Zachary didn't answer right away but smiled with a strange expression.
“My friend’s conditions are very ambitious.”
“So are you going to do it or not?”
“I'd be happy to.”
“I declare that I will never harm or snitch you under any circumstances.”
“If the friendship that Miss Sasha has shown me is true, then I solemnly declare that I will become your true friend as well.”
"Great."
I extended my hand to Zachary, just to shake his, but he took my hand and gave the back of my hand a quick kiss.
Although I was extremely embarrassed, I put my hand down calmly as if it were my intention from the beginning.
But I started to get confused about where my hands were originally, and whether it felt more natural to hold them or to spread them out.
“Let’s keep the oath I made to you a secret between us. If my brother hears about it, he’ll be angry.”
“Would he be really angry if Zachary became my friend?”
“If he ever finds out, don’t worry. He’ll be angry at me, not you.”
Zachary added meaningfully. I couldn't help but be puzzled by his words.
Was it a serious disgrace among the nobles to befriend a commoner? But he seemed unwilling to answer my question.
Zachary looked around cautiously and then gestured to me.
“Are you looking for a carriage to the capital? I know someone who can get you out of town.”
“Is that true?”
“There is a merchant I know. It is a merchant that mainly deals with luxury goods for the nobles, so even if he is Duke Ashkabath, he will not be able to block it for more than a week. Mix with them and go up to the capital.”
I was a little surprised that he called the Duke just a Duke.
People called him His Excellency or His Highness, whether before or after the Grand Duke. What a great family must Zachary have to be to be able to do such things?
“Where did you say you were staying?”
“It’s in front of the temple. The one with the blue roof...”
I answered obediently.
“If it’s a temple, it’s the opposite of a plaza.”
It was as if I had revealed to him that I had lied to him a few days ago. But Zachary nodded as if he understood.
“Go back to your accommodation. I will send someone in three days when I am ready.”
“I will do that.”
“When you arrive in the capital, please come and see me. If you want, I will help you cross the border. Of course, I will take responsibility for your life thereafter.”
He spoke as if he was staring straight into my mind.
I almost wavered when he said he would take responsibility for my life. Anyone would feel that way after becoming an orphan like me.
I pursed my lips and then asked quickly.
"...Why on earth are you being so nice to me?”
“I hope the sheep runs very far away without being caught by anyone.”
Zachary reached out his hand to me. I took two steps back without thinking but didn't move any farther.
I knew it all in my head. It was hard to guess what he was thinking, that I shouldn't follow someone I just met, and that he had no reason to be kind to me.
There were a thousand reasons why I shouldn't trust him, and only one reason why I should take his hand.
That he is the only one who can help me.
Zachary's suggestion was what I had hoped for. If it had stopped at just being branded a thief, the Knights wouldn't have been looking for me so desperately.
He was the mastermind behind the kidnapping of the Princess, and in the worst-case scenario, he could even be accused of being a murderer.
Zachary was right. I had to get away from all these events and from Georges. Far away, even across the border if possible.
To that end, I will use everything I can. Even if the end is destruction, I have no regrets.
I held Zachary's hand tightly.
Time passed slowly. I refrained from going out as much as possible and stayed in the inn.
Two days later, a note arrived from Zachary saying he would send someone that evening.
I was supposed to check out three days early, but the innkeeper said he couldn't give me a single penny back. I was so upset I could barely breathe.
If it were Olga and not me, he would have been desperate to get the money.
Olga never wasted a single penny. When she bought a reed basket or tomatoes at the market, she would look for even the smallest flaw and haggle down the price.
No matter how strong a merchant may have been, he would crumble in the face of Olga's sharp words.
I thought it was a very useful skill, but she didn't teach it to me. Instead, she made a sad face whenever I tried to imitate it clumsily.
I carefully checked the room several times to make sure I hadn't missed anything, packed my bag tightly, and headed down the stairs. The person Zachary had sent was waiting for me downstairs.
“Are you Sasha?”
“That’s right. Did Zachary send you?”
He looked at my face as if he had lost his mind. I became anxious because I thought he was completely out of his mind.
