ã€ŠDon&#x27;t Come to Wendy&#x27;s Flower Houseã€‹


 Chapter 1

    <h4>Chapter 1: Chapter 1 I¡¯m not Olivia anymore (1)</h4>

    Holding a purple grape in her hand, Wendy peeled its skin skillfully, then ced it in her mouth.

    She rolled it inside her mouth quickly and spat out several seeds, which didn¡¯t befit a virtuous woman like her..

    Neatly dressed in a sky blue dress with golden blonde hair stretched down to the waist, she was ady by any standards, but her actions were as rough as a man.

    The air of the indoor flower garden full of blooming flowers was stuffy.

    As if she felt stuffy in the muggy air, she threw off the white cape around her neck and smiled in satisfaction.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s very sweet. That¡¯s why they¡¯re praising Berry¡¯s grapes so much. Hummm¡­..Let me nt three grapevines.¡±

    Muttering to herself, she approached the t soil on the edge of the flower garden and pressed on it with the index finger. She remained still briefly then quickly pulled out her finger and covered the hole as thick as her finger with soil.

    She repeated it three times then quickly rose, eximing, ¡°Oh my god!¡±

    ¡°Can I do it with the branch as thick as?¡±

    She picked out three branches proper in size and length, which had been piled on one side of the flower garden, then touched the end of them to the ground as if to measure something.

    When she drove a wooden pole firmly into the ground near the hole, she was done dirtying her hands.

    It was strange that she didn¡¯t have a grape or a young grapevine when she said she would nt grapevines. Besides, the wooden pole she fixed there had originally been used as a support for another nt in her garden.

    ¡°Grape, please grow well and help me have a ss of grape juice this evening.¡±

    Humming a song, she left the garden without regret.

    If anybody saw her wishing like that, they would regard her as crazy.

    The door closed with a thump, and the dazzling afternoon sunlight shone on the soft soil in the silent garden.

    A few seconds after the door was closed, the soil beneath the sunshine crumbled.

    Light green buds broke out of the soil shyly hiding their cute leaves in the afternoon light.

    Soon, the long stems began to spring up among the small buds with the sound of petals opening. The stalks did not stop there, but sprouted small leaves here and there.

    They soon transformed intorge leaves that were the size of an adult¡¯s palm, and the thin vines between the stems began to spread without stopping. The green vines were covered by a solid brown bark, leaning against the support that Wendy ced beside the holes.

    After growing quickly for a while, the vines stopped growing for a moment and quietly held their breath in the silence of the garden.

    When a yellow butterfly fluttered in the flower garden, looking for a ce to rest, it seemed that peace fell on the green leaves in the afternoon sun. But the yellow butterfly was scared by the growing pains of the grapevine and flew away.

    While sitting at the table and enjoying soft milk tea, Wendy looked around the flower shop and smiled. Fresh flowers decorated the flower shop beautifully, disying their vast array of colors.

    It might not be different from any other flower shop, but its freshness was iparable. Full of pride, she looked at each of the lovely flowers. Anemone, Freesia, Kara, Dahlia¡­

    Dahlia!

    Looking at the flowers, she felt annoyed suddenly.

    Dahlia was a red flower, inviting temptation.

    She nced at the red flower sharply then dropped the teacup out loudly.

    Wendy stared into the air after turning her eyes away from its red petals.

    Her blue eyes trembled with memories.

    * * *

    Tak, tak,tak.

    The sound of someone walking along Earl Hazlet¡¯s long exterior corridor was pleasant.

    If they saw Olivia almost jogging, the maids in the house might call her uncultured, but she could not hide her excitement.

    Normally, she would try to be an example of the noble family¡¯s poise and grace, but today it was not easy because she heard that Dn Lennox, the second son of Lennox, who she missed so much, had returned to the mansion. Mrden, the estate of the Lennox family, was close to Hazlet¡¯s estate, Valleta, so if she wanted to, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to meet him, but she hadn¡¯t seen him recently.

    Recently the countess got really upset when she saw Dn getting chummy with Olivia, but Olivia had no intention of parting with Dn as the countess wished.

    The countess keptining to Olivia, ¡°You and Dn are not a good match. Know your ce! How could a woman like you, a mere mistress¡¯ daughter try to win over my son¡¯s heart?¡±, but Olivia didn¡¯t care at all.

    Although Olivia heard all sorts of insults from the countess, she firmly decided to ignore them all.

    ¡®Who the hell are these guys trying to change my mind?¡¯

    Olivia tried to calm down by biting her lip in resentment. In fact, she was not trying to win over Dn¡¯s heart out of childish interest or pride. She tried her best to stop missing him, but it was in vain.

    Whenever she felt frustrated, she always climbed on her horse and ran through the field of Valletta where she first met Dn Lennox. Before meeting him, her life had felt as meaningless as horse-trampled grass, but he gave it meaning.

    It had been a winter afternoon. Snow had been piled up here and there. He smiled as soon as he saw Olivia, as if he was there to meet her.

    As they rode along the white snowy road, he realized that they had already reached Valta while smiling at her. It was the first time that she felt such warmth.

    Standing on the frozen winter field, she had a premonition that the season of her mind would change as soon as she saw his smile..

    Olivia soon realized that she really loved Dn. His light blue hair and blue eyes captivated her for very long. When she heard Dn¡¯s heartbreaking confession six days ago, she learned how hard her heart could beat.

    ¡°Olivia, I can¡¯t hide my feelings about you anymore...I love you. If someone tells me to say something I can¡¯t give up, I¡¯ll repeat your name again and again. Not my family nor my sword, nothing but your name.¡±

    She could never avoid him. He made her honest with her feelings. After hearing his confession, she came to love her own name for the first time because he repeated it.

    Olivia¡¯s blonde hair fluttered briskly in the air with her jogging. When she entered the back garden, gasping for breath, she saw Dn¡¯s back in the distance.

    Standing in the back garden with dahlia flowers fully blooming, he looked handsome as if he were a painting.

    A smile of joy was soon on her face. She adjusted her dress and walked toward him slowly like a sophisticateddy.

    While looking at his back, she was filled with uncontroble excitement in her fresh green eyes. She would burst into smile at any moment. How could she describe it other than love when she was so thrilled to walk toward him?

    However, she had to stop suddenly after only walking a few steps in excitement.

    She stiffened at what¡¯s happening before her eyes.

    In his light blue hair were a woman¡¯s slender hands. His arms were wrapped around a small woman as if she was precious to him. Wrapped in his arms, a beautiful woman was kissing him passionately. Her red hair was embedded in Olivia¡¯s eyes as intensely as red dahlia petals.

    She was her half-sister Francis Hazlet, the only precious daughter of Earl Hazlet.

    At that moment, the world was crumbling around her. She often heard people say, ¡®The world is crumbling,¡¯ but didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.

    She understood its meaning now.

    In the end, Olivia closed her eyes, seeing the red dahlia petals fluttering in the crumbling world for thest time.

    Sadness came to her after shock, then anger. All of it happened in the blink of an eye.

    Opening her eyes, Olivia approached the two with careful steps. When she clenched her trembling hands and approached them, she noticed a watering can that seemed to have been left by a gardner. She reached out to take it without any hesitation.

    Olivia not only grabbed the heavy watering can but also picked up a handful of soil and mixed it into the water. Therge lid that blocked the opening of the watering can had been long discarded in the grass.

    Olivia didn¡¯t need to sneak up to them because they were so lost in kissing that they didn¡¯t even notice her presence right before them.

    Olivia¡¯s eyes sparkled with anger. How could he, who kissed her, whispering of his love of her, kiss that disgusting bitch so passionately? Their tant kissing tormented her ears.

    Whenever the countess scorned Olivia, Francis had sneering smile on her red lips, which were now stuck to the lips of this man that Olivia loved.

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2: Chapter 2 I¡¯m not Olivia anymore (2)</h4>

    Born two yearster than Olivia, Francis had a lovely look for the age of seventeen, but her character was mean like a rat, eating away at Olivia¡¯s heart for a long time.

    It was none other than Francis who mocked her as an illegitimate child and contributed more than anybody else to isting Olivia from the earl¡¯s family. But Francis had never made Olivia angry like now before. Olivia quickly grabbed the watering can and threw the water at them to express anger and hatred.

    Ssh!

    When they got doused with water, they parted.

    As soon as Francis removed her mouth from Dn¡¯s, she screamed sharply. Standing next to him, he stiffened in astonishment, making no sound. His white dress shirt was soaked in the muddy water, which seemed to show their current rtionship. The sight of it satisfied her desire to destroy him. But she could never be satisfied with that.

    Looking at his ugliness, Olivia stared at him intensely.

    She shouted at them, who were drenched in water, with a cold voice,¡±How dare you toy with me?¡± He hurriedly pushed Francis out of his arms as if he came to his senses. His wet blue hair stuck to his white face, but he didn¡¯t even think about moving it.

    ¡°Olivia, you have misunderstood me. Let me exin everything. ¡±

    ¡°Misunderstanding? How dare you are saying that? I can understand that crazy bitch Francis, but how can you insult me like this? Misunderstanding?¡±

    ¡°How uncultured you are! Don¡¯t you know your mean words disgrace our family? What the heck are you saying to him, the precious son of the marquis?¡±

    Francis sneered at Olivia as if she was intent to upset her. Looking at her with a distorted look, who made matters worse, he moved one step closer to Olivia and said, ¡°Please calm down! I know what you are thinking now, but I swear this wasn¡¯t what I intended. Francis and I are not in an intimate rtionship, though you might imagine it! ¡±

    Francis grabbed Dn¡¯s hand reaching for Olivia and said angrily, ¡°Dn! How can you say that? Don¡¯t lie because that woman¡¯s talking flippantly! Are you going to hurt my feelings? ¡±

    At that moment, she feigned a smile while watching them with an angry look.

    ¡°What the heck! ¡­ It seems like you are a couple hitting it off well. Let me recognize that more than anything else because I agree with the countess. People should meet partners befitting their social status from the beginning...I think you guys are a very good match.¡±

    After she shouted at them coldly, Olivia turned around without any regret, leaving them behind. She didn¡¯t want to see their faces again. But He grabbed Olivia¡¯s arm after fiercely pulling away from Francis¡¯ hold.

    ¡°Olivia, please!¡±

    p!

    Olivia whirled out of his grip and pped him in the face. His head snapped aside and he shook from the force of her p.

    Olivia, now with bloodshot eyes, shouted at him, ¡°How dare you touched me with your dirty hands?¡±

    Her angry eyes naturally moved from his face to his throat then to the sword he was wearing.. Olivia felt the strong urge to pull the sword and cut his head off. She had trusted him, so her shock at his betrayal was so painful.

    ¡°Don¡¯t show up before me again. I once vowed that I would dedicate my life to you, dreaming of the day we would be together. It took six days for me to realize how silly it was ...I¡¯m so upset right now that if I see you again, I might behead you, so don¡¯t appear before me again. ¡±

    Olivia turned quickly and left the back garden filled with dahlia flowers in full bloom. Although she heard Francis cursing at her angrily, Olivia simply ignored it.

    ¡°That vicious bitch! Oh, Dn! Are you okay? See, I warned you early on that she was a vicious girl. Let me see. Oh my god! Your face is swollen! ¡±

    After she left the garden, Olivia kept running like a crazy person. She ran past the vast field where she used to ride her horse every day and past the countess without stopping until she reached the familiar road leading to the forest of the night.

    Normally she would stop by the stable and mount a horse, but she had no time to do it, so she just had to run on her feet. She wanted to run away from the countess who stressed her out and her house where Dn and Francis were.

    It was her desperate action, which was almost instinctive. It was also her desperate will to live just like a child desperately trying to swim for life after the child drowned in water. Her precious blue dress was torn as she ran, but she didn¡¯t care. She just ran and ran to find a ce where she could feel rxed.

    As she ran into the deep forest, there were lots of branches and obstacles blocking her vision.

    It was obvious that she took the wrong road, but she couldn¡¯t afford to worry about it.

    She hit her head against something, and a sticky web covered her face, but she didn¡¯t stop.

    How long did she run?

    When her fine shoes made of soft calfskin were torn, she took it off and stopped running. She felt like her heart was bursting out and she could barely breathe. She flopped down, gasping for breath.

    Gasp!

    ¡°Boohoo...You guys are no better than scum! How can you say you¡¯re humans when you¡¯re so mean to me like that? Boohoo¡­¡±

    She exhaled and inhaled painfully, which soon turned into a moaning cry. She had a good cry in the forest. Her golden hair, which she was so proud of, was disheveled, and the dress that suited her very well was torn. She fell on the fallen leaves, rotting on the forest floor.

    Betrayed by the man she trusted so much, she cried furiously, moving her feet up and down like a child throwing a tantrum.

    Dirty water sshed in all directions when she angrily hit a pile of wet fallen leaves with her bare hands while she was crying.

    It was the first time she cried so sadly because there was no one tofort her even if she cried, nor could she show her tears before others out of her pride.

    She didn¡¯t cry like this when she stood before the shabby coffin of her mother, when she was kicked from the dinner table, or when she couldn¡¯t dream of her social debut at the countess¡¯s threat.

    She heard a distant scream and stopped crying for a moment.

    Thinking she might have heard wrong, she resumed crying, but she stopped crying at the sound of screaming as it became clearer. It wasing from behind her.

    Surprised, she turned head and looked over the path in the dark forest, but there were only sporadic lights among the trees here and there in the deep forest where nobody lived.

    The moment she turned her head back and cried, she heard the scream again. She got goosebumps at the moment

    She immediately turned her head, but no one was there. Was she too deep into the forest?

    She now started getting scared.

    ¡°Hey, boohoo...Miss! Right here! Please help me! Boohoo.¡±

    This time it was a girl¡¯s clear voice. She heard it clearly. Olivia raised her head quickly and looked up at the ce where the girl screamed, but when she looked around, she could see only tree.

    ¡°Gosh! Boohoo...Miss, please don¡¯t shake your head like that. I¡¯m dizzy. Boohoo. ¡±

    ¡°Who the hell are you ?! Don¡¯t hide like a coward. Show up right now!¡±

    She shouted loudly, pretending to be brave. Although she was so scared in heart, she couldn¡¯t show her weakness. The best she could do at the moment was to shout like a crazy woman, given her dishevelled hair and torn dress. She couldn¡¯t be worse than now anyway.

    Olivia screamed again while trying to pull herself together, ¡°Answer me! Just show me where you are!¡±

    ¡°Miss, right here in the back. Right behind your hair! Oh! Please take me out quickly!¡±

    Olivia¡¯s face turned white because she felt something small dangling from the back of her head.

    At that moment, disgusting creatures such as rats, bats, sparrows, and cockroaches quickly shed her mind. She clenched her fists as if cheering herself up, and gripped her trembling hands.

    ¡®No, Olivia. Keep up your spirits! It¡¯s not what you think. Anyway, they can¡¯t talk to me!¡¯

    After hesitating briefly, she put her trembling hand on the back of her head and felt something sticky in her tangled hair. Her hand trembled again, but she could not stop there. Closing her eyes and reaching out a little further, she felt something small at her fingertips.

    ¡°Prettydy, it¡¯s me who you just touched. Boohoo...Please save me quickly.¡±

    She stiffened momentarily, aghast, but the wobbly creature constantly whispered for help.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3: Chapter 3 I¡¯m not Olivia anymore (3)</h4>

    After she mustered up all her courage, she grabbed the creature between her tangled hair and took it out. Several strands of her hair were torn off when she did it.

    ¡°Oh, thank you. I thought I was going to die in there. Boohoo...If I had not had your help, I would have been caught in that nasty spider¡¯s web and eaten. Boohoo.¡±

    A girl with her dark yellow hair caught in a sticky spider web dropped big tears, fluttering her hands. The girl soon clung to her finger as if it was hard to keep her bnce.

    She was about the size of three knuckles of Olivia¡¯s finger.

    Olivia swallowed while looking down at the little girl wiggling her limbs. Although she cried so much that her eyes were swollen, she could clearly see a ridiculously small human wriggling on her hand.

    ¡°Boohoo...The spider web won¡¯t get off me!¡±

    The girl sadly grumbled as she could not move freely as she wished. Olivia looked down at the little girl¡¯s sticky body and felt sorry for her, so Olivia used her other hand to clean up the spider¡¯s webs and tangled hair. The girl flinched a bit at Olivia¡¯s touch but remained still after noticing her intention.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    ¡°Mydy, I¡¯m Juaste. Boohoo...I¡¯m a forest fairy who hase of age this year.¡±

    The girl introduced herself, breathing faintly. When Olivia pulled out the cobwebs, she revealed her silver hair. Olivia opened her eyes blearily and stared at it for a while. She had never seen the girl¡¯s hair with such a golden color.

    Olivia couldn¡¯t believe when the girl introduced herself as a wood fairy, but she thought that the girl¡¯s im might not be false given her tiny little body and shiny hair. In fact, it really didn¡¯t matter to Olivia whether the girl was a fairy or not. In other words, it didn¡¯t matter whether it was a fairy or a jewel before her eyes in this situation.

    ¡°Oh,dy! Don¡¯t look at me like that...Okay. It¡¯s next year, not this year when Ie of age. Boohoo...I¡¯m sorry for lying.¡±

    Looking at Olivia, Juaste flinched a bit and confessed that she was a minor.

    Olivia just nodded a couple of times nonchntly.

    ¡°You have saved my life. Twice!¡± She sniffed, ¡°At first, you saved me caught in a spider web then you saved me from almost dying while I was caught in your tangled hair. Boohoo...Thank you so much! I have to repay your favor, swearing on the name of the fairy because I¡¯m a fairy who knows how to repay someone¡¯s help! Boohoo.¡±

    At that moment Olivia felt bad for some reason and narrowed her eyebrows.

    She felt the girl seemed to treat the sticky webs and her hair equally. Olivia unconsciously stroked her tangled hair and vowed to keep her hair spick and span.

    ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯m d I have helped you out, too. By the way,¡­how did a forest fairy like you get caught in a web and couldn¡¯t move at all?¡±

    In response to Olivia¡¯s suspicious tone, the fairy wrapped her blushed cheeks with both hands and said, ¡°Normally, I would have removed spider webs without any problem, but today I couldn¡¯t use my strength because I was hungry...¡±

    The girl muttered and looked down with a sullen expression, scratching Olivia¡¯s finger gently as she was embarrassed.

    ¡°Did you say you were hungry?¡±

    Looking at the fairy¡¯s sloppy outfit, Olivia tilted her head. The girl was not neat and clean enough to be called a forest fairy.

    ¡°Did you¡­Did you run away from your house? ¡±

    ¡°Pardon? How did you know that?¡±

    Juaste sat down on Olivia¡¯s palm with a stunned look. Whether it sat or stood, the fairy weighed the same. But the fairy soon got up again, saying that she made a mistake on Olivia¡¯s palm.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t get me wrong. I didn¡¯t run away from my house but went out briefly to see the forest. Boohoo. How can I leave the house alone when I am not an adult? So, don¡¯t misunderstand me¡­¡±

    Looking at the fairy crying again, Olivia made a suggestion to persuade her to stop crying, ¡°Okay, got it. If you¡¯ve been out for a long time like you said, you must be hungry¡­ Is there anything you can eat around here?¡±

    ¡°Boohoo. Anything to eat?¡±

    Charmed by her suggestion, the fairy stopped crying and looked around quickly. Then, the fairy began to guide Olivia, gesturing with her hands cutely in excitement.

    Although Olivia felt ufortable because of her torn shoes, she silently moved her feet as the fairy led her. On the way, her legs were scratched by burweeds and bled a bit, but she didn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t know how long she walked, pretending not to notice the fairy¡¯s noisy words.

    Finally, she saw an incredibly open ce before her eyes.

    Olivia frowned because of the strong sunlight that came through the trees suddenly. The ce the fairy guided her was a beautiful ce with a brook and strawberry trees surrounding it.

    Olivia approached a strawberry tree with a sour scent and picked up one that looked delicious. Looking at the fairy swallowing saliva, she put a strawberry on her palm. Juaste hurriedly began to eat it.

    Thinking the fairy must have been very hungry, Olivia, too, put a strawberry into her mouth.

    ¡°Delicious! Miss, thank you so much for picking it for me. I don¡¯t know how to repay your favor¡­¡±

    The fairy put lots of strawberries into her mouth and politely thanked Olivia while chewing on them. Thinking the fairy was well-mannered, Olivia put another strawberry on her palm.

    ¡°Thanks, Miss! By the way, what kind of gift would you like ? As a fairy, I have to repay you, so please make yourself at home and tell me. A fairy who doesn¡¯t repay one¡¯s favor can¡¯t be called a fairy!¡±

    Juaste eximed cheerfully as if she would grant any wish.

    ¡°Gift?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Let me grant your wish with the power of a fairy!¡±

    The fairy put her lips on another strawberry and drank its juice. Funny enough, Olivia recalled the countess at that moment, who med her for being uncultured. At the same time, the images of Dn and Francis kissing each other filled her vision. She wanted to get even with them by obtaining a higher status than them.

    ¡°¡­Make me reborn as a woman of a noble family¡­ Can you do that? For example, a daughter of a duke...or a princess of the royal family...Can you help me to be born like that? ¡±

    When Olivia said her wish, the fairy opened her mouth, dropping a piece of strawberry that she was eating, as if she didn¡¯t even dream of Olivia making such request.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Don¡¯t you want to see a fairy¡¯s dancing that lets you feel good or fairy powder that helps you feel refreshed?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡±

    At her resolute reply, the fairy almost cried and stuttered, with her face stained with strawberry juice.

    ¡°Well, how about a fairy spell that can get you your love?¡±

    ¡°Love? Gosh! I don¡¯t need anything like that. ¡±

    Olivia shouted in a strict manner. The fairy flinched at Olivia¡¯s shouting and flopped down on her palm. Olivia sadly dropped her sharp eyes after seeing the poor fairy who was about to cry.

    ¡°Oh, Juaste, just forget what I told you a moment ago. My wishes of being born a woman of a noble family...Yeah, what¡¯s the use of anything like that? I just feel ashamed to have such a shameful hope at this point. ¡±

    Olivia said with a heavy heart, ncing at the stream sparkling brightly. Her dark green eyes sounded lonesome like the empty sky.

    ¡°Ah¡­Miss, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on but having a dignified status is nothing good. I was born from the blood of a queen, but I¡¯m having a hard time every day because of that. The reason I came out of my house was because I found it too hard to get by in a tightly scheduled daily life. Ahhh! No matter what, a dignified status isn¡¯t good.¡±

    Stuttering like that, the fairy looked up at Olivia¡¯s green eyes, ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll give you something really helpful to you.¡±

    Junasoantte raised her body, shouting ¡°Usha!¡± cheerfully, and wiped her hands which were red with strawberry juice. Then, she began to rummage through her pocket. After groping around for a while, the fairy pulled out a small bead.

    The bead seemed to reflect various colors, depending on the angle of view. The fairy held the bead and agonized for a moment before passing across Olivia¡¯s palm to her index finger with a determined look.

    ¡°Miss, don¡¯t be surprised!¡±

    After quickly ncing at Olivia, Junaste pressed the bead in her hand onto the pad of Olivia¡¯s finger. Olivia felt it tickled her fingertip a bit, but the fairy seemed to be using all her energy to do it.

 Chapter 4

    <h4>Chapter 4: Chapter 4 I¡¯m not Olivia anymore (4)</h4>

    Olivia, gazing at Juaste¡¯s flushed face with suspicion, suddenly noticed that her index finger was shining white.

    Now watching her in surprise, Olivia felt a burning pain in her index finger. She tried to flex it urgently with a shout, but she couldn¡¯t do it because she was worried that she would harm the little fairy if she did so. Fortunately, the pain quickly disappeared.

    ¡°I just gave you a fairy¡¯s gift. Now, you can grow any nt you want anywhere. All you have to do is just press your finger firmly!¡±

    Olivia, sat on an old sofa with a nk look, raised her right hand and looked at it closely for a while. She could still smell the sweet scent of strawberries on her hands stained with red strawberry juice.

    It was definitely not a dream.

    After parting with the fairy, she walked out of the woods as she was guided. It was dark when she reached the lonely mansion. No one in the earl¡¯s house was concerned about her absence, so she was not stopped by anybody from going back to her room.

    After she arrived in her lonely room, she felt a strong thirst and poured water in a cup and gulped it down. Suddenly, she recalled her encounter with the fairy. When she pressed her right index finger on the ss of water, a terrible thing happened. Olivia recalled the fresh strawberry trees she saw in the forest!

    ¡°Oh my god!¡±

    The water spilled out in all directions, and a small sprout came out of it. That alone was enough to shock Olivia, but the fragile green mass grew quickly. It began to grow exactly as big as the size of the trees she thought about!

    Olivia looked down at the tree as it reached her waist with trembling eyes then pushed it into the firece. She struck the flint impatiently. As it was a live tree, it didn¡¯t burn well. She coughed a lot because there was a lot of smoke while it was burning. Wiping the tears in her eyes with the back of her hand, she got scared because someone might see her in the middle of the me.

    ¡®Oh my god! What the hell is this?¡¯ she murmured.

    Thump!

    Olivia, who was lost in thought at the moment, suddenly raised her head when someone opened the door of her room without knocking on it.

    The countess, with her face distorted like an evil witch, walked toward her with a sharp look.

    Olivia momentarily thought about pointing out her rudeness, but she shut her mouth because the countess, who frowned at her miserable appearance, stole the show by saying, ¡°Did you dare to ssh muddy water on Francis?¡±

    As if she was determined to scold Olivia harshly, she had bloodshot eyes. Olivia responded quietly, trying to be indifferent to her harsh words.

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you hear from her why I did so? ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s none of my business! You must be ready to pay the price as you of a lowly station insulted the precious daughter of the Hazlet family, right? Besides, you even insulted the precious son of the Lennox family that you said you loved!¡±

    Shouting at her like hell, the countess grabbed Olivia¡¯s blond hair. Stunned, Olivia tried to pull her hand out of it, but she couldn¡¯t get out of the furious countess¡¯s strong grip. A bunch of her tangled hair was pulled out by her hands.

    Embarrassed, Olivia tried to shake off her hands in vain, and eventually grabbed her by the hair, which was well rolled up. The countess flinched for a moment and shouted at her loudly to put down her hands right away. But Olivia also shouted at her to do the same.

    The two faced each other, pulling each other¡¯s hair. But no matter how harsh the countess¡¯ words were, she was the master of the mansion. In the end, Olivia loosened her grip first quietly. At that moment, the countess, who noticed that her grip had loosened, quickly pushed aside Olivia¡¯s hands and pped her in the face a couple of times. The sound of her pping was heard loud.

    ¡°Yuck!¡±

    Olivia, who almost fell on the floor, held her cheeks and looked up at the countess in a fit of anger. The countess fumed at her, using foulnguage, ¡°I hear you pped the son of the Lennox family in the face. How can a dirty mistress¡¯s daughter disgrace our family? You just stay put inside the house and repent. If I see you outside the house at all, I¡¯ll kick you out immediately.¡±

    The countess scolded her coldly and went out of the room. Olivia lowered her hands around her swollen cheeks and spit on the floor. There came out a lot of blood from her mouth as if its inside was torn.

    ¡°Ha¡­ ¡­ Hahaha¡­ ¡­ Hahahahahahaha. ¡±

    Oliviaughed bitterly. The sound of herughter began to be louder gradually, and in the end she started to grab her stomach and roll down on the floor. It looked like she was crazy.

    ¡°Ahahaha¡­How funny! Hahaha¡­¡±

    Her facial expression at the moment was far from that of a pathetic woman. She was injured on one side of her cheeks after a fierce quarrel with the countess, but she didn¡¯t feel upset or resentful about her. Anyway, the wound inside her mouth was negligible.

    ¡°I just wish your bun hair exactly resembled that burgweed very well! Ha ha ha ha ha!¡±

    Recalling the image of the burgweed that she had seen in the forest, she was imagining the countess¡¯s contorted face a moment ago.

    ***

    The sound of water drops falling over the wooden tub rang in the bathroom. Soaking in the bathtub, Olivia fixed her eyes on the water drops on the ceiling. Her blurry green eyes seemed to be moist because of the blurry steam.

    It would be a lie if she said she was not hurt. Sheforted herself by saying she just returned to her former self before she had met Dn, but she couldn¡¯t help but being heartbroken.

    Rising from the bathtub with a long sigh, she put on the bathrobe on the shelf and walked toward one corner of the bathroom. Her shoulders trembled when she touched the cool floor with her bare feet, but she did not hate its coldness. That was the temperature she had to keep from now on.

    She squatted, looking at the wall of the bathroom and knocked on the wooden board of the floor with her hands. At first it didn¡¯t move at all when she tapped it several times, but when she hit it hard a couple of more times, it tipped on its side stiffly. As if she had done it before, she lifted the wooden board from the gap and reached deep into the hole. Soon afterwards, she took out a tightly sealed box with her white hand.

    Opening the box without hesitation, she lifted a small piece of bronze in it. It was engraved with the letters ¡®Wendy Waltz.¡¯ It was a tag showing one¡¯s social status in the empire.

    After sweeping the bronze tag with hand and putting it back in the box, Olivia took out a brown leather pouch this time. When she opened the leather pouch tied up with a strap, it was filled with jewelry that looked very expensive at a nce. She scrutinized it once again and tied it before putting it back.

    ¡°Haaa¡­¡±

    She was now fully prepared.

    In fact, she was done with all the preparations several months ago, but everything stopped since she met Dn Lennox.

    She began to prepare to leave the earl¡¯s house long ago when she came of age.

    She earned her new social status with money made hard by selling her mother¡¯s keepsakes and tried to gain more physical strength. The purpose of her horseback riding across the road between the county field and the forest every day was to develop her physical strength for the departure. That¡¯s why she saved all the money bequeathed to her as well as the jewelry that her mother left behind.

    At first she had a hard time buying a new status because she didn¡¯t know how to, but she could gain the status of amoner that she wanted. All went well as she nned. Although she didn¡¯t like the girly name ¡®Wendy Waltz,¡¯ she came to appreciate its value when she thought that¡¯s the new name for her new life as amoner.

    Of course, the fact was that she would have to be punished severely when she was caught buying the new status. How long was she searching the earl¡¯s study to find out in advance the most tragic consequences of her n? When she was nning to leave the earl¡¯s house, shebed all the legal books in the library of the Hazlet family and checked out the penalties for buying and selling social status.

    Although it was difficult for her to read and understand the jargon, she confirmed that if she were caught buying her status, she would have to spend all her young days in prison.

    What was most shocking was the fact that buying and selling status was treason.

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5: Chapter 5 I¡¯m not Olivia anymore (5)</h4>

    Treason? She had goosebumps at that word.

    Being in the category of treasonw meant that convicted inmates could be sentenced more than their original jail terms. However, the sale of status as stipted in the treasonw was limited to the case where amoner bought the status of a nobleman or the nobleman sold his status, and themoner bought and sold the status of amoner. There was no use on the punishment for nobles like Olivia who bought amoner¡¯s status.

    Which noble man would give up his vested interests and became amoner? Nobody had seen it in the 200-year-old history of the Benyahan Empire or on the huge continent across the Camo Sea and Lorta Sea. At least, there was none superficially.

    For this reason, Olivia thought that even if she was sentenced to prison and had to spend her youth there in the worst case, she would not end her life in prison. She felt relieved to know that, and in that respect, she foundfort in it. Of course, she would have a goodwyer who would defend her position on why she had to make this choice if she were faced with a trial. Anyway, she made the decision that she would take all the risks involved if she had to leave the earl¡¯s house.

    After locking the box tight, Olivia put it in her arms and stood up suddenly. She felt a bit numb on her feet because she had been squatting for a while, but it was not severe enough for her not to walk. While walking in the bathroom with a bit of funny posture, her green eyes were shining brightly.

    She decided to leave Earl Hazlet¡¯s house at dawn before the day broke. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to inform anybody about her decision. Earl Hazlet would not care at all about her disappearance because he was not interested in her usually, so she wouldn¡¯t have to care about him, either. She felt it a bit regrettable that she couldn¡¯t see the countess making a big fuss the next morning she found out Olivia left the house.

    ¡®Oops! Why do I have any regrets about her fussing?¡¯

    She had not the slightest lingering attachment to the house, though she felt she wasted her precious time there up to now.

    ¡°That son of a bitch¡­¡±

    Olivia nervously closed the bathroom door and bit her lip while recalling Dn¡¯s blue hair. Howe she once thought of giving up themoner¡¯s name ¡°Wendy Waltz¡± that she had bought by selling your mother¡¯s keepsakes for his love! She now regretted her decision a lot.

    She dreamed of marrying Dn until this morning. Of course, if she was lucky enough to marry him, she knew well that she might have to wait forever.

    Dn¡¯s brother, Joseph Lennox, had yet to marry, and Dn himself had to go through a difficult process to be a knight of his empire that he had been longing for.

    That meant that Olivia had to stay in the earl¡¯s house longer than she expected . It was her lifetime goal to escape from the house as soon as possible, so she couldn¡¯t marry Dn unless she gave up the goal.

    Nevertheless, Olivia chose Dn Lennox and abandoned Wendy Waltz.

    Knock, knock!

    ¡°Lady, I¡¯ve brought you a warm tea.¡±

    She heard the maid¡¯s voice outside the door. She frowned slightly while drying her wet blonde hair with a towel.

    ¡°No, thanks. As I want to be alone, go away. I will go to bed right away. So, don¡¯t let anybody in.¡±

    ¡°Sure, will do.¡±

    After the maid replied dryly, she walked away. Olivia was standing there for a while. Only when she could not hear anybody walking around outside the room, she moved carefully and pulled out her suitcase in the chest of drawers.

    ¡°Huuuh¡­¡± She sighed for a moment instead of packing up her bag. She suddenly raised her right hand and bumped her index finger and thumb.

    Tok, Tok, Tok.

    But her anxiety didn¡¯tst long. Olivia quickly wiggled her index finger containing the gift of the fairy and put it on her chest. Her humping heartbeat was conveyed to the palm of her hand.

    She was waiting for dawn, with her heart beating fast. The night was short and the dawn was toe soon.

    It was time for her to give up Dn Lennox in favor of Wendy Waltz and Olivia Hazlet.

    The next morning, when no one noticed Olivia¡¯s vacancy in her room at dawn there was a sharp screaming in the Hazlet house. The source of the sound was his wife¡¯s room. The servants moved in and out of her room anxiously.

    ¡°Ahhh! Go get a doctor!¡±

    With their screaming behind her, a maid quickly came out of her room, with her face turned white.

    The maid¡¯s eyes were terrified. ¡®Madam¡¯s head, her head ...¡± She was running down the hall, terrified by the countess¡¯s look, as if she saw a terrible monster.

    A short timeter, a doctor, urgently called to the house by the maid, had to face the weirdest patient in his life.

    Tuk!

    The doctor pulled out a piece of a strange objects covering her faded red hair and frowned as if he saw something strange. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a burweed?¡± He asked.

    Count Hazelet, standing by his wife who kept moaning, could not reply to the doctor¡¯s question.

    ¡°Howe this was put in her hair?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea...I just came running here after I heard her screaming. It seems that she feels more pain because the thorn keeps digging into her head...¡±

    As the earl fumbled words, the doctor looked at him suspiciously and picked up the thorn he was holding. He felt maybe the Hazlet family had something that they couldn¡¯t tell to anybody else.

    The doctor vaguely guessed that Mrs. Hazlet, who was notorious for having a vicious temper, had been outwitted by somebody or she went crazy and grew burweed on her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can treat her like this because the root of the thorn has tangled her hair...I have no other choice but to cut her hair. Then, I will remove the thorn.¡±

    ¡°¡­Cut my hair? How seriously was it...¡±

    Even though she was moaning with pain, the countess asked the doctor with a depressed voice when she heard the doctor would have to cut her hair.

    ¡°The roots of the thorn invaded close to the scalp, so I have to cut off all the part where its root touched. Fortunately, the roots are clustered around the top of you head. If I cut out that part well, you will be alright. ¡±

    When she heard the doctor¡¯s exnation, she was once again forced to make a painful scream.

    * * *

    Clink!

    ¡°Wendy! Is the freesia fresh today? ¡±

    It was a bright young man who opened the store door with the sound of a cheerful bell.

    Wendy smiled as she watched the young man¡¯s soft brown hair shining in the sun. Of course, she smiled to promote flower sale.

    ¡°Sure. Flowers in my shop are always fresh.¡±

    She walked near arge vase full of freesia and plucked a handful of flowers. The yellow freesia color was very well matched with Wendy¡¯s blond hair.

    ¡°I like it. Pack it as usual, please. ¡±

    When he took out a purse with a smile, he looked cool. Wearing a white shirt with a id vest, which was popr among young men these days, he was attractive enough to catch young girls¡¯ eyes.

    ¡°Is the restaurant crowded these days?¡±

    At Wendy¡¯s question, the young man replied casually, ¡°Sort of.¡±

    He was a regr customer who visited Wendy¡¯s flower shop every day. His restaurant was a gourmet restaurant, which was widely rumored to serve delicious foods, and his father ran arger and more luxurious restaurant in Deseido za.

    Yesterday, she heard from the grandfather of the bakery in the front alley that he bought a new carriagest week. As everybody seemed to have a good feeling about him, this young man also made the best use of his charm to have a number of scandals everywhere. In short, he was a womanizer.

    ¡°Well, my restaurant might be thriving because of its good atmosphere thanks to Wendy¡¯s flowers.¡±

    Although he said with a friendly tone, Wendy was busy with wrapping flowers with a cynical smile. Fortunately, the young man didn¡¯t notice her look because he focused on her wrapping flowers.

    ¡°Well, this is my gift for you.¡±

    The young man took a freesia stem from the bouquet she gave him and handed it to her.

    Wendy shrugged her shoulders and received it dly.

    ¡°Thank you, it smells good.¡±

    After smelling the fragrance of the flower, she said goodbye to the young man. Given that he kept looking at her teacup on the table, he seemed to ask her for a cup of tea, but she ignored it.

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Don¡¯te to the museum on a spring day(1)</h4>

    For thest few days, he tried to win her heart, saying that her blonde hair was so lovely and that he had never seen a more beautifuldy than her. On such asions, she opened the door of her shop in person with a cold smile disguised as kindness. It was her way of kicking him out.

    Cling!

    After seeing off the young man, she put the flower he received back into a vase full of freesia. How could he give a flower to a flower shop girl as a gift? She felt he was stupid.

    ¡°What shall I have for dinner?¡±

    She picked up the mug again while humming.

    Anyway, it was a peaceful day for her.

    ***

    Wendy, neatly dressed in a green dress with dark green embroidery, stood in front of the mirror and finally checked her dress. The inted hem of her dress showed that she was going out in a few moments.

    Knock, knock!

    ¡°Are you Miss Wendy? This is Horseman Jake. ¡±

    Not surprisingly, she heard a horseman¡¯s voice knocking on the door of her house.

    The wagon she had specially requested for her outing today arrived.

    Wendy left home with light footsteps, wearing a thick shawl in the same color as the dress.

    Due to the narrow alley, the carriage could not reach the inside of the alley, so it was parked quite far from her house. It was a small carriage led by two small horses.

    ¡°Can I take you to Rajabude Museum as you said?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    The horseman opened the carriage door for her and reaffirmed her destination. Rajabude Museum was an imperial museum where only noblemen could visit. However, as Princess Marion, the dear daughter of the imperial court, gave birth to the first baby three years after her marriage, the museum was opened tomoners for one week.

    Princess Marion, who worked hard to stabilize the lives of themon people before her marriage, recently began to manage the museum in earnest. She tried in many ways to open the museum, considered as the exclusive possession of the aristocracy, to themon people,

    but she found it was not easy because of the old-fashioned mindset of the noblemen.

    Learning of her dedicated efforts formoners, the emperor opened the museum for a short time to celebrate the birth of the baby princess.

    Aside from theplex situation, it was not Wendy¡¯s main concern to tour the museum, but one item on disy at the moment caught her eye.

    ¡®Bahazman¡¯

    It was the fruit of a small tree, also called the fruit of heaven or the fruit of life. Bahazman had been the object of greed for a long time because it had a therapeutic effect that resurrected those faced with impending death. But it was almost impossible to get a Bahazman tree.

    It was partly because of the tree¡¯s unique habits that left little seeds, and partly because it was extremely difficult to obtain a seed even after it was nted and well taken care of for many years. Even if someone seeded in getting the seed, it quickly decayed even before taking root.

    As a result, it was natural that it was difficult to see Bahazman trees not only here in the Benyahan Empire, but also on any other continent.

    ¡°Lady Wendy, you have reached your destination.¡±

    She stepped out of the wagon and walked straight into Rajabude Museum. The museum was quieter than she expected because it was opened tomoners only a few days ago.

    Of course, one of the exhibition halls called ¡°Golden Hall¡± was an exception.

    Filled with the historical treasures of the imperial family, which were decorated with gold and jewels, it was swarming with visitorsing and going from its entrance. Looking inside of the gallery, she frowned a lot because there were so many imperial knights who seemed to have been specially dispatched due to the rapid increase in visitors.

    ¡®Why the heck are they making such a fuss? Has anybody stolen?¡¯

    She clicked her tongue. She quickly walked toward the staircase leading to the botanical garden where Bahazman trees were on disy. Seeing the imperial knights, she felt badly because she recalled what Dn had told her.

    ¡°Olivia, I will definitely join the Imperial Knights. It¡¯s my dream to be the Lotteo of the 1st Knights.¡±

    She picked her ear roughly with an unpleasant look because Dn¡¯s voice passed through her ears.

    Two years had passed since she left the earl¡¯s house. But she was still repulsed by anything associated with Dn.

    She was not sure if that bastard could join the Imperial Knights, but it would never be easy to be admitted to the 1st Knights, the highest of them. Besides, he was dreaming of being Lotteo! Lotteo¡¯s ce, referring to the best swordsman of the Knights, was not given to anyone.

    Even if Dn boasted of a genius swordsmanship, it would be difficult for him to attain the title before he turned 40.

    Suddenly, she had an ominous concern about whether she might bump into Dn among the imperial knights guarding this ce. Was she a bitcent? Despite her denial, the possibility of her seeing him was still there.

    When she thought as far as that, she quickened her steps on the stairways. She wanted to take a quick look at the tree and go back home.

    When she left the count and looked for a house, she had many concerns. At first she thought of a small provincial town. If she lived in a ce farthest from the earl¡¯s estate, Velta, she could livefortably without ever encountering them. But people living in small local towns were very cold to outsiders. Security was vulnerable in other ces, which was not good for her because she had to make a living alone.

    After agonizing about it for a while, she decided to settle down in the capital of the empire.

    She was bothered not only by Dn, who wanted to be an imperial knight, but also his mother who rushed to the imperial ball. But she guessed that as the capital was vast, she wouldn¡¯t bump into either of them.

    So, she thought she would rather find a house in a ce remote from the imperial pce in the densely popted capital of the Benyahan Empire. In particr, she could settle sessfully by purchasing a house and opening a flower shop in themoners¡¯ residential area where the aristocrats rarely visited.

    ¡°Well, Altarin asked me to convey it to the chief knight. So, if you want to return it to her, please do it yourself. I¡¯m in a difficult position, sandwiched between you and her.¡±

    ¡°Sir Jean Jacques Simuan, it is you who conveyed it to me, which I didn¡¯t ask you, so you are more responsible than me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t take it personally! As soon as you saw her, you left immediately, right? How can I pretend not to know her when she was heartbroken and asked me to convey this handkerchief to you in her stead? Would you take it, please?¡±

    ¡°No way! Don¡¯t make a fuss here.¡±

    At the sudden noise of the knights quarreling, Wendy raised her head and checked out the source of the sound. Two men dressed neatly in the royal imperial knights suit were seen descending the stairs.

    The man with ck hair, who silenced his opponent with a merciless tone, turned his attention from the man with golden hair who seemed to be his subordinate. The blonde man with a slim figure was restless, holding a handkerchief that seemed to have been handed to him by a woman.

    Wendy again frowned and scrutinized the knights. Her gaze immediately turned to a man with an expressionless face.

    The man with a nice golden strap on his shoulders was a handsome man with deep-shadowed eyes. As he was dressed in that impressive knight¡¯s suit, it was natural that he could captivate young girls. Wendy evaluated the knight coldly.

    At that moment, the ck-haired knight turned his eyes and looked at Wendy. At one point their eyes met, but Wendy looked down casually.

    Looking at her passing by him and walking up the stairs, he fixed his eyes on Wendy with a mysterious look. He watched her attractive blonde hair fluttering gently around her shoulders as she walked up the stairs.

    ¡°Captain, are you turning your eyes at another woman now instead of caring about this handkerchief from Altarin, Earl Scholters¡¯s daughter?¡±

    Even before he took his eyes off her blue dress, Jean Jacquesined with a sullen voice.

    He stood still, turning his head away from him as if he never paid attention to hisint.

    ¡°Well, she is pretty. Was that kind of girl your type? That¡¯s why you don¡¯t want to meet Altarin?¡±

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t her nce too sharp for a girl? ¡± He said, recalling her hostile nce.

    He felt a sense of hostility when his eyes met hers.

    ¡°Or do you like that dark golden hair of hers? I think I have to know your preferences before I try to dissuade the women trying to win your heart.¡±

    Asking that, Jean nced up the stairs as if to chase her.

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Don¡¯te to the museum on a spring day(2)</h4>

    ¡°Oh, I just thought she had a sort of a noble woman-like aura¡­¡±

    ¡°Pardon? I don¡¯t know what you mean by that¡­¡±

    Without answering, the dark-haired knight began to move again. Sunlight from the square windows between the floors shone white when he walked.

    Squinting his eyes at him, Jean shouted again, ¡°Hey, Captain!¡±

    Just like the museum in the afternoon, the botanical garden of Rajabude Museum was quiet and leisurely. Entering the garden, Wendy looked around the rare nts here and there with a curious expression on her face.

    There were various items on disy, ranging from living nts to chemically treated specimens and the records of extinct nts. It was obvious that all of them were valuable in the museum, she was familiar with most of them. She looked ahead, disappointed a bit.

    After she opened and began to run a flower shop in the capital, she made lots of efforts to use the power of her index finger usefully. She randomly read all kinds of books on nts, including the essential guide to nts, and climbed mountains to search for the nts she was interested in.

    Then, she found she had weak points in her power.

    First, she couldn¡¯t use the power of her index finger without seeing the nt in question directly. Second, she could see only part of the nt like flowers, berries, seeds, leaves, etc and grow it, but it was imperfect.

    Third, she could grow the nt anywhere she wanted, but she couldn¡¯t grow a healthy nt just by putting her index finger in the soil.

    Lastly, as she needed a high level of concentration when she used her power, she was very tired after she used it often. In fact, it was not a big problem because she could recover quickly after she slept well.

    Anyway, Wendy used her index finger very well and was very satisfied. She began to study nts out of necessity, but she was now a quasi-expert on nts thanks to her intensive learning.

    Wendy stared at the round fruits glowing red in the ss wall with focused eyes. At first nce it seemed she had a desire to possess them. It made sense for the young women like her to cast such a gaze at men like the knight she met a moment ago, but only the Bahazman tree seemed to stimte her desire for possession.

    She checked out every aspect of the rare nt and kept its image in her mind. The surface of the round fruit was rough like an iron mace, reminiscent of a small weapon. She even paid close attention to its egg-shaped leaves and light brown bark.

    When a chattering couple passed by her and left, it became quiet. In the garden, there were only one knight standing on guard with a bored look, ady in a yellow dress engrossed in looking at flowers, and a big man wearing a faded coat.

    Wendy enjoyed the Bahazman tree in a quiet atmosphere and prepared to leave in satisfaction when she heard a man snarling at the visitors inside the garden.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move! As soon as you move, I¡¯ll kill thedy here! ¡±

    The man in the faded coat ruthlessly grabbed the woman in a yellow dress by the nape and pointed a sharp piece of metal at her.

    The woman, caught by him, was shivering with fear. Her face turned white. The knight standing near the entrance to the garden raised his hand to his sword, staring at him fiercely.

    But the man quickly put the sharp object closer to the woman when he saw the knight.

    Very wary of the knight , the man gradually stepped toward the Bahazman tree. Seeing him, Wendy cursed him in her mind. It seemed like the tree he was aiming for.

    ¡®Oh my god! What a damn timing? Whether you steal the tree or eat the fruit, you should have done it after I left this ce!¡¯ She thought to herself.

    It was only a matter of time before this incident would be known to the outside.

    The knights would soon be here, and Wendy would not be able to leave the cefortably.

    She sighed while looking at the threatening look of the man getting closer to her as she stood in front of the Bahazman tree.

    He had to pass by where she stood in order to get the Bahazman tree.

    ¡®Do I stand still here as ordered or step aside for him?¡¯

    After agonizing briefly, she decided to flop down on the spot.

    She might have decided to do so from the moment she looked at the woman¡¯s eyes stricken with fear.

    As the knight spread out a little, the man pulled the woman more roughly, who was crying more and more. At that moment, there seemed to be nothing that the knight could do.

    ¡°What the heck are you doing?¡±

    The man shouted at Wendy with a threatening voice when Wendy suddenly sat down.

    ¡°My legs were wobbly¡­¡± Wendy said feebly on purpose, shaking her shoulders pitifully.

    As his eyebrows wiggled a lot at that moment as if he were embarrassed, Wendy felt she overreacted and looked at him quickly.

    But he did not seem to be wary of her. It would be much better for him to be vignt against the knight with the sword over there, looking for a chance to attack him anytime, instead of a small and weak woman like Wendy.

    A little rxed, she tightened her grip on the floor while she was sitting down. Of course, it was her right index finger that she pressed to the floor.

    A littleter Wendy stepped back in awkward stance, as if she was scared of the man walking towards her. In no time, she measured the distance between her and the man while looking around and stood up staggeringly, she moved slightly beyond the Bahazman tree.

    The man didn¡¯t stop her because he seemed to think Wendy was moving to avoid his possible attack. If Wendy had stood there without moving, he would have been bothered by her.

    Right there, Wendy had a stern look at the spot where she was sitting a moment ago. Others might have thought she did it to avoid eye contact with the man.

    Then, something dark red began to shine faintly on the floor covered with the dark brown carpet. Was it because its dark red was not seen well due to the color of the carpet?

    Fortunately, the changes taking ce on the carpet didn¡¯t catch the man¡¯s attention.

    It looked like a cluster of moss on an old tree, which could be seen only with careful observation. That dark red light kept growing as big as Wendy wanted.

    With a subtle smile that nobody noticed, Wendy stared at the man¡¯s feet intensely this time.

    One step, two steps, three steps!

    While counting his steps in hear, she smiled with satisfaction when the man¡¯s steps touched something dark red on the carpet.

    ¡®Wow! I never knew I could use that grass here!¡¯

    Forgetting any annoyance or nervousness, Wendy felt thrilled while watching the changes in the carpet because one of the nts whose use she had been thinking about all the time finally found a purpose.

    At that moment, all her secret actions while roaming in the forest came to her mind.

    While studying the use of the nts and struggling toe up with countermeasures in case of an emergency, she went into the Rainy Forest near the vige and carried out a series of simtions. And now she could see the results of one of the simtions.

    As Wendy intended, the man¡¯s expression instantly distorted when he stepped on something dark red on the carpet.

    His legs seemed to shake several times. It was the same with the woman he took as hostage. No matter how hard they tried to move their legs, they could not, and stood stiffly there as if frozen. Their feet were really stuck to the dark red floor that Wendy had just made.

    While he was getting embarrassed, it was Wendy who made her first move. After confirming that the man¡¯s grip on the sharp metal object loosened while straining his legs, Wendy quickly kicked the back of his knees. She could not miss the golden opportunity while waiting for the imperial knight toe over and catch him. At that moment, she only focused on taking down the man right before her eyes.

    The man had to leaned forward when he was kicked with his feet stuck to the carpet. Holding the sharp object in his left hand and grabbing the woman¡¯s neck with his right hand, he threw his hand towards the floor instinctively to avoid falling. While trying to bnce himself, he even held the woman with his other hand.

    ¡°Oops!¡±

    Naturally, his left hand got stuck on the dark red floor, along with the sharp object.

    It seemed that he touched something nubby and sticky, not the soft carpet.

    What a name! The identity of the dark red and sticky thing was the grass named ¡®sticky,¡¯ more often called the funny name ¡®sticky grass¡¯.

 Chapter 8

    <h4>Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Don¡¯te to the museum on a spring day(3)</h4>

    That grass wasmonly known to those working in the glue business, so there were few among the general public who knew of sticky grass.

    However, the grass was too sticky and expensive, so even those in the industry did not use it.

    Wendy also had a lot of hard time finding the grass in person.

    For example, she contracted a skin disease after visiting the hot and humid swamp where the nt grew. She also had to sacrifice her favorite boots whilebing the hills and mountains to search for the nt.

    It was clear that Wendy had a really hard time to gather all the nts in her mental arsenal.

    In any case, the use of sticky grass was proved.

    Wendy decided that as soon as she returned home, she would upgrade the usefulness of sticky grass from three to five stars in ¡®Wendy¡¯s nt List¡¯ she hadpiled.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The man struggled hard to remove his hand from the sticky grass.

    The woman also fell down by his force, but fortunately fell on her butt outside the range of the sticky grass, thanks to Wendy who quickly grabbed her waist.

    It was almost simultaneous that someone pointed a cold silver de at his neck, as he struggled with a distorted expression on his face.

    With a puzzled look, the knight swung his sword towards the man with a swift motion.

    Obviously, the knight wasn¡¯t wearing his suit just for demonstration.

    When the de of the knight¡¯s sword touched his neck, the man with a desperate look closed his eyes as if he gave up everything. It was very unexpected that tears flowed from his eyes at that moment.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ ¡­ . ¡±

    Wendy felt disgusted while watching him crying bitterly.

    ¡®If you¡¯re going to cry like this, you shouldn¡¯t even have thought of stealing the Bahazman tree! You guys with fat muscles are just useless jerks.¡¯

    Wendy nodded as if what she just was the truth and bit her lip.

    As she was about to turn away from the scene to move to a ce far from it, the guy moaned with a sad voice, ¡°Sophie, forgive your father. I am afraid I can¡¯t save you...I really wanted to give you just one of these fruits¡­ Just one¡­¡±

    At first, Wendyughed sardonically at him, thinking, ¡®As he is put into a corner, he is just talking nonsense.¡¯

    As the man¡¯s crying gradually intensified, she began to specte that the man¡¯s words might be true. Although she couldn¡¯t figure out the details of his story, he was obviously in a desperate situation, given his pathetic voice.

    Wendy could ascertain poverty in the old man¡¯s old coat that got stuck to sticky grass. That damn poverty was as sticky as the grass...

    The Benjahan Empire was a rich country, but everyone was not affluent.

    Sixty years ago during the previous emperor¡¯s period, the Benyahan Empire had a war with the Carloen Empire, which left scars of warrge and small.

    The biggest blow was the loss of Baltazar, the fertilend in the southwest. Duke Roel Mushtana, who went to the battle as the leader of the pro-emperor faction, was executed for the loss of Baltazar, and his family was also removed from the noble men¡¯s list.

    It was because the opponents had been waiting for the opportunity to take power rose up and ousted him. Beginning with the death of the duke, the emperor¡¯s faction quickly fell.

    The downfall of the faction weakened the emperor¡¯s power, which made themoners who formed the absolute majority of the Benjahan Empire poor.

    The imperial faction was not strong enough to stop the noblemen¡¯s faction from plundering themoners. When he was young, the current emperor, Batist von Benyahan, restored some of thends in a fierce battle to reim Baltazar, but not all of them.

    The nobles¡¯ faction continued to exploit the working ss while grasping their power, so themoners began to see poverty as their fate.

    As a result of the peace agreement with Carloen, the empire could peace up to now, but it was not true peace.

    Wendy heard the loud footsteps at the entrance when the many¡¯s desperate voice was buried by his crying. Several knights stormed into the garden. Among them were the dark-haired knight and the blond-haired knight that she had encountered on the stairs.

    After visually confirmed the situation inside the garden, they quickly approached the knight pointing the sword at the man. The dark-haired man, who was at the forefront, told the knight coldly.

    ¡°Sir Rankin, brief me about the situation.¡±

    At his supervisor¡¯s order, the knight opened his mouth with a disciplined voice, holding the sword in his hand.

    ¡°Yes, captain. I, Jonathan Rankin, want to brief you about the attempted robbery with hostage at the botanical garden of Rajabude Museum. First of all, forgive me for not correcting my posture in the current situation. About ten minutes ago, this man here took thedy who fell over there as hostage and steal the Bahazman. So, I immediately tied him fast, and there was no damage as of now.¡±

    While the knight was briefing, the man cried even more.

    The dark-haired man gazed at the trembling man¡¯s shoulders for a while then ordered other knights behind him to arrest him. They approached the man at his order and held his arms to tie him up, but his hands were stuck to the floor. They had a very embarrassed expression on their faces.

    ¡°¡­Captain, this guy¡¯s hands were stuck firmly on the floor. ¡±

    One knight spoke to the dark-haired man as if he thought it was so weird. Then, the blonde knight, Jean Jacques who was watching the situation, approached the man to check himself. But he didn¡¯t know how to get him out of the sticky floor.

    After staring at the floor where the man¡¯s hands were firmly stuck, Jean took a handkerchief out of his pocket and carefully put it on the dark red carpet. Needless to say, his little handkerchief got also stuck.

    Wendy watched the handkerchief curiously, thinking it might be the same handkerchief she had seen earlier on the stairs, but unfortunately it did not seem to be. It was a pity for Wendy who didn¡¯t want to support others¡¯ love.

    ¡°Sir Rankin, what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Well...I just have no idea what the heck all this is¡­¡±

    When Jean asked the knight named Renkin, he also fumbled words

    Jean touched the tip of his chin and said, ¡°Hummmmm¡­¡± Then he approached the captain and whispered something.

    As she could not hear the knight¡¯s voice even if she pricked her ears, Wendy rolled up the edge of her lips and uttered, ¡°Pooh!¡±

    ¡®What the heck are they talking so secretly when everybody saw it?¡¯ She thought to herself.

    After Jean was done talking to the captain suspiciously, he nced again at the sticky carpet.

    Only then did he find the woman in a yellow dress sitting nearby and made an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°Oh! Lady, are you okay? ¡±

    He held the woman¡¯s arms, so she could stand up.

    But he noticed that even her feet were also firmly glued to the carpet. When he suggested the woman to take off her shoes in awkward tone, the woman, whose face turned white, quickly blushed.

    But she realized she had no choice but to take off her shoes to get off the carpet in question, so she left a pair of milky little shoes on the dark red floor. Jean kindly lifted her by her waist and ced her on a safe floor, avoiding the dark carpet that seemed suspicious.

    Wendy, who stepped back and silently watched the scene, was trying to figure out when to leave. The longer she stayed here, the more she would invite their suspicion, which she didn¡¯t want at all. She wiggled her body a bit to try to get out of the ce as soon as possible, but she stopped when she felt the dark-haired knight casting a nce at her.

    ¡°Oh, captain! I could control the situation easily because the courageousdy over there threw him down by kicking his knees.¡±

    The knight, who quickly looked at the captain watching Wendy at the moment, briefed him about Wendy¡¯s swift action in an excited tone.

    Obviously, he mentioned to praise her courageous action, but it was thest thing Wendy wanted because she didn¡¯t want to get involved in this anymore.

    ¡®You stupid jerk! You were standing there stupidly, and now you¡¯re putting me into trouble!¡¯

    She cursed him in heart.

    In no time, she raised her head, sensing someone¡¯s incredible gaze on her.

    ¡°Did you subdue this guy?¡±

    The dark-haired knight asked, walking toward her with a mysterious expression.

    Wendy immediately replied with a loud voice, as if she thought all this was ridiculous.

    ¡°Nope. I was so surprised at the sudden situation that I couldn¡¯t bnce myself and staggered. I fell down when he pushed me¡­ You seem to treat me as a rude guy.¡±

    The knight, who briefed the captain about her courageous action, made an angry expression, but he couldn¡¯t find any proper words to respond because she denied it so vehemently.

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Don¡¯te to the museum on a spring day(4)</h4>

    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, so let me leave now. I didn¡¯t expect to see this kind of rough scene here¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to stand here anymore.¡±

    She stumbled for a moment, touching her forehead as if she was dizzy, in order to make her words more convincing. She hoped her reply could put her in the clear and get out of the ce.

    But it turned out to be her huge miscalction when somebody firmly supported her when she staggered, which was totally unexpected.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    She saw the dark-haired knight¡¯s gray eyes when she looked up.

