“Yes. Instead of following the upper line, we plan to purchase a separate carriage. Then, we will be able to accommodate Young Lady more comfortably. We will also be able to prepare more proper meals and lodging.”
I nodded with an innocent face, but my mind was busy with thoughts of how to escape.
It's not that I don't like Enoch or the comfort he provides. No matter how good Enoch was to me, he was Zachary's lieutenant. There are favors in this world that shouldn't be accepted, and this was one of them.
I was an orphan girl who had lost my guardian less than a month ago, and Zachary's help was a sweet temptation that I could not possibly refuse.
But once you get help, it will be harder and harder to get away from it, as is often the case with people with wealthy guardians. And you will spend the rest of your life relying on the guardian's mercy.
It was horrible to even think about. If you can't decide how it ends, then it's definitely not a healthy relationship.
It is not the sincerity of a fickle woman who takes responsibility for me. Olga has raised me too lovingly to live as a concubine of a nobleman.
Even though what she gave me was materially meager, it was all Mama Olga had.
After reaching the capital, I could politely refuse Zachary's help. But first, I didn't trust Zachary, and second, I couldn't trust myself. That is, my self-control.
I wasn't sure I wouldn't fall for it if Zachary waved a large gemstone in front of me.
My resolve has become stronger. Olga, please give me the strength to remain steadfast until the end.
“So, from Nice to the capital, the two of us will take a carriage?”
“Yes. And I plan to stay in the village for a while and hire some more escorts. I’ll also find some maids to take care of Young Lady.”
Enoch muttered that he was sorry that he could not find a maid of noble birth. I don't know how the situation is going to work with a maid of noble birth to serve me.
Anyway, it was a good thing for me that Enoch was going to be busy, but it was also a bad thing. To put it nicely, it was like adding another watchman.
“Once we get to Nice, we’ll have a proper meal for a while. If there’s anything in particular you’d like to eat, I’ll prepare it for you.”
I was about to say no, but then I changed my mind.
“I want to eat thick-cut roasted meat with mustard sauce, truffles with cheese, and if possible, wine.”
For a woman with no backing, I don't know how to ask for favors just because the knight treated me a little better. It would be hard to find a greater shamelessness than this.
But Enoch remained polite despite my excessive demands.
“Of course. Nice is famous for its veal. I will prepare it to your satisfaction.”
...He said that he was calling for things that were hard to find, but he acted as if he was going to pick tomatoes from the vegetable garden.
What about thick-cooked meat? I'm freezing to death. For people like us, it's lucky if we pay two copper coins for a stew with meat on it.
Well, I should have noticed from the moment they brought me five silk dresses to use as rugs. These people's economic outlook is completely different from mine.
“Then I’ll rest in the carriage for a while.”
I made an excuse and went into the carriage. I heard Enoch gently mount his horse again.
My plan, which I had been pondering for a long time, was this: I would hide in another compartment when Enoch wasn't looking.
For something that was planned for so long, it's a disaster. All the money is gone, the bag is torn apart, and Enoch thinks I've run away, and he wouldn't dare imagine that I'm hiding nearby.
Even an eagle that can see a thousand miles cannot see its own feet.
There was only one problem. Whether to start the operation after entering the village or to wait a few more days to see what was happening.
But the opportunity came unexpectedly and clearly.
“They say that due to the heavy snowfall, oak trees have fallen and are blocking the road. It looks like it will take half a day to clear them.”
“Didn’t you say that the heavy snowfall came three days ago? It’s a road near the village, so it should have been cleared a long time ago.”
“It wasn’t long after the war ended. I guess it was because there wasn’t enough manpower. People can still come and go, but it’s too narrow for a large procession like this to pass through.”
As expected, the carriage had not moved at all since a while ago. Enoch looked into the distance, observed something, and then reached out his hand to me.
“Still, it seems that it is barely possible for one horse and two people to pass.”
“Are you telling me to get off and walk?”
I answered calmly, but my hands were covered in cold sweat.
If I go far from the top, there is no place to hide. If the top is a large forest, I am a wild beast.
In the village, if you were a stranger, you would inevitably be followed by curious eyes, especially if you were an unfamiliar face.
