Don’t Ask, It’ll Hurt If You Know - Chapter 54

“I’m going crazy.”

Mars Elena, who had visited the Police Station with the intention of meeting an acquaintance and, while he was at it, fulfilling his sister’s request, sighed deeply and pulled out a cigar to light.

Since receiving the request from Chloe, he had constantly moved around and inquired, but he had not been able to obtain any information. His acquaintance working at the Police Station flatly refused, saying he wasn’t familiar with cases he wasn’t directly in charge of.

“It seems like he’s intentionally not telling me.”

Even if it wasn’t his case, he should be able to find out if he asked around, but seeing him refuse immediately, there was clearly another reason.

A very terrifying reason at that.

“But I have to find out.”

It was a request from Chloe, of all people. Since this was the first time she had ever asked him for anything, he wanted to succeed brilliantly, but it wasn’t going as planned, which frustrated him.

His chest ached when he thought about how disappointed Chloe would be when she woke up if he hadn’t found out anything yet.

His heart ached even more when the face of his sister, who had become half her former self since he last saw her, flickered before his eyes.

Should I seek out someone higher up?

Who else was at the Police Station? Mars, who was deep in thought, forgetting to light the cigar in his mouth, turned his head when he sensed a presence.

“Young Duke?”

It was Ian MacMilden. Mars hurriedly removed the cigar from his mouth and offered a warm greeting.

“What a surprise to see you here. What brings you to the Police Station?”

“I was just passing by.”

It didn’t seem to be a lie, as there was a carriage parked where Ian MacMilden’s gaze fell.

“Lady Elena, what brings you here?”

“I had a brief errand to run.”

Come to think of it, the Chief of the Police Station was a person from the House of Duke MacMilden. Mars’s eyes sparkled as if embedded with stars at the sudden realization.

“Do you have a moment right now? Could we talk briefly?”

“Talk, you say?”

At his somewhat displeased reaction, Mars immediately added an explanation.

“Yes. In fact, I came to the Police Station at my sister’s request, but since I don’t think I can solve it alone, I wanted to ask the Young Duke for assistance.”

At the mention of Chloe’s request, his expression, which had been unenthusiastic, completely changed. Ian nodded and turned around.

“I know a decent tea room; let’s go there.”

Mars smiled meaningfully as he watched the back of the Young Duke MacMilden walking away with large strides.

* * *

“Huff!”

Chloe, who opened her eyes with a heavy gasp, was covered in cold sweat.

She quickly scanned the room—the monotonous ceiling pattern, the slightly worn blanket, and the warm sunlight pouring in—and then let out a deep sigh of relief and closed her eyes again.

“……It was a dream. Thank goodness.”

She wiped the cold sweat on her forehead with a hand that was still trembling slightly, unable to completely shake off the remnants of the dream.

She had experienced all sorts of strange dreams since entering Bianca Lloyd’s body, but the dream she had today was the most bizarre and terrifying.

She had been locked in a box so small she couldn’t even stretch her legs, let alone properly lift her head, and was beaten savagely.

There was no direct impact since they were hitting the box, but the sound echoing inside every time they hit was bone-chilling. It was even more terrifying when she occasionally heard the witch-like laughter of Maria and the Viscountess.

Why did I have such a dream?

Could it be that this woman…… experienced this herself?

Chloe desperately hoped it wasn’t true, but based on what she had experienced so far, there was a high possibility.

That it wasn’t a dream, but a reality. Just the thought gave Chloe goosebumps, and she hugged her trembling arms tightly.

“Oh, come on. No way. It can’t be.”

No matter how much they disliked their stepdaughter, there was no way they would do something so horrible. That method was quite similar to the torture used when interrogating prisoners of war or spies from the enemy.

So, Chloe calmed her churning feelings, reassuring herself that it was merely a bizarre dream, and got up, heading to the bathroom. When she came out after washing her body, which was soiled from sweating so much, the clock hands pointed to the number 11.

“Ah, right. I should have gone to Etoile Bakery to buy the cake.”

Chloe frowned, recalling the fact she had temporarily forgotten due to the terrible nightmare. Yesterday, she couldn’t return to her original body because Viscount Lloyd suddenly came back.