    Staring up at his expressionless face, she was surprised and pulled away her hand at his giggling.

    Looking at it, she felt as if her pretense of dizziness had been seen through.

    She felt her pride was slightly offended.

    ¡°As you¡¯re feeling unwell, let me take you home. Of course, I have some questions for you as a testifier before I take you home.¡±

    Calming down her troubled mind, she tried to respond as calmly as possible.

    Choosing a few words in herplicated mind, she talked in a calm tone.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a wagon waiting for me in front of the museum. I appreciate your offer to take me home, but I don¡¯t want to disturb you. I think thedy standing over there needs your hospitality more. ¡±

    The dark-haired knight nced at thedy in the yellow dress that Wendy pointed to and said nonchntly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about her. As a knight, my deputies know how to treat ady well with courtesy.¡±

    When she realized that it was meaningless to argue with him further, Wendy quickly changed her tactics. She decided to respond to his questions and leave the ce quickly.

    ¡°So, what do you want to ask?¡±

    At her question, the knight looked at her green eyes briefly.

    ¡°¡­ What is your name? ¡±

    It was one of the top three questions that she hated the most. Namely, her name, the location of her house, and her hometown.

    She quickly put her brain to work, agonizing over whether she should tell him her name Wendy Waltz or just any fake name. After a brief angst, she decided to point out his annoying attitude first before answering his question.

    ¡°¡­Is it only your deputies who should know the knight¡¯s courtesy toward ady? I think it¡¯s courteous for you to tell me your name first before asking my name.¡±

    Watching her asking back, other knights around her held their breath, but she didn¡¯t care at all.

    She felt she had nothing to worry about because she spoke her mind.

    Although the dark-haired knight¡¯s voice was not at all arrogant, she felt annoyed a lot.

    She clenched her fists because his emotionless grey eyes seemed to bind her tightly.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my mistake. I¡¯m Lard Schroder, captain of the 1st Knights Division of the imperial pce. ¡±

    Unexpectedly, he politely revealed his affiliation and name with a pleasant smile.

    As this expressionless man, who would not allow even a small loophole, smiled, she felt a bit puzzled. Above all, his smile made his gray eyes look so beautiful.

    At the moment, she recalled a white por that she saw in the past. This knight¡¯s eyes looked like that tree. The silver por towering alone on a dark riverside, which she now saw clearly in this knight¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Can I ask your name now?¡±

    The knight who just introduced himself as Lard Schroder asked her without any reservation.

    Wendy found herself obsessed with his name unconsciously for a moment, but didn¡¯t have any misunderstanding because his words weren¡¯t emotionally motivated at all.

    She even thought that it might be her own misunderstanding that she saw his smile a moment ago.

    As if to find the fragments of emotion in the knight¡¯s gray eyes, she stared at his eyes for a moment. Though her actions seemed provocative in his eyes, she didn¡¯t care at all.

    In fact, Wendy was sincerely impressed with the imperial knight in front of her eyes.

    ¡®Oh, that¡¯s why he captivated lots of women!¡¯ She thought to herself.

    His way of speaking and his voice was attractive. His glistening gray-eyed eyes were cool enough to thrill youngdies in the capital. She now decided to admit his attraction.

    After she was done thinking how to respond, Wendy cleared her throat and opened her mouth to speak her name as casually as possible.

    ¡°¡­My name is Wendy Waltz. It¡¯s just the name of amoner woman who doesn¡¯t have anything to boast about. So, it¡¯s not something worthy of your attention.¡±

    She sighed as though it was a bit difficult for her to continue the conversation.

    She felt her brief introduction was enough to quench his curiosity.

    ¡°¡­ Do you have anything else to ask? ¡±

    With patience, she spoke in a bit of sincerity not to be caught.

    ¡°¡­Do you know that sticky thing on the guy¡¯s body? ¡±

    Her heart sank at his question. She couldn¡¯t figure out his intention. She replied with a more slender look, so he couldn¡¯t hide her nervousness.

    ¡°How does an ordinary woman like me know that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, that makes sense.¡±

    When she looked at him quickly, he seemed to smile again. She turned her head not to care about his mixed facial expressions.

    ¡°Lord Jonathan Rankin, hand this man to Lord Wilson and put down your sword. And escort Miss Wendy Waltz to her house to repay her favor.¡±

    Wendy rubbed her head wildly because she felt ufortable as somebody fixed his gaze on her back while she was walking out of the garden.

    ¡®Did he notice that it was me who made the sticky grass grow? If not, why did he act so unusually? He didn¡¯t ask thedy in the yellow dress a single question!¡¯

    ¡°I can ride the wagon by myself, so please go back. Did he say his name was Lard Schroder? If you have to obey his order, you can idle away your time around here before going back. Goodbye!¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute! I can¡¯t let you go like this. Are you telling me to disobey his order? ¡±

    Sir Jonathan replied in astonishment. As if he was so nervous about her getting into the wagon, he tried to wet his tongue with his lips. Obviously he was worried he might be given a severe rebuke if he let her go back home alone.

    ¡°What if my neighbors saw me returning from the museum with a young knight? I don¡¯t want them to worry or misunderstand me.¡±

    ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ve got to escort you,dy! As my told me, I need to escort Ms. Wendy back home safely... Seriously. I can¡¯t let you go back home alone like this. So, please allow me to repay my indebtedness to you and convey my gratitude to you.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I would like to appreciate your considerations right now. I didn¡¯t do anything that deserved your gratitude, but if you want it, let me ept it, but please don¡¯t make me ufortable anymore.¡±

    Wendy bowed to him unterally, got on the wagon and shut the door. She didn¡¯t even give him a chance to get in. At a loss for words, Sir Jonathan Rankin seemed to click his tongue, watching her wagon disappearing quickly.

    Back to her house, Wendy nervously threw off her shawl.

    ¡®What a state I am in!¡¯

    She opened the window of her second floor wide. She couldn¡¯t hide her frustration.

    She felt she was so unlucky today. She was afraid of how today¡¯s event would affect her peaceful life in theing days.

    ¡®Yeah, nothing will happen to me.¡¯

    She breathed out for a long time, whileforting herself, consumed by anxiety.

    For the first time, she used her index finger in front of people. She hadn¡¯t used it before others for thest two years. Suddenly her heart began to pound. She felt that she had done something terrible today. It was an inevitable situation, but she felt it was a close call when she recalled it.

    The captain¡¯s gray eyes, who kept looking at her, came to her mind often.

    ¡®Was he doubting me?¡¯

    Right at the moment Wendy, who had been lost in idle thought with her arms raised on the window sill, heard songsing from the house next door. It was Benfork next door who was singing love songs at the top of his voice again today.

    <The moment I saw your eyes, I realized this is the beginning of our love.

    Beautiful girl, you rocked my boring daily life!

    Your eyes keeping to my mind, and maybe it¡¯s love.

    Thank you foring to me, darling! Thanks so much! Wow!>

    Wendy was so upset.

    ¡®That crazed brat is driving me nuts with a ridiculous song!¡¯

    She shouted at him, ¡°Benfork! can¡¯t you be quiet?¡±

    He stopped singing at her shouting.

    A littleter a boy appeared by the window of the house facing her room.

    The boy, Benfork, who had dark beard marks under his nose, showed an annoying expression.

    ¡°Hey, sis! What¡¯s the matter with you? Can¡¯t I sing in my own room? ¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up right now, I¡¯ll tell your father about what you and Sarah had done by the window of your room!¡±

    After shouting at him, she closed the window with a bang.

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s flower shop(1)</h4>

    As there was no more singing, he was perhaps rebuked by his father who seemed to be around him at the moment.

    She tried to calm down and cursed Benfork¡¯s poor singing skills.

    If she heard his terrible singing again, she vowed to tell his father that he hugged Sarah so tight at the window of his room. She would tell his father everything she saw, including how he kissed and touched her.

    ¡®Even Jennifer, who he was allegedly dating these days, would know,¡¯ Wendy murmured cruelly.

    That evening, Wendy, dressed casually and visited the local martial arts center. After not seeing her for a long time, everyone there was excited, but she just walked in nonchntly.

    ¡°Wendy! What business has you brought here? ¡±

    Deep wrinkles on the forehead, a middle-aged man pretended to know her. He, who smiled at her brightly, looked like a kind-hearted man.

    ¡°Is there any other reason for me toe here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, howe you suddenly appeared like this? You stoppeding here because you didn¡¯t want to see that guy over there. Of course, I am d to teach martial arts to a beautiful student like you,¡± the middle-aged man said, ncing at a young man standing at a distance, who was looking at Wendy lustfully. He had a strong build with red brown hair. His broad shoulders and rugged muscles were attractive enough to catch young women¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°If you are okay, I would like to sign up immediately.¡±

    She bowed to the master without casting a nce at the young man with red brown hair.

    And during the whole evening she practiced martial arts, punching and kicking to blow off steam.

    At first, Wendy began to attend this martial arts center to learn self-defense. She had an extreme distaste for muscr men since her breakup with Dn Lennox. As she decided to learn self-defense, however, she knew how to be patient when she saw them at the center.

    Even though she was surrounded by muscr men, she was extensively trained in subduing such men.

    Surprisingly, it was quite exhrating for her to toss a big guy over her shoulder.

    Of course, she practiced such a technique in case of a situation where her opponent had no weapons. Nheless, she very patiently learned the basic technique.

    At the rmendation of the master, who was impressed with her persistence, she once picked up a wooden sword to learn swordsmanship but gave up because the images of Dn wielding a sword kepting to her mind.

    It was because of the young man with reddish brown hair. In fact, she was familiar with him, he was the son of amoner running a forge, before she signed up at the center.

    She ran into him several times when she stopped by the forge to have her pruning scissors sharpened there. Since then, he had been around her while she was attending the martial arts center. While training, she probably threw him down several times.

    Nheless, he volunteered to be her training partner with lustful eyes, as if he enjoyed being thrown down by her.

    For Wendy, he was nothing more than a fool she saw everywhere, so she didn¡¯t care whether he hung around and stalked her.

    Then one day the guy stepped forward as her training partner as usual.

    She pulled him down to the floor after using force several times.

    She inadvertently said, wiping her forehead wet with sweat, ¡°Yoda, I think you seemed to have gained weight. You¡¯ve got more muscle now? ¡±

    Although she said that without any personal feelings, he didn¡¯t think that way.

    He stared at Wendy in pleasant surprise. His lustful eyes shone more intensely, and he seemed to have been touched. Then, he touched his dry lips with his tongue several times then made a bombshell announcement.

    ¡°Wendy! Marry me. If you are...Yes, I think I can make a happy family with you! ¡±

    And that day she stopped going to the martial center. She totally ignored Yoda since that day.

    The reason she went back to the center again was partly because she wanted to blow off steam, but mainly because she felt her encounter with the imperial knights posed a threat to her.

    She decided to exercise her body.

    Thanks to her hard training at the center, she woke up early the next morning.

    Lying on her side in bed for a long time, she stood up slowly, contented with a peaceful morning as usual.

    As always, she picked up the box full of caterpirs and said good morning to the small carnivorous nt hanging on the door frame of the room.

    At first nce, it looked like a very ordinary nt with pink buds, but it had sharp teeth in the buds.

    ¡°Eat a lot.¡±

    When Wendy took a caterpir with the tweezers and put it on the nt, it opened its sharp petals and ate it.

    She grew the insect-eating nt, nicknamed ¡°the Poison Teeth,¡± to warn against outsiders in and out of her room. The nt on the pot in the door frame taller than her bit and tore off any living object when its movement was spotted.

    ordingly, if anyone taller than her entered the room, they would be attacked by the Poison Teeth. When it defeated the invader with its poison, she could buy some time.

    The reason she grew such a violent and creepy nt so preciously was because she wanted to defend herself desperately.

    After doing her makeup quickly, she had a simple breakfast. During the meal, she suddenly thought of tomatoes and touched her index finger to a small pot on one side of the kitchen.

    After putting a dozen cherry tomatoes into her mouth, she headed for her flower shop in time.

    While she was on her way to the shop, she found the road wet as if it rained at dawn.

    Ssh, ssh.

    Carefully stepping through the pool of rainwater, she inadvertently looked up to the sky. Gray clouds were gathered here and there in the sky filled with a hazy light. Although it was cloudy, the scent of wet grass after rain was indeed pleasant. Breathing in the scent, she smiled as if she was satisfied with starting the day peacefully.

    After selling a bunch of flowers to regr customers in the morning, she spent a leisurely afternoon. Wendy cut the strawberry shortcake she had already bought and suddenly thought of lemon tea in her cupboard.

    She decided to try the lemon tea today, which had been marinated in sugar several days ago, so she took a heavy ss bottle from the cupboard.

    Cling!

    ¡°Wee...¡±

    A cheerful bell was heard when somebody opened the door.

    While she was taking out the ss bottle, she just stiffened, with her face turning white.

    A man with cool gray eyes looked at her nkly.

    ¡®Why am I seeing a silver popr by the river here?¡¯

    Wendy murmured to herself as if she could not admit it.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you look healthy.¡±

    ¡®Howe that guy knew where I was and appeared like this!¡¯

    As she was not unfamiliar with this man with an expressionless face.

    Lard Schroder, the captain of the Imperial Knights division, stepped into Wendy¡¯s flower shop.

    She led him to take a seat on the sofa.

    ¡°Please have tea.¡±

    The sound of her dropping a mug on the table was heard coldly. Even though the mild lemon scent tickled her nose, she did not touch the mug. It was purely because of the man who she was forced to serve tea.

    Lard Schroder was staring at her frosty look without being nervous at all.

    ¡°It smells good...Did you make it yourself?¡± Schroder said after tilting the mug into his mouth. He seemed to have looked carefully at the ss jar of lemon that was ced on the tea table.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. I¡¯m d you liked it. ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not sweet and tastes neat. I¡¯ve received a lot of tea, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever drunk tea. It is not umon for noblewomen to pick fruits to make tea directly. If you want a taste of fruit tea that suits your pte, visit the Shent Tea House in Deseido za. It is a famous ce. The fruit-to-sugar ratio is good, so it¡¯s not sweet at all. ¡±

    His remarks suggested that she didn¡¯t have to make the tea by herself.

    He once again sipped tea casually, not caring about what she was pondering about.

    She furtively looked at him with an angry look.

    Normally, she would not have offered her own mug to him if she hadn¡¯t been embarrassed by his actions. He took a seat at the tea table without asking her!

    Usually she did not offer a seat to anybody who visited her shop, but it would be discourteous not to rmend a seat to a nobleman. But it was also discourteous for him to sit down at the table without her permission. She began to doubt his nobility. How could he act so thoughtlessly?

    Lard Schroder, who already emptied the mug halfway, looked around the shop as if to take a look at the inside of the shop.

    The pale mint and cream painted walls and the light brown wood shelves created a warm atmosphere. The shelves were full of luscious flowers, while small trees were in beautiful porcin pots. Such a warm atmosphere was far from the coldness of the woman named Wendy Waltz.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s flower shop (2)

    As such a contrast was pleasant, though, he grinned at her. However, she frowned at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you came here for an idle chat with me. What business brought you here?¡±

    As expected, she spoke coldly. Her reaction like was quite predictable, but it was surprising that he was not troubled by her knee-jerk reaction. But he seemed to wonder if it was wrong that he hade for a chat with her.

    ¡°What business? Of course, I do.¡±

    Lard Schroder quickly turned expressionless and put a small wooden box on the tea table. Given that he alternately looked at her and the wooden box, he seemed to ask her to open it. Feeling a bit ufortable, she reached for the box, reluctantly opened the lid, and looked inside.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Looking into the box, she suddenly had a spasm near her eyes and fumbled words.

    ¡°This blocked the movement of the criminal in Rajabude Museum. It was so sticky and adhesive that I had a hard time collecting the evidence. ¡±

    Like he said, the sticky stuff, partly cut from the carpet of the museum, was in the box as it was found. The uneven cross section revealed the strong adhesion of the sticky grass. It was inevitable, but the carpet at the botanical garden of the museum would be reced anyway.

    ¡°Do you know what it is?¡± he asked.

    She shook her head, holding the mug that she had never touched.

    ¡°As I told you yesterday, I don¡¯t know anything about it. But it¡¯s interesting.¡±

    Schroder smiled at her reply as if he got what he expected to hear from her. His reaction did not befit anyone who came to investigate the identity of the evidence. Although she said she didn¡¯t know, he still seemed to feel satisfied with her reply.

    ¡°¡­This is grass¡¯ name is sticky. It used be used as glue material. I think it¡¯s correct because the botany professor at Jeddah Academy examined and exined it.¡±

    He said in a in tone just like when somebody said, ¡®It rained today at dawn.¡¯

    But she was upset when she heard it. ¡®Is this guy ying a joke on me? Or did he notice the source of my power? Why are you testing me like this?¡¯ Lots of questions came to her mind.

    ¡°¡­Why did you ask me what you already know? ¡±

    ¡°This grass is adhesive enough to block human movement. Isn¡¯t it a very unusual nt? I thought you would be interested in this after I found out your job. ording to Jonathan Lenkin, you looked into the Bahaman for a while at the museum, right?¡±

    Jonathan Lenkin,the face of the stupid knight at the botanical garden shed her mind.

    Was he going to retaliate over her returning home alonest night? She med the man, wondering if it was a knight¡¯s duty to tattle on her actions yesterday. Besides, this guy now told her she would be interested in the sticky grass after finding out her job.

    She got enraged when she felt the man in front of her did a background check on her.

    ¡°What do you mean by interested?¡± Wendy asked him with a cold voice, as if showing a broken heart. Interested in sticky grass? No way! As if to show her offended feelings, she asked him coldly, ¡°Did you ask me if I was interested in it? Was that the reason you came here?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Can there be any other reason for me toe here?¡±

    He drank the remaining tea while looking into the ss bottle of lemon tea. Although he had some other questions, he had no reason to bring them up now.

    ¡°¡­Oh I see.¡±

    Looking at his attitude that never got ruffled, she cursed him mentally. Above all, she couldn¡¯t figure out what he was thinking. She picked up her lemon tea, which got cold, with her trembling hands and drank it to calm down.

    ¡°As you are kind enough to be concerned about what amoner woman like me is interested in, I¡¯m so touched by your considerations¡­ Are you done? ¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    His gray eyes now glowed with interest in her. He was aware that as she was not happy about his unexpected visit to her shop all along from the moment he entered, she wanted to have him leave as soon as possible. Nheless, he didn¡¯t feel bad about it. Rather he seemed more interested than displeased with her. Her coldness before his eyes was very unfamiliar to him who had only seen women trying to win his heart by all means. Putting the mug on the table silently, he looked at her eyes.

    ¡°Would you pack some Welsh flowers?¡±

    Wendy briefly looked embarrassed at his sudden request, wondering if she was now being dragged into his sneaky trick.

    ¡°Are you going to a ce to express your condolences?¡±

    ¡°No, today is the day of my father¡¯s death. That¡¯s another reason I came here.¡±

    She rose silently and walked to the shelf where the ss vases were ced. She picked several white Welsh flowers. The flower was mainly used as a funeral flower because its open petals looked like an angel¡¯s wing. She carefully wrapped the flowers.

    After paying for the flowers, Lard headed to the door with the wooden box of sticky grass as if he was about to leave. Surprisingly, she stopped him and asked, ¡°Lord Schroder.¡±

    Looking at his gray eyes, who just turned around, she asked the question she had been anxious to ask.

    ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±

    ¡°I am the captain of the Imperial Knight division.¡± He said casually, as if to ask why she was asking such a silly question. ¡°If I want to find anybody, I can find them by using all avable means.

    Of course, I can¡¯t deny that the hint you gave me was very helpful. I mean, your name Wendy Waltz.¡±

    Of course, there were many ways for him to find Wendy. If he looked for the wagons that came in and out of the museum, based on her name, he could find the wagon that carried Wendy. It would not have been difficult for him to hear about Wendy from Coachman Jake who drove the carriage. But there was something really annoying to her, more than his secret background check on her, which was that he pointed out her name loudly in her presence.

    She felt a great deal of displeasure when her name was on a man¡¯s lips. She felt that a guy calling her name was very unnatural as if the Poisonous Teeth refused its main diet caterpir in the morning. She reflected on the man¡¯s voice as it was the first time her name was called by a man since she coined it.

    ¡°Thanks for the tea. Let mee back to drink this fruit tea you have made¡­¡±

    Having said that, he left the flower shop. While the bell was ringing on, she wiggled her lips like a red goldfish in a fishbowl.

    ¡®What the heck did he say?¡¯ She resented he didn¡¯t give her time to talk back.

    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡±

    When she returned to the tea table, she cleaned up the mugs and wondered if she was now paying the price of her actions yesterday. He left that stupid knight Jonathan alone in the museum.

    ¡°Coming back here again? Why?¡±

    It was the moment when the lingering lemon scent wafting in the shop disappeared with her sigh.

    When it got dark, she cleaned up the flower shop and came out to go back home. She locked the door tightly and rocked it back and forth a couple of times to double check if it was locked properly, when somebody asked from behind.

    ¡°Hello? Are you Wendy?¡±

    Wendy unconsciously looked back at a woman¡¯s voice and stiffened on the spot. An unexpected second visitor was standing there! She now began to doubt if the captain of the Imperial Knights division advertised her address to everybody.

    ¡°Oh, you must be Wendy! I¡¯m so d I¡¯ve found you here!¡±

    The woman held Wendy¡¯s hands tightly as if she found a friend he had not met in a few years.

    It was the very young woman in a yellow dress that she saw at the museum. Behind her stood a woman who looked like her maid and two men who looked like her bodyguards.

    She was very ufortable with her visit because she brought with her other strangers.

    She wanted to forget about the incident at the museum once and for all. She didn¡¯t want to face anything that weakened her power and her disguised status.

    ¡°How did you know I am here?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to thank you, so I plucked up the courage to ask one of the imperial knights. I really wanted to meet you. Hope I didn¡¯t bother you too much because I visited you so suddenly today.¡±

    The orange glow of the setting sun poured down on her face. She had a bright look now in a contrast with her pale face yesterday.

    Although Wendy wanted to remind the woman that she was really bothered a lot because of her sudden visit, she decided not to.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s flower shop (3)

    ¡°I know well that it was you, Ms. Wendy, who saved me¡­You knocked down that rude man and grabbed my waist so that I didn¡¯t fall on the sticky floor. How wonderful!¡±

    She again tightened her grip on Wendy¡¯s hands as if she would never let her go.

    With her hands grabbed by the woman, who was so excited at the moment, Wendy felt as if the energy of her hands was escaping from her body.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about the sticky floor, did you make it sticky, too?¡±

    The woman, who was close to Wendy, lowered her voice as if she was a spy agent.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    Pulling away her hands from her roughly, Wendy expressed her displeasure sharply.

    Only then did the woman feel embarrassed, realizing her mistake.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned this thoughtlessly¡­I should have pretended not to know. I was foolish¡­But I actually saw you doing it on the floor¡­¡±

    Wendy urgently opened the door and led the woman in. Her heart was pounding hard. She felt like she was being suffocated.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t know what you are talking about. What the heck did you see?¡±

    After making sure that the door was closed tightly, Wendy asked her, with ring eyes.

    What she would say next could disrupt her calm life until now.

    ¡°Well, when you sat down on the floor, I saw that sticky thing gushing out of the floor. I saw it. I don¡¯t know what that was, but it¡¯s definitely what you did¡­¡±

    She looked at Wendy¡¯s eyes and spoke with a feeble voice. There was no vigor in her voice now.

    ¡°Well, was it something like magic? How could such a mysterious thing take ce? I have no idea at all.¡±

    Then, she muttered in a dim voice as if she had a dream, like a girl immersed in a fairy tale about a wizard.

    Wendy had no choice but to shout at her in astonishment.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever talk like that! I don¡¯t know anything about it. If you talk to people about this, they will treat you as a crazy woman. And I will also be in big trouble. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t tell anyone that! I shut my mouth when the knights asked me. ¡±

    The woman grabbed Wendy¡¯s arms urgently, as if to say she was innocent. Although Wendy denied it vehemently, the woman seemed to be convinced that Wendy was responsible for the sticky grass on the floor.

    ¡°Wendy, don¡¯t worry. My name is Melissa Lowney, and I¡¯m not the type of woman who has a big mouth. I can swear it on the honor of the Marquis Lowney family,¡± said the woman, who suddenly turned pale.

    If anybody had seen her, they would have thought a pitiful woman was desperately trying to stop her lover from leaving.Wendy sighed once again with a heavy heart. Just like she did to the muscr men at the martial arts center yesterday, she felt a strong temptation to squeeze the woman¡¯s arm and throw her down, but barely put up with it.

    ¡°Well, as I told you, I don¡¯t know anything about it. By the way, you¡¯d better watch out for the time being. You look very pale. As you moved along as the daughter of a marquise like this, you were into trouble like this, I think. I understand as you must have been shocked enough to have such a ridiculous misunderstanding. I won¡¯t me you for your delusion today, but don¡¯t ever mention it again. ¡±

    Although she was probably speaking rudely to a noblewoman like her, Melissa did not seem to mind at all. She nodded as if she would follow Wendy¡¯s words unconditionally.

    ¡°Let me trust you then,¡± said Wendy.

    ¡°Oh, call me Melissa. I want you to treat me candidly.¡±

    Melissa looked at her eagerly. Anyone would wee to befriend a noblewoman like her who was kind to anybody, but the problem was that Wendy wasn¡¯t included in that ¡°anyone.¡±

    ¡°How can I dare call your name thoughtlessly when you are the daughter of a marquis?¡±

    ¡°I want to be called like that by you Wendy¡­ Please grant my request.¡±

    She just nodded at Melissa¡¯s persistent request, thinking she felt it necessary to get her reassurances that she should not cause any trouble.

    ¡°Did they give you my address readily?¡±

    Wendy was now getting upset about the Imperial Knights as they didn¡¯t seem to take care of the personal information properly.

    ¡°Oh, Sir Jean Jacques Simuan was happy to give me your address. You remember him, right? That handsome blond knight who helped me up when I fell. I came to know he was the deputy of the 1st Knights Division. It¡¯s hard for a young man to get that position. He is awesome, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°I see. Sir Jean Jacques Simuan gave you my address¡­¡±

    Wendy bit her lip, but said it softly with a gentle expression.

    Melissa seemed perplexed for a moment, but grinned when she saw Wendy smiling at her.

    ¡°I heard from Sir Simuan about the suspect who took me hostage at the museum. I came to know that he was a poor man. And he had a reason why he cried so much yesterday. I hear his daughter was very sick, but he didn¡¯t have the money to have her treated. And she wouldn¡¯t get better even if she received treatment¡­Her daughter has been hospitalized at Linus National Medical Center, but I hear that she won¡¯t be there long.¡±

    Melissa sighed sadly. Obviously, she was sincere when she sympathized with that poor man and her daughter. Of course, Wendy was not sure if she could really feel sorry for the man who terrorized her or if she was simply thoughtless.

    ¡°¡­Oh, I see. I think you have heard lots of stuff from Sir Simuan. ¡±

    When the man who cried a lot at the museum shed across her mind, Wendy suddenly felt let down. She wished she hadn¡¯t heard it at all.

    ¡°Oops!¡­ Would you leave? I was going to shut the door when you came here. I have to go now.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes¡­I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve stopped a busy person like you for too long. I want to talk a little bit more with you, but I¡¯m satisfied today as I have met you anyway. Then, I¡¯lle backter. ¡±

    Seeing Melissa reluctant to leave, Wendy spoke urgently. She was bothered by Melissa¡¯s wish for another visit.

    ¡°As you know, amoner¡¯s life is a series of busy days. It¡¯s hard for me to enjoy leisure while running the store.¡±

    Wendy indirectly expressed her opposition to her another visit, but she didn¡¯t seem to understand it. Nodding at Wendy¡¯s words, she carefully looked at the inside of the shop, which was a bit dim as the lights were turned off.

    ¡°Are you running this shop alone? I think I can understand your situation. Oh, I have a good idea. Let me stop by here often to buy some flowers. So, why don¡¯t we chat during my visit? I can be your good chatting friend! ¡±

    Wendy spoke coldly, trying hard to hide her frustrated expression, ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ve got so many customers here. If a youngdy like you stops by, I will be busier than now.¡±

    Obviously, Melissa was hurt by her words, but she reluctantly went out of the shop.

    She apparently wanted to correct Wendy¡¯s calling her dy¡± instead of ¡°Melissa,¡± but when Wendy first opened the door, she couldn¡¯t even do it. Wendy let out a deep sigh, watching the woman looking back often with regrets as if she didn¡¯t want to leave now.

    On the way home, she kicked a few stones on the roadside. She probably let out a sigh of annoyance at least fifteen times. Walking back home, she was feeling guilty about what she had done to that poor man crying at the museum. She couldn¡¯t erase from her mind the images of the crying man at botanical garden of the museum.

    The moment she heard about him from Melissa, she could not be bothered any more by something like Lard Schroder and Melissa Rowney¡¯s likely visits to her shop.

    Although she thought that the only thing she had to be concerned about right now was those who would threaten her peaceful daily life, it was not easy. It was because she had the Bahazman fruit in her hand.

    It was not simply because of her desire for possession of the precious nt that she tried to see the real Bahazman tree at the museum. Of course, it was true that she was obsessed with collecting all kinds of nts like crazy collectors after she gained the power of her index finger.

    However, the Bahazman tree had a different meaning for Wendy than any other nt.

    She felt the need for the Bahazman tree, called the Fruit of Life, more desperately than anybody else.

    An ordinary florist woman would not have any reason to be threatened or seriously injured in her daily life, but it was different in the case of Wendy. She was always worried deep inside that such terrible things might happen to her anytime.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s flower shop (4)

    ording to her n, Wendy should have felt relieved because she put the Bahazman fruit on her collection list finally, but she did not feel at ease at all, which really bothered her.

    Returning home, she headed straight for the parlor without changing her clothes. Wendy stood before the brown sliding door in the small parlor.

    Opening the door without hesitation, she nced over the small space inside. She nodded as if to assure herself that everything was okay.

    It was a small garden in the center of her house. All sides were blocked by walls and sliding doors so only the ceiling was open, where starlight was pouring down.

    It was because of this garden that she bought this house.

    The old couple, former residents of this house, lived here long before the house was built.

    When they were young, the couple got married and nted a small birch in front of the house, vowing that they would continue their pure love like the white bark of the birch.

    Over the years, when they nned to build a new house, they realized that they would have to cut down the tree due to the problems ofnd use. At that time, the old couple create an atrium in the house for the tree instead of cutting it down. As a result they had a fun-looking house with an open space in the middle, and they liked it very much.

    However, after their death the house was hard to sell because of its unusual structure. Potential buyers were impressed after hearing about the old couple, but they were bothered by the garden in the house.

    However, Wendy was attracted to the garden and initially frowned to hear about the old couple¡¯s romantic story. She even thought of cancelling the contract after hearing from the real estate agent that the house kept marks of their love.

    Various nts boasted their beauty in the garden. The birch nted by the old couple was also growing well in the garden, and there was also additional space for new nts.

    Of course, there was arge indoor garden behind Wendy¡¯s flower shop, but it was nice to know that there was such a hidden space in the house because there was no better space to care for the rare nts she cared about. It was perfect for her more secret activities.

    Wendy approached one wall and pulled the string installed on it. As she pulled it, the sunshade hanging from one side of the ceiling began to unfold gradually. After blocking anybody from seeing from above, she squatted on the floor and ced her index finger on the soft soil. Surprisingly, a littleter a pale green bud shot its head out as if it was tapping the ground.

    It grew quickly as high as her thigh exactly as she wanted.

    She took out her notebook and turned its pages quickly. It contained drawings of various kinds of nts on each page and various exnations written in block letters.

    After finding a nk page, she picked up a pen and began to draw the nt in front of her eyes. It was a way to boost her memory and the uracy of her power since she had to imagine the shape of the nt in order to use the power of her index finger.

    Finishing the drawing skillfully, she soon took out a small silk pouch and approached the nt.

    Tok, Tok, Tok.

    A red fruit fell between her white and thin fingers. It was a small fruit with the size of a fingernail, but the meaning of its color was immense. It was the red fruit of the Bahazman tree, called the ¡°fruit of heaven¡± and ¡°fruit of life.¡±

    When she picked all the hanging fruit, the small silk bag bulged with the fruit. Though she didn¡¯t pick up many, they were more than enough for her purpose. After putting the silk pouch in her pocket, she put her hand over the stalk of the Bahazman tree.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You are also a living creature¡­¡±

    After reciting something as if to apologize, she quickly pulled the stem of Bahazman tree strongly as if she were determined. The soil tangled up in the roots bounced everywhere, but she didn¡¯t hesitate at all.

    She then took the Bahazman nt straight to the firece. Of course, she would feel ufortable as she had to throw the precious nt into a zing me, but it was too dangerous for her to have such a rare nt at hand. In fact, it was a nt she could create anytime as long as she had the nt list, or the notebook in which she drew the Bahazman tree meticulously. So, she didn¡¯t take the risk.

    The next day, Wendy got up early in the morning and quickly headed for the kitchen. After grinding ck sesame seeds, which had been soaked in water, on a t stone, she stirred it with a mixture of powder and milk. After wrestling with the pot in the kitchen for a while, she finished making ck sesame cream soup.

    It was this soup that came to her mind when she was sick. Her mother¡¯s touch, which she felt only once, was associated with this soup. When she was 17, she had been about to die because of an unexined fever. At that time, she dimly saw her mother¡¯s face for the first time.

    In fact, her mother left Earl Hazlet¡¯s house unwillingly as soon as she gave birth to Wendy.

    Her mother rushed to her daughter after hearing she was gravely ill. Although the countess was so ruthless and cruel, she couldn¡¯t stop Wendy¡¯s mother froming to see her dying child. And that day, it was this ck sesame cream soup that her mother made for Wendy when she was having a hard time even drinking water.

    That night, when she came to her senses and the fever passed, her mother had left her already. Holding the lukewarm wet towel on her head with her hand, Wendy wondered if she had fever because of her longing for her mother. The reason why she emptied the soup ced on her bedside was because an inexplicable emptiness in her seventeen-year-old mind.

    Wendy put three red berries on a bowl of soup. As the mix of ck and red was great, she could smile in satisfaction.

    ¡°I guess she is around here.¡±

    Wendy arrived at the Linus National Medical Center and found it swarming with people. Murmuring for a moment, she tried looking for someone. As it was a state medical facility, the cost of treatment was low, so lots of poormoners flocked there. It was crowded with people who came to receive treatment early in the morning.

    Wendy walked upstairs where she could hopefully find the patient¡¯s room. It was fortunate that the names of the patients were written at the entrance to the room, otherwise it would have taken a while for her to find the child. She finally found the name ¡°Sophie.¡± It was the name that the man she met at the museum mentioned while crying.

    Pressing the brown robe, she took a deep breath and entered the room. As she came as far as here, she had to carry out her mission.

    There were three beds in the three-room ward, but all were empty, contrary to her expectation of it being crowded, except for only one bed at the edge. She nced at the name tag on her bed and opened her mouth.

    ¡°Hey, kid!¡±

    At Wendy¡¯s call, the girl lying with a vacant look slowly looked at her. At a nce she looked pale and haggard. She was very sick.

    ¡°Where are all the patients here?¡±

    ¡°¡­to the restaurant. ¡±

    ¡°It looks like everyone¡¯s out for breakfast. Why aren¡¯t you going out for breakfast? ¡±

    Since the hospital was run at a low cost, they didn¡¯t served meals to patients.

    The girl looked down again as if she didn¡¯t want to talk. So, Wendy had to wait for her to talk for some time.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t have a mom now. ¡±

    ¡°Where is she now?¡±

    ¡°Bajium Prison.¡±

    It was probably the prison where the girl¡¯s father was incarcerated. Wendy decided not to ask anymore.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you get up? I have brought some food to give my friend, but she¡¯s already been discharged. Can you eat this instead? ¡±

    At Wendy¡¯s words, the girl closed her eyes, looked silent, then got up after a good while.

    Wendy took out the soup she made dly.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°ck sesame cream soup. It¡¯s good for you, so I hope you enjoy it. ¡±

    Even when Wendy prodded, the girl couldn¡¯t easily pick up the spoon. Obviously she hesitated.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it? Does it look unsavory?¡±

    ¡°Too ck¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t seem familiar with the ck color of the soup. Wendy appeased her with soft voice as if she were her gentle sister. The child reluctantly took the spoon.

    ¡°Oops¡­¡±

    But the child barely put a spoon in her mouth then dropped it. Her condition didn¡¯t look good as she frowned severely. .

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­ it tastes so bad. ¡°

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s flower shop (5)

    Wendy couldn¡¯t say any more. ¡®No, I can¡¯t believe it doesn¡¯t taste good,¡¯ she murmured but didn¡¯t correct the girl because the girl¡¯s frowning expression was true.

    ¡°Oh, Won¡¯t you eat this fruit anyway? It¡¯s very good for you. ¡±

    After seeing the ck soup coated on the Bahazman¡¯s fruit, the girl shook her head.

    Obviously the girl felt the peculiar look of the fruit, which looked like an iron mace, sucked.

    But this time Wendy wouldn¡¯t give up. After appeasing and bluffing as best she could,

    Wendy fed the child three Bahazman berries.

    Wendy closed the lid of the bowl with a thump. She didn¡¯t like children by nature, so she had a hunch that she would hate them further.

    ¡°Captain, please be honest with me. Why did you ask me to find out the address of this woman named Wendy Waltz? ¡±

    Jean Jacques Simuan, the courageous young man of the First Imperial Knights. He asked the captain persistently, blocking him with suspicious eyes. No man of the imperial knights dared to ask him such a question, but the man staring at Jean not shaken at all.

    ¡°Jean Jacques Simuan. Have you forgotten who your supervisor is? I see you¡¯re more daring these days in your speech,¡± the captain sharply retorted.

    ¡°Oh, boss. Isn¡¯t it natural I am curious? You asked me to find the address of a woman who was not a criminal suspect¡­You didn¡¯t even show any interest in Lord Altarin¡¯s daughter¡­¡±

    Despite his boss¡¯s rebuke, Jean said what he wanted to say. He was indeed a man of conviction.

    Jean Jacuqes¡¯s curiosity about his boss¡¯s sudden change of attitude was significant. His boss had never given him unnecessary orders, so his order to find Wendy Waltz¡¯s address as well his unusual interest in her on the day when the incident happened stimted Jean Jacques¡¯s interest. His boss usually responded with short reply such as ¡°Yes¡± or ¡°No,¡± but when he questioned Wendy, he persistently asked her, which Jean Jacques took as unusual. That¡¯s why he thought his boss might be romantically interested in Wendy.

    At that moment, Jean Jacques¡¯s face turned white.

    ¡°Whenever you attend a training session, just expect to have me as your sparring partner. Let me check with my own eyes if your skills have improved enough topete with your daring words. I think if you train against me, you will improve your skills, too.¡±

    Jean Jacques¡¯s face hardened quickly. He felt like he began to feel pain in his bones. Who said ¡®if you showed any curiosity about the captain¡¯s private matters, you would bring about trouble?¡¯

    Jean Jacques responded, ¡°Captain, please forget what I¡¯ve just babbled about. I don¡¯t want you to pay attention to my skills! I know you are not that free these days. I really can¡¯t inconvenience you!¡±

    Jean Jacques, who was talking gibberish, went out of his way to cope with the situation, but Lard Schroder, a man of strong will, walked toward him with stride without replying.

    ¡°Wow, who is this? Hey, Lard, long time no see! ¡±

    At that moment, a man with impressive blue hair approached them with a happy expression on his face. The white robe worn by the man was embroidered with a white unicorn, a symbol of Linus National Medical Center.

    ¡°Edmonds, how does it feel to be a father?¡± Lard asked the blue-haired man with a smile, which was rare.

    ¡°Can you believe if I say I¡¯m walking in the air every day? My baby is very meek like Maryan. She doesn¡¯t cry much.¡±

    Jean Jacque almostughed at Edmonds¡¯s words. Maryan, the princess of the empire, was far from meek. If anybody who knew her heard Edmonds, they would show a ridiculous reaction. Obviously Edmonds, Maryan¡¯s husband, was blinded by his love.

    Edmonds Baylup, he was the third son of the earl and a longtime friend of Lard.

    He was praised as an example of integrity by many corrupt aristocrats. When he decided to pursue a career in the medical field, everybody was astonished.

    When Lard recalled the uproar when Edmonds moved from Jeddah Academy¡¯s political department to the medical department, he still felt bitter. He was a real maverick in the nobleman¡¯s society, which made Princess Maryan develop a crush on him.

    ¡°Congrattions, you will be a good father. ¡±

    Edmondsughed happily at Lard¡¯spliment without shying away at all.

    ¡°Well, what are you up to? There are already many knights at the ward where your wife is in.

    I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve inconvenienced the Imperial Knights because of me and Marion. But what can I do? She is so stubborn, as you know. I can¡¯t refute her remarks that if she delivered a baby at Linus Medical Center, it would be quite symbolic.¡±

    Edmonds, the director of Linus Medical Center, was trying to change the people¡¯s perception of the medical center on the asion of his wife¡¯s deliverance of a princess.

    Many aristocrats used to regard Linus Medical Center as a medical service for the poor people, so Edmonds tried to change that perception and break down the walls between sses by making it avable to the noble ss.

    ¡°I stopped by to check the guard of the princess. Never mind. We¡¯re just doing what we¡¯re supposed to do.¡±

    Edmonds smiled and nodded in response to Lard¡¯s casual reaction.

    While the three were chatting and walking along the circr corridor of the medical center, Lard inadvertently turned his eyes toward the lobby on the first floor. Anybody at the medical building surrounded by circr corridors, with the lobby in the center, had a good view of the lobby on the first floor.

    Lard found a familiar face among the crowds in the lobby. Although she squeezed her robe tightly for some reason, he could immediately discover who she was. In fact, she was the woman he became interested in for the past several days.

    ¡°Edmonds, excuse me for a minute.¡±

    After exchanging simple pleasantries with him, Lard hurriedly left the ce before Edmonds responded. Jean Jacques grumbled, looking at his back, who disappeared into the floors in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Look at him! My boss is weird these days. He is definitely into somebody.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Oh, no. Just pretend you didn¡¯t hear me.¡±

    Jean Jacques refrained from talking more, recalling his training session with Lard tomorrow morning. If he shot his mouth off, he would certainly see his boss more at the training center.

    In the meantime, Lard Schroder, urgently ran down the stairs not to miss the woman, wondering what the heck he was doing at the moment.

    ¡®Why am I rushing after her like this?¡¯

    Although he instinctively had some doubt about the woman with respect to the sticky grass found at the museum, he didn¡¯t find anything suspicious about her. Of course, his suspicion was not the kind of thing that lumped her together with the male suspect. The sticky grass suddenly appeared as if it had fallen from the sky. His suspicion focused on that mystery.

    Sir Jonathan Lenkin, who was in charge of the security of the botanical garden, knew nothing about the grass. If there had been such a grass on the floor of the museum where lots of people came in and out of numerous times, there would have been idents a long time ago. This meant that the sticky grass emerged at the time of the crime and at the very spot where Wendy Walt stoodst.

    That fact still stuck in his head.

    At first, he tried toe up with a number of theories and assumptions that could reasonably exin the phenomenon of grass suddenly sprouting on the carpet, but he knew that even with all the knowledge he had it was impossible to reasonably exin. The mental ability to reasonably imagine things that did not make sense was not his strength. Nheless, a mystery he could not ept kept running through his head unsolved.

    He impulsively visited Wendy¡¯s flower shop.

    For Lard, who always prioritized rational judgment, this was something unprecedented, but he thought his visit was based on rational judgment. In other words, he thought his visit was inevitable because he couldn¡¯t be bothered by this kind of suspicion forever.

    But when she was embarrassed at his sudden visit, he felt rather strange. The reason he asked her for a cup of tea was to enjoy the fun of watching her violent reaction.

    Wendy Waltz didn¡¯t really know that her desperate effort to try to hide her disapproval further stimted Lard¡¯s doubts.

    Of course, Lard also did not know one thing. He defined his feelings as a rational need for fact-finding, but apart from that, he was interested in her.

    He saw Wendy looking around. Although she was covered with a hooded robe, her bright blond, which was seen asionally as she shook her head, showed clearly that she was Wendy Waltz.

    It was as foolish as a yellow forsythia thinking its brightness was hidden in the shade of a cloud.

    He smiled before he knew, but there must be some reason for her to try to hide herself.

    Lard decided to respect her intention. If she didn¡¯t want to reveal herself, he didn¡¯t have to pretend to bother her. He began to shadow her carefully.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15: Chapter 15 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s flower shop (6)

    Wendy entered the room only a few moments after checking the name tag on the room.

    Lard, who concealed himself, observed her actions through the slightly open hospital room door. As the room was so narrow, he had to hold his breath to not to be caught.

    Inside was a girl who looked about six or six years old in bed.

    Approaching her, Wendy eagerly tried to feed her. Although she was appeasing the child in a gentle tone, she repeated the word ¡®Oh boy,¡¯ as if she was annoyed, as she refused to eat again.

    ¡°Seriously. It¡¯s really delicious.¡±

    ¡°Are you not going to eat?¡±

    ¡°You will never know how hard I worked to make this soup.¡±

    Lard gently smiled at that. Obviously, she was an interesting woman to him.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you try this fruit anyway?

    The food she rmended to the childst, who refused to eat, was a small red fruit. As soon as he saw the unique look of the fruit she lifted, he quickly recognized its identity. Bahazman!

    It was the fruit of that tree that Jean Jacques had presented to him as evidence several times.

    He recalled Jean Jacques¡¯s face, who said with regrets that if he could eat the fruit, he could forget his arthritis on rainy days, but Bahazman was a rare fruit that even the royal family members could not easily obtain. Howe did that woman have the fruit?

    Lard left before Wendy left the patient¡¯s room. Going up to the third floor of the building where Jean had been waiting, he asked a question as soon as he saw Jean with a sullen expression on his face.

    ¡°Hey, was the Bahaman tree in the botanical garden damaged by the ident?¡±

    ¡°Pardon? As I reported to you already, there was no damage to the property of the imperial family in the museum. There was no damage to the fruit or the leaves of the Bahazman tree. I checked everything, based on the previous record. The nt manager of the museum also confirmed that there was damage whatsoever. ¡±

    Nodding at his reply, Schroder asked as if something shed across his mind.

    ¡°You told me the daughter of Smith Derian, whomitted the crime, was hospitalized in this hospital, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, her name is Sophie Derian. She has been here for almost six months¡­ Why are you mentioning her all of a sudden? ¡±

    Jean Jacques asked, trying to examine Lard¡¯s expression.

    ¡°¡­Oh, It¡¯s nothing. ¡±

    Lard approached the window at the end of the hall and said nothing, with his eyes fixed outside the window.

    The weather outside the window quickly changed, and it was raining now. It was raining heavily as if the sky was open.

    ¡°Captain, Edmonds asked you to stop by him before you left. He said he had something to give you. ¡±

    At Jean Jacques¡¯s reminder, Lard walked away from the window, turning his eyes from outside. While heading for Edmonds¡¯ office, he thought about several assumptions. Did Wendy own the Bahazman fruit from the start? Or did she obtain it somewhere after she visited the botanical garden? Or if both assumptions were not true¡­

    ¡°Hey! Where did you run so quickly a little while ago? It looked like you had a crush on a woman at first sight. Hahaha.¡±

    Edmonds cracked a joke to Lard stepping into his office, looking at his face, but soon withdrew his smile when he noticed his expressionless face.

    ¡°Man, I can¡¯t even joke. You embarrass me all the time!¡±

    He ced a silver envelope on the table. The words ¡°Jerus Orchestra¡± were written in beautiful handwriting on the envelope.

    ¡°The Crown Prince has great expectations. I want you to attend his concert this time by all means. Isn¡¯t it his only hobby? It looks like he had been struggling a lot at the cab meeting these days. So, try to go andfort him. If you can, bring your partner. Oh, you maye alone. Maryan says this will be his final musical stage. The Emperor won¡¯t allow him anymore.¡±

    He was talking about Crown Prince Isaac von Benyahan.

    As it happened, every member of the emperor¡¯s family had their own tastes, and Crown Prince Isaac had been crazy about ying the violin from childhood.

    They enjoyed music as part of culture, so it was extremely rare for a royal family member to y a musical instrument directly. However, the prince was so talented in music that he was praised by the music masters as the one and only musical prodigy in the Benyahan Empire.

    However, it was not good for the crown prince, who was supposed to seed the throne, to be deeply immersed in music instead of focusing on managing state affairs, and the emperor wasn¡¯t going to approve it anymore.

    While opening the envelope, Lard recalled the images of the crown prince who threw away his sword. He punished the crown prince by hitting his head on the pretext of teaching him swordmanship, but the crown prince didn¡¯t show any interest in it. Lard never again taught him swordmanship. If it wasn¡¯t for the emperor¡¯s request, he wouldn¡¯t have tried to train him from the beginning. Although the crown prince was the next emperor that he had to serve, he was definitelycking in sword skills.

    Unlike previous emperors who dedicated all their attention and energies to learning swordmanship, Prince Isaac was fully into ying the violin.

    ¡°Remember! You have to attend his concert this time! He¡¯s going to feel sorry all the time if you don¡¯t appear again.¡±

    Edmonds spoke to him in a very strict manner, but it was not easy for him to persuade Lard with his meek impression.

    Lard put the silver envelope into his jacket pocket and silently approached the window. Heavy raindrops strained his nerves. Cold rain was pouring down without any sign of stopping. There was a crowd of people at the main gate of Linus National Medical Center, which could be seen right from the window of Edmonds¡¯s office. They could not move because of the heavy rain.

    A woman in bright yellow dress among the crowd caught his eye. He could not turn his head away from her. It looked like her yellow hair, now seen out of her robe, was screaming, ¡®I¡¯m here.¡¯

    ¡°Edmonds, lend me a carriage. Right now. ¡±

    He spoke to his friend, disguising his feelings as reason. This time, too, he thought it was themand of reason to solve the question surrounding the Bahazman fruit that he decided to move toward her right now, but he was not sure.

    Looking at the heavy rain, Wendy made a sullen face.

    Normally, she would have returned home no matter how hard it was raining, but she would have pneumonia even before she got home in that rain.

    She didn¡¯t know how long time passed in front of the medical center. Today, her shop was closed, but there was so much to do when she went home.

    ¡®First and foremost, let me have a good rest!¡¯

    Wendy already decided to lie in bed all day. After breaking with the daily life of a noblewoman, Wendy freed herself at least one day a week for full rest. Of course, it depended on her moods, but today was the day she really wanted to rx at home.

    Even the ck clouds gathering near the Rainy forest wereing nearer to the medical center as if to devour it.

    Because of the ck clouds everywhere, it was getting dark. While gazing at the ck clouds andmenting, she thought of the soup in her hand. Even though the soup was not appreciated by the child despite her sincere efforts, she vowed that she would eat it all out of respect for the food when she got back home.

    At that moment, a ck four-horse carriage drove through the heavy rain and slowly stopped at the main gate of the medical center. As the medical carriages were supposed to drive through a different gate, the crowds there looked at it with suspicion.

    Wendy also wondered momentarily who came to the center in this heavy rain, and sadly looked at the horses exposed to heavy rain.

    The horse was Wendy¡¯s favorite animal. She had been riding horses since she lived at Earl Hazlet¡¯s house, so she naturally loved horses.

    Although she did not own a horse, she asionally rented a horse at the Horseville horse-riding center and rode across the field. If she could have her way, she wanted to buy a horse, but it was a luxury for amoner to own a horse. She had no space for a stable in her house, and she did not want to do anything that could draw others¡¯ attention.

    While she was lost in idle thoughts, she was stunned to see the face of a man getting out of the carriage.

    ¡®Howe that guy is here?¡¯

    She pulled her robe and lowered her head, wishing he would not find her.

    She heard his steps across the wet ground and the stairs. While pretending to be indifferent, Wendy rubbed the back of her hands, feeling it was suddenly quiet around.

    Unfortunately, the man¡¯s ck shoes came into her vision. The raindrops that fell while he was walking from the carriage bubbled over the shoes.

    ¡°Miss Wendy?

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s flower shop (7)

    Wendy was so surprised to hear Lard calling her name. She really didn¡¯t want to be entangled with this imperial knight. Above all, she was worried that he woulde to some conclusions about her after seeing her at Linus National Medical Center. She didn¡¯t expect that he would rte her to Sophie, but she already felt that the man in front of her was no pushover.

    ¡°Miss, the knight is calling you.¡±

    As she continued to hold her head down, a fat middle-aged woman standing next to her spoke, gently tapping her shoulder. When the well-dressed knight appeared before Wendy, everybody around focused their attention on the two.

    She raised her head, while making a surprised look on purpose.

    ¡°Oh, you are Sir Schroder.¡±

    Although it was raining hard, people pricked up their ears to hear their conversation. To these people who couldn¡¯t leave because of heavy rain, the knight¡¯s appearance before a woman who was in the same position was as interesting as any stage performance.They might have recalled the y ¡®Shasha that Stole Kiss from Knight¡¯, which was being performed and highly praised. Far from a banal love story, the y was about the love of amon women and an imperial knight transcending their social position, which turned out to be surprisingly popr among lots of people.

    Not long ago, a red haired young man who was in charge of props at a local dramapany stopped by Wendy¡¯s flower shop and gave her a couple of tickets. Of course, Wendy ignored it, thinking the title was too frivolous, and gave the tickets to her neighbor boy Ben Fork, feigning generosity.

    ¡°I came here as you seemed to have trouble here. Let¡¯s go. Let me escort you back home. ¡±

    As if he didn¡¯t care about the intense attention of the people around him, Lard spoke to her casually. But the handsome knight¡¯s offer to escort her seemed to impress them. Some of them cheered bashfully here and there.

    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t have to go to the trouble ofing here. Please don¡¯t pay attention to me and just go. How can a private citizen like me ask a government official like you a favor?¡±

    ¡°Well, I workedte at night, so I was done already. If you¡¯re bothered by that, you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think I have any reason to ept your help. I think you¡¯re too kind to me. I¡¯ve met you only twice.¡±

    ¡°Well, just think it¡¯s my reward for your lemon tea the other day. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m too kind to you because it is not that difficult to escort you.¡±

    Despite Wendy¡¯s repeated refusal, Lard wouldn¡¯t budge a bit. Although she was sick and tired of his tenacious questioning at the museum, his stubbornness today really rubbed her the wrong way.

    ¡°¡­I would like to enjoy watching the downpour a little more. The rain will stop soon, so don¡¯t worry. ¡±

    People around her seemed toment, as if they felt her excuses were ridiculous. ¡°Hey, youngdy! If a cool knight asks you to go together, just pretend you won¡¯t resist and follow him! Why are you so resistant? If you keep rejecting him like that, it will eat away at your charm. Just keep in mind that what I¡¯ve just said is wisdom from ages. Rain is not going to stop anytime soon. So, just follow him. Come on!¡±

    A skinny woman standing behind her advised her. People here and there nodded, seeing eye to eye with the woman. Wendy looked down, blushing.

    It was Lard who reached out to her. He willingly extended his right hand, so that she wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed. As his motion looked like a knight¡¯s formal proposal, some of the women around began to exim with expectations.

    ¡®Why are these people bing so interested in me?¡¯

    Wendy closed her lips with an unpleasant look and clenched and opened her hands for a minute. After a while, she reluctantly put her hand in his, realizing that it would not be any helpful to keep standing there any longer. As soon as she did, some of them began to shout the name ¡®Perseyu, Perseyu¡¯ at Lard. Obviously they were calling the damn knight who appeared in the y ¡®Shasa Stole Kiss from Knight¡¯.

    ¡°Lady, good decision! Hold his hand tightly. ¡±

    ¡°I wish you the same love as Shasha!¡±

    Wendy vowed that as soon as she went home, she would clean her ears with vegent stem juice. It was was a nt that had antiseptic substance.

    Inside the wagon she was seeing red, whipping off the water from the hem of her robe.

    She was agonizing how she could rebuke this sucky knight, so he could never appear before her again.

    ¡°How did you know I was standing in front of the medical center?

    Wendy began to question him with a low voice.

    ¡°I stopped by the medical center on business and saw you by chance.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You came to my flower shop the other day. I can¡¯t understand why a stranger like you is showing me this kind of favor. Excessive kindness makes one ufortable, as you know.

    Besides, unwanted attention only offends the other person. I¡¯ve been having nightmares since the ident at the museum. I was worried that someone might harm me every moment. When I see your face, I just keep thinking about the ident, which is very painful to me. Please understand me.¡±

    She decided to y hardball with him because confronting him head on was the only way for her to survive. If the other party was a conceited nobleman, he could take out a sword right away, ming her arrogant remarks. But she knew he was unlikely to do so, based on her observation of his words and deeds up to now.

    She wisely stopped him from being upset by adding that she was suffering from the aftermath of the ident at the museum. Of course, what she said was not entirely false. For example, she had a dreamst night in which Yoda proposed to her. She was also nervous for the past several days that somebody would find out her identity.

    ¡°Please understand my position as I have no choice but to be wary because you are showing too much kindness to a meremon woman like me. Think about what happened a moment ago. Don¡¯t you know how much attention they paid me? It¡¯s too much for me to handle. I would appreciate it if you just pretend that you don¡¯t know me. It really drives me nuts when I think strange rumors about me might spread in my town.¡±

    After she was done, she furtively nced at him. If he were normal, he would show some sort of guilty expression on his face, no matter how brazen-faced he was.

    But Lard had a nk stare on his face at all, as usual.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to get you into trouble. You don¡¯t have to be overly concerned about me. I¡¯m not going to harm you.¡±

    He again showed extremely dull reaction, which fooled her as she was inclined to get emotional and angry with him. She trembled at his unexpected blow. She barely refrained from trembling with anger. Paying respect to her own self-restraint, she stared at the knight¡¯s face sternly. Regardless of her ferocious look, he was gazing out the window silently.

    After a while, the wagon gradually slowed down and stopped. After careful knocking, the horseman in a raincoat opened the wagon door and said with a sorry expression.

    ¡°The street is very narrow here, so it¡¯s hard for me to drive into the narrow road out there.¡±

    The heavy rain dropping on the coachman¡¯s raincoat was sending up clouds of white spray. Wendy said, tightening her robe.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I can walk from here to my ce without any problem. Thank you for your help, Sir Schroder. Please take care.¡±

    It was the ck-haired knight Lard who caught her when she stood up.

    ¡°Wait. The rain is pelting so hard for you to walk alone. As I promised to escort you home, let me keep my promise,¡± he said, taking off the indigo cloak on his shoulders.

    Wendy rejected his offer right away, barely calming down.

    ¡°No! As I told you, I can walk without any difficulty. If you show any further favor, I will feel really burdensome.¡±

    He looked at her green eyes with a frown. It was like the gardener¡¯s nce, who frowned at the flowers growing in the wrong direction. In other words, he felt like he was looking at a troublesome woman.

    ¡°You told me you were worried that someone would hurt you, didn¡¯t you? Let me escort you safely, so you won¡¯t run into trouble.¡±

    When he finished, Lard lifted his indigo cloak over Wendy and his head. As he was covering her shoulders with the cloak, it looked like she was almost wrapped in his arms. Even before she was pouting in a fit of anger, he got out of the wagon quickly. She had no choice but to walk as he led.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s flower shop (8)

    The ally got wider as they walked further, which led to therge empty area near her house. She quickened her pace, looking through the rain to check the distance to her house, which she now could see over the alley.

    The sound of the two people wading through the pool of water was heard in the rain. Her old leather shoes were quickly drenched, but she could never stop walking. She trembled in the chilling from her toes, but she felt like she couldn¡¯t even tremble because of his body heat so near to her.

    Now, there were only two in the lonely ally. Although it was blurry everywhere because of the heavy rain, he was visible in front of her. She turned away her eyes out of defiance to him.

    At that moment, a short young ash tree standing at the corner of an alley came into view.

    She nted it about a year ago, but it didn¡¯t grow well. It was a poor tree that eventually dried up. However, the shape of the tree seemed a bit unusual.

    Wendy couldn¡¯t believe what was happening before her eyes. When its scraggy branches were hit by raindrops, they suddenly turned into strong and lush branches in the blink of an eye. Looking at the bulging trunk of the tree, she saw green leaves budding on its bare branches where the rain fell. She instinctively grabbed her index finger tightly.

    What the heck!

    ¡®When did I put my finger on that branch?¡¯ She never did.

