The firefly is a rare insect that lives in the desert where the Shartin tribe originally lived. This insect can live for over a hundred years in its egg form. It remains like a fossil until it suddenly comes back to life when the rain falls.
The resurrected firefly then searches for an oasis. The firefly distinguishes an oasis from the sound of the wind because the sound of the wind passing through the trees in the desert can only be heard next to an oasis.
When the wind blows, the male fireflies all fire together. They burn the trees to create a suitable environment for laying eggs. The females lay eggs on the ashes and die.
The female's body serves as nutrients for the eggshells, enabling them to survive as they roll across the desert sand.
The eggs of the firefly were unknown to anyone except desert tribes, but they were as difficult to obtain as they looked like grains of desert sand.
The godmother said she inherited the eggs of this insect from her father.
“Father said there would definitely be a use for it, and I guess today is that day.”
“It’s your father’s heirloom, and it’s hard to find again, so can you give it to me?”
“If you receive a favor, you should repay it. If it weren’t for Miss Harrington, our Matt would be dead.”
Matt was the baby born just before the godmothers were driven out of the shady place. He was the newborn that Tan had begged Judith to take care of for a few days on a day when the rain was pouring down.
He was a bit sick at the time, but now he was growing well in the Rhineland mansion.
“Be careful, it hatches in 10 minutes after touching water. And Illuor, you stay by my side and help me out.”
Then he handed Illuor an old flute.
“This is a flute that makes sounds of the desert wind. When you blow it, the insects will think that this is a tree near an oasis and start to talk.”
Yes, Judith planned to set fire to the Marquis of Ferney's mansion.
Of course, there are many ways to set fire. However, the reason for using pyrotechnics was to avoid leaving behind any evidence of arson.
There are several ways to set fire to the Marquis of Ferney's mansion from the outside, such as shooting fire arrows or sneaking in and lighting the fire. However, this would leave behind evidence.
If there is evidence of arson and the Marchioness of Ferney is missing? This leaves them with no choice but to conclude that someone set the fire to steal the Marchioness of Ferney.
In that case, the Marquis of Mosley must, whether he likes it or not, issue an order to pursue the Marquis of Ferney. Under Imperial law, the family members of traitors and those who collaborate with traitors are subject to immediate arrest.
As soon as the tracking order is given, a wanted poster with personal information will be quickly delivered to the checkpoint.
But what if a swarm of strange bugs appeared and the Marquis's mansion suddenly caught fire? And what if the Marchioness of Ferney could not be found?
It's unclear whether this should be considered an escape or a disappearance due to a fire.
“But how are you going to bring the Marchioness out?”
Illuor asked.
“Wouldn’t the Marquis’s servants be wary if they see Miss Harrington?”
Even if they were out of their mind, they might still find some Judiths. If you did, things would go completely wrong.
“If there’s a fire, you’ll be out of your mind, so I’ll try to cover my face and go in while I'm there. I’ll have to get water from the river in front of the Marquis’ residence, so I’ll have no choice but to open the front gate.”
There would definitely be a crowd of people, including people who would help put out the fire, and bystanders. Judith planned to blend in with them naturally, with her face covered.
Or should she just ask Siya or Mia, whose faces the people of the Marquis did not know, to bring the Marchioness out? Judith's head was complicated.
“There was a hole in the wall of the Marquis’s house. I tried to get in there and steal a maid’s uniform, but it was too small to fit through.”
“It would be nice to have a maid’s uniform. During a fire, the Marquis wouldn’t suspect someone wearing a maid’s uniform.”
Judith took a deep breath as if she was sorry.
They were so busy eavesdropping on the conversation that they didn't hear the child's footsteps running away into the distance.
“Look at the net carefully.”
“If adults find out, we’ll die.”
“If we get caught, we die.”
“So, we have to succeed.”
Next to the hole in the wall of the Marquis of Ferney's mansion, three small heads were staring intently into the hole.
“I should repay the favor.”
Kaya, with her hair tied up tightly, glared at the frightened boy.
“If it weren’t for Miss Harrington, we’d be sleeping on the floor right now.”
“That’s right, Kaya.”
Another boy nodded. The frightened boy's name was Milo, the other's name was Vadim, and both were Shartin children who lived in the Rhineland Mansion.