So, she absolutely had to return today. Her parents would worry if she didn’t wake up for more than two days.

That’s why she planned to wake up early this morning to go buy the troublesome Strawberry Chiffon Cake, but she overslept, struggling with the nightmare.

“What should I do?”

Should I grant another wish? Chloe checked the neatly organized bucket list, but other than eating the Strawberry Chiffon Cake, there was no wish she could grant immediately.

Revenge-related ones were completely impossible. The only one that seemed to have a possibility was ‘Being hugged in the Prince’s arms,’ but…….

“No, that’s impossible, too.”

The jerk who got serious and threw her off when she accidentally sat on his lap slightly wouldn’t possibly give her a hug. For the same reason, all wishes related to Ian MacMilden were impossible to grant. Nor did she want to grant them.

“Ugh.”

Chloe flinched and shuddered in disgust, suddenly imagining herself hugging Ian affectionately. The fact that she imagined it as her own form, not Bianca Lloyd’s, gave her even more goosebumps.

“I should go to Etoile Bakery first.”

It was doubtful if the cake, of which only ten were sold per day, would still be left, but she didn’t know for sure. Maybe there weren’t many people today, so it hadn’t sold out, or perhaps the baker had lost his mind momentarily and made a few extra. Chloe quickly changed her clothes and left the bedroom.

“What is it? Where are you going?”

Just as she was about to head straight down the central staircase, an unpleasant voice came from behind. Chloe drew her mouth into a straight line and slowly turned around.

It was Maria Lloyd. Her grip tightened on the staircase railing as the chilling laughter she had heard in her dream overlapped with Maria’s voice. The urge to rush over and grab Maria’s hair was also due to the nightmare.

“I asked where you’re going. Why don’t you answer? Did you suddenly become a mute?”

“……Do I have to answer everything you ask?”

She couldn’t resist in the dream, but reality was different. Maria flinched when Chloe shot back sharply.

“Judging by the way you talk, it seems you haven’t been punished enough.”

Perhaps embarrassed that she had been momentarily scared, Maria spoke in an even sharper voice than before and strode right up to her.

“Indeed, being locked up in the room for a week wasn’t enough, was it? If Dad hadn’t come back, I would have punished you much more severely and properly fixed your habit……. What a shame.”

Maria shrugged her shoulders as if she truly felt it was a waste. Her words and actions were so childish that Chloe couldn’t even laugh. Chloe tilted the corner of her lips and retorted.

“Tell me about it. I also regret that I didn’t tear off all your hair instead of just slapping your cheek that time. What a waste.”

“W-What did you say……!”

Maria stopped shouting and quickly glanced toward the top of the stairs. She seemed to be checking on Viscount Lloyd, whose space was on the third floor, which made Chloe let out a small, amused laugh.

“Y-you, did you just laugh at me?”

Maria, who had strong pride in her own way, clenched her hands tightly and trembled.

“You seem to be acting up because you trust Dad, but just wait. Once Dad leaves, you’re finished. Finished.”

Maria, who had come right up close, made a gesture of drawing a line across her throat and spoke vividly, but Chloe wasn’t scared at all.

“Pfft.”

Instead, she laughed even harder than before, clutching her stomach, which completely distorted Maria’s face.

“Hey!”

The shout, which she let out, unable to control her anger, echoed widely in the second-floor corridor. Whether he heard it up on the third floor, a heavy sound of footsteps was heard, and soon after, Viscount Lloyd appeared behind the staircase railing.

“What’s all the noise?”

“Ah, well, that is…….”

“Good morning, Father.”

Unlike Maria, who was at a loss, Chloe bowed her head to the Viscount in greeting, then turned around.

“Where are you going without answering my question?”

She was about to go straight down the stairs, but Viscount Lloyd asked in a slightly angry voice. Maria flinched at this, but Chloe remained unperturbed.

“The person who shouted was Maria, not me, so I think you should get the answer from her.”

“What did you say?”

“If you want to hear why she shouted from another person’s perspective, I must say that I don’t know either. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Both Viscount Lloyd and Maria looked at her, dumbfounded, but Chloe didn’t care in the slightest and strode down the stairs.