The management's story was surprising, but it was expected.
The story of the red dragon entangled in a volcano is a famous tale known to everyone living in Leopold's territory, so I expected something like this to go around.
But when I actually faced the situation, it was more terrifying than I had imagined, so I held my hands together involuntarily.
"That..."
As I clenched my fists so hard that my hands turned white, the manager stopped talking and closed his mouth.
“Keep talking.”
"Your Excellency..."
“I told you to keep talking.”
The manager was in a difficult situation and asked other managers for help, but no one took his side.
“Count Evan. How many times do you plan on making me say the same thing?”
When I called his name and urged him to speak quickly, the official, Count Even, opened his mouth with a helpless expression.
“That, that... There is a secret opinion that to avoid the wrath of the Red Dragon in the future, Your Excellency should... step down from the Duke’s position.”
Thud-
I heard a sound like something falling inside my chest.
For a moment, my eyes turned white and then black again.
“No, of course, I don’t think so. The volcano eruption was just a natural disaster and had nothing to do with Your Excellency inheriting the dukedom.”
“That’s right. The story of the Red Dragon is just a tale.”
“It’s just the talk of people who don’t know anything, so don’t pay too much attention to it, Your Excellency.”
Even though other managers came forward to comfort me, it didn't comfort me at all.
Because I knew better than anyone here that the story of the Red Dragon was not just a folktale.
Thinking about it made my stomach churn and my head throbbing, so I frowned and placed my hand on my forehead.
The quick-witted managers immediately kept their mouths shut.
But the unpleasant stares from people glancing at me continued.
Each and every one of those gazes became sharp knives that stabbed into my back and chest.
People weren't saying anything, but I thought I could hear them resenting me.
How shameless to keep sitting there after putting them in this situation.
It was very painful because I had the illusion that I could hear screams in my ears telling me to come down immediately.
An official cautiously suggested something to me, watching me closely.
“How about we finish here today and return to the Duke’s residence?”
It was an offer sweeter than chocolate.
I, too, felt like going back to the Duke's residence and resting.
I won't get such cold stares at the Duke's residence.
...Are you really not going to accept it?
Would the Duke's servants also think that the volcanic eruption was simply a natural disaster?
I gritted my teeth at the sudden question.
If it had been me in my first and second lives, I would have been sure that it would be so, but not me now, having been betrayed by the maid I trusted in my third life.
I couldn't believe it.
The growing suspicion made me lose all desire to return to the Duke's residence.
There's still a lot of work to be done, so I can't go back.
If I go back now, people will probably think I'm running away because I'm being stabbed in the back.
“I will call a carriage, Your Excellency.”
“...No. You don’t have to do that.”
So, let's stand up in front of people, Adele Leopold.
There's nothing good about showing weakness to people.
Since people wouldn't be able to say anything in front of me anyway, it wasn't hard to pretend not to know anything.
I took a deep breath, calmed my churning stomach, and smiled at the managers who were looking at me with concern.
“Let’s go to the next location.”
“I can’t sleep because I’m scared that the volcano will erupt again.”
“That’s right. As long as Her Excellency sits in the seat of Duke Leopold, the Red Dragon’s wrath will not subside...”
You can't say anything in front of me, but you can talk as much as you want behind my back.
Why didn't I know in the past that I could overhear those stories while passing by?
“I don’t want to live in fear forever. I wish she would step down from her position quickly.”
“If Her Excellency has any sense, she will come down soon.”
“Well. Is that really true? She wanted to become a Duke, so she entered the Knight Academy in the Allied Forces. I don’t think she’ll come down easily.”
“That is true. Besides, there is no blood relative of the Duke Leopold’s family other than Her Excellency....”
The words that flowed out through the slightly open door of the shelter stabbed me in the heart like a sharp knife.
“I will go in first.”
When the knight who was escorting me on behalf of Sir Aldor started to step forward with a serious expression, I raised my hand to stop him.
“Just wait a moment.”
“But Your Excellency...”
"It's okay."
It was a blatant lie.
