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Chapter 36.
Killian extended his arms and tightly held onto her.
A strange sensation brushed across her lips at that moment.
Warm, velvety, and soft

As she gently opened her eyes, she saw a pair of large, wide-open red eyes right in front of her.
His face filled both her eyes, and she felt his breath near her nose.
Embarrassed, blood rushed to her face as she realized the sensation imprinted on her lips.
Killian was experiencing the same thing.
In an instant, his hands that held onto her let go and moved away.
Killian took a step back.
Sophia, startled, absent-mindedly touched her lips.
Her actions made Killian realize the incident clearly as well.
‘You’re too childish with clichĂ©s
!’
It was all thanks to the laws of romance.
‘No, it’s not like that! This can’t be called a kiss.’
Sophia firmly held onto her sanity and removed her hand from her lips.
A kiss requires active physical intimacy between the female lead and the male lead.
Lips must meet, tongues must intertwine, and breathes must mingle for it to be called a kiss.
Where is a kiss without burning passion and love?
A mere contact between the surface of the mouth and a red body part cannot be called a kiss.
It was merely an accidental collision.
‘Whatever! Whether it is or not!’
Sophia cooled her heated face and adjusted her dishevelled clothes.
“Thank you for catching me. I almost fell and dirtied my clothes again.”
“No
 it’s nothing.”
Killian turned his head in a hurry and entered the mansion.
Although there was something to discuss about the military police work, for some reason, it felt like he shouldn’t follow her inside right now.
Sophia ran up the stairs, her heart still pounding.
The sensation of her lips touching Killian’s lingered on.
‘What was that?’
She couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Just a brief contact, but it felt like a lightning bolt ran through her body.
Sophia touched her lips again, confirming the lingering warmth.
The taste of forbidden love filled her mouth.
‘No! What am I thinking?’
She shook her head fiercely and tried to banish those thoughts from her mind.
She had to focus on the task at hand.
She entered her room and locked the door behind her.
Her lips were still tingling, and her heart refused to calm down.
But Sophia forced herself to calm down.
‘I have to concentrate.’
She took a deep breath and sat at her desk.
She had a lot of work to do.
Sophia grabbed a pen and began reviewing the documents spread out before her.
Killian left Sophia behind and returned to his personal study on the west corridor of the second floor.
He had long forgotten what he intended to do by bringing her here.
He closed the door and leaned against it, running his hand over his dishevelled bangs.
‘Why is my heart like this?’
His chest felt like it was about to explode.
The rational thoughts he had set in his mind crumbled and became jumbled.
Was it because it was spring? It was like I was intoxicated by the strong scent.
Was it because of the sunset? That Sophia’s hair shimmered so brightly?
Was it because he was tired? That the sensation of lips brushing became more sensitive?
Killian splashed his face with cold water, trying to cool his lips.
Yes, this unfamiliar emotion was the product of overlapping and coinciding reasons.
It was spring, the sunset was over, and all of a sudden I was tired.
Furthermore, Ian Fraus unnecessary words earlier played a part.
That’s why the moment when she sat on the horse, wearing sunset, looked beautiful.
Her delicate wrist looked precious.
He wanted her azure eyes to keep looking at him.
The accumulation of these coincidences led to that moment when their lips brushed, repeating in his mind over and over.
“Haah
”
He unbuttoned his jacket in frustration.
The button on his neck came undone, and his clothes became dishevelled.
His collarbone was revealed under the unbuttoned white shirt.
“Get a hold of yourself, Killian.”
He exhaled a hot breath, shaking off the thoughts ingrained in his mind.
This is not the time to get distracted by Sophia Fraus.
‘
This is just the beginning.’
He took out a stack of papers from his pocket.
Red seeds harbouring poison.
Evidence left at the crime scene.
“I can’t waver here.”
Killian approached the bookshelf in his private study.
The bookshelf, with a dark brown hue that bordered on black, held materials related to military affairs and books he frequently read.
When he pulled out the red book from the lower section, the bookshelf made a creaking sound.
With a forceful push, he moved the bookshelf backward, revealing a narrow passage.
The space was dim, with no light coming in.
He lit a match, and a figure emerged from the darkness.
A small space that could accommodate only one desk and one chair.
The narrow room was filled with numerous papers and records, and on one side, a long black robe was hanging.
Killian quietly closed the door to the secret space and gazed at the wall.
The black wall was covered with notes, scraps, and records.