“I’ll be back. I have to keep an eye on the net.”
“Be careful, Kaya.”
Kaya clenched her small fists and went into the hole in the wall of the Marquis of Ferney. It was too big for Judith to fit through, but it was no problem for little Kaya.
Kaya, who had entered through the hole, crawled through the garden grass. Just then, three maids carrying laundry baskets passed in front of Kaya.
Kaya followed them, hiding behind the garden trees, hiding in the carriage wheels, and hiding in the corners of the walls.
“Can I leave the laundry here?”
“Okay, leave it there.”
As dusk turned to darkness, the mansion's servants were busy wrapping up their day. The laundry maid pushed the laundry basket the other maids had brought into a corner, stood up, and tapped her forehead.
“Oh, my goodness. I forgot to take off the blanket.”
The maid ran to pick up the quilt hanging on the clothesline in front of the laundry room.
'It's now.'
Kaya ran into the laundry room with the door wide open.
It was then that the maid stopped as she was pulling up the blanket when she heard Kaya's jumping sound.
“What are you talking about?”
Kaya entered the laundry room and quickly hid behind the wall. After looking around for a moment, the maid started to gather up the blanket again.
In the meantime, Kaya took care of the maid's uniform that was in front of her. But then, the laundry maid came into the laundry room carrying a quilt.
'If this continues, I'll get caught.'
Kaya looked for a place to hide, but the square laundry room was nowhere to be found.
Kaya felt like crying. Just as tears welled up in her eyes, the maid came staggering into the laundry room.
“Oh my, it’s heavy.”
“...!”
Because she didn't want to walk twice, she ended up pulling the blanket up all at once, and it ended up coming up to the maid's forehead. When the maid couldn't see her because her vision was blocked by the blanket, Kaya boldly passed by the maid.
“Did a cat come in?”
The maid felt something pass by her and muttered as she put down the blanket.
She looked out of the laundry room, but by then Kaya had already hidden in the garden grass.
“You did well, no, you did badly, but you did well.”
Should I praise or scold her? I touched my forehead. After a while, Kaya and the children came back with a maid’s uniform.
When I asked how she knew, she replied that she had overheard it during a meeting with her godmother and put it into action. Should I praise her for this, or should I tell her sharply that it was a dangerous thing to do?
“I don’t know if you did the right thing.”
At my words, the three children's shoulders slumped helplessly.
“But thank you. It makes things easier.”
In fact, it became much easier. When I thanked them, the expressions of the three children instantly brightened. Kaya's eyes filled with pride and satisfaction.
I didn't want to sprinkle ashes on that clear face, but I couldn't help saying this.
“But your godmother called you.”
Dark clouds rose again over the heads of the children who sensed that they would be scolded. The three children trudged toward the room where their godmother was staying.
I smiled as I touched the maid's uniform that Kaya had stolen. Honestly, I was a little touched that the children had stolen it to repay the favor.
“They said I looked like you, and it’s true.”
Erne, who was watching from across from me, blurted out a word.
“Aren’t the kids really smart?”
“No, it’s similar in that they do dangerous things regardless of the risk.”
I planned to set sail for the port tomorrow with the Marchioness of Ferney.
Even though Illuor and Tan followed me, Erne was not at ease.
“It could be dangerous.”
“There’s nothing we can do. Right now, there’s no servant the Marchioness can trust. The maids she brought from her parents’ house have all left.”
How can you just send Caroline to the harbor?
Even if I sent her on a boat alone, I had to accompany her to the port. If Caroline was sent alone and something happened to her, there would be no point in breaking the law to help her.
“Then did you think it would be easy to earn two thousand gold?”
“At least take Henry with you.”
“Who is watching the store?”
I couldn't give up two thousand gold and business.
“There’s a manpower office on the way to the port with a rope bridge and a kite. I’m thinking about getting some reliable mercenaries there. So Erne, go and make sure you catch those guys.”
“You’re worrying about nothing.”
“Well, if you’re that worried about me, then hold my hand. It’ll take at least four days to get to the port and back, so I won’t be able to relieve the dampness during that time.”
When I reached out to grab his hand, Erne just turned away. Strangely, he didn't want to give in.
“Well, I guess that’s Miss Harrington’s karma for buying dreams recklessly.”
