Interrogation

“Serina Rantalum. The only daughter of the Rantalum family, she entered the Rose Palace (Jangmi gung) three years ago. A favored maidservant of Princess Mirabilis-nim.”

In an interrogation room in a corner of the Changwei (Information Bureau) headquarters, Serina sat handcuffed in a chair. The room was intentionally designed to pressure the subject, resembling a prison cell, with a very small window. The small amount of light entering from outside made the officer in front of Serina look even more menacing.

Serina had been forced to remove her maid’s uniform and wear a piece of cloth that was closer to ‘disrobing’ than ‘clothing’. It was a ploy to deliberately shame the subject, and a minor pleasure for the Changwei (Information Bureau) officers. Serina struggled to cover her chest and the area between her legs with the flimsy cloth.

Next to the man sitting in front of her, she saw a familiar face. A low-ranking magician from the Naema Court, who was in charge of casting cooling magic in the Main Chamber (Jusil) of the Rose Palace (Jangmi gung) during the summer. It suddenly occurred to her that he often glanced back when leaving the Main Chamber (Jusil) after casting the cooling magic. At the time, she thought he might be interested in the bleak scenery of the Main Chamber (Jusil), or perhaps the palace people of the Rose Palace (Jangmi gung), but now she wondered if he had sensed something strange back then.

‘Could it be…?’

Had the hypnosis magic been discovered? If the things she had done were revealed, it was clear that Serina would receive cruel punishment for illegally casting magic on and trying to manipulate a member of the Imperial Family. Perhaps even Mirabilis-ssi might be virtually confined, unable to engage in external activities for some reason. She desperately wanted to avoid such a result.

She thought she had always been prepared. But as the Changwei (Information Bureau)’s blade approached her neck, a chilling fear enveloped her body, making her want to tremble. Serina gritted her teeth and took a deep breath to escape the web of fear that surrounded her heart. Cold, damp, and moldy air permeated deep into Serina’s lungs. As she calmed down a little, she also wondered, ‘If the hypnosis magic had been discovered, why was a cursed doll found in the room?’

The interrogator, accustomed to torturing people to create a truth that suited the Changwei (Information Bureau)’s taste, failed to notice the change in Serina’s expression. Because anyone who was brought into the Changwei (Information Bureau) became a criminal, regardless of their innocence, there was no need to determine whether the subject was guilty or innocent. If it had been a skilled investigator from the Ministry of Justice (Hyeongbu), they would never have missed it.

“Trying forbidden magic on the Princess (Gongju)-nim, you’ve got quite the nerve, huh?”

The man sitting across from Serina casually tossed out the question. But Serina was too concerned about the magician in the interrogation room. If he sensed anything strange even in words that didn’t carry the power of Yeon-eon, the existence of the hypnosis magic would inevitably be revealed. But she couldn’t not answer the question. She had to deny such a question.

“I didn’t do anything like that to Mirabilis-nim.”

Half truth, half lie. Serina felt the need to deceive herself first. Every time Serina hesitated, the man stared at the bare skin revealed between the pieces of cloth with a strange, gleeful look. It felt like even a sliver of that cruel malice made goosebumps rise all over her body. She glanced at the magician, but there was no change in his expression. She was relieved to think that the magician couldn’t sense anything strange without the power of Yeon-eon.

“Looks like you have enough余裕 to worry about something else besides me?”

The man hated that the prey in front of him was paying attention to something other than himself. The self-intoxication that he alone, not even the Emperor (Wido), was the master and god of the victim during the ‘interrogation’ was as thrilling as a drug. He would not tolerate any attempt to break this pleasure.

His face twisted, and his palm flew towards Serina’s face. In the instant of dizzying pain that flashed before her eyes, she fell to the stone floor, chair and all. Serina thought she was used to pain, but being slapped while so vulnerable made her heart feel like it was cracking. But the man wore a vile pleasure on his face.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Her vision spun, and her hands and feet felt distant. It felt like she was trying to escape reality, as if the reality of being dragged into the Changwei (Information Bureau) was a dream, but the man’s cold voice, “Get up,” forcibly dragged Serina’s mind back to reality and tethered it, like an anchor holding a ship. He didn’t even want his prey to forget the pain for a moment with momentary delusions.

The shock of being slapped, the pain of being thrown onto the hard floor, and the coldness of the stone against her skin pushed Serina’s mind further into pain. It was quite uncomfortable to get up with her hands cuffed, but she was grateful that she wasn’t shackled. As she knelt on the ground to get up, small grains of sand and pebbles dug into her skin, causing pain.