And right in the middle of that wall, there hung a pale white half-mask.
*****
The beautiful sunset had passed, and the full moon filled the deep night sky.
As if not allowing even a moment of rest, the military and police officers who had found a moment of leisure quickly became noisy.
“Captain Nicholas!”
Nicholas, who had been dozing off at his desk during overtime, lifted his head at the sound calling him.
He yawned and checked his watch. It was past three in the morning.
Knock, knock.
The door shook with a rough knock, and one of the officers swung the door wide open.
“What’s going on?”
Nicholas asked with a tired expression.
For several days, sleep had been elusive due to the demanding workload.
“It’s a murder case!”
Well, sleep has certainly departed quickly now.
“A murder?”
“The one related to that ‘Black Moon’ incident last time!”
His heavy eyelids suddenly widened.
The Black Moon. The culprit who killed Marquis Fideut last time.
After the maid testified that he looked like a ‘Black Moon,’ they had been calling the criminal by that nickname.
“Who is the victim?”
“Sir, that, is Viscount Persel .”
Viscount Persel ?
Nicholas’ head tilted slightly.
He was not originally an aristocrat residing in the capital. He belonged to a minor aristocratic family that governed a small area in the Northern Grand Duchy.
Not a particularly noteworthy figure.
However, when did he come to the capital (or imperial city)?
Though he had questions, it wasn’t an immediate issue to address.
“So, did they capture the Black Moon?”
“Our officers are currently pursuing him. He’s heading towards Deepwood.”
They’re pursuing him?
This wasn’t the time for that.
Nicholas swiftly rose from his seat and put on the jacket that hung over the chair.
“I’ll head towards Deepwood right away and you inform His Excellency right now!!” (T/L: Killian)
“Yes!”
Rushing out of the police station, Nicholas mounted his horse and galloped straight towards Deepwood.
Several knights who were stationed at the police headquarters followed suit.
“A series of murders. You think it wasn’t a personal vendetta?” Nicholas mumbled as he rode.
Deepwood, where the mansions of the self-proclaimed nobles stretched out, was relatively close to the palace.
It was no place for a murderer like the Black Moon to roam freely.
Without a moment’s rest, he entered the upscale street, where grand mansions appeared scattered.
Finding the location of the officers chasing the Black Moon was easy.
The disturbance in the otherwise quiet street at this late hour gave it away.
Nicholas ran straight towards the source of the commotion.
It was a dead-end alley in Deepwood.
Nicholas found the four officers who were chasing the Black Moon there.
The two of them were lying on the ground, barely managing to get back on their feet.
Even after surveying the surroundings, the Black Moon was nowhere to be seen.
“Search the entire area thoroughly!”
Nicholas commanded his subordinates, who followed him and rushed to the fallen officers.
The officers struggled to stand when they saw him.
“Are you alright?”
“We’re fine.”
Nicholas assessed their condition.
The two who had fallen were merely unconscious, not fatally wounded, and the others seemed to have escaped with minor bruises and sprains, thankfully.
“What about the black moon?”
“We lost him around here.”
“So many people, and you let a single criminal slip away?”
As soon as Nicholas confirmed that they weren’t seriously injured, he erupted in anger.
The officers bowed their heads, seemingly unable to face him.
“That’s true. He single-handedly subdued all four of us.”
It might sound like an excuse, but it was the truth.
Like a ghost, the Black Moon read their movements and evaded their attacks.
With the swift and precise movements of the Black Moon, the officers were left helpless and powerless.
He seemed to know their familiar patterns perfectly and exploited their weaknesses flawlessly.
Just a few encounters with him overwhelmed them with his skill.
Fear, terror, and a sense of awe beyond those emotions dominated them.
“Honestly, if someone like that is a murderer, I wonder if we can stop it with our own strength
 
 .”
Nicholas couldn’t believe it.
The officers of the police force were highly trained special soldiers, even in the Empire.
In the first place, the police force itself is a group that scouted mercenaries and soldiers who made a name for themselves among the knights. So, ordinary people cannot defeat the police force
If what they said is true, we can significantly narrow down the category of suspects.
“Even so, since you’ve wounded ‘Black Moon’ at the waist, you’ll find it soon. “
They claimed to have deeply wounded the Black Moon’s waist during the fight.
With that injury, it would be challenging for him to escape.
Translator: I hope you like my work, and you can also support me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/haileyfranchette. If you find any mistakes, please let me know in the comment section. Happy reading : )