For Ines, who had been beaten for no reason for a long time and had to ask for forgiveness as if she was breathing, it was a miracle.
He must have looked young since he had come back 12 years ago.
She had to face Count Graham, but Ines still had no plan or strength.
However, just imagining Carson, who must have been much younger, brought peace to her heart. If she saw him from afar today, she would be encouraged by his appearance.
At that moment, Susan came to Ines with something to drink.
“Miss, please have some of this. It’s a flower tea that has been chilled.”
“Thank you, Susan.”
“And you don’t have to stay here.”
“Why?”
“There was a rumor that he was coming this way, but in fact, it’s not this way.”
“What?”
Ines raised her voice without realizing it in frustration.
“But don’t worry. I distributed this drink to the knights guarding the square and got some proper information.”
Ines looked at Susan with a new look. It was because she thought that this child was so smart.
“Did I... do something wrong?”
“No, how can you say that? You did so well.”
Susan blushed pleasantly at her compliment.
“Then it must be the Conero Square?”
Susan asked with a look that asked how she knew, but Ines hurried her pace and didn’t really answer.
Carson’s sister was in the mansion of Lord Lesonia. There were only two ways for him to get to the mansion of Lord Lesonia from the capital.
When Ines was in Romfield, she had been mobilized to replace the water pipes in Conero Square that had collapsed due to heavy rain.
It was a very large square, and the water pipes had completely collapsed, so she remembered crawling all over the floor and doing the repair work for quite a long time.
“Hurry up, Susan.”
Ines recalled her memories as she urged Susan. The fastest way to get from Lesonia Square to Conero was to use the underpass. Ines, who didn’t know when he would pass by, started to walk faster.
“But I was a little surprised when I heard that you were going to see Prince Carson.”
“Why? Because I’m a fool who only knows Joseph?”
Susan, who was a little excited to be back in town after a long time, talked more than usual.
“No, I mean... That’s not what I meant.”
Of course, Ines snickered without Susan noticing who was following her. It was natural for Susan to be surprised. Originally, Ines didn’t know anything about Carson.
“I know, he’s so famous. I just saw him in a magazine.”
“Yes.”
Carson was a famous person not only in the capital but also among the locals. He had achieved many things since he was young. However, his good looks played a bigger part in his fame. Ines had only recently learned this, but they said that no maid didn’t have one or two portraits of him.
“Do you have a portrait of him too?”
“Yes?”
When she glanced at her, Susan was surprised and her mouth was wide open. She hesitated for a moment, but Ines had no choice.
“Get me one too.”
“What...?”
“What? A portrait of Prince Carson Raymond. Something the size of my palm, or maybe a little bigger. Yes?”
As Ines hurried into a narrow alley, Susan followed her, still unable to close her mouth.
“I’ll get you one.”
The corners of Ines’ lips slightly rose at Susan’s shout, who had come to her senses belatedly. As the time he was supposed to pass by approached, Ines’s heart grew anxious.
When he became the lord of Landhill, the nobles of the land would naturally come to greet him. But before that, Ines wanted to see him at least once more.
As the alley ended, the entrance to the underpass came into view.
“There’s an underpass here? Can you go there, Miss?”
Ines snickered at Susan’s words. It looked dark and narrow at first glance, but she was more familiar with this kind of path. On the contrary, she was more worried about Susan, the maid.
“And there’s no one there.”
“You can get there much faster if you go here. Hurry up.”
This underground passage was a space where construction workers would come and go. When it rained heavily, it also served as a drainage area, so the floor was always damp. There were places to store equipment here and there, so at first glance, it felt like a maze.
“It’s a little creepy.”
“Yeah. Be careful, the floor is slippery.”
In fact, this place wasn’t just creepy, it was downright terrifying. One of the prisoners who worked in this facility passed out from working long hours and put his head in the water.
Everyone saw the situation, but no one helped her up. No one had the strength left to do so. Ines also saw the scene from the other side but did not go up to help her up. And in the end, she drowned.
At that time, the water was barely high enough to cover a person’s ankles.
While Ines was lost in her old thoughts, a voice rumbling from somewhere was heard.
She furrowed her brow.
When there was a procession in the square, no laborers were mobilized. The Keynes Empire was a country with a clear boundary between black and white. There was never a case of revealing the cruel side hidden behind the splendor.