“Are you okay? Is there anything uncomfortable?”
“...Excuse me. Please leave your bag with me.”
I quickly noticed that the man accepting the bag was acting like a soldier.
My guess was correct. Zachary was a knight and a nobleman of high rank at that.
Even Zachary is reluctant to face the Duke's Knights, so it is clear that Duke Ashkabath is a very fearsome person.
The Duke's reputation as the Silver Wolf may not have been just a nickname. He may have been a real furry, sharp-toothed beast.
“Watch your step.”
I was taken into the carriage with the utmost care. He treated me as if I were a very precious person. He even offered me his knees so that I wouldn't step on the mud, even though I refused several times.
I felt like a real Princess, sunken into the comfortable cushions.
A real Princess, not the Princess of the back alleys, not the Princess of Mama Olga in her old dress.
At that moment, I thought I knew why Mama Olga had stolen the Princess's necklace for me.
Olga had a strong desire for the child she cared for to one day rise to a high position. It was one of Olga's long-held dreams.
If my skin had not been as pale as the other children's, and my hair had not been as golden, I would not have been Princess Olga. A prettier, more doll-like child would have monopolized her attention.
And the necklace would have belonged to that child too.
I briefly considered the possibility that I might be the lost Princess, but that was a very poor idea.
The officially known appearance of the Princess was very different from mine.
The Princess was said to have brown hair that was almost black, and dark green eyes. She also had three dots on her shoulder and a tattoo on the sole of her foot that only members of the royal family could have.
But I didn't have a single one of these conditions.
While I was daydreaming, the carriage slowly stopped in front of a neat building.
The area in front of the building wasn't muddy, so I jumped out of the carriage instead of stepping on the man's knee.
The guy seemed to think I was a bit weird. It didn't matter what it was. It wasn't like we were going to see each other again.
He handed me my luggage from the carriage. I tried to take it, but the man shook his head.
“I will take it for you.”
“It’s okay. I can lift it.”
“Lord?”
He quickly pretended to look away. Since he had guessed it anyway, he didn't press the question further.
I should have guessed from the outside, but the inside of the building was even more magnificent.
They said it was a business that targeted the nobility... While I was staring wide-eyed, a neatly dressed young woman approached me.
“I heard you. It will take some time before we leave, so I will show you to a place where you can rest, young lady.”
I felt a little uneasy when I received her polite greeting. No matter how much I was called the Princess of the back alleys, I was still just a rat in the eyes of the higher-ups.
And it wasn't the nobles who despised the dirty little kids rolling around on the street the most.
It is not the people who walk on clouds, but the people who walk on the same dirt road. The people who dress well and serve the nobles, and who believe that they are chosen.
One of those people bowed down to me, simply because I was friends with Zachary.
Life is like this. It's unreasonable, what was it called...Yes, it's unreasonable.
As I followed the woman up this floor, one hallway was lined with similarly shaped doors.
Opening one of the doors revealed a warm-looking living room. The fireplace was full of firewood, the white fur carpet and the green couch looked soft.
The woman immediately left the room.
As I took off my robe and placed it on the couch, the knight spoke.
“Then, rest. I will come to pick you up at dawn.”
“Yes? Me? Why?”
“I have been ordered to assist you on your way to the capital. Please call me Enoch. If you need anything, please let me know.”
I nodded awkwardly.
The door closed softly. There was no sound of the lock turning, but there was also no sound of Enoch walking away.
I was fooled. I was belatedly angry. This is how I ended up trapped. Only then did I regret trusting Zachary so easily.
I frowned as I sat on the couch. Did he notice my plan to sneak away from Rebrook? Even if he did, who am I?
I grumbled. If Zachary was in front of me, I could spew all the curses I knew into him.
No matter how much I think about it, I can't figure out Zachary's true intentions. It doesn't seem like he's trying to report me, and there's no justification between him for protecting me.
In a word, it is excessive kindness.
He said he hoped I wouldn't get caught.
Does he know the real culprit behind Princess Anastasia's disappearance? Will that get me in trouble if I get caught?