    The leaves, growing big in size, were steadily getting greener before she knew. She opened her eyes wide open to the mysterious sight in front of her.

    Pop! Pop! Pop!

    She was just stunned by the white twigs popping up on the leaves which became a dark green. The petals were scattered and fluttered around like bursting peach seeds.

    The heavy rain stopped before she knew, and it became sunny like a spring afternoon and the strong fragrance of flowers filled the streets. The white petals bounced all over the ce and blew in her direction randomly. It looked like a swarm of silver trout running up the river.

    Flinching at the bouncing petals for a moment, she closed her eyes. Then, she suddenly opened her eyes as if she woke up from her dream thatsted a very short time.

    The young ash tree was standing lean and leafless amids the heavy rain with dead branches.

    ¡°¡­ what¡¯s the matter with you?¡±

    As if he felt she flinched momentarily, Lard asked her with curiosity.

    ¡°¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Wendy shook her head and became nervous because she seemed to smell the faint scent of the ash flower.

    As she suddenly quickened her pace, Lard looked around with wary eyes. He looked at the direction she was fixing her gaze but couldn¡¯t find any person around, let alone any impending danger.

    He stopped being suspicious and made a satisfied expression. He felt she was showing such a reaction because she said she felt ufortable about his staying with her at the moment.

    ¡°Okay, I live over there.¡±

    Though her voice was so small that it could be buried in a heavy rain, Lard heard it clearly.

    She was now looking at the green roof of a house ahead. The imperial knight nodded and continued to walk in that direction. Soon, he stopped because he sensed a strange man standing by the door in the yard.

    Wendy looked intensely at Lard curiously, who was staring at the front of her house with a straight face. She wondered how this knight would react this time because she couldn¡¯t figure out his intentions at all.

    ¡°Somebody is in front of your house. Do you know him? ¡±

    At his unexpected question, she narrowed her eyes and looked around him.

    Not caring about her nce, however, Lard was staring at the guy with alertness.

    She also tried to examine the man in front of her house, standing on her tiptoes.

    But the heavy rain and the trees blocked her view, making it impossible to identify the man.

    ¡°There¡¯s someone there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is a tall and heavy guy with dark red hair.¡±

    Wendy had no idea who he was. She couldn¡¯t really recall any man who would wait in front of her house in this heavy rain.

    ¡°Well, I have no idea.¡±

    When she finished talking, she took long strides as if she couldn¡¯t dy any more.

    Hesitating for a moment, Lard also followed her when the rain wet her face.

    As she approached her house, she saw a man standing in front of the green door of her house over the yard. Indeed, as Lard said, he was a heavy man with red hair. The man, who was standing with his gaze fixed on the front yard of her house, looked up at them as if he noticed Wendy and Lard.

    Wendy was irritated by the sight of him, ¡°Yoda, howe you came here¡­?¡±

    Wendy walked past the flower garden.

    However, Yoda was staring only at the knight¡¯s face standing next to her without an answer. His dark face was distorted when he saw Lard¡¯s arm wrapped around her shoulders.

    ¡°¡­ Why did you look for my residence ande? I don¡¯t know why you came here, but please leave!¡±

    Yoda convulsed with anger when he heard her icy voice. Trembling his lips, he protested in a feeble voice unlike his stout build.

    ¡°I came to your flower shop in the rain to meet you and came as far as here by asking around to find out your house. Do you know how distressed I¡¯ve been since you stoppeding to the training center? I was really upset. I trained very hard all day long because I thought you might think I was notpetent enoughpared to you. I was so d to know you came back to the center because I was convinced that you wouldn¡¯t easily throw me down like before. But you don¡¯t even pay any attention to me ¡­ I have been agonizing all day long. In the end, I decided toe up here to have it out with you.¡±

    Yoda¡¯s appeal was pathetic, but it was just his feelings. He then bit his lip and unconsciously rolled up his sleeves. It was his typical posture before he began to train at the center.

    Wendy frowned at him as it was still raining hard.

    ¡®Wait a minute. Did he just say he wanted to have it out with me?¡¯

    She felt very confused because she was afraid he came here for a sparring match. She seemed to hear him boasting recently that he gathered with several men and visited other martial arts centers to show off their skills. Then, why did hee to her house for that?

    She knew he was rather weird but never expected he was such a crazy brat.

    Wendy took a defensive stance, staring at his threatening posture.

    She thought that if she attacked his right side and grabbed his left arm, she could easily throw him off bnce.

    ¡°¡­Wendy? ¡±

    But Wendy suddenly came to her senses when she heard Lard calling her with a low voice. His face, which never showed any emotion, was rather red now. Surprised by his facial expression, she quickly corrected her posture and stayed silent.

    ¡°Did you reject me because of this gentlemanly guy? Wendy! Answer me! Why do you think this jerk is better than me?¡±

    She could hear him shouting vehemently in a fit of anger.

    Suddenly, she was grateful for the rain for the first time, which she cursed all along while she wasing to her house. Without the downpour, there would have certainly spread strange rumors about her in her neighborhood.

    ¡°Hey, keep your voice down. Who did I say I like? I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore. So, go away! ¡±

    Wendy once again rebuked him coldly. If she could have her way, she wanted to beat him badly in the muddy water, but she couldn¡¯t do it in front of the knight standing right next to her.

    ¡°Then, why are you wrapped in his arms like that?¡±

    Wendy felt an irresistible insult at the moment. Wrapped in his arms? Why did he think like that?

    She clenched her teeth, shaking off his arms around her shoulders.

    ¡°Do I need to exin to you? Don¡¯t meddle in my matter presumptuously. Just get lost!¡±

    She stared at Yoda horribly, stepping under the eaves. Although she was thinking of all the four-letter words in her head and felt like pouring a bucket load of swearing on him, she barely suppressed her anger.

    She thought this stupid guy would give up and go away when he got a mouthful of abuse like that, but he didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Ugh¡­Who the hell are you bastard? Howe you suddenly appeared before Wendy, trying to win her heart? I can¡¯t allow you to take Wendy away from me! Never! Don¡¯t you know how long I have been watching her? You damn bastard! ¡±

    Now, Yoda¡¯s stupidity was mind boggling. Looking away from Wendy, he was ready to rush to Lard at any moment, revealing his anger without any hesitation.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s flower shop (9)

    Wendy was dumbfounded at Yoda¡¯s reckless behavior. At first nce, he was not a match for Lard, the imperial knight, at all, but he was now throwing a gauntlet at Lard! Besides, wasn¡¯t Lard a nobleman? Yoda, amoner, was not in a position to deal with him thoughtlessly.

    She thought she had to stop him before he ran into trouble. She very briefly felt tempted to watch him ruining himself, but she didn¡¯t want anybody to be entangled in an ident involving her. It shed across her mind that if the situation escted, she might be again called to the police station in her capacity as a witness.

    Unfortunately, the nimbleness of the body without themand of the brain was unmatched. Yoda blindly charged at Lard. Although he threw his fists fiercely, he was no match for the imperial knight. Lard easily avoided his attack merely by twisting his body to the side.

    Yoda fell and got stuck in the mud and stood up in anger after struggling for a while. Even before she stepped in to stop him, Yoda again sprang at him.

    Bam!

    But Lard didn¡¯t go easy on him this time. He swiftly kicked Yoda as he attacked. Yoda crouched down in pain as Lard spoke to him calmly to him, ¡°I won¡¯t forgive any further rudeness. Get lost before I pull my sword. As you showed such an ugly behavior before ady, you must have felt something deep inside, right?¡±

    But Lard¡¯s admonishment obviously offended his pride. He punched the muddy ground hard with his fists and stared at Lard. Wendy, while staring at Yoda¡¯s ugly figure with a cold expression, felt that Lard¡¯s words implied a warning. If she didn¡¯t cope with the situation right now, it was obvious that Yoda would ruin himself before Lard.

    Shaking her head, she looked around to find a weapon to stop him.

    ¡®If I had the Poisonous Teeth with me now, I would have it bite his arm!¡¯

    Once bitten, Yoda would stiffen quickly and his body would be paralyzed.

    Only a few moments of paralysis would be enough because she could then teach him a good lesson. She seriously regretted the absence of the Poison Teeth at the moment. Yoda was running at Lard like a crazy bull. She never expected Yoda, who had been standing silently with ring eyes in one corner of the training center, would show such vulgar behavior!

    As they said, one should experience a man to make him better! She decided to put into action the advice of Ben Fork¡¯s father in her neighborhood that only a stick could calm down a madman. She found a weapon to rece the Poisonous Teeth.

    Fortunately, there were several chunks of wood on the stone stairs nearby. In fact, she had prepared them to fix the fence. Back then, she didn¡¯t know she would use them for this purpose.

    Standing on the stone stairs, she picked up a piece of wood with her nimble hands. She was going to hit his head hard. Thinking she didn¡¯t have to worry about his concussion as he was dumb, she grabbed it firmly.

    She swung it at his reddish-brown head, who was running at Lard recklessly. But what she overlooked was the fact that the floor was very slippery because of the rainwater, and that she was just a beginner who didn¡¯t know how to master the basics of swordsmanship.

    While wielding it in a loose posture, she missed her step on the slippery floor and stumbled.

    Lard, who was ready to attack Yoda rushing toward him, quickly snatched her as she fell headlong on the floor. As she was at a distance from Lard, he grabbed the piece of wood that she was holding with one hand and grabbed her body with the other hand.

    Although he did the job simultaneously, his action was nimble and excellent.

    Thanks to his timely help, she was saved the harsh fate of falling on the muddy ground. Of course, she had to be faced with the fate of being wrapped in his arms in the process, which was inevitable.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    After her face hit hard against his chest, she made a painful moan. She might have bitten her tongue if she had not shut her mouth. Obviously, he had well-developed muscles on the chest, but he also perhaps felt quite a bit of pain when she hit her face against it. Her face felt painful and burning.

    She wrapped her face and raised it gently. She felt a bit relieved to see his face, which seemed alright, because she knew that she would feel very ufortable if he frowned at her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Lard¡¯s gray eyes, examining her condition, subdued like a cloudy sky. Surprisingly, he showed concern about her. She replied in a somewhat embarrassed voice that she was okay.

    ¡°Your cheek is swollen.¡±

    He didn¡¯t take his eyes off of her left cheek. She blushed.

    The chilly cold rain was not enough to cool her blushing. Surprised by her blushing, she dropped the wood in her hand. As a result, it was now in his hand.

    A bit surprised for a moment, Lard looked into her left cheek again and turned to Yoda.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your disturbance. She seems to have been surprised a lot. So, you had better stop and leave.¡±

    He said in a softened voice, but his eyes were sharp.

    Looking at the side of his face, she trembled unconsciously.

    Feeling Lard¡¯s threatening aura fully, Yoda was shocked beyond description. He suddenly shook his shoulder and looked at her face for a moment before disappearing into the rain.

    Wendy was forced to exhale deeply because she was about to cry at the moment.

    ¡®What a dumb bastard!¡¯

    ¡°I think you had better stay away from that guy.¡±

    Lard threw the wood piece to the side with his gaze fixed in the direction Yoda disappeared. She noticed a red stain on the wood. Astonished, she looked down at his hand and saw blood gushing from his palm.

    Obviously, he had been stabbed by the sharp-ended piece of wood.

    ¡°Your hand is ¡­¡±

    Without finishing her words, she looked at his hand as the blood ran down his fingertips.

    ¡°Never mind.¡±

    He clutched his injured hand and hid it, but she couldn¡¯t hide her embarrassment.

    She agonized for a moment over whether she would go into the house to treat his hand, go back to the medical center with him for treatment, or just pretend not to know because he said she didn¡¯t have to care. Lots of thoughts came to her mind,

    ¡°Just go in your house. Let me leave now.¡±

    After all, she was moved by what he said. She felt that if she sent him away like that, she would not restfortably today.

    As soon as she saw his soaked shoulder when he was about to turn, she didn¡¯t hesitate any more and mentioned his name. She was aware he had been soaked in the rain because he shared his cloak with her.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, please wait. Let me treat your injured hand before you leave.¡±

    Lard made a strange expression as if he heard something unexpected. Although his queer expression was fleeting, she did not miss it.

    ¡®Yes, this is something unexpected for you! In fact, I was just confused with all these unexpected things today, and I¡¯m embarrassed, too.¡¯

    It was like a piece of a quilt that she never wanted to own, namely, a piece of a quilt that embarrassed the artist because it created an entirely different picture than originally nned.

    While opening the door and entering the house, she could not hide an uneasy feeling.

    As she decided to let him in, she wanted to show him generosity by forgetting about her feelings, but it wasn¡¯t easy. Wasn¡¯t he a man? Wasn¡¯t she was supposed to show maximum wariness towards him, after all?

    ¡°Please have a seat here.¡±

    Seeing the man sitting on the couch she pointed to, she wondered if she was naive enough to let him in. She even wondered if it was possible for the captain of the Imperial Knights to be injured so easily, or if he deliberately injured himself on the cracked piece of wood, but she walked to the first aid box, shaking her head.

    He was a swordsman. There was no possibility that a swordsman like him could take care of his hands so recklessly. Besides, it was his right hand that was injured, which was more important to him because he was a right-handed man. She cursed the dirty world that turned her into a woman with suspicious temperament and quickly grabbed the medicine box. She ced the medicine box on the table in front of the sofa and returned to his side after breaking the vegenta stem on the other side of the parlor.

    ¡°This will sting.¡±

    Fortunately, there was no piece of wood stuck into the wound. Wendy squeezed the juice of the vegenta on his palm. Since the disinfectant touched the wound, his palm likely stung, but he just watched her treating his hand without blinking an eye.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s flower shop (10)

    ¡°The juice of the vegenta stem had antiseptic properties, which is very good for wounds. The disinfectants sold at clinics also contain it. ¡±

    He nodded at Wendy¡¯s kind exnation. Looking at Lard, she felt he seemed to listen very seriously to her exnation. His closed lips, the sharp bridge of his nose, and her eyes, and his hollowed eyes caught her eye.

    She put the squeezed juice of the vegenta stalk to the side of the table and turned to face him again.

    A couple of silver lights in the room were reflected in his gray eyes. She thought they were like a bunch of stars in the night sky, a cluster of stars that could be seen every day in the night sky. Perhaps she deliberately thought like that so as not to think of the silver por by the river.

    The moment she saw that tree, she recalled what she felt on that day, such as the scent of grass and the wind, the loneliness while looking at the shadow of the silver por by the river. She didn¡¯t want to recall those feelings while looking at Lard.

    ¡°Do you have anything to tell me?¡±

    She asked him after she realized that he was staring at her with a different expression than a minute ago.

    ¡°Well, I was surprised at your calm reaction when you saw the wound on my palm. Most women would have screamed at seeing blood, but you¡¯re not surprised that much. Apart from your good knowledge of the use of nts in detail, you¡¯re very good at treating my wound.¡±

    ¡°¡­You should notpare me with the women of noble families. If you live alone, you need to know how to treat yourself to some extent. You can¡¯t do anything if you are screaming every time something happens to you. As far as the use of nts is concerned, I¡¯vee to get interested in it because my job is rted to it.¡±

    She replied casually as if she thought what he asked was nothing special. He had a faint smile, as if she already anticipated her reaction like that.

    ¡°You had better not wield a sword for the time being, unless you can hold it with your left hand.¡±

    After carefully applying the ointment from the medicine box over the wound, she wrapped it with a bandage. She thought she wrapped it too tightly, but she didn¡¯t feel up to unwrapping it in the middle to loosen it, so she quickly finished. She felt she treated her as best she could to get out of a sense of guilt towards him.

    ¡°You have wet hair. Please wait, I¡¯ll bring you a towel. ¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Can I have a cup of warm tea instead? ¡±

    Her eyes trembled at this.

    ¡®Oh, it looks like he has never been serviced any tea before. Why is he asking me for tea whenever he meets me?¡¯

    ¡°¡­ If you don¡¯t mind tea, let me bring it to you. ¡±

    Wendy replied with a small voice, hiding her true feelings. Later on some day she wouldmend herself for her move today, recalling it was an excellent way of her dealing with him.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Sweeping his wet hair from his face, he spoke in a normal tone. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be moved just because of a cup of tea, but she was a bit annoyed by his reply. She wasn¡¯t sure his mere mention of ¡®thank you¡¯ was the expression of his true feelings because his reaction was so dumb and insensitive even though he had already been served tea twice.

    She hurried to the kitchen, boiled water and brewed the tea. She briefly agonized over whether brew it bitter on purpose but didn¡¯t as it went against the grain as someone who enjoyed her own tea.

    Carefully cing the mug on the table, she stood up again, feeling chilly through her wet clothes. She hurriedly built a fire in the firece and sat before her steamy teacup.

    For a while, the two drank tea silently. The sound of pouring rain was like a monotonous melody. ncing at his hand holding the mug, she briefly appreciated the scene of somebody else in her own space in her house.

    She didn¡¯t feel a sense of repulsion until he entered the door. She momentarily thought it would not be that bad to stay with a stranger if she thought of him or her as invisible.

    If it remained silent like this, she thought very briefly that it would not be too bad and the glow of the firece made her a little sentimental. However, such a feeling was as light and futile as dandelion scattering inte spring.

    Soon, she decided that she felt satisfied with the thought that she had repaid her indebtedness to this man.

    By making a fire in the firece, she blew away a sense of guilt that remained in her heart. She vowed that she would go back to her normal life because she repaid her debt of gratitude for the wound on his palm. Of course, it was Wendy Waltz¡¯s own calction.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t have any more nightmares because of what happened today¡­ Don¡¯t worry too much because the guy didn¡¯t seem to have a grudge against you, but I think you had better not hang out with him.¡±

    Lard once again urged her not to socialize with Yoda. As she wouldn¡¯t be bothered by what he said, she feignedughter deep inside, but she didn¡¯t ridicule his intention because she felt he was sincere, to say the least.

    ¡°I could deal with him on my own, but thank you for your help anyway. Even though it was an ident, I am very sorry to see your hand wounded like that. As the wound was not so serious, it will soon heal over time, but I feel sorry because it¡¯s inconvenient for you for the time being.¡±

    She cleverly offered quasi-apologies. If he wanted to find fault with this, he could, but he gave it a pass this time. She clearly expressed gratitude for his help, but at the same time she felt somewhat reluctant to show her true feelings candidly because of her rebellious mind.

    Her cunning way of speaking provoked this brusque knight¡¯s mind again. Her untactful remarks overturned the Wendy Waltz ship quickly on its smooth path.

    Lard opened his mouth atst, ¡°I feel more ufortable as you say you are sorry. If that¡¯s the case, let me make a suggestion to you that you can lessen your debt of gratitude. ¡±

    With a smile, he took out a silver envelope.

    ¡°It¡¯s a ticket to the Jerus Orchestra concert. I was in a difficult position because I was looking for a partner to apany me. If you would be my partner, I think I would be able to get out of my trouble. Can you help me?¡±

    Her face hardened hard like a man pulling a face because he was showered with the dirty water from mopping. Wasn¡¯t the Jerus orchestra an imperial orchestra?

    Everybody knew that the members of the orchestra were on the government payroll. Such a concert was one of the top five ces she should not go in any circumstances.

    ¡°Lord Schroder, I¡¯m sorry, but it doesn¡¯t seem like a good ce for me to attend. How can I dare to attend such a concert exclusively reserved for noblemen? If I went there, I would disgrace your name. How can you go around if the rumor spreads that the chief of the imperial knights is hanging out with amoner woman?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s surprising that you¡¯re concerned about that. Wendy, I am not ashamed at all even if I go to an imperial banquet with you.¡±

    With a gentle smile, he replied. It seemed that his way of speaking seemed to me her ill-advised thinking. In fact, he asked her to be his partner for the royal concert because of her provocative remarks, but he thought that it would be very pleasant to go to that boring concert with this woman.

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t understand why he thought so, but it was his true intention to go to the concert with her. His suspicions about her, which started with the ident at the museum and his encounter with her at Linus National Medical Center, didn¡¯t matter at this moment. He may have been feeling a little sentimental because of the warm glow of the firece and the quiet rhythm of the heavy rain outside.

    ¡°If you are really nervous about the gaze of noblemen, you may enter the concertte. As I don¡¯t enjoy the concert very much, it¡¯s not a problem at all if I arrivete. So, please do not reject my request. You are the only woman who can hold my wounded hand.¡±

    She now found herself in a situation where what they said, ¡®To sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.¡¯ She took a deep breath quietly and med herself for her thoughtless remarks.

    She overlooked the fact that he wouldn¡¯t be deceived by her shallow trick, but she couldn¡¯t give in at this point.

    ¡°Although you had your hand hurt like that, I don¡¯t think there are many youngdies who can reject the request of a handsome knight like you. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. As I have repaied your kindness by serving you a cup of tea, please withdraw your request.¡±

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Can Ie to Debita Street? (1)

    Lard¡¯s gray eyes and Wendy¡¯s grass-green eyes met in the air. She stared sideways unconsciously when he was staring at her eyes. At first nce, there could be found no emotion in his eyes, but they also looked like a dawn¡¯s sky looking at a tree that had not yet be a forest. She felt as though she felt cold deep in her heart through the morning air.

    ¡°Did you say debt of gratitude? You don¡¯t have to say that. I didn¡¯t help you to hear you expressing gratitude or apology. Injuring my hands was an unexpected ident like you said, and you don¡¯t have to feel responsible for it. But if I misunderstand my actions, I also feel very sorry. I won¡¯t force you anymore, but it was my true feelings that I offered to go to the concert with you. Let me leave the invitation card here, so if you change your mind, pleasee. ¡±

    After he was done, Lard donned his cloak and left the parlor.

    She seemed to have somehow been treated as a snub by him. It was true that she thought selfishly about his goodwill, who stopped her from falling. Was her thinking wrong?

    ¡®Who the hell do you think you are?¡¯

    He was a stranger to her. To her, he was one of the noblemen that she had to be wary of, no more or less than that. Cheering for a wonderful knight who saved her from danger was something she couldn¡¯t do in any circumstance. If he had expected it, he would have been better off saving the women calling ¡°Parseu!¡± in front of Linus National Medical Center.

    But Lard didn¡¯t want her to cheer him. As she knew it, her mood subsided at the moment.

    She stared at the silver envelope on the table for a while. The silver color again reminded her of the silver popr by the river.

    Snip, Snip.

    There was an intermittent sound of someone trimming red rose stems with scissors in a quiet indoor garden. Wendy, holding the short gardening shears, seemed to focus on cutting the stems and arranging the serrated leaves. Red roses with captivating buds were cut and piled up on a piece of paper on the table.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    Blood fell from her thin fingers and onto the ground. The drops of blood soon mixed with the soil and turned dark red, but the blooding out of the wound was still red. She dropped the stem to the floor as if to me the thorn that pierced her hand. It was very painful as if she had a big splinter in her finger.

    ¡°Haaah¡­¡±

    She pulled a white handkerchief out of her pocket and squeezed one of her fingers. She never made this kind of mistake before. Was she distracted? She sighed deeply.

    As she got her finger pricked by a rose thorn, it was kind of romantic. But hurting a finger was cumbersome for a woman like her who had to use her hands a lot at the flower shop.

    She checked the wound and tied the handkerchief tightly around it. Although she felt ufortable using her hand because of the long knot on her hand, she picked up the stem of the rose again that fell on the floor as if she didn¡¯t want to care about the wound anymore.

    In no time, she started cutting again, but her finger hurt a lot because of the deep prick.

    She recalled Lard through the pain. She frowned at the prick by a small rose thorn, but how could he be so insensitive? Pain would be fair to anyone, and he would feel the same pain as everyone else, but it looked like he didn¡¯t.

    Snip, snip went the scissors.

    Although she was cutting, there were no leaves falling. Actually, she was cutting over the trimmed rose stems. Obviously, she was distracted by something else. Her blinking eyes looked hollow as if she slept fitfullyst night.

    In fact, she was sure her heart had already been taken by that silver envelope. No matter how much she tried not to think about it, it captivated her sopletely that she couldn¡¯t focus on anything else. Suppressing the urge to dump it into a trash bin, she put it deep in a drawer to forget, but it persistently troubled her mind.

    Picking up an armful of beautiful roses that had been piled on the floor, she walked toward the door leading to the store. She made the mistake of dropping a couple of roses, which was unusual. Not caring at all about the fallen roses, she began to wrap them neatly as soon as she entered the flower shop. Soon the customer who ordered the roses was supposed to stop by.

    As expected, a woman with grey thin hair came in. She was a tall woman with a sharp protruding chin.

    ¡°Wee, Letta! You havee in person today.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Wendy! It¡¯s been a while. Are the flowers I ordered ready for pickup?¡±

    This woman called Letta Bulin was the owner of a tea house in Diseido zz. Lard recently rmended her to stop by the shop if she wanted to drink genuine fruit tea. Unlike her slightly sharp impression, her shop was very cute, decorated with pretty flowers and props. Young women were mainly its regr customers thanks to its interior.

    ¡°Sure. Here they are. As you ordered, I chose only those that haven¡¯t put forth buds yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re very good! This shop never disappoints me. Let me pay the full bnce including my purchase on credit fromst time. Please double check.¡±

    The woman took the money out of her pocket and handed it to Wendy.

    ¡°Yes, perfect, Letta. Thank you for your quick payment.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say that. I should have paid a little earlier. Isn¡¯t it a trader¡¯s basic duty to pay back debts as soon as possible? I¡¯m sorry for payingte. ¡±

    Wendy didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Ooops! Let me head out first as my customers areing to my store pretty soon. Just stop by one of these days, Wendy. Let me serve you a special tea when youe!¡±

    After seeing her off, Wendy stayed put there for a while because Letta¡¯s unintentional words made her heart heavier.

    ¡®It¡¯s the trader¡¯s basic duty to pay back his or her debt as soon as possible¡­¡¯

    Wendy came to recall the fact that she was trying to pretend to forget on purpose: she owed Lard Schroder, the imperial knight, and she didn¡¯t yet repay it. Although she repaid his kindness by treating his wounded hand with the juice of the vegenta and serving him a warm ck tea, she didn¡¯t feel she repaid itpletely and genuinely.

    Her dim grass-green pupils came back to life at that moment. She quietly stepped toward the table and wrote on a piece of paper. She already realized that hesitating any longer would not be very good for her mental health. She decided to take out the silver envelope hidden in the drawer.

    She would repay his kindness in a way that she wanted. However, it would be done as she decided. If he disagreed, he would have to give up his im.

    She sent a letter to him through a vige messenger, asking him to stop by her shop. Paying the messenger dearly for his service, she asked him to convey it to the Imperial Knights Guard. Although the messenger could not enter the pce, it would not be difficult to easily meet them in front of the pce. Of course, she was not sure if they could convey the letter to Lard as she wished.

    She decided to calmly wait for his visit.

    Around that afternoon the imperial knight she was waiting for stopped by her shop. She had just put a bunch of sevendron petals into arge bowl.

    Severendron was a thick, round flower. It was very expensive as its white petals had a rich scent and were often made into a brown juice excellent for dyeing and used as a beauty ingredient for aristocratic women.

    Nowadays, the number of Sevendron butterflies that helped pollinate the flowers decreased a lot, so the Sevendron flowers almost disappeared. For young daughters of the noble families, the flower became sort of a legend that could be relieved from their mother¡¯s memories.

    Of course, Wendy had used the power of her index finger to grow them. She intended to use it to color her hair dark yellow so it wouldn¡¯t stand out conspicuously.

    ¡°Wee. I think my letter was conveyed to the right person,¡± she said.

    ¡°I was a little surprised that you asked to see me first. What¡¯s up? ¡±

    As if he was really surprised by her sudden letter, he asked the reason for it as soon as he entered the flower shop. She had never seen him so impatient.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know I¡¯ve got only one reason to ask you toe over here? The Jerus Orchestra you mentioned. I¡¯m thinking of going there with you. Please sit here first. ¡±

    She asked him to sit down, pushing the vase containing Sevendron petals to the edge of the table. The sweet scent of the petals wafted around the table.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Can Ie to Debita Street? (2)

    Lard¡¯s eyes narrowed a bit.

    ¡°Do you hate this kind of fragrance?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it that much. By the way, what do you mean by Jerus Orchestra? ¡±

    In response to her question, who noticed his frowning, he gave an answer that was neither positive nor negative. But she was convinced he didn¡¯t like sweet fragrance. She smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time.

    ¡°Let me apany you to the Jerus Orchestra as you requested, but I have to ask you a favor before I ept it.¡±

    Schroder, with his eyes fixed on the vase containing Sevendron petals, raised his head suddenly. His eyes staring at her pressed her to continue.

    ¡°As you know, I¡¯m not the kind of woman that befits such a luxurious event. There are lots of stuff for me to prepare to go to such an event. Every event requires a formal outfit suitable for it. The problem is that none of my clothes fit there. This is a big obstacle for me even if I want to apany you.¡±

    ¡°¡­If your clothing is the issue, let me prepare it for you. Can I send you someone here? ¡±

    ¡°No, I have no time to go through such a cumbersome procedure. Isn¡¯t the concert two dayster, right? Women, unlike men, have quite a lot to prepare. So, I would like to stop by a boutique right now. Of course with you!¡±

    She made a furtive smile. It was a very beautiful smile, but he seemed to flinch at the moment because of its hidden meaning.

    ¡°Please understand this is a big decision for me¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Okay. Can Ie with you right now? ¡±

    Wendy, nodding gracefully, stood up without any dy. Lard, who was famous for being swift and nimble, seemed sluggish at that moment.

    As if she read his mind, she stepped out of the shop with a pleased expression. But when she left the shop, she ran into a rather difficult situation because she had not thought about how to get there with him.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you call a wagon even now?¡±

    Lard said, holding the reins of the horse he had been tied up in front of the flower shop.

    Watching his actions a bit, she shook her head.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to dy here anymore.¡±

    As she didn¡¯t want to draw his attention by dying anymore, she reached out with a chic expression. She signalled to him to help her get on his horse. She was now determined not to act like a tired, nobledy in front of this imperial knight. Of course, a real nobledy would not be bold enough to mount an imperial knight¡¯s horse.

    ¡°¡­Are you okay? ¡±

    ¡°Sure. Please get on it first. Let me ride behind you. I will have to hurry if I cane back before the sun goes down. ¡±

    She spoke in a tone, as if to tell him to shut up since she would allow him to ride in front of her.

    He once again stopped and looked at her face.

    ¡°Hold on tight.¡±

    As if he was resigned to the situation, he helped her onto the horse then climbed in front of her without difficulty. After she hesitated a little before putting her hands around his waist, he began to move his horse.

    ¡°Where can I go?¡±

    ¡°Please go to Devita Boulevard.¡±

    There were many traditional boutiques on Devita Boulevard, but all of them were suffering from sluggish business because of the explosive poprity of new boutiques near the pce. It was her intention to go to the boutique in Devita and avoid others¡¯ unnecessary attention.

    There were not many customers at boutique shops around this time, which was past noon, because youngdies were enjoying tea after lunch. She was pleased that she picked a good time, hearing the bell of the clock tower from afar.

    After riding the horse for a while, the two reached Devita Boulevard, which was filled with antique gray-white buildings. She chose one boutique without hesitation. Handing the reins of the horse to a porter waiting in front of the shop, he soon followed her.

    ¡°Pleasee on in. What kind of clothes are you looking for?¡±

    A woman wearing a deep-colored jade dress approached them. She looked up and down Wendy as if to check her social status and family. But for Lard Schroder in the imperial knight¡¯s costume behind her, she would have scrutinized her more carefully.

    ¡°Show me a dress to wear in a nice ce, suitable for my measurements.¡±

    Wendy decided not to say much. Although her voice was never arrogant, it was not timid, either. Wendy told her she wanted a dress that would make her look tall and in.

    ¡°Got it. Can you wait a moment?¡±

    The woman skillfully guided them to their seats and then had another clerk bring some tea.

    After sipping bitter tea, the two sat silently for a while. As if the choking silence between them didn¡¯t set them on edge at all, they didn¡¯t say anything to each other. It was only a momentter when the woman came back, apanied by several staff members with dresses in their hands, that their silence was broken.

    ¡°I chose several dresses that might suit you. Look at them one by one. Well, this one was designed based on the motif of the dress made famous by Princess Adrian Freschlongt in the neighboring kingdom. Although it covers the breasts intentionally, it reveals your back a lot. You don¡¯t like it? Hum¡­How about this? This is a nude-toned dress designed to closely fit the body and enhance the beauty of a woman. It¡¯s suitable for a decent ce, but you can show off your charm fully. I think the knight will like it very much.¡±

    The woman¡¯s gaze turned to the knight and shook her head as if asking for his consent.

    Her staff, who showed her dresses one by one as the woman exined, looked at Lard¡¯s face.

    ¡°¡­ Do you need my opinion? ¡±

    Lard, who had somehow felt the pressure, responded, looking at the woman sharply.

    As if she was sick and tired of men¡¯s reaction like this, she continued despite his cold gaze.

    ¡°Sure. Isn¡¯t it the reason you came here with here? I think you don¡¯t know how she feels.

    How about this dress? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, I don¡¯t like it very much. ¡±

    Only then did he put forward his opinion.

    Wendy furtively smiled after hearing his blunt voice. Wendy was displeased with the woman¡¯sment that he didn¡¯t know how she felt because it implied that she wanted to look beautiful to him. However, his disapproving look was very pleasant to Wendy.

    She also liked his bted response because it meant his angst would continue for the moment.

    ¡°Oh, I think you want a little antique design. How about this dress? This dress stands out with chest decoration, along with its soft indigo color. Oh! Let me also rmend this dress. This is a dress using embroidery fabric. As for this embroidery¡­¡±

    The two went through several more dresses and she tried them in the fitting room and picked three of them. Lard quickly acted when she said she couldn¡¯t pick the right one.

    As if he couldn¡¯t stand it any more, he asked the woman to pack the three dresses. He rejected her request to shop around at other boutiques.

    Although she felt angry with his unteral decision, she soon stopped being angry after seeing his face turned more pale than when he entered the shop.

    ¡°Would you like to take the dress right away?¡±

    The woman asked, putting the dress in a paper box and cing the box in a cloth bag embroidered with the shop¡¯s mark.

    ¡°Sure. Please give it to this knight here.¡±

    Wendy left the shop after bowing gently, without looking at the bag that the woman gave her.

    Taking the bag with the dress before he knew it, he followed her with his hands full.

    ¡°I have to go see my shoes now.¡±

    Of course, Wendy was not mistaken when she confirmed that his face turned pale. She walked to the next shop with a satisfied face.

    ¡°Come on in! Are you looking for shoes for thedy to wear? Oh! You bought a Tameslin-style dress. Can I rmend shoes that match your dress? There are plenty of shoes to satisfy you, so make yourself at east and take your time! ¡±

    The salesman was a middle-aged man who had a nice mustache. Unlike his seeming gentlemanly appearance, he showed an overwhelming desire for sales when she entered the store. As if he already checked the dress bag in Lard¡¯s hand with his own eyes, he pretended to know the signatures of the boutique on the bag. In her eyes, however, the salesman¡¯s attitude was highlymendable.

    ¡°Please show me the shoes that match my dress.¡±

    As she said, looking at the dress bag in his hands, the man approached the knight with a happy face. Lard¡¯s eyebrows were wiggled at his aggressive sales pitch. He took the dress bag from Lard and pulled the dress out carefully. As there were three dresses, he was busy trying to find the shoes to match the dresses.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Can Ie to Debita Street? (3)

    ¡°Every time ady takes a step, I see how beautiful her shoes look in an instant! Anydy who pursues true beauty is supposed to pay more attention to her shoes than anyone else. I guess thedy here is the same.¡±

    Laughing humorously, he offered a pair of hand-picked shoes to her.

    ¡°First of all, as for this golden-colored dress, I think you had better put on shoes with the same color. So, I would like to rmend these shoes first. Don¡¯t you think this golden chain will make your slender ankles stand out? Oh, the selling point of these shoes is this elegant crystal ornament on the front. This sparkling decoration symbolizes a speck of sunshine from the dazzling sun.¡±

    When Wendy did not pay much attention to his exnation, he seemed to show more zeal as a merchant. The man stroked his mustache with his fingertips a couple of times and said as if to give her some good tips, ¡°Okay, stand at a nt like me. Then lift the hem up slightly and stick your left foot out a bit. It¡¯s important to take a pose like this. How about it now? Don¡¯t you think you can make the shoes more attractive by taking this pose? You will certainly look like an elegant princess. ¡±

    The pose the man took never looked like a princess, but she nodded once at his enthusiastic exnation because his enthusiasm, as shown in throwing himself into his job, was something she could respect in a merchant like him. Of course, Lard seemed very tired as the man continued to exin, which made her recognize hispetence.

    Only after lots of time passed during which she checked almost all the shoes on disy, did she choose three pairs of shoes. Funny enough, all of them were the shoes that the salesman rmended her first. The fact that Lard wiped his face after her choice meant that her tactics paid off very well. She let out a breath of victory after taking a deep breath. It was the same feeling as when she first opened her flower shop.

    But what Lard said while paying for her shoes, quickly put a damper on her happy mood again. Lard spoke to the salesman with a dull expression. His voice obviously indicated he would not ept the salesman¡¯s refusal.

    ¡°Your zeal as a merchant is verymendable. I was very impressed. Apart from the shoes, can you bring some essories thisdy here might need? You don¡¯t have to bring a lot, because I¡¯ve already recognized your discerning eye. Just bring the necessary essories that match the three pairs of shoes. Let me pay dearly for your service.¡±

    Hearing that, Wendy sprang to her feet unconsciously and urgently opened her mouth to oppose his request. By furrowing her brow deeply, she showed her determination that she would not be deceived by his trick.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the right way. I can¡¯t be satisfied unless I check them with my own eyes because I will be attending an important event. Let me choose them in person like I did for my shoes.¡±

    ¡°Wendy, haven¡¯t you just appreciated his discerning eye? All three pairs of shoes you picked were the ones that he rmended to you first. So, let¡¯s trust this expert¡¯s discerning judgement. Above all, we don¡¯t have much time. I hope you can understand my considerations for you.¡±

    Lard told her without changing her facial expression at all.

    ¡®How brazen-faced he is!¡¯

    When she was about to refute Lard again, the salesman approached him her a smile.

    ¡°Oh, it sounds like this knight¡¯s suggestion is very reasonable. Let me try my best to save your precious time. As far as my discerning judgment is concerned, I can assure you proudly on the name of Woody Baldwin. If you are still concerned, let me stop by the Thamslin¡¯s for a designer¡¯s advice there. If you can wait here for a minute, let mee back right away. Hey, Elliott! Pay special attention to these guests. ¡±

    As soon as he was done talking, the salesman went out of the shop as if he would not miss the opportunity. A littleter a young man who was wet behind the ears served them fruit juice and cookies.

    ¡°Hello? My name is Elliott. Please call me if you need anything. ¡±

    The young man greeted them shyly and stood at a distance. Wendy stared at the brown cookies left by the young man for a while.

    ¡®I think I¡¯ve underestimated this guy too much!¡¯

    Clenching her teeth, she grabbed one.

    When she realized that he immediately noticed her weakness and exploited it, she was upset about him before she knew.

    ¡®Is this the example of the imperial knight¡¯s behavior?¡¯

    Anyway, Lard¡¯s offensive tactics embarrassed her a lot. How could he counterattack by making use of the opponent¡¯s vulnerability? He was far from a pushover.

    ¡°Does it taste good?¡± Lard asked, suddenly handing her a handkerchief.

    He noticed the cookie in her hand had crumbled. She tried to calm down after dusting off cookie crumbs.

    ¡°Oh, these cookies are broken so easily. It looks like they didn¡¯t adjust the temperature when baking them. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. That makes sense¡­¡±

    Lard stared at her while she dusted the cookie crumbs from her hands. Of course he could easily guess that the woman in front of him was upset. Her lips, which were tightly closed as if she was displeased with him, drew his attention. They looked like buds that would never bloom in the warm spring sun, namely very stubborn buds.

    Barely holding back the urge tough, He turned his eyes from her because he was embarrassed at his own spontaneous smile at her. Reciting the imperial knight¡¯s code of behavior at that moment helped him a lot to refrain fromughing.

    Without knowing what he was thinking, Wendy was nibbling at cookies on the te. If he hadughed at her actions at the moment, she might have lost her patience and left the shop immediately. Her anger at Lard, who incapacitated her borate attack in the blink of an eye, was more intense than she thought. In that sense, it was fortunate for both of them.

    She ate cookies without paying attention to him at all then smacked her lips before she knew. When she put a few cookies into her mouth, her stomach, empty from her shopping in a long time, began to ask for more food. She suddenly felt hungry and diligently ate the cookies. It was also a means of controlling her anger.

    Growl, growl.

    At that moment, there was heard a strange sound in the quiet shoe store. The sound was very energetic, like when somebody pulled a metal table across a marble floor.

    Her face began to blush rapidly.

    ¡®Is the noiseing from my stomach?¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t believe the betrayal of her stomach. Why did it betrayed her in front of him?

    With her eyes staring into the air, she turned to the young man Elliott desperately.

    sh! She hit upon a good idea to get out of her embarrassment. Twisting her mouth a bit, she said to Elliott gently, ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, take this cookie here and try it.¡±

    Although Elliott was noticeably embarrassed, she decided to insist, as if she was determined to carry out her mission. She pushed the te with cookies toward the young man and gave him a nice smile. But her ring eyes were so fierce as to convince him that she would not forgive him if he rejected.

    ¡°Come to think of it, I feel a little hungry, too. It¡¯s a waste of time for us to keep waiting for him. I think we cane back after eating. ¡±

    Lard¡¯s sudden suggestion was enough to take her eyes off of the young man. Lard stood up and reached out to her. Fortunately, she couldn¡¯t find any trace of mockery in his expression.

    Looking up at his face inquisitively, she put her hand on his helplessly. Of course, he had to recite the imperial knight¡¯s code of behavior once again while escorting her out.

    ¡®Article 3: an Imperial Knight should act with honor, keeping in mind that his official authority is delegated from the emperor. Article 4¡­¡¯

    He could control hisughter once again thanks to the articles.

    They mounted his horse and rode to a nearby restaurant. Her unexpected meal with him made her nervous, but she didn¡¯t avoid the steak on the table, thinking she didn¡¯t have to me food for this. She thought she would go back after a quick meal anyway.

    She began to eat quickly, so he couldn¡¯t talk to her. As she had no intention of enjoying food leisurely at the restaurant and talking with him, she decided she would react coldly if he tried to talk to her. As if to ridicule her determination, he didn¡¯t say anything to her during the meal.

    The two ate as if each of them were eating alone. It was even more strange that they didn¡¯t feel awkward about the silence between them.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Can Ie to Debita Street? (4)

    ¡°Captain! Wow, you must be the captain of the Imperial Knights, right?¡±

    When only two pieces of steak remained on her te, she heard a strangely familiar voice nearby. It was a bit excited and grumbling tone.

    ¡°Jean Jacques Simuan. What business have you brought here?¡±

    Jean Jacques was the deputy captain of the First Imperial Knights. He was a man who had a big mouth like his frivolous blond hair!

    ¡®Jean Jacques Simuan! You gave my address to everybody!¡¯

    She stared at him coldly.

    Jean noticed his boss during the meal and immediately walked toward him, even holding a crumpled white napkin in hand. Looking at her face and his boss¡¯s alternately, Jean obviously came to him to talk frivolously.

    ¡°In fact, I had an alumnus meeting here today. Everybody over there was excited and curious. Howe the captain is eating with ady! I¡¯m not seeing things, right?¡±

    ¡°Sir Simuan, you need to be more cautious in your words and deeds. I don¡¯t think I can correct your frivolous actions with just the morning training these days.¡±

    Lard warned him, quietly slicing the steak without looking at him at all.

    ¡°Oh, boss, why are you so mean to me? I just came here because I was so d to see you here. By the way, thisdy is¡­You must be Miss Wendy I saw at the museum, right? Hello, Wendy, my name is Jean Jacques Simuan. ¡±

    He greeted Wendy gently. Although he grinned at her cheerfully, his grinning only stirred her anger. Hearing that he was with his friends of the imperial knights, she was now restless.

    A series of events were happening in a row that could make her efforts to hide herself as much as possible for the past two years useless.

    ¡®Why did I bump into him here?¡¯

    ¡°Hi, Sir Simuan. I am keeping very well as you have promoted the address of my flower shop here and there. I wanted to express thanks to you by all means, and I¡¯m d I met you here by chance,¡± she responded coldly.

    It looked like he was at a loss about how to respond to her icy remarks.

    Although she wore a gentle smile, he could feel hostility in it.

    ¡°Oh, Wendy. Haha! Did Melissa, the marquis¡¯s daughter, find your shop? As she earnestly came and asked me to give her your address, I waspelled to give it to her¡­Did you feel ufortable about it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, not at all. How can I feel ufortable just because my daily routine was bothered a bit?¡± she said, staring at Lard this time.

    As she reacted so icily, Jean was so embarrassed that he didn¡¯t know how to behave.

    The atmosphere quickly turned cold. He quickly nced at his boss, sweating because his sudden appearance caused such an ufortable situation.

    However, Lard, notorious for his expressionless face, silently brought the ss to his mouth without showing any reaction.

    ¡°Anyway, it was nice to meet you here. Let me leave as my friends are waiting for me over there. Miss Wendy, enjoy your meal. Captain, see you tomorrow! ¡±

    Saying goodbye to them quickly, Jean left the ce immediately. The white napkin in his hand fluttered as he moved.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too upset. He didn¡¯t do it with bad intention. You express your feelings so easily, which isn¡¯t yourself at all.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re talking as if you knew me well. You¡¯ve only seen me a few times. I have always been in touch with my feelings, ¡±

    She then crammed the remaining two pieces of steak into her mouth at once. Her munching away on them seemed to reveal her feelings faithfully.

    ¡°You are right. I don¡¯t know much about you yet. That¡¯s why I was very curious about what kind of person you were. For example, when you frown like now, I¡¯m curious whether you are expressing disgust or you are in a rage, or you are doing it purely to hide your embarrassment.¡±

    ¡°What a bad taste you have!¡±

    After sipping a ss of water, she frowned deeper.

    ¡°Are you curious about my look now? Very simple. Half of it reflects my annoyance at the toughness of the steak here, and the other half shows my displeasure at your weird story. ¡±

    Lard looked at her empty te. Despite her grumbling about the tough steak, she cleaned her te. Seeing her put down the fork on the table with a thump, he continued calmly, ¡°You look like a flower without color. A flower whose color changes ording to the ambient light, but the flower doesn¡¯t know its true color. ¡±

    He then picked up a white rose in the vase on the table.

    ¡°A foolish man who sees a flower under a sunset sky thinks its color is orange, but the flower doesn¡¯t change its original color, of course. ¡±

    ¡°You are citing a strange analogy. Don¡¯t try to judge me with your shallow thoughts. ¡±

    At her quasi-warning, he let out a faint sigh, putting the flower back into the vase.

    He saw her trembling grass-green eyes and was reminded of a magician¡¯s performance as a child. A magic box left alone on the stage after the show. The magic box from which the veil was lifted was vivid in her eyes.

    ¡°Do you think I said that frivolously? In fact, I was pretty serious. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, let me make an analogy, too. You¡¯re like a Tustree growing in a swamp. It¡¯s a nt I nicknamed the Poison Teeth. It¡¯s usually quiet, but when there¡¯s some movement around, it pulls its teeth bitterly like the words you are throwing at me now. ¡±

    ¡°Tustree¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a pleasant nt¡­As you say you have given it a nickname, let me give it a pass. I like it somehow. ¡±

    A gentle smile was on his mouth. Even a small smile of a man like him seemed to have a big impact. She lifted her eyes at the change in his expression. Nevertheless, he had no intention of removing the smile from his face. This time he was more satisfied because he did not have to recite the Imperial Knights¡¯ code.

    ¡°I would like you to refrain from smiling a bit. As you smile like that, how aren¡¯t youngdies captivated? Please refrain from smiling in front of me. You said smiling was not the virtue of the imperial knight, right?¡±

    She stopped being upset and advised him in a gentle tone. In any case, giving him apliment was as shameful as clearing a messy drain hole, but she couldn¡¯t stand it without giving him a piece of her mind.

    She thought that hisughter was like a ripple in theke. When seeing sudden ripples on the surface of the water, the person standing nkly dipped his or her feet there. Theugh of the imperial knight had such a sudden impact. ordingly his smile was an unexpected insult to her.

    ¡°In fact, I was rebuking myself as I happened to smile often these days. Let me keep your advice in mind. ¡±

    He took her biting advice seriously. At least he seemed so on the surface. He thought briefly how many more codes of the Imperial Knights he had to recite in order not to fan Wendy Waltz¡¯s anger.

    ¡°Shall we go back to the shop?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    After the meal, the two stood up before dessert was served. They saw an orange souffle, apparently for them, on the waiter¡¯s tray, but neither gave it any further attention.

    Before they mounted the horse, she looked at his beloved horse anew. Its good looking muscles were several times bigger and stronger than the horses that had been sold at a high price at the Horseville Horse Market. As the captain of the Imperial Knights¡¯s horse, it was perfect, but she thought this brown horse in front of her was worth even the emperor¡¯s ride.

    Shemented that she didn¡¯t know the true value of Lard¡¯s horse. Gazing at its big ck eyes, she stroked its nape with a gentle touch. When it tried to meet her eyes, blinking its gentle eyes, she was captivated by its pure and innocent eyes.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, I¡¯ve got to ask you a favor.¡±

    ¡°Tell me.¡±

    ¡°Please allow me drive the horse this time.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Have you learned horse-riding skills? ¡±

    ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t know much else, but I¡¯ll be as good as you, imperial knights, as far as horse riding is concerned.¡±

    As if she already decided, she reached out to him. She didn¡¯t pretend not to be excited, but she was already. Her eyes were burning with desire to ride. Looking at her glowing eyes, he gave up dissuading her and eventually had to hold her hand.

    ¡°You have to be careful. Balos is very ferocious. I¡¯ve had a hard time taming this guy. Let me hold the reins with you first.¡±

    ¡°Is this guy¡¯s name Balos? What a nice name! By the way¡­can you hold the reins together with me? Oh, you don¡¯t have to. If you¡¯re really concerned about me, it¡¯s your call.¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Can Ie to Debita Street? (5)

    He was briefly speechless at her conceited attitude, but he was also curious about her horse-riding skills, who boasted about it whileparing her skills with the imperial knights.

    He mounted behind her and carefully held the reins. With a slight bow, he saw her red and thin earlobes between the strands of her yellow hair up close. He stretched his legs into the long stirrups, looking into the distance.

    Only then did she began to realize her and his strange postures. As she, rtively small, sat in front of him, it looked like she was wrapped in hisrge arms. She curled into herself, trying to make herself smaller as she felt her hair was shaken by his breath. While he settled on the saddle, she gripped the reins hard enough to mark them with her nails.

    ¡°Keep that position¡­¡± Seeing her awkward posture, he asked with a suspicious voice, ¡°Are you okay? ¡±

    She quickly straightened her shoulders and said in a sulkily manner, ¡°¡­Let me start, so be careful not to bite your tongue. ¡±

    Checking her direction and twitching her nose and mouth, she held the reins of the horse as if she was familiar with it. As she lightly nudged the horse with her heels, Balos began to move slowly. As they turned the corner of the alley where the restaurant was located, the sound of the horse¡¯s hooves resonated breezily on the ground.

    A littleter the white buildings on Devita Boulevard appeared, but Wendy did not slow down the horse from leaning into a full gallop because horse riding after such a long time heightened her mood.

    As if it read her mind, Balos was galloping in the middle of the street, cutting through the wind. It was an exciting horse riding for her.

    But as the imperial knight who mastered horse-riding skills, Lard quickly put the brakes on Balos¡¯s full galloping. He pulled the horse reins with a firm gesture, shouting, ¡°Whoa, whoa!.¡±

    When its master shouted, Balos quickly calmed down and slowed down.

    ¡°Wendy, what are you doing? It¡¯s dangerous if you suddenly speed up on this crowded street!¡±

    He raised his voice for the first time. Of course, its pitch was still low, much like changing from ¡®Do¡¯ to ¡®Mi¡¯ in the notes, but even that raised voice was rare for him. Not daunted at all by his raised voice, she pouted.

    ¡°Why are you making such a fuss? I drove it away from the sidewalk. It looks like you are too worried. I¡¯m not that poor horse rider. ¡±

    As she was ying innocent, Lard knitted his brows. Obviously, she thought she didn¡¯t do anything wrong.

    ¡°If you¡¯re really worried, why don¡¯t we ride in a remote ce? The Essenturung field is quite close to here. ¡±

    As she was more excited and offered to even change the ce, he tightened his grip on the reins again. Sitting in front of him, she couldn¡¯t see his face, but he was probably frowning. Right after he apanied this naughtydy who tested his patience, he was now in for a rough horse-riding.

    ¡°Okay. Let me ride out to the Essenturung field. You can rest easy as I will run slowly until we reach there.¡±

    Having said that, she tried to impress him with her generosity. He looked down on her head as if her attitude was ridiculous. Her hair was neatly parted in the middle.

    The parting of her hair that led to the crown was straight, contrary to what he assumed of her personality.

    Her thin hair along the straight part was a shining yellow while she rode along. He was on edge as her hair fluttered with Balos¡¯s galloping kept touching his chest. Her waving hair was like an enemy¡¯s g trying to upy his heart very aggressively, but he did not think of stopping its ess.

    As the captain of the Imperial Knights, his response like that was questionable, but he couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to it. It was too tough for him to do two things at the same time, namely being captivated by her shining hair while holding the reins of Balos galloping like the wind. He felt that it couldn¡¯t be more tough, no matter how fast the horse was galloping, or no matter how strong of a blow an enemy dealt to him. In fact, it was the toughest job he had to do in his entire life.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡±

    When they got out of the streets and passed through several small hills, there arrived at arge open field. The Essenturung field was covered with light green grass, clusters of grass swayed in the wind. The fragrant scent of the wind swept over Wendy¡¯s face and Lard¡¯s cheeks.

    He was a bit embarrassed by the scent of her skin mixed in the wind. Her hands, gathering her tousled hair and twisting it over her shoulder, caught his eye. He quickly turned his eyes to Balos¡¯s mane when he saw her white neck which seemed to have never been exposed to the sunlight before. As if he thought his behavior was not chivalrous, he rebuked himself for a moment.

    ¡°It seems that spring has already passed here. It¡¯s quite hot! As I¡¯m going to drive Balos in earnest from now on, please don¡¯t stop me this time. This guy also seems to be very excited about galloping. So, let me serve your beloved horse today. ¡±

    She spoke cheerfully andughed. As he was not familiar with her cheerful mood like this, he was a bit embarrassed.

    ¡°Giddy up!¡±

    At Wendy¡¯s signal, Balos began to gallop across the field. The brown horse galloped forward at full speed. It kept galloping as if this would be itsst freedom. Light green des of grass scattered behind its hooves, and her yellow hair was scattered over his chest.

    It wasn¡¯t until Balos was panting that the ride was over. She felt her face was glowing with a blush. She was even more conscious of Lard¡¯s body temperature behind her. She felt overwhelmed by his body heat, not knowing whether a man¡¯s body temperature was inherently hotter than a woman¡¯s. In the end, she couldn¡¯t stand it and jumped off the horse.

    ¡°I saw a stream nearby. Let¡¯s go there to quench our thirst. I think Balos is also thirsty. ¡±

    Getting off Balos after her, he briefly checked Balos¡¯s condition. He seemed a bit tired.

    ¡°Good. You go first.¡±

    When Lard agreed, she led Balos and walked without hesitation. Balos trotted very tenderly at her lead. When Balos, notorious for its wild temperament among the imperial knights, was very obedient to her, even Lard felt somehow betrayed. Didn¡¯t it take a long time for Balos to get along with his master Lard, after all? He seemed to crave her attention.

    ¡°Here it is.¡±

    A brook of crisp clear water came into view.

    The silver stream flowing throughrge and small rocky crevices seemed to be still cold.

    Due to the rain the day before, the water in the stream was high. Pulling Balos under a tall ash tree, she settled under its shade and let the horse drink. As if it was very thirsty, he gulped water without any dy.

    As Balos was done, they dipped their hands in the flowing stream and drank palmfuls of water. The stream that flowed from the forest was cold enough for her hands to feel freezing.

    ¡°Wendy, I recognize your horse-riding skills. When I watched Balos obeying you, I can see how good you are at handling the horse. Where did you learn horse riding? I think you¡¯ve been riding for a long time.¡±

    Normally, she would have felt conceited at suchpliment, but she didn¡¯t reply. While keeping silent for a moment, she was only staring at his hands. She fixed her gaze at the wound on his hand.

    He had only gauze on the palm of his right hand instead of wrapping it in a bandage. Although it had been covered by the long sleeves, his ufortable movement, using only his left hand while drinking water, caught her eye.

    ¡°Wendy?¡±

    She raised her head suddenly at his strange voice, and stared into his gray eyes.

    No matter how strange a man was, there was no chance his wound would be healed in one day. She med her insensitivity for not having checked his wounds so far. Confirming his wounds, she felt a growing sense of guilt that made her decide to apany him to the concert of Jerus Orchestra.

    ¡°¡­How does the wound on you hand feel? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh, it¡¯s not bad enough for you to worry. It¡¯s going to heal soon as I¡¯ve had lots them before.¡±

    Wendy felt grateful to him for the first time when he reassured her like that.

    As a knight who had to live with a sword, he must value his hand more than anything else.

    He could have easily med her, even if his me was not intentional, because she was no more than amoner woman from the standpoint of the noblemen.

    Besides, she kept making a series of poor excuses to evade her responsibility for the wound on his right hand.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Can Ie to Deibta Street? (6)

    ¡°Don¡¯t neglect it just because it is a small wound. Please take care of it well. If it gets infected or leaves scars on your hand, I¡¯ll have a heavy heart for that,¡± she said, emphasizing that it was not because she was worried about him but because of the guilt she would feel.

    Hesitating for a moment after she said that, she drank a handful of water. She wiped her wet mouth with her sleeves and sat on a nearby dry rock. Then, she wrote something on the rocks with her wet hands. Obviously, she did that as she was embarrassed.

    Watching her for a while, he noticed beads of sweat on her forehead. She seemed to be exhausted from her horse riding a little while ago.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break in the shade? It looks like the sun is too hot. ¡±

    She opened her eyes wide at his sudden suggestion, then stood up, dusting off her hands. Approaching the base of the ash tree where Balos was harnessed, she flopped down under its shade.

    She felt a bit of water on the ground but didn¡¯t care much.

    He also stood up after watching her sit downfortably.

    Before he approached the base of the tree, he hardened his face when he saw the letters on the rock that she wrote with her wet hand: < Wendy Waltz Visited Here with Balos>

    He held back augh at her childish writing, but this time he did not have to make any effort to memorize the Imperial Knights¡¯ code. The fact that her writing did not include his name may have hurt his feelings.

    Taking his eyes off of her writing, he approached her. She was staring at a tree branch full of pale green leaves with a nk expression. The sun shining through the branches was dazzling, but she didn¡¯t hate its sparkling.

    Warm winds blew over them. The stream was ran beyond their feet, and clouds in the sky were floated over their heads. Balos blew from his mouth while grazing.

    She thought it was indeed a peaceful moment. She didn¡¯t expect to feel this next to this imperial knight.

    She peered at his face quickly. Sunlight stretching through the branches mottled the knight¡¯s face. The mix of shade and sunshine on his face seemed like her feelings toward him.

    That dizzy and peaceful face of his confused her again. She felt resentful about the light green leaves of the branches above her. Howe she chose the ash tree of all the trees at this moment?

    She recalled the illusion in the rain she saw the day before. It was an odd illusion whose meaning she could never understand. After obtaining the power of her index finger from the little fairy, Juaste, she experienced its amazing power several times, but it was the first time she saw such an illusion. She frowned as she was confused at the moment. The leaves of the tree swayed well in the spring breeze, as if they didn¡¯t care a bit about her confused mind.

    The swaying of lightly fluttering leaves slowly filled her view. Looking at the swaying young leaves, she felt her eyelids grow heavy. Her sudden break after a hard horse riding gave her a sweet luby. Although she looked straight at the sunlight and strained her eyes to stay awake, she couldn¡¯t resist any more. Her heavy eyelids closed before she knew.

    In no time, she fell asleep.

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    Lard, who inadvertently turned his head to the sound of her smooth breathing, could see her eyes closed and asleep. A slight flush over her defenseless look made her look like a young girl.