“Ah, Erne, where are you going, without holding my hand?”
The resurrected firefly then searches for an oasis. The firefly distinguishes an oasis from the sound of the wind because the sound of the wind passing through the trees in the desert can only be heard next to an oasis.
When the wind blows, the male fireflies all fire together. They burn the trees to create a suitable environment for laying eggs. The females lay eggs on the ashes and die.
The female's body serves as nutrients for the eggshells, enabling them to survive as they roll across the desert sand.
The eggs of the firefly were unknown to anyone except desert tribes, but they were as difficult to obtain as they looked like grains of desert sand.
The godmother said she inherited the eggs of this insect from her father.
“Father said there would definitely be a use for it, and I guess today is that day.”
“It’s your father’s heirloom, and it’s hard to find again, so can you give it to me?”
“If you receive a favor, you should repay it. If it weren’t for Miss Harrington, our Matt would be dead.”
Matt was the baby born just before the godmothers were driven out of the shady place. He was the newborn that Tan had begged Judith to take care of for a few days on a day when the rain was pouring down.
He was a bit sick at the time, but now he was growing well in the Rhineland mansion.
“Be careful, it hatches in 10 minutes after touching water. And Illuor, you stay by my side and help me out.”
Then he handed Illuor an old flute.
“This is a flute that makes sounds of the desert wind. When you blow it, the insects will think that this is a tree near an oasis and start to talk.”
Yes, Judith planned to set fire to the Marquis of Ferney's mansion.
Of course, there are many ways to set fire. However, the reason for using pyrotechnics was to avoid leaving behind any evidence of arson.
There are several ways to set fire to the Marquis of Ferney's mansion from the outside, such as shooting fire arrows or sneaking in and lighting the fire. However, this would leave behind evidence.
If there is evidence of arson and the Marchioness of Ferney is missing? This leaves them with no choice but to conclude that someone set the fire to steal the Marchioness of Ferney.
In that case, the Marquis of Mosley must, whether he likes it or not, issue an order to pursue the Marquis of Ferney. Under Imperial law, the family members of traitors and those who collaborate with traitors are subject to immediate arrest.
As soon as the tracking order is given, a wanted poster with personal information will be quickly delivered to the checkpoint.
But what if a swarm of strange bugs appeared and the Marquis's mansion suddenly caught fire? And what if the Marchioness of Ferney could not be found?
It's unclear whether this should be considered an escape or a disappearance due to a fire.
“But how are you going to bring the Marchioness out?”
Illuor asked.
“Wouldn’t the Marquis’s servants be wary if they see Miss Harrington?”
Even if they were out of their mind, they might still find some Judiths. If you did, things would go completely wrong.
“If there’s a fire, you’ll be out of your mind, so I’ll try to cover my face and go in while I'm there. I’ll have to get water from the river in front of the Marquis’ residence, so I’ll have no choice but to open the front gate.”
There would definitely be a crowd of people, including people who would help put out the fire, and bystanders. Judith planned to blend in with them naturally, with her face covered.
Or should she just ask Siya or Mia, whose faces the people of the Marquis did not know, to bring the Marchioness out? Judith's head was complicated.
“There was a hole in the wall of the Marquis’s house. I tried to get in there and steal a maid’s uniform, but it was too small to fit through.”
“It would be nice to have a maid’s uniform. During a fire, the Marquis wouldn’t suspect someone wearing a maid’s uniform.”
Judith took a deep breath as if she was sorry.
They were so busy eavesdropping on the conversation that they didn't hear the child's footsteps running away into the distance.
***
“Look at the net carefully.”
“If adults find out, we’ll die.”
“If we get caught, we die.”
“So, we have to succeed.”
Next to the hole in the wall of the Marquis of Ferney's mansion, three small heads were staring intently into the hole.
“I should repay the favor.”
Kaya, with her hair tied up tightly, glared at the frightened boy.
“If it weren’t for Miss Harrington, we’d be sleeping on the floor right now.”
“That’s right, Kaya.”
Another boy nodded. The frightened boy's name was Milo, the other's name was Vadim, and both were Shartin children who lived in the Rhineland Mansion.
“I’ll be back. I have to keep an eye on the net.”
“Be careful, Kaya.”