“My friend’s conditions are very ambitious.”
“So are you going to do it or not?”
“I'd be happy to.”
“I declare that I will never harm or snitch you under any circumstances.”
“If the friendship that Miss Sasha has shown me is true, then I solemnly declare that I will become your true friend as well.”
"Great."
I extended my hand to Zachary, just to shake his, but he took my hand and gave the back of my hand a quick kiss.
Although I was extremely embarrassed, I put my hand down calmly as if it were my intention from the beginning.
But I started to get confused about where my hands were originally, and whether it felt more natural to hold them or to spread them out.
“Let’s keep the oath I made to you a secret between us. If my brother hears about it, he’ll be angry.”
“Would he be really angry if Zachary became my friend?”
“If he ever finds out, don’t worry. He’ll be angry at me, not you.”
Zachary added meaningfully. I couldn't help but be puzzled by his words.
Was it a serious disgrace among the nobles to befriend a commoner? But he seemed unwilling to answer my question.
Zachary looked around cautiously and then gestured to me.
“Are you looking for a carriage to the capital? I know someone who can get you out of town.”
“Is that true?”
“There is a merchant I know. It is a merchant that mainly deals with luxury goods for the nobles, so even if he is Duke Ashkabath, he will not be able to block it for more than a week. Mix with them and go up to the capital.”
I was a little surprised that he called the Duke just a Duke.
People called him His Excellency or His Highness, whether before or after the Grand Duke. What a great family must Zachary have to be to be able to do such things?
“Where did you say you were staying?”
“It’s in front of the temple. The one with the blue roof...”
I answered obediently.
“If it’s a temple, it’s the opposite of a plaza.”
It was as if I had revealed to him that I had lied to him a few days ago. But Zachary nodded as if he understood.
“Go back to your accommodation. I will send someone in three days when I am ready.”
“I will do that.”
“When you arrive in the capital, please come and see me. If you want, I will help you cross the border. Of course, I will take responsibility for your life thereafter.”
He spoke as if he was staring straight into my mind.
I almost wavered when he said he would take responsibility for my life. Anyone would feel that way after becoming an orphan like me.
I pursed my lips and then asked quickly.
"...Why on earth are you being so nice to me?”
“I hope the sheep runs very far away without being caught by anyone.”
Zachary reached out his hand to me. I took two steps back without thinking but didn't move any farther.
I knew it all in my head. It was hard to guess what he was thinking, that I shouldn't follow someone I just met, and that he had no reason to be kind to me.
There were a thousand reasons why I shouldn't trust him, and only one reason why I should take his hand.
That he is the only one who can help me.
Zachary's suggestion was what I had hoped for. If it had stopped at just being branded a thief, the Knights wouldn't have been looking for me so desperately.
He was the mastermind behind the kidnapping of the Princess, and in the worst-case scenario, he could even be accused of being a murderer.
Zachary was right. I had to get away from all these events and from Georges. Far away, even across the border if possible.
To that end, I will use everything I can. Even if the end is destruction, I have no regrets.
I held Zachary's hand tightly.
***
Time passed slowly. I refrained from going out as much as possible and stayed in the inn.
Two days later, a note arrived from Zachary saying he would send someone that evening.
I was supposed to check out three days early, but the innkeeper said he couldn't give me a single penny back. I was so upset I could barely breathe.
If it were Olga and not me, he would have been desperate to get the money.
Olga never wasted a single penny. When she bought a reed basket or tomatoes at the market, she would look for even the smallest flaw and haggle down the price.
No matter how strong a merchant may have been, he would crumble in the face of Olga's sharp words.
I thought it was a very useful skill, but she didn't teach it to me. Instead, she made a sad face whenever I tried to imitate it clumsily.
I carefully checked the room several times to make sure I hadn't missed anything, packed my bag tightly, and headed down the stairs. The person Zachary had sent was waiting for me downstairs.
“Are you Sasha?”
“That’s right. Did Zachary send you?”
He looked at my face as if he had lost his mind. I became anxious because I thought he was completely out of his mind.
