CH 166

“Anissa, look at this!”

Hermann began to perform the feat of crafting a glistening golden sphere and throwing it on the shore of the lake.

The sphere sparkled beautifully under the sun, but it looked so useless.

Since he looked at me with a lot of expectation, I had no choice but to exclaim wow, wow, though I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to look at. 

‘What am I supposed to do with that?’

“Ah! This is how you use it.” 

Hermann seemed to notice my confusion and jumped forward saying he’ll demonstrate it himself.

“Oh!”

He ran to the lake in a blink of an eye and triumphantly smiled while on top of a sphere.

‘Oh, so it floats on the water. That’s amazing.’

“How about we leave the island this way? What do you think, Anissa?”

‘How does it float?’ 

While I was speechless and surprised, Hermann who ran back in front of me, shuffled on his feet nervously.

‘Compliment me!’

There seemed to be large letters written on his forehead like that so I clapped my hands and opened my mouth. 

“That’s amazing! Seems like we can ride that and cross the lake!”

“R-Right?”

It was just a moment ago that his eyes sparkled for compliments and now Hermann was smiling shyly while scratching the back of his head. 

He proudly added, “The sun isn’t picky where it shines. I’m happy to be of help.” 

“Oh my, that’s a really useful ability!”

Clap, clap. 

Though I couldn’t really put my soul into it, my palms were burning from applauding hard.

Hermann liked it so much that my hard work wasn’t a waste.

“Is that all you’re bragging about?” 

I was somehow feeling pity at the sight of him that I patted Hermann on his shoulder to appreciate him, but a black shadow began to rise next to the sphere he had made. 

‘Huh? What’s that?’

It was then, 

Crack–! 

Crack, crack, crack–! 

In an instant, the shadow took off from the surface like a winged fish. 

I looked back at Dietrich, who was ridiculing Hermann’s ability since ordinary shadows wouldn’t have been able to move like that.

“......What are you doing?”

“Look.”

Instead of answering my question, Dietrich walked slowly to the shore of the lake, stepped on the shadow, and stood tall.

“…….”

I pointed at Dietrich, who had stepped on the water like it was land, and opened my mouth. 

“What’s that? How did you do that?” 

I had often seen him climb up into the air using a shadow, but I didn’t know he could use it to stand on water. He curled his lip as if he liked my surprised reaction.

“Even water has shadows.” 

He sounded arrogant as if it was incomparable to Hermann’s lousy ability.

“Come and step on. It’s much safer than that stupid lump of light.” 

I tilted my head to the side at Dietrich, who confidently reached out his hand.

‘That’s strange.’

“Can you originally step on the shadows like this?”

“That’s right.” 

My eyebrows knitted at his reflexive reply.

“Then why did you say we couldn’t get out of this island earlier?” 

“…….”

“You acted like we had no other way than Zagan.”

‘This liar.’

Well, every time he opens his mouth, only lies come out. 

I was dumbfounded that I wanted to quibble over it, but Dietrich became tongue-tied. 

“Hm?”

I urged him but no answer came back.

────── 〔✿〕──────

I stepped on Dietrich’s shadow – I felt like if I used Hermann’s sphere he would greatly sulk – and touched down on the ground safely. 

‘Now I must go back to Lagrange.’

Seeing as Veronica and Yuric’s memories have returned, then Marilyn’s memories must have returned too. 

‘She will definitely get worried about me.’

So I had to go back to Lagrange as soon as possible…….

I began to ponder while looking at the north side where Lagrange was located and the direction where Viscount Oily was located.

‘If I go back now, I won’t be able to say goodbye to Lindsay.’

When I was still a maid, I had hastily packed up my things for fear that Donovan would harm me, but I have nothing to fear now on that side.

‘Moreover, I’d like to give the head maid a proper reward.’

She was someone who took the risk and helped me. 

Suddenly, it occurred to me that Donovan might be bullying the woman who had secretly helped 

me escape.

Thinking of the face of the head maid suffering under the narrow-minded young master Donovan, I nodded my head and made my decision.

I grasped Dietrich’s sleeves, who had at some point had the carriage of Lagrange waiting for us.

“Dietrich.” 

He, who was caught lying to me earlier, flinched and looked back at me. 

To others, he had a cold expression on his face, but I could tell he was ashamed of his actions.

Dietrich wasn't the type to make mistakes easily, so it was an opportunity that didn't come very often.

“I’d like to stop by at the territory of Viscount Oily.”

“Why.” 