Furthermore, it had not rained for the past two days. That meant there was no reason for the person in charge to come inspect this facility.
“Miss, why are you stopping...?”
Ines raised her finger to signal for silence, closed her eyes for a moment, and concentrated on finding the direction of the sound. The sound came from closer than she thought.
Of course, someone could have come here to use the shortcut like them. However, with a chilling feeling on the back of her neck, Ines made her footsteps quieter.
As she slowly moved her body, Susan followed behind her secretly.
Finally finding the source of the voice, Ines focused on the woman's face moving in the dark. And she had no choice but to cover her mouth to keep from screaming at what she saw.
‘Lena...?’
Her hair, which had always looked ashen, was now light blond, and her body, which had been hunched over, was now straight, so Ines thought she might be someone else, but she couldn't tell for sure.
Young Lena. Lena was five years older than Ines, so she must be in her mid-twenties now. And she had said that she had entered Romfield about a year before Ines.
“I killed the royal family. I killed the royal family... They said if I did as I said, they would spare Jason... Jason, Jason...”
Her voice, as she banged her head against the dark wall of the prison, seemed to come from right next to her.
She was with some man. He was a tall, skinny man with his face hidden by his hat pulled down low. He tried to hide his identity with his shabby appearance, but he could not completely hide his noble appearance.
“Let’s go.”
Susan urged Ines from behind. However, she left Susan behind and approached them alone. She got as close as she could, but she could not hear what the two were saying.
What was Lena doing in this secret place? Was she after Prince Carson Raymond? However, Carson was still alive and well when Ines was released.
Lena looked around, so Ines ducked and quickly left the underpass.
“What on earth were those people doing there just now? Were they coming from the same direction as us toward the Conero Square?”
“Well, that could be possible. No, they’re definitely coming this way.”
The only royal family member who would appear in this square today was Carson Raymond. Ines was anxious, but all she could do was bite her fingernails.
The rumor spread from somewhere, but people began to gather in Conero Square, although it was not as large as the Plaza de la Resonia.
Even though the imperial family did not openly praise his achievements, they could not stop the rumors from spreading among the people. Rumors and stories about Carson were secretly spreading among the people of the empire.
Songs praising him and novels related to him were already very popular. Some women were seen scattering flower petals as he passed.
'Nothing will happen.'
It was true that Lena was up to something, but Carson would be safe. Didn't the future she saw tell her that?
"Excuse me."
At that moment, a neat voice was heard from behind Ines. When she turned around, a middle-aged woman was standing there, neatly dressed. She looked like a maid of a noble family, from her appearance and speech. And a cute little girl was standing there holding her hand. She must have been about ten years old.
"Please pass this way."
Susan moved away from Ines to make room for the child to pass. The child looked up at Ines with a sharp look in her eyes and then quickly walked forward. Even though it was clearly the first time she had seen her, it was strangely hard to take her eyes off the child.
But at that moment, something caught Ines’ eyes as she watched the child’s back as she walked away. The red hair band that had been rubbed so many times in Lena’s hands was shining and shining. That very red hair band made of synthetic material was well decorated to match the child’s black hair.
A creepy thought suddenly crossed Ines’ mind and she quickly stretched out her arm, but it barely brushed the ends of the child’s hair.
“No!”
Ines shouted loudly, but the child had already blended into the crowd of people. And immediately, a “Wow!” shout was heard from the surroundings. It was an exclamation that the protagonist of this disturbance had appeared today.
Ines began to push through the crowd and follow the child's path. At the same time, Carson Raymond's procession began to come into view in the distance.
Even at that moment, Ines could tell from the bright light behind him that he was in the lead.
Looking around, Ines finally saw the little girl she had been searching for and her maid talking to the knight on guard. And the child soon began to cross the square with the two knights.
Everything became clear.
The only child in this Lesonia who could step forward in front of Carson's procession was his younger sister. That meant that she was also a royal.
"I killed the royal family. Hehe, I killed the royal family."
At that moment, when Ines realized that the royal family Lena had spoken of was not Carson but his younger sister, a strange noise was heard loudly from the other side. Now that the royal family had appeared, no one could ride a horse in this square except for the procession.