    He could only now understand why Jean Jacque described her like that when he first met her. Although her cold grass-green eyes were hidden behind her eyelids, her aura was quite different. He stared at her face for a while like a pioneer was captivated by his discovery of an unknown world.

    The sound of the leaves of nearby trees fluttering in the wind at the same time was heard.

    As the branches of the trees swayed in the wind, a piece of sunlight shone on her face. The sunlighting over her defenseless face caused a sharp trembling in her eyelids. At first nce, he seemed angry at the annoying movement of the branches.

    He even pondered a way to drive out this thoughtless sunlight trying to disturb her brief break.

    He could block it by raising his hand, but he couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. Not only did he never act so tenderly toward a woman, but it would go against the grain if he acted frivolously. Despite that, why did he keep feeling the strong urge to get rid of that unpleasant sunlight? He could not understand.

    Somewhere, there was the sound of ark chirping. It was like a cry to urge his action. Her saw her hair swaying in the wind. He reached out to her face when he noticed that she frowned because of the dazzling sunshine. His strong hand blocked the sunshine on her face. Even during that moment he once again pondered whether he was acting rationally as a knight.

    sh!

    Did she sense the movement of his hand? She suddenly opened her eyes. At that moment he was so surprised that he pretended to catch a fly unwittingly, hiding his awkward and embarrassed look. His heart was pounding as hard as it did when he was done morning training.

    However, it was Wendy, not Lard, who was more embarrassed at the moment. She was absent-minded focusing on her eye muscles to hide her embarrassment.

    ¡®Oh my god! Did I fall asleep in his presence? Did he notice my wobbly mental alertness? How can I fall asleep in front of Lard Schroder, this untrustworthy imperial knight, unless I¡¯m insane?¡¯

    But now was not the time for her to me herself. The biggest problem for her at the moment was how to ovee this crisis. She couldn¡¯t have him notice her hang-loose mindset. She said, deliberately staring into his face. She did not forget to speak louder than usual, so that he could hear her voice clearly. She had to make her voice as clear as possible.

    ¡°Afternoon meditation clears my mind. Especially, it¡¯s even better if I do it in the outdoors. I feel like I have been refreshed after meditation.¡±

    Although her eyes had small veins here and there like a person who just woke up from a doze, her facial expression seemed to show she really looked refreshed. Of course, he didn¡¯t appreciate the freshness that she gained through meditation, but he pretended not to notice it. As if he ignored her feigned expression, he just nodded.

    ¡°Oh, that sounds good. In fact, I was worried because you were tired.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This kind of horse riding is just a warm-up exercise. As we had a good rest, why don¡¯t we stand up? I think Balos also filled his stomach.¡±

    While he stopped grazing, looking at a distant ce, Balos suddenly ttered its hooves as if it sensed it was time to move. He frowned unwittingly as his beloved horse reacted quickly.

    Their enjoyment in the Essenturung field, which seemed a perfect moment, ended like this.

    Her wet writing on the rock near the stream long dried out in the sun. He quickly nced at the dry rock once more before leaving. He suddenly felt lonely like her writing that vanished without any trace. Without knowing at all that the source of his loneliness was his longing for her, he just turned his eyes to her yellow hair.

    The writing that she left behind to prove her visit here already disappeared without any trace, but he had this woman Wendy Waltz right before his eyes. When he recognized that fact, he felt like there was flying ark in his heart. Overwhelmed by that strange feeling, he looked up after the trace of therk that might be flying somewhere in the sky. Did thatrk fly away to seek its mate? He couldn¡¯t see its brown tail anywhere in the blue sky.

    ¡°Lord Schroder, don¡¯t lose your head. Please hold the reins tightly. As I have been fully refreshed, I¡¯m going to drive Balos hard again! ¡±

    This time, she rolled up her sleeves, stroking Balos¡¯s thick neck, as if she wanted to enjoy riding the horse freely.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± said Lard with a rxed tone, trying to hide embarrassment.

    Right after he said, she held the reins quickly and screamed, ¡°Giddy Up!¡±

    Very much excited at her shouting, Balos quickly picked started to gallop away. The tender grass in the field was scattered in all directions as Balos galloped at full speed.

    The wind that was blowing around the ash tree did not stop until they became just a small dot in the distance. As if to reflect their excitement, there was heard the rustling sound of leaves constantly until they faded away like therk that disappeared into the sky.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (1)

    Sevendron petals that were soaked in water throughout the day grew plump.

    When she crushed them, dark brown juice flowed out. She gently applied the juice over her dark yellow hair and washed it with water after a few minutes.

    As her hair instantly changed to a dark brown, she smiled contentedly as if she liked her appearance because she thought that brown hair would make her look more mature than a dark blonde.

    Besides, she really liked her new hair as it was glossy and smelled sweet constantly. She felt that her new hair color would look better with the dress she had in mind.

    Touching her hair lightly, she took her gaze from the mirror and pulled out the dress she had hung in the closet. The elegant golden dress was slightly inted with a pannier to add perfection.

    Indeed, her brown hair doubled the elegance of the dress.

    She put on her makeup more carefully than usual and tied her hair a bit by twisting slightly.

    It was obvious that putting her hair up would be more suitable for the dress, but she chose a hairstyle to make her brown hair look more prominent.

    When she put on herce gloves and shoes, she looked a little strange in the mirror.

    Those who knew Wendy Waltz would not think of her as the same person as the woman they know. Since her dark yellow hair like yellow freesia was her most prominent feature, masking it was more effective than she thought.

    She sensed someone¡¯s presence on the porch while she was scrutinizing her appearance in the mirror. A littleter, a man politely knocked on the door. This man informed her of his visit.

    She held her breath and stared at the porch.

    Although she made the decision to go to the concert to repay Lard¡¯s kindness, she was kind of troubled when reality dawned on her. Staring at the door sharply, she briefly thought of pretending that she was not at home.

    Knock knock.

    In the meantime, she heard him knocking again.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ming out now.¡±

    Opening the door inevitably, she greeted the captain of the Imperial Knights, who arrived to escort her.

    Lard Schroder nced up briefly after seeing her and frowned a bit as if he was curious.

    His reaction was far from that of a typical man who saw a beautiful woman dressed up.

    ¡°Howe your hair color¡­¡±

    ¡°Shall we talk while we¡¯re going?¡±

    She cut off his words and hurriedly locked the door.

    Although the sun was setting, the sky was still bright with the sun, which easily exposed the two. She quickly checked to see if Benfork, a big mouth boy next door, was staring out of the window, then walked ahead of Lard in the alley.

    Outside the alley, arge wagon was waiting for her. A red shield and the roaring lion on both sides of the wagon were clearly visible. She got in the wagon with him after curiously observing the crest of his family marked on the wagon.

    ¡®Lion with the red shield! Isn¡¯t it a crest that matches very well with the man in front of me?¡¯ She shrugged her shoulders, recalling the behavior of the man who harassed her.

    Given that he had a ferocious character that wouldn¡¯t let go of anyone he grabbed, he really reflected the crest of his family.

    Come to think of it, it was the first time she had seen the crest of his family. As for the prestigious families in the capital, she read about them in a book as a child, so she didn¡¯t know much about his family except for their social status.

    In fact, she did not pay much attention to the families that had nothing to do with her. His family was one of the few influential duke families.

    ¡°Why did you dye your hair suddenly?¡± He asked with a slow but discontented voice.

    ¡°Why? Because I wanted to avoid the venomous des of the women who love you. Don¡¯t you think that I would be their target if a poormoner woman like me appeared at the concert as your partner? I don¡¯t know how they will get even with me, so I can¡¯t expose my identity. Please call me by another name instead of Wendy from now on. Um, what could be a good name? I have a good name. Oh! What about calling me Jane?¡±

    ¡°¡­You want me to call you by a different name?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll go back home.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Are you threatening me now? ¡±

    ¡°Threatening? Just assume it¡¯s an offer that you can¡¯t reject. If you don¡¯t call me ¡®Jane¡¯, you will have to find the real Jane and go with her to the concert. Ah! I think I should be ready to meet Sir Jean Jacques Simuan and others who know my face at the concert, right? Well, you had bettermunicate with them about me! Please make sure they don¡¯t call me Wendy.

    Of course I wish you wouldn¡¯t meet them, if it¡¯s possible.¡±

    ¡°How can I have them call you Jane when I bump into them at the concert?¡±

    ¡°As they belong to the same Imperial Knights as you, don¡¯t you think they should be able to read each other¡¯s mind with your eye signal alone? In that respect, our tactics today could be called something like a camouge tactic. As far as my identity is not revealed, you can use any method you want. I¡¯m determined to be Jane from now on. ¡±

    Lard frowned slightly. He felt a sudden migraine.

    ¡°By the way, it looks like you are not interested in my new hair. Do you think you can date ady whey you are so sparing with your praise?¡±

    She smiled at him. She wanted to point out hisck of etiquette rather than actually getting his praise.

    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re beautiful, but I couldn¡¯t take a closer look at you because I was hooked on your new hair.¡±

    Only then did he examine her dress as if he wanted to appreciate her beauty. But contrary to her conceited advice to him, she felt very ufortable when he looked at her.

    She looked straight at the old-fashioned knight.

    ¡°As I imagined, you are beautiful. ¡± That was it.

    As she was about to rebuke hisck of sincerity, he added briefly, ¡°It seems to me that your original hair color looks better on you. ¡±

    Not sure if he was ming or praising her, she twisted her lips a bit and replied curtly, ¡°You look nice in ck formals. I wish I brought you a rose. It would be great if you put it on your coat.¡±

    Even though she nced at him up and down, he showed no emotion.

    ¡°Flower for a knight? I don¡¯t think it would suit me well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you really don¡¯t know! Flowers don¡¯t know men or women. Why do you think a flower doesn¡¯t suit you? You can trust me as I¡¯m telling you this as a florist.¡±

    She raised her head slightly and said proudly. Of course, she was aware that her remarks could be insulting to the knight, depending on how he interpreted it. But she genuinely regretted that she had not brought a flower, while looking at his very handsome nose.

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t he share with me half of the trials that I have to go through today?¡¯

    She might feel a bit relieved if the captain of the Imperial Knights could be aughing stock at the concert when he appeared with a pink flower in his coat.

    ¡°Okay, let me keep in mind what you said,¡± he said.

    Although he noticed her sarcasm, he thought it would be nice to put a flower in his front pocket if she gave it to him. He had a silly smile, thinking about it, but he didn¡¯t feel bad.

    The wagon slowly slowed down as the two talked, thinking differently. They finally arrived at Jerus Hall.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m ready. Please don¡¯t forget my request. Oh, you should take this before that. ¡±

    Seeing the silver envelope she presented, he burst intoughter because the fingertips of her hands were trembling.

    ¡®Why is she so nervous even though she is going to a face-to-face social event like a prom or tea party?¡¯ Her nervousness was new to him. But he couldn¡¯t look away from this trembling woman. He received the envelope and stuck it into his inner pocket. Then, he held her slender fingers even before she put her hands over his.

    Coldness. The moment he held her hand, he felt it was cold.

    As he felt her fingers, he felt they were colder. After all, he had no choice but to grab her hand again. He felt like he had a little bird in his hand.

    A bird was not a proper metaphor for Wendy Waltz, but he felt a sense of duty that he should protect this little bird.

    As a knight, he should duly protect a woman, but this kind of feeling was clearly different from what he had felt until now.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (2)

    It was already getting dark outside.

    Wendy took a deep breath, looking up at the magnificent Jerus Hall.

    When she walked up the stairs leading up to the arched front door, she saw the staff of Jerus Hall, wearing silver uniforms.

    After confirming the silver envelopes presented by numerous peopleing and going in and out of the hall, they were busy escorting them to their seats politely.

    As Wendy and Lard stepped into the hall, they drew attention from people everywhere. Jane, Jane, Jane. She recited her hastily coined name three times and stared at the faces of the staff who were smiling at her brightly.

    ¡°Hello. Wee to the Jerus Orchestra.¡±

    Lard¡¯s hair wasbed back perfectly, as if he was determined not to allow a single hair to get tousled. Feeling a bit stuffy about his slicked-back hair, she watched Lard hand the silver envelope to the staffer.

    ¡°I will escort you to the royal box on the second floor. Would you like to go with me? ¡±

    ¡°Good. Go in front. ¡±

    After opening the envelope, he pointed to the front stairs before escorting them.

    As Lard nodded, he started walking one step ahead of them.

    ¡°Your Excellency!¡±

    Before they went upstairs into the hall, a man jumped towards them, calling him.

    His forehead with no wrinkles and his slightly bald head made it impossible to predict his age.

    ¡°Wow! I can¡¯t really believe you havee to the concert today! Hahaha, I¡¯ve not seen you in a long time. ¡±

    ¡°Long time no see, Viscount McBurney.¡±

    The two greeted each other dly. People, standing at a distance, nced at the man who casually approached and greeted Lard. She quickly noticed that they were looking at him with envy.

    It looked like she was not the only one who felt Lard was stiff and old-fashioned. It seemed everybody found it hard to deal with Lard.

    ¡°By the way, I am so surprised to see you are with a beautifuldy today. Hello, ma¡¯am. My name is Lunas McBurney and I think the world of Sir Schroder. Please call me Lunasfortably. ¡±

    She was a bit embarrassed by his easygoing attitude, who greeted her kindly and allowed her to call him by name.

    ¡°Hello. Please call me Jane. ¡±

    ¡°Viscount, goodbye. See you next time. ¡±

    As Lard said goodbye, as if to block their conversation, McBurney said shyly, ¡°Oops! I think I disturbed you stupidly. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll see you again next time. Jane, please enjoy the concert.¡±

    He politely bowed to them.

    Only then did the staffer with Jerus Hall, who escorted them, started to move again.

    She looked up at Lards face, recalling his encounter with Viscount McBurney a moment ago.

    She had passed the first hurdle sessfully.

    A red corridor appeared when they opened the door of Jerus Hall, ornately decorated with gold and silver foil. The long corridor had open doors at regr intervals.

    The staffer escorted the two through one of the doors, bowed to them and disappeared.

    ¡°I knew you were a nobleman, but I never expected this, Duke Lard! I think I have to offer you formal greetings again. Please forgive me for not showing my due manners.¡±

    Wendy greeted him with an exaggerated gesture, then sat down on the red velvet sofa.

    She became a bit sulky. She knew Lard was the son of a duke, but she did not know that he had already obtained the title of duke.

    Of course, he had no obligation to tell her about his title, but she felt grumpy.

    She didn¡¯t know whether she was annoyed because of her repulsion against high-ranking noble families or because of his failure to inform her about his title in advance.

    She knitted her brows as she got frustrated with herself, eating her emotions uselessly.

    Watching her troubled mind, Lard was also a bit frustrated and stared quietly at her round shoulders.

    The smell of dust hung in the concert hall. It was amon smell in closed spaces. It would be a little better if they put stucky nts with air-cleaning effect everywhere in the concert hall. Stucky was a nt that grew well in the shade.

    Of course, putting a nt in a ce with no sunlight was nothing but torture to the nt, but she focused on something else while sniffing her nose.

    The royal box was a round terrace in all red.

    Fortunately, as the lights were dim, it seemed difficult for others to recognize Wendy and Lard.

    She slowly took off her gloves, looking at the seats on the ground floor being upied gradually.

    ¡°I never doubted that I would be a knight because it was the only thing I wanted. But I never wanted this title ¡®duke.¡¯ As my father died so early, I came to be registered as head of the family with the title of duke, but I never wanted this title sincerely. This is a separate matter from my pride in the family. ¡±

    Lard, standing next to her silently, suddenly talked about himself. Obviously, he couldn¡¯t ignore her sullen look.

    ¡°Just like you didn¡¯t want to be Wendy Waltz because you wanted to, I didn¡¯t be Lard Schroder because I wanted, especially the title of the duke. I don¡¯t want you to call me by title. ¡±

    She nodded quietly while she was fidgeting with her gloves meaninglessly for a while.

    Obviously, she couldn¡¯t ignore his sincere words as usual.

    Of course, she became Wendy Waltz because she wanted, contrary to what he just said.

    Looking at him as he sat right next to her, she asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can you tell me about yourte father?¡±

    As if to read the intention of her question, he looked into her eyes. But even she didn¡¯t know why she asked such a question, so it was hard for he to grasp her intention.

    ¡°¡­ My father was a valiant knight. He also liked the name of a knight better than that of a duke. My father fought at the battle of Baltazar Restoration and was killed in action. It turned out that he restored Baltazar and died in the name of the knight as he wished. So, his was a glorious death as a knight. ¡±

    The family of Duke Schroder was politically neutral and did not enter the political arena, but it produced outstanding generals across the generations. Histe father was also a great knight and general.

    ¡°¡­ How about you, Lord Schroder?¡±

    ¡°Well, what do you think happened to me? At that time, I had to suddenly take over my father¡¯s title as I lost him suddenly. As my mother passed away earlier than he, so I had to deal with the sudden changes in my family alone.¡±

    He tried to be calm as usual, but a light glimmered in his gray eyes, as if to trace his past memory.

    When she was about to say she was sorry for having asked him such a question, a man stuck his head out from the royal box on the left. His gesture was so unusual in the calm of Jerus Hall that both of them turned their eyes to him naturally.

    ¡°Hey, captain!¡±

    He was none other than the blonde imperial knight, Jean.

    She frowned instinctively.

    ¡°Wait a moment! Just sit there. I¡¯ll be right there in a minute.¡±

    Even before he asked for his approval, he asked for his partner¡¯s consent and quickly approached them. Wendy never expected he was sitting in the royal box right beside her.

    While grumbling, she looked over at Jean¡¯s seat as she felt suddenly spooky.

    She suddenly looked over at the ce where Jean was looking out of her face.

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    It was a sharp nce. The woman with green hair, who apparently apanied Jean, was shooting a keen nce at Wendy, which was malicious beyond description.

    Faced with her sharp nce, Wendy could do the same, but she had no choice but to refrain because it would make her a new enemy.

    Of course, it seemed that the woman already became her main enemy, given her ring eyes.

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    ¡°Sir Simuan, I didn¡¯t allow you toe to my side.¡±

    ¡°Oh, let me stand here and talk to you! ¡±

    Even though he was rebuked by Schroder, he was still smiling.

    He kept looking at the woman right next to him. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t recognize Wendy at a nce.

    ¡°I am so thrilled to see you here. I made a beeline here as I pretended not to know you when I clearly saw you here. Let me go back right after greeting you!¡±

    As his voice grew louder in excitement, Lard nced at him and begged him toe in.

    ¡°Can I greet your partner?¡±

    Lard first opened his mouth as he was about to greet Wendy.

    ¡°Lower your voice, man. This is Miss Jane. If it¡¯s your purpose to say hello to her, just go ahead. But you shouldn¡¯t disturb my mind after leaving here.¡±

    ¡°Pardon? Ah¡­ Sure. Miss Jane, nice to meet you. I¡¯m the deputy captain of the First Imperial Knights¡­¡±

    Jean, who was about to introduce himself, was surprised to know that the woman he was seeing up close now was somewhat familiar. Although he was astonished to know his boss had changed women on a daily basis, Jean was surprised for a different reason this time.

    ¡°Hello? I¡¯m Jane. Please don¡¯t forget my name when you leave this ce. ¡°

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (3)

    As she suddenly introduced herself, he looked at her brown hair in embarrassment.

    When she put her index finger on her lips gently, however, he nodded several times as if he knew what she was trying to say.

    ¡°Oh, I was really surprised. I just don¡¯t know what the hell is going on here. In fact, I have escorted Sir Altarin¡¯s daughter here just in case the captain came alone. I think I¡¯ve chosen the wrong seat. Look at her sharp nce! It¡¯s really terrifying,¡± he whispered, pointing to the woman he left behind in his royal box.

    The woman was casting a stern nce toward Wendy as if to kill her. Obviously, she was one of those nobledies longing for Lard.

    After exchanging a few more words with Wendy, Jean had to leave, pressured by Lard¡¯s eye signals.

    Seeing him closing the door of the royal box quietly, Wendy hoped that the concert would start as soon as possible.

    As she wished, the concert seemed to start in no time. She rxed when the members of the Jerus Orchestra finally entered and tuned their musical instruments here and there. As if to announce the imminent start of the concert, the lights were brightly lit on the stage, while the lights in the hall were turned off.

    Whew!

    She sighed with great relief and sipped a drink.

    Pott!

    She almost spit out all the drink in her mouth because the bright lights were instantly lit around the royal box seats. The eyes of the people who filled the hall all turned to those sitting in the royal box.

    After hesitating for a moment, she quickly turned her head to the side unconsciously.

    Altarin¡¯s daughter, who was seated in the royal box to their left, came into her view. Not only she but also other noble guests were sitting with a conceited air under the bright lights.

    Wendy burst intoughter. She felt nauseated at their desperate efforts to show off their dresses and hairdos even in the dark concert hall. While sitting with a haughty attitude, they were busy squinting at one another as if they were evaluating each other¡¯s outfits.

    While searching for each other, they came to discover Lard and Wendy. After they noticed Lard, who rarely appeared at these kinds of events, and his partner, they showed feelings mixed with yearning and jealousy.

    Wendy barely held back her nausea under their attention. She was worried that someone might recognize her face under the bright lights. She even doubted that her colored hair would be able to disguise her as she intended. The dazzling lighting was as cruel as tormenting her.

    Fortunately, the lighting on the royal box grew dim when the conductor climbed onto the stage and raised the baton. Finally, the concert began. Although they yed magnificently, she couldn¡¯t focus. To her, their ying was just meaningless music.

    She fixed her eyes on the stage and had to endure the awful time throughout the concert.

    A littleter, a thunderous apuse was heard, and a curly-haired young man dressed in a ck tailcoat set against the background appeared on the stage with a violin.

    When he appeared, the apuse of the audience was loud enough to overwhelm Jerus Hall.

    He must be the main yer on the stage today. Looking at his curly, light chocte hair, she earnestly hoped the concert would begin as soon as possible. She hoped the painful concert would pass quickly!

    In short, his violin ying was very good. The moment he bowed the violin, it changed the atmosphere of Jerus Hall in the blink of an eye. The audience instantly got carried away with his wonderful performance. She could now feel much more relieved because she was freed from some of the spectators¡¯ intense attention.

    Wendy also recognized the curly-headed man¡¯s excellent performance. Unlike the music-loving aristocrats who came to the concert, she couldn¡¯t afford to enjoy the music at all because she had no interest in music and she was nervous for fear that somebody might recognize her.

    Of course, Wendy would have been very impressed with his performance but for her tense situation like today. Fortunately, she could sit through the concert in the dark even under his bad situation. After his performance was over, she joined the enthusiastic cheers of the audience and continued to apud.

    She felt rxed while pping her hands enthusiastically, so she continued to p until the cheering almost disappeared. The curly-haired man waved at the audience and slowly disappeared behind the stage. A littleter, the intermission began as the lights were turned back on the audience seats.

    Feeling their intense attention again, she cynically said to Lard, ¡°I just have no idea whether they came here to enjoy the concert or see me.¡±

    ¡°You know, they are needlessly interested in others¡¯ matters, so don¡¯t pay any attention to them,¡± he responded.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to act like a princess, which I learned at the shoe store. Everybody is crazy about my dress.¡±

    Instead of replying, Lard just grinned at her.

    She let out a sigh lightly, as if trying to rx. She gently stood up when thedies took their seats aftering back from the restroom. She deliberately chose this moment to avoid bumping into them.

    ¡°Excuse me for a minute.¡±

    She went out to find a women¡¯s lounge and walked on. After she went through the tension and anxiety, she felt greatly relieved. But she couldn¡¯t help but stay wary. Straining her wobbly legs, she walked down the hallway while avoiding people¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Is the security on the left side of Jerus Hall okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir Witches and Sir Jerome have just shifted their duty.¡±

    At that moment, Wendy stiffened as she heard too familiar a voice behind her.

    It couldn¡¯t be his! Never, ever!

    She felt ominous feelings surging deep inside. She turned stiffly, nervously like the tender des of grass before gust. Her neck muscles felt stiff.

    ¡°Oh my god!¡±

    She was shocked at his light blue hair. She quickly turned her head before he saw her face.

    Olivia, Olivia. His voice shouting her name like a lost echo filled her ears.

    Thump thump thump.

    Her heart was beating hard. She covered her mouth with her hand, feeling as if she would smell the scent of a red dahliaing from somewhere to devastate her. She was spaced out in shock and embarrassment because she vividly recalled her former lover Dn and Francis kissing passionately with the red dahlia flower in the background.

    She barely managed to take a step, short of breath like a person with breathing difficulties.

    Dn Lennox.

    Wendy chewed her lip as if she couldn¡¯t stand hearing the name.

    The images of his uniform as an imperial knight were not erased from her mind.

    ¡®Oh, you have be an imperial knight as you dreamed. You have achieved your dream.¡¯

    She breathed roughly and bit her pale lip. As soon as she saw his face, she could hardly breathe and grew pale as if she were afflicted with cyanosis. She urgently walked as if she were struggling for survival.

    Like a fish caught unfortunately, she writhed in agony. Although she barely managed to breathe, her staggering steps were very dangerous. As a middle-aged woman passing by her looked at her face with a worried look, obviously her condition looked serious even in the eyes of others.

    It was when she pulled herself together and moved one step that he spoke, ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay?¡±

    It was Dn¡¯s voice. She felt her heart sank. Obviously, he asked her, not any other person, if she was okay, but she ignored and quickly moved again. She had no other choice.

    However, her desperate efforts were to no avail when the knight began to walk toward her, which sent shivers up and down her spine. Clenching her teeth, she tried to calm down while walking.

    Was it because she was pushed into an extreme crisis? She fell into the illusion that her whole body was sinking in the eerie feeling that her heart had stopped. Paradoxically, when her pounding heartbeat began to go back to normal, she could regain calmness little by little.

    She gradually regained her breathing despite the cold that was filling her. After taking a deep breath, she walked more confidently.

    When she walked down the hall with a steady steps, Dn stopped following her.

    She was on edge, wondering if the sound of his footsteps were muffled by the carpet, but she couldn¡¯t hear his footsteps anymore, but she was nervous as if he was still watching her.

    She tried to adjust her hairstyle a couple of times with a strange gesture, so that the knight would not suspect anything was amiss. She did not let her hair down until she reached the corner of the hallway. She couldn¡¯t allow Dn to ruin her life twice.

    How long did she walk? She found herself standing alone in a strange hallway. Given that the color of the carpet on the floor was different, it was obvious that she had gone the wrong way.

    There was nobody in the corridor, only her nervous breathing was heard in the air.

    She already began to feel depressed. She felt like she would suffer from serious aftereffects after today. She cupped her face between her palms helplessly.

    At that moment, she heard a man shouting nervously to his subordinate.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29: Chapter 29 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (4)

    ¡°I told you to go away! Didn¡¯t I tell you that nobody should hang around near me? How many times should I tell you that you guys¡¯ footsteps rub my shoulders on the wrong way?¡±

    Stunned by the man¡¯s impatient voice, she turned her head toward the ce where his voice wasing from, but she couldn¡¯t identify who was shouting because his voice was heard from around the corner.

    ¡°Why are you still standing there? Get lost!¡±

    Even before the man was done shouting nervously, she heard several knights walking toward him hurriedly. She quickly hid behind a circr pir.

    Shortly after, the two men in the imperial knight¡¯s uniform passed by the corridor where she stood. Both of them seemed to be in a very bad mood after they were rebuked by the man. Perhaps because of their moods, they did not find her hiding.

    When they disappeared, Wendy carefully came out from behind the pir.

    Looking back and forth in the corridor alternately, she concluded that she could not find a way to go back to the direction she hade. Although she was bothered by the man¡¯s nervous voiceing from the corner, she wanted to confirm if there was an exit in the other hallway.

    Moving her steps cautiously, she nced at the corner of the hallway, holding her breath.

    The brilliant patterned door on the right wall came into her view first. It clearly looked like the room of the man who yelled at them a moment ago. She found the stairs leading to the end of the hallway, so she began to move her steps silently like a stray cat.

    Thump!

    ¡°You guys have no discipline! Don¡¯t you know what disobedience means¡­?¡±

    The man, who opened the door and shouted at them, could not continued when he found a woman standing stiffly. The woman¡¯s shock and the man¡¯s posture, who stopped walking, created a funny scene.

    ¡°Hummm¡­Are you a spy or an assassin? ¡±

    When she saw him scanning her with a suspicious look, Wendy hurriedly denied, ¡°You are mistaken. I just got lost while looking for the lounge. ¡±

    With bleary eyes, he nced at her up and down. Somehow, she felt creeped out when he did that.

    Given that he treated imperial knights roughly, he was certainly far from a typical nobleman.

    But she felt if she sounded weak and clumsy in front of him, it would arouse his suspicion all the more.

    She looked him up and down as if to challenge his gaze. ck trousers, loose white shirts, white and pale skin, light chocte curls¡­

    Wait a minute! Curly hair?

    Obviously, he was the man who yed the violin on stage a little while ago.

    ¡°Aha.¡±

    Noticing a pleasant surprise in her eyes, the man seemed to interpret it as he pleased.

    As if he thought as much, he made a tempting smile at her.

    ¡°You, too,¡­ Are you a poor woman who came here to meet me like other women? ¡±

    Wendy knitted her brows at his unexpected question. She suddenly felt headache.

    ¡°You¡¯re the first one who managed to arrive here after breakingyers of tough security around here. Let me appreciate your courage.¡±

    The man smiled brightly then wrapped his arms around her waist like a sh.

    ¡°Oops! What the heck are you doing to me? ¡±

    Despite her ferocious shouting, he pretended not to hear it and pulled her inside.

    Of course, she was forced to follow him.

    Bang!

    The man shut the door by kicking it. The loud sound of it rang out in the hallway.

    ¡°Are you harassing me now?¡± She shouted angrily, staring at his vibrant face.

    ¡°Well, I think I have to agree with that if you think it is harassment for me to warmly greet a woman who hase to see me. What is your name? Let me be generous enough to remember your name. Oh, don¡¯t make that expression, ma¡¯am. I just got nervous because I was performing today. I¡¯m a tender-hearted man by nature, so don¡¯t be scared.¡±

    ¡°Let go of me! How can a high-ranking nobleman like you is acting so frivolously? This is myst warning¡­Let go of me!¡± She said, almost growling at him.

    ¡°Last warning? What if I don¡¯t listen to it? ¡±

    He reacted as if it was fun. Looking into his brown eyes with a nasty expression, she exined step by step, pretending to be kind to him.

    ¡°First, you¡¯ll see each of your hairs pulled out with my hand and falling to the floor. I think your smooth curly hair might get stuck on my palms.¡±

    Contrary to surprise, he made a cheerful noise, ¡°Wow!¡±, with a conceited look, and seemed to keep listening with interest. He even seemed to praise her daring statement.

    ¡°Second, you will have the rare experience of your body being thrown out that window. I¡¯ve been trained in self-defense.¡±

    He discreetly made eyes at her as if he thought her words were just bluffing. When she felt he didn¡¯t take her words seriously, she heard him bending a pine twig.

    But even before he was done, she quickly twisted his wrist as if to prove she was not bluffing.

    It was a great opportunity for her to practice the self-defense skills she had honed until now, but the fact that she didn¡¯t know the other party¡¯s identity limited her action. As she knew her hasty action could bring about disaster, she decided to stop there.

    ¡°Finally, as for your violin, let me turn it into a useless piece of wood fit for firewood.¡±

    He quickly let go of her hand, seeing her clenching her teeth. It seemed that his hand hurt because he was rubbing it gently.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re carrying the joke too far. How can you crack a joke like that about my violin?¡±

    When Wendy shot a keen nce at him, the man stepped back in astonishment.

    Given that he wrapped the violin gently in his arms, he seemed to be scared about her warning.

    ¡°Are you sure you got lost aftering here to enjoy the concert? It looks like you¡¯re an assassin when I look at your eyes¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m lost here. Can you show me the way to the women¡¯s lounge on the second floor? Let me leave. ¡±

    ¡°Hum¡­ this is my first time seeing you. I¡¯ve never met you before. I know almost all the daughters of the noble families who came of age. Howe I don¡¯t know your face? You¡¯re really suspicious¡­Which family is yours?¡±

    As she stood quietly without answering his question, he made a more suspicious expression.

    ¡°You have a lot of nerve. Can you tell me who you came with? I find it difficult to identify your family. You seem to be very shy as you can¡¯t tell me about your family.¡±

    She answered, ¡°Do I have to tell you who mypanion is? You don¡¯t even tell me who you are. Why are you so rude to ady?¡±

    As if he heard nonsense, he asked with a grin, ¡°You don¡¯t know who I am. Are you serious? ¡±

    ¡°Well, I saw you performing on the stage a little while ago, but I don¡¯t know anything about you.

    I know you¡¯re a great performer, but I don¡¯t think you can be rude to me because of your excellent performance.¡±

    He stoppedughing at that. Although it was very brief, she saw his smiling face grew cold.

    She didn¡¯t want to judge him hastily because of that expression on his face. In other words, she didn¡¯t want to simplybel him as arrogant and frivolous like other noblemen.

    In no time he smiled again, as if his cold look a moment ago were a phantom, but she did not let her guard down to the end.

    ¡°Oh, I like what youmented about me! No matter how good my ying is, I am not supposed to be rude. Let me apologize. Yes, I made a mistake as nobody has pointed it out even if I have been indulged until now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°So, please answer my question. One¡¯s skills or abilities doesn¡¯t allow for rudeness, but what about social status? Does it allow one to be rude?¡±

    ¡®Is this man trying to boast about his high status? Showing his status to pull me down?¡¯

    She replied sharply, ¡°Are you asking me about the relevantws of this country or my personal view on that?¡±

    ¡°Where can you find the answer to my question in thew? I haven¡¯t even heard about it. ¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t regard what is written or customs as aw. Don¡¯t you think whates out of the noblemen¡¯s mouths in this country bes aw to their subordinates?¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, I see. Then, can you tell me about your view?¡±

    Now, the man was bing more serious.

    ¡°I think what you have said is contradictory. The word ¡®rudeness¡¯ is an expression that points to one¡¯s words and actions that don¡¯t honor etiquette. How can anybody be rude to those who value etiquette as the highest virtue? If status allows one¡¯s rudeness, it only shows one¡¯s fake status.¡±

    Obviously, she didn¡¯t speak with a cynical attitude.

    Wendy talked in a gentle manner as if her icy tone a moment ago was feigned. But the man felt her words were barbed. His eyes sparkled all the more at her spunky response.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (5)

    The man said with a smile, ¡°You are right. I think I¡¯ve asked you nonsensical questions. But do you know there¡¯s one thing wrong with what you said? What the nobleman regards as the highest value is not respect for etiquette. The most important thing for them is loyalty! Any nobleman in the Benyahan empire regards loyalty to the imperial family as their highest value. ¡±

    He continued, buttoning his shirt, ¡°A moment ago you asked who I am, right? I¡¯m violinist Isaac von Benyahan. I¡¯m on stage today with the Jerus Orchestra. Everybody who has seen me ying says the same thing about me. Genius! Yes, they call me a genius without any hesitation, though I¡¯m ashamed to say it myself. Haha.¡±

    Wendy, wary of the man speaking andughing to himself, furtively moved a step backward

    ¡°So far, I¡¯ve told you about my reputation in rtion to mypetence in violin ying. Now, let me tell you about my name that I have gained through social status¡­ Isaac von Benyahan. I slept in the Imperial Pce beforeing to Jerus Hall today. They call me Crown Prince. Everybody calls me by that title. ¡±

    He stretched his shoulders and tapped on the crumpled shirt. He smiled as she opened her eyes wide with surprise.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, didn¡¯t you actually know who I am? ¡±

    He spoke to her, assuming she knew of him but pretended not to know. But if she had known him from the beginning, she would not have foolishly walked into the strange corridor where he yelled at the imperial knights!

    She spaced out after he revealed his identity. She wanted to dismiss his remarks as a lie, but she couldn¡¯t because it was a fact. She recalled theint of a has-been bard poet who was giggling in front of the Berrington Fountain saying the crown prince was crazy about the violin.

    ¡®Is the crown prince that¡¯s crazy about the violin this person?¡¯

    Breathing in with a tense expression, she looked at the crown prince¡¯s wrist because she twisted his wrist. She regretted it btedly.

    Hiding herplicated thoughts, she greeted him formally, ¡°I¡¯m honored to greet you, Crown Princess!¡±

    His name, Isaac von Benyahan, was as unrealistic as the old-fashioned characters in storybooks. Wendy felt the name of the little forest fairy the size of a finger, allegedly born with the queen¡¯s blood, was more realistic

    ¡®Oh my god, Crown Prince?¡¯

    A man she would never likely have never met in her life was standing before her now. She had never imagined meeting him even when she lived as a noblewoman. As she had never attended any imperial banquets, she could not recognize his face. It was natural that this kind of thing happened to her.

    ¡°Oh, no, this is not what I wanted. Just stand up. Well, you told me you didn¡¯t know who I am. Let me just believe it.¡±

    Standing up as he asked, she retained a calm expression on her face as if nothing happened, but she was troubled and felt terrible deep inside. Although she thought that her outing would not go smoothly, she never imagined she would run into this kind of trouble. She didn¡¯t know what to do in the future.

    ¡®Why do I keep meeting people that I don¡¯t want to see?¡¯

    In fact, her encounter with Dn today was driving her nuts, but she met the Crown Prince, which was aplete shock to her. She felt like she would crumble from fatigue.

    ¡°How could you twist my wrist? You won¡¯t have anything to say even if you get a summary trial right now. Besides, you twisted the violinist¡¯s hand. If today wasn¡¯t myst stage, you would be in big, big trouble. I want to wrap up my retiring performance beautifully, so I don¡¯t want to make a fuss about this. Oh, you don¡¯t have to have a scared look on your face. Don¡¯t ever think I will take your life even if I hold a summary trial. I¡¯m generous to women,¡± he spoke, rolling his wrist joint round and round.

    She didn¡¯t have a scared expression on her face like he said, but she did not correct what he said. The best she could do for him was to make him feel he was generous to her.

    ¡°As you say this is your retiring performance¡­¡±

    She repeated his words because she felt he wanted her to ask about it, since he emphasized his retiring performance. She didn¡¯t feel it was hard if she could be forgiven for having twisted his wrist.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? There have been lots of rumors about me recently. Everybody is stomping their feet, calling on me to fulfill my duty as the crown prince. What should I do? I have no choice but to stop ying the violin. If I want to keep this violin by my side, I have to give up my name as a violinist,¡± he said, stroking the wood of the violin.

    There was kind of fierceness in his mischievous tone, so she shut up. She knew there was nothing good for her if she stirred up his suppressed anger.

    Was he so beside himself as to rebuke the imperial knights because it was hisst performance?

    ¡°Now let¡¯s get to the point. Now, you can honestly answer my question. What is your name and who did youe with?¡±

    Wendy closed her eyes once in a conflict.

    ¡®Can I tell him my name as it is?¡¯

    She looked up at his face as if trying to size up his character, but it was a meaningless attempt. His brown eyes, which had no emotions like a portrait hanging in a frame, smiled at hers, but she was not foolish enough to judge him by his smile. She thought he must be pretty good at hiding his real intentions behind his smiling face.

    ¡°My name is Wendy Waltz. I¡¯vee here with Lord Lard Schroder of the Imperial Knights. ¡±

    She chose to speak frankly. How could she lie to the Crown Prince? Even if she had several lives, she couldn¡¯t lie to him. Of course, the name ¡®Wendy Waltz¡¯ was not true in the strictest sense.

    ¡°Lord Lard Schroder? Are you talking about Lard Schroder of the First Imperial Knights? ¡±

    The light of turbulent emotions passed through the prince¡¯s brown eyes. His eyes trembled, apparently at the name ¡°Lard Schroder¡±. This name seemed to have the power to reveal his feelings, even for the crown prince who easily concealed his feelings.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Hahahahaha! That¡¯s funny. That insensible guy apany a woman? And that at my concert? ¡±

    He made a big fuss about it as if he had never seen a funnier thing in the world.

    ¡°Wendy Waltz? It sounds like it¡¯s not a noble family¡¯s name¡­¡±

    He spoke as if he were pondering over something. But it was hard to find any contempt of themon people in his words.

    ¡°What a strange association between you! Oh, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m not opposed to the union of the nobles and themon people. Rather, I want to support them!¡±

    The prince approached Wendy and patted her on the shoulder as if to cheer her up.

    She flinched at his unexpected actions and raised her hands high up to her chest in a defensive posture. Surprised at her posture, the man grinned, opening his palms wide as if to calm her down.

    ¡°Among those that I know, there were some who were like you, a noble man dating amoner woman, although their union didn¡¯t end beautifully¡­ I hope you and Sir Schroder will seed!¡±

    He jokingly spoke with a light voice, grasping the bow that was lying on the violin case.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­! ¡±

    She opened her mouth to rify the misunderstanding about Lard and her, but the prince did not give her any time to talk.

    ¡°Well, listen carefully.¡±

    He lifted the violin and pulled a bow over the strings. As he yed gently, beautiful melodies began to flow. Although she was not immersed in the music at all, listening to his ying up close had such a strange power that it captivated her like magic.

    Surprisingly, while he was ying on the spot, she went through a momentary change of emotion that seemed to melt away all the previous events that had bothered her. It was dramatic and bizarre like watching a pupa transform into a butterfly. She couldn¡¯t resist her overflowing feelings in the thrall of the violin¡¯s magic resonating through the small wooden barrel.

    The sad and warm melody filled the room and upied even her mind deep down.

    ¡°What about this melody? I¡¯m going to name it ¡®The love of Wendy and Lard.¡¯ It¡¯s a bit tacky, but all love is like that, hahaha! Oh, as yourst name is Waltz, I think a three-four time waltz melody would be better. ¡±

    Wendy hastily recalled the melodies that deeply touched her. Did he mention love? She felt nauseated again. The butterfly that was about to fly fluttered back into its chrysalis.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (6)

    ¡°¡­ No thanks. Such a beautiful song would be more appropriate for your love. ¡±

    ¡°Oh no! You¡¯re worried needlessly. I already have a wide variety of variations based on that melody. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±

    Smiling at her briefly, he gave her the bow.

    ¡°Hold it for a minute. Don¡¯t think of breaking it,¡± he said, looking at her with a mischievous smile.

    After ying strings with his fingers briefly, he made clear sounds while watching her narrowed brows yfully.

    His pizzicato seemed mischievous at first, but it was never ridiculous. To her pleasant surprise, she could feel his pure heart in his simple and pure melodies. It shattered her tight alertness a bit. Was this another one of the prince¡¯s masks? She had some doubt about it, but his continued performance quickly cleared even her slightest doubt.

    ¡°As for this melody, I expressed my wishes for your longing for Sir Schroder. ¡±

    She thought to herself, ¡®Oh my, is this man trying to express things with music every time?¡¯

    She was speechless for a moment at his unique expression of emotions, but she became wary again and coldly said, ¡°I was just here today to repay my debt to Sir Schroder. Please don¡¯t get me wrong because I have nothing to do with him. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? Then, I should have more interest in you! I have to get on stage again today so I can¡¯t find time for you today. Oh, I know they have a hunting contest in the imperial Burgonu Forest eight days from now. Let me invite you there, so pleasee. Of course, you shoulde with Sir Schroder, hand in hand. Keep in mind it¡¯s my order, and don¡¯t bete. Let me send you the invitation through Sir Schroder. Hahaha. It¡¯s going to be a lot of fun! ¡±

    The crown prince burst intoughter like an old man. As he had to retire from the musical world at a young age, his feelings were no different from that of the old man, and even hisughter sounded like an old man¡¯s.

    She could feel sad about the prince who had to quit music, but she felt bad because she had caused hisughter. He enjoyed teasing her as if he had a golden chance to heal his sense of loss upon retirement from the musical world!

    She spoke, pursing her lips in annoyance, ¡°Your Majesty, I am sorry, but I am not a woman suitable for such an asion. How can I attend an imperial hunting event? I¡¯m no more than a shabbymoner woman, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t attend the event where precious noble men are gathering.¡±

    She felt that she was repeating the same excuses she made to Lard Schroder. She would say anything that could degrade herself, but he was not pleased with that. After she was done talking, she unconsciously chewed her lip and expressed her dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Shabby? No way! You can feel more confident today as you are more beautiful than any of the nobledies I¡¯ve seen. So, please don¡¯t be mean to yourself! I want you to do what I say. Why do you distinguish between noblemen andmoners in the hunting contest? What my sister told me repeatedly was that I should view people based on theirpetence in key posts without any limit on their social status, be it noble ormoner. I want to test your hunting ability in that contest. If you show yourpetence, I¡¯ll give you a corresponding reward. Just show your abilities freely, regardless of whether your game is a beast or a brute of a man. Hahaha!¡±

    She was silent. To be sure, the prince was the type of man she wanted to avoid the most, a man who she could notmunicate with well. In a sense, he was more persistent than Lard, the imperial knight.

    ¡°Please brighten your expression. Who knows? You may win a prize unexpectedly in the hunting contest. Wouldn¡¯t it be a good opportunity to win honor, along with love? I¡¯ll make that event a chance for you to achieve that. Be it a fox fur or a handsome imperial knight, let me make sure you can get anything. If you¡¯re lucky, you might be able to win a noble title.¡±

    ¡°My lord, I really¡­¡±

    When she was about to respond as she could no longer stand hearing his absurd talking, he spoke again, ¡°Oh, on that day, please let me see your original hair color. Although the fragrance of your hair is sweet enough to melt my heart, I want to see more of your original hair color. ¡±

    The prince shook his head as if her hair color was a shame. She was embarrassed by his unexpected rebuke. How did he know? She tried hard to figure out how he figured it out, but she concluded that he would never believe what she said, no matter how strongly she denied.

    She barely calmed down and asked with a suspicious expression,¡±¡­ how did you know my current hair color is not natural?¡±

    ¡°Your eyebrows! Why would your eyebrows be brighter than your hair? It seems you tried to cover it with makeup, but you can¡¯t deceive me!¡±

    She became upset as her makeup skills was pointed out by a man rather than a woman.

    Obviously, she was mistaken that she would not have to color her eyebrows because they looked darker than her dark yellow hair, so she thought it would go well with brown hair without dyeing them. She never encountered a man who paid such attention to a woman¡¯s eyebrows.

    ¡°I will keep in mind your advice, Your Majesty!¡±

    Concealing her troubled agitation deep inside, she bowed humbly.

    ¡°By the way, you don¡¯t look so good. What¡¯s going on? You didn¡¯te all the way up here like this after you had a quarrel with Sir Schroder, right? ¡± The prince asked slyly. He added, ¡°The concert will resume soon. So, go back and enjoy the musicfortably. I hope to meet you with a nice look in eight days. If you go back to the way you walked here, you will soon find an aisle of red carpet. From there, there are signboards everywhere, so you can get back to your seat easily. Don¡¯t ever think about going anywhere else. Just go back immediately to Sir Schroder! I will check from the stage where you sit beside him. ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡­¡±

    ¡°Wendy, I really like yourst name. Waltz! That¡¯s the name I have no choice but to like. I¡¯ll prepare a waltz for you next time. See you eight dayster. ¡±

    The prince, who interrupted her words, confessed that he liked her name. After the confession, he asked her to go back to her seat. He soon lost his interest in her and returned to his other self as a musician in his own world. The prince began to examine the strings of the violin, as if he were trying to fix his musical instrument for the performance set to resume soon.

    She pressed her lips together, feeling as if she had been caught in a trap he set up.

    ¡°¡­ Why? Can¡¯t you find your way? Then, let me call an imperial knight to guide you. ¡±

    ¡°No thanks. Let me leave now.¡±

    Standing in embarrassment, she left quickly, refusing his well-intentioned offer.

    Obviously, he was very good at expelling people. She clenched her teeth once again. As she had no other choice but to go back to her seat, she began to walk, although she wanted to leave Jerus Hall right away.

    Given the odds of bumping into Dn Lennox again in the corridor, she struggled to shake off her anxiety. She could easily imagine that the imperial knights were on guard in Jerus Hall because of the prince. She thought that if she could pass by the corridor safely where she had encountered Dn, she could go back to the theater. She just wished that she would not run into him this time.

    During the past two years while she lived as Wendy Waltz, there was never a more dangerous situation than now. Recalling the moment she saw Dn Lennox, she found it hard to breathe. She hardened her expression.

    She decided that she wouldn¡¯t be shaken even if she saw him this time, but the cause of her nervousness was pure fear: fear that her purchase of a new status might be detected when she encountered Dn again, no more or no less.

    Passing through the round corridor, she saw a familiar red carpet. As she walked further, she saw a familiar hallway. Once she went around the right corner, she could see the woman¡¯s lounge where she wanted to go.

    Wiping cold sweat on her forehead, she went around the corner and found several knights gathering in the lonely corridor.

    A knight¡¯s blue hair came into her view. There were three knights on the stairways leading to the third floor. Although Dn was standing with his back to her at the moment, she instantly found him among them. When another knight talking with him discovered her first and cast a nce at her, Dn turned his head toward her, too.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (7)

    She turned around in a hurry.

    ¡®Oh my god! Why am I so easily getting stuck into a situation that I don¡¯t want?¡±

    Wendy began to walk, carried away with the realization that her thin peace had been smashed.

    ¡°Ah, Lady. The concert has just started. You are still outside. You didn¡¯t look well. Are you okay, Lady?¡±

    She heard Dn¡¯s unique voice from behind her. As if he remembered seeing her a little while ago, he approached her, speaking to her tenderly. It was a crisis that she could not handle.

    Despite his repeated calling, she grasped the hem of her dress and went back the way she came. She felt like she was wandering in the maze because she kept walking down the same corridor back and forth several times.

    As the sound of her heels cking faded out of the hallway, Dn moaned as if he was embarrassed because she ran away whenever she saw him.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am! Please wait a moment. I don¡¯t have any bad intentions toward you! ¡±

    Dn urgently followed her. Then, the rest of the knights standing behind him turned their eyes to Dn.

    ¡®Obviously Dn is trying to chat her up.¡¯

    Suspicious of Dn¡¯s actions, his senior knights decided to teach him discipline as soon as he came back. They couldn¡¯t forgive him because they thought he was trying to apparently romance a woman in the sacred workce. Given her reaction, it was certain that he would likely be rejected.

    As if they werepeting to beat each other, the sound of their footsteps resonated through the corridor. She almost ran to widen the distance between the two as much as possible. She was so upset that Dn, the terrible jerk, was chasing her with all his might. Her long dress and high heels were so cumbersome that she couldn¡¯t run freely. Her ankles began to ache like a warning.

    Sure enough, the golden chain around her right ankle, broke after she walked a little farther. Feeling frustrated with the loose shoe sliding off her foot, she began to drag her right foot.

    ¡®Damn it, how much did the shoe shop guy boast to her!¡¯

    Cursing him fiercely deep inside, she clenched her teeth, recalling the shoe store guy¡¯s mustache.

    The moment she turned the corner, she had to make a decision. Realizing that she couldn¡¯t run any more, she hurriedly hid inside the the first door around the corner.

    Click!

    Even though she closed the door carefully, the noise of the door closing disturbed her. Although she carefully examined the door knob to lock the door, she couldn¡¯t find it. She quickly looked around the room and couldn¡¯t see any ce to hide. She almost fell into despair. The simple room seemed like a reception room with only one table and one sofa.

    She stomped her feet on the ground, not knowing what to do. She wished she had taken off her shoes and run instead of escaping into the room.

    Tip-tap, tip-tap!

    The sound of his footsteps hearing from outside the room raised the hair on the back of her neck.

    ¡®What if he catches me now?¡¯

    She moistened her dry lips with her tongue and gulped loudly, ringing through the room.

    She started running like the wind. Her right shoe dragged across the floor. She jumped into the corner of the room beside the sofa, which she thought was the most usible space, and squat behind the sofa. She pressed her index finger on the rugged carpet and thought of a green nt.

    ¡®Come on, grow up fast!¡¯

    Her face was white and tired as if she would pass out at any moment. Calming down her trembling heart, she stared at the carpet floor intensely.

    As if her desperate wishes paid off, a light green bud began to shoot up from the carpet.

    The little bud quicklygrew into a stem and leaves with three petals began to radiate from the trunk. She stood up, watching the movement of the nt with a desperate expression.

    The nt sprouting from the carpet was ivy that could be easily found anywhere in the Benyahan Empire. Its vines began to creep around the trunk ferociously. The trunk, which crept up her toes, spread onto her dress and wrapped around her body. Her golden dress was quickly covered with vines, and the green leaves quickly covered her. In the blink of an eye, there emerged a tree of vines well nted for ornamental use in the corner of the room.

    Just exposing her lips, she nervously heard the door opening with a clicking noise.

    Because of the drooping ivy leaves in front of her right eye, she had to check his presence in the room without full use of her sight. Since she had to stop the leaves from shaking because of her breathing, she broke out into a cold sweat on her forehead. Eventually, she decided to hold her breath and pressed her lips together, which was really a torture to her.

    Tip-tat, tip-tat!

    Every time she heard him taking a step, she was on edge so much that she could even see the fine dust from the carpet wafting around in the air.

    Now stepping into the room, Dn came near the sofa and shook his head because he couldn¡¯t see a woman with brown hair anywhere in the room.

    She stared at his indigo knight uniform with trembling eyes, extremely nervous.

    When she kept reciting in her heart, ¡®I¡¯m an ivy, I¡¯m an ivy,¡¯ she found it not that hard to remain still.

    Dn was staring at the beige wall for quite some time, as if he was trying to ponder something. Although he stayed there briefly, she felt like he was there forever.

    ¡®Get lost! Right now!¡¯

    She cursed him hard in heart.

    When he showed the slightest sign of turning his head toward her, she recited to herself, ¡®Don¡¯t look at me! Don¡¯t turn your head!¡¯, hoping he would not find her. She was ring at his light blue hair with her left eye.

    Unfortunately she came to examine his appearance in detail against her will as she was facing him helplessly: his long hair was ear-length like before, his shoulders had gained some muscle, and he still had the habit of stroking the neck unconsciously when he felt frustrated.

    When she confirmed the facts about him she didn¡¯t want to know, she closed and opened her eyes.

    She got upset when she discovered that he was in good shape and looked great. Even now, she wanted to rip off the ivy wrapped around her body and p him on the back. ¡®Oh, you have led such a luxurious life in my absence! You son of a bitch!¡¯

    Realizing that he lived a satisfying life for thest two years, she got furious. Although she never longed for his misfortune, he never wished him happiness. However, when he achieved his dream of bing an imperial knight and appeared before her, dressed in a neat uniform, her anger surged..

    Dn, who had no way of sensing her anger, suddenly turned his head with a sigh of ¡°Whoo!¡± As his gaze turned to the ivy at the edge of the wall, she suppressed her burning anger for a moment and began to brainwash herself into thinking of herself as a nt.

    Dn once again shook his head and sniffed. He rubbed the lower part of his nose as if he was bothered by something. Did he smell the sevendron flower? Her heart sank at the thought of it because he would smell the sweet scent of her hair if he paid more attention.

    Luckily, however, he left the room as if he had given up on finding her. Who could ever imagine that a woman who suddenly disappeared was covered with the ivy vine? After hearing the door was closed with a clicking noise, she could barely feel rxed.

    ¡°Haaa¡­¡±

    After letting out a sigh with a worried expression, she leaned against the wall feebly. Even if she wanted to sit down on the floor, she couldn¡¯t because she couldn¡¯t move at all due to the ivy wrapped around her body.

    ¡°What a state I am in¡­¡±

    She strained her arms and shoulders as much as she could. Soon the ivy broke. She could not move freely, barely managing to move both arms. She wriggled her body as she tore apart the vine. Every time she moved, the sound of ivy leaves rustling rang out. How could she put on this ivy vine when she should have put on beautiful gold essories? She just shook her head as she felt she was so funny.

    She heard the sound of ivy leaves rustling even at her small movement. She was dressed up as best she could to go to the concert hall, but she found her body wrapped in ivy vines! If people saw her, they wouldugh their heads off.

    However, she had to get away from her negative feelings and focus on separating the ivy vine from her body. As the vine got stuck to the hem of her dress, she had to take extreme caution not to break its fine texture.

    ¡°So annoying¡­¡±

    Her moaning rang through the room.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (8)

    Meanwhile, Lard Schroder had a serious expression, waiting for Wendy as she didn¡¯te back.

    Looking at the gloves that Wendy took off, he remained still, but soon turned his head suddenly to find that Jean Jacques was gazing at him. Jean Jacques pretended not to have noticed him when his eyes met his by chance.

    The lights were lit again on the royal stone and the conductor stood on the stage. He cast a nce at the conductor and stood up, as he couldn¡¯t wait for her anymore.

    Did she leave? It urred to him suddenly that she promised him not to leave during the concert. Given her track record, however, she likely had left. But he didn¡¯t believe she was rude enough to leave without goodbye to him, with her gloves left on her seat. He shook his head.

    As he turned it over in his mind, suddenly ominous things shed through his mind. He was worried something bad might have happened to her. He even wondered if she had been humiliated by an arrogant and high-handed nobleman, arguing over her social status. He rushed out of the royal box, consumed by anxiety about her for the first time. He recalled her anxiety that she might be humiliated as she even changed her hair color and made a pseudonym to apany him to the concert. He wished he had gone out to search for her. He even wished she would rather go back home.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am! Please wait a moment. I don¡¯t have any bad intentions towards you!¡±

    When he stepped out into the corridor outside the royal box, he heard a man¡¯s voice resonating through the corridor. Seeing the blue strap on the man¡¯s shoulder, he noticed that he was one of the 2nd Imperial Knights who came to protect the prince, but he only focused on a woman who was hurriedly walking back despite the knight¡¯s calling.

    The woman hid quickly around the corner, but Lard recognized her as Wendy. When the knight with blue hair quickly followed to catch her. Her golden dress whipped around the corner, leaving a strange impression in Lard¡¯s mind. She was none other than Wendy Waltz.

    Disappearing into the corridor, she seemed to be running away from the knight. As the knight with light blue hair urgently followed to catch up with her, Lard narrowed his eyes unconsciously. He was displeased for reasons he didn¡¯t know. His eyes sank like the calm before the typhoon.

    Immediately, he walked toward the direction where the two disappeared. It was very rare that he moved first before thinking, except when he fought with the sword.

    But he had to stop against his will when he walked a few steps because somebody held his right hand urgently.

    ¡°Lord Schroder, wait a minute¡­The concert has just started. Where are you going?¡±

    She was Jean Jacques¡¯s guest, Earl Altarin¡¯s daughter. She spoke to him with a soft blush.

    ¡°¡­ Can you give me a moment?¡±

    Lard looked unpleasantly at the woman who held his arm and pulled it away from her without being rude to her. Although she pouted and looked up at him as if she was not happy, he didn¡¯t have time to deal with her.

    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m busy at the moment. Let me talk to youter.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me! Do you know how foolish I looked to the people in the social circles when you returned my handkerchief that I had asked Sir Simuan to give you? Then, howe you appeared here with another woman so openly¡­ Could you please consider my feelings a little more? You can¡¯t do this if you think about my offended feelings.¡±

    She recognized his annoyance. He kept looking toward the corridor where Wendy disappeared.

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    She shouted at him as if her pride was offended. His neat eyes nted upwards slightly.

    ¡°¡­Miss, As I don¡¯t know much about the social circles, I have no idea why you have been made fun of by otherdies. So, I don¡¯t know why I should take care of your offended feelings. Please forgive my ignorance, ¡± he said casually, looking at her dark green hair as if he saw a ridiculous woman. At a nce his remarks seemed polite but very cold in substance. He thought her hair was pretty dull,pared with Wendy¡¯s bright golden hair.

    ¡°You really are so mean¡­Who the heck is the woman you havee with? I really feel insulted¡­¡±

    She began to cry as if she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Her wet eyes were turned into evil eyes now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡±

    As he couldn¡¯t wait any longer, he urgently turned around, leaving her alone. Jean Jacques Simuan, who gently stuck his head out of the royal box, was seen looking at him with an embarrassed expression.

    Lard red violently at Jean Jacques. Stunned, Jean quickly came out of the royal box and began to appease her. Leaving them behind, Lard quickly turned down the corridor after Wendy and the knight.

    When he reached the end of the hallway, he saw the stairs leading to the third floor. Two of the imperial knights who stood there nkly recognized him and hurriedly greeted him, but Lard appreciated their greetings absentmindedly.

    His eyes turned to their arm badges at the moment. They were members of the 2nd Imperial Knights like the man who followed Wendy a minute ago. As his gaze at them was icy like a cold winter, the two knights freaked out on the spot.