I thought he wouldn’t like it if I said I didn’t want to go back to Lagrange right away, and as expected, he frowned at once.

I continued, looking up at the creases on his neat forehead.

“I’d like to say goodbye to Lindsay, the maid whom I got really close to. And if she’s alright with it, I’d like to take her to Lagrange.”

Dietrich’s eyes were subtly distorted with my words.

“Fine.” 

He nodded slightly and approached Oslo who was feeding the horse around him. 

“.......said. Did you keep them alive?” 

They seemed to be whispering about something.

‘What are they talking about?’

Dietrich's attitude of whispering low as if he didn’t want me to hear pricked my curiosity so I perked up my ear. 

“Ahh. Never done anything harmful to the princess….kept alive…..” 

The tactless Oslo had raised his voice, but Dietrich quickly stepped on his foot so that the rest of the words were not heard anymore. 

Who has he kept alive?

‘No, if you hear conversations like that it means he didn’t let anyone live.’

I was curious, but he showed no signs of letting me know so I shrugged my shoulders and approached the carriage.

‘This is amazing.’

The carriage of Lagrange, which Dietrich had ordered to wait for us, was so huge and splendid it could not be compared with the Viscount’s carriage, which Donovan had always bragged about. 

‘Looks like Euclid sent a carriage, too.’ 

Lagrange’s black carriage was huge so I couldn’t see it but the white carriage of the Euclids also boasted its elegance. 

Well, Hermann was their only Duke. 

Euclid’s carriage, decorated with carved ivory, was not as dignified as Lagrange’s, who added gold to a carriage made of black iron, but it had an elegant taste. 

“Are you leaving for Euclid?”

“No. Didn’t you intend to stop by the territory of Viscount Oily for now?”

‘Huh? Is he planning to follow me?’ 

I thought he’d go see a doctor since he’s taking Charlotte who’s passed out.

But as if he had no such plans, Hermann reached out to me when he stepped on to the stairs of the carriage, planning to get inside. 

It meant that I rode in it. 

‘Lagrange’s carriage must be cramped since Veronica and Yuric would have to ride in it as well.’

As I pondered over whether to grab his outstretched hand or not, Dietrich snapped Hermann's hand after finishing the conversation with Oslo.

“Ack!” 

Hermann screamed in pain and rolled over the floor as Dietrich walked over to me with an indifferent look on his face.

“Get in.”

“Uh, yeah…….”

I grabbed his hand unconsciously and let out a shaky sigh as I climbed into the gigantic carriage with eight horses on it.

‘Fortunately, it’s wider than I thought.’

I thought of the carriage I had ridden a few times when I was young, but it must have been a newly built carriage after he ascended as the Grand Duke since it boasted a large structure that could fit at least eight strong young men inside. 

“Zagan will get lonely, so I’ll be riding with him.”

When I opened the window and poked my head out looking for Veronica, she had already gotten on top of Zagan’s back and waved her hand as she responded. 

“Yeah, okay.”

‘Then is Yuric the only one left to ride with us?’

Just in time, I saw Yuric approaching the carriage, probably to ride with us after he had completed the maintenance with the knights. 

“Yuric, here–”

Clang-!

However, Yuric who had finally come close right in front of us couldn’t get into the carriage.

“Depart.” 

“Yes, Your Grace!” 

Because Dietrich had closed the door to monopolize this large carriage. 

Click.

He didn’t just close the door, he approached me and closed the window, and even shut the curtains.

“Hey–this jerk!” 

I heard Yuric muttering outside but the sound has been muffled due to the soundproofing magic applied to the carriage. 

“Why won’t you let Yuric get in?” 

I gave a dumbstruck laugh at his actions.

“It’s cramped.”

Dietrich whispered softly behind my back as I stared out the window. 

‘What’s the point of having a sweet voice when your words aren’t?’

“.....But there’s a lot of seats left?”

I turned around intending to berate him and slightly frowned while pointing to the red sofa spread out behind him.

Perhaps he was thinking that it was an unreasonable argument, he only looked at my fingertip and closed his mouth.

“Don’t be a beast and let him in. Don’t you think it’d be hard on him to ride a horse?”

“.........I.” 

Dietrich’s voice, as he watched me, dropped in an instant. It dropped roughly as if sinking under. 

I swallowed at the peculiar atmosphere that rose.

“I want to be alone with you.” 

“……….”

“Is that not possible?”

I should have said it wasn’t possible.  

However, Dietrich was too ridiculously handsome to even think about Yuric who would return on horseback with a sore butt.