But if you're at the top, it's different. There are a lot of people, and there are a lot of hired mercenaries. That means it's not strange to see one or two people you don't know walking around.
“That would be better. I’m worried that your health might deteriorate if you stay out in this cold for too long.”
Looking around, I saw that the knights of the Grand Duke were already setting up tents that were heavily oiled.
A dozen or so barracks were set up along the road, tightly packed like a battlefield. It seemed as if they were determined to clear the road, even if it meant staying up for several nights.
“If you wish, you may stay here until the road opens. I will try to find a barracks for you to use alone.”
“That would be good. I’m tired from the long carriage ride. I can’t even move a finger.”
“Then I’ll just step aside for a moment. It won’t take long. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
I honestly don't mind taking longer. I waved my hand, pretending to be calm.
“If possible, some warm soup when you come.”
“Yeah.”
He answered obediently as if he had no doubts.
Soon I heard Enoch walking away. I hastily packed my bare minimum. I had to leave behind my leather bag that I had brought from Georges.
It was too bulky to carry around, and there was a high risk of someone finding out. Instead, I wore two layers of clothes and socks and stuffed money into my pockets and underwear.
If I knew how to ride a horse, I would have made a better plan.
But I didn't even know how to get into the saddle. The best I could do was make Enoch believe I had ridden away.
“Shh, shh, stay still.”
I patted the scruff of the horse's neck. The horse looked annoyed but didn't go wild.
I cut all the leather straps connecting the horse and the carriage with Olga's knife. Then I struck down the reins and sent the horse running.
The horse charged towards the sentries with a look of great annoyance on its face.
“Hey, be careful!”
“Damn. How did you get free all of a sudden?”
The horse dodged the people and ran into the forest path. I took advantage of the guards' distraction to move ahead.
I tried to sneak in through several luggage compartments but failed every time. They were all locked tightly.
It was my mistake that I didn't realize it was a lock because it looked different from the ones commonly used in back alleys.
I pushed my way further forward, pushing past the crowd. Tents were tangled together in a small cluster among the people sitting on the floor, like a small refugee village.
I marked out a few tents with the tightest security. The tighter the security outside, the less likely it was that they would check inside.
“What are you doing there?”
I was just waiting for an opportunity to sneak in when I suddenly heard a voice behind me. It seemed like a guard on patrol had spotted me.
“...I was just looking around.”
“Are you the person at the top? Access is restricted to that area.”
“Is that so? I didn’t know.”
I tried to make excuses in a very harmless voice, but he didn't easily put his suspicions to rest.
“I haven’t seen your face before. Take off that hood.”
People began to gather their attention at the loud voice. Coincidentally, Enoch was among them. There seemed to be a distribution stand nearby. I saw him holding a bowl of soup in both hands and opening his mouth wide when he saw me.
There was no time to think anymore. I felt another person approaching from behind me and quickly ran towards the row of tents.
“What the hell is this!”
“Catch him!”
“Don’t miss it!”
I ran, haphazardly knocking over the boxes stacked high. While my pursuers hesitated under the torrent of objects that fell down, I cut a few thin ropes holding up the tent with my knife.
I already knew where to cut to be effective. There was no difference between the messy, tangled tents in the back alleys of Georges and the military tents here.
As one tent lost its balance and began to collapse, the tents surrounding it also began to collapse one after another, unable to support its weight.
The piled-up objects came crashing down several times faster than I could knock them down with my hands. Coincidentally, a brazier that one of the guards had knocked over fell on top of it, bursting into flames.
“Fire!”
“Water! Someone bring me some water!”
People screamed and scattered everywhere. I quickly got out of there, blending in with them.
How long did I run? I could no longer hear the sound of footsteps chasing me, or even the sound of people passing by. It seemed that most people were mobilized to put out the fire.
It was a great blessing for me, as it loosened the boundaries within.
Now that the living room is open, I have no more time to worry about other things. Did anyone get hurt in the commotion earlier? There must have been a lot of damage to things. I hope the damage isn't too bad.