Suddenly, Mirabilis-ssi’s face came to her mind clearly. The Princess (Gongju)-nim clutching her chest as she looked at her fallen self. Suddenly, a stream of warmth surged up and gently enveloped her scattering heart. She wanted to cling to Mirabilis-ssi in the Rose Palace (Jangmi gung) and beg for help. But seeing Mullaba holding the Princess (Gongju), she realized that no matter how much she pleaded, she would eventually be dragged to the Changwei (Information Bureau).

If she couldn’t avoid it, she didn’t want to show a pathetic 모습 in front of Mirabilis-ssi. She didn’t want to reveal her fearful self in front of the Princess (Gongju)-nim, in front of her younger sister (dongsaeng). She had barely suppressed the fear that was pounding in her throat, and she felt like only a trembling sound would come out if she opened her mouth. So, she deliberately didn’t even make a sound when she was dragged away. It could be called bluffing. But she wanted to remain an ideal Older Sister (Eonni)-nim in front of Mirabilis-ssi, so she put on a lot of bravado.

Even though no one knew, the pride that ‘I am Mirabilis-ssi’s Older Sister (Eonni)-nim’ flared up. She gritted her teeth and opened her eyes wide like a hawk. She couldn’t resist physically, but she didn’t want her heart to be bent. The man frowned, got up from his seat, walked around the table, and kicked Serina. The toe of his leather shoe slammed into the lower part of her ribs as if trying to shatter them, causing her to gasp and regurgitate sour liquid from her stomach.

“Don’t give me that look in front of me. It’s disgusting to see that.”

It was then. Suddenly, the door to the interrogation room opened, and another man peeked his head in and signaled for him to come out without opening his mouth. The man who had been threatening Serina looked a little puzzled and silently came out as he was told, closing the door behind him. Since sound didn’t travel through the door, it was okay to speak. The interrogator opened his mouth with a slightly annoyed tone.

“What’s wrong? The interrogation hasn’t even started yet.”

But the colleague who had called him out carefully lowered his voice, putting his hand to his mouth, lest anyone hear.

“Sarios, we can’t work today. The higher-ups are in an uproar right now. The Minister of Justice (Hyeongbusangseo) is fighting with Wido right now.”

“What?”

His eyebrows wriggled like caterpillars. It was such an unexpected and absurd event that he couldn’t say anything for a moment and only let out a meaningless chuckle. The bad relationship between the Ministry of Justice (Hyeongbu) and the Changwei (Information Bureau) was no secret between the two organizations. But until now, the Minister of Justice (Hyeongbusangseo) had never directly stormed into the Changwei (Information Bureau) headquarters and fought with Wido.

“Princess (Gongju) Mirabilis-nim apparently said she would entrust the case to the Ministry of Justice (Hyeongbu). Damn it. So the Minister of Justice (Hyeongbusangseo) is yelling and threatening, saying that this case is under their jurisdiction, not ours. He’s about to flip out, saying he has to see that bitch Serina with his own two eyes.”

The tip of his thick index finger pointed upwards. Sarios’s gaze, which had been threatening Serina until now, also turned to the ceiling. As he listened carefully, he could faintly hear the sounds of two men arguing loudly above his head. In time with the rhythm of the faint noise, his lips also twisted with unpleasant excitement.

“No, seriously, the Ministry of Justice (Hyeongbu) bastards have never done anything like this before, have they? No matter how much the Princess (Gongju)-nim said she would entrust it to them, why are they being so difficult now that we’ve already taken the case?”

The colleague turned his gaze towards Serina, who was inside the door, and put a cold smile on his face.

“Because the Princess (Gongju)-nim gave the Ministry of Justice (Hyeongbu) a justification. Until now, His Majesty (Pyeha) had tacitly approved, so there was no problem, but in terms of legal provisions, our position and role are ambiguous, so it was bound to happen someday. The Ministry of Justice (Hyeongbu) bastards must have thought they got lucky. They’re probably planning to use it as an example to start a new precedent, right? That’s why Wido is also resisting to avoid giving them an excuse.”

What country in the world would allow extra-legal authority by law without being crazy? At least, that could never happen in a properly functioning country. However, the powerful intentionally created organizations with ambiguous positions and roles, and used them as useful tools to do ‘various’ things in the shadows, avoiding the eyes of the law. In Awimika, the Changwei (Information Bureau) plays that role. But the Minister of Justice (Hyeongbusangseo) stepped in and forcibly dragged this case into the light, placing it on the net of the law.

“Damn it.”

It seemed like he wouldn’t be able to properly interrogate Serina today.