Actually, it wasn't okay at all, but I held on because I wanted to hear with my own two ears what people were saying about this.
Is it really true that the volcano erupted because the red dragon was angry?
Is the reason the Red Dragon is angry because Adele Leopold has taken the Duke's seat without permission?
Will the Red Dragon's wrath be appeased if Adele Leopold steps down from the Duchy?
What doesn't the Red Dragon like about Adele Leopold?
Even if Adele Leopold is not the official successor designated by the previous Duke, she is still a blood relative of the Leopold Duke family.
Are we really blood relatives?
I wonder if there are any other secrets hidden there?
And so on. People who didn't know that I was eavesdropping were free to make all kinds of guesses.
The words they spat out became a tight noose, slowly squeezing my breathing.
I should have told the knight to go in first, I was just listening.
Belated regret came crashing down on me like rough waves.
The escort knight, who had been listening to the people talking, asked worriedly.
“Are you alright, Your Excellency?”
"...”
I wanted to calmly tell him that it was okay, that I wasn't worried, but my mouth wouldn't open.
Is it because I heard them gossiping about me directly?
It wasn't easy to shake off the feelings that were crumbling like fallen leaves just like before.
As I was staring blankly at the floor with my eyes wide open, the knight reached out his hand to me.
“I think it would be best for you to return to the Duke’s residence today, Your Excellency.”
“...No. This is the last place, so just take a look and leave.”
I had made it this far, but I didn't want to run away. I tried to console myself, opened the door to the shelter, and went in.
“...”
“...”
The shelter, which had been bustling just a moment ago, became quiet as if cold water had been poured over it.
Most people flinched and turned their heads when they saw my face.
Let's laugh.
I laugh like I haven't heard anything like I don't know anything.
“...”
I had to laugh... but I couldn’t laugh.
When I frowned slightly, feeling as if a large thorn had been stuck in my throat, people looked at me with great anxiety.
No matter how wrong I was, it was a grave sin for a commoner to gossip about a noble, a Duke, and a lord at that.
Even if I punished them, they had nothing to say.
...I have no intention of punishing them though.
"Your Excellency."
As I stood there blankly without saying anything, the knight called out to me with concern.
At that moment, as I tried to raise the corners of my lips while embracing what little reason remained, the door to the shelter opened.
“Oh. Am I late?”
This voice is... Perdes?
When I looked back in surprise, Perdes closed his eyes and smiled.
“Judging by your expression, it seems it’s not too late.”
Perdes came up to me, mumbling something incomprehensible.
“This is truly funny.”
And then he looked around at everyone in the shelter and said.
“Just a short while ago, those who were saying that it was fortunate for Her Excellency to inherit the ducal title and become a lord have now turned their backs on her and are pointing their fingers at her... It’s so funny that it’s making me angry.”
“Don't do it.”
Only then did I realize what Perdes was trying to do and grabbed his arm to stop him, but instead he grabbed my hand tightly.
"It's okay."
“...”
“I'll solve it.”
I wonder how this can be solved.
To my eyes, Perdes' actions were nothing more than stirring up a hornet's nest of anger.
So I tried to dissuade him again, but Perdes' actions were even faster.
“I know what you are worried about, but there is a big flaw in that worry.”
There is an error...?
“That means this volcanic eruption is neither the result of a red dragon’s wrath nor a simple natural disaster.”
What the hell is this?
Not only me but also the people in the shelter looked at Perdes at the absurd and strange story.
Although the pouring gazes might have been burdensome, Perdes smiled with the corners of his lips raised as if he were enjoying it.
“Come in.”
As Perdes gave the signal, someone came in through the open door.
It was none other than Sir Aldor.
But he wasn't alone.
Sir Aldor came in, holding the man by the collar, his face bloodshot, and threw him in front of me.
“...”
I was inwardly startled by Sir Aldor's sudden actions and looked at him, then at Perdes.
Because I had a feeling that this might all be Perdes' plan.
“I guess my guess was right.”