And Enoch... I pictured Enoch’s face, surprised and bewildered. It was a bad taste to have betrayed someone who had been kind to me in some way.
I nodded with an innocent face, but my mind was busy with thoughts of how to escape.
It's not that I don't like Enoch or the comfort he provides. No matter how good Enoch was to me, he was Zachary's lieutenant. There are favors in this world that shouldn't be accepted, and this was one of them.
I was an orphan girl who had lost my guardian less than a month ago, and Zachary's help was a sweet temptation that I could not possibly refuse.
But once you get help, it will be harder and harder to get away from it, as is often the case with people with wealthy guardians. And you will spend the rest of your life relying on the guardian's mercy.
It was horrible to even think about. If you can't decide how it ends, then it's definitely not a healthy relationship.
It is not the sincerity of a fickle woman who takes responsibility for me. Olga has raised me too lovingly to live as a concubine of a nobleman.
Even though what she gave me was materially meager, it was all Mama Olga had.
After reaching the capital, I could politely refuse Zachary's help. But first, I didn't trust Zachary, and second, I couldn't trust myself. That is, my self-control.
I wasn't sure I wouldn't fall for it if Zachary waved a large gemstone in front of me.
My resolve has become stronger. Olga, please give me the strength to remain steadfast until the end.
“So, from Nice to the capital, the two of us will take a carriage?”
“Yes. And I plan to stay in the village for a while and hire some more escorts. I’ll also find some maids to take care of Young Lady.”
Enoch muttered that he was sorry that he could not find a maid of noble birth. I don't know how the situation is going to work with a maid of noble birth to serve me.
Anyway, it was a good thing for me that Enoch was going to be busy, but it was also a bad thing. To put it nicely, it was like adding another watchman.
“Once we get to Nice, we’ll have a proper meal for a while. If there’s anything in particular you’d like to eat, I’ll prepare it for you.”
I was about to say no, but then I changed my mind.
“I want to eat thick-cut roasted meat with mustard sauce, truffles with cheese, and if possible, wine.”
For a woman with no backing, I don't know how to ask for favors just because the knight treated me a little better. It would be hard to find a greater shamelessness than this.
But Enoch remained polite despite my excessive demands.
“Of course. Nice is famous for its veal. I will prepare it to your satisfaction.”
...He said that he was calling for things that were hard to find, but he acted as if he was going to pick tomatoes from the vegetable garden.
What about thick-cooked meat? I'm freezing to death. For people like us, it's lucky if we pay two copper coins for a stew with meat on it.
Well, I should have noticed from the moment they brought me five silk dresses to use as rugs. These people's economic outlook is completely different from mine.
“Then I’ll rest in the carriage for a while.”
I made an excuse and went into the carriage. I heard Enoch gently mount his horse again.
My plan, which I had been pondering for a long time, was this: I would hide in another compartment when Enoch wasn't looking.
For something that was planned for so long, it's a disaster. All the money is gone, the bag is torn apart, and Enoch thinks I've run away, and he wouldn't dare imagine that I'm hiding nearby.
Even an eagle that can see a thousand miles cannot see its own feet.
There was only one problem. Whether to start the operation after entering the village or to wait a few more days to see what was happening.
But the opportunity came unexpectedly and clearly.
“They say that due to the heavy snowfall, oak trees have fallen and are blocking the road. It looks like it will take half a day to clear them.”
“Didn’t you say that the heavy snowfall came three days ago? It’s a road near the village, so it should have been cleared a long time ago.”
“It wasn’t long after the war ended. I guess it was because there wasn’t enough manpower. People can still come and go, but it’s too narrow for a large procession like this to pass through.”
As expected, the carriage had not moved at all since a while ago. Enoch looked into the distance, observed something, and then reached out his hand to me.
“Still, it seems that it is barely possible for one horse and two people to pass.”
“Are you telling me to get off and walk?”
I answered calmly, but my hands were covered in cold sweat.
If I go far from the top, there is no place to hide. If the top is a large forest, I am a wild beast.
In the village, if you were a stranger, you would inevitably be followed by curious eyes, especially if you were an unfamiliar face.
