Chapter 9: Chapter 9

"Something unusual?"

Luke casually dropped the thread onto the floor, unfazed. Although he was currently being interrogated as a suspect, he also saw this as an opportunity to uncover clues.

Theo pulled a piece of paper from the stack of documents and slid it across the table toward Luke. The handwriting on it was neat and familiar—it was the roster Luke had submitted for the Detached Force’s guard duty assignments.

At the beginning of each month, commanders were required to submit a roster detailing how their unit members would be assigned to guard duty. These rosters were compiled by the administrative unit into a master list. For the Detached Force, which didn’t have many permanent members, Luke would assign guard duties by rotating the remaining personnel, ensuring no one was overburdened.

"The names on the roster you submitted don’t match the actual soldiers who stood guard," Theo said.

"So you’re saying my unit members didn’t follow the assigned schedule?"

Theo gave him a meaningful look before nodding.

"From what I’ve gathered, all the guard shifts were covered by one person—Fale."

Apparently, whenever it was another soldier’s turn to guard the warehouse, Fale had offered to take their place. Since the task of standing watch overnight wasn’t exactly popular, the other soldiers had readily agreed.

It wasn’t uncommon for soldiers to trade shifts without informing their commander, and unless a problem arose, most commanders turned a blind eye to such arrangements. However, one soldier consistently taking over guard duty was certainly unusual.

Luke recalled Fale’s trembling face from earlier. The fear etched into his subordinate’s features suddenly took on new meaning.

"Do you have anything to say about this?" Theo pressed.

Luke’s eyes narrowed. The implications of this information were troubling. It could easily be spun into a narrative where Luke, as the prime suspect, had deliberately ordered Fale to handle the guard duty to facilitate the theft of military supplies. Having a single soldier on duty each time minimized risk and simplified the logistics of smuggling.

But Luke’s mind was racing. If he wasn’t the culprit, the real perpetrator had to be someone else. And based on the information he had just been given, the most likely candidate was becoming increasingly clear.

Theo observed Luke’s contemplative expression, watching as the corners of Luke’s lips curved into a sly smile.

"Fale must be quite the pushover," Luke said, chuckling. "I thought he was just timid, but it turns out he’s also been cleaning up his teammates’ scraps."@@novelbin@@

If Luke’s suspicion was correct, now wasn’t the time to voice it. He needed to confirm it first.

"You’d do well to avoid disparaging your own soldiers," Theo said sharply. "So you’re claiming you had no involvement in Fale’s decision to take over the guard shifts?"

Luke simply nodded without offering further comment.

"Let’s move on," Theo said, flipping to the next page in his files.

"Captain Luke, what did you do during your last leave?"

The sudden question caught Luke off guard. He wracked his brain, trying to recall. Between orchestrating a happy ending for Theo and dealing with the day-to-day chaos, he hadn’t paid much attention to his own activities.

"Hmm… can’t really remember…"

"If you’re pretending to forget, I’ll remind you," Theo said.

"Hey, who’s pretending?"

"During your last leave, you attended a dinner party at the Marquis Harnus’ estate."

"Oh, right," Luke said, clapping his hands. "I did attend that."

There was no point denying it—it was the truth. Lying would only deepen suspicion.

"You’ve had no prior connection to the Marquis Harnus. Why were you invited?"

Luke fell silent for a moment.

The Harnus family was heavily involved in maritime trade, and Luke had hoped to use their network to gather intel on the Membern Kingdom’s current state during the ceasefire. The invitation had come as a surprise, with the Marquis expressing interest in introducing his daughter to Luke. There had been no reason to refuse.

"The invitation came from their side," Luke finally said.

"And why would they do that?"

"Apparently, the marquis’ daughter is a fan of mine," Luke replied, choosing his words carefully. He couldn’t divulge too much, so he stuck to the facts.

Theo’s hand twitched slightly at the response, though the movement was subtle.

"And why are you asking?"

"You’re aware that the Harnus family runs extensive maritime trade operations, correct?"

"Of course."

"Evidence of smuggling was recently uncovered in one of their ventures," Theo said, his tone grave.

Luke’s eyes widened slightly.

"The Imperial authorities are investigating in secret. Preliminary reports suggest that military supplies might be involved."

Luke stroked his chin, lost in thought. Theo scrutinized his expression carefully, noting that Luke seemed less surprised and more resigned, as if this confirmed something he had suspected.

"So it’s still just a preliminary report?"

"…Yes," Theo admitted.

"Commander Theo, let’s stick to discussing things we know for certain," Luke said with a smirk.

The interrogation continued for another thirty minutes. Luke answered questions about his alibi with calculated precision, deflecting any inquiries that might implicate him. It was clear that the case relied heavily on Fale’s testimony, with little concrete evidence to back it up.

"This concludes the first stage of the investigation," Theo announced, gathering his papers. He reminded Luke to remain confined to his quarters until further notice.

Finally, the tiresome session seemed to be over. But as Theo stood, he paused, fixing Luke with an intense stare.

"What now?" Luke asked.

"I realized I forgot to ask something."

"Again? What is it?"

"When you were at the Harnus estate, what did you talk about?"

"Huh?"

"You said the marquis’ daughter was a fan of yours. What exactly did you discuss with her?"

"And how is that relevant to this investigation?" Luke asked, his tone skeptical.

Theo’s lips twitched ever so slightly, a minute change that was easy to miss.

"It’s entirely relevant. If your visit was unrelated to this case, then you have nothing to hide. Speak."

Luke wracked his brain, recalling his conversation with the marquis’ daughter while carefully omitting any mention of Membern.

"She said her ideal man is someone incredibly strong," Luke began.

"And?"

"She wanted a husband who’s strong in both body and spirit."

Theo’s eyebrow twitched visibly at that.

"Oh, and I remember she said having a husband who’s a soldier would be incredibly reassuring!" Luke added with a sudden smile, pleased with his recollection.

"So?" Theo prompted, now standing much closer than before.

"What do you mean, ‘so’? I told her I could introduce her to some fine soldiers if she wanted," Luke replied, his expression genuine.

Theo’s gaze, which had been piercing moments ago, suddenly softened. Without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"That guy… seriously," Luke muttered, shaking his head.

A pair of guards entered soon after to escort Luke back to his quarters. As he walked, his thoughts were consumed with figuring out how to confront the real culprit and uncover the evidence he needed to clear his name.