CH 2.8

A woman who’s like a flower garden in full bloom was living in Archduke Schweiden’s residence.

The woman he’s going to marry is beautiful.

It was after the day we visited the knights that such rumors started to spread.

I opened the weekly magazine and spewed out my drink after reading this.

“Keug, cough, cough!”

“Are you okay, lady?”

“Wa-ter, give me some water…!”

Theobalt, who was wiping the dishes with a dry towel beside me, became startled and immediately brought me water.

I drank the cold water at once and checked the weekly magazine again.

“According to Mr. L, a member of the Rentus Knights, the young lady was extremely mysterious… His heart trembled with just one glance from her… He couldn’t help but become a prisoner of love.”

I would bet all my money that the Mr. L mentioned here was none other than Sir Luke. 

Ugh, this is so embarrassing!

Theobalt, reading the contents over my shoulder, said softly,

“Well, there’s already a lot of articles like this. Everyone will think of it as Wembu (Gossip news) again, so it’s okay.”

There were a lot of rumors that Lacius was dating someone, and that he had a public date somewhere just as he said. I slightly nodded my head after realizing what he said was right.

“A mail is here, my lady.”

At that time, I heard stomping footsteps, and Maynard suddenly appeared. This time I was really perplexed.

Mail? For me?

“Would you like to open it right now?”

Theobalt, who was now wiping a knife, asked quietly. I immediately affirmed with a bewildered face.

“Sure.”

As soon as I consented, the knife in Theobald’s hand flashed and shined. A normal letter should be opened with a letter knife, but it doesn’t matter.

What’s important right now is, who sent this and what its contents held.

“First of all, it’s a normal letter.”

Like a skilled butler, Theobalt first looked into the envelope very carefully. Normal means no hair, no blood, and no nails. 

Feeling relieved, I held out my hand. Theobalt deliberately flicked the card back and forth, and handed it only after confirming that there was nothing like a blade attached to it.

“This is…”

I can feel both Theobalt and Maynard ears pricking.

I stared intently at the elegant handwriting written in turquoise ink on a pretty piece of paper, sprinkled with glittering powder.

A person whose elegance and dignity I could already feel just from the handwriting.

That’s right. It’s from the princess.

“She’s having a tea party, and she wants me to attend.”

It hasn’t been long since I met Ziontin, and the princess has already contacted me.

I was curious about her so I didn’t have any problem with meeting her, but the problem was her intention. What was her intention behind inviting me, whose identity was unclear, to a tea party at the Imperial Palace?

“Growl!”

Maynard exclaimed.

Yes, she’s planning to eat me*. Gulping in one bite.

*(Not literally, other word will be ‘to prey on her’)

“Will you go?”

Theobalt looked at me with worried eyes. He felt afraid that something big might happen.

“Of course I should go. I have to see with my own eyes the culprit behind Lacius’ torment.

“You are very reliable.”

“You can call me General.”

I answered bravely. It’s not my cup of tea to run away from the fight I’ve walked into. Why would I miss such a great opportunity?

I pounded the table with excitement.

“Maynard, I have a favor. Please send someone to the dress shop right now and ask them to give you the finished ones first.”

“Oh, I got it.”

“If they say it would be difficult, just tell them to bring them all here. They can make the rest here.”

There were actually several things I ordered them to do.

I asked to re-cut the dresses I already had to fit my body, and re-tighten the waistline. In addition, I instructed them to remove any frills or lace that I did not like.

Madame’s taste also had nothing to do with being cute and lovely, but she confessed that she got excited and had no choice but to put all these embellishments on because it was the trend.

It hasn’t been long since then, so even a third of the dresses may not have been completed yet, but I still have to choose from what they have and wear it.

‘Oh, it’s giving me chills!’

It was thrilling to hear that I would be able to see the terrifying princess in person.

While waiting for Maynard to return, I decided to start drawing the maids first. One was to be completed tonight.

A cute girl who’s a 3rd Dan in Hapkido, has a black belt in Taekwondo, and physical skills comparable to a professional boxer. A girl in a pretty maid outfit with her brown hair in pigtails, about 17 years old, and her specialty would be beating up any intruder with a 15kg broom.

She is a child who will be with me for a long time, so that should be enough.

I rubbed my palms to generate heat, and slowly rotated my wrists to loosen them.

“By the way, Theobalt.”

“Yes, miss.”

“Doesn’t it seem like there are fewer attacks these days?”

It’s never been this quiet before. The talismans I made for self-defense were never used.

At my word, Theobalt gave an ‘Aha!’ look.

“That’s what I thought too. It’s surprisingly peaceful.”

“Right? Why is that? Are they preparing for an all-out attack?”

Theobalt, who was now cleaning a fork, laughed haphazardly. It’s nice because it’s comfortable, but it somehow feels uncomfortable at the same time.

I got up and went to the painting room. There was a cute and lovely maid waiting for me to finish coloring.

* * *

The article published in the weekly magazine swiftly disseminated and was also delivered to a tanned skin man.

He was having a quick meal at a bar, and as soon as he read the article, he crumpled the paper. Then he left his seat and stopped in front of a solid iron gate.

‘She is being confined here.’

It was close enough to reach if one just stretched their hands. But he hesitated for days.

“Why…”

She’s not sending any signals? He doesn’t think she has been arrested or imprisoned, so why?

‘Do you not need me anymore? Or… You’re abandoning me now?’

In short, he was in a state of confusion.

At that time, a carriage sped out of the mansion. He hurriedly hid himself and checked who was riding it, but the carriage was empty except for the man sitting on the driver’s seat.

No matter how much the inside was covered with a blackout curtain, he could only hear the sound of one person breathing.

‘Shall I follow?’

Maybe I can let her know that I’m here.

‘Of course, before that… I would have to get rid of those impure things first.’

The man’s red eyes flashed.

After a while.

In the road where he disappeared from, people who passed out like corpses piled up one after another on the dusty ground. All of them were wizards preparing to attack the Archduke Schweiden’s mansion.