    ¡®Did we do anything wrong to him?¡¯ They were wondering without knowing the exact reason.

    He was notorious as the cold-hearted captain of the Imperial Knights division. He was walking in the same direction Dn had followed a woman. They spected Dn¡¯s aggressive professionalism might have annoyed Lard. Given his unusual annoyance and nervousness, they felt obviously something bad happened to him.

    As they spected, Lard was very displeased. He recalled the imperial knight who followed Wendy quickly. Lard wondered why the knight was following her despite her refusal?

    He shut up, pondering over why the two disappeared over the corner. He was obviously annoyed. Besides, he was stopped from following her briefly because Altarin¡¯s daughter suddenly appeared.

    Stepping into the hallway where they disappeared, he listened for the footsteps ringing the hallway. Now, he, trying to stay calm until now, began to run toward them impatiently.

    While he was running down the hallway, he pondered for a moment how to deal with the knight with blue hair.

    What if he did something rude to her?

    Lard¡¯s eyes subsided deeply. Depending on Wendy¡¯s answer, both the knight and the rest of the knights standing far away, would not be able to avoid his harsh reprimand.

    This kind of biased attitude didn¡¯t fit the captain of the Imperial Knights, but Lard, whose emotional waves stayed the same all the time, had no doubt about his judgment.

    As he thought he was more rational than others, his ominous feelings at the moment paradoxically served as the basis for his judgment.

    But when an oilmp in the middle of the corridor burned down thest of the wick and went out, Lard was instantly caught in a weird mood.

    ¡®Why am I getting so angry?¡¯

    For a moment, he narrowed his eyes as if he was probing on his emotional state like the philosopher exploring the essence of life.

    But he couldn¡¯t find the answer at once. He decided to put aside his doubts about his emotional change, given his position at the moment. Therefore, his anger would stay with him for some time.

    While he was running down the corridor, he couldn¡¯t hear the sound of their footsteps any more. Not only the sound of the woman¡¯s footsteps but also the knight¡¯s was no longer heard. Lard stopped walking. Although he passed through the forked hallways several times, he was sure he followed the correct hallway.

    As he began to walk again, suppressing his ominous feelings, he heard the sound of a door opening around the corner. What he heard after that was not the sound of the woman¡¯s heels clicking.

    When Lard turned the corner, he saw a young knight with light blue hair, as he expected.

    As soon as the knight saw him, he urgently adjusted his uniform and greeted him briefly.

    ncing at the young knight with an unpleasant look, Lard walked toward him and spoke dryly.

    ¡°You¡¯re new to me. Identify your name and affiliation. ¡±

    Although he belonged to the 2nd Knights division, he obviously recognized Lard Schroder, the captain of the 1st Knights Division. The young knight duly saluted and said with a disciplined voice, ¡°I am Dn Lennox of the 2nd Knights.¡±

    ¡°¡­ When were you formally knighted? ¡±

    ¡°I was knighted at the Sinuelst year.¡±

    Sinuel was a tournament for the Imperial Knights appointment held every fall, a festival of imperial knights and an opportunity for prospective knights.

    It was a contest named after the famous general of the Benyahan Empire, Sinuel Duroronis, who ranked first through the tournaments and finallypeted with imperial knights to test their qualifications. The tournament winner could not be knighted if they did not show good skills in sparring with imperial knights. There were, only a small number of people officiated as knights through the Sinuel, and sometimes there were none.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (9)

    ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never seen you before. You didn¡¯t seem to have done well in the contest before being knighted. ¡± Dn blushed at hisment.

    ¡°By the way, a little while ago, you ran quickly after a woman. What¡¯s wrong? ¡±

    ¡°Oh, no¡­ She didn¡¯t look good, so I followed her as I was worried.¡±

    ¡°Why did you desperately chase the woman who didn¡¯t look good?¡±

    Dn, thinking he was now rebuking him with that question, was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Well, thedy wanted to avoid me, so I wanted to clear the air¡­¡±

    Although Dn thought his reply wasme, he couldn¡¯t find any good excuse because he himself did not know why he followed her desperately. Maybe the woman¡¯s fluttering brown hair and her slender shoulders, and her back, which seemed so attractive that he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of her, reminded him of a woman he used to know. In fact, the woman he was chasing in vain a moment ago strongly made him think of the woman he once loved¡­

    Olivia Hazlet.

    She was his old lover, long lost to him.

    ¡°Sir Lennox, you have not yet mastered the etiquette as an imperial knight. When reporting something, you should not confuse your words. ¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will correct it, sir.¡±

    As Lard pointed out his way of speaking, Dn straightened his back and responded immediately.

    ¡°So, did you meet the woman and cleared the air? ¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find her.¡±

    ¡°Really? I heard the sound of a door opening and closing.¡±

    ¡°I went to the room, hearing someone moving in there, but she was not there. Perhaps I think I was mistaken. ¡±

    ¡°How do you not know the woman¡¯s whereabouts as you have desperately chased her?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know, sir.¡±

    Dn bowed with a shameful expression. It was a shame that as a knight, he followed her carelessly, and it was more shameful as he didn¡¯t know her whereabouts.

    ¡°I see. Sir Lennox, just return to your station. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ yes, will do, sir. ¡±

    Dn bowed to him, and looked back around the corner before leaving reluctantly.

    Staring at his back for a while, Lard quickly moved on.

    As he turned the corner, there was a door right next to it. He touched the doorknob without any doubt. He heard its clicking when he rotated it with his wrist.

    When he came in, the sound of the leaves rustling in the room first came into his view.

    Lard quickly turned his head toward the source of the sound, rather than striding into the room. The green leaves were shaking as the woman moved.

    ¡°Wendy¡­?¡±

    The rustling sound of the leaves stopped. The thin stalks hung on her fingertips moved slightly, neither of them paid attention to it.

    ¡°Howe you are here? ¡­¡±

    Wendy, who was busy removing the leaves from her body, slowly raised her head at his calling. His gray eyes met the woman¡¯s green eyes. She blinked her eyes as her face turned white. Looking at her, he was speechless for a while.

    ¡°¡­Sir Schroder. ¡±

    She opened her mouth reluctantly. Her eyes red at him as if she was up against an incredible reality. She couldn¡¯t think of any good idea of stopping the man who walked into the room right now.

    ¡°Oops! How did you get here? Please hold on! Please just stand there for a minute.¡±

    As she said, he stopped obediently, which went against the grain. As she didn¡¯t do anything even when he stood for a while, he again began to step towards her.

    ¡°No, please stand there!¡±

    Wendy, who had been rolling her eyes as she was so embarrassed, shouted hysterically at the man who was walking toward her.

    ¡®Why is this damn imperial knight suddenly appearing to drive me nuts?¡¯

    Falling into despair at the moment, she said, ¡°No, I think you had better leave instead of standing over there. As you can see, I¡¯m in a difficult situation at the moment, so just pretend not to know and leave!¡±

    ¡°Wendy¡­What the hell is going on here? I need to know your situation first before I leave. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Lard felt sorry for her because she didn¡¯t look good.

    ¡°¡­You see that I¡¯m surrounded by ivy. I have nothing else to exin. ¡±

    She spoke feebly rather than shouting at him.

    She swallowed though her mouth was dry. She felt the cold sweat on her back drip down her spine. She felt as if her body would turn into a bucket of water and pour down on the carpet. That would be the best solution, she thought to herself.

    ¡°What I mean is why are you surrounded by ivy? You aren¡¯t just surrounded. It looks like you wrapped your body with it on purpose¡­¡±

    Lard spoke as if he was frustrated. He observed her for a moment, but there was no sign that she had been harassed. Who would use ivy to suppress a woman? Nevertheless, Lard was constantly looking at her face and body because he couldn¡¯t find any reason to exin her current posture.

    ¡°That¡¯s because ¡­ ¡±

    She recalled all kinds of excuses she could make at the moment, such as her just pretending to be crazy, or being bewitched by a ghost, or being dragged by as an unidentified assant into the room. But there was no chance that Lard could believe her.

    ¡°¡­I was just looking atit because the ivy was growing so beautiful here. You know my job, it is my hobby, too. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ With the ivy wrapped around you? ¡±

    ¡°Yes! Feeling nts directly with my skin is the only way I check them! Do I have to exin it to you in detail¡±

    He frowned at once when she retorted sharply.

    ¡°¡­Well, if you insist, you may be right¡­ By the way, did you see the knight who just entered this room? ¡±

    She suddenly breathed in as he asked a question with a suspicious expression.

    She was so nervous about how much he knew the situation.

    ¡°Why are you asking?¡±

    She trembled nervously like leaves of the dark blue ivy.

    ¡°I saw an imperial knight following you¡­ I felt he opened and closed the door here. Didn¡¯t you see him? ¡±

    At that short moment, she was conflicted.

    ¡®How nice it would be if someone made a usible excuse for me!¡¯

    But it was her wishful thinking that could never be realized.

    She quickly put her brain to work, pondering over the best possible answer.

    ¡°In fact¡­¡±

    She swallowed dry saliva.

    ¡®Yes, this is the only answer I can give him!¡¯

    She decided to give him a reply mixed with truth and lie, and began to speak carefully, while moistening her lips with her tongue, ¡°I was so scared as he kept following me¡­I met a nobleman who treated amoner woman very poorly¡­I think I was overly worried about him. Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t need to. I think I was overreacting because I was too nervous on my way here¡­so I behaved in a funny way like this, wrapping this ivy around my body¡­¡±

    Although she felt her pride was offended when she described her actions as funny, she felt she couldn¡¯t find a more reasonable excuse in the current circumstances. It would be tens of times easier for Lard to dig up the previous situation than for her to remove the ivy from her body.

    She couldn¡¯t afford to cause any further trouble that could lead him to find out her rtionship with Dn as well as her original social status.

    ¡°Got it. That makes sense. It seems both of you seemed to have misunderstood each other.

    A little while ago I heard the knight saying that he followed you because you didn¡¯t look good.¡±

    Of course, Lard did not fully trust her but decided to pretend not to know.

    But she was upset about what he said because she felt he was questioning her after he already talked with that knight. Her eyebrows turned up sharply.

    ¡°¡­Are you ufortable like he said? ¡± Lard asked,ing closer to her.

    He seemed to be genuinely concerned about her condition.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine! Sir Schroder, could you please go outside if all your questions are answered? I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m very fine! Would you leave as you satisfied your curiosity? I will return to the concert after I have removed all the vine.¡±

    As she solved the urgent problem before her eyes, she tried every way to get him out of the room. She could feel rxed as he didn¡¯t make any further effort to question her, although he didn¡¯t seem to believe herpletely. Now, all she had to do was to clean up the vine around her body.

    ¡°Let me help you, as you barely can move alone.¡±

    After looking up and down over her body, he began to tear off the vine on her hair without her approval.

    ¡°Oh my god! What are you doing?¡±

    She shook violently, but she couldn¡¯t push him away.

    ¡°Let me just remove the vine until you can movefortably.¡±

    Ignoring her refusal of his help, he broke the vine from around her.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (10)

    Wendy freaked out and her thoughts fell into chaos at the rustling sound of Lard breaking the vine from her hair.

    ¡®What a jerk! How could you touch my hair without my permission?¡¯

    Staring at his chest, she held her breath because she might shout at him angrily the moment she breathed out.

    Meanwhile, Lard was feeling very strange while touching her tangled hair. As he moved his hands, the sweet scent of her hair tickled his nose.

    Normally he would hate such a sweet scent, but the scent of her hair softly touched his heart. It was the same scent he smelled in her flower shop. Back then he didn¡¯t like it, but he liked it this time. While trying to fight off the scent of her hair, he concentrated on removing the blue ivy leaves.

    When he focused on the ivy, its leaves on her head began to look like a small, pretty gand around her head. Although it was funny to call the ivy leaves on her brown hair a gand, they looked like it in his eyes.

    ¡®It looks like you can decorate your hair with a cor like this next time.¡¯

    Atst he nodded and thought to himself.

    Was it because he had cultivated a sense of women¡¯s fashion when he shopped with her the other day? Thinking about it, he chuckled to himself.

    ¡°You don¡¯t really listen to me, Sir Schroder!¡± Wendy shouted at him.

    Suddenly,ing to his senses, he asked, ¡°¡­ What do you mean? ¡±

    ¡°Do you have to approach me and make me feel ashamed? I refused your help. Why did youe over here and embarrass me?¡±

    At her icy response, he felt kind of woozy for the first time in his life.

    Refusing his help? He was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Thank you for your help, but what woman would want to show her ugliness to a gentleman?¡±

    Please be careful when you deal with other women in the future. If you behave like this, you will have no choice but to live with a sword without dating ady for your entire life.¡±

    He never expected he was rebuked by her, when he was actually upset with Dn for ignoring her request. Apart from his difort that he was now lumped together with Dn, he was shocked by the intensity of her anger over his help. He was strangely interested in her rejection but ignored it, which was his mistake. He was caught in a strange sense of shock now.

    ¡°¡­ Oh I see. Let me be careful,¡± He said he would keep her advice in mind as if he admitted his mistake without any objection.

    Unlike his confident attitude as usual, he looked downcast a bit.

    ¡°What are you doing now? Are you kidding me? Please do it quickly. ¡±

    Clearly she was not pleased with the way he removed the ivy leaves. She wanted him to remove them quickly.

    He began to remove them more aggressively.

    At that moment, she screamed, ¡°Oh my goodness! Are you going to tear my hair now? You have to be careful.¡±

    It seemed he pulled her hair as he tried to hurry.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡±

    He apologized without any objection again this time. If Jean Jacques Simuan had seen him at this moment, he would have been shocked with exmations, ¡®Oh captain! Howe our captain is so miserable¡­¡± He was at aplete loss.

    He moved his hands from her hair to her back. As the ivy leaves were stuck to her golden dress, he was dripping with sweat while removing them. Seeing him struggling to do his job in earnest, she refrained from spitting out any words that he would receive as insulting or painful.

    The room was quiet. Only the sound of the two people breathing and the rustling leaves filled the room.

    Every time his hands touched her back, she flinched and her body trembled, but she didn¡¯t feel any difort but she felt tense.

    ¡®Wait a minute. Did I give any food to the Poison Teeth today?¡¯

    She tried to ease her tension by taking pains to worry about her pet nt all of a sudden.

    The touch of his hands, which were ustomed to holding a sword, was surprisingly delicate. He now separated the ivy much more easily than she did. He was even more immersed in his job to get away from his chaotic feelings.

    She got suddenly shy when he finally touched her shoulders. She could feel his breathing and touching up close.

    ¡®Dang it! Howe this ivy coiling my body is so sticky!¡¯

    She began toin about the ivy vine,pletely forgetting that she had ovee a crisis thanks to the nt.

    ¡°How strange¡­It¡¯s stuck to your body like it was grown on your body from the beginning. Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible to coil the vine around your body like this.¡±

    Wendy yelled in amazement as he touched her on a sore spot, ¡°How ignorant and reckless you are to speak like that! Ivy sticks to anything well wherever it is. Have you ever grown ivy? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ No. ¡±

    ¡°Oh my goodness¡­ how could you say that without any experience of raising it?¡± She said, clicking her tongue.

    But he was still skeptical.

    ¡°¡­Besides, how could you wrap the vine up close to your head when you couldn¡¯t move your hands freely?¡±

    Given the shape of the coiling vine, it clearly wound around her starting at her feet. He tried to think otherwise, but he couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Well, that shows how talented I am! Don¡¯t you know how many years I¡¯ve been in the business of flower arrangement? Do you know anything about florists? You can¡¯t do this business just because you have money. Can you exin everything about swordsmanship easily enough? I guess there are lots of stuff you can¡¯t understand about swordsmanship. The same is true of this ivy. ¡± Wendy now began to speak with an air of defiance.

    He was just dumbfounded when she was on the offensive, rebuking his ignorance of the characteristics of ivy.

    ¡°¡­Oh, I see. I think that makes sense, hearing your exnation.¡±

    He agreed with her for now, which was a wise decision on his part.

    ¡°By the way, where did you get this vine?¡±

    ¡°Where? It was growing here on this wall, so I took it away,¡± she said after quickly ncing at the wall. Of course, he couldn¡¯t find any traces of ivy vines clinging to the beige walls.

    But he nodded again this time.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it rare to grow ivy indoors?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Nowadays, they sometimes grow ivy vines indoors. It¡¯s particrly well suited for a small room like this one, with no interior decoration at all.¡±

    She raised her index finger and answered every question.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, you are really asking so many questions now like a child! Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong. It¡¯s apliment¡­Now I¡¯ve answered all your questions, right? Can you step aside? Let me remove it myself from now on,¡± she said, looking at him with a sullen expression.

    Thanks to his hard efforts, she could now manage to move her hands freely.

    She didn¡¯t express any gratitude because he volunteered. Was there any reason for her to thank him when he did the job because he wanted to? She quickly looked at him, pouting.

    Anyway, he could free himself from separating the ivy, so he reluctantly stepped away.

    Though he had some other questions, he decided not to ask them. Of course, he still felt some strange regrets as he couldn¡¯t engage with her any more.

    She was frustrated as he moved slowly, so she was about to twist her body to give him a piece of her mind, but she found her lower body entangled by the ivy vine, which she tried to tear off violently but almost fell on the ground.

    When she lost bnce with a scream, he quicklyunched himself at her and stopped her from falling. She was now held aloft by his right arm helplessly. Their eyes met.

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    If he were the crown prince Issac von Benyahan who was crazy about the violin, what impromptu piece would he y at this moment? Wendy thought of such a funny image in this ridiculous situation. The title of the piece would be something like ¡°Amazing.¡±

    However, contrary to the impromptu she imagined at the moment, the orchestra¡¯s melodiesing from far away were very sweet and romantic. How would she look if she knew that the song was ¡°Romance for Violin and Orchestra¡±? She might gnash her teeth at the word Romance and would never listen to music again.

    Nevertheless, the violin melody yed by Isaac von Benyahan once again melted away her hardened feelings. The lyrical violin and Lard¡¯s sparkling gray eyes swayed her mind like spring willows.

    She seemed to have been captivated by the images of the silver popr by the river in her memories as the melody flowing from the violin.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (11)

    As the two got carried with the sweet melody, they didn¡¯t move for a while, just like the ivy vine wrapped around her body. While looking at each other¡¯s face without saying anything for a while, she finally opened her mouth first.

    ¡°¡­ It seems like this kind of thing happens often. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Nope, only second time.¡±

    Schroder was kind enough to pinpoint the number of their meetings.

    On a rainy day, he saved her from almost falling in front of her house.

    Regardless of the eyes of the two, the vine coiling around her leg tightened to hold her weight. At that moment, she unfortunately saw the vines sprouting from the carpet beginning to crumble one by one. Surprised by the sudden movement of the vines, he inevitably supported her leaning forward, which made them almost touch each other.

    He felt hot sweat oozing out of his nape. The feeling of his hand wrapping around her waist made her so embarrassed as if he touched her directly.

    ¡°Um. Sir Schroder, stop it. Would you please raise me up? ¡± Looking at his face, she barely spoke, ¡°¡­ Sir Schroder?¡±

    But Lard was looking silently at her face, without showing any sign of stepping away from her. Even when she appealed again, he wasn¡¯t swayed, just looking at her with his broad forehead, dark eyebrows and gray eyes like the winter night sky, the high ridge of his nose and tightly closed lips. There was some power reflected in his face that she could not resist.

    The moment she turned her eyes away from him, she felt like she was like a broken ship that had lost its anchor. She spaced out. All she could do at the moment was to look up at his face in the dark.

    All of a sudden, the moonlight outside the window suddenly shone into the room. When the man¡¯s shadow covered her face, she fell into the illusion that his face was oveid on hers. Amid their confusion, the violin melody constantly teased her ears, making her mind more dizzy.

    He was staring at her as if looking into her grass-green eyes was the only way for him to quench his curiosity. If somebody ignited a flint on his dry eyes, it would have burned well inside.

    Gulp.

    She swallowed as if she wanted to quench her thirst. But it was an obvious mistake that she swallowed at that moment because his lips, as if it were a whistle sounding ¡°Charge!¡±, were getting closer to her lips.She felt his hot breathing.

    ¡°¡­Sir Schroder! It looks like we were poisoned. We¡¯re out of mind¡­¡±

    She barely stuttered, trying to stop him. However, it was impossible to stop him who was already captivated by her soft lips. He would not stop even if he was severely punished for disobeying orders.

    ¡°Sir¡­?¡±

    She squeezed his forearm urgently, feeling her heartbeat pounding hard. As it seemed impossible to ask for his help at the moment, she was determined to raise herself by herself. While she was struggling to straighten up, she unfortunately ended up bumping her lips against his.

    ¡°Ooops!¡±

    At that moment, she felt like she experienced the mystery of the human body as if her heart expanded into dozens. She heard her heartbeat pounding like crazy in her ears, in her nape, around her chest, even fingers and toes.

    ¡®Oh my god¡­the poison is spreading now!¡¯

    She shivered unconsciously, murmuring to herself.

    As she was in a chaotic state of mind, perplexed by the situation she brought on herself, he was as much distracted as she. His dry lips felt hot. His upper lip felt burning when it bumped against hers, but her body temperature and touch were more intense. If that¡¯s what she called ¡®poison,¡¯ it sounded like a deadly poison because it was something like terrible attraction.

    He should have been wary of that from the beginning. Since he was already addicted to it, he might be able to recover it.

    Feeling his eyes turning to her face unconsciously, he thought he wanted to feel the soft touch of her lips.

    ¡®Is this also one of the symptoms of poisoning?¡¯

    He pondered over it for a minute. When he saw her embarrassed face, however, he realized shamefully that he was obsessed with pursuing his own desire at the moment.

    He raised her cautiously but regretfully. He briefly wrestled with her when he reluctantly pulled his arm from around her waist. This might be another symptom of ¡®poisoning¡¯. In no time he was convinced of the existence of ¡®poison¡¯ that she mentioned before, although they interpreted the poison differently.

    When she raised her body and shook her head, he again smelled the scent of

    the dye from her hair, which made him stand on alert again. Without his bted alertness, he would have helplessly been humiliated by his uncontroble actions before her.

    ¡°I think the air in this room is strange. I feel like we¡¯re exposed to poison here¡­¡±

    She began to talk gibberish. Although she fanatically fanned herself, she was obviously tense and embarrassed at the moment. Even if she did so by ident, she didn¡¯t want to admit that she kissed this imperial knight.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, could you open that window?¡± She said, pointing to the window through which the bright moonlight was streaming in.

    But he was staring at her face instead of walking to the window. Then he walked up to her and extended his arms to lift her quickly. She was dumbfounded at his unexpected actions.

    ¡°Oops! Sir, what are you doing now?!¡±

    As if he couldn¡¯t hear her screaming, he turned freely toward the sofa in the room.

    While she was agonizing over how to defend herself, he gently dropped her on the couch.

    ¡°As you would feel ufortable with standing like that, just sit there and remove the remainder of the vines.¡±

    It was certain that he did so in consideration of her legs.

    When he was done, he, not forgetting her request, approached the window and opened the tightly closed window. Late at night, the cool air cut through his cheeks and blew into the room. She felt a bit relieved when exposed to the cool air.

    Even though he was standing still, he heard something throbbing in his heart for the first time in his life. Actually, he had never felt it before he was knighted, became the chief of the 1st Knights Division or even when he defeated Sir Crechman, the best swordsman of the empire.

    ¡°Like you said, there¡¯s a strange poison in this room.¡±

    He breathed the cold wind deep into his heart. As the moonlight shone over his face like the sun glowing in midsummer, he stroke his cheeks shyly.

    ¡°Oh, I agree¡­I feel dizzy, my head is pounding, and I feel nauseated¡­ Do you have any of these symptoms? ¡±

    She stuttered several words that she herself felt rather embarrassed to say it. Her whole face turned red.

    ¡°¡­Exactly. I seem to be experiencing all those symptoms at once. ¡±

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re more sensitive to the poison than I am. I feel I am fine now. If you are exposed to some cold wind, you will feel better soon. ¡±

    He giggled as she continued to preach about ¡®poisoning.¡¯ He knew a conversation like this was ridiculous, but nothing seemed more appropriate to exin his strange feeling.

    However, he could not agree with her when she said he would feel fine if he were exposed to a cold breeze.

    ¡®Will I really feel better?¡¯ He stroked his cheeks once again.

    ¡°I hope you can forget what happened in this room. I mean things like my misunderstanding of the imperial knight a little while ago, this ivy, me pping your face by mistake, oh, and identally bumping into you. Please forget it all after you leave the room.¡±

    She said, carefully tearing off the ivy on the front of her dress. It seemed she felt so ashamed that she couldn¡¯t raise her head. He did not raise any objection, although her description of her pping his face or bumping into him by mistake was all wrong. From his point of view, it was a serious false statement as well as the fabrication of the fact.

    When he kept silent, looking out the window, she suddenly raised her head towards him, ¡°Sir Schroder, are you listening to me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±

    This time he replied timely. Upset about his vague attitude, she red at him, ¡°Anyway, I hope you forget about what happened today. You don¡¯t have to me that young imperial knight. I know you won¡¯t, of course.¡±

    He didn¡¯t reply again.

    ¡°¡­By the way, I¡¯m so sorry that you missed the concert because of me. If we go back as soon as I remove the vines, can we enjoy the end of the concert? The Crown Prince said he would check you out in the royal box. I¡¯m afraid he will be angry if he doesn¡¯t find you there.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you just mentioned the Crown Prince?¡±

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (12)

    Looking away from the window, Lard turned to her with a slight frown.

    Hesitating a bit, she brought up a new topic to change the awkward atmosphere, but it was something she found difficult to say.

    ¡°Well, I met the crown prince before meeting that imperial knight. Ah! Of course I met him by chance as I was lost¡­¡±

    ¡°The crown prince? Did he do anything rude to you?¡± He asked, interrupting her. As he was talking about the crown prince, she found his way of speaking was rather unusual.

    ¡°I¡¯ve experienced some embarrassing moments, but¡­ ¡±

    Looking at his frown curiously, she briefly briefed him about what happened between her and the crown prince. As the crown prince asked her to convey to Lard the message that he would send her invitation to the Burgonu Forest hunting contest through Lard, she felt it was right to tell him in advance and seek his understanding.

    Anyway, she knew the whole thing was her fault.

    ¡°The crown prince is a little entric¡­Humm¡­Burgonu Forest hunting contest.¡±

    Although ¡®entric¡¯ was not enough to describe the whole personality of Isaac von Benyahan

    Lard didn¡¯t borate.

    ¡°It may be a nuisance to you, but it was ordered by the prince¡­ I think I have no other choice but to apany you that day. Please do not be offended.¡± Lard casually said he had no problem when she politely asked for his understanding.

    As the prince¡¯s weird behavior was already widely rumored, Lard was just worried about what kind of entric behavior he had shown this time.

    In fact, the prince had some hard feelings about Lard, in particr. He began to feel bad about Lard after he smashed the prince¡¯s head with the handle of a sword after he threw a sword at the training center. Lard did not overlook the prince¡¯sck of discipline as far as swordsmanship was concerned.

    When she was done telling Lard about the prince, she again began to separate the ivy from her dress. Lard nced at her and noticed that one of her shoes was still in the spot where she had stood. The golden chain that had been around her ankle was broken andid across the carpet.

    He walked over to pick it up cautiously without making the chain clink against the shoe. He momentarily thought she lost the shoes because of the disturbance in the hallway. He quickly nced at her face.

    On the spot where the shoes had remained, there were ivy vine and leaves that had fallen from her body. While he was looking at the floor carefully, he saw the odd and familiar scene of the ivy sprouting from the carpet. It was part of the vine that had initially been wrapped around her legs, but was broken when she removed it. He pulled it gently. It was clearly rooted in the carpet.

    From amon sense point of view he could not understand it easily. Nheless, it was not strange or unfamiliar to him because it was very simr to that sticky grass he had seen at Rajabude Museum. The grass sprouting out of the carpet and the emergence of a nt that didn¡¯t suit the room at all.

    Lard again looked at the side of her face. The various suspicious circumstances he had been wondering about were intricately intertwined in his mind.

    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m finally done! Sir Schroder! I¡¯ve seeded thanks to your help! Look! Is my dress okay?¡±

    She eximed to him with an excited voice. Freed from the ivy wrapped around her body, she was happy beyond description. And it wasn¡¯t an overreaction, given that she had a hard time removing it until now. Responding to her happy reaction, he quickly walked over to her and ced the shoe in front of her foot.

    ¡°Good job. The shoe was broken, as you see,¡± he said, searching for a handkerchief in his pocket.

    After he removed the chain from the broken shoe, he tore the handkerchief then tried to put it back on the ring of the missing chain.

    When he seeded after several attempts, he put the shoes on her foot, and carefully tied the handkerchief around her ankle. Adjusting his grip to tie it around her thin ankle so she wouldn¡¯t feel any pain was something he had never done.

    While he was at it, she was at a loss about what to do.

    ¡®Is this guy not yet detoxified?¡¯

    When he touched her ankle to tie the handkerchief, she felt dizzy. She was kind of in panic at his excessive kindness for a while, which she couldn¡¯t understand. After all, she barely opened her mouth, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that handkerchief a gift you received from another woman? If that¡¯s the case, I think I¡¯ll feel ufortable.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Do not worry because I have never epted a handkerchief from any woman. ¡°He said gently, looking at her face. While watching her feeling embarrassed, he tried to erase the images of the ivy fully embedded in his mind. Despite such efforts, however, his eyes kept turning to the side of the couch where the ivy had magically sprouted from the carpet.

    ¡°Well, have a good night.¡±

    ¡°You, too! Goodnight!¡±

    Seeing Lard off after he escorted her home, she finally managed to ovee the awkward atmosphere.

    In fact, she avoided meeting his gray eyes several times as she couldn¡¯t look straight at him.

    He responded calmly to her, as if she was the only one who cared about her lips bumping into his. It would have been more ufortable for both of them if they had felt very uneasy about it. At the end of the concert, she could barely return to the royal box and managed to reassure Isaac von Benyahan that had not left early. Actually, the curly-headed man on the stage looked at the brightly lit royal box to find her. She felt creepy when she noticed the prince trying to confirm that she was in the royal box with Lard. She felt she was caught in a troublesome situation. She worried her lip.

    The good news was that she didn¡¯t run into Dn Lennox again. There was only one knight standing with discipline near the stairs where Dn had been standing, but she could not find him.

    She was astonished when the knight saluted Lard with a loud voice when he passed by.

    Other than that, there was nothing surprising or disturbing when she returned to the royal box.

    Of course, Lard cast a cold nce at the knight saluting him loudly.

    Anyway, she felt greatly relieved because she didn¡¯t see Dn again. She had no way of knowing that actually, Dn¡¯s seniors were interrogating him at that moment over his pursuit of her because of Lard¡¯s extremely cold gaze at them.

    Awakening from her idle thoughts, she staggered toward the second floor.

    Like a flower that bloomed in the day and fell at sundown,, she was overwhelmed with exhaustion. She went through a series of events that she couldn¡¯t endure today.

    Shey on the bed in her dress and stayed put for a while.

    Gradually, her nk expression changed. She closed her slightly open lips as if to utter something emotionally. In no time, she began to scream hysterically.

    In her screaming, she harshly reproached herself.

    ¡®How stupid I was! Why did I suffer all this humiliation and embarrassment by going to the concert? I would have been better off rejecting his offer like a coward.¡¯

    She rolled around on the bed angrily. As she moved and raised her legs up and down, not only the nket but also her dress were crumpled and messed up, but she didn¡¯t care.

    Her head was spinning like a top. Although she barely overcame the crisis,she only bought a little more time to save her face. She was not sure what Lard thought about her when he found her coiled with the ivy vines. There was no chance that Lard, noted for his strict and meticulous attitude, could take her far-fetched exnation at face value.

    ¡°Well, he might have some suspicion even now, but as I strongly rified, he will let it pass.¡±

    But she didn¡¯t believe that he would.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± She began to scream again.

    ¡®How could I do something so stupid?¡¯

    She felt like crying. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

    The problem was that this crisis would not over. The Burgundy Forest hunting contest wasing up and Crown Prince Isaac had demanded her presence to alleviate his boredom! She was supposed to attend the event eight dayster. Unless the prince had amnesia and forgot what she told him, or an unusual spring rainy season came soon, there was no chance that the huntingpetition would be canceled. She had no choice but to brace for another crisis.

    Apart from her forced encounter with Lard, the fact that she might bump into Dn again was even more frightening to her.

    Wendy jumped out of bed and sighed deeply as she couldn¡¯t control her nervousness.

    The moment she was about to take off her golden dress and throw it on the bed, she noticed a white handkerchief tied around her right ankle.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Please don¡¯te to the evening concert (13)

    Touching the smooth surface of the handkerchief gently wrapped around her ankle, she blushed, recalling Lard¡¯s face, who had been racking his brain on how best to tie it on her ankle.

    ¡®Lard Schroder, why was he so kind to me?¡¯

    As far as she knew, he was notorious for being the most unfriendly man in the empire.

    So, it was natural that she thought his excessive kindness strange. He acted strangely to her today, as if he changed his skin.

    She narrowed her eyebrows because she couldn¡¯t find any proper words to characterize his erratic behavior today. She had to work hard to shake off herplicated thoughts which tormented her all day long.

    Soon, she tilted her head for a moment as if she was done agonizing about it. She put her palms together because she remembered the crest of the Schroder family drawn on his wagon.

    ¡°A crazy lion. Yeah, he looks like a mad lion that has forgotten its nature, trying to dive into the ocean after forgetting its ecological habits! ¡±

    After she spat it out, she nodded as if she loved a perfect analogy to describe him.

    A crazy lion! What a perfect analogy for him! A lion that acted recklessly enough to jump into the sea and struggled against the water. While she was immersed in such thoughts, she had no choice but to click her tongue.

    The biggest problem was that the lion was okay, while Wendy Waltz, who had been watching him, was not okay at all.

    She held her breath again when she recalled the images of him closing his eyes leisurely after wrapping his arms around her waist gently. She knew right at that moment, her lips bumped against his lips by mistake, which she thought was causedrgely because of Lard, the mad lion¡¯s insane behavior.

    She stroked her lips several times with the tip of her finger. The reason she screamed at him that he was addicted to ¡®poison¡¯ was because she had been so embarrassed that she almost spaced out. Why did she express it with the word ¡®poison¡¯? She couldn¡¯t raise her head from the shame. She shook her head several times, feeling ashamed about her stupid actions.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    After a deep sigh, she began to untie the knot around her ankle as if she now pulled herself together. ¡®Oh my goodness! This guy tied it too tight!¡¯ The handkerchief was tied very tightly. Obviously, he tied it very tight so that it wouldn¡¯t loosen as she walked.. She pushed and pulled it in various manners to undo the knot, but all failed. She was gradually getting annoyed as it was almost impossible to undo the tie.

    Lard used a unique method that only the imperial knights used when knotting something. Without knowing that, she spent a lot of time in struggling to untie it in vain. In the end, she got frustrated and angry.

    Eventually she gave up undoing the knot, andy back on the bed helplessly. She looked down at her ankle again. She was really bothered by the handkerchief because she felt like it still held the warmth of his body. She meaninglessly rubbed it with the other ankle to shake off that strange feeling.

    In the end, the warmth of his body from her ankle began to spread all over her body and led her to sleep before she knew.

    Olivia¡¯s dazzling golden hair fluttered in the air. Every time the sound of the horse running across the field was heard, the hot snorting of her ck horse froze into a white cloud because it was pretty cold during the winter season. As white snow was piled up here and there on the field, she was more excited about riding the horse across the fields, avoiding deep drifts of snow.

    It was because a mysterious white trail of light caught her eye that she stopped the horse in full gallop.

    Was it a heap of snow?

    She opened her eyes slightly to check if it was a light reflected in the sunlight, but the lighting across the sky moved strangely. Wiping off the sweat on her forehead, she leaned her head to one side to check it closely.

    She was riding the horse towards the ce where the light came from. As she got closer to the trajectory of light, her heart began to pound hard unconsciously.

    Soon, she reached the epicenter of the light.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Looking at it, she blew her breath in excitement.

    The movement of a sword scattered white light against the sunlight. As if enthralled by it, she looked at the light embroidering the snowy field. The man¡¯s blue hair, which was more blue than the blue sky with no clouds, briskly fluttered in the wind.

    She watched the man for a long time. Perhaps she felt an indefinite freedom in the man¡¯s movement. She didn¡¯t feel it was a waste of time that she spent her free time riding a horse with a sense of freedom like the man.

    A littleter, she was staring at him until the man stopped wielding the sword and gazed at her.

    After putting the sword back into its sheath, the man approached her as she continued to stare at him nkly, and smiled brightly. His smile was soft and gentle like sprouting buds in spring.

    Olivia felt her heart sink because she had never seen any man smiling at her like that.

    She felt sorry because she couldn¡¯t respond to him in a timely manner.

    ¡°Are you the countess¡¯s daughter? I rode a horse all the way to the outside of my father¡¯s estate. I never expected to meet a preciousdy. My name is Dn Lennox, ¡± he said cheerfully. His clear blue eyes were bent like a ridge when he smiled at her.

    It was when the buds of the trees, which almost looked like his smile, came out that they met again.

    On the day when the fragrant scent of flowers was all over the field, she impatiently rode her horse to the field where she couldn¡¯t visit during the whole winter.

    ¡®Can I meet him again?¡¯

    Since she didn¡¯t want to toy with such futile hopes, she did not mount the horse to go there. But her strong resolve to stay away from him crumbled when she rode to the edge of the estate where she had met Dn before. Since she arrived short of breath after riding the horse for the first time in a long time, she couldn¡¯t pull the reins of the galloping horse properly.

    It neighed violently.

    While trying to calm down the neighing horse, she looked around carefully. But she could not find him anywhere.

    ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s impossible I can see him again.¡¯

    Disappointed so much, she mounted the horse back and left the ce. But she couldn¡¯t help but keep looking backwards, hoping against hope that she could meet him by chance.

    A littleter she rode to the border of his estate, which faced the forest, and tied the horse to a wooden post. Since the soft grass was sprouting everywhere, the horse filled its stomach quickly. With a deep sigh, she walked to the nearby pond and squatted down.

    In the pond, there were a lot of frog eggs floating under arge lotus leaf.

    When she picked up a long wooden rod and unintentionally poked the frog eggs with it, they were broken loose and spread all over the pond. She enjoyed ying with the rod mischievously.

    ¡°Olivia, do you think you¡¯ll be safe? The mother frog is staring at you ferociously. ¡±

    Stunned by someone¡¯s sudden voice, she raised her head. On the other side of the low hill, Dn Lennox stood, smiling at her. His bright blue hair shined against the sun and fluttered in the wind. He was the same man she saw on the field in winter.

    At that moment, a frog jumped onto the lotus leaf. Surprised, she moved back hesitantly and flopped down on the ground helplessly. In the process, the wooden rod slipped out of her hand and sank deep into the pond quickly, creating a couple of bubbles.

    Dn came down the hill quickly and approached her, seeing her surprised. Although his luxurious shoes were stained with mud as he trod near the edge of theke, he didn¡¯t care.

    When he came up to her, he reached out.

    ¡°Sorry. I think I surprised you,¡± he said politely.

    Although she wasn¡¯t sure if it was the frog or he that surprised her, she looked at his hand nkly without asking anything then took his hand cautiously when he looked down at his hand awkwardly.

    The croaking of frogs was filling the pond.

    Wendy tossed and turned in bed before she woke up after a long dream as the dazzling sunlight came through the window of her room in the morning.

    Her whole body ached as if she was not fully recovered from the fatigue of the previous day.

    As she slept in ufortable posture with her dress and shoes on, she didn¡¯t sleep well.

    She felt she heard a frog croaking somewhere, so she looked around, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

    But there was nothing like a frog indoors.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (1)

    After yawning, she patted her neck as if it felt stiff. After she stretched a couple of times, she looked down at her feet again. She saw the golden shoe still on her right foot to her annoyance.

    After slowing getting up, she rummaged through her drawer and found a small pair of scissors. Her eyes looked down at the shoe. Her eyes were glowing as if she was determined. Then, she cut it off without hesitation.

    The handkerchief fell to the floor as if to ridicule Lard¡¯s meticulous efforts to tie it around her ankle the previous day. Strangely enough, she briefly felt empty when she cut it as if all the leaves had been removed from a tree branch.

    Hiding her momentary emptiness, she found the other shoe and put them deep inside the shoe rack, then hurried to the bathroom.

    She went out of the bedroom so quickly with a chilly look that even the pink petals of the ¡®Poison Teeth¡¯ hanging on the door frame swayed. When its peace was disturbed like now, the nt would typically expose its sharp teeth between its petals. She would usually cast a quick nce at the nt, but she quickly went straight to the bathroom this time.

    What happened at the concertst night was meaningless to her. Neither Lard Schroder nor Dn Lennox and Prince Isaac could affect her anyway. So, it was natural that she didn¡¯t care at all about the handkerchief tied around her ankle.

    She took off her gown roughly as if she was trying to control her excited feelings and steeled herself to face any problem.

    She believed that the swollen frog eggs floating by the pond had drifted away in the rain two years ago. She would never hear anything like the croaking of frogs even in her dreams. She didn¡¯t want to see the brilliant light of his sword again even in her memory.

    She closed his eyes tightly as water dripped all over her body. The drops seemed to reflect her disturbed heart. She wrapped her face with her hands under the stream of water. The sun shining through the opening of the curtains was streaming in like a haze.

    When she left of her house, she turned her head casually and noticed a dead ash tree on the street facing her house. It was still a small dry and scrubby little tree. It looked all the more so, surrounded by the green leaves of the trees on the streets.

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do for you.¡¯

    She turned her eyes from it. Although she could grow new nts, she did not have the ability to bring back dead nts. She trudged along the street weakly.

    ¡°Ugh! Sister!¡±

    She heard a familiar voice calling her while walking down the street. She saw her neighbor¡¯s boy, Benfork, squatting on the sidewalk and waving his hands at her. He was with three naughtly boys, all gathered at the same spot.

    ¡°Benfork, what the heck are you guys trying to do there? Dirty tricks again?¡±

    He frowned at her cold response.

    ¡°Hey, sister, why are you so mean to me? Your harshnguage doesn¡¯t go well with your beauty.¡±

    ¡°Who is she, Benfork?¡± asked a guy on the side, tapping his shoulders, when Benfork grumbled. He was a pretty cute boy with big eyes.

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s my sister living next door,¡± Benfork replied, spitting like his bad brothers in the neighborhood did.

    ¡°Oh, you mean that sister you were cursing all the time? Oops!¡±

    As if embarrassed, Benfork urgently shut his mouth, and in the process his saliva got stuck on his chin.

    She twisted her upper lip and looked at his dirty chin.

    ¡°Benfork, look at how dirty you are, drooling like a child! By the way, it seems you spoke ill of me behind my back a lot. I am your guys¡¯ gossip topic?¡±

    ¡°No, sister. This bastard mistook someone else for you. By the way, you were on your way to the flower shop, right? I¡¯m sorry to have bothered you like this. Goodbye, sister! ¡±

    Benfork shook his hands, wiping his drooling mouth with his sleeves. He said goodbye urgently as if to send her off as soon as possible.

    But one of Benfork¡¯s friends, ignoring Benfork¡¯s interference, said, ¡°Well, I have heard a lot about you. I hear Benfork just bit his head off whenever he tried to put a trick on you. So, I have been wanting to meet you one of these days. I¡¯m honored to see you like this! ¡±

    ¡°Hey, stop talking and stay still,¡± said Benfork, hurriedly squeezing his neck while putting his arms around his shoulders.

    ¡°Oh, dang it! Why! I hear you were beaten hard by your dadst time because of that sister! Let go of me! I¡¯m going to get even with her on your behalf today! ¡±

    Wendy stared at him as if he was ridiculous when he showed immature behavior.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s right, Benfork. You shouldn¡¯t mess with your friends. By the way, I would like to hear what kind of revenge this guy is talking about. Can you tell me how you are going to get back at me?¡±

    At that moment, the guy who threatened her coughed suddenly.

    ¡°I hear you have been training at the Carmail martial arts center for a long time. In fact, I¡¯ve been training at the Jason martial arts center. How about a showdown with me here? ¡±

    The guy stretched his fist up and down, pretending to intimidate her. It looked like he had trained at the center for two or three months.

    As it was not permitted for general citizens to possess swords under the imperialw, most of them went to the martial training centers to master self-defense skills. Although they didn¡¯t teach swordsmanship at the martial training centers, imperial soldiers or those who showed extraordinary martial talents were taught swordsmanship skills, too.

    The Jason center was a very famous martial arts center like the Carmail in Wendy¡¯s neighborhood. It seemed Benfork¡¯s friends had some training at the Jason¡¯s.

    ¡°If I ept your suggestion and win the fight, what are the benefits for me?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll do whatever you want,¡± said he, holding his head high.

    Sheughed at him, making mock of his arrogance.

    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t say that so easily, little boy. Are you serious? ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a little boy! You can¡¯t say that if you look at my strong muscles. So, how about sparring with me?¡±

    ¡°What are you going to take from me when I am defeated?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make you cry,¡± he bluffed her, lowering his voice. She wanted to punch him in the head right away as he was getting too cocky.

    ¡°You guys see eye to eye with him, right? I¡¯m asking if you guys are in the same boat.¡±

    At her question he tapped his friends¡¯ shoulders to agree.

    When they reluctantly nodded, she grinned at them.

    ¡°Good. Let me give you a special chance to make me cry. Follow me, guys. I don¡¯t want to make you look miserable here.¡±

    She led four boys to the Carmail martial arts center, changed into her training cks and stood in front of the boy. Benfork was very nervous as if he was worried about her safety.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    Some trainees at the center who watched their showdown curiously stood round the two.

    Fortunately, Yoda was not among them because the cksmith¡¯s shop where he worked was busy at this time. She stood face to face with him with ease. As if he was conscious of those around him, he rolled his shoulders to warm-up. His stout build showed he had some experience in fighting.

    ¡°Okay, sock it to me, sister! ¡±

    She focused her eyes to look for his weakness. She was not foolish enough to attack him rashly. She always kept in mind her master¡¯s advice that it was more important to attack the other party¡¯s weak spots than fight face to face with him when he just relied on his strength alone.

    When she didn¡¯t attack him quickly as he expected, he reached for her impatiently. She lowered her body further and kicked his shin as hard as she could when he tried to grab her by her neck.

    As his body bent forward with a low moan, she hit his neck with the edge of her hand then grabbed and twisted his arm as he fell. Obviously, the boy was not formally trained at the center. She felt him struggling in her hold. She twisted his arm even more painfully.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± The boy screamed, exaggerating pain.

    ¡°If you cry loudly now, let me forgive you for your arrogance so far,¡± she said, challenging him.

    ¡°Ah, why should I cry?¡±

    ¡°Hum¡­ then, are you going to admit your defeat?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes! So, let go of me quickly! ¡±

    As he surrendered, she let go of him, but his friends felt bad at his poor performance and unexpected surrender.

    ¡°Ah, you idiot!¡±

    When his friends charged at him and hit him, she just ignored them and quickly went into the fitting room of the center to change clothes. They would need some time to work out their their humiliating situation.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (2)

    A littleter, they came out of the center and headed for her flower store. As they promised to do whatever she wanted them to do, she was determined to give them some hard assignments.

    ¡°Hey, boys, introduce yourself one by one.¡±

    They started to introduce themselves one by one.

    The boy who confronted Wendy first introduced himself first, ¡°I¡¯m Carnewin.¡±

    He rubbed his short-cut hair hard. Unlike his daring and reckless attitude a moment ago, he was downcast and his round eyes sparkled. She thought he was cute.

    ¡°I¡¯m Tom.¡± Tom¡¯s eyes nted up. She looked at his head for a moment because of his impressively thick gray hair.

    The boy with freckles smiled shyly and said his name, ¡°I¡¯m Jerry.¡±

    Although they looked like worthless scamps at first, she found all of them basically good-hearted.

    ¡°Sister, you know my name already, right? Benfork. ¡±

    ¡°Of course, I do.¡±

    Benforkughed frivolously without knowing the situation. Carnewin¡¯s eyes red at him as Benfork was pretending to be close to her. When she sensed their staring match, she looked at Carnewin sharply. He made a dejected expression like a dog in the rain.

    ¡°But what kind of assignment are you going to give us today?¡± asked Benfork.

    Smiling brightly at his question, she said, ¡°Spreading fertilizer today. It¡¯s a little smelly. ¡±

    After leading them into the flower garden, she opened the door of the store.

    As she could easily solve the problem of spreading fertilizer that she put off until now,

    she felt as if a huge burden was lifted off her chest. No matter what special abilities she had, she needed to keep the soil fertile in order to keep growing healthy and beautiful flowers in the same ce repeatedly. Well-maintained natural fertilizers were very effective for growing flowers every spring, but the smell was hard to bear.

    It would be hard for her to stop by the flower garden for the time being, but she had no other choice. She had to endure the smell to grow more beautiful flowers.

    After a while, she set out to prepare a meal for the boys. She bought a bunch of bread from the bakery in the front alley and orange juice. The savory smell of the freshly baked Montrapi bread stimted the appetite. Montrapi was bread made by pounding Montraph barley ears. Montrapi bread was the mostmon staple of the diet of the Benyahan Empire. It could be savory and sweet but also cheap, so it was traditionally the favorite food for the poor.

    Except for the alpine northeast as well as the northwest of the desert climate, the Benyahan empire had a mostly hot, humid continental climate during the summer. There was a vast breadbasket region extending south of the central area where many inds were located.

    Most of themon people living in this area farmed Montrapi.

    People in Valletta, home to Earl Hazlet¡¯s mansion were surrounded by the endless waves of the yellow ears of Montrapi in the fall as many of them farmed Montrapi.

    In recent years, the Montrapi yield was not as good as the previous years, but they were the main diet of themon people there.

    Wendy hurriedly moved the Montrapi breads into a basket and brought out her favorite fig jam. After buying ice for the boys, she began to set up the table slowly.

    Cling.

    The doorbell rang.

    As there were usually few customers at this time, she turned to the open door. She greeted the customer who entered the shop with a bright smile like a trader but immediately hardened her face at the sight of a familiar face.

    ¡°Hi, Miss Wendy. It¡¯s nice to see you again. Oh, you hair is back to blonde today.¡±

    Jean smiled brightly at her hair.

    ¡°¡­What business has brought you here today? ¡±

    ¡°Flower! I stopped by to buy flowers.¡±

    ¡°¡­What kind of flowers are you looking for?¡±She asked with a suspicious look. It was natural that she was suspicious of his real intentions because he it was unlikely that he came to her shop to buy flowers. After looking at the numerous flowers in the shop, he pointed his fingers at the white lilies.

    ¡°Ah! That would be nice. Would you please pack one bundle?¡±

    She reluctantly nodded because she couldn¡¯t drive out a customer. Picking up a bunch of lilies and trimming them, she began to wrap them in fine colored paper. There was heard only the sound of her wrapping it as they were silent.

    Conscious of her demeanor, he looked around the shop carefully, ¡°It looks like you have been preparing for a meal. Is anybodying? It looks like it is a big meal.¡±

    ¡°Some boys are helping me some garden work. I was going to eat with them. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± Jean hesitated for a moment, ¡°Wendy, actually, the real reason I came here was¡­¡±

    When he said that, she stopped trimming them and looked at him. Although the the colored paper beautifully matched the flowers, Jean¡¯s purpose of his visit seemed to have nothing to do with flowers.

    ¡°In fact, I dared toe here to apologize to you for what happened. I am sorry I gave Melissa, a marquis¡¯s daughter, your address here, and I¡¯m also sorry for having made a fuss at the restaurant and the concert the other day. I thought you might have felt offended. ¡±

    Obviously, he was bothered until now after she gave him a piece of mind at the restaurant.

    ¡°¡­ Well, now that you mention it, let me shake off my bad feelings about you. Let me apologize to you if I made you feel unpleasant. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, not at all. Unpleasant? Don¡¯t say that! How can have that feeling as you are precious to my boss? Hahaha. I really appreciate it as you talk to me so frankly. I think my boss knows how to pick a good woman. You¡¯re so cool! ¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I was really nervous that you would hate all my life. I think it was good that I came here today!¡±

    ¡®Precious woman? What the hell is he talking about now?¡¯

    Her face gradually hardened as he kept babbling and specting about her rtionship with Lard.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you misunderstand me. I¡¯ve nothing to do with Sir Schroder.¡±

    With a frown, she put the wrapped lilies in his arms and cleaned up the mess left behind.

    ¡°Ah! I think I made thoughtless remarks again. Please forget about it, Miss Wendy. ¡±

    He hurriedly apologized and checked her mood. There was some noise when several boys came in from the back of the store. The boys chattered among themselves and opened their mouths wide when they found an imperial knight standing by her.

    ¡°Wow! Are you a real imperial knight? ¡± asked Carnewin, making a big fuss.

    The other boys¡¯ jaws dropped. They hurried up to him and looked at Jean with envy.

    ¡°Hi, guys. I hear you guys are helping Miss Wendy with the garden work. Good job!¡±

    He praised them with a serious look. They were excited by the imperial knight¡¯s praise.

    ¡°I¡¯m Jean Jacques Simuan. I¡¯m with the Imperial Knights. ¡±

    ¡°Wow, you are a real imperial knight. Really cool! ¡±

    Looking at the imperial knight¡¯s uniform, he kept repeating Jean was cool.

    As he again showed signs of drooling, she quickly squeezed his jaw joint.

    ¡°By the way, I smell something. What is it?¡±

    He tilted his head to the side and began to sniff. Obviously, he smelled the scent of fertilizer from them who just finished spreading the fertilizer..

    Embarrassed, the boy¡¯s faces turned red. When Jerry, who was standing quietly, scratching his nose, opened the door of the flower shop silently, the scent of the fertilizer came out.

    The guys didn¡¯t leave Jean¡¯s side until he had a few more words with them. Then he left the shop after paying for the lilies. The moment he said goodbye to her, they wanted to hold him a little longer.

    ¡°Okay, Miss Wendy, let me leave now. See you next time. ¡±

    As soon as he said goodbye, the guys yelled at him strangely and then held him up.

    ¡°Oh! Knight! You can¡¯t leave like this. Please eat with us. Please!¡±

    In particr, Benfork stopped him and spoke earnestly. Other boys, too, wanted to talk with him a little longer and quickly arranged a seat for him at the table.

    ¡°Oh, really? Are you sure?¡±

    They were cheering at him as he sat down next to them, while trying to read her mood.

    Although she red at these naughty boys, none of them cared.

    Resigned to the situation, she prepared additional tableware for him and filled a ss with orange juice and ice, he received it as if he was moved a lot.

    ¡°Um, knight! I¡¯ve got a question. Do you really cut and stab the bad guys with your sword?¡± asked Carnewin, cramming a big piece of bread into his mouth. Crumbs fell out of his mouth.

    ¡°Of course. When I have to draw a sword, I use it without any reservation. But I don¡¯t wield a sword recklessly because knights like me, who regard the use of swords as their fate, also know the value of life.¡±

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (3)

    Sweeping back his golden hair, he spoke with a sad look. The boy listened to him as he stroked his hair with his hand gently.

    ¡°You¡¯re really cool, knight. It looks like you are going to feel thrilled every day! ¡±

    ¡°Well, not necessarily. Maintaining equanimity is also very important to knights because their moods are reflected when they wield the swords. ordingly, it¡¯s very important for the knight to be wary of indulgence. It is not suitable for a knight to be swayed by emotions,¡± he replied calmly.

    Wendy was listening to him with interest while chewing ice.

    ¡°Are you and my sister here lovers, right? I think you are because you have personallye here to see her! ¡± Benfork said.

    The moment Benfork said that, she almost spit out the ice. It seemed that many around her were determined to characterize her as someone¡¯s lover. She really wanted to spit out some fowl words but barely put up with it.

    ¡°Oh no! How can I be disloyal to my boss? I¡¯m not such a brazen man, folks. Miss Wendy, don¡¯t get me wrong! ¡±

    Although it was not disloyal to his boss even if he dated Wendy, he took pains to deny it repeatedly, overreacting to Benfork¡¯s innuendo, but the fact that the boys narrowed their eyes slightly and whispered among themselves meant that they did not believe him at all.

    ¡°Knight, you¡¯re really cool. Wow, look at that calluses on your hand! Oh, I have some calluses on my hand, too. See, look here. All over my hands.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you didn¡¯t get them while wielding a sword. You told me the other day that you got that callus after pulling on the oars when you went sailing with Sara, man! Don¡¯t tell a lie.¡±

    Carnewin immediately found fault with Benfork¡¯s lies.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know, shut up. That was this hand, not this one with calluses! ¡±

    ¡°Dang it! Put your hands away. It smells like shit. I smell that fertilizer on your hand.¡±

    ¡°What did you say, you bastard? I smell the same thing on your hands! ¡±

    As their voices rose, Jean quickly interrupted them. As an imperial knight Jean Jacques Simuan was a guardian of peace.

    ¡°Hey, guys, stop it! Why are you angry at each other? I clearly told you than it wasn¡¯t wise to angry, didn¡¯t I? The proper attitude of a knight is to stay calm. You should keep that in mind if you want to be a knight. ¡±

    When he said that, the boys became quiet at once. He swept his hair back once again, trying to calm them down.

    When they went back to the flower garden after the meal, Jean and Wendy had an unscheduled teatime. Actually, he cast a nce at the messy tes on the table as if he wanted to help her clean them up as an imperial knight.

    ¡°Do you have anything more to say?¡± she asked, handing him a teacup.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m just trying to make friends with you because you¡¯re close to my boss.¡±

    It was a strange logic. It wasn¡¯t true that she was close to his boss. Even if it was true, he didn¡¯t need to make friends with her. At least, that¡¯s what she thought.

    After that, he talked gibberish. By the time he had his say, he brought up a topic that she could find useful. In fact, she was pondering over how to drive him out at the moment.

    ¡°There will be an imperial hunting tournament soon, but it seems that the crown prince is preparing something terrible. There are rumors that he will have all the women also ride horses for the hunting contest. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Women are going to participate in the contest?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know whether such rumors are true or not yet.¡±

    ording to him, the imperial Burgundy huntingpetition has been well received by the young nobles of the capital, thanks to the Burgundy tradition in which they donate the game to women.

    When women see men off at the entrance of the forest, they made a team to hunt and donates hunted game to the women. The order of donating is determined by the size and number of hunted game. When the winner of the hunting contest first gives game to the woman he chooses, that woman gets more attention than anybody on the day and bes the hero of thepetition with the man.

    For this reason, the number of young nobles who confessed their love to women or solidified their love through the Burgundy huntingpetitions increased.

    However, if the rumors circting now were true, the tradition of the Burgundy huntingpetition would be broken, and the romance of the young nobles would be destined to shatter. As a result, such rumors would be shocking news to these young nobles who had been waiting for this day earnestly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a primitive way. So, the strong male who hunts well take his favorite female, right?¡±

    ¡°What did you say a moment ago, Wendy? Did you say male? ¡°He asked, with his hands sweating. Obviously, words like male or female aspared to animals were unfamiliar to a pure imperial knight like Jean. He looked embarrassed at her straightforward remarks.

    ¡°Does the woman have any right to veto? Even if someone wins the contest, the woman he has in mind might not like it if he recklessly rushes to her with hunted game.¡±

    ¡°Well, veto? I have no idea. There has never been such a case in the huntingpetitions until now¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ that¡¯s a very irrational¡­Besides, the crown prince wants to proceed with thepetition based on the rules that he chooses, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, theee are only rumors, and they are not confirmed yet.¡±

    Wendy rather hoped that the rumors were true.

    She had no desire to participate in the love game of nobles. Above all, it went against her grain to chat with noble women while waiting for the men who went out for hunting.

    And there was no chance that the arrogant noble women would mingle with amoner like her. If she had to go there at the crown prince¡¯s invitation anyway, she would choose a morefortable situation.

    And if any of the women rted to Hazlet recognized her face, that would be a most embarrassing and terrible thing for her. In that respect, the prince¡¯s idea was wee for her.

    After he was lost in thought for a while, he spoke with a serious expression while stroking his chin, ¡°Oh, I like your description of the game. I have heard lots ofdies praising the Burgundy hunting contest as the crystal of romance, but it¡¯s the first time that I heard it described as primitive or irrational. You¡¯re looking at the contest from a different angle. Now that you mention it, I think yourment makes sense.¡±

    She shrugged her shoulders, as he now looked in good mood.

