CH 127

Keller looked over the incomprehensible order and shook his head. As he let out a frustrated sigh, the waiter looked at him as if he was the cause of Keller’s ire. It had been five days already and he was quite familiar with the waiter.

“Good Morning,” Keller said in his best Feliain, doing his best to put the waiter at ease. He was not anywhere near fluent in the language, but he knew enough to pass polite conversation.

The waiter smiled and left after placing his order on the table, a simple sandwich that Keller ate with gusto, looking across from the cafe to the Inn that Odette Klauswitz was staying at.

He had suspected Bastian was losing it a little, becoming a little too paranoid when he instructed him to keep an eye on his wife, when his wife was rarely ever without Bastian. He was relieved a little when Bastian changed the order to follow the Becker couple, leading up to their wedding and following them across the sea.

At the last minute, just as Keller was having his luggage loaded onto the emigration ship, he received yet another letter from Bastian, changing the order once again to follow Odette in Carlsbar. Keller’s suspicions the old war hero was losing his mind rekindled, but were dashed once more when he caught on that Odette was making a run for it to Felia.

It appeared that Bastian had predicted his wife fleeing abroad months ago, but why? Not that it was his business to ask such questions. All he needed to do was watch and report.

Keller was used to meeting with paranoid husbands and wives, suspecting their partners of cheating, but Keller couldn’t make sense of this assignment, but he paid well and the job was easy enough, Odette wasn’t exactly versed in subterfuge.

He barely even knew Bastian, though they had met some twenty years ago during Carl Illis’s work. They had barely passed a handful of words after exchanging polite greetings. When Carl Illis passed away, Keller never even saw Bastian again, until two years ago.

Right before Bastian left for the North Sea, he came by Keller’s detective agency and requested him to keep tabs on his wife. It was work Keller did most frequently, but was surprised that Bastian came to him. Word was that Bastian and Odette were the closest couple in the land and loved each other very much.

The labyrinth of his thoughts grew more intricate as he pondered Bastian’s motivations. Throughout his career as a detective he honed skills to read people—however, Bastian Klauswitz’s intentions eluded him completely. 

Unlike a simple arrest directive, Bastian only asked him to monitor and trail Odette. He also couldn’t understand why Bastian let his wife to endure hardship while on the run.

Time passed on and there was still no sign of Odette emerging from the Inn. He was two coffees down and needed to move on or risk being found out. Just as he was settling the bill, a woman with a white dog finally emerged from the Inn.

Odette looked up and down the street cautiously, then hurried off toward the busiest end of the road. She wasn’t carrying any luggage, so no doubt she wasn’t planning on going far, maybe even just out to walk the dog. 

Even if he can’t understand it, a mission was a mission. Keller lifted his coat’s collar, veiling his scarred visage, and began following her.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

“What on earth were you thinking?” Maria Gross, Bastian’s aunt, asked. “And with the amount of trouble the Emperor has on you. You really are the black sheep of the family,” she tutted.

Bastian calmly put down his tea cup and looked at Maria with a gentle smile. “As I said, Odette is just taking a short break.”

“I know you, Bastian, you can’t fool me. Such a disappointment.” Maria stared at Bastian, her eyes scolding through him.

Bastian’s wife had run away and that their perfect little marriage was in shambles. Rumors originating from Carlsbar reached the capital in a matter of three days. As it passed from person to person, from group to group, the rumours became exaggerated and wild. Accusations about Bastian mistreating his wife began to circulate.

Rumors originating from Carlsbar reached the capital in a matter of three days.  He simply watched everything in silence, living his daily life. Those who had regarded Bastian as a problem were pleased to witness his reputation  crumbled.

“At least tell me the truth, what really happened? What sort of contingencies do you have? What’s your plan to get her back?”

“I think I have explained myself enough.”

“Well I don’t think so, I confirmed that there had been no travel plans, and that Odette just up and left to visit Carlsbar with you and return, its something we all knew, so don’t try and change the story now.” Maria was determined to squeeze out the truth from her nephew and showed no signs of ever backing down.

Bastian let out a frustrated sigh and poured himself out another cup of tea, while he steeped in deep thought. If his aunt was this suspicious, maybe she had an insider, maybe a butler or a maid or even a very talkative chef.

A smile played over his lips as he thought about who his aunt’s spy might be. He knew that attempting to impose any restrictions on his aunt would not work and only serve to deepen her suspicions.

“It was a spontaneous decision. After her fathers funeral and her sister moving away after the wedding, Odette needed some time to herself, for the sake of her own health. I suggested a trip out to the country and she readily agreed.”

“If that was really the case, then why has she vanished so suddenly and so silently? Like stowing away in the middle of the night. It would have done with much fanfare, that’s just your way, showing off to the world how much you love her.”

“That was two years ago, I’ve calmed down significantly since then.”

Maria’s eyes flickers with sadness. “Well, not to me you haven’t, you haven’t changed at all.”

It was only because she trusted her nephew so much that she agreed to the marriage in the first place. He was a man that would never let himself get swept up in emotions and make mistakes, but to see him so blinded by foolish love.

“You need to put an end to this. The period promised by the Emperor has passed and there is no use in keeping that scarecrow hanging around, causing all this unnecessary drama.” Maria issued Bastian a stern command.

It wasn’t about business any more, as even without the marriage alliance, they were strong enough to stand against Jeff Klauswitz. It was Bastian’s crowning achievement, so there was no reason to keep Odette hanging around. If Maria had thought for a moment that Odette felt for Bastian the same as Bastian felt for Odette, she would have blessed their marriage long ago.

“You need to arrange for a divorce before the year is out. Odette is responsible for all this scandal, so the Emperor won’t have a leg to stand on. If you’re clear on who is responsible, we can suppress baseless rumours.”

“I will handle it in accordance with what I judge probable. Don’t worry, it won’t interfere with my official duties.”

“For heaven’s sake, Bastian, do you think I am pursuing this out of some petty act of revenge?” Maria turned red with anger.

Bastian shook his head with a smile. “Absolutely not. I understand your concern for me. I’m just saying that you don’t need to worry.” Bastian drew the line in the sand with a polite tone, but his eyes on his aunt were like ice.

At times like this, he’s just like his father. 

Maria could see the fanaticism of desire in Bastian, he was half Klauswitz after all and just like Jeff Klauswitz, who went wild with greed at the prospects of marrying the daughter of a successful junk dealer, then became intoxicated with the honour that the daughter of an aristocrat would bring, which only led to the tragedy of today.

The Klauswitz family’s desire was short-lived, akin to a brief spark. While it burned intensely for a while, it was not sustainable over time.

Maria didn’t want that fate for Bastian, who was also an Illis. She looked at her nephew with pensive eyes.

Carl Illis was the antipode of Jeff Klauswitz. He lived his life dedicated to a single purpose. That driven tenacity was what made him so successful as a junk dealer, but that one track mind was also poison and led to the death of his daughter, who had allowed herself to become blinded by love.

The fanatic and the devotee. Could two qualities in direct opposition to one another exist in one man?

“Odette would return soon and when she does, I will let her know that you wish to see her.” With a gentle expression on his face, Bastian got up and bid farewell to Maria. The light in his eyes resembled the desire of Klauswitz and the determination of Illis.

“Bastian,” Maria called out impulsively, making Bastian stop just as he reached the door. “Don’t forget, you still have debts left to pay to your grandfather.”

Maria was aware that her advice would add another shackle to a child who had shouldered responsibility from a young age. At least it’s better than ending up like his mother.

Bastian exited the reception room, his nonchalant smile on display and his gait reflecting a military discipline. In the meantime, Maria had a deep wish for Odette not to reappear. This situation, according to her, would be the most beneficial for both parties. Because she thought, it was the best choice for both of them.