“Are you okay? Is there anything uncomfortable?”
“...Excuse me. Please leave your bag with me.”
I quickly noticed that the man accepting the bag was acting like a soldier.
My guess was correct. Zachary was a knight and a nobleman of high rank at that.
Even Zachary is reluctant to face the Duke's Knights, so it is clear that Duke Ashkabath is a very fearsome person.
The Duke's reputation as the Silver Wolf may not have been just a nickname. He may have been a real furry, sharp-toothed beast.
“Watch your step.”
I was taken into the carriage with the utmost care. He treated me as if I were a very precious person. He even offered me his knees so that I wouldn't step on the mud, even though I refused several times.
I felt like a real Princess, sunken into the comfortable cushions.
A real Princess, not the Princess of the back alleys, not the Princess of Mama Olga in her old dress.
At that moment, I thought I knew why Mama Olga had stolen the Princess's necklace for me.
Olga had a strong desire for the child she cared for to one day rise to a high position. It was one of Olga's long-held dreams.
If my skin had not been as pale as the other children's, and my hair had not been as golden, I would not have been Princess Olga. A prettier, more doll-like child would have monopolized her attention.
And the necklace would have belonged to that child too.
I briefly considered the possibility that I might be the lost Princess, but that was a very poor idea.
The officially known appearance of the Princess was very different from mine.
The Princess was said to have brown hair that was almost black, and dark green eyes. She also had three dots on her shoulder and a tattoo on the sole of her foot that only members of the royal family could have.
But I didn't have a single one of these conditions.
While I was daydreaming, the carriage slowly stopped in front of a neat building.
The area in front of the building wasn't muddy, so I jumped out of the carriage instead of stepping on the man's knee.
The guy seemed to think I was a bit weird. It didn't matter what it was. It wasn't like we were going to see each other again.
He handed me my luggage from the carriage. I tried to take it, but the man shook his head.
“I will take it for you.”
“It’s okay. I can lift it.”
“Then I'll be in trouble with the Lord.”
He quickly pretended to look away. Since he had guessed it anyway, he didn't press the question further.
I should have guessed from the outside, but the inside of the building was even more magnificent.
They said it was a business that targeted the nobility... While I was staring wide-eyed, a neatly dressed young woman approached me.
“I heard you. It will take some time before we leave, so I will show you to a place where you can rest, young lady.”
I felt a little uneasy when I received her polite greeting. No matter how much I was called the Princess of the back alleys, I was still just a rat in the eyes of the higher-ups.
And it wasn't the nobles who despised the dirty little kids rolling around on the street the most.
It is not the people who walk on clouds, but the people who walk on the same dirt road. The people who dress well and serve the nobles, and who believe that they are chosen.
One of those people bowed down to me, simply because I was friends with Zachary.
Life is like this. It's unreasonable, what was it called...Yes, it's unreasonable.
As I followed the woman up this floor, one hallway was lined with similarly shaped doors.
Opening one of the doors revealed a warm-looking living room. The fireplace was full of firewood, the white fur carpet and the green couch looked soft.
The woman immediately left the room.
As I took off my robe and placed it on the couch, the knight spoke.
“Then, rest. I will come to pick you up at dawn.”
“Yes? Me? Why?”
“I have been ordered to assist you on your way to the capital. Please call me Enoch. If you need anything, please let me know.”
I nodded awkwardly.
The door closed softly. There was no sound of the lock turning, but there was also no sound of Enoch walking away.
I was fooled. I was belatedly angry. This is how I ended up trapped. Only then did I regret trusting Zachary so easily.
I frowned as I sat on the couch. Did he notice my plan to sneak away from Rebrook? Even if he did, who am I?
I grumbled. If Zachary was in front of me, I could spew all the curses I knew into him.
No matter how much I think about it, I can't figure out Zachary's true intentions. It doesn't seem like he's trying to report me, and there's no justification between him for protecting me.
In a word, it is excessive kindness.
He said he hoped I wouldn't get caught.
Does he know the real culprit behind Princess Anastasia's disappearance? Will that get me in trouble if I get caught?
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