    ¡°So, are you also participating in the hunting contest?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I couldn¡¯t because I was on duty on the hunting dayst year, but I think I can this year, fortunately.¡±

    It seemed that he also had the romantic dream of finding a woman that he liked during the Burgonu huntingpetition. Given that he blushed a bit, he was obviously delusional with that vain idea. He might already have been imagining the romance of the century by choosing the woman that he wanted after winning the hunting contest.

    She was drinking tea, thinking that the knight¡¯s blonde hair and light green eyes were glistening like a woman¡¯s.

    ¡°Sister! We were done spreading all the fertilizer! Can we go back home now? ¡±

    Breaking the silence of the flower shop, Benfork rushed in and yelled at her, reporting that their mission was aplished. His face stained with dirt showed he eagerly wanted to go hack home.

    ¡°Did you spread it in the back of the rose garden?¡±

    ¡°No, because we had no more fertilizer¡­¡± Suddenly his voice shrank to half the size.

    ¡°Okay, go back today. Can youe back in two days? I will order some more fertilizer.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you want us toe again?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t you all promise to do whatever I wanted, right? I want you to finish spreading all the fertilizer in the garden.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god! You are so mean! Okay, I don¡¯t want to waste my breath arguing with you.

    Let me go and tell the boys about what you want.¡±

    Benfork, who was about to go back to the garden with a sullen face, suddenly stopped to see the imperial knight and stomped his feet repeatedly.

    ¡°Oh, knight! We¡¯ll be back here in two days. Can¡¯t youe over that day? Let me bring a wooden sword. Can you check my posture? Please?¡±

    Benfork was throwing a tantrum, hanging on to his arms. She frowned at this big boy ying the baby.

    ¡°Well, let me double check my work schedule on that day,¡± he said, smiling awkwardly as if he were in a difficult position.

    ¡°If you are not on duty that day, will youe?¡±

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (4)

    Benfork¡¯s eyes sparkled. He was not at all interested in swordsmanship until yesterday, but he was a totally different boy today, who seemed to risk everything on it, given his desperate begging. Obviously, meeting the imperial knight seemed to have caused a big shift in his monotonous life, but nobody knew when his newly revived interest in swordsmanship would disappear.

    ¡°Well, yes. If I¡¯m off on that day¡­¡± Jean reluctantly replied.

    When he said that, Benfork screamed in joy, ¡°Wonderful!¡±

    Looking at him, however, Wendy felt embarrassed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t feel pressured. If you ept his request like that, he will keeping to you for other things. I will tell them you can¡¯te because you work on that day. So, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± She said that on purpose to avoid getting involved with people around Jean rather than taking his difficult position into ount. Although she couldn¡¯t help it today, she wanted to avoid this kind of meeting with him in the future.

    But Jean clearly had a different idea. He suddenly opened his eyes and shook his head, saying, ¡°No, I can¡¯t lie to these children! I¡¯m not that type of person. As an imperial knight, I, Jean Jacque Simuan, can never lie to them.¡±

    Again, he emphasized his position as an imperial knight and reaffirmed his promise to the children. She looked into his eyes and said as if she wanted to break his own taboo, ¡°Of course, you can lie to them, Sir Simuan! I enjoyed talking with you today. See you next time when I get a chance to see you again. ¡±

    Then, she drove him out of the shop,but the chance that Wendy mentioned to him came too early, contrary to her expectations.

    She had to admit for a moment that she had forgotten that Jean Jacques Simuan was Lard Schroder¡¯s deputy because exactly two dayster he visited her shop as if he resembled his boss¡¯s persistence.

    The boys were were absorbed into spreading fertilizer.

    ¡°Wendy, I came to keep my promise. Are the boys inside? ¡±

    She clenched her teeth, looking at his bright smile, but she couldn¡¯t drive him out of the shop recklessly like she didst time because she knew all of them came back to the shop with wooden swords in their hands, expecting that Jean woulde today. She could not turn a blind eye to the boy¡¯s eyes filled with pure expectation and excitement.

    When he stepped into the shop, they rushed to him from the inside of the garden. He led them back into the flower garden.

    ¡°Be careful not to bend the flower stalks. Also, be careful not to tread on flower shoots while you guys are wielding wooden swords!¡± She shouted at them, but no one listened.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    She sighed a little and grabbed her coin purse to buy some snacks for the boys. After closing the flower shop for a while, she went to a local bakery and a restaurant. She ordered arge order of chicken fries in addition to the Montrapi bread.

    She was proud of the boys for notining about the fertilizer¡¯s smell and working hard. Of course, the boys obeyed her when they confirmed that she was stronger than them at the martial arts center, so it was naive to think they were mature enough to act gentlemanly overnight.

    While walking with her hands full of bags, she suddenly stopped because small dandelion seeds, drifting in the spring breeze,nded on her nose. The fluffy dandelion seeds gently tickled her nose.

    She gently blew it off her nose. The white, smooth, round puffs floated slowly in the air. As she watched the floating puffs, she had to blink her eyes in surprise when she saw a familiar figureing toward her.

    ¡°Hi, Wendy.¡±

    He was none other than Lard Schroder, the captain of the Imperial Knights.

    Holding the reins of Balos, he walked toward her with a poker face as usual. She may not have noticed him already smiling at her. He was in cheerful mood like a spring day.

    ¡°I was going to see you. Oh, you have lots of bags. ¡±

    Looking at her with her hands full, he took them from her.

    Taking over the reins of Balos and unexpectedly getting his help, she felt awkward, so she stroke Balos¡¯s neck helplessly. She wondered if the dandelion puffs she blew off a moment ago was tickling her right ankle. She knew he had tied a handkerchief around it.

    ¡°Oh, well¡­¡±

    Awkwardly looking up at his face, she pointed to his hair as if she had found something. Dandelion puffs sat on his dark hair. She was speechless as she felt the puffs might have been the same as the ones that hadnded on her nose.

    ¡°Well, you have dandelion puffs on your hair. Around this spot¡­¡± She spoke, grabbing her hair to show him where the puffs sat on his head.

    He tried to shake his head from side to side to get the puffs off. As he held her bags in both hands, that¡¯s all he could do, but the puffs remained, as if mocking his shaking.

    ¡°¡­ Stay still. Let me take it off. Would you bow your head slightly? ¡±

    Being unable to stand it, she reached over his head. As it sat on his temple, it was a bit difficult for her to get it off initially, but she easily took it off when she walked one step closer to him.

    His ck hair felt so smooth that she couldn¡¯t take off her fingers easily.

    She felt good about it.

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s gone. Let¡¯s go. ¡±

    Trying not to recall his gray eyes at the concert, she turned her eyes away from his face when he suddenly came near her. She didn¡¯t want to say something stupid thing again like ¡®poison¡¯ to avoid her difficult situation.

    ¡°Are you here to tell me about the Brugonu huntingpetition?¡± She said, breathing in the spring air fully. Walking side by side, he nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ve brought the invitation for you. It¡¯s written by the crown prince himself. I am embarrassed about how to react as the prince was so enthusiastic about sending the invitation.¡±

    ¡°Is the rumor true that he wants to have women participate in the contest?¡±

    He looked at her with a perplexed expression when she asked, ¡°How did you hear about the rumors?¡±

    ¡°Well, I heard it from Sir Simuan when he stopped by my flower shop. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sir Simuan?¡± He narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Sir Schroder, please tell me. Are women also taking part in the contest?¡±

    As she demanded the answer again, he looked at her face for a while and replied reluctantly, ¡°Yes. The crown prince ordered that not only women take part in thepetition, but also a man and a woman should form hunting teams.¡±

    She frowned slightly as she was recalling the prince¡¯s reminder that she could hunt whatever game it was, be it a beast or a beast-like man. She smelled a rat. Obviously, the prince was making up some strange tricks.

    ¡°It looks like the prince is a funny guy. As you know, I¡¯m going there reluctantly, but as you have to form a team with a woman, I think I have to follow to save your face. As I have never done any hunting, I don¡¯t know what to do. Do you participate in the contest every year?¡±

    ¡°No, thest time I was there was two years ago.¡±

    ¡°Did you win?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, you should have luck for hunting, but I was also very lucky. ¡±

    Although he didn¡¯t say directly that he won, his reply suggested he was a winner in the contest. She smiled briefly.

    ¡°Well, whichdy did you donate your award gift and honor to? Did you have a woman in mind at that time? ¡±

    He paused when she asked a barrage of questions. He wondered if she really asked as she was genuinely curious. As far as he knew, she was not the type of woman who asked such questions.

    ¡°Well, I gave it to the crown princess out of courtesy. I wanted to save the couple¡¯s face since the crown prince hates killing, I just showed my due manners instead.¡±

    ¡°Hummm¡­¡±

    She breathed out with a sigh as if she were a bit disappointed at his reply.

    ¡°The crown prince has decided to award an extraordinary prize for the winning team this time. He promised to give the title of Baron to both man and woman of the winning team, with the condition that they can¡¯t hand down the title. Nheless, this would be a great opportunity for the nobles who are not the sessors of their families, even though the title is not that high in the nobles¡¯ hierarchy.¡±

    Her eyes perked up at the mention of ¡®baron.¡¯

    Giving the title of ¡®baron¡¯ as a prize? She had never heard any imperial family awarding such title as a prize before. Even if baron was the lowest title in the nobles¡¯ hierarchy, it was nonsensical to award such a title to the winner of a hunting contest. The rumors that the crown prince was crazy, apparently, extended beyond his love for his violin.

    ¡°Baron? That¡¯s great.¡±

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (5)

    She was bothered when she recalled the crown prince¡¯s reassurances that he would do everything to make her rtionship with Lard go smoothly.

    ¡®No way! I hope not!¡¯

    Although she shook her head, she began to be consumed by ominous feelings.

    Those were the words of the crown prince when he met her at Jerus Hall. Although she wanted to refrain from terrible spection, his words were resounding in her ears ominously.

    How could he present the title of baron as a reward for the huntingpetition? Although she shuddered at the realization that she was entangled in the crown prince¡¯s strange actions, she couldn¡¯t just casually ignore his promise that he would support the union of her and Lard.

    What if the prince really offered the title as a reward with her in mind?

    Rise in status. To achieve it, her teaming up with Lard was almost the only chance. Moreover, Lard had already experiences of winning in the hunting contest.

    ¡°It seems like even the emperor has allowed his son to go ahead with this event as a reward for his decision not to stand on stage again. Besides, the emperor was happy about his full attendance at the cab meeting.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    She swept her golden hair with her fingers as if she wanted to calm down and wished she was just paranoid.

    ¡°The prince asked me if you could ride a horse, I told him you rode very well. He asked me toe and see him with you before the contest. I don¡¯t know why the crown prince is paying so much attention to you. Did you talk with the prince about something else? I mean, something that I don¡¯t know¡­?¡±

    When he said that, she avoided his eyes furtively.

    When she exined to Lard about how she came to meet the crown prince in detail, she didn¡¯t tell him that the prince showed too much interest in her rtionship with him. She also didn¡¯t tell him that the prince misunderstood their rtionship, and that the prince evenposed an impromptu song and yed it for her. As such, it was natural that Lard came to be suspicious of the prince¡¯s puzzling attitude and his real intentions.

    But she had no slightest intention of telling him about that strange, unpleasant episode. In fact, she felt very ufortable about the fact that she was misunderstood in terms of her rtionship with Lard. How could she tell him about it? She could never.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t remember it well because I bumped into him by chance,¡± she said with a sigh.

    She even assumed that the crown prince might be cooking up some n to link her with Lard. She felt as if the prince wanted to watch Wendy and Lard like two main characters on stage as stage director after bolstering their rtionship.

    As her assumption was true, the script written by the prince would most likely turn out as a failure as soon as the performance began because Wendy was not interested in the baron title. Of course, when she was living at the earl¡¯s mansion in the past, she once felt envious of a high social status. But now, she led a totally secluded life, hiding her past.

    Baron? She didn¡¯t miss nobility or want it. Besides, if she won the baron title at the hunting contest, she would be the hot topic immediately among those in the social circles in the capital. It would be a matter of time before Dn Lennox and the members of the Earl Hazlet family became aware of her existence. In fact, taking part in the hunting contest was a big risk for her! She didn¡¯t want to get caught up in such a troubling event.

    ¡°Giving the title of baron? How weird! It seems that the crown prince is really suffering from the effects of his retirement from the music stage,¡± said she,ughed bitterly.

    After he apanied her to the flower shop, he took out a golden envelope from his pocket. That was why he came to see her. The invitation to the hunting contest was stamped with the imperial seal.

    ¡°I will prepare your hunting costume on that day. I¡¯ll send you the costume tomorrow. If you feel something is missing, you can order it from the person who is bringing you the costume. As for the horse you¡¯re going to ride, I will prepare a good hunting horse for you, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Lard unterally talked about his n as if he wanted to avoid shopping with her again like he did recently. She thought about opposing his n for a minute, but this time she decided to give it a pass. Anyway, it was she who was responsible for the unique hunting event this time.

    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±

    After offering thanks to him out of courtesy, she became tense instantly when he looked at a couple of teacups on the table. She scoffed at him, thinking he would likely to ask for tea again, but she didn¡¯t show her feelings. She vowed she would not be sucked in again. Her priority now was to divert his attention.

    ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯ll send you flowerster. That¡¯s all I can to show my gratitude for your considerations like this. ¡±

    After moving her body a bit and looking at him, she talked with a softer tone. She had never been kinder to him than now. It was her new strategy that she would change her attitude towards him. She remembered that all the things she did with a mean spirit ended up bringing in bad results. He was the type of man who patiently challenged his opponent¡¯s poor treatment of him but gave in when the other party showed hospitality.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, I will show you my best hospitality!¡¯

    She would lose nothing even if he would not like the flowers,ining that flowers were not suitable as a gift to the knight. She was already well aware of the habits of the imperial knight.

    ¡°¡­ If you would be kind enough to do so, I will ept. Thanks.¡±

    When he gave her an unexpected response, she was shocked, but she urgently cleared her throat to stay calm.

    ¡®Is he deliberately trying to put me into trouble on purpose?¡¯

    She scanned his face with a suspicious look, but he was delighted at her gift from the bottom of his heart. There was nothing like sarcasm or ridicule in his face.

    ¡®Why are you smiling at me?¡¯ She thought angrily.

    When he smiled warmly at her, she had to turn her eyes from him and toward the pile of flowers under the disy stand. His smile, which felt like spring sunshine, had a marvelous heat. The radiant heat from him came straight over her skin and embarrassed her. She had to turn away her eyes from him because she felt hot around her eyes, too.

    ¡°Which flowers would you want me to send you? ¡±

    While she was at a loss about how to respond to him, she gave him the choice of flowers that he liked. She med herself for that, but it was toote.

    ¡°I love that flower over there. I like its light yellow.¡±

    He pointed to a freesia flower inside a round ss jar. As he chose it with no hesitation, she looked at his face and the flowers alternately.

    She was a bit surprised that Lard had something like a taste for flowers, but what made her upset all the more was the fact that she had no other choice but to send flowers to him.

    As she felt under the weather, she didn¡¯t even wonder why he liked the yellow freesia. She didn¡¯t know why he made an ambiguous expression while looking at the freesia.

    ¡°¡­Okay. I will send freesia¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Knight! Who did it best? Yeah? Just tell me the truth.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you know it really? Think about who got my praise most. Didn¡¯t you see me cut the rose branch with the sword? It¡¯spletely cut off. Jerry, have you seen it? Huh? I showed you a little while ago, right?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t finish her words because the boys came inside the shop, chattering among themselves. They were making a big fuss as if they were satisfied with their sparring with Jean Jacque Simuan in the flower garden. They were literally walking on air.

    ¡°Hahaha, you guys are too greedy when you have only learned how to hold a sword,¡± Jean said with a heartyugh.

    When they looked up at his face as if they were captivated by his generosity, there was envy and yearning in their eyes. In particr, Benfork even tried to imitate the way heughed.

    ¡°Hahahahaha.¡±

    Jeanughed more happily at his imitation, but unfortunately, his happy mood was spoiled immediately when somebody called him sternly.

    ¡°Sir Jean Jacques Simuan!¡±

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (6)

    Jean¡¯s face turned white when Lard called him.

    Even Wendy, who was nervous about the fact that the boys broke branches of roses in the garden while sparring with Jean noticed his embarrassed look with interest.

    ¡°Oh my god¡­boss!¡±

    The four boys, stared confusedly at Jean¡¯s embarrassed face, also became interested in the appearance of the new imperial knight. These quick-witted boys seemed to have found out which of the two was superior.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Lard¡¯s cold look became as hard as dry oak firewood.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯vee to check these boys¡¯ fencing posture¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you, instead of somebody else, doing it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I bumped into them when I stopped by here to buy flowers¡­ ¡±

    Schroder¡¯s eyes turned sharper when he was babbling.

    Jean was well aware that his poor excuses didn¡¯t fit the attitude of an imperial knight would only upset him further, but it was not easy for him to exin before Lard.

    Jean turned to Wendy, hoping for her help. She stood still as if she had no desire to help him. Jean was bing more and more nervous.

    ¡°Is this knight your boss? Wow! He really looks strong!¡± Carnewin said, looking at Lard.

    As if they were overwhelmed by his authoritative posture, they turned their attention to Lard.

    When they looked at Lard with envy, like they looked at Jean until a minute ago, Jean felt relieved, ironically, because Lard¡¯s sharp gaze at him had softened.

    Obviously, he could not rebuke Jean in front of the boys. Regardless of their tense staring match, the boys were smiling brightly as if they couldn¡¯t believe they were now looking at the two mighty imperial knights right before their eyes.

    ¡°Show your manners, boys. This is my boss Lard Schroder. He is the leader of the 1st Imperial Knights Division as well as its Lottea, the supreme knight.¡±

    The children eximed, ¡°Wow, Lottea!¡±

    For the boys, the title Lottea of the Imperial Knights was one that they thought the world of.

    Benfork, who had been focusing his gaze on Lard all along, looked at him and Jean alternately, tilting his head to the side, and asked with his eyes open wide, ¡°Then, is it a love triangle? Sister and two knights?¡±

    ¡°Benfork, you idiot! I heard that Sir Simuan and our sister are lovers. Don¡¯t you know that?¡±

    ¡°Hey boys, it¡¯s not courteous for you to say that in front of the direct parties,¡± said Jean.

    His face turned white again when they were involved in a heated argument over the rtionship between Jean and Wendy.

    He continued, with cold sweat rolling down his face, ¡°I told you Miss Wendy and I are not rted romantically. If you said so, I¡¯m really in trouble! Captain, these guys must have misunderstood me. Ha ha ha!¡±

    Jean was trying to clear up their misunderstanding while waving his hands violently.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it really a love triangle? Or your crush on her?¡± Tom asked Jean, excitedly.

    Stunned by the boys¡¯ provocative questions, Jean was bing more nervous while checking Lard¡¯s gaze on him.

    Noticing his boss knitting his brows, Jean believed himself that his boss¡¯s severe scolding was impending. He immediately felt he should leave as soon as possible to avoid the crisis.

    ¡°I think I have to leave now, Miss Wendy, I¡¯m sorry to have disturbed you.¡±

    He quickly left her shop without saying goodbye to the boys. The bell on the door of the shop rang unusually loudly, reflecting his restless state of mind.

    ¡°Oh! Sir Simuan! Why are you leaving so suddenly?¡±

    Wendy was so happy to see him making a beeline for his workce, but the boys seemed to have been sad at his sudden departure because he didn¡¯t clearly promise any follow-up on their practice next time.

    ¡°He said he would review our fencing posture one more time¡­¡±

    Benfork murmured as he touched his wooden sword.

    Wendy, who was preparing meals for the children without caring about their reaction, was so overjoyed. Fortunately, Lard¡¯s unexpected visit solved her trouble.

    ¡°¡­ Were you guys learning the basics of swordsmanship from him?¡± Lard asked Benfork.

    Wendy, who was putting just fried chicken in the bowls, stopped.

    She got nervous about what he would say to them next.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°If you want to learn the basic skills, I can teach you. But I don¡¯t tolerate pranks. If you are serious about learning from me, you will have to be fully ready for it.¡±

    While looking at the boys who became downcast at his conditional willingness, he made an unexpected offer. Wendy put all the tes on the table with a noise.

    ¡°Really? Wow! knight, Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t lie.¡±

    The children hugged themselves with joy and ran around. While looking at them with no expression on his face, he turned his eyes toward Wendy. She was staring at him with a ferocious expression.

    She said, ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t do so. I can¡¯t bother you anymore as you¡¯re very busy. I can¡¯t give in this time. No way! ¡±

    ¡°Oh, sister! Please. We spread fertilizer in the garden as you told us to, right?¡±

    When she disapproved, they desperately pleaded with her to grant their request.

    But she didn¡¯t budge a bit. Actually, they had to spread fertilizer because Carnewin lost his sparring match with her.

    ¡°Everybody, please listen to me carefully. Today is thest time you guys areing to this shop to meet knights!¡±

    Although she resolutely issued an ultimatum, they, including Lard, didn¡¯t seem to ept it.

    ¡°Wendy, these boys say Sir Simuan promised them to take another look at their fencing posture, right? As Jean can¡¯t keep his promise because of me, I think it is right for me to take his ce on my off-day.¡±

    She raised her eyebrows as if she were unsatisfied with his remarks.

    She even suspected that he had been wanting to take Jean Jacques¡¯s ce when he readily epted the boys¡¯ request. In this situation, it would be much better for Jean Jacques, not Lard, to meet the boys one more time.

    ¡°Hey, sis, you don¡¯t know how hard it is for kids like us to learn swordsmanship from imperial knights. This is a once-in-a-life opportunity for us. Why are you stopping us?¡±

    Crying, Benfork appealed to her with a sullen voice. It was her first time seeing him so serious, so she was kind of surprised.

    ¡°Benfork, don¡¯t cry. You knew that it was a luxury for kids like us to pick up swords like this, right? She¡¯s not blocking your way. Just give up, ¡± said Carnewin, tapping his shoulder.

    Jerry next to him wept, too. She was now distressed to see them crying.

    ¡°Yes, I know! She¡¯s not blocking my way. I know that. But¡­ ¡±

    Benfork was desperately appealing to her as if he were determined to change her mind.

    ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s not anyone¡¯s fault,¡± said one of the boys, patting Benfork¡¯s cheeks gently.

    ¡°Cheer up, my friend,¡± said another, tapping Benfork on the shoulder.

    Looking at them, she barely opened her mouth, ¡°Stop it. I know what you mean. Okay, this is yourst time taking up his precious time. I won¡¯t tolerate it any more if you ask him again, which is very shameless of you. So, keep it in mind!¡±

    As soon as she gave a go ahead, they nodded seriously, trying not to show joy at her decision. Though she was not sure if they got her point well, each of them took pains to refrain from showing any excitement for fear she might change her mind. Carnewin shook his shoulders to refrain from giggling. They took pains to conceal their happiness at the moment.

    Waving her hand, she thought it would be better for the boys to learn acting and enter the troupe than dream the futile dream of joining the knights division.

    ¡°Hummm¡­ you are tenderhearted.¡±

    She suddenly came to her senses when Lard said that, as she was swayed by the boys¡¯ appeal to her sentimental state of mind.

    Turning to him, she clenched her fists as she felt insulted by his intolerable insinuation about her personality, which she had never heard in her life.

    ¡®Tenderhearted? How can he insult me like that?¡¯

    As that expression didn¡¯t fit her philosophy of life at all, she became more upset.

    ¡°You told mest time I was like a flower without color. In my view, you look like the true color of a flower. Of course, I think you would deny that, Wendy,¡± said Lard with a smile.

    Wendy wanted to rebuke him for his nonsensicalment, but didn¡¯t, because she saw a gentle smile on his face. She really could not get angry at his smiling face.

    Wendy got up from bed, scratching her head and opened her bleary eyes.

    As the sunlight was streaming through the window early in the morning, the room was quiet and still. She walked to the window wearing slippers and opened the window wide.

    She got goosebumps when the cold air at dawn touched her delicate skin.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (7)

    The morning air was chilly as if it was left behind by the early morning moon far from the western sky. Staring at the blue moonlight for a while, Wendy thought about the injurious words she had to blurt out today. Although she vowed she would try to control her feelings as much as possible while watching the situation calmly, she was still nervous about the possible repercussions of the enormous obstacles before her.

    Today, she was to attend the long-awaited Burgonu huntingpetition. As she was aware that the prince would be watching her closely, she couldn¡¯t afford to make any mistake. She thought it would be wise to make the crown prince lose interest in her while trying not to annoy him.

    Given her social status, she should not cross the line, and at the same time, she should not do anything to get Lard into trouble in light of his position. She didn¡¯t know what kind of unexpected situation would unfold today, but she would be better off keeping a low profile as much as she could while staying calm.

    Above all, she needed to think about how to avoid Dn Lennox as she was most likely to see him again. Since the prince didn¡¯t allow her to dye her hair this time, she could not use the Severdron petals as she did before.

    She opened the lid of the dark brown paper box on the floor. She took out a beige riding hat. It had a short brim with a short veil. The veil, pleated on the top with a yellow topaz ornament, was perfect to cover her face because of its loose mesh without obscuring her vision.

    She was not sure how effective it would be, but she would be even more anxious if she didn¡¯t use the veil.

    After trying the hat in various ways to cover her face, she scratched her nose, thinking the veil was too short, because she adjusted the veil to fall to her nose. Thanks to her efforts, she looked very natural and cool with the newly adjusted hat.

    ¡°Whew!¡±

    She hurriedly entered the bathroom after putting the hat on the table. It was time for her to start preparing for the uing battle.

    Hourster, she got in a carriage to the Burgonu forest with Lard, who came to escort her.

    With panniers and unnecessary puffs taken off from her dress, her outdoor clothes were definitelyfortable for her to move around in. Her beige jacket made with stic fabric was designed with narrow the cuffs to make it easier to shoot bows, and the jacket also had ties in the sleeves so that hunting gloves would not easilye off. She put on a skirt somewhat shorter than the usual dress to avoid having it drag in the woods. She looked at his face in satisfaction, grasping the hem of her dress with her hand.

    ¡°I like your hunting clothes. You look very nice today. Green looks good on you.¡±

    As she praised his dark green jacket, he quickly opened his mouth.

    ¡°You, too, are beautiful today.¡±

    This time he responded quickly and impatiently as if he admitted he had made the mistake of not praising her dress at first when he apanied her to the recent Jerus Hall concert.

    Smiling at hispliments, she asked, ¡°Thank you. By the way, you¡¯re on the hunt with Balos today, I think. Where is he?¡±

    She was a bit thrilled to see him galloping again, though she regretted that he was not her horse.

    ¡°Oh, my servant already took him to the hunting ground in advance, along with your horse.¡±

    Obviously, he had no intention of letting her ride Balos. She nodded slightly with some disappointment.

    As usual, silence quickly fell after they exchanged a few words. She didn¡¯t feel ufortable about it, but she showed unusual nervousness while adjusting her dress several times today. It was because he was staring at her face without any hesitation.

    She gently wiped her cheeks to clean any dirt but nothing came off. She took out the hunting gloves from the zer pocket and put them back twice unconsciously. As she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, she looked straight at him with an annoyed expression.

    ¡°Hummm¡­ Sir Schroder. Do you have anything to say to me?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, I was looking at you because your hat looks unique¡­ I just looked at it briefly.¡±

    After he said that, he looked away.

    ¡®Is my hat so noticeable? I may be in trouble.¡¯

    She touched the hat¡¯s veil. Unique? She reluctantly closed her mouth because she didn¡¯t feel hisment was not a praise. After briefly looking at him, she turned and looked outside the window.

    But he cast a nce at her mouth this time. Although she turned her head toward the small window of the carriage, she couldn¡¯t see her red lips still shining in the sunlight.

    ¡®Why did she put on a veil like that?¡¯

    Thinking so, he clicked his tongue. He felt obviously she was wearing a hat with a veil to hide her identity, but the problem was the shape of the veil. It was good enough to cover her face, but it didn¡¯t cover her red lips, which attracted his attention constantly.

    ¡®Why am I attracted to her lips¡­?¡¯ He tried to focus on other thoughts once again.

    The flow of his consciousness naturally led him to Jerus Hall, where he went to the concert with her. He still vividly remembered touching her lips under the moonlight. As those images came to his mind suddenly, he quickly closed his eyes. Closing his eyes was hisst resort to get rid of any lustful feelings.

    Silence fell on them again, with Lard closing his eyes and Wendy gazing outside the window. Even in silence the two seemed to spend their time quietly without disturbing each other. The silence was not broken until they reached their destination.

    They heard the horseman stopping the horse, and a short timeter he knocked on the carriage door.

    She carefully got out of the wagon, led by Lard, and looked around after pressing the hat a little forward. Although she, wearing a hat, was trying to stay calm, her heart began to pound hard.

    At the entrance to the Burgundy forest there were already several tents set up, crowded with people moving around. It was easy to see the imperial knights and soldiers moving all over the ce, the wagons and carts belonging to many noble families, and the servants who were busy carrying various stuff. With birds chirping and horses neighing everywhere, the Burgundy forest was apletely different world from the quiet atmosphere in the wagon.

    The day was sunny. Wendy walked in the shade of a tree where the sun was shining holding Lard¡¯s hand. Although he looked ahead indifferently, she was busy trying to check out the movements of the imperial knights.

    The fact that Dn Lennox, her former lover she wanted to avoid so much, might be hanging around somewhere near strained her nerves.

    Right that moment, the shout of concentration by some of the imperial knights who had lined up behind the tents rang loudly throughout the ce.

    Surprised, she stumbled. A bird quickly flew out of the tree nearby.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked, wrapping her shoulder with his hands urgently.

    As she hurriedly confirmed the epicenter of the sound, she felt relieved a lot and turned to him. Although she pulled herself from him, saying she was okay, he was still looking at her nervously. She vowed again to pull herself together. She rebuked herself for being scared and looking weak, but found it hard to calm down.

    In addition, the two people¡¯s actions a moment ago attracted the attention of those around. Many aristocrats waiting in the tents were seen whispering among themselves. They might be gossiping about his taking hold of her shoulders. In fact, it was natural that they showed such reactions because Lard, notorious for being brusque, attended the event apanied by ady. Besides he kindly held her shoulders, which they had never seen before.

    Escorted by a servant, the two arrived at the tent and sat facing each other at a table covered with whitece. Before sitting at the table, she swiftly checked the faces of nobles around her; fortunately, Dn Lennox¡¯s face was not seen. She felt relieved, sipping the soft drink the servant gave her.

    ¡°Captain! Wee!¡±

    It was Jean who appeared before them. Smiling brightly, he stood before them, greeting her dly while trying to change the awkward mood. Next to him was a cute little woman with brown hair. Wendy was familiar with her face.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I join you?¡±

    Jean politely suggested sitting with them. Lard looked at her as if he asked for her permission, so she nodded reluctantly. In any case, it would be better to have them than to draw the attention of other nobles around in awkward silence.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Jean, smiling at Wendy.

    He then pulled out a chair for the woman next to him.

    ¡°Oh, this is Melissa, a marquis¡¯s daughter.¡±

    After introducing the woman to them, Jean made a meaningful expression to Wendy.

    ¡°Well, have I seen you before?¡± Melissa asked Wendy.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (8)

    As if she recalled the terrible event at the Botanical Garden of Rajabude Museum, Melissa soon had a scared look of her own because she saw Wendy¡¯s cold look.

    ¡®Dang it! Why am I seeing this troublesome woman here?¡¯

    Wendy turned her mouth up slightly to hide her displeasure. She foundfort in the fact that Melissa didn¡¯t recognize her face at once, thinking with great relief that the veil of her hat was more effective than she thought

    ¡°Miss Melissa, it¡¯s nice to see you again. How have you been?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Wendy, right?¡±

    Smiling brightly, Melissa pretended to know her. Obviously, she seemed very d to meet Wendy again.

    ¡°Never did I expect to see you here! Actually, I have been wanting to go to the flower shop all the time, but I didn¡¯t because you might feel ufortable¡­ I¡¯m so happy to meet you in this ce, Wendy!¡±

    Wendy turned her eyes to the ss on the table, trying to be indifferent to Melissa¡¯s kind words. When Wendy wiped off the white vapor on the surface of the ss with her hand, water drops fell, leaving her hand marks on it.

    ¡°Miss Melissa, can you lower your voice a little bit? I¡¯m embarrassed as everybody is looking at us.¡±

    ¡°Oops! I think I made a mistake again.¡±

    With a straight face, Melissa quickly covered her mouth with both hands. Jean, who was next to her, urged her to avoid telling the people around Wendy¡¯s name because he was well aware that Wendy did not want her name to be mentioned to people. When he pointed it out, Melissa nodded. She seemed downcast when Wendy and Jean rebuked her.

    ¡°By the way, please call me Melissa! Please call me Melissa. I want to be called by that name this time.¡±

    Melissa indicated her wishes to Wendy, who thought that though she looked foolish, there was something devious about her.

    ¡°Sure, will do,¡± said Wendy with a bright smile.

    If the people here saw Wendy calling the marquis¡¯s daughter by her name causally, it would be harder for them to guess her identity. As Melissa herself let her call her by her given name, no one would take issue with it. So, calling her Melissa was not in any way harmful to Wendy.

    But she was worried that Melissa would warm up to her too much.

    ¡°I think we had better go to see the crown prince. Will you stand up?¡±

    As many nobles were unusually crowded near their table inside the tent, Lard suggested to Wendy that they should move. Although she didn¡¯t like to be around the nobles or meet the crown prince,

    Wendy nodded and stood up because she had to follow the prince¡¯s order that she and Lard shoulde and see him before the hunting contest began.

    The two left the tent after seeking Jean and Melissa¡¯s understanding.

    The prince¡¯s tent was located far from the tents provided for the nobles. A pure white tent, ornately decorated with red and yellow silk, stood in the midst of the forest. They stopped at the entrance of the tent where the imperial family¡¯s crest was embroidered.

    ¡°Oh, it seems the emperor is inside the tent now,¡± he said, seeing the guards surrounding the tent.

    ¡°¡­This is a necessary bill, Your Majesty. Do you know that? ¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know. But I have to be concerned about its repercussions.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I am trying to alleviate your burden. So, please take my side this time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that¡¯s why I¡¯m more worried?¡±

    An agitated voice came out of the shallow tent. Wendy and Lard remained outside.

    ¡°¡­ Come to the Kingsbray Pce after the huntingpetition is over. ¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you quit ying the violin once and for all?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I quit as you ordered. But don¡¯t interfere with me when I y it as a hobby.¡±

    ¡°Keep the imperial rule. None of the sessive emperors liked musical instruments like you. You should make sure they don¡¯t doubt your legitimacy because of that.¡±

    Their conversation continued. Right at that moment, one of the guards standing near the entrance of the tent saluted Lard silently and approached them. As Lard couldn¡¯t overhear the emperor¡¯s conversation, he said to Wendy, ¡°I think we have to postpone seeing the prince.¡±

    Wendy nodded silently.

    ¡°I¡¯vee here to see the prince. So, tell him that I¡¯ve been here.¡±

    Conveying his words to the knight, Lard led Wendy back to the tent where the nobles were.

    There, while trying to be indifferent to the curious gaze of the aristocrats and sipping soft drinks, Wendy spent a tedious time recalling the dialogue between the emperor and the prince who she had just overheard.

    As she saw only his superficial behavior, she had a very low expectation of the prince. But obviously the prince had qualities befitting his position, given his conversation with the emperor.

    Hearing him talking to the emperor, she thought he was very determined.

    ¡®That¡¯s what the position of the crown prince looks like¡­¡¯ she thought to herself.

    She even felt sorry for him because he couldn¡¯t y the music he wanted to do, but it was none of her business.

    After some time, several servants serving the imperial family appeared and escorted the nobles to a wide open area to the right of the tents where there were tables full of bows and arrows as well as target boards at a distance.

    The prince appeared with several imperial knights with a big smile and said to the embarrassed nobles, ¡°Well, nice to meet you all. Wee to the Burgonu huntingpetition on behalf of the imperial family! ¡±

    His voice now was so different from the voice he used in his tent a little while ago.

    Wendy first noticed his curly, chocte brown hair.

    With his fairplexion and hair, his image seemed to have be more subdued and even mischievous, especially when heughed like that!

    Wendy forgot her sympathy towards him like she did a little while ago, and got upset, recalling his hysterical actions after his forced retirement from the musical stage.

    As soon as she saw his face, she instinctively felt annoyed. Such a childish expression on his face also made her feel more resentful because she knew he was faking it on purpose.

    ¡°Hahaha. Before you guys go hunting, I decided to help you. You already know that men and women should go on the hunt as a team, and what you see now are my special gifts for thedies who will go hunting for the first time. Now,dies, please choose the bow that you like. And with the help of your partner, please learn how to draw and shoot an arrow! Oh, don¡¯t worry too much because you¡¯ll have plenty of time to practice. In particr, Count Josephine¡¯s daughter! Your face has turned so white! You shouldn¡¯t be scared even before lifting your bow!¡±

    The dark-haired woman, who was pointed out by the prince, lowered her head as if she was ashamed, putting her hands on her cheeks. There were outbursts ofughter here and there, but Wendy couldn¡¯t understand their amusement.

    ¡°After practice, I¡¯m going to have the womenpete with each other first. Well, I will give the winner the bow of my violin! Ahaha! As you learn archery for hunting and receive my gift, isn¡¯t it like killing two birds with one stone?¡±

    Wendy concluded that she didn¡¯t need to win.

    ¡®Does he think what¡¯s valuable to him is also valuable to others?¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t much different from the round stone her neighbor boy Benfork gave her, saying it was a good viewing stone. Benfork liked it, saying he could draw brown letters with it on the floor, but she refused his gift coldly. For him, it was a pretty precious object, but for her it was nothing but a lump of hardened horse dung. He didn¡¯t seem to know if it was still horse dung.

    Anyway, his violin bow was as useless to her as a horse dung.

    But other women seemed to think differently. They were burning with desire to win as if the bow stained with the prince¡¯s touch was a very special souvenir for them because they flocked to the tables to choose bows that fit their hands.

    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go and get one,¡± Melissa said with a flushed face.

    She was obviously anxious to win and get the prince¡¯s bow. Wendy was silent, pretending not to know what was happening around her, before walking when Melissa waved her hand at her a couple of times, asking her toe quickly. As if all the people gathered here seemed to participate in a huge y directed by the prince, she couldn¡¯t find any sincerity in their excitement.

    She approached the women crowded around the table when she was pushed hard by a sudden force and almost staggered. Obviously, someone pushed her shoulders with a lot of force. She barely avoided falling but moved back a few steps.

    ¡°Oh, dear! Are you okay? You should be careful.¡±

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (9)

    The woman brushed the dirt off her shoulders with a surprised look. Wendy frowned at her rude attitude and clicked her tongue because she was familiar with her hostile eyes.

    She was Altarin, the woman who gave Lard a handkerchief.

    The woman deliberately said something ridiculous as if to jar Wendy¡¯s nerves, ¡°Oh, my jacket is fine. You don¡¯t have to worry. ¡±

    Lard nced at them across the distance. Sensing his nce, she quickly changed her attitude and gently spoke to Wendy again, but her voice was still hostile to Wendy.

    ¡°I¡¯m Altarin Scholters, the third daughter of Earl Scholters. Can you tell me who you are¡­?¡±

    Looking up and down Wendy with a conceited attitude, she turned her mouth up slightly.

    Wendy briefly thought about her reply, squinted her eyes a bit at the back of a small woman who blocked her vision.

    Melissa cut into their testy conversation with a sharp voice, ¡°Oh, Altarin, do you have something to say to my friend?¡±

    Rolling her brown eyes wildly, Melissa looked as if she wanted to w her face off.

    Although her voice was not strong enough to frighten Altarin, Wendy appreciated Melissa¡¯s efforts.

    Altarin warmed up to her by saying, ¡°¡­Oh, Melissa! It¡¯s nice to see you. How have you been? ¡±

    Although Altarin hurriedly greeted Melissa, she showed due manners with reluctance. Obviously, there was arge difference in social rank between a count and a marquis.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been keeping well. How are you? There are some bad rumors about you in social circles these days¡­¡± Altarin flinched at that. The rumors must have been about Lard¡¯s rejection of her handkerchief. ¡°By the way, Altarin, are you secretly working out your muscles these days? I¡¯m amazed you were hitting my friend with your shoulders forcefully.¡±

    Altarin¡¯s face hardened. The cramp around her trembling lips showed that she was upset.

    ¡°¡­Oh, you are making a funny joke. I just brushed against her slightly, and I was also embarrassed because she staggered a lot. I think she staggered too much, though fragility is a virtue of women. Is she your friend? May I ask which family she is from? ¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t feel like introducing her to you. Since I saw a dear friend of mine embarrassed like this, how can I pretend to stay indifferent whileughing at her?¡±

    Melissa tantly expressed hostile feelings toward Altarin as if there had been bad blood between them for long. Although Melissa¡¯s actions didn¡¯t suit her as the daughter of a prestigious noble family, Wendy seemed satisfied. For Wendy, it was like blowing her nose without touching her hands thanks to Melissa¡¯s decisive help. It was the first time she changed her perception of Melissa favorably.

    ¡°It seems you have misunderstood me a lot as you haven¡¯t even given her a chance to introduce herself to me. Let me leave now. Please have a good time.¡±

    Though she tried to rify her position, Altarin was still staring at Wendy with a hostile attitude.

    Indeed, she didn¡¯t act up to what she said. When Melissa blocked her vision by stepping in front of her, she gave Altarin a more frightening look on purpose. Although her actions were not perfect, that was all she could do at the moment. In the end, Altarin left as if she felt disgusted by Melissa¡¯s behavior.

    Wendy didn¡¯t feel good about Melissa¡¯s actions to protect her but felt satisfied because other noblewomen would also refrain from acting like Altarin because they must have witnessed what happened a moment ago. Anyway, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any further trouble involving them here in Burgonu.

    ¡°Wendy!¡± Melissa shouted, looking back at Wendy quickly with an excited look.

    Quickly realizing that she called her name thoughtlessly, she screamed ¡®Ah¡¯, but felt a bit relieved to notice that Wendy didn¡¯t look angry.

    ¡°Did you see what I did to her?¡± Melissa asked proudly.

    Wendy grinned at her as she looked like a child waiting for mom¡¯s praise. Obviously, Melissa tried her best to repay her indebtedness to Wendy.

    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so happy! In fact, there have been bad rumors about her in social circles since Altain was rejected by Sir Schroder. Some say she has been going around many ces to vent her anger. Oh my god¡­ what man would like such a woman who is so malicious? I think she acted mean to you because Sir Schroder came here with you. She has never dated him, but she is acting as if she is his girlfriend and stops other women from showing any interest in him. How ridiculous! How could a woman be that bad?¡±

    Standing next to Wendy, she was swearing at Altarin. Because there was no one nearby, she bad mouthed her all the more.

    ¡°Wendy, I understand why you are reluctant to reveal your name. You are worried because you might be caught up in some trouble, right? Don¡¯t worry about it. Let me stop anybody from approaching you today!¡± Melissa reassured her.

    Wendy added to cheer her up, ¡°Melissa, let me trust you!¡±

    Melissa smiled happily, and Wendy also smiled at her.

    While the two were distracted for a minute, other women picked their favorite bows one by one and returned to their partners. Each of the bows was luxurious and well-shaped. Big, colorful jeweled bows were particrly popr.

    When they approached the table, there were only crude and nondescript bows left. Wendy picked up a bow with no decoration and a rough surface among them because she liked the curved line of the bow. Melissa, picking up a small, pink bow, winked at her, thinking Wendy let her take it. Wendy didn¡¯t say anything about it, though.

    ¡°You picked a good bow. You have a good discerning eye.¡±

    Unexpectedly, Lard was satisfied with the bow she picked. Given his attention to the bow, it seemed that she chose a very good bow.

    ¡°Look at this little signature here. in Luharen. He is especially famous among the artisans who make bows. This is one of the popr bows he made during his heyday. There are only a few left in the empire, so I just can¡¯t believe the prince put out this bow¡­I think this is a good gift for the winner of this contest.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, you can¡¯t hide a discerning eye even if you want to hide it,¡± Wendy said, raising her bow with a triumphant look. She held the bow tightly, putting the arrows handed by the servants against the string incorrectly.

    Chuckling at her, Lard corrected her posture and began to teach like he was a master. He doggedly exined some basics of archery ranging from how to grab an arrow to how to control her breathing before shooting an arrow. When it came to martial arts, he was a perfectionist, forcing his disciplines to exactly follow his example.

    ¡°Concentrate. Try not to bend your arms. If you pull an arrow like that, your arm will get injured easily.¡± He rebuked her as she was distracted for a moment.

    Wendy drew the bow fully with her left hand and released it. The arrow shot through the air and hit the target in the blink of an eye. The servant who stood behind the target came out, checked the target board and raised a red g. Lard nodded with a smile for the first time. The arrow hit the mark.

    ¡°Well done. I think that was a great first try.¡±

    Wendy felt her fingertips tingling, thinking archery was interesting. She was happier because she was praised by Lard who was notorious for being stingy about praise. Smacking her lips, she picked up another arrow.

    Unlike Wendy, other women were having trouble shooting arrows. Although the target board was intended for beginners, it was still a big challenge for them. Most times the arrows fell into the grass before they reached the target board or missedpletely.

    Altarin hit the wrong board andined to the original shooter.

    Melissa kept dropping the arrow before she drew it. Jean seemed to be having a hard time teaching her how to draw a bow.

    ¡®This is so messy!¡¯

    Looking around her in a chilly manner, she pulled the bow hard. When she shot an arrow with a perfect motion, the arrow hit the mark again, and the servant on standby raised the red g again. She was humming now. She felt happy as if she discovered that she had some talent in archery.

    ¡°Oh, Wendy! You must be Wendy Waltz, right? ¡±

    Crown Prince Isaac von Benyahan appeared with his hands folded behind his back and spoke with augh. Fortunately, the women were spaced far apart for safety, so they couldn¡¯t hear him calling her Wendy loudly.

    ¡°Wow¡­.¡± He looked at her several times as if he was interested in her hair color change as well as the veil covering her face. He even eximed, ¡°Huh, Huh,¡± as if he sensed she was wearing it to hide her identity.

    ¡°I heard you came to my tent a little while ago. I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± he said, looking at Lard and Wendy alternately.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (10)

    ¡°Did the emperor return to the pce?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he did. It seems he is still worried about me even though he knows I¡¯ve retired from the music world. He came as far as here to give me a lecture!¡± The prince shook his head several times. Then, he changed his expression and said, looking at Wendy, ¡°I watched you shooting arrows. You are very good at it! I heard from Lard about your riding skills. It looks like you¡¯re talented in archery, too. When did you learn?¡±

    Although the prince often made silly expressions that caught others off guard, his sparkling eyes showed he was a shrewd man.

    Looking down slightly, she greeted him formally, ¡°I¡¯m honored to see you, Crown Prince.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to greet me again! By the way, as you are so good, I think you will win the archerypetition a littleter!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve your praise. I¡¯m just trying to shoot arrows by imitating others here. I hit the mark by chance, so I won¡¯t keep counting on pure luck.¡±

    ¡°Really? Hmm¡­Altarin,e here for a second!¡±

    The prince suddenly shouted at Altarin as she was pulling her bow.. Surprised by his call, she walked toward him with a perplexed expression. However, as soon as she saw Wendy standing by the prince, Altarin kept a straight face with a hostile gleam in her eye. Wendy smiled sardonically.

    ¡°I think these twodies are the best in archery. What do you think? Are you confident of winning the contest, Altarin? Thisdy here says she hit the mark by sheer luck. She is very humble.¡±

    Actually, Wendy was aware that Altarin imed somebody¡¯s credit by insisting she hit the mark, which she didn¡¯t at all.

    ¡®How can the princepare her phony skills to mine?¡¯

    Wendy felt intense anger at the moment, but Altarin was still in high spirits.

    Altarin said, ¡°Your Majesty, as I understand, archery has a long tradition and history in our empire as one of its basic martial arts. Although I have never learned martial arts as a woman, it is needless to say that I have the dignity suitable for archery as one of the prominent families, my family has been with the Benayhan Empire for a long time. I think one hardly learns archery by luck. I won¡¯t disappoint you today.¡±

    ¡®What the hell is thisdy talking about? What kind of fucking dignity is suitable for archery?¡¯

    Wendy thought that Altarin obviously chose the sarcastic words to rub her the wrong way on purpose when she emphasized ¡®prominent family.¡¯ As she did not know about Wendy¡¯s identity and she had never seen her in social circles, Altarin guessed that she was not from a prominent family like hers. Of course, her guess was not wrong.

    Wendy could understand when Altarin suggested in her remarks that she was not from a prominent family, but she couldn¡¯t stand it when Altarin looked down on her archery skills.

    ¡®What is the basis for her logic that anyone from a prominent family has good archery skills? By the extension of her logic, can she state that anyone not from a prominent family isn¡¯t good at archery?¡¯ Wendy smiled scornfully at her.

    ¡°Oh, are you?¡± Prince Isaac looked at Altarin with an interesting expression. ¡°It looks like you have a daring attitude, Altarin. I¡¯m pretty much satisfied with your confident attitude. Okay, go back to your ce and do well. Let me watch how you¡¯re doing.¡±

    At his praise, Altarin said goodbye with grace and returned to her ce. Before leaving, she did not forget to cast an ardent gaze at Lard as if it were her routine ritual. Her gaze further fueled Wendy¡¯s anger. It wasn¡¯t something like jealousy. Wendy noticed her contempt for her behind her persistent gaze at Lard, which was proportional to her affection for Lard.

    ¡°Wendy, I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t win. To quote Altarin¡¯s words, a woman from a prominent family is supposed to win. Wouldn¡¯t it be hard for you?¡±The prince, standing close to Wendy, whispered into her ear. It was a clear provocation. Wendy tightened her grip on her bow tight enough to leave nail marks on her palm. She became furious. ¡°But let me watch who wins, though.¡±

    Wendy knew the prince made the remark to provoke her. There was a big difference between knowing and feeling. Wendy couldn¡¯t stand her surging anger. She couldn¡¯t stay calm any longer. It was because the prince and Altarin¡¯s words and deeds resembled those of Countess Hazlet and her daughter, Francis Hazlet. Their faces shed through her mind. She thought she had forgotten them. It made the situation more unbearable.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start the game now. Come on, stand in your ces. You are expected to shoot three times before one of you is chosen as the winner.¡±

    When the prince signalled to them with eyes, several servants holding blue gs lifted the gs at the same time. It was a signal for them to shoot the first arrow.

    Wendy took a deep breath. As she came to be in the contest, she decided that she would do her best. Her eyes were burning up with determination.

    She adjusted the veil several times to have a clear view then gently raised the bow. When she focused on the center of the target board without even blinking once, the red target, which seemed small, began to appear big. As Lard taught her, she strung the arrow, holding her breath. As soon as she aimed at the red target, narrowing her eyes, she shot the arrow, which shot off the wind as if on cue. Thanks to the good quality of the bow, she felt she shot it with a good force.

    Puck!

    She felt the arrow hitting the mark on the target. Watching the movement of the servant who stuck out from behind the target to check if the arrow was hit, she sighed as she saw him raising the red g. The first foot was a hit.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Shouts of amazement and excitement came out here and there. Looking at Altarin, she saw the servant in charge of her target board raising the red g

    ¡®You hit the mark by luck!¡¯ Wendy murmured, staring at her sharply.

    A littleter the attendants signaled for them to shoot the second arrow. Wendy again aimed at the target, full of concentration. Was it because she was too excited? Even before she shot the arrow, she lost control of her breathing momentarily. Oops! There was no way to stop the arrow that had already left the bow.

    Swallowing dry saliva, she watched the servant holding the g. Red on the target board meant that the arrow was hit in the center of the target, green in the margin of the target, and yellow off the target.

    Fortunately the servant raised the red g. Wendy clenched her two fists. If she stayed the course and hit the mark one more time, she could humble her pride.

    When she inadvertently looked at Altarin, she did not yet shoot the second arrow.

    Wendy saw her trembling hard as if she was extremely tense. In no time, she took a deep breath and took her position again. She shot the second arrow.

    The servant, who came out to check the target board as soon as the arrow was shot, moved two gs in his hands. In his hands, he was fidgeting red and green gs alternately. Wendy shouted green in her heart.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Right at that moment Altarin eximed in excitement. A red g was fluttering above the servant¡¯s head.

    ¡®Hit! You are lucky again!¡¯ Wendy once again opened her eyes wide.

    Shooting the third arrow was even more difficult. Wendy tried not to care about their cheering, but she was more distracted by her obsession with winning. She pulled and released the bow several times. She sighed deeply.

    On the other hand, Altarin pulled the bow without hesitation. It was definitely a different try from her second one. While the servant was trying to check her target board, Wendy could now pull the bow properly. The arrow was shot while she was holding her breath, and it flew into the target instantly.

    At the same time, the servant in charge of Altarin¡¯s target board lifted the g above his head.

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡± It was green. Green g! Altarin sighed sadly.

    Wendy swung her head several times in that short time, looking at Altarin¡¯s and her own target board. After seeing Altarin¡¯s green g, she smiled sinisterly for a moment.

    When the servant raised the g showing Wendy¡¯s score, she had to calm down her trembling heart.

    Shouts of amazement broke out on both sides. Melissa hurriedly came to Wendy and congratted her.

    ¡°Wow! Hit all three shots! So cool! ¡±

    ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    Lard also briefly congratted her. Wendy struggled to hold backughter. Hiding joy was harder than hiding anger.

    ¡°Wow! I can¡¯t hide my amazement at your wonderful shooting skills! You are the winner of this archery contest. Let me give the bow of my violin to you as the championship prize. Hahaha.¡±

    The prince gave her the bow andughed. He might have thought his provocation paid off, she thought. Wendy reluctantly epted the worrisome violin bow with two hands and reluctantly celebrated her win by spinning the bow over her head. But her excitement quickly subsided. The prince had the odd ability to put a damper on her joy.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (11)

    A littleter, the nobles ended their short break and gathered together to chat before going on a full-fledged hunting. Perhaps they were chatting about the woman, Lard¡¯s partner, who won the the first Burgonu archerypetition. Her win in the huntingpetition could be recorded as the first and thest in the history of Benyahan Empire. They were curious about the identity of the mysterious woman since they appeared together at Jerus Hall. They had never seen her social circles, but they were more surprised by the fact that Lard appeared with her again. The nobles had never guessed that the woman they saw at Jerus Hall and the woman they saw today were the same and were surprised to learn of Lard¡¯s secret love.

    Wendy, meanwhile, drank water in the tent to quench her thirst. Feeling refreshed, she put the empty ss on the table.

    She started to run into trouble this time.

    As she turned around casually, she again bumped into Altarin.

    As Altarin got close to Wendy with some underlying intention, Wendy had no choice but to see her again. Of course, that bad luck was not Wendy¡¯s.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    Altarin stumbled, losing her bnce. As if her shoulder hit something hard enough to injure, she crouched and groaned for a while.

    ¡°Oh, are you okay? You should watch out.¡±

    Wendy repeated Altarin¡¯s words back to her, but Altarin raised her head and began to stare at Wendy sharply. Her eyes, wet with tears because of pain, were full of intense fury about her.

    ¡°Oh, my jacket is fine. Don¡¯t worry, ¡± Wendy said, beating the dust off her jacket.

    ¡°By the way, it looks like you are very weak as you stumble from this kind of minor encounter. I would say you are sickly. I think you need stamina food for your health.¡±

    ¡°What, what the heck are you talking about?¡± Altarin shouted hysterically.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong as I meant well. Wouldn¡¯t everyone point at you if a woman like you from a prominent family lost her dignity?¡±

    Like she said, people began to pay attention to Altarin when she shouted. Conscious of their attention, Altarin consciously took a deep breath as if suppressing her anger.

    ¡°I found your archery skills impressive since you are a daughter of a prominent family. I think I learned something from you today. I¡¯ll see youter. As the winner, let me say goodbye for now.¡± Wendy passed by her with a bright smile.

    ¡°Dang it!¡±

    Stunned by Wendy¡¯s sarcasticment, she just shivered in anger, unable to retort. Sensing her struggle with her anger, Wendy basked in the dazzling sunshine outside the tent. Her footsteps, joyfully intoxicated by Altarin¡¯s anger, were lighter than ever. She praised herself, satisfied with the fact that even though everyone¡¯s attention was focused on her as the winner of the prince¡¯s beloved violin bow, she did her best.

    ¡®Neighing!¡¯

    She could see Balos at a distance. Finding her, Balros neighed loudly.

    Wendy approached Lard as he tended Balos and stroked his brown fur gently.

    Lard smiled at her then approached a smaller horse right next to Balos.

    ¡°This guy is your horse. Snowyko is his name. ¡±

    Lard adjusted the white saddle on the white horse and introduced him to Wendy. Snowyko was much smaller than Balos, but Snowyko had lots of experience of running.

    ¡°He looks meek.¡±

    She wanted to ride a big and powerful horse like Balos, but she approached Snowyko, hiding her feelings. When she noticed his white fur, she thought that Lard might have chosen it on purpose after taking into ount a woman¡¯s taste. Although Snowyko didn¡¯t suit Wendy¡¯s taste, Wendy reached out to the horse and greeted sweetly.

    ¡°Hope I¡¯m in great hands, Snowyko!¡±

    Wendy was so sorry for Snowyko as he looked straight at her that she swept Snowyko¡¯s nape several times.

    ¡®Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to say I don¡¯t like you.¡±

    As if he understood, Snowyko leaned its neck over her shoulder and warmed up to her.

    Wendy grinned and called Snowyko once again.

    Balosined as he stood beside Snowyko, flipping his ears backward. It looked like Balos seemed jealous of Wendy getting close to Snowyko. Wendy grinned, looking at Balos¡¯ muscr figure. The great muscles of Balos was highlighter by the dazzling sunshine.

    ¡°Captain! Miss Wendy!¡±

    Jean approached them with Melissa. Opening a map of the Burgonu forest in his hand, he exined the hunting area he scouted.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s good to hunt in the western area of the forest. Look at this map. I think the area from here onward seems good. As we are hunting withdies, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to go too far. ording to Sir Largoto, foxes often appear around here. Deer also appear here, too. So, I think this is the best hunting area. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sounds like a n, but there is one problem,¡± Lard said, checking the equipment hanging on Balos¡¯s back.

    ¡°Really? Are there any other risks in the west? ¡±

    ¡°No¡­ Why should I go and hunt there with you? That¡¯s the problem. ¡±

    ¡°Haha! What a joke, captain! As you know, I have the duty of assisting you as the deputy captain of the 1st Knights Division? Besides, Wendy and Melissa are so close to each other. So, we¡¯re a perfect team, aren¡¯t we? ¡±

    But Lard didn¡¯t respond.

    As if she was anxious, Melissa asked to apany her, ¡°Wendy, you¡¯re going with me, right?¡±

    Wendy nced at Lard¡¯s face and reluctantly opened her mouth, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go together. Sir Schroder, don¡¯t you think we are better off going with them?¡±

    Of course, she said that because she knew it was much better to have them around than having to spend time with Lard awkwardly during the hunt.

    When Wendy said that, Lard stopped checking the baggage and stared at her face. His solid gray eyes trembled for a moment. As his eyes seemed to reflect his broken heart, Wendy doubted her eyes.

    ¡°¡­If you agree, I have no objection.¡±

    As Lard gave a green light, Jean folded the map finely with a heartyugh, as if he already expected his boss¡¯s response. Balos neighed roughly as if Jean¡¯s loudughter was annoying.

    ¡°Hey, calm down! You¡¯re still treacherous, Balos! I¡¯ve been seeing you for many years. Howe you are so mean to me?¡±

    Jean once again smiled at Balos and approached him. It was undoubtedly Jean¡¯s mistake that he did not notice Balos narrowing his eyes sharply. The moment Jean tried to reach out to touch Balos¡¯s neck, Balos bit his hand hard.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    Lard quickly struck Balos¡¯ snout, Balos quickly released Jean¡¯s hand. However, Balos was still snorting hard in his excitement.

    Jean¡¯s hand began to bleed. The wound wasn¡¯t severe, but needed treatment.

    ¡°Sir Simuan, are you okay?¡± Melissa asked, her face turning white.

    As Balos was so ferocious at the moment, she could not dare to approach him.

    ¡°Hey, damned bastard! How dare you bite my hand?¡±

    Angry and frustrated, Jean showed his teeth to Balos, but Balos turned his head altogether and ignored Jean. As Lard dealt with Balos sternly, there were no other disturbances.

