Kyle typed the nonsense Noah was spewing without missing a single word. His eyes were still numb and sharp. If Noah could cut a personâs throat with her stare, she would have cut him five times.
âThen again, why threaten Lenia Valtalere?â
âI didnât mean to threaten her.â
A lump swelled in Noahâs throat; she thought it was unjust. Why do you keep accusing me of things that I didnât even do. You promised to clear me of the charges, why would you make me say all these?
âIt was just a mistake. Since itâs a dragon, there are moments when I canât control it. Iâm sorry if it seemed like a murder threat.â Noah spat, tasting the blood on her lips.
âIs that true?â
ââ¦Iâ Noahâs eyes glared at Kyle. âIf I really wanted to kill her, would Lenia Valtalere be alive to make that statement?â
At her remark, Kyle paused for the first time. He looked at her face for a brief moment, and then turned to the typewriter again.
Tuck, tuck. For a while, only the sound of typing filled the interrogation room. Noah lowered her eyes, trying her best evading the thought that she wanted to smash the iron desk.
Finally, Kyle pressed the transfer button. With a shallow sigh, he scoured the desk and spoke. âItâs over, Minister. I just transferred all the transcripts.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
â Good work, Sir Leonard.
Noah looked to the side, startled at the voice coming from the wall. It sounded like the voice was transmitted through a mechanical device.
â Weâll discuss it again with the Vice Minister. First, inform Lady Asil of the trial schedule.
âYes.â Kyle replied, marking the end of their conversation.
Now Iâm going to trial. It isnât surprising.
While Noah was keeping her mouth tightly shut like a clam, Kyle rose from his seat, tidying the scattered papers on the desk. And without saying a word to Noah, he turned around and moved towards the entrance to the interrogation room.
He stopped in front of the door, lifted a lid from the wall, and began to press something.
What are you doing?
Noahâs curiosity quickly unraveled. The light on the recorder situated in front of the desk, which was taking pictures of her face, went out. Then, the recorder that was filming the side of her face also turned off, and lastly, the recorder that was recording from the bottom shut off.
When Kyle pressed the last button, every recorder in the interrogation room made a series of noises and soon went dead.
The air was still inside the room where all the tapes had been turned off. Kyle checked whether the recorders had stopped, and then approached Noah.âGood work, Miss Noah.â
This damn man has finally called my name.
Kyleâs tone returned to its original manner. For a moment, Noah was overwhelmed by a sense of relief. While she blinked blankly, Kyle, who took off his uniform jacket and put it down on the desk, sat in front of her.
âAre you surprised?â He asked, unbuttoning his black shirt that was stiflingly tight.
âYou know nothing.â Noah murmured, her voice cracked.
âYou look pale.â
âIâm not pale.â
Noah could now see why Kyle was acting colder than when they first met. The entire duration of the interrogation was recorded and was currently being transmitted.
ââ¦No one can hear us now?â She asked hesitantly.
âNo one can hear us now. I turned off all the transmitters. We haveâ¦â Kyle glanced down at his wristwatch, estimating the time. âHalf an hour would be fine.â
ââ¦..â
âI was surprised to see you dragged down- Miss Noah?â
When feelings of relief, irritation, injustice, and sorrow for being trapped in such a creepy place reached the extreme, Noahâs eyes were clouded. She bit her lips and glared at Kyle. âItâs really annoying, you.â
âNo, wait a minute.â
As tears trickled down her cheeks, Kyle jumped off the table in surprise. âWhy are you crying?â
âReally, really, really annoying. What did I do so wrong? Why should I be held in this interrogation room?â
âMiss Noah.â
âAnd I donât know anyone else. You canât do this to me. You know I didnât!â
Itâs unfair. Itâs unfair. Itâs not fair! I havenât done anything wrong in all the years of my life. Why should I be in such a tight place? Why would I be detained like this?
To Noah, a commoner, everything in the place was horror. She rose from her seat. âIâm leaving.â
ââ¦â¦!â
Her strong desire to escape the place shook the air in the interrogation room. As soon as the door of the room jittered, about to be opened, Noahâs shoulders were pulled and her body was swung back.
âMiss Noah, wait a minute.â
Noah wriggled against Kyleâs grip, who tried to restrain her. Eventually, Kyle pressed the back of her head into his arms.
âYou canât go out yet. I canât reason properly if you suddenly go out.â