CH 14

Former Lord

“What is it?”

“He’s my… Father.”

“Father?”

“The person you met at the tavern… he’s my dad.”

The daughter that got taken away from Uncle Urbain was Annette.

I don’t know if it was a coincidence or inevitable that she became my educator, but I’m glad I met her.

“Uncle Urbain was very worried about you all this time.”

“Yes…”

“Everything is going to be fine now.”

I continued to rub her back as she began to cry again.

When she calmed down, Annette turned to me with a determined look on her face.

“There’s a person I would like you to help, Elle.”

“A person you would like me to help?”

“It’s the former Lord.”

What is this about?

I believe I heard that the former Lord was weak with illness…

“The former Lord is recuperating in this mansion, no?”

“He is not!”

“Huh?”

“Our former Lord is not ill. He has been locked up in a dungeon away from here.”

A dungeon? Why would the former Lord be in such a place?

I thought about it and an answer came to me instantly.

Perhaps Baptiste had locked up the former Lord so that he could take over his position.

If that was the case, then the people in the village were right in their conjecture.

That pest is a real bastard.

“But how do you know about this, Annette?”

“It’s because I was in charge of delivering the meals to the dungeon… I recognized the face of our former Lord so I was very surprised to find him there.”

It seems that the former Lord used to walk around the village a lot.

And judging by how much he was adored, I’d say he was a man who cared a lot about his people.

“Then, Annette. Could I ask you to guide me to that place?”

“There are guards at that place too, is that really okay?”

“You saw how strong I am, right? I will definitely protect you. And you are the one who asked for my help anyway, no?”

According to the villagers, the former Lord was a man of character.

I believe that he is the only person who knows the village well enough to take charge of this desolate place.

In order to do so, I need to talk with him.

As if she understood my feelings, Annette nodded and said, “Thank you, I will guide you there.”

We left the mansion that became quiet and headed towards a remote area, where only a lonely hut stood. It was the middle of the night, and I felt a sense of foreboding.

“Annette, please don’t leave my side.”

“O, okay.”

Inside the hut, there was only a staircase leading to the basement.

We descended slowly and quietly. The basement space was much larger than the hut, and there were five guards in front of the cell.

“This many people is easy.”

“Elle?”

The magic that put Baptiste and the others to sleep was used to put the guards to sleep as well. It was the people in the prison who reacted to the sound of guards falling to the ground.

“Amazing…”

“Well, let’s go.”

I pulled the startled Annette by hand to the front of the cell and saw two dirty-looking middle-aged people, a man and a woman, inside.

They were probably Baptiste’s parents, the former Lord and Lady.

There seemed to be people in the other cells, but for now, I had to talk to these people first.

“You are?”

“My name is Elle.”

“Was it you who made them sleep?”

When I told them what I was here to do, the older man and woman looked surprised.

I would like to explain the situation right away, but I think we can talk more calmly in the mansion than here.

“Why don’t we return to the mansion first?”

“No, but…”

“We can’t talk calmly here. I want to explain the situation.”

He was reluctant when I told him that.

He probably doesn’t know if I’m someone he can trust.

As I was wondering what to do, Annette, who was behind me, stepped forward.

“Master! Elle has already defeated Lord Baptiste. You can trust her.”

“You defeated Baptiste?”

“Yes. I would like to talk to you about something regarding that as well, if you don’t mind.”

Finally, the man nodded his head and said, “Alright.”