    They left. Jean remained angry at Balos. Watching Balos biting him, Wendy recalled the fact that a horse showed disrespect for a man by biting.

    Balos ignored Jean even though he was the deputy captain of the 1st Knights Division. It was a high rank, so she wondered how he Balos could disrespect him.

    Nevertheless, she clicked her tongue a couple of times and could understand why Balos reacted harshly to Jean.

    ¡°As you showed affection for Snowyko, it seems Balos was very jealous. I¡¯ve never seen him acting so roughly before,¡± said Lard, watching Jean wrapping his hand with a bandage.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s why you told me Balos could be ferocious. Of course, I like him for it.¡±

    Lard chuckled at herment.

    They were going back to the ce where the horses were tied when they saw a man rushing about near Balos and Snowyko.

    ¡®What¡¯s up?¡¯

    Tilting her head to the side, she looked around, but the man was hanging around for a while near the horses next to Balos and Snowyko then quickly disappeared.

    ¡®Was he from the imperial family?¡¯

    That was her most reasonable guess, inferring from his pacing up and down near the horses as if to check their condition. Though he was a bit suspicious, there was nothing unusual, given the ferocious temper of Balos because he was sent there to take measures to prevent any possible idents.

    But Balos kept neighing, stamping his feet wildly after the strange man came and disappeared. Wendy urgently approached to calm him down.

    ¡°Balos, calm down.¡± Wendy grabbed the horse¡¯s reins, shouting ¡®Whoa, whoa!¡±

    Walking toward her, Lard fixed his gray eyes for a while on the back of the strange man who disappeared. He felt suspicious of the stranger.

    ¡°¡­Sir Schroder? You were done checking the equipment a little while ago, right?¡± Wendy nervously asked.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (12)

    Wendy wondered again, watching Lard checking everything from the saddle and the bow bag hanging on it to the canteen one by one. Not caring about her question, Lard just focused on checking the equipment. He didn¡¯t pay attention to her sullen look while checking the condition of Snowyko. Only after he was done did he turn back and look at her.

    ¡°No big deal. Checking and rechecking is my old habit. As this is your first hunting, double checking is not bad, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Gently stroking Snowyko¡¯s cheek, he approached Balos and double checked the equipment.. Wendy shook her head, sighing at his excessive precaution. As he checked the equipment and Balos¡¯s condition so seriously as if he wanted to check Balose¡¯s mane, she gave up watching the tedious process and climbed on Snowyko¡¯s back. As she had to team up with Snowyko, she thought she had better check by herself before going out into the forest.

    While she rode the horse slowly around the nearby empty lot a couple of times, Jean and Melissa drove their horses toward her. Fortunately, Lard was done checking his equipment.

    There was the sound of the horns ringing in the distance. Hearing the horn blowing, Lard¡¯s group drove toward the west of the forest. A servant on a horse followed them and four hounds ran ahead of them, searching for prey here and there.

    Unfamiliar with the scene around her, Wendy was filled with mixed feelings. She felt relieved that there was no chance of her bumping into Dn, given the nature of hunting in small groups this time, but at the same time, she felt thrilled to hunt for the first time in her life.

    She was embarrassed by this kind of excitement. She had to discard it in order not to y into the prince¡¯s hand, but she found it hard to give up such feelings as a woman who had ignored the feeling for a long time. It was something she should have experienced as a young woman.

    That awakening disturbed her heart as if she felt a sense of guilt.

    Besides, she naturally recalled what the crown prince whispered to her after giving some advice to the nobles before the game started. His words disturbed her mind even more. With a casual look, the prince told her that he would expect her to win the hunting contest, as if he requested the heroine on the stage.

    He openly expressed his wishes to her. If it was called ¡®ambition¡¯ to give amoner woman the opportunity to rise as a noble woman, people would think harshly of it, thinking it would be more proper to call it grace, not ambition. But how could they purely ept his idea that he wanted to make Wendy Lard¡¯s lover the captain of the imperial knights who lots of noble women admired and wanted to have as their lover?

    Of course, Wendy also knew that the emperor¡¯s ridiculous trick was not motivated by his wicked desire to harm her, but from her point of view, this would certainly be a threat, something extremely dangerous enough to threaten her life.

    What she vaguely imagined turned out to be true, but she wasn¡¯t entirely convinced why he did it.

    So, Wendy expected to find out his motivation at the contest, but the prince left no room for her to figure it out.

    ¡®Did he host this event to satisfy his own interest and entertainment? Because of his damn retirement?¡¯

    Wendy felt a migraineing back because of the prince¡¯s iprehensible behavior. She felt a bit better when she pressed her temple with her fingertips. Her eyes were wet with tears.

    The wind blew. Passing through the leaves of the forest one by one, it blew through the forest from the west. The breeze of the forest touched her wet eyes like a beast licking its wounds. With her eyes blinking slowly, she just left herself with the wind, not moving for a while.

    ¡°Wendy!¡± Melissa called her, getting close to her with a smile.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been curious about it all along¡­¡±

    Wendy was forced to lean toward her as Melissa was hesitant to speak to her without meeting her eyes.

    ¡®Why is she hesitant to speak to me?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about your hat veil. I¡¯ve never seen that kind of veil before. Did you design it by yourself? Normally, when you ride a horse, you wear it in the back, not the front.¡±

    Melissa raised her hand, pointing at the silvery veil covering the back of her head.

    While she was annoyed at Melissa¡¯s question, she answered with a sullen voice, ¡°I have hypersensitivity to sunlight. I need this veil to protect my skin. Melissa, you had better be careful too because you will soon get freckles if your skin is exposed to the sun at midday. What¡¯s more, if you run a horse without a long veil on your head in a forest like this, you might have an ident by getting caught in branches. Be careful. Your youth won¡¯tst long.¡±

    Melissa¡¯s expression fell quickly. She took off her cap at once and shoved the veil into her bag carelessly. Watching her actions, Wendy drove the horse a little faster to get ahead of her to avoid any more unproductive conversations with her.

    There was no hot sunlight in the dense forest, but Wendy¡¯s warning to Melissa seemed to have had some effect. Hearing the sound of birds chirping from afar, Wendy put spurs to Snowyko harder.

    While they scouted the forest, there was a noticeable change in the movement of the hounds. Sniffing around loudly, the hounds started running in one direction. As if they were excited at the scent of prey, the hounds ran ferociously, baring their sharp fangs.

    Along with the rustling sound of the grass, there was the sound of a beast¡¯s rapid movement.

    Obviously, the prey hiding in the grass felt threatened and fled. The hounds began to chase it, barking loudly. The atmosphere was filled with excitement.

    ¡°Great!¡±

    Jean eximed as if he was excited. The beast in question was an adult fox about the length of an adult¡¯s forearm with conspicuous gray-white fur. Wendy silently watched the chase while following the fast-moving fox. The beast running away from the hounds chasing it ferociously seemed very desperate. The only thing the fox could do at the crossroads of life and death was to run away from the hounds without stopping.

    But it was not just the sharp fangs of the hounds that threatened it.

    Wendy heard somebody drawing their bow. The moment she confirmed it was Lard pulling the bow, the arrow left the bow, vigorously cutting through the air.

    With a painful moan, the fox fell to the ground. The hounds, which were poised to run toward the fox, heard the servant¡¯s whistling and groaned loudly without approaching it.

    Concerned that the fox¡¯s skin would be damaged, the servant quickly went and picked it up. Given the fox¡¯s limp body in the hand of the servant, it seemed to have been already killed.

    The servant approached Lard¡¯s party and raised the dead fox.

    ¡°It¡¯s a top quality Rustin fox. As the fur is rare, you can get a high score.¡±

    Red blood was dripped from its body where the arrow pierced. The dead fox creeped Wendy out. Wendy hurriedly turned away her eyes from it.

    The next game was found quickly. It was another fox with reddish brown fur.

    It ran away, wagging its thick tail, but was hit by Jean¡¯s arrow.

    As the servant didn¡¯te to pick it up on time, an excited hound bit the dead fox¡¯s nape, which made the fox bleed more.

    Wendy couldn¡¯t look at the bleeding dead fox, so she held her breath quietly. As if she was riding a rattling waggon, she felt nauseated. The excitement she felt right before going on the hunt was already gone. She saw the fear of the beast when it screamed itsst time. She got goosebumps at itsst cry. It was not only her instinctive objection to ughter but also her natural objection to the strong¡¯s mercilessness toward the weak.

    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± Lard asked her, feeling she was noticeably silent.

    As she did not want to put a damper on their excitement, she nodded casually as if she was okay.

    Lard looked straight into her face. When Wendy pulled out the water bottle and avoided his eyes, he suggested that his party take a break from hunting for a while.

    It was not difficult for Lard to notice that her reluctant affirmation was a lie.

    As she nodded with a hardened face, saying she was okay, he still couldn¡¯t believe her.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (13)

    Lard¡¯s party followed the servant to a stream nearby.

    The servant arranged a nket and Wendy sat down. Opening a water bottle, she drank slowly. The lukewarm water calmed her.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Melissa sighed and sat beside Wendy. Melissa didn¡¯t look good either. As if she recalled Wendy¡¯s reminder of skin protection, she covered her face with her hands whenever she could. She held the reins of her horse silently because she was also scared about the cruelty of hunting. It was the first time she¡¯d seen it.

    Wendy handed her canteen to Melissa, ¡°Drink some water. It will calm you down a bit¡­ Hunting is not a pretty sight for women.¡±

    Melissa became more depressed at Wendy¡¯s gloomy tone.

    She said, ¡°I think I have to give up the championship. Hunting is such a terrible thing.¡±

    It seemed that she initially had the ambition to win, but it was nonsense from the beginning for a tenderdy like her to go out hunting. Would it be easy for her, who couldn¡¯t kill a worm, to see a beast bleeding to death?

    After a long talk with Jean, Lard returned to them and said, ¡°As we havee to this ce, why don¡¯t we eat here?¡±

    Although she didn¡¯t have an appetite at the moment, Wendy nodded because it was a good time to eat. Melissa also instantly agreed, as if she wanted to dy hunting.

    Soon, the servant handed out a lunch basket to each of them. Finger sandwiches, grilled meat, and fruit were in the basket and looked delicious, but Wendy ate only a few sandwiches and a couple of pieces of fruit, leaving the rest untouched. She really couldn¡¯t eat much. It was not easy for her to eat right after seeing the cruel scene of the hound biting the dead fox.

    However, Melissa ate slowly to dy the return to the hunt. Eventually, after eating a whole sandwich, she wiped her mouth with a napkin after emptying her water bottle halfway.

    As Wendy watched the movement of grass bugs, a strong wind began to blow. A grass bug suddenly flew into the strong wind. Wendy turned her eyes to the surrounding scenery where the branches were swaying. Schroder was the first to stand up when he felt something unusual. Looking up at the sky, he noticed through dense trees

    a dark ck cloud gathering in the sky.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s going to rain. We need to find a ce to avoid the rain for a while. ¡±

    They hurriedly packed up and got on their horses. They tried to find a ce to avoid the rain with the help of the servant who was familiar with the forest trails, but it began to rain before they found a suitable ce. In no time, the rain soaked their shoulders.

    As it was raining, Snowyko neighed a bit. Cold raindrops made other horses feel good, but for some reason Snowyko didn¡¯t like it.

    ¡®Don¡¯t you like hunting?¡¯ Wendy gently tapped Snowyko¡¯s wet nape to appease her.

    By the time they got under a rock that protruded like a roof, they as well as the horses, were already soaked.

    Wendy pulled the veil over her face several times then took off the hat as if she couldn¡¯t help it. Melissa shivered as if she felt cold suddenly because she got wet in the rain. Jean hurriedly took off his jacket and handed it to her. Watching that, Lard looked at Wendy, but she shook her head to tell him he didn¡¯t need to take his jacket off.

    Sitting under the rock while waiting for the rain to stop, they were silent. The silence was broken when Jean started whispering to Melissa. He babbled about his private life and other trifling stuff, but for Melissa, who was ufortable about this kind of awkward silence, such a dialogue was like sweet rain.

    Listening to Jean whispering to her, Wendy also decided to tell Lard what she wanted to say.

    Wendy spoke with a low voice, watching the leaves swaying in the rain, ¡°Sir Lard, I want you to do me a favor.¡±

    Looking at the horses standing in the rain, Lard turned his eyes to her. Wendy wiped rain from her forehead and looked into his eyes. His dark hair soaked in rain looked blurry like a watercolor painting.

    ¡°Tell me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ If you don¡¯t mind, I want you to stop hunting now. It is not very pleasant to see the dying animals. Of course, I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s going to disgrace your honor if I can¡¯t do well in the huntingpetition, but I would appreciate it if you consider my request.¡±

    Lard was silent for a while as if lost in thoughts. Only after rain flowed down the leaves for several moments, he opened his mouth.

    ¡°My honor is not kept by the scores of the hunting contest. If I pretend not to know your difficulties, I would be disgraced¡­ Don¡¯t worry. I will stop hunting here. However, as there are many watchful eyes in this contest, we should not return to the entrance of the forest right away. If you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯ll spend more time in the forest. ¡±

    Wendy nodded. His reply was more than enough to satisfy her.

    Given the crown prince¡¯s attitude, it was not wise for them to return right away, so she dly agreed with his suggestion that they spend more time in the forest, but she soon had to look up at his worried expression with suspicious eyes. His answer could easily satisfy her, but he didn¡¯t consider his own interests.

    Wouldn¡¯t a typical man do anything to enhance his honor? That might be the same case with Lard. He had excellent skills and potential to win the contest. So, she could not understand his decision to give up.

    If he were really bothered by what she said, it would be no problem for them to continue to hunt while keeping her and Melissa at a distance, although it may not be a perfect solution.

    Even if he did that, it would not go against chivalry.

    Above all, if Lard returned without hunting any game, he would be the object of people¡¯s ridicule. It would be hard for him to save face with the game he hunted so far, let alone being included in the award list.

    Given the high expectation of the participants in the contest, his hunting today would be regarded as very poor performance.

    Wendy pondered it seriously. So far, she habitually showed knee-jerk reaction to his excessive favor or kindness with suspicion, but she had to reevaluate him this time. He offered to do her a favor by giving up his own gains and even incurring damage to his honor.

    Suddenly, she recalled the main character of the y, which women admired, in front of Linus Medical Center.

    ¡®Was the name of the y called ¡®Shasha who stole the knight¡¯s kiss?¡¯

    The imperial knight, the hero of the popr drama, would have captured the hearts of women using eloquent words like Lard. Namely, he must have used the kind of romantic words that captivated the women.

    Wendy sighed a bit, looking at Lard at that moment.

    Lard¡¯s words were far from romantic, but if she had to screen out the most romantic of all the words of the world, she would choose what he said. Actually, she liked the true courage of the man who would give up the championship for her rather than giving her the glory of winning the hunting contest.

    But she soon shook her head at her idle thoughts. She felt she had grown a bit romantic after seeing a cruel hunting scene a few times.

    ¡®How can I use this kind of cheesy expression ¡®romantic¡¯?¡¯

    Her face hardened as if she was disappointed with her reckless thoughts.

    ¡°Melissa, are you okay? Your face doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Jean asked Melissa with a worried tone. Wendy¡¯s eyes turned directly toward Melissa. Melissa was still shivering as if Jean¡¯s jacket alone couldn¡¯t keep her warm. He asked the servant to bring a nket and wrapped her with it.

    ¡°Melissa, can you tell me where it hurts?¡±

    Wendy approached her and examined her condition. Her condition seemed to be quite serious, given that even her lips turned white.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ My body is cold and aching. I feel nauseous. I think I have an upset stomach, too, ¡± said Melissa, crying while covering her mouth with her hands. In fact, she reluctantly ate a whole cold sandwich, and worse, she got a cold as she got rained on. Wendy sighed after looking at her forehead. She seemed flushed.

    Wendy hurriedly looked around to check if there were any helpful nts nearby. There were all kinds of green nts in the forest. After looking for something for a while, Wendy found a wee nt near the rock and ran to it.

    When Wendy picked up several leaves of the nt and returned to Melissa, she looked up at Wendy, with her face almost buried in the nket.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (14)

    ¡°This is mint. Put it in your mouth and chew it well. It will help your digestion. It¡¯s good for a cold, so chew it. ¡±

    Wendy chewed a few leaves in her mouth as if reassuring her. Melissa also began to chew several mint leaves carefully. She felt a bit rxed because of the fresh scent of mint that spread in her mouth.

    Fortunately, the rain stopped quickly. As Melissa was still in bad condition, they decided to rush back. Under this situation the prince would not be able to easily express unpleasant feelings even if his n to help Wendy and Lard hit it off together went awry.

    They headed back to the entrance of the forest. The spring forest, drenched in rain, was beautiful. As the sun through the clouds shone on the branches, the forest was full of life. In a forest like this, it would not be unreasonable to hope to see a cute fairy again. The fantastic scene created by the wet leaves and sunshine was dazzling.

    ¡°Whoa!¡±

    But Wendy had no time to feel the mood of the forest because she had to hold the reins tightly many times when Snowyko would not be controlled.

    As if she was discontented, Snowyko stopped moving and looked around continuously.

    Surprised by Snowyko¡¯s strange behavior, Wendy had to keep struggling to appease her keen senses.

    The situation became worse when other horses reacted strangely like Snowyko, which was hypersensitive at the moment. The other horses were also very nervous.

    ¡°Sir Simuan.¡±

    At that moment, Lard called Jean with a low voice. Jean also had a serious expression and nodded at him. Wendy realized the seriousness of the situation as the two carefully prepared bows and arrows.

    Just as expected, she heard the branches of a tree broken a littleter. The servant, whose face turned white, strung his bow.

    The beast that appeared with a terrible sound was a giant, ck Burgonu bear. It was a rare species that could only rarely be encountered deep in the forest.

    The bear stood on two legs began to threaten them by moving his huge forefeet.

    At the bear¡¯s violent actions, several thick branches broke. The atmosphere of the forest was filled with tension.

    It was an unexpected encounter with the vicious owner of the forest.

    Lard and Jean fired when the giant bear roared again. The arrows stuck in its shoulders and nape and made the bear even more angry. Thanks to its thick skin, the bear didn¡¯t seem to have been injured much, but the bear certainly looked in pain.

    They now had to face more difficulties because the roaring bear was about to attack with full force.

    ¡°Move back!¡± Lard shouted at Wendy and Melissa.

    Melissa was already far back, but Wendy was quite ahead. She thought that Lard¡¯s instruction was correct and urgently attempted to change the direction by pulling Snowyko¡¯s reins.

    What was the reason? Snowyko, very excited at the moment, would not listen to her at all.

    Wendy had to bend over backwards to appease the horse stomping her feet on the spot.

    Facing the brutal beast, Snowyko¡¯s behavior was too abnormal.

    ¡°Snowyko!¡±

    Calling her name, Wendy pulled the reins tightly. Only then did Snowyko begin to obey.

    Lard turned to Wendy with an anxious look, while firing round after round at the bear in a row.

    The hounds growled wildly at the giant bear but did not help much.

    No matter how well-trained they were, they instinctively got scared at the bear and could not easily approach it. One of the hounds was brave enough to resist its instinct and charge at the bear. After it was bitterly sacrificed to the bear¡¯s paws, the rest of them were growling at a distance.

    The giant bear, who had gradually narrowed the distance, suddenly smashed the arrow shot by the servant. Then, the bear charged at the servant ferociously, roaring wildly with anger.

    As the surprised servant urgently ran away, the bear again swung around, breathing roughly.

    When the bear¡¯s gaze turned toward Melissa, Wendy had to swallow with strange tension. Melissa met the eyes of the bear and moaned with an ominous feeling. Even though she was far behind the group, she was an easy target for the bear as the servant standing in front of her ran away.

    Thud!

    As soon as the bear stuck its massive paw on the ground, it began to approach at a ferocious speed. As its stride wasrge, it quickly narrowed the distance between them. Lard and Jean hurriedly shot arrows, but the arrowsnded in its back and did little damage. Wendy knew there was no time to hesitate anymore.

    She urgently took off the hunting glove on her right hand and put her index finger on the surface of the glove. Wendy pulled out an arrow as a green leaf began to grow through the glove. Thencete-shaped leaves grew densely between small streams and looked very sharp.

    She didn¡¯t need to grow arge nt because its small size would be more than effective.

    As soon as the nt grew asrge as her thumb, Wendy quickly identified the root of the nt inside the glove.

    She pressed the silver arrowhead over the root of the pink nt, which was the size of a fingernail. Then, she strung the arrow, drew the bow with all her strength, and released it.

    It all happened in an instant.

    The bear was already near Melissa. Melissa would have been sacrificed if the bear swung its feet and ran a few more steps. Lard and Jean Jacques hurriedly approached Melissa, shooting arrows at the bear. Now, they were ready to pull out their swords to engage the bear desperately, but the problem was that the bear was too close to Melissa.

    There was obviously despair in Melissa¡¯s face. Threatened by the charging bear, her horse hurriedly moved back but seemed not to be able to escape. In fact, Melissa and her horse seemed to have given up escaping as if they were resigned in the face of the bear¡¯s ferocity.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Melissa screamed in fear as an arrow pierced the bear¡¯s shoulder.

    The arrow was shot by Wendy. It was not easy to hit the moving target, but fortunately, she hit the bear because of itsrge build. The arrow remained lodged in the bear¡¯s shoulders did not fall off as if it carried out its mission.

    It took effect immediately. The bear slowed abruptly and staggered a couple of steps before falling on the ground with a big thump in the mud. The giant bear¡¯s ck fur was quickly stuck into the mud.

    Lard and Jean arrived and wandered around to check its condition, but they found no signs of life in the bear. Jean pulled out his sword and touched its body, but the bear didn¡¯t move at all. As if to kill itpletely, he pierced the neck of the bear.

    Wendy carefully approached them, driving Snowyko cautiously. Of course, she already threw away the gloves she had used to kill the bear.

    The bulbous nt sprouting from the glove was a tropical poisonous grass called Cymoss. Normally, it would grow as high as an adult¡¯s knee, and colorful, dark purple flowers would bloom from its stems. Cymoss was well known for its poison. Even one drop of juice from its roots could instantly kill a huge cow on the spot.

    The reason the bear could move several steps before dying after being hit by the arrow was partly because it was huge, but the main reason was Wendy had grown the nt on her glove, not in the ground. The toxicity of its poison was slightly reduced due to its improper growing environment.

    Aghast for a while, they watched Wendy approaching them.

    Lard and Jean already noticed that the bear had been killed by Wendy¡¯s arrow while Melissa was dumbfounded at the confusing situation, unable to understand what was going on.

    Wendy deliberately shook her shoulder once in front of them, with a stunned look. She made the gesture to get a dramatic effect.

    ¡°Sir Simuan! How amazing! I was impressed with your courageous actions! Thest arrow you shot at the bear was especially spectacr. Did you see the bear freezing as soon as your arrow was stuck? Nevertheless, you didn¡¯t let your hair down and killed the bear once and for all. The imperial knight was supposed to be vignt to the end. Of course, it was a bit cruel, but because you saved Melissa¡¯s life, nobody would me you!¡±

    As Wendy was making a big fuss over it, Jean opened his eyes wide, at a loss for words.

    Wendy noticed he was agonized over how to respond to her praise, but she turned her eyes at Lard with a bright smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Sir Schroder? You must be very proud as your deputy has made such a big contribution.¡±

    At her unexpected move, Lard was also very embarrassed without replying, but Wendy was very persistent.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (15)

    After looking straight into her eyes for a while, Lard nodded as if he gave it a pass.

    He couldn¡¯t easily believe that the arrow Wendy shot killed the giant bear, but it was too clear to deny the fact. He thought that the arrow shot by Wendy could not have a greater lethal power than the arrows of the imperial knights, so she must have turned to different means.

    Lard, recalling what he witnessed at the Rajabude Museum and Jerus Hall, felt that it was best to just believe what she said. The fact that she killed a huge bear could bring about more trouble for her if it was widely known.

    With a little sigh he patted Jean¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°You have done a great job today.¡±

    Jean, opened his mouth silly, looked at his boss as if he couldn¡¯t understand, but he was gazing at Jean calmly, as usual. Although he seemed to show no emotion, Jean, based on his long experience dealing with him, knew what he was thinking about. His sparkling eyes suggested Jean should know his ce and act properly, otherwise he would be given a good scoldingter.

    Jean scratched the back of his head as if he was put on the spot.

    Melissa folded her two trembling hands and spoke with a touched voice, ¡°Sir Simuan. Thank you so much for saving my life. ¡±

    Watching tearsing from her eyes, Jean once again scratched the back of his head. As the servant who ran away came back and watched them from afar, Jean had to be more careful. For the servant, quick-witted and smart, had been watching them and could figure out what Wendy intended. He thought as she caught a big bear, it was certain that she would win the contest, but she didn¡¯t want it.

    As he was the third son of the Simuan family, he had no right to seed the family, so he might be interested in the baron title, the winning prize of the huntingpetition. But no matter how much he wanted the title, he knew it was a shame to im her credit for his own benefits.

    Jean sighed with an ufortable expression and spoke to Melissa in an awkward tone.

    ¡°Melissa, you must be surprised a lot? How do you feel now? ¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Though she said she was okay, Melissa kept shivering. As she went through the crisis of being killed by a bear, in addition to her cold, it was natural that she didn¡¯t feel okay. Jean had no choice but to approach Melissa and reach out to her to help her get off the horse. He intended to have her share his horse.

    Meanwhile, Wendy did not feel very well although her n worked out as she intended because of Snowyko¡¯s strange behavior. Snowyko began to shake again and neigh. Even if Wendy shouted with a stern voice, Snowyko didn¡¯t care, neighing violently.

    Watching the unusual scene, Lard approached Wedny to help her out.

    Snowyko cried loudly, raising her forefeet high. Wendy almost fell from her back because of the abrupt movement. She hastily caught her breath and appeased her, shouting ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡±, but it became more violent and began to run wildly. Because it was galloping at full speed, she had no choice but to hold the reins tightly, closing her dry lips. With a little mistake she would have been thrown into the mud like the giant bear.

    Lard hastily mounted Balos, shouting, ¡°Giddy-up!¡±

    Whipping the horse, he chased her. His stiff chin hardened as he drew the horse, watching Wendy¡¯s back, she seemed to be precarious in her saddle.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Wendy moaned in pain. Her moan was quickly buried by Snowyko¡¯s loud hooves through the forest, but Lard could guess even from a distance that she was in trouble. As she struggled to bnce herself on the saddle with all her might, Snowyko¡¯s galloping was as harsh as that of an angry wild horse.

    ¡°Ouch, Snowyko! Calm down!¡±

    She tried to control Snowyko by tightening its reins hard, but it was too tough for her to handle.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    She screamed at the thick branches right before her face. Hastily bending down to avoid the branches, she grabbed the reins tighter. Running on a horse through the dense forest could endanger her life. She clenched her jaw once again. It was best for her to bnce herself while bending down as much as she could.

    Snowyko, the white mare, looked crazy. It was far from meek, though Lard said it was. When Wendy moved a little on its back, Snowyko shook her head and flipped her ears back as if it was in pain.

    Seeing Snowyko shaking violently at the slightest touch, Wendy finally realized that there was something wrong with the horse. This was even more dreadful than the appearance of the violent bear because her life was at stake.

    In the meantime, Wendy was worried about Snowyko¡¯s pain. Shetrembled painfully, sweating profusely. Her eyes glowed like a mad animal¡¯s as she breathed roughly. Wendy thought that Snowyko had been given something, looking at white saliva drooling down its mouth.

    ¡®Maybe that guy did something to Snowyko?¡¯

    She recalled that stranger pacing near Snowyko right before the hunting started. She regretted btedly that she didn¡¯t pay more attention to the guy right after he left. Lard once again double checked her and his baggage after they left, but the problem wasn¡¯t the baggage or equipment. If the stranger was responsible for Snowyko¡¯s erratic behavior, he must have done something terrible to Snowyko.

    ¡°Wendy!¡±

    She came to her senses when Lard shouted at her in a thunderous voice. A huge pit in front of her caught her eye. She quickly turned Snowyko¡¯s reins in the other direction, but it just ran straight ahead as if it didn¡¯t want to follow her order.

    When she got close to Snowyko¡¯s saddle, anticipating its big jump, it jumped violently over the pit ahead.

    ¡°Oops!¡±

    The moment Snowykonded on the ground, she once again groaned loudly. Snowyko¡¯s jumping was much better than she thought. Otherwise, they would have been stuck in the pit. She had to calm her pounding heart.

    She could guess that Lard was following her now when she heard the sound of a horse ttering from behind. Snowyko kept running as if it would never stop until it was exhausted.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Wendy cursed, ming herself as she was helpless in that situation.

    She had already driven Snowyko for a very long time. At first nce, the forest around her was noticeably different. She saw unfamiliar nts and trees that she had seen so far, which suggested that she entered the deep forest.

    ¡°Look ahead!¡± Lard screamed and his voice echoed through the forest. Her heart sank when she saw the steep cliff ahead.

    There was no more forest as if it was cut off like a knife. The red soil and rough, exposed roots everywhere were clear warning signs that she should note into this ce. If she ignored the warning and continued to run, she would not be able to leave the forest alive.

    Wendy pulled Snowyko¡¯s reins with all her strength. She couldn¡¯t afford to worry about its pain because the cliff was right ahead of them.

    Wendy shrieked, ¡°Stop!¡±

    At that moment Snowyko miraculously stopped with a big whinny. It was not because she pulled the reins hard but because Snowyko instinctively feared the steep cliff ahead.

    Snowyko lifted her legs high, cried loudly, and began to turn round on the spot like crazy.

    As if the drug was fully in her system, Snowyko¡¯s mouth was full of white bubbles. In the end, she lost her bnce and was thrown to the ground.

    ¡°Wendy!¡± Lard shouted.

    She felt her body suddenly rising in the air. The air of the forest, filled with the smell of wet grass filled her nose.

    She was struggling to survive a moment ago, but she was now lost in strange thoughts.

    Time seemed to pass very slowly. If time stopped like this, she wished she could stay stuffed in the air of the forest. Then, she could forget everything and feelfortable.

    She thought her past life wasn¡¯t so bad and epted everything that had happened to her. The moment she began to toy with that thought, she rebelled against it and changed her mind. She felt she couldn¡¯t fool herself.

    Her life had been terribly bitter. Except for thest two years, she had never felt happy. But could she confess she was really happy during those two years? She could not answer easily. She felt that her endless questions like this only disturbed her mind.

    While being thrown headlong to the ground, she watched several scenes passing by.

    She saw a towering tree and a blue sky hanging from its end.

    ¡®Oh, the cloud has already disappeared far away!¡¯ The sun, which dried the cold rain drops on her face, looked soft and tender like a newly bloomed flower.

    ¡® Why did I live without knowing that clear sky?¡¯

    Obviously the color of the sky was blue from the beginning, but she lived without noticing it until now.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (16)

    Wendy could not understand why Lard¡¯s words came to her mind in this urgent situation.

    ¡®Why did I recall Lard¡¯s stupid remarks at this moment?¡¯

    She thought Lard shouted her name a moment ago.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    She felt some shock in her back. The pain was not stronger than she thought. Besides, the touch was also not rough, hard soil, so she could not grasp the situation.

    Soon, she realized that someone was holding her tight. Hugging her, he was absorbing the impact that she would have felt. While she was tangled up with him and rolling the ground, Wendy couldn¡¯t figure out who he was.

    ¡®Who the hell is holding me now? Who is going through the pain on my behalf?¡¯

    There was nobody who suffered pain on her behalf.

    She once again felt her body floating in the air.

    It was a cliff. Closing her eyes, she realized she was falling into the air. She felt extreme pain in her wrists.

    ¡°Uh, Wendy!¡±

    Wet dirt fell past her forehead and down the cliff. She barely raised her head and looked up at the face of the man holding her hand.

    ¡°Sir Schroder¡­¡±

    He was Lard Schroder, captain of the 1st Imperial Knights. She met him several times until now, but he was no more than a stranger to her.

    ¡°Why¡­¡± Wendy couldn¡¯t continue her words.

    He was in a messy state. His dishevelled ck hair was stered to his dirty, scratched d face, his clothes were stained with mud. He was messed up.

    Before falling off the cliff, the man managed to grasp the root of the tree that protruded from the edge of the cliff. He was doing his best to survive with his left hand grasping her right wrist with all his might.

    Right after the shower of soil, the piles of wet soil near the roots crashed over them.

    Wendy looked desperately into his face and met his eyes. Unless she grew a nt from the arm of this man holding her right wrist, it seemed impossible that she would survive.

    She did not want to live at the sacrifice of this swordsman¡¯s arm. There was nothing she could do about it. Even if she could survive for a few more minutes hanging on his arm, she would eventually fall to the bottom of the cliff. The only difference was that she would die alone.

    She shouted, ¡°Let go of me! You¡¯ll fall like me! ¡±

    She could not have the man end up dead because of her. If he let go of her hand, he could survive. Her green eyes met his gray eyes. His eyes were calm, as usual. Wendy vividly saw his decisiveness reflected in his eyes, but in reality, it was fear. Of course, he was not afraid of death. Nevertheless, the man was worried that her life was in his hands.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Lard said with no expression on his face.

    That was his typical way of speaking when she spoke.

    She grinned with a distorted expression but felt like crying somehow.

    Piles of dirt near the tree roots began to crumble all at once as they could not sustain the weight of two. The moment the tree roots in Lard¡¯s hand broke, his body tilted immediately.

    Before they could do anything, the two fell from the cliff.

    The moment they began to fall, Lard struggled to keep a hold on heras best he could.

    Barely grasping her waist, he hugged her tightly to him to reduce the impact of the fall. Given the height of the cliff, it was futile, but he had to do everything he could.

    In the meantime, Wendy, with her right hand free, was making every effort to bring her index finger to the cliff. Although they were falling at a rapid pace, their descent was slowed down a little bit as he grabbed a tree root or rock that protruded from the cliffside. She pressed her index finger to everything she could see and touch. Although she felt sharp pain when her hands slid over the rugged surface of the cliff, she couldn¡¯t stop trying to survive because of that pain. If she withdrew her index finger, it would be like epting death.

    Thud!

    ¡°Oops!¡±

    Be it lucky or unlucky, they fell into a solid mass of soil that had been caught on the side of the cliff. She felt tremendous pain all over her body. Perhaps Lard would be in greater pain because he cushioned her fall. She felt Lard¡¯s arms wrapped around her waist loosening. Astonished, she called his name loudly, but the pile of soil they had relied on again began to fall apart.

    Something rumbled.

    Light brown roots began to stretch out from the crumbling soil on the cliff.

    Dozens of roots grew quickly, as if they were reaching out to Wendy. She instinctively reached for the roots.

    ¡®Please!¡¯ She was choked with hot emotions. As they were slightly out of reach, she had to clench her jaw and reach out with all her might.

    Bang!

    One arm shot out from behind her and grabbed the root closest to them firmly. The tendons and veins in his forearm bulged. Lard tightened his grip around her waist. The grip was so tight that it hurt.

    Lard was struggling alone, holding a tree¡¯s roots with one hand and holding her in the other.

    He was sweating profusely. If the growth of the tree roots had been a little slower, the two might have fallen again.

    The roots of the tree twined around each other and grew down towards them. Soon, she could reach a stem of her own.

    With Lard¡¯s help, she climbed up the roots and breathed out enough to shake her shoulders. Although the tree roots swayed with theirbined weight, there was no sign that it would break. It was too early for them to feel relieved, but they had survived.

    She carefully checked the condition of the tree. The tree roots grew and extended into a trunk until the tree¡¯s root structure was long enough for the two to lie down on it and didn¡¯t stop growing. Maybe it was struggling to drive its root deeply in the side of the dark cliff.

    The name of the nt that saved their lives was wisteria. The wisteria bloomed lovely twigs in the summer. It could be easily found anywhere in the Benyahan Empire. Of course, the tree she created was thicker and stronger than an ordinary wisteria tree, but as it grew without support, she could not guarantee its safe growth.

    The wisteria trunks created enough space for the two to rest. Somehow, he was curious while looking up at the still-growing tree. She felt something strange about his gaze.

    ¡°¡­Sir Schroder, are you okay?¡± Wendy asked him, taking a short breath.

    As if he was exhausted, he sat, staring at the tree nkly.

    Raising her head and following his gaze, she was full of frustration. She was ready to take his questioning regarding the wisteria, but the situation was too much for her to take.

    On the cliff, there were many wisteria trees growing in several ces, as if to show the track they fell off. The trees with thick trunks were covered with blue leaves. The series of wisteria growing under the heat of the bleak cliff created a strange atmosphere. Bundles of pale purple flowers hanging from the trunks shed deep fragrance, with slowly-blooming buds.

    ¡°Sir Schroder¡­¡±

    A petal fluttered down andnded on his face. As his gaze turned to her at her call, she was speechless.

    ¡®How should I exin this to him?¡¯ She felt her mouth getting dry.

    The wind blew once. Light purple petals poured down like rain on her head. She got so nervous about the petal on his left cheek that she reached out instead of making an excuse. He quietly looked at her instead of avoiding her touch. There was no shock or confusion in his face.

    He carefully grabbed her right hand as it touched the petal. She felt the warmth of his hand. It was a rough hand with calluses, but his touch was gentle.

    ¡°Oh, your hand is bleeding¡­¡± He said, holding her hand.

    Narrowing his eyes, he lifted her palm upward. Like he said, her right hand was bleeding. Several parts of her hand were ripped, scratched, and even tattered. The condition of her index finger was especially serious. The petal she removed from his cheek quickly turned red on her fingers.

    As soon as she confirmed the wounds on her right hand, she suddenly felt fatigued.

    The moment she felt dizzy, she found herself spacing out.

    ¡°Wendy!¡± He shouted sharply, holding her shoulders urgently as she was falling over.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Don¡¯te to the hunting contest in the forest (17)

    She struggled to pull herself together with her eyes closed.

    As she used too much power in a short time, she waspletely exhausted.

    It seemed that she lost her energy after oveing the crisis of death a moment ago.

    ¡°I am fine.¡±

    Aftering to her senses, she closed her eyes for a while and rubbed her dry eyes. When she raised her head, she saw his face first and his gray eyes reflecting opaque feelings like a creek in the rainy season. She didn¡¯t have the heart to meet his gaze because she would be swept away in a stream of feelings if she kept looking.

    The fluttering petals once againnded on them, but they could not even remove the petals.

    ¡°You look worse than me. You had better hurry up for urgent treatment. ¡±

    His face was also bleeding from its scratches and other wounds. Obviously, the wounds on his body, which were invisible because of the clothes, were more serious. Avoiding his eyes, she tried to get up hastily, but he stopped her.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    Wisteria branches shook greatly. Lard, worried about her sudden movement, seemed anxious.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just watch me,¡± she said feebly.

    She had to use the power of her index finger once again. There was no use crying over spilled milk, but it was the first time she was about to show her power in front of others. So, she felt scared.

    Lard loosened his grip on loosened her hand. Meeting his gaze, she lowered her head in no time.

    ¡®What does he think of me?¡¯

    That was the first thing that made her heart heavy when she thought about lots of things that would happen in the future. After she received the power from the forest fairy, she had never been caught by anybody. She was very nervous about how Lard would react upon watching it firsthand. Although she was worried because it was Lard, not anybody else, who would witness her power, she felt a bit relieved. She could not easily understand her feelings.

    Wendy cautiously moved closer to the cliff. Touching her finger to the dirt near the wisteria¡¯s base, she pressed her index finger to it without hesitation. She felt sharp pain in the wound, but she had to pay the price inevitably to grow healthy nts.

    When she took her finger away, there was a red mark like a fingerprint. From the soil stained with her blood, a lush green downy-haired stem began to grow. At the same time, several leaves that were split into zigzag strips began to grow along its length. By the time the yellow petals bloomed at the end of the stem, Lard let out a shocked breath with a hardened expression. Although he witnessed the whole process, he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    The growth of the nt did not stop there. Yellow petals quickly copsed and withered, falling down to the ground. Shortly afterwards, white plumes were pushed out of the sepal where the petals fell, and a white spore came out. It took only a few moments for her to do this.

    ¡°Weya is a dandelion. Adapted to the windless valley of the Weya province, it flies easily even with little wind. It is about 20 times bigger than normal.¡±

    When she finished talking, she looked awkwardly at his face. Obviously, she was concerned she might look conceited to him, though she tried to pretend to stay casual.

    But Lard¡¯s expression was unmoved as usual because he was also conscious of her.

    As he didn¡¯t want to make her worried, he quickly calmed down and met her eyes.

    ¡°Isit very big?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You bet.¡±

    Wendy felt relieved at his cool reaction, but on the other hand, she felt a bit disappointed.

    Even though she didn¡¯t expect his big surprise, she thought he would utter just a little bit of exmation. Given the extraordinary disy of her power, his reaction was pretty disappointing.

    ¡°Hummm¡­¡±

    She snorted as if she was dissatisfied. Looking at his face through her half-closed eyes, she decided that she would pretend not to know what she had shown to him. If he treated her as if nothing happened, she would do the same!

    She shrugged once and crawled near the dandelion spores. She grabbed and tried to pull them out with both hands, but found it hard because her hand was wounded. The heap of swelling dandelion spores was big enough to cover her face. Wendy was more immersed in pulling them out, with her face buried in them.

    Weya dandelion was a nt mostly growing in the Weya region, surrounded by high mountains, perfectly adapted to the low wind environment. They floated in the air so easily even with very little wind that there were several rare episodes about the Weya dandelion.

    Wendy remembered reading a research paper published by a botany professor of the Jeddah Academy in which he argued that Weya dandelion spores could lift a mountain goat close to a meter when they were hung on its neck. Noting this, she used the nt several times in her simtions at Rainey Forest, where she had doneb research for emergencies.

    The Weya dandelion was five times asrge as a regr dandelion, but in Rainey Forest she had to make it bigger. After repeated experiments, she found out that she needed about six spores to handle her weight, and that she had to grow them to be about twenty times the size of the Weya dandelion.

    ¡°Here you are. It seems like you need spores.¡±

    Wendy was in angst while handing three or four Weya spores to Lard.

    ¡°Take about ten spores for now. If you think you are floating too high, you¡¯d better throw them away one by one. You can use the same method when yound on the ground. ¡±

    Listening to her exnation, Lard looked at her with an unbelievable expression. From his point of view, he felt her exnation was nonsense. However, she had closed her lips, pondering over how to persuade him.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to use Welshaya spores to go down there. Grab this and jump down into the air when the wind blows. Then, you can slowlye down. You can go even a long distance. This doesn¡¯t seem like anything special, but it will create a formidable force with little wind. Oh, look! ¡±

    At that moment, the east wind blew. When her left hand holding the spores floated in the direction of the wind, he seemed astonished. She tightened her grip on the spores to make sure they were not blown away by the wind.

    ¡°They¡¯re stuck here very hard. Would you please help me instead of looking at me nkly?

    She struggled to tear off the spores stuck on the calyx. Approaching her slowly, he looked down at her with a worried expression.

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    Wisteria flowers scattering in the windnded in her yellow hair. The purple petals finely decorated her head as she struggled to remove the spores and looked like a coro.

    He smiled awkwardly, recalling the ivy that decorated her head at the Jerus Hall. He didn¡¯t expect to experience watching her mystical power like this, but he felt strange when he finally found out the exact source of many mysterious things that kept him wondering until now.

    He would lie if he said he was not awed by her miraculous power, but he could not understand how she could do it.

    Aside from questions about how she had that ability and when she used it, he was lost in strange thoughts that he himself couldn¡¯t understand. If this mysterious power could exist in the world, it was natural that she possessed the power. As her young yellow hair and her green eyes looked very good on her, this special power also suited her very well, he thought.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, are you ready? Even if your injured shoulder hurts, you should not let go of the spores. You already know what will happen after that, right? ¡±

    With Weya spores in her hand, her legs crossed outside the wisteria trunk, she did not forget to give him advice with a worried expression. It looked like she was scaring him away, but he just smiled furtively and nodded once.

    ¡°I know very well. You shouldn¡¯t let go of the spores because your injured hand hurts¡­ I don¡¯t have the heart to see you falling again. I¡¯m really not confident this time. ¡±

    Lard spoke jokingly.His face was still expressionless, so she had to narrow her eyebrows a bit to judge if he spoke in jest or seriously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t happen, but even if that happens, I won¡¯t reach out for your help. Of course, let me save you if you are in danger. If you give me Balos in return for your life! ¡±

    Wendy said with a smile.

    ¡°¡­That won¡¯t happen. No matter what happens, I won¡¯t let go of these spores!¡±

    Lard was ready to jump down.

    Right at that moment, a strong wind blew.

    When she signaled, the two let themselves float into the air.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Why is the white por by the river shining alone? (1)

    The wind was blowing towards the west section of the forest.

    Like Wendy said, the Weya spores flew easily with very little wind and allowed the two to float in the air easily. Feeling the resistance of the wind around his body, Lard constantly moved the spores to adjust his direction without taking his eyes off her.

    Despite his floating in the air for the first time in his life, he developed a sense of flying in no time.

    ¡°How do you feel? Don¡¯t you feel so good? ¡±

    Although she asked cheerfully, she was not in a good mood.

    He opened his mouth, looking at her hardened face.

    ¡°Yes, the wind is very cool.¡±

    She nodded awkwardly, with her eyes trembling as if she felt dizzy.

    In fact, she practiced a lot but was not used to flying.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s fly down slowly,¡± she said.

    As the arm holding the spores was beyond her power, she spoke with a slightly suppressed voice. Although she built the strength of her arms through continuous training at the martial arts center, she couldn¡¯t hold on for a long time because of her weight. As soon as she finished talking, she carefully threw away a Weya spore.

    At the same time, her body descended. She stared at the top of the trees, which seemed to touch her toes, and tightened her hand holding the spores. She went a little further forward.

    ¡°Well, can you see the river over there? Let¡¯s go down to the sandbar there. Can you get there?''¡±

    Lard agreed, looking at her forehead with beads of sweat. What she pointed to was the end of the oak trees below the cliff. They floated in the wind and quickly reached their destination.

    She stepped onto the sandbar, releasing thest spore from her hand. At that moment, she felt as much joy as she did when riding Balos across the field.

    She trembled with excitement when she realized she had actually survived!

    As she nced at thest Weya spore soaring above the sky, she let out a sigh of relief with a smile.

    Lard also felt greatly relieved when he safelynded like her. He rubbed his wet hands on his green jacket. His defenseless posture was rather unfamiliar to her. She slowly walked towards the stream after finding his gaze fixed on the floating Weslyaya spore in the air.

    Sitting before the stream, she dipped her dirty hands in the water. As her burning wound touched the cold water, she felt a little better.

    ¡°Those dandelion spores¡­¡±

    Lard drifted off.

    Although she nced at his face with a suspicious expression, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of the dandelion spores disappearing into the sky.

    ¡°As far as the Weya spores are concerned, don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t do any harm to the Burgonu forest. Those that grow high like that don¡¯t have a long life. Most of all, the soil here is less sticky than the Weya region, which is unsuitable for the Weya dandelions. They won¡¯t have any impact on the ecosystem.¡±

    She gently rubbed the wounds on her right hand in the water to remove the dirt and leaf debris in it.

    At first, she was also concerned that dandelions native to Weya could affect the ecology of the Burgonu forest. She was worried that using the power of her index finger indiscriminately could ruin the ecology of an area, so she always paid attention to it whenever she used it.

    Approaching her in no time, he sat next to her and dipped his hands in the water. While shaking her hand in the water nkly, she turned to him with a startled look. The man gripped her wrist and lifted her hand without any hesitation as if it was his duty to do so. Small drops of water sshed and left round marks on the sandbar.

    ¡°What I¡¯m concerned about is not the Burgonu forest¡­ I saw your blood stains on the Weya stems¡­ Your wounds are severe.¡±

    His eyebrows writhed when he frowned at her messy wound. The wound was worse than before.

    ¡°I was foolish. I should have moved after treating you first.¡±

    He hurriedly washed his hands in water and began to unbutton his jacket.

    He wanted to use the clean cloth of his shirt.

    ¡°I regret I did not bring several handkerchiefs with me.¡±

    He already put his handkerchief, which got wet in the sudden shower, inside his luggage long ago. He also regretted that he didn¡¯t bring the first aid medicine that was still in Balos¡¯ saddlebags.

    Her wounded hand made him feel ashamed of himself for failing to protect her.

    Watching him taking off his jacket, she put her uninjured left hand into the inside of her jacket pocket and grabbed a crumpled handkerchief.

    She hesitated a bit and pulled out her hand without anything. She couldn¡¯t hand him the handkerchief. Perhaps she recalled the handkerchief he had wrapped around her ankle at Jerus Hall, which sheter cut off. As she felt that showing it to him would be to confess her sin, she didn¡¯t have the heart to give him the handkerchief.

    Without knowing it, he ripped the white linen shirt he was wearing without hesitation.

    He quickly wrapped up her hand skillfully. As he held the sword for a long time, he also experienced numerous injuries, so treating wounded hands was not that difficult.

    ¡°I remember you hurt your hand recently. Well, It¡¯s the opposite now. ¡±

    She recalled her recent memory about him to shake off the awkward atmosphere.

    ¡°I may not be as good as you, but the cloth around your hand won¡¯t get undone easily. I think we should get back as soon as possible and have it treated to avoid it getting infected.¡±

    He grabbed a ripped piece of cloth and began to knot it. It was a special knot method used by the imperial knights.

    She hesitated and opened her mouth with a sullen voice.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, can you tell me how to untie the knot?¡±

    He looked at her face for a moment then showed her how to loosen the knot several times. He recalled the same knot that he had used to tie the handkerchief to her ankle recently. It was not difficult to imagine that she had a hard time undoing the knot.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s easy. Just pull this rounded part forward. Do you understand? ¡±

    Listening to his exnation, she stuck her left hand into the pocket with an embarrassed expression. ¡®Why did I ask him how to loosen the knot? I wish I had taken out the handkerchief. Stupid!¡¯ She sighed deep inside.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not that hard.¡±

    Nevertheless, she wanted to know how to untie the knot properly. She did not want to cut the knot with scissors again. She didn¡¯t understand why she felt the urge to ask.

    ¡°Your hands are also wounded badly. Don¡¯t you feel pain?¡± she said, watching him tying the knot with his wounded hands.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel as wounded as you are. Just little scratches¡­¡±

    ¡°You have scratches on your face, too¡­¡±

    Wendy couldn¡¯t speak anymore, looking into his face with ck bruises here and there.

    It was he who needed urgent treatment rather than herself, she thought.

    Lowering her head, she hesitated for a while then took out her handkerchief.

    She felt she couldn¡¯t afford to care about her own shame.

    ¡°Wait a moment¡­Let me see your wounds. ¡±

    When she dipped the handkerchief into the clean water, wrung it out, and looked at his face, she suddenly felt tense. Her heart was pounding loudly.

    She looked hard into his eyes, trying to focus.

    ¡®I¡¯m just trying to do good for him! I¡¯m returning his favor!¡¯

    She had to fidget with the handkerchief for a while to convince herself to justify her actions.

    ¡°I think I need to wipe your wounds clean¡­So, please don¡¯t get me wrong.¡±

    She reached out to his face, saying something she didn¡¯t have to say. As expected, he showed his face without any reaction. She felt relieved.

    She caught her breath slowly, pressing the handkerchief over his forehead.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so nervous! Maybe over here where that wisteria petalnded.¡¯

    While wiping his face, she tried to distract herself. But the petal that sat on his face came to her mind vividly.

    It was unwise for her to recall the wisteria petal at the moment because she kept recalling the act of her kindly taking the petal off his face. She blushed.

    ¡°¡­Done.¡±

    She lowered her head, dipping the handkerchief into the water urgently. This time, too, Lard did not say anything. She felt it was fortunate that Lard was a man of few words. Of course, he was tense at that moment, too. She was not aware that he was trying his best not to show his feelings by reciting the Imperial Knights code of conduct.

    After taking a long rest near the stream, they stood up. They barely endured the awkward atmosphere.

    He picked up his jacket as if he wanted to wear it again. She saw red and blue bruises on his back and shoulders through a thin linen shirt. Obviously, they were the wounds caused by the fall.

    She quickly turned her eyes away from it and tried not to feel a sense of guilt.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Why is the white por by the river shining alone? (2)

    The two chose to go round the sandbar and get back over the cliff. They couldn¡¯t climb the cliff or swim in the river to go to other areas.

    As they walked past the around the corner towards the river, the surroundings gradually began to turn orange. The sun was about to set.

    Looking at the beautifully sparkling riverside, the two quickened their pace. They knew better than anyone else that the forest in the dark would be dangerous.

    ¡°Ah¡­ ¡± Wendy, who was walking fast on the sandbar, stopped shortly with a sigh.

    There was a faint glow flickering in her eyes when she was looking ahead. She was seeing a scene that left a strong impression in her memory. It closely resembled the scene of the setting sun. It was a silver por.

    The tree was standing alone by the river, isted from other trees of the forest.

    It was sparkled brightly in the shining light of the river.

    She felt she was deeply touched when she saw it, recalling the memory of that day she had never told anyone about.

    Was it because of that?

    She opened her tight-lipped mouth as if she opened a tightly sealed jar of lemon tea.

    When she nced at his face, glowing with the red sunshine, he turned his eyes on her. The air of the forest surrounding them was filled with a cool breeze over the river.

    She turned back toward the por and asked him calmly, ¡°¡­Why did you save me? If you pretended not to have noticed me, you wouldn¡¯t have suffered this kind of pain.¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer for some time. Then he turned to her as the wind blew over the river again. His voice was mixed with the clear scent of the river wind.

    ¡°¡­Well, my answer would be the same as yours. Just like you used your power for the benefits of others without any hesitation, I also did what I could. Wendy, I know you acted at the Rajabude Museum. You cared for that poor little girl hospitalized at the Linus Medical Center. And today you saved Melissa. Obviously, you had a clear reason for doing what you did. I know you helped them all. You, too, thought about the difficulties of others first before taking into ount the hardships you would suffer.¡±

    While looking at the white por, her eyes trembled. The fact that he already knew what she had been doing until now was enough to disturb her with a violent wave in her heart.

    ¡°Have you known about my mysterious power all along?¡± She asked with a trembling voice.

    ¡°I just guessed. I¡¯m not very imaginative. I just felt something I couldn¡¯t exin was happening. That¡¯s all I thought about you.¡±

    ¡°The kid at the Linus Medical Center¡­How did you know about it?¡±

    ¡°I knew it by coincidence. Of course, I was curious, too. Don¡¯t worry, I never told anyone about what I guessed. I won¡¯t tell anybody. I swear on my honor as a knight. ¡±

    She turned to him who was looking at her calmly. His face was calm and serene like the sea at dawn, without impatience or falsehood.

    ¡°Let me tell you again¡­ It was not good for you to ask me why I saved you. You know why? As for your question, I can¡¯t help but answer I just helped you in need, and that I just did what I had to do in my capacity as an imperial knight. Just like you, I can only say that I didn¡¯t hesitate to reach out to others in need of help. ¡±

    He slowly reached out to her. She stared at his hand with a hardened expression like a stone statue.

    ¡°How couldn¡¯t I save you in that situation?¡±

    He spoke with a trembling voice and took hold of her hands.

    His sigh drifted in the wind over the river and touched her cheeks.

    He sighed, ¡°I just¡­¡±

    She knew for the first time that a human voice could be a being in itself. The reason she couldn¡¯t shake off his hands was because his words became a being and hovered around the rim of her ears.

    ¡°You are wrong. I have always hesitated. I was always hesitant and confused. Reaching out to others has always been hard for me, ¡± she said suddenly with a subdued voice.

    She began to walk without releasing his hand. While walking along the riverside, led by her hand, he listened to her, holding his breath.

    ¡°Can I tell you a boring story?¡±

    She swept her hair, mussed by the wind. Her hair waved in the air then fluttered back to her ear.

    ¡°It was a long time ago, when I was very young. I had a high fever and a lot of pain for no reason. At that time, I met my mother for the first time, but I couldn¡¯t talk properly as I was so sick. When I got well, my mother wasn¡¯t beside me¡­ I was devastated as a young child.¡±

    She stopped talking for a moment and took a breath. She was catching her breath to calm herself.

    ¡°¡­Since that day I lived for a few days, feeling as if I was left alone in the world. I searched for my mother for many days. There¡¯s a big difference between what you didn¡¯t have in the first ce and what you once had and lost. Even though I had never had a chance to talk with my mother, my experience with having my mother beside me reminded me acutely that I was alone.

    ¡°One day I identally passed by the river and noticed a tree. It was a tree simr to that silver por over there¡­ All the other trees were gathered together, but only one was standing by the river. Yeah, standing alone and lonely like that. When the other trees cast their shadows side by side on the water, that tree had a lonely shade of its own¡­ I felt like that tree.¡±

    She pointed to the silver por.

    Clouds floated overhead and cast shadows over the por.

    ¡°Until it was deep into the night, I sat by the river and kept looking at the tree until I couldn¡¯t see it in the darkness¡­If the clouds had not been lifted and the moonlight hadn¡¯t shone, I might have remained there as a grumbling child. The moonlit tree was beautiful alone in the forest. The leaves of the silver por and its trunks shone all silver. So much so that I felt the smell of grass, the smell of the wind, the sparkling of the river, the sound of swaying leaves of other trees were all intended for that tree.¡±

    Following her gaze, he looked at the silver por standing alone at a distance. The wind that started near the tree blew through the river¡¯s surface.

    ¡°Maybe it was a phantom created by moonlight and the river. But I have never seen a scene as beautiful as that day. That tree standing tall and alone was so noble and beautiful. I knew it wasn¡¯t time for me to cry, but I was in tears the moment I saw that brilliant light, the moment I saw the strength of that tree¡­¡±

    She smiled a bit. Her face turned white and red like an apricot. The sadness on her bright face was even more touching.

    ¡°After that, I was not afraid of the fact that I was alone.¡±

    She was content with her hard, shiny shell, like a silver por. Even if she was the only one who knew its beauty, that was enough for her. At first nce she might seem indifferent and foolish, but it was the lesson she learned hard and sadly.

    She wanted to say that she felt good when she was alone, and that she didn¡¯t want to have something that she didn¡¯t have. She wanted to say she didn¡¯t want to experience a sense of loss again.

    ¡°Thank you for listening to my boring story.¡±

    He tried to say something several times and failed. The two walked on and released each other¡¯s hands.

    It wasn¡¯t until they came near the por that he stopped her. Several small bushes were around them. He thought while looking into her face.

    He wished he could see that silver por, sitting next to her. If that were impossible, he wished he could be that silver por by the river, so she could findfort in it. He would be satisfied as long as she felt that she was not alone.

    ¡°I can¡¯t understand you entirely, but I want you to know that you are not looking at the tree alone like before. ¡±

    Wendy lowered her gaze and held her breath. Orange air filled her heart.

    ¡°If you feel lonely again like before, and if the dayes again when you need that silver por ¡­On that day, I will stand by you again.¡± He said, ¡°Let¡¯s look at theforting light of the tree and the brilliant light.¡±

    He again took her hands. He felt her hands trembling quietly. As the sun was setting fully, the knuckles of her fingers were all red.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Why is the white por by the river shining alone? (3)

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t know anything. I no longer feel loneliness, ¡± she said with a moist voice.

    ¡°If so, isn¡¯t it better for you?¡±

    He grabbed her hands strongly. It was difficult for her to shake off his hands suddenly.

    She took pains to turn her head.

    The orange-colored water was seen through the branches. The shadow of the silver por shadow shook a bit, but the roots of the tree were still strong just like Lard Schroder.

    Away from the riverside, the two walked quickly through the twilight forest. They felt it wise to find their party while there was some sunlight left, but soon afterwards it got dark.

    Her jacket was caught on a branch. As she was surprised and moved back, the seams on the side were ripped apart and the air filled with the sound of threads breaking.

    ¡°¡­Are you okay? ¡±

    Lard rushed to watch her condition. She nodded, looking at him in the dark.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­By the way, I think it¡¯s not a good idea to continue walking through the forest. ¡±

    Lard nodded once, as if he agreed. While walking, he whistled to Balos, but obviously, he didn¡¯t hear the sounds of hooves. He thought Balos was pretty far apart from them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make a fire.¡± Then he led her to a very spacious lot.

    Leaning against a thick wooden pole, she watched him preparing to make fire. He was struggling hard to gather and light the branches in the dark. All the flint and other emergency items were in his saddlebags, so he had to make a fire with flint. But the forest was still moist due to the afternoon showers. Watching him silently, she finally opened her mouth.

