Upon my arrival at the hotel, I glanced around the dining room and noticed that only a handful of customers were present.
It seemed that Jane hadn’t arrived yet.
Since the Chandon Hotel had been a place I stayed before becoming a prison guard, the staff remembered my face.
“Sir Wolf, Miss Jane Lloyd is waiting for you in Room 207,”
I could tell what the smirking boy was thinking, but I thanked him and headed toward the room.
If we returned to the dining room together soon, his misunderstanding would surely disappear.
“Jane, it’s Wolf.”
I knocked on the door, but there was no response.
Was she sleeping?
I knocked again, but still, there was no reaction.
I placed my hand on the doorknob, and the door opened effortlessly.
“Jane, are you not here?”
As I made my way through the dimly lit room, with only the light from the hallway casting a beam of light, I noticed someone sitting hunched over on a chair.
“Jane? Sorry for entering without permission, but I didn’t hear any response. Are you feeling unwell?”
Jane didn’t even flinch, remaining motionless in her place.
It was at that moment that I first detected the scent of blood.
Frantically, I rushed back to the corridor, grabbing a lamp, only to find Jane with a lifeless expression, her mouth gagged with a piece of cloth.
She appeared drained, bearing bruises that resembled marks from being repeatedly struck across her face.
Her body was bound to the chair with ropes.
“Jane!”
I called out with a loud voice, but there was still no response.
There was a large stain on her abdomen, with blood dripping onto the floor.
I wasn’t sure if she was still breathing, but I swiftly retrieved a magic scroll for healing and activated the spell.
“Can you hear me, Jane? Stay strong.”
I had a slight feeling that a hint of color returned to Jane’s cheeks, but her eyes remained closed.
I took out a second healing scroll and activated the magic once more, hoping that it would bring her back.
I desperately hoped for her recovery.
This was the last healing scroll I had in my pocket.
“Jane, please. Open your eyes.”
In response to my call, Jane’s body twitched.
In a frenzy, I untied the ropes that were bounding her.
“Sir…Wolf,” she whispered weakly.
“Jane, thank goodness. I’ll call a physician right away. Someone! Someone, please come!”
“Sir…Wolf. Divine retribution has befallen me. I… I actually… stole the money,”
“Jane…”
“But… please… help Lewis. He has nothing to do with this. Lewis… should be spared,”
“What do you mean?”
“I was tortured… and I accidentally revealed that I entrusted the ring to Lewis. I’m sure… that person will target Lewis next. Lewis’s family… they live at 28 Promley Street…”
“I understand. I’ll take care of Lewis too. Just wait a little longer. I’ll call a physician. Someone, please come!”
I tried to go and fetch someone, but Jane wouldn’t let go of my sleeve.
“Wolf-sama… I have done unforgivable things. I wanted to return to my hometown, so I couldn’t resist taking the money that was right in front of me… in my pocket… But please, believe me. I immediately regretted it… and I wanted to return it,”
“I believe you. It was just a momentary lapse. I understand, you’re a good person,”
“Thank… you…”
“Just wait a little longer for me. There’s a healing scroll in the prison barracks. If I use it, you’ll get better. I’ll go get it right away,” I promised.
Running to Alban and back would take more than 30 minutes.
I hoped she could hold on until then.
“It’s… okay. More than me… worry about Lewis… I… entrusted the stolen ring to Lewis…”
“I understand. I’ll inform the police about that too,”
“Sir Wolf…”
Jane looked at me as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she passed away without uttering another word.
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