But if you're at the top, it's different. There are a lot of people, and there are a lot of hired mercenaries. That means it's not strange to see one or two people you don't know walking around.
“That would be better. I’m worried that your health might deteriorate if you stay out in this cold for too long.”
Looking around, I saw that the knights of the Grand Duke were already setting up tents that were heavily oiled.
A dozen or so barracks were set up along the road, tightly packed like a battlefield. It seemed as if they were determined to clear the road, even if it meant staying up for several nights.
“If you wish, you may stay here until the road opens. I will try to find a barracks for you to use alone.”
“That would be good. I’m tired from the long carriage ride. I can’t even move a finger.”
“Then I’ll just step aside for a moment. It won’t take long. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
I honestly don't mind taking longer. I waved my hand, pretending to be calm.
“If possible, some warm soup when you come.”
“Yeah.”
He answered obediently as if he had no doubts.
Soon I heard Enoch walking away. I hastily packed my bare minimum. I had to leave behind my leather bag that I had brought from Georges.
It was too bulky to carry around, and there was a high risk of someone finding out. Instead, I wore two layers of clothes and socks and stuffed money into my pockets and underwear.
If I knew how to ride a horse, I would have made a better plan.
But I didn't even know how to get into the saddle. The best I could do was make Enoch believe I had ridden away.
“Shh, shh, stay still.”
I patted the scruff of the horse's neck. The horse looked annoyed but didn't go wild.
I cut all the leather straps connecting the horse and the carriage with Olga's knife. Then I struck down the reins and sent the horse running.
The horse charged towards the sentries with a look of great annoyance on its face.
“Hey, be careful!”
“Damn. How did you get free all of a sudden?”
The horse dodged the people and ran into the forest path. I took advantage of the guards' distraction to move ahead.
I tried to sneak in through several luggage compartments but failed every time. They were all locked tightly.
It was my mistake that I didn't realize it was a lock because it looked different from the ones commonly used in back alleys.
I pushed my way further forward, pushing past the crowd. Tents were tangled together in a small cluster among the people sitting on the floor, like a small refugee village.
I marked out a few tents with the tightest security. The tighter the security outside, the less likely it was that they would check inside.
“What are you doing there?”
I was just waiting for an opportunity to sneak in when I suddenly heard a voice behind me. It seemed like a guard on patrol had spotted me.
“...I was just looking around.”
“Are you the person at the top? Access is restricted to that area.”
“Is that so? I didn’t know.”
I tried to make excuses in a very harmless voice, but he didn't easily put his suspicions to rest.
“I haven’t seen your face before. Take off that hood.”
People began to gather their attention at the loud voice. Coincidentally, Enoch was among them. There seemed to be a distribution stand nearby. I saw him holding a bowl of soup in both hands and opening his mouth wide when he saw me.
There was no time to think anymore. I felt another person approaching from behind me and quickly ran towards the row of tents.
“What the hell is this!”
“Catch him!”
“Don’t miss it!”
I ran, haphazardly knocking over the boxes stacked high. While my pursuers hesitated under the torrent of objects that fell down, I cut a few thin ropes holding up the tent with my knife.
I already knew where to cut to be effective. There was no difference between the messy, tangled tents in the back alleys of Georges and the military tents here.
As one tent lost its balance and began to collapse, the tents surrounding it also began to collapse one after another, unable to support its weight.
The piled-up objects came crashing down several times faster than I could knock them down with my hands. Coincidentally, a brazier that one of the guards had knocked over fell on top of it, bursting into flames.
“Fire!”
“Water! Someone bring me some water!”
People screamed and scattered everywhere. I quickly got out of there, blending in with them.
***
How long did I run? I could no longer hear the sound of footsteps chasing me, or even the sound of people passing by. It seemed that most people were mobilized to put out the fire.
It was a great blessing for me, as it loosened the boundaries within.
Now that the living room is open, I have no more time to worry about other things. Did anyone get hurt in the commotion earlier? There must have been a lot of damage to things. I hope the damage isn't too bad.
And Enoch... I pictured Enoch’s face, surprised and bewildered. It was a bad taste to have betrayed someone who had been kind to me in some way.
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