Support Novellate!The story of the red dragon entangled in a volcano is a famous tale known to everyone living in Leopold's territory, so I expected something like this to go around.
But when I actually faced the situation, it was more terrifying than I had imagined, so I held my hands together involuntarily.
"That..."
As I clenched my fists so hard that my hands turned white, the manager stopped talking and closed his mouth.
“Keep talking.”
"Your Excellency..."
“I told you to keep talking.”
The manager was in a difficult situation and asked other managers for help, but no one took his side.
“Count Evan. How many times do you plan on making me say the same thing?”
When I called his name and urged him to speak quickly, the official, Count Even, opened his mouth with a helpless expression.
“That, that... There is a secret opinion that to avoid the wrath of the Red Dragon in the future, Your Excellency should... step down from the Duke’s position.”
Thud-
I heard a sound like something falling inside my chest.
For a moment, my eyes turned white and then black again.
“No, of course, I don’t think so. The volcano eruption was just a natural disaster and had nothing to do with Your Excellency inheriting the dukedom.”
“That’s right. The story of the Red Dragon is just a tale.”
“It’s just the talk of people who don’t know anything, so don’t pay too much attention to it, Your Excellency.”
Even though other managers came forward to comfort me, it didn't comfort me at all.
Because I knew better than anyone here that the story of the Red Dragon was not just a folktale.
Thinking about it made my stomach churn and my head throbbing, so I frowned and placed my hand on my forehead.
The quick-witted managers immediately kept their mouths shut.
But the unpleasant stares from people glancing at me continued.
Each and every one of those gazes became sharp knives that stabbed into my back and chest.
People weren't saying anything, but I thought I could hear them resenting me.
How shameless to keep sitting there after putting them in this situation.
It was very painful because I had the illusion that I could hear screams in my ears telling me to come down immediately.
An official cautiously suggested something to me, watching me closely.
“How about we finish here today and return to the Duke’s residence?”
It was an offer sweeter than chocolate.
I, too, felt like going back to the Duke's residence and resting.
I won't get such cold stares at the Duke's residence.
...Are you really not going to accept it?
Would the Duke's servants also think that the volcanic eruption was simply a natural disaster?
I gritted my teeth at the sudden question.
If it had been me in my first and second lives, I would have been sure that it would be so, but not me now, having been betrayed by the maid I trusted in my third life.
I couldn't believe it.
The growing suspicion made me lose all desire to return to the Duke's residence.
There's still a lot of work to be done, so I can't go back.
If I go back now, people will probably think I'm running away because I'm being stabbed in the back.
“I will call a carriage, Your Excellency.”
“...No. You don’t have to do that.”
So, let's stand up in front of people, Adele Leopold.
There's nothing good about showing weakness to people.
Since people wouldn't be able to say anything in front of me anyway, it wasn't hard to pretend not to know anything.
I took a deep breath, calmed my churning stomach, and smiled at the managers who were looking at me with concern.
“Let’s go to the next location.”
***
“I can’t sleep because I’m scared that the volcano will erupt again.”
“That’s right. As long as Her Excellency sits in the seat of Duke Leopold, the Red Dragon’s wrath will not subside...”
You can't say anything in front of me, but you can talk as much as you want behind my back.
Why didn't I know in the past that I could overhear those stories while passing by?
“I don’t want to live in fear forever. I wish she would step down from her position quickly.”
“If Her Excellency has any sense, she will come down soon.”
“Well. Is that really true? She wanted to become a Duke, so she entered the Knight Academy in the Allied Forces. I don’t think she’ll come down easily.”
“That is true. Besides, there is no blood relative of the Duke Leopold’s family other than Her Excellency....”
The words that flowed out through the slightly open door of the shelter stabbed me in the heart like a sharp knife.
“I will go in first.”
When the knight who was escorting me on behalf of Sir Aldor started to step forward with a serious expression, I raised my hand to stop him.
“Just wait a moment.”
“But Your Excellency...”
"It's okay."
It was a blatant lie.
Actually, it wasn't okay at all, but I held on because I wanted to hear with my own two ears what people were saying about this.