    ¡°I think it can help you to make a fire.¡±

    Lard, who was busy moving his hand, looked up when she spoke with a low voice.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to make a bonfire. Do you mean to use your power? ¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to put your finger on the ground again?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the best way, but I think I can use this piece of wood here. It¡¯s a nt that grows well on trees. It¡¯s okay, if I touch it carefully on a smooth ce. ¡±

    She approached the branches he gathered and lifted the index finger wrapped in cloth.

    When she untied the knot, she could undo the fabric very easily.

    She picked up two twigs and touched her finger several times over it. The wound on her hand felt sore, but it was not unbearable.

    ¡°When you use that power repeatedly, do you experience any side effects? ¡±

    Schroder recalled her actions in light of the wisteria. The images of her feeling dizzy as if she couldn¡¯t bnce herself came to his mind like haze in the middle of the summer.

    ¡°When I use it several times in a short time, I feel a little tired, but there are no serious side effects.¡±

    She spoke casually without taking her eyes off the branches, but he did not fully trust her words. Although she said she didn¡¯t feel tired, he knew from witnessing her actions that she was exhausted after using her index finger.

    Although the imperial knight mercilessly fell down while sparring with him, he didn¡¯t even blink an eye. He let out a deep sigh, watching her sucking the wound on her index finger into her mouth and tied it again.

    ¡°¡­Let me tie the knot for you. ¡±

    Gently grasping her hand, he began to wrap the cloth around her index finger. It was dark, but he did it skillfully. She opened her mouth, watching him.

    ¡°This is called firefly grass.¡±

    Leaves were sprouting from the branches where she touched her finger. Several white blossoms caught her eye. She handed one blossoming twig to him and said, ¡°Now we just have to wait. Be careful when you see them appearing because they¡¯re very timid. ¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you talking about? What¡¯s going to appear?¡± He asked, narrowing his eyes.

    ¡°Well, they are part of a firefly insect. Late spring, they are the first to light up at night in the forest. The sap from this de of grass is their snack. It¡¯s like sweet dew to them. ¡±

    Like she said, there were already several clear drops formed on the grass. He put his nose close to the de of grass, but did not smell anything special except the smell of grass.

    She stared at him and chuckled.

    The two waited for fireflies to appear, hearing the sound of bugs in the grass. It was a pretty long wait.

    ¡°By the way, do you have any idea who gave the medicine to Snowyko? That strange man before we entered the forest¡­ He was suspicious. ¡±

    It was Wendy who broke the silence. She spoke of her suspicions with a subdued voice, which was suitable for a dark night. Although it was not a good topic between them sitting side by side in the woods and waiting for fireflies, she had no intention of stopping. Actually, he felt the same way. He replied with a somber look that was darker than the forest night.

    ¡°I felt suspicious about the stranger, too. That¡¯s why I carefully double checked the baggage, but now all my efforts were useless¡­I¡¯m sorry for that,¡± he said, looking at her.

    She shook her head silently. She felt she was conjuring up the images of his gray eyes and facial features even in the dark, she found it hard to keep facing him.

    ¡°Do you know who he is?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any sign of any particr family crest from his dress. But I have seen him once in the past, so I guess about his family¡­He was the guy who was with Altarin in the past. He was standing next to her when she came to me with a handkerchief. As I never forget anybody¡¯s face if I saw it even one time, he must be that guy.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s the culprit yet. If I conclude he is the culprit and take issue with Altarin, I can make an excuse for Count Shalters to counterattack me. But I can promise you one thing. I¡¯m going to have to catch the culprit by all means and have him pay for it. I intend to do it.¡±

    He spoke as if he made an oath to himself. The sound of his voice was so solemn and resolute that she could no longer speak. His vow to punish the culprit by all means meant that he would not use only legal means.

    Feeling awkward, she hesitated for a while. He carefully turned his head towards the darkness of the forest because he found a twinkling light in the dark. It was the pale yellow light emitted by fireflies.

    At first there were only a couple of lights, but in no time they appeared suddenly in many ces. The lights that decorated the darkness of the forest were neat and tidy as the stars in the night sky. The fireflies, wary of their surroundings, wandered around the area and soon flew carefully around the two.

    Thanks to their light green lights, the area around them gradually became bright. It wasn¡¯t as bright as the electric lights, but bright enough for the two to find their way in the forest.

    When Lard gently pushed the branches forward, the fireflies flocked into a circr curve, as if they promised to stay together. Sitting on a long, pointed leaf like a bamboo leaf, they shed light and put their mouths onto the water droplets.

    Watching the mysterious gestures of fireflies, she recalled the fairy she had met in the forest, Juaste, eating strawberries.

    If the fairy saw her lost in the woods, could she show her the way back?

    Looking at the flickering lights of fireflies and Lard standing next to her, Wendy shook her head. She felt she didn¡¯t need the fairy¡¯s help to get out of this forest.

    They started walking again. The fireflies illuminated the darkness and floated around the branches in their hands. Except that they needed to walk a little slowly, they had no problem walking, using the branches as movingmps.

    ¡°Thank you for this special experience. How useful these fireflies are!¡± He said, chuckling.

    He walked slowly, pointing the top of the branches toward the east.

    ¡°The lights emitted by fireflies are a sign of courtship. It¡¯s like you¡¯re walking down the trail by stealing their love. Of course, I¡¯m an aplice. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ They¡¯re very brave guys. How can they express their love with their entire bodies?¡±

    Several mysterious green lights were reflected in his gray eyes. As someone who was looking at the beautiful light, his voice sounded lonely.

    She felt touched unconsciously because she mentioned ¡®courtship.¡¯ So, she said dryly to hide her embarrassment, ¡°I would say it¡¯s more appropriate to describe them as insects that don¡¯t know shyness.¡±

    When she watched fireflies sitting on top of a pool and sipping water drops side by side, her expression also hardened. She suddenly felt ufortable at the faint green lights.

    ¡°Who cares even if they don¡¯t know any shyness?¡± He asked her an unusual question.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59: Chapter 59 Why is the white por by the river shining alone? (4)

    She turned toward the dark, pretending not to have heard him.

    Looking at her sullen face, he smiled secretly, ¡°It looks like this liquid from the des of grass is a great meal for them. They won¡¯t move from the leaves¡­ I¡¯m thirsty while looking at these guys. I think I have to drink some cool water when we get back. ¡±

    At that moment, she recalled him asking her for tea at her shop.

    She narrowed her eyebrows a bit. She felt romantic around the fireflies enjoying the midnight teatime.

    He whistled for Balos and it rang through the forest. Listening to the strange sound of unknown scales, she deliberately pretended not to see the fireflies that knew no shyness.

    A horn red three times. Knights scouting the forest to find the missing people followed the trail of the two and went deeper into the west side of the forest. The torch wrapped with oil-stained cloth burned and brightened the darkness of the forest.

    ¡°Sir Renkin!¡±

    A search squad led by Jean Jacques Simuan met a group of knights. Jean called the knight at the forefront of their party and rode towards him. The group belonged to the first batch of the searchers who were hurriedly formed after Lard and Wendy went missing.

    ¡°Is there any update?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ve searched everywhere but haven¡¯t found any traces yet.

    Jean groaned at his reply.

    Although he did not doubt his boss Lard¡¯s survival skills, he was concerned about the safety of the woman who apanied him. Lard defending himself alone was different than trying to defend them both. Since he saw Snowyko running like crazy, he was all the more troubled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much because the search team led by Sir Enos is chasing their trail.

    As you know, they are experts in searching for missing people.¡±

    He was referring to Badge Enos, the head of the 2nd Imperial Knights and his men. Enos was a ssmate of Jean at the military academy. His search team began chasing their trail from the point where Lard and Wendy went missing. Jean believed that he and his team could find the two, but how long would it take?

    ¡°Got it. I think they are safe¡­ Sir Renkin, thank you! ¡±

    Jean spoke with a strong voice then turned the horse. It was time for him to speed up the search.

    Meanwhile, Melissa, who returned to the entrance of the forest, was constantly nervous under somebody¡¯s sharp gaze. She didn¡¯t know how many times she met his eyes. With her head down, she fiddled with her fingers.

    ¡°Melissa, who caught the bear over there?¡±

    ¡°¡­Your Majesty, in fact¡­¡± Melissa barely spoke after hesitating for a while.

    ¡°¡­Sir Lard Schroder and Sir Jean Jacque Simuan shot the arrows together¡­¡±

    ¡°After all, it¡¯s Sir Jean who killed the bear. That¡¯s what you mean?¡±

    The prince cut her words off and repeated what she told her until now.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    He cast a suspicious look, narrowing his eyes. She was at a loss about what to do.

    He asked with a soft smile, ¡°Melissa! You said Lard and Jean kept shooting arrows.

    Then, how do you know which arrow was more effective in killing the bear?¡±

    Although he was interrogating her, his tone was sweet and soft as if he was soothing a child.

    ¡°¡­Well, at the time I was so scared and absent-minded because the bear was roaring at me, so I couldn¡¯t see exactly which arrow hit the bear, but it was Sir Simuan who stabbed it in the neck¡­¡± she continued prudently, checking his expression cautiously.

    Although she missed the crown prince so much, she was well aware of his hot temper. He was notorious for flying off at the handle when he was not satisfied with something.

    ¡°Even Miss Wendy said that Sir Simuan knocked the bear down. Yes, that is correct! Wendy said it. She said Jean¡¯sst arrow that hit the bear was really impressive. Sir Schroder also praised Jean,¡± she said confidently with a smile on her face, as if she had just remembered it.

    Looking at herughing silly like a child, he made a frown, ¡°So, Lard and Wendy recognized Jean killed the bear, right? But the servant who went hunting with you fled early because of the bear¡¯s attack, so I can¡¯t take him as a witness¡­ Well, as the two recognized it, what can I say? Melissa, you may go and take a rest as you must have been stressed out.¡±

    Prince Isaac quickly changed his expressionfortably as if he resolved all his questions.

    Melissa breathed with ease, relieved that she finally convinced him.

    ¡°Lord Kenshnd!¡± The prince called the knight who was on standby nearby.

    ¡°Bring me a veterinary professor at Jeddah Academy right now. Oh, did you say his name was Bilterhan with Investa (Criminal Investigation Agency of Benyahan Empire)? I mean that investigator who received a meritorious award at the recent ceremony. Bring him here, too.

    Well, I need to bring old man John in the stables. He¡¯s retired now, but he is an expert in hunting. I want to ask them something.¡±

    Prince Isaacughed, looking at the body of the bear far away. A satisfied expression he made after listening to Melissa¡¯s exnation was false. He did not call the imperial knight to investigate the bear¡¯s corpse. Instead, he was shrewd enough to call the investigator with Investa, a separate agency.

    Melissa opened her eyes wide, btedly realizing the meaning of the prince¡¯s order.

    She briefly thought of exining the situation to him once again, but she immediately gave it up and walked into the tent because, for now, finding the two missing men was far more important than trying to figure out who caught the bear.

    She didn¡¯t care about the award of the hunting contest. sping both hands, she prayed that the two woulde back safely.

    In the west of the forest, the search team led by Badge Enos sped up the search for the two, following the horseshoe marks left in the forest. Leading the team, Badge scrutinized the messy ground covered with grass and fallen leaves. His dark blue eyes glowed even in the dark.

    Shortly after they followed the horseshoe tracks through the forest, they reached the cliff where Wendy and Lard fell.

    They found a horse neighing wildly in front of the cliff.

    It was Snowyko. The white mare nervously kept neighing in the small vacant area leading to a cliff through the dense forest. As the drug was still working in its system, Snowyko shook its head and keping hovering around. They carefully approached and grabbed Snowyko¡¯s reins to stabilize her. As Jean warned them about Snowyko¡¯s abnormal symptoms in advance, the knights were more careful not to provoke the horse.

    ¡°You told me Sir Schroder¡¯spanion was riding a white horse?¡±

    ¡°You bet.¡± A tall knight replied confidently when Badge asked him.

    The roaring lion and shield inscribed on one side of the horse¡¯s saddle showed that he belonged to the Schroder family.

    Looking at the ground caved in near the cliff, he presumed that they fell from the cliff.

    Given the impact of the crash, they probably would have suffered a major injury. Fortunately, it had rained over the forest, making the ground soft. It could have absorbed the impact of their crash to some degree.

    ¡°I can see their traces down the cliff.¡±

    But the shower could not have mitigated the impact of them falling down the cliff.

    Badge carefully approached the edge of the cliff and pointed the torch down. He could see only darkness underneath the cliff, but there was no human movement. There were a few branches of trees that protruded from the cliff. He could smell a dark floral scent blown by the wind somewhere.

    ¡°If we go south, we can go down the cliff. Don¡¯t you think we should go and confirm?¡± said a knight. He seemed quite hesitant as if he was already foreboding an ominous ident.

    ¡°Absolutely, we have to check, even if our efforts turn out to be in vain¡­¡±

    Badge revived some hope in the group. He felt Sir Schroder could have survived even if he had fallen off the cliff like this one.

    His assumption might sound nonsense, but Badge was very serious. As a seasoned searcher who judged the situation through the traces of the missing, he felt the present situation questioned the possibility of their survival. Nheless, he was confident that Sir Schroder survived. He was convinced that a monstrous guy like Lard would not lose his life because of a crash like this. Obviously searching underneath the cliffs would be futile, he thought.

    So, the search team turned southward.

    Given the trails left in the forest, it was clear that the other horse also turned south. The trails were probably those of Lard¡¯s beloved horse Balros. Every imperial knight knew Balros very well because of its dynamic energy.

    ¡°Sir Enos!¡±

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Why is the white por by the river shining alone? (5)

    A slim knight gestured toward him, looking far ahead. Badge¡¯s gaze had already turned there for a long time. As if it was defending an important trail, Balos stood looking at them with a strict gaze.

    ¡°You¡¯re arrogant!¡±

    Smiling at Balos, Badge approached the horse. As if it wandered through the forest alone for a long time, there were several leaves on its saddle.

    He grabbed the horse¡¯s bridle and began to move in a natural manner. The rumor that Jean had been bitten by Balos before the hunting began had already spread among the knights. He nced at Balos¡¯ mouth and swallowed his nervousness.

    At that very moment Balos, trotted on as Badge led him, suddenly stopped and turned his head toward the dark where there was no human movement. While the knights looked puzzled, Badge quickly mounted Balos.

    Normally, Balos would not have let others get on him, but this time he was not resistant. As soon as Badge mounted, Balos began to gallop at full speed. Balos ran fast even in the dark without any problem.

    There was some disturbance among the knights left behind, but they followed him in no time. Soon Badge could hear the whistling of somebody, resonating throughout the deep forest.

    As if it was long familiar with the whistle, Balos ran towards it. Amazed by Balos¡¯ intelligence, Badge firmly grabbed the reins.

    After he rode for some time, he saw a couple of lights flickering faintly in the dark. As the sky was full of clouds and the moon disappeared, the forest waspletely dark.

    Fortunately, he could easily see the dim light shining in the distance.

    Now, the buzzing whistling calling Balos was heard more clearly, ¡°Balos!¡±

    Finding its the master dramatically, it neighed first in wild excitement. Badge jumped off Balos and approached the two holding strange greenmps.

    ¡°Captain Schroder! Are you okay?¡±

    Lard lifted the wooden stick in his hand a little higher to check his face. As he moved, the round green lights in his hand scattered everywhere.

    ¡°Sir Enos! Nice to see you.¡±

    Lard scrutinized his face as if he was surprised. Obviously, Lard didn¡¯t expect that the head of the 2nd Knights Division woulde out to search him. As someone who had been stranded after the crash, he should have shown a happy reaction when rescued by Badge, but he wasn¡¯t.. Badge assumed it¡¯s because his rescuer was the head of 2nd Knights Division, not somebody else.

    ¡°I was under the impression that the 2nd Knights went to investigate the disturbances in the Henobi area.¡±

    A few weeks ago, the farmers in Henobi, south of the empire, caused a great upheaval. Inte summer, the Henobi region had hardly any grains due to disease and blight on their montrapi crops, so they could not expect a bountiful harvest in the fall. In despair and dissatisfaction with the government¡¯s purchase price of montrapi, they staged a violent demonstration. As the situation was worse than expected, the emperor sent some of the 2nd Knights to calm the turmoil, with Badge Enos leading the knights.

    ¡°I came here as soon as I returned. The crown prince mobilized all avable knights for your search.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡± Lard nodded at his exnation.

    ¡°Were you wounded?¡± Badge said, briefly looking at Wendy standing next to him.

    ¡°We had some minor injuries, but fortunately we can walk.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. I was really worried after I found the traces of your falling from the cliff. I¡¯m so happy to see you¡¯re safe. ¡±

    With a pleasant smile, Badge looked at the two again, while looking at the green lights floating around them with a suspicious look.

    Balos walked nearby and put its nose near the green lights, but Wendy raised one hand to stop it. Despite her hand, Balos meekly leaned its face on her hand as if to y a prank on her.

    ¡°Oh, this is the glow of fireflies! ¡± Badge eximed.

    Badge realized the identity of the lights on the branches in the hands of the two and let out an exmation of surprise. He was well aware of these small creatures waiving their wings and twisting their bodies around, but it was his first time seeing someone holding fireflies in their hands without any gadget to trap them.

    ¡°It¡¯s really amazing. I have no idea why the fireflies don¡¯t run away and gather in one ce like this¡­¡±

    While he could not take his eyes off the branches for a while and watched them moving around, Lard handed the twigs to him and helped Wendy to climb onto Balos.

    Shortly afterwards, the other knights who followed Badge appeared, and they all rode out of the woods. Before leaving the forest, Lard retrieved the twigs teeming with fireflies from Badge and carefully ced them on the ground.

    On their way back, Wendy hardened her expression, conscious of the gaze of the unfamiliar knights constantly casting their gazes on her. In particr, she was conscious of Badge who had been fixing his gaze on her all along.

    She opened her mouth as if she was offended, staring at his face unpleasantly, ¡°Do you have anything to say to me, sir?¡±

    Badge flinched and awkwardly smiled at her. As Lard, riding on Balos with Wendy, looked at him at the moment, Badge was all the more embarrassed..

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry if you were offended. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve seen you somewhere, but no matter how much I try to remember it, I can¡¯t. Haha, have we met before? ¡±

    The moment she heard it, she shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡®Is he rted to Count Hazlet?¡¯

    She felt as if she had cold sweat on her back. She wished she had her veiled hat, but it was toote.

    Scrutinized his face, she said, ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing you. You seemed to have mistaken me as someone else. ¡±

    Be it luck or not, she had no memory of having seen him before. Anyway, she turned her head after speaking to him coldly.

    Making an awkward expression at her reaction, Badge had to be conscious of Lard who was staring at him sharply. Badge was already rmed by the news that Sir Schroder, captain of the 1st Knights Division, was apanied by a woman to the hunting contest, and that he went missing with herter, so he felt a bit terrified by Lard¡¯s stern gaze on him.

    As he felt he might be misunderstood by his rash curiosity, Badgeughed nervously and said, ¡°Hahaha, I guess I was mistaken. Just forget it.¡±

    Looking at him getting goosebumps, Lard was lost in his thoughts because Badge¡¯s face, who pretended not to know her face when he actually knew was ovepped with somebody else¡¯s: a knight with the 2nd Knights Division, who he had met at Jerus Hall. The knight that had been desperately pursuing her down the corridor. Thinking that perhaps that knight might have been included in the search team, Lard immediately turned his eyes away from Badge. Although Lard was displeased with his presence, he tried to calm down.

    ¡°Oh! Are you guys all safe? ¡±

    At the entrance of the forest, they were greeted by the crown prince who came out to wee them back in person. The prince scrutinized Wendy and Lard carefully and weed their safe return.

    Melissa, whose eyes were swollen from crying, was looking at Wendy from a distance.

    ¡°I¡¯m so d you guys are safe. You¡¯ll never know how worried I was. Well, you need treatment first.¡±

    The prince hurriedly pushed them into the tent for treatment. Several doctors on standby quickly began to treat their wounds. The two were treated with a curtain in between them.

    Melissa, now standing right next to Wendy, told her about what she told the prince about the bear hunting. In the meantime, Wendy loosened the knot around her finger easily, noticing that the medical staff was having a hard time undoing the knot.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t throw it away.¡±

    Wendy took it from one of the medical staff who was about to throw away the dirty cloth stained with blood and dust, and held it in her hand as if it was precious. Although Melissa looked at it with a curious expression, Wendy had not the slightest n to exin it to her. In fact, she couldn¡¯t exin how to show her emotions at the moment, nor tell her about what happened after they fell over the cliff. Instead, Wendy asked her to take the veiled from Snowyko¡¯s saddlebags. Melissa was happy to do so.

    After treatment, they were once again called to the prince. As expected, they stood before the corpse of the giant Burgnou bear. Jean, who was overwhelmed by the news about their safe return, looked at them, but neither said anything. Melissa, stood next to him and patted him on the shoulder as if tofort him.

    In no time, the two were surrounded by the nobles who participated in the hunting contest.

    Due to an unexpected ident, the hunting schedule was dyed, so most of thedies returned with the prince¡¯s permission.

    Nevertheless, there were still a lot left behind, so the tent was very crowded.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61: Chapter 61 Why is the white por by the river shining alone? (6)

    The crown prince said, ¡°I tried to be fair to all the participants in the hunting contest. So, I found out something about this giant Burgonu bear by ordering Sellington, a botanical professor with Jeddah Academy, Investa¡¯s Bilterhan and even royal stablekeeper John to investigate how the bear was killed. Okay, Bilterhan, tell us your opinion first. In your mind, who caught the bear? ¡±

    When asked, a man with gray hair stepped forward and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m Bilterhan with Investa. Based on my 23 years of experience with investigation, the bear bled, shot by dozens of arrows, but I don¡¯t think they were fatal. What was more decisive than this was the bear copsed from poison. ¡±

    Wendy swallowed at Bilterhan¡¯s testimony.

    ¡®Why are you acting so learned!¡¯

    She clenched her teeth at the prince¡¯s funny idea of bringing in experts from all walks of life to determine the winner of the huntingpetition.

    ¡®What¡¯s the big deal? Why are you harassing me like this by forcing me to participate when I¡¯m not interested in winning the contest at all?¡¯

    She wanted to stomp out of the tent and felt furious as she couldn¡¯t do so.

    ¡°I could have ignored it without careful observation, but I noticed that there was something strange here on the bear¡¯s shoulder. You see the difference here, right? Yes, on this shoulder, the muscles are smooth without going through any muscle stiffness after it was killed. It is because of a poison called ¡®cymos¡¯. This poison has the property of inhibiting muscle hardening. ordingly, only this shoulder was not stiffened. When injected with just one drop of cymos any bear would have died in no time, no matter how big. This grayish white trace in the bear¡¯s eyes also shows one of the symptoms of cymos poisoning.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The prince asked with shining eyes.

    Looking at his brown eyes sparkling like crazy, Wendy derided him in heart, thinking a couple of his eyes would light the night even if all the torches were doused.

    ¡°I swear on my grandfather¡¯s honor!¡± Bilterhand said confidently.

    ¡°Got it. If that¡¯s the case, as soon as I find the owner of the arrow on its shoulder, that person will be the winner of this hunting contest, ¡± the prince said, smiling meaningfully.

    ¡°Let me check you guys¡¯ arrows.¡±

    Walking toward the bear, which fell on the ground, he looked at Lard, Wendy and Jean.

    ¡°Hey, Bilterhan, it looks like their arrowheads are different? Right?¡±

    Prince Isaac smiled slyly at him. Bilterhan then nodded with exaggeration and signaled to him with his eyes. Wendy was convinced that looking at their exchange of eye signals, the prince was pretending to be briefed for the first time about the results of the investigation before the crowd when he actually got the full report in advance.

    ¡°Yes, Crown Prince. Based on my investigation, there were three kinds of arrows stuck in the bear¡¯s body: one of the arrowheads was wide, the other one was upward, and thest one was tapered downwards. Among them, this narrowing pin-shaped arrow on the bear¡¯s shoulder confirmed the one you gave to the noble daughters right before this hunting contest.¡±

    The prince, who was listening to his words with great expectation, opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s great!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m positive about it.¡±

    Satisfied with his reply, the prince looked at Melissa.

    ¡°Melissa, as you were threatened by the bear right up close, you couldn¡¯t shoot the arrow in that situation¡­¡± Melissa furtively checked his moods when he pointed to her.

    ¡°When you told me a little while ago, you never said you shot an arrow. Right, Melissa?¡±

    When the prince cast a strong nce at her, Melissa reluctantly nodded. Her heartbeat was pounding hard.

    Looking at her perplexed expression, Wendy heard a sound as if Melissa was moaning.

    ¡°Then, there¡¯s only one owner left. I think the owner¡¯s shooting abilities before the context were superb!¡±

    Smiling brightly, the prince looked at Wendy¡¯s face. With her face turning white, she stared at the prince. She had no idea how to avoid this difficult situation.

    ¡°¡­Your Majesty!¡±

    Right at that moment Jean suddenly stepped forward, calling him loudly.

    When the prince looked at him with a suspicious expression, Jean first shut his mouth as if he tried to pull himself together before opening his mouth heavily.

    ¡°¡­ I shot that arrow! ¡±

    His voice was unusually suppressed and split unlike his usual voice. Nobody was sure if it was because he was tense or he lied. Looking straight at the prince¡¯s eyes, he continued, ¡°During the hunting, I heard that she put some poison on the arrowhead, so I was curious and received an arrow from her in advance. I was not sure if the poison would be so powerful, but when I was faced with the roaring Burgonu bear, I had to use that poisoned arrow hurriedly because I used up the other arrows.¡±

    Jean exined eloquently. Unlike his usual images of stupidity and indecisiveness, he was courageous and confident when he presented his opinion. But there was some faint sign of guilt reflected in his pale green eyes as if he was tormented by his lying to the prince against his conscience.

    ¡°Sir Jean Jacque Simuan, you shoot that arrow? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, I did.¡±

    As if to confirm the truth, the prince, who looked at his face for a while, was soon lost in thoughts without expressing any feelings. No one could guess what he was pondering at the moment, but Wendy bit her lip, thinking that the cunning prince was far from gullible.

    Jean didn¡¯t move at all, with his head lowered before the prince.

    After a while, the prince opened his mouth, ¡°Okay, I got it. Hey, you guys have no objection to Sir Simuan¡¯s testimony? If you don¡¯t dispute, the winner of this hunt will rightly be Jean Jacques Simuan and his partner, Melissa Lowney because nobody else caught a greater prey than the bear today! ¡±

    The prince quickly recovered his usual smiley look.

    Somehow he didn¡¯t continue the questioning session. Wendy expected he would ask what the source of the poison was and how the poisoned arrows were conveyed, but he didn¡¯t.

    She felt relieved momentarily, but as she was not sure when he would ask her unexpectedly, she was on alert anyway.

    ¡°No objection.¡±

    Lard looked at Wendy then bowed, raising no objection. She also expressed she had no objection, either, hiding any suspicious actions. As if he expected such a reply, the prince said with a voice mixed with a sigh, ¡°Okay. If that¡¯s the case, let me bestow the title of baron to Sir Jean Jacques Simuan and Melissa Lowney! The title awarding ceremony will be held in three days. So, please attend without exception, and celebrate them!¡±

    After he was done, the prince nced at Wendy and turned his mouth up with a significant gesture. Shrugged his shoulders, he soon walked away, escorted by the imperial servants.

    ¡°Oh, Professor Selington. Tell Sir Schroder exactly what you just reported to me. I can¡¯t keep that interesting story to myself. Then I¡¯ll leave other things to Sir Schroder.¡±

    Before leaving the tent, Prince Isaac turned back and directed the professor of veterinary medicine at Jeddah Academy. When Professor Selington bowed his head deeply, the prince left the ce quickly.

    Selington, who had to follow the prince¡¯s order, was a middle-aged man with arge brown spot between his eyes. Thanks to his round and wide face, he looked generous, but his big and bright eyes made him look stubborn and old-fashioned.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, I am Prof. Sellington with Jeddah Academy. A little while ago, while you were being treated here, I briefly examined your two horses to find the cause of this disturbance.

    Let me start with the conclusion first. I found the white mare had been affected with a rutting drug. The reagent test for drug identification proved positive. Oh, the rutting agent found in the horse is a kind of estrus-inducing drug used to help horses get sexually stimted. But this drug is not used well these days because of its many side effects. When I checked the symptoms of this horse running crazy, it seemed to have been exposed to far more dosage than rmended. In that case, it would not induce estrus, but it would create serious disturbances in the nervous system of the horse. Perhaps this horse suffered a lot when exposed to just a little stimulus.¡±

    Sellington pulled up his eyebrows once and then continued, ¡°Selling and buying this drug is restricted on the market, so if you check the source of this drug, you might be able to find out the clue on this ident. Oh, of course, that¡¯s not my job. ¡±

    Sellington shook his head as if he drew a line on his job description.

    ¡°John, you told me you also had something to say, didn¡¯t you?¡± Sellington said, pointing at John, the royal stablekeeper.

    John nodded his face, approached Lard, and spoke with a quiet voice.

    As he got close to Lard and whispered something, nobody could hardly hear what he was talking about.

    Shortly afterwards, Lard called some of the knights and ordered them, and they immediately left the ce. Wendy turned her eyes at them, frowning at the unfolding situation that she was kept in the dark about.

    ¡°¡­Ugh?¡±

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62: Chapter 62 Why is the white por by the river shining alone? (7)

    Taking her eyes off of the knights disappearing, she noticed ady who was familiar to her.

    She fixed her gaze on her, snorting at her.

    Thedy was standing with a pale look among the nobles who surrounded them. She was Altarin, Earl Scholters¡¯s third daughter. It waste in the night, and most of thedies already left the hunting grounds and returned to their homes, but she had remained. Wendy¡¯s suspicion of her was too big for her to believe that Altarin stayed until now because of her lingering affection for Lard.

    Did she want to confirm for herself the consequences of the crime that she hadmitted? Wendy felt it very regrettable that she could not see how frustrated and angry Altarin was when she returned safely. Although Lard firmly promised to punish her by all means, Wendy was even considering getting even with her if he didn¡¯t. There were so many ways for her to take revenge on Altarin without anyone knowing.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m innocent! Let go of me! ¡±

    When Wendy was pondering over how to get revenge on her, she heard somebody screaming violently. While imagining the methods of cruel revenge with a smile, she quickly turned her head toward the source of the noise.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything! You¡¯re mistaken! ¡±

    The guy shouting while being dragged by the knights was familiar to Wendy. He had been hanging around the horses before they went on the hunt. He was the guy that she suspected had done something terrible to Snowyko.

    The knights dragged the man forward roughly and had him kneel before Lard. His hands were already tied. Lard examined his facial expression. He looked terrified. The guy turned his eyes from Lard¡¯s gaze as he felt ufortable and looked around as if he was looking around for urgent help. Scared by the guy¡¯s desperate expression, Altarin avoided his eyes as if she saw a ghost. Wendy observed them with interest.

    ¡°Your face is familiar to me,¡± said Lard. The man suddenly flinched at that.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know you, sir.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know me, but you know well about my beloved horse over there. I saw you hanging around my horse this morning. Why did you wander around my horse? ¡± asked Lard, pointing at Snowyko, tied neared by

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know, sir.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? I clearly saw you doing something horrible to my horse, but you¡¯re denying it?¡±

    Despite Lard¡¯s threatening tone, the man was silent. Lard nodded to the knight on standby, as if he already expected the guy not to confess. The knight brought a short man who was standing behind him. The man bowed deeply to Lard after nodding to John, the imperial stablekeeper.

    ¡°Tell me who you are,¡± Lard ordered the man.

    ¡°Sir, my name is Joins Bill, I work for my boss John at the imperial stables.¡±

    ¡°Joins, I hear you have something to tell me about this guy. Tell me in detail what you have seen today. ¡±

    At Lard¡¯s order, Joins swallowed and caught his breath. The guy, who was kneeling, turned white with fear as soon as he saw Joins¡¯ face.

    ¡°Yes, in the morning, a horse owned by the imperial pce began estrus and made a big disturbance. As it was the first time that she was in a rut, I was very embarrassed because I couldn¡¯t show it to the nobles. So, I thought it very strange and found out that she began estrus after she drank water that guy washed his hands in. Since that guy¡¯s actions were so suspicious, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if I hadn¡¯t paid close attention. Oh, I was very upset because that guy washed his hands freely in the water to feed these precious horses. In fact, the horses drank the water before I had a chance to stop them¡­¡± Joins spoke cautiously, fearing that he might also be suspected by Lard. When Lard quickly raised his hand and urged him to get to the point, Joins continued, as if he was embarrassed.

    ¡°Anyway, I approached him, but he ran away after I startled him. He looked suspicious. Well, of course, I might have ended up simply suspecting his actions, but¡­¡±

    Joins then nced around.

    ¡°He seemed to be so embarrassed that he dropped this pouch here on the ground. At first I didn¡¯t take it seriously, so I threw it in a corner inadvertently, but as I looked after the horse in heat, I thought twice and opened the pouch. I didn¡¯t know how hard my heart was pounding at the moment¡­ How can¡¯t I know about rutting drugs as a man with long experience in dealing with horses? As soon as I opened it, I immediately recognized it.¡±

    Joins offered an old little pouch to Lard.

    ¡°I never thought this guy used the same rutting agent for another horse. How could a guy be stupid enough to use it for a horse in the hunting contest? Besides, when I opened the pouch, it was quite some time after the huntingpetition began¡­ I just thought maybe he was careless enough to wash his hands stained with rutting agent in the water the horse was drinking. Oh, of course, as the horse went crazy after drinking the water, I thought I would have to report the ident when I returned to the pce,¡± Joins continued, looking at Lard and John alternately.

    As Joins was in charge of caring for the imperial horses, he was supposed to take full responsibility if there was something wrong with them. Therefore, obviously he must have wanted to hide the fact that one of the horses had been given a rutting agent by somebody. That¡¯s why John, listening to Joins¡¯ exnation, looked at him all the time with an unpleasant expression.

    Lard took the pouch from him, checked it and handed it over to Professor Sellington of Jeddah Academy. There was a very fine trace of yellow powder inside the pouch. Selington looked inside and smelled the powder. Then, he took a red reagent from the ck bag he was holding, and sprinkled it on the powder. The result of the test was positive.

    ¡°Yes, this is a rutting agent,¡± Sellington said conclusively in no time.

    ¡°Now, we have a witness and the hard evidence. Are you going to deny again that you were responsible? You harmed not only me but also the imperial family because the horse belonging to the imperial family had abnormal symptoms. You must know the ramification of your crime. In other words, you are now suspected of intending to kill the crown prince,¡± Lard said with a heavy voice. The guy trembled in terror.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you plotted this terrible thing by yourself. Who instigated you?¡±

    The situation got all the more worse. Altarin Scholters might have simply tried to do harm to a nobody called Wendy Waltz, but she ended up inflicting harm on the Schroder family who owned the horse Wendy was riding. Furthermore, her ill-advised actions developed into an enormous incident where she was suspected of attempting to kill the crown prince. No matter how powerful the Shalters family was, she couldn¡¯t handle the situation alone.

    ¡°Who is your master?¡± Lard asked sternly.

    His voice was low and resolute. It overwhelmed him.

    As he found an unexpected witness and hard evidence, Lard seemed to be trying to find the culprit by continuing the momentum. Whether he intended it or not, it was a boon that the crown prince brought in Bilterhan and John for the investigation.

    But the guy kept silent. He seemed to be controlling his emotions by shivering and darting his gaze around.

    Shortly afterwards, at Lard¡¯s order, a knight forcibly searched his body and eventually found Count Scholters¡¯s namete.

    Altarin turned white with fear and stepped back. Although the man refused to confess, the evidence was obvious, and Lard came forward as a witness. There was no chance that she could avoid responsibility for the ident. The only solution for her would be to deny her chargespletely.

    And she responded exactly as expected.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about it! I can¡¯t believe that the guy did it, and even if he did, it has nothing to do with me! Did I instigate him? No way! Why would I do that?¡±

    Altarin totally took the stance as a bystander, but her despicable attitude decisively prompted the guy to change his attitude. If his master had abandoned him, he had no reason to stay loyal. His loyalty was not very deep.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about it, huh? That¡¯s funny. How can you say you don¡¯t know when your close servant does something so terrible?¡±

    ¡°My close servant? He is just one of the many servants in my mansion! I don¡¯t know that man well! ¡±

    ¡°Altarin¡­ If that¡¯s true, do you know this guy¡¯s name? I would say you can¡¯t deny you don¡¯t know his name,¡± Lard asked, staring at her face sternly. Her face turned red.

    During that short span, she found herself agonizing over the gains and losses of her admission.

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63: Chapter 63 I want to live next door to her house (1)

    ¡®Is it better for me to totally deny I know his name? Is it worthwhile for me to continue to argue I don¡¯t know his name when the guy¡¯s identity as one of my servants has already been revealed to everybody?¡¯

    If she denied it to the end, she would obviously be med for not knowing her own servant. She even thought that even if she said she knew his name, Lard would not shift that guy¡¯s responsibility for the crime on her.

    After she was done weighing the gains and losses, Altarin quickly opened her mouth. Above all, she could not stand Lard¡¯s disdainful look.

    ¡°How can you ask me such a question? No matter how lowly that servant is, I know his name. His name is Bes Dubbo! ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is your name Bes?¡± As soon as he heard it, Lard asked him to confirm it. He barely agreed, nodding his head. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, is it also true that you have helped her in recent years?¡±

    He nodded this time. Altarin could not easily deny it as he agreed in person.

    ¡°Bes, let me ask again. Who told you to use rutting substance? If you don¡¯t answer right here, you will have to take all the responsibility for the crime. This incident threatened more than just one person, but also the Schroder and the imperial family of the Benyahan Empire. Are you going to be fully responsible for the crime alone?¡±

    Lard¡¯s voice struck his whole body like a whip. Bes couldn¡¯t control his trembling. His eyes darted around frantically.

    While staring at Bes for a while, Lard suddenly asked Altarin, ¡°Altarin, do you want to employ a spokesman on behalf of Bes?¡±

    Startled by his unexpected question, she looked at his face.

    ¡°¡­ Even if you ignore him, your family will not be absolved of his crime. As he is a servant of your family, the Scholters family are responsible under Benyahan¡¯s imperialw and morally. So, what do you think? I¡¯m going to charge you with treason against the imperial family.¡±

    Altarin breathed out deeply and folded her arms. Her breathing was so rough and wild as if she wanted to be freed from her crime. Her upper lip trembled and she opened her mouth as if she had decided on something. It looked as if she had the standard answer from the beginning as Lard wished.

    She said, ¡°This has nothing to do with the Scholters family! So, there¡¯s no reason for me to find a spokesman to defend him! ¡­It is my duty as the master to protect the servant, but given the gravity of the ident, I have to duly pay for the price. I¡¯m ready to take the moral responsibility, but I can¡¯t tolerate any groundless spection that undermines the honor of my family!¡±

    She spoke, ring her nostrils as if she was excited. When she said that, Bes made a resigned and dejected expression, like an old tree devastated by storms.

    While looking at Altarin¡¯s actions, Wendy had no choice but to click her tongue at her stupidity. ¡°¡­Miss Altarin! How can you say that? ¡±

    As expected, her words fuelled Bes¡¯ anger. Wendy sneered at their poor handling of this grave ident.

    Presumably, Altarin might not have nned to use the rutting agent from the beginning. As Altarin had been longing for Lard, she might have been frustrated and unhappy about Wendy¡¯s unexpected appearance. When she was unexpectedly insulted by Wendy, however, she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore as the highly arrogant daughter of her family. But Altarin, the instigator, and Bes, the executor, didn¡¯t see eye to eye as far as her n to harm Wendy was concerned. After all, it was like cutting off one¡¯s nose to spite one¡¯s face.

    ¡°Miss Altarin, is this my reward for executing that dirty trick at your order? Why are you pretending not to know me?¡± Bes protested finally.

    ¡°Shut up! What the heck are you talking about? I never gave you an order! Why are you charging me falsely?¡± She yelled, feigning shock.

    Despite Altarin¡¯s adamant denial of his words, Bes was not swayed. As if he lost his mind suddenly, he shouted to Lard that he did all the terrible things at her instigation. On her part, Altarin screamed, trying to overpower his voice, but obviously she became increasingly nervous at his desperate defense of himself. Altarin looked at him on and off as if to try to appease him to change his mind, but it was toote.

    The rutting agent ident brought about a catastrophic oue to Altarin.

    Shortly afterwards, the two were led away by the knights. Seeing them being dragged out, Wendy was lost in thought. At the end of the day, this case could be closed in some way, but the Scholters family would not sit idle. Wendy decided to go home quickly and open an illustrated nt book to pick out one for Altarin.

    After escorting Wendy to the carriage with a tired expression, Lard hurried back to interrogate the two. Before leaving, he quickly looked at her face as if he had something to say. She took off her hat, guessing that he was gazing at it. But he was looking at her chapped lips. When she took off the veil, he found her face haggard from the pain. He seemed to feel sorry for her while looking at her. His eyes were calm and warm like the moonlight shining on the river.

    Meeting his eyes, she suddenly felt a breeze blowing as if through her stomach. It was the wind that passed through the silver por by the river.

    She looked down, as usual, to avoid his gaze. She felt as if she would open her heart to him if she kept meeting his eyes.

    In the end, Lard left, leaving her wondering about his real intentions. She got into the carriage quickly and closed her eyes. The silver por, shining alone by the river, stayed there even when she closed her eyes.

    It wasn¡¯t until the afternoon that Wendy opened her eyes and walked out of her room with faltering steps. Although she was still sleepy, she couldn¡¯t keep sleeping as she got hungry. The Poison Teeth near the door seemed to turn to her as if it was asking forrvae. Although it was a pity that she pretended not to have noticed it shaking its petals like a dog wagging its tail, she had no time to care for it now. She descended the stairs a couple of steps before getting hold of the wall as she felt like she would copse.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Her whole body ached, but her sharp hunger, which she felt as if all the organs in her stomach were shrinking, stopped her. She hadn¡¯t eaten after she ate lunch in the forest yesterday, so she starved for a full day.

    Wendy gave up going down to the kitchen, sat on the stairs and tried to put her index finger over the tiny cactus pots along the stairs, recalling a list of some high-calorie fruits.

    But she had to stop on the spot before touching the dirt with her index finger because she saw the white bandage around it. Looking at the bandage, she recalled what happenedst night.

    ¡°Lard Schroder¡­¡±

    Several letters that hovered in her mind were woven like puzzle pieces and came out of her mouth. Surprised by her own voice, she hurriedly looked around as if she would be caught by someone.

    Feeling like a pilgrim who broke the taboo, she struggled to her feet. It was not the time for her to be lost in idle thoughts. She needed to eat something to pick up her spirits.

    It wasn¡¯t until it was getting dark that she got out of her house. If she could have her way, she wanted to take a rest for the day, but she couldn¡¯t because she was worried about the flowers and trees in her flower shop.

    As she spent the whole day at the Burgonu huntingpetition yesterday, it would be the second day she had skipped watering the flowers if she didn¡¯t stop by the shop today.

    It was possible that some of the more sensitive nts had begun to wither because she hadn¡¯t water them. She quickly passed by the front yard of her house.

    Although there was some noise from Benfork¡¯s house, she couldn¡¯t afford to look closely. Maybe he was being scolded by his father for causing trouble. She nced at the window of Benfork¡¯s house, where the dim light was leaking and quickened her pace.

    Darkness was falling on the street in the evening. When she trotted along the street, dust drifted into the air. She shook her head to shake off her idle thoughts.

    Every time she walked, she heard some weird sound from the joints of her legs, but she was bothered by one very odd name tormenting her mind rather than the pain in her legs.

    Although she narrowed her eyes, clenched her fists and gnawed her teeth to forget it, she could not erase it from her mind.

    ¡°Dang it!¡±

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64: Chapter 64 I want to live next door to her house (2)

    Stopping for a moment, she suddenly let out a screech as she couldn¡¯t stand it.

    Some of the passers-by looked at her as if they were surprised, but she didn¡¯t care. She just couldn¡¯t understand why that name kepting to her mind. She felt tight and ufortable as if she fell on her butt in manure.

    She raised her hand over the temple and pressed it several times as if to control her pulse. She found it pounding against her fingertips.

    She felt something went damned wrong.

    ¡®Is my behavior rted to the symptoms I experienced at Jerus Hall?¡¯

    Shebored under delusions beginning with the name of Lard Schroder and continuing into the conspiracy theories of the ¡®poison¡¯ at Jerus Hall. If the damn ¡®poison¡¯ was a virus and had finally manifested through thetent period, this was obviously a serious development she could not ignore.

    She bit her lip and trembled with nervousness.

    Arriving at the flower shop, she actively moved around with sparkling eyes as if she wanted to shake off all the idle thoughts and kill the ¡®poison¡¯ virus by working hard.

    Only the sound of several streams of water gushing from the watering pot filled the flower shop. By the time she watered the twenty-ninth flowerpot, she felt satisfied and shook off some disturbing anxiety.

    Come to think of it, she felt it was only natural that Lard¡¯s name came to her mind.

    ¡®This is so natural! How can¡¯t I think of him when he and I went through such terrible things yesterday? Moreover, I have no choice but to think of his name, given that the fate of Altarin who did such a terrible thing rests in his hands!¡¯

    In some respects, it could be called expectation psychology. She had some expectation that Lard would bring about the satisfactory result with respect to the Altarian case.

    ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s because I have some expectations of him.¡¯

    How many risks would she have to face if she had to get revenge on Altarin herself?

    If Lard did a good job of solving the case sessfully, she would not have to take the risk, which was an ideal option for her..

    After clearing up herplex thoughts, she felt surprisingly refreshed.

    She chuckled as if she drove out the illusion of the silver por that had made her heart beat hard yesterday. Herughter was grotesquely scattered in the otherwise quiet flower shop.

    The bell above the door chimed.

    She flinched, surprised by the sound of the door. While turning stiffly, she felt nervous without any particr reason. She gasped.

    Wendy confirmed the identity of the man at the door and took a deep breath. It was the very man who had been filling her mind since yesterday. Forgetting anything like expectations of him, she was speechless at his unexpected appearance.

    ¡®Well, why the heck is this guy here now?¡¯

    While screaming silently, she looked at his face in surprise. Frowning deeply, he caught his breath and called with a hoarse voice, ¡°Wendy!¡±

    His disheveled hair caught her eyes first. His uniform was full of the cold air on spring night. His breathing seemed somewhat rough. His voice trembled as if he was trying to tell her something.

    Wendy quickly nced at his haggard face and her lips trembled despite her rigid expression.

    A bizarre smile was still on her face.

    ¡°I stopped by your house. I was worried because you were not there¡­ I guess you must be very tired. Why don¡¯t you take a day off?¡±

    When he spoke with a sigh, she double checked his face. She saw a deep anxiety in his bloodshot eyes.

    ¡®Did he rush here because he was surprised I wasn¡¯t there?¡±

    She felt distracted because of her wild spection about his motives.

    ¡°¡­ Well, I ended uping here. By the way, what¡¯s the matter with you,ingte at night like this? It looks like you wanted to see me urgently.¡±

    She barely opened her mouth, trying to calm down. Her cold tone, arrogant gaze and twisted lips perfectly conveyed her feigned indifference to him. She tilted the watering can to hide her pounding heartbeat. The sound of her watering flowers filled the flower shop again.

    ¡°I wrapped up the investigation of Altarin and her servant, so I stopped by because you might want to know the results.¡±

    ¡°Were you at the pce all this time because of that?¡±

    Obviously, he was exhausted from investigating the Altarin case without sleeping at all.

    She nced at his face quickly. He looked very tired.

    ¡°It has been a long day,¡± Lard said, as he recalled the hard interrogation. Looking at his fatigued face, she wanted to ask him if he would like a cup of hot tea, but she didn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t have the heart to speak the kind words that came to her mind at the moment, so she kept silent.

    He said, ¡°As the Scholters family met the emperor and acted immediately, I couldn¡¯t dy it. Altarin admitted that she was partially responsible for the ident, but argued that she never thought her servant Be had done such a terrible thing. So, Altarin has been imprisoned for three days, along with a 30-day house arrest. You may think that this is a disappointing punishment, but the fact that a noblewoman is sent to a jail even for a short period of time will be recorded as a great disgrace to her family. In that respect, the punishment against her is not light¡­ As soon as her house arrest is over, she is supposed to have a series of confession sessions.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Confession sessions?¡± She asked in a suspicious tone.

    At her asking, Lard cleared his throat as if he was embarrassed, ¡°Well, she has to hold a series of sessions where she has to confess her crime to the participants. It¡¯s kind of a letter of apology. The crown prince ordered it. It¡¯s going to be very humiliating for Altarin.¡±

    Wendy¡¯s face was strangely distorted. It seemed that she was not sure whether she had to smile orugh at the prince¡¯s bizarre decision. He stared at her as if he had anticipated such a reaction. When the water from the watering can began to fall on the floor, he quickly grabbed her hand.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m alright!¡±

    Shaking off his hand, she looked down at the ground soaked with water. For a moment, there was awkward silence between them, but he continued, with an expressionless look, as usual, ¡°Besides, the prince ordered her family to pay fines to the imperial family and the Schroder family. Some of the money paid to the Schroder is yours.¡±

    She looked straight at his face, clearing her throat to get out of awkwardness.

    As Wendy lived as a noblewoman for some time in the past, she knew well how shameful it was an unmarried youngdy to serve jail time. Obviously, one month¡¯s house arrest or reparation payment as her punishment was disappointing, but the so-called ¡°confession session¡± was satisfactory from her point of view.

    Although her punishment was extraordinary, Wendy thought she deserved it because shemitted such a malicious crime against her.

    ¡°Got it¡­ Did you question her yourself? ¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Wendy felt vindicated when she thought how shameful Altarin felt since she was interrogated by Lard, who she longed for so much. Lard carried out his mission well.

    In the end, Wendy decided to serve him tea to appreciate his special efforts. She felt she found a just cause to serve him tea this time.

    She btedly led him to take a seat at the table. While boiling water, she mentioned the name of the man who she had forgotten.

    ¡°¡­What about her servant Bes? ¡±

    ¡°He was detained. He has not been sentenced yet, but he may be spending the rest of his life in prison. He will have to pay the price for his crime.¡±

    In the case of Altarin, it seemed that the prince gave the ruling quickly to minimize the involvement of the Scholters family, but Bes had not been given a final ruling.

    She clicked her tongue in her heart but didn¡¯t feel any sympathy for him.

    When she was weighing the possible jail terms for Bes, Lard asked, ¡°When are you going back home?¡±

    With a frown, she looked at his face for a moment as he was trying to check her schedule.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to water the flower garden in the back.¡±

    At her reply, he stared at the darkness outside the window.

    ¡°¡­ I will wait for you outside. So, as soon as you are done, I will escort you back home. You don¡¯t have to refuse it. I¡¯m doing this because it makes me feel at ease.¡±

    In fact, she was ready to reject his offer immediately, but she shut her mouth.

    She recalled struggling to take his offer to escort her from the Linus Medical Center recently.

    She knew that she could not ovee his stubbornness as far as this kind of thing was concerned.

    But she had a legitimate cause.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65: Chapter 65 I want to live next door to her house (3)

    When the two left the flower shop, it was already quite dark outside.

    She walked quickly, earnestly hoping that Lard would not talk to her.

    Of course, she had lots of things to ask him about the details of Altarin¡¯s case, but she didn¡¯t want to be distracted anymore. Whenever the cool night air tickled the tip of her nose, she found herself warming up to him gradually, so she deliberately avoided talking to him.

    She knew she was now avoiding him.

    There was a faint sound of barking dogs somewhere. She turned her head, as if to check its direction. Of course, she wasn¡¯t interested in the barking sound at all, but she was nervous he might speak to her.

    Every time she took a step, his fingertips seemed to touch her.

    So, she repeatedly closed and opened her hand.

    It wasn¡¯t toote, but there were few people on the street. It was so silent that even the sound of them walking across the grains of sand was loud.

    Some strangely faint and pitiful sound was heard nearby like someone walking up the wooden stairs of an old house. She looked at her knees with an embarrassed expression.

    Her body hadn¡¯t fully recovered, to say the least. She felt stiffness in her hips, calves and thighs, apparently caused while struggling not to fall from Snowyko yesterday.

    Besides, she felt pain in her legs due to the impact of the crash and the long walk on the trails in the forest.

    That¡¯s why every time she walked, she heard some weird sound from her knees. He also began to look at her knees with worry. She felt ufortable under his gaze.

    In the end, she had to open her mouth first, giving up her decision not to talk to him, ¡°By the way, are you okay now? Do you have pain in your shoulders?¡±

    While trying to distract him from her knees, she btedly stared at his shoulder, pretending to be indifferent. She was trying her best not to give him the impression that she was genuinely worried about his condition, so he could not misunderstand her.

    He kept an eye on her knees as he responded, ¡°I feel fine. Fortunately, I have no pain because of timely treatment. But you seem to¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, your voice is hoarse. Please take a break immediately after you return.¡±

    While pretending not to hear hisforting words, she kept talking about his physical condition. As expected, his voice became more and more heavy and subdued as time went by.

    She now forgot that she initiated talking to him to distract him from her ufortable knees and unwittingly came up with a list of nts good for refreshment.

    ¡®Wait a minute. I had some pickled roots somewhere in the kitchen.¡¯

    While trying to recall the location of the herbal nts in the kitchen cabs, she suddenly thought that she was sliding into a situation she created.

    She quickly shook her head as if ming herself after giving up the search for the herbal nts.

    If she hadn¡¯t heard someone¡¯s loud crying when she arrived at the entrance of the alley leading to her house, she might have spiraled into serious self-criticism and weak attempts at justifying her actions.

    The man who was crying loudly was familiar to both Wendy and Lard.

    ¡°Benfork, what¡¯s up?¡± She asked him in a gloomy tone, looking down at his hunched shoulders.Though she didn¡¯t want to talk to him, she couldn¡¯t help it because he was crying, sitting right in front of her front yard.

    Benfork looked up at Wendy, raising his tearful face. The guy looked at Wendy and Lard alternately then wiped his tears with the sleeve as if he were trying to control his emotions.

    ¡°Sis¡­ What should I do?¡±

    Benfork began to cry again while trying to speak. Looking into the boy¡¯s face, who seemed to think the world was over, she sighed, assuming he must have caused some big trouble this time.

    ¡°Tell me calmly what happened.¡±

    She pressed on him to speak quickly instead of trying to soothe him, conscious of the psychology of children who would cry out louder if someone appeased them.

    ¡°Sis¡­ I may never see you anymore. My father listed our house for sale.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you moving?¡±

    As Benfork¡¯s reply was rather unexpected, she looked at him with more seriousness.

    Obviously, he was not crying because he had been rebuked by his father.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re moving to Jopiern, that remote town¡­ Screwed! I can¡¯t see Sarah anymore, and I have to break up with my friends here. Besides, I can¡¯t learn swordsmanship from the knights. I wish you had not given my father the Zahato tree seedlings¡­My dad kept saying he was missing Jopiern after he nted the tree.¡±

    Benfork again cried loudly, upset with her.

    A few months ago, she gave his father the Zahato nt, a kind of azaleas that bore brown fruit in autumn. It was drawing lots of attention as a high-ie crop in rural areas these days. Obviously, the tree must have prompted his father to sell his house and move.

    She recalled how delighted his father was after receiving the Zahato seedlings. In the end, Benfork wanted to vent his anger and frustration on her, squatting in front of her house.

    She felt sorry for him and disgusted with his actions.

    He wailed, ¡°Sarahined that she smelled iting off me on the day I spread fertilizer in the back garden¡­ I think if I live in that rustic vige, they will smell fertilizer on me. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to be my signature smell¡­¡±

    ¡°If your friends don¡¯t like you because of that fertilizer smell, you had better not meet them.¡±

    She gave him wise advice like that, but he didn¡¯t listen and cried again.

    Shaking his shoulders, Benfork stood up and looked up at her, saying with a tearful voice as if he was disappointed, ¡°Ugh, how can you say it so easily, sis, when you have a lover next to you? I feel sorry for this knight! ¡±

    ¡°What the heck?¡±

    Looking at Lard¡¯s face with a pitiable expression, Benfork now became more emboldened as Lard didn¡¯t respond. Even before she began to intervene, Benfork continued quickly, ¡°What do you think about love? Isn¡¯t it natural that you want to look good to your lover as much as possible, but you don¡¯t want to do things that your lover doesn¡¯t want? When you love someone, you keep missing him or her, right? How can I follow my father to Jopiern? How can I break up with Sarah? You know my feelings as you are in love, sis, right?¡±

    Benfork sniffed with a sullen look and finishedining to her. She contemted how to respond to this cocky kid¡¯s scathing usation.

    ¡®How much do you think you know about love? This little boy ising off as cocky, babbling about love as he wishes?¡¯

    She barely suppressed her anger, though she wanted to punch him on the head.

    ¡°Benfork!¡±

    Lard, who had been listening to their conversation quietly, began to talk to him in earnest.

    ¡°¡­ Hey, Benfork, I know how you feel. It¡¯ste at night, so you¡¯d better go home and talk with your father again tomorrow. Just tell your father honestly what you have said to her. Wouldn¡¯t your father think twice about moving if you seriously talked it over with your father as a man?¡±

    As he dared not even respond to the imperial knight, Benfork moved his lips a couple of times then lowered his head.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    Benfork took a few deep breaths as if he wanted to calm down and looked at the two.

    After calming down a little, he btedly noticed the imperial knight¡¯s mention of the expression ¡°as a man.¡± As he was caught crying with a runny nose, he was afraid he might not have a chance to learn swordsmanship from the knight in the future.

    ¡°I am really sorry to both of you¡­ I guess it happened when I was three years old. I think that was thest time I cried, and it¡¯s been a long time since I cried like this today. Please don¡¯t misunderstand me because I¡¯m not a crying boy. ¡±

    Benfork btedly managed to control himself, smiling at Lard awkwardly.

    Wendy stared at his swollen eyes as if she was dumbfounded at his actions.

    ¡°Sure. By the way, let me keep my promise to check you and your friends¡¯ fencing posture as soon as possible. I will let you know about the training date through a messenger one of these days, so tip off your friends.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes¡­ ! You haven¡¯t forgotten it, sir!¡±

    Benfork shouted with joy, hearing Lard¡¯s confirmation of his promise.

    Without caring about him, Lard stared at something, lost in thought. At the end of his gaze was his small two-story house. Lard narrowed his eyes and said in passing, ¡°By the way, has your house already been sold?¡±

    At the moment Benfork made a puzzled expression, and said, ¡°Oh no. My father didn¡¯t say that.¡±

    Lard nodded nkly, as usual, and stared at Benfork¡¯s face, signalling to him to go back home.

    Embarrassed, Benfork moved back and made a beeline for his house.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66: Chapter 66 I want to live next door to her house (4)

    As she didn¡¯t understand Lard¡¯s real intention, Wendy narrowed her eyes, watching Benfork running away. There was the sound of a dog barking again in the distance, but this time she couldn¡¯t pretend to care about it because his ambiguous question to Benfork made her nervous.

    ¡°Are you interested in buying his house?¡±

    She suddenly asked the question unconsciously, looking at him furtively. As he ignored her sullen look with a gentle smile, she became all the more nervous. In fact, he spoke to Benfork too calmly for her to suspect he cared about the kid¡¯s concerns at all. As he usually spoke dryly, she could give it a pass, but this time she examined his expression as if she was observing him.

    Lights were leaking out of the houses around her house. The glimmering light in the dark cast a deep shadow as if to hide his handsome face. Conscious of her sharp gaze, he sighed a little.

    Although the lights and his sigh were not a big deal, she shut her mouth tightly. Just like the dry leaves fluttering in the autumn breeze, she felt something ticklish in the pit of her stomach. She quietly scratched its surface unconsciously.

    She thought to herself, ¡®Let me tell him to go home.¡¯

    She felt she might be in trouble if she kept looking at his ominous face any longer.

    She was very anxious now.

    She hurriedly quickened her pace and stopped in front of her house. After grabbing the key in her pocket and putting it in the keyhole, she heard a clear clicking sound. Very nervous and impatient, she looked back at him without pulling out the key.

    ¡°Thanks for escorting me. Please take care!¡±

    ¡°Have a good rest. I will stop by again soon. ¡±

    Although she wanted to respond to hisst words, she didn¡¯t. Instead she simply nