do need to report back to my superiors…”

Wearing an awkward smile, Finn Schneider asked for understanding.

My guard lowered slightly.

“Then I’d like to see the loan agreement first.”

“What, do you think we’re scammers?” Pavid scoffed and, clearly irritated, shoved my shoulder with a couple of firm taps.

“Don’t do that.”

A wave of instinctive fear washed over me.

I stepped back and looked around.

It was early morning, so the street wasn’t crowded. The few passersby hurried along, pretending not to see.

But even if the street were full, would it make a difference?

Probably not.

If someone were kind enough to report it to the police, that would be fortunate. But loan sharks and the police often had their own connections.

The fact that these incidents occurred frequently without any repercussions suggested as much.

“Pavid, please stop. This is why I hate working with you.”

“Tch! You’re too soft. How are we supposed to get anything done like this…”

Thankfully, Finn Schneider held him back, giving me the chance to straighten my posture and speak.

“You can’t just demand money without even showing the loan agreement.”

Pavid scowled. His already rough face looked even more threatening.

“Of course, if you’re not a scammer, you’d be able to show it, right?”

“…Naturally.”

He rolled up his sleeves and pulled a tattered sheet of paper from his coat.

It was old and faded.

Taking the loan agreement, I frowned. “Is this how you usually handle recordkeeping?”

Below were the date my father borrowed the money, the amount, and the repayment deadline—all written clearly.

This wasn’t a small amount. For such a large transaction, you’d think they’d store it with more care.

‘How could they manage this so poorly? And more importantly…’

I looked up at Finn Schneider. “Why are you only coming now? The repayment deadline passed three years ago.”

The friendly smile he’d been wearing vanished in an instant.

He exchanged a glance with Pavid, like someone with something to hide.

“My apologies. One of our staff mismanaged the records. We were just as surprised when we found out.”

“Ah…”

That would explain why they seemed reluctant. They bore some responsibility for the delay.

Since Finn Schneider was around, the conversation wouldn’t completely break down. Maybe I could even question the added interest due to their delay…

Looking calmly at the two men with such contrasting expressions, I spoke evenly, “I don’t have much time. Would you like to come inside first?”