Is it really true that the volcano erupted because the red dragon was angry?
Is the reason the Red Dragon is angry because Adele Leopold has taken the Duke's seat without permission?
Will the Red Dragon's wrath be appeased if Adele Leopold steps down from the Duchy?
What doesn't the Red Dragon like about Adele Leopold?
Even if Adele Leopold is not the official successor designated by the previous Duke, she is still a blood relative of the Leopold Duke family.
Are we really blood relatives?
I wonder if there are any other secrets hidden there?
And so on. People who didn't know that I was eavesdropping were free to make all kinds of guesses.
The words they spat out became a tight noose, slowly squeezing my breathing.
I should have told the knight to go in first, I was just listening.
Belated regret came crashing down on me like rough waves.
The escort knight, who had been listening to the people talking, asked worriedly.
“Are you alright, Your Excellency?”
"...”
I wanted to calmly tell him that it was okay, that I wasn't worried, but my mouth wouldn't open.
Is it because I heard them gossiping about me directly?
It wasn't easy to shake off the feelings that were crumbling like fallen leaves just like before.
As I was staring blankly at the floor with my eyes wide open, the knight reached out his hand to me.
“I think it would be best for you to return to the Duke’s residence today, Your Excellency.”
“...No. This is the last place, so just take a look and leave.”
I had made it this far, but I didn't want to run away. I tried to console myself, opened the door to the shelter, and went in.
“...”
“...”
The shelter, which had been bustling just a moment ago, became quiet as if cold water had been poured over it.
Most people flinched and turned their heads when they saw my face.
Let's laugh.
I laugh like I haven't heard anything like I don't know anything.
“...”
I had to laugh... but I couldn’t laugh.
When I frowned slightly, feeling as if a large thorn had been stuck in my throat, people looked at me with great anxiety.
No matter how wrong I was, it was a grave sin for a commoner to gossip about a noble, a Duke, and a lord at that.
Even if I punished them, they had nothing to say.
...I have no intention of punishing them though.
"Your Excellency."
As I stood there blankly without saying anything, the knight called out to me with concern.
At that moment, as I tried to raise the corners of my lips while embracing what little reason remained, the door to the shelter opened.
“Oh. Am I late?”
This voice is... Perdes?
When I looked back in surprise, Perdes closed his eyes and smiled.
“Judging by your expression, it seems it’s not too late.”
Perdes came up to me, mumbling something incomprehensible.
“This is truly funny.”
And then he looked around at everyone in the shelter and said.
“Just a short while ago, those who were saying that it was fortunate for Her Excellency to inherit the ducal title and become a lord have now turned their backs on her and are pointing their fingers at her... It’s so funny that it’s making me angry.”
“Don't do it.”
Only then did I realize what Perdes was trying to do and grabbed his arm to stop him, but instead he grabbed my hand tightly.
"It's okay."
“...”
“I'll solve it.”
I wonder how this can be solved.
To my eyes, Perdes' actions were nothing more than stirring up a hornet's nest of anger.
So I tried to dissuade him again, but Perdes' actions were even faster.
“I know what you are worried about, but there is a big flaw in that worry.”
There is an error...?
“That means this volcanic eruption is neither the result of a red dragon’s wrath nor a simple natural disaster.”
What the hell is this?
Not only me but also the people in the shelter looked at Perdes at the absurd and strange story.
Although the pouring gazes might have been burdensome, Perdes smiled with the corners of his lips raised as if he were enjoying it.
“Come in.”
As Perdes gave the signal, someone came in through the open door.
It was none other than Sir Aldor.
But he wasn't alone.
Sir Aldor came in, holding the man by the collar, his face bloodshot, and threw him in front of me.
“...”
I was inwardly startled by Sir Aldor's sudden actions and looked at him, then at Perdes.
Because I had a feeling that this might all be Perdes' plan.
“I guess my guess was right.”
Perdes said with a smile.
“This man is the culprit who caused this volcanic eruption.”
“This man is the culprit who caused this volcanic eruption.”
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