Kaya clenched her small fists and went into the hole in the wall of the Marquis of Ferney. It was too big for Judith to fit through, but it was no problem for little Kaya.
Kaya, who had entered through the hole, crawled through the garden grass. Just then, three maids carrying laundry baskets passed in front of Kaya.
Kaya followed them, hiding behind the garden trees, hiding in the carriage wheels, and hiding in the corners of the walls.
“Can I leave the laundry here?”
“Okay, leave it there.”
As dusk turned to darkness, the mansion's servants were busy wrapping up their day. The laundry maid pushed the laundry basket the other maids had brought into a corner, stood up, and tapped her forehead.
“Oh, my goodness. I forgot to take off the blanket.”
The maid ran to pick up the quilt hanging on the clothesline in front of the laundry room.
'It's now.'
Kaya ran into the laundry room with the door wide open.
It was then that the maid stopped as she was pulling up the blanket when she heard Kaya's jumping sound.
“What are you talking about?”
Kaya entered the laundry room and quickly hid behind the wall. After looking around for a moment, the maid started to gather up the blanket again.
In the meantime, Kaya took care of the maid's uniform that was in front of her. But then, the laundry maid came into the laundry room carrying a quilt.
'If this continues, I'll get caught.'
Kaya looked for a place to hide, but the square laundry room was nowhere to be found.
Kaya felt like crying. Just as tears welled up in her eyes, the maid came staggering into the laundry room.
“Oh my, it’s heavy.”
“...!”
Because she didn't want to walk twice, she ended up pulling the blanket up all at once, and it ended up coming up to the maid's forehead. When the maid couldn't see her because her vision was blocked by the blanket, Kaya boldly passed by the maid.
“Did a cat come in?”
The maid felt something pass by her and muttered as she put down the blanket.
She looked out of the laundry room, but by then Kaya had already hidden in the garden grass.
***
“You did well, no, you did badly, but you did well.”
Should I praise or scold her? I touched my forehead. After a while, Kaya and the children came back with a maid’s uniform.
When I asked how she knew, she replied that she had overheard it during a meeting with her godmother and put it into action. Should I praise her for this, or should I tell her sharply that it was a dangerous thing to do?
“I don’t know if you did the right thing.”
At my words, the three children's shoulders slumped helplessly.
“But thank you. It makes things easier.”
In fact, it became much easier. When I thanked them, the expressions of the three children instantly brightened. Kaya's eyes filled with pride and satisfaction.
I didn't want to sprinkle ashes on that clear face, but I couldn't help saying this.
“But your godmother called you.”
Dark clouds rose again over the heads of the children who sensed that they would be scolded. The three children trudged toward the room where their godmother was staying.
I smiled as I touched the maid's uniform that Kaya had stolen. Honestly, I was a little touched that the children had stolen it to repay the favor.
“They said I looked like you, and it’s true.”
Erne, who was watching from across from me, blurted out a word.
“Aren’t the kids really smart?”
“No, it’s similar in that they do dangerous things regardless of the risk.”
I planned to set sail for the port tomorrow with the Marchioness of Ferney.
Even though Illuor and Tan followed me, Erne was not at ease.
“It could be dangerous.”
“There’s nothing we can do. Right now, there’s no servant the Marchioness can trust. The maids she brought from her parents’ house have all left.”
How can you just send Caroline to the harbor?
Even if I sent her on a boat alone, I had to accompany her to the port. If Caroline was sent alone and something happened to her, there would be no point in breaking the law to help her.
“Then did you think it would be easy to earn two thousand gold?”
“At least take Henry with you.”
“Who is watching the store?”
I couldn't give up two thousand gold and business.
“There’s a manpower office on the way to the port with a rope bridge and a kite. I’m thinking about getting some reliable mercenaries there. So Erne, go and make sure you catch those guys.”
“You’re worrying about nothing.”
“Well, if you’re that worried about me, then hold my hand. It’ll take at least four days to get to the port and back, so I won’t be able to relieve the dampness during that time.”
When I reached out to grab his hand, Erne just turned away. Strangely, he didn't want to give in.
“Well, I guess that’s Miss Harrington’s karma for buying dreams recklessly.”
“Ah, Erne, where are you going, without holding my hand?”
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