The Brothel Maiden: A Sold Girl's Rise to Prominence Through Reasoning

Chapter 14

The funeral had been called off. Josée rode in silence beside Serge as they returned to the royal capital by carriage.

Just before they reached the city, the sun dipped low, painting the outskirts in hues of crimson and gold. Amid the fading light, something on the side of the road caught Josée’s eye—a glint among the grass.

"Hm...?"

Her sharp gaze locked onto the familiar shimmer.

"Wait. Stop the carriage."

She gave a firm order to the coachman and stepped down from the carriage. Kneeling, she picked up the object that had caught her attention.

It was Frédéric’s gold ring.

Inside was an engraving—the date of their wedding anniversary.

She pressed it lightly between her teeth. It gave slightly under pressure. Real gold. No doubt about it.

"...Why would this ring be here of all places?"

Josée frowned, confusion furrowing her brow. Behind her, Serge’s carriage also came to a halt, and he quickly disembarked when he noticed the commotion.

"What’s going on?" he asked.

"This ring—it belonged to Frédéric-sama. He must’ve dropped it here."

"But didn’t he say he lost it at the brothel?"

"Maybe he dropped it here before going there?"

"No... He was definitely wearing it at the brothel. That day, I shook hands with Fédor’s representative—his dominant left hand. I remember the ring clinking against mine. It felt off."

Frédéric was left-handed.

"Hmm... Then this doesn’t make sense. Why would it be here?"

"It’s getting dark. Let’s head back to the city for now."

"Want to have dinner at my brothel? I took the day off, so it’s empty tonight."

They returned to the capital. But the moment they reached the brothel, the door was thrown open with a slam.

"Hey—Josée! We’ve got a problem!" Michelle shouted.

"What happened?"

"When we got back with the others, the brothel was unlocked... and the guillotine’s gone!"

"...What!?"

Josée bolted toward the guillotine room.

Empty.

She stared at the vacant space in stunned silence. Then, her mind raced, the pieces falling into place all at once.

The missing guillotine. The ring on the roadside.

Frédéric had stolen it.

And those traffickers—when they’d mentioned “the guillotine’s storage location”—they’d been lying.

"So Frédéric-sama’s already on the run?"

"This is getting scary, Josée," Michelle said nervously. "Let’s just go back to Château Fournier. We can bring guards if we have to."

"But how did he even move the guillotine…? It’s massive."

Too large to transport unnoticed. Too heavy to lift without help.

Unless—

"...If he disassembled it, he could’ve loaded it onto a small cart by himself."

And if, during disassembly, his ring had fallen into some crevice of the guillotine…

"Then it might’ve gotten stuck somewhere—and fallen out later, shaken loose by the cart’s vibrations. It wouldn’t have been intentional."

"Josée, we need to report this to the police," Serge said, his tone firm.

"You call for backup," Josée replied, eyes blazing with resolve. "I’m going after Frédéric-sama myself."

"...What?"

"If the ring fell here, he can’t be far. He’s trying to leave the country with my guillotine—that guillotine is my livelihood. My precious business tool... I won’t let him get away!"

Serge let out a long, exasperated sigh. But—

"...There’s no stopping you, is there?"

He looked up at the darkening sky.

Josée left the brothel, mounted a horse, and took off at a gallop. A carriage would be too slow—she needed speed.

At nearly the same moment—

At a warehouse elsewhere, Bernard was being briefed by officers who had arrived ahead of him. When he heard what they had to say, he clutched his head in frustration.

"What the hell! False testimony? Or... did someone leak our intel and tip off Frédéric?"

"Both are possible. We’ll have to recheck everything. Re-interrogate the traffickers—"

"No good! The police can’t be trusted!"

Bernard stormed out of the warehouse, fury in his stride.

Just then—something streaked past.

A figure in mourning clothes, riding full-speed on horseback.

He froze.

"That’s... Josée!"

Without hesitation, Bernard mounted a nearby horse and gave chase.

The police cavalry followed close behind.

Josée’s silhouette, unwavering in the twilight, raced ahead.

That sight alone was enough to steady Bernard’s heart.

"That woman... she’s onto something."

For the first time in a long while, Bernard broke into a grin.