However, the surroundings were noisy, and people heard the sound of horses' hooves, but they didn't pay much attention.
He must have looked young since he had come back 12 years ago.
She had to face Count Graham, but Ines still had no plan or strength.
However, just imagining Carson, who must have been much younger, brought peace to her heart. If she saw him from afar today, she would be encouraged by his appearance.
At that moment, Susan came to Ines with something to drink.
“Miss, please have some of this. It’s a flower tea that has been chilled.”
“Thank you, Susan.”
“And you don’t have to stay here.”
“Why?”
“There was a rumor that he was coming this way, but in fact, it’s not this way.”
“What?”
Ines raised her voice without realizing it in frustration.
“But don’t worry. I distributed this drink to the knights guarding the square and got some proper information.”
Ines looked at Susan with a new look. It was because she thought that this child was so smart.
“Did I... do something wrong?”
“No, how can you say that? You did so well.”
Susan blushed pleasantly at her compliment.
“Then it must be the Conero Square?”
Susan asked with a look that asked how she knew, but Ines hurried her pace and didn’t really answer.
Carson’s sister was in the mansion of Lord Lesonia. There were only two ways for him to get to the mansion of Lord Lesonia from the capital.
When Ines was in Romfield, she had been mobilized to replace the water pipes in Conero Square that had collapsed due to heavy rain.
It was a very large square, and the water pipes had completely collapsed, so she remembered crawling all over the floor and doing the repair work for quite a long time.
“Hurry up, Susan.”
Ines recalled her memories as she urged Susan. The fastest way to get from Lesonia Square to Conero was to use the underpass. Ines, who didn’t know when he would pass by, started to walk faster.
“But I was a little surprised when I heard that you were going to see Prince Carson.”
“Why? Because I’m a fool who only knows Joseph?”
Susan, who was a little excited to be back in town after a long time, talked more than usual.
“No, I mean... That’s not what I meant.”
Of course, Ines snickered without Susan noticing who was following her. It was natural for Susan to be surprised. Originally, Ines didn’t know anything about Carson.
“I know, he’s so famous. I just saw him in a magazine.”
“Yes.”
Carson was a famous person not only in the capital but also among the locals. He had achieved many things since he was young. However, his good looks played a bigger part in his fame. Ines had only recently learned this, but they said that no maid didn’t have one or two portraits of him.
“Do you have a portrait of him too?”
“Yes?”
When she glanced at her, Susan was surprised and her mouth was wide open. She hesitated for a moment, but Ines had no choice.
“Get me one too.”
“What...?”
“What? A portrait of Prince Carson Raymond. Something the size of my palm, or maybe a little bigger. Yes?”
As Ines hurried into a narrow alley, Susan followed her, still unable to close her mouth.
“I’ll get you one.”
The corners of Ines’ lips slightly rose at Susan’s shout, who had come to her senses belatedly. As the time he was supposed to pass by approached, Ines’s heart grew anxious.
When he became the lord of Landhill, the nobles of the land would naturally come to greet him. But before that, Ines wanted to see him at least once more.
As the alley ended, the entrance to the underpass came into view.
“There’s an underpass here? Can you go there, Miss?”
Ines snickered at Susan’s words. It looked dark and narrow at first glance, but she was more familiar with this kind of path. On the contrary, she was more worried about Susan, the maid.
“And there’s no one there.”
“You can get there much faster if you go here. Hurry up.”
This underground passage was a space where construction workers would come and go. When it rained heavily, it also served as a drainage area, so the floor was always damp. There were places to store equipment here and there, so at first glance, it felt like a maze.
“It’s a little creepy.”
“Yeah. Be careful, the floor is slippery.”
In fact, this place wasn’t just creepy, it was downright terrifying. One of the prisoners who worked in this facility passed out from working long hours and put his head in the water.
Everyone saw the situation, but no one helped her up. No one had the strength left to do so. Ines also saw the scene from the other side but did not go up to help her up. And in the end, she drowned.
At that time, the water was barely high enough to cover a person’s ankles.
While Ines was lost in her old thoughts, a voice rumbling from somewhere was heard.
She furrowed her brow.
When there was a procession in the square, no laborers were mobilized. The Keynes Empire was a country with a clear boundary between black and white. There was never a case of revealing the cruel side hidden behind the splendor.
Furthermore, it had not rained for the past two days. That meant there was no reason for the person in charge to come inspect this facility.
“Miss, why are you stopping...?”
Ines raised her finger to signal for silence, closed her eyes for a moment, and concentrated on finding the direction of the sound. The sound came from closer than she thought.
Of course, someone could have come here to use the shortcut like them. However, with a chilling feeling on the back of her neck, Ines made her footsteps quieter.
As she slowly moved her body, Susan followed behind her secretly.
Finally finding the source of the voice, Ines focused on the woman's face moving in the dark. And she had no choice but to cover her mouth to keep from screaming at what she saw.
‘Lena...?’
Her hair, which had always looked ashen, was now light blond, and her body, which had been hunched over, was now straight, so Ines thought she might be someone else, but she couldn't tell for sure.
Young Lena. Lena was five years older than Ines, so she must be in her mid-twenties now. And she had said that she had entered Romfield about a year before Ines.
“I killed the royal family. I killed the royal family... They said if I did as I said, they would spare Jason... Jason, Jason...”
Her voice, as she banged her head against the dark wall of the prison, seemed to come from right next to her.
She was with some man. He was a tall, skinny man with his face hidden by his hat pulled down low. He tried to hide his identity with his shabby appearance, but he could not completely hide his noble appearance.
“Let’s go.”
Susan urged Ines from behind. However, she left Susan behind and approached them alone. She got as close as she could, but she could not hear what the two were saying.
What was Lena doing in this secret place? Was she after Prince Carson Raymond? However, Carson was still alive and well when Ines was released.
Lena looked around, so Ines ducked and quickly left the underpass.
“What on earth were those people doing there just now? Were they coming from the same direction as us toward the Conero Square?”
“Well, that could be possible. No, they’re definitely coming this way.”
The only royal family member who would appear in this square today was Carson Raymond. Ines was anxious, but all she could do was bite her fingernails.
The rumor spread from somewhere, but people began to gather in Conero Square, although it was not as large as the Plaza de la Resonia.
Even though the imperial family did not openly praise his achievements, they could not stop the rumors from spreading among the people. Rumors and stories about Carson were secretly spreading among the people of the empire.
Songs praising him and novels related to him were already very popular. Some women were seen scattering flower petals as he passed.
'Nothing will happen.'
It was true that Lena was up to something, but Carson would be safe. Didn't the future she saw tell her that?
"Excuse me."
At that moment, a neat voice was heard from behind Ines. When she turned around, a middle-aged woman was standing there, neatly dressed. She looked like a maid of a noble family, from her appearance and speech. And a cute little girl was standing there holding her hand. She must have been about ten years old.
"Please pass this way."
Susan moved away from Ines to make room for the child to pass. The child looked up at Ines with a sharp look in her eyes and then quickly walked forward. Even though it was clearly the first time she had seen her, it was strangely hard to take her eyes off the child.
But at that moment, something caught Ines’ eyes as she watched the child’s back as she walked away. The red hair band that had been rubbed so many times in Lena’s hands was shining and shining. That very red hair band made of synthetic material was well decorated to match the child’s black hair.
A creepy thought suddenly crossed Ines’ mind and she quickly stretched out her arm, but it barely brushed the ends of the child’s hair.
“No!”
Ines shouted loudly, but the child had already blended into the crowd of people. And immediately, a “Wow!” shout was heard from the surroundings. It was an exclamation that the protagonist of this disturbance had appeared today.
Ines began to push through the crowd and follow the child's path. At the same time, Carson Raymond's procession began to come into view in the distance.
Even at that moment, Ines could tell from the bright light behind him that he was in the lead.
Looking around, Ines finally saw the little girl she had been searching for and her maid talking to the knight on guard. And the child soon began to cross the square with the two knights.
Everything became clear.
The only child in this Lesonia who could step forward in front of Carson's procession was his younger sister. That meant that she was also a royal.
"I killed the royal family. Hehe, I killed the royal family."
At that moment, when Ines realized that the royal family Lena had spoken of was not Carson but his younger sister, a strange noise was heard loudly from the other side. Now that the royal family had appeared, no one could ride a horse in this square except for the procession.
However, the surroundings were noisy, and people heard the sound of horses' hooves, but they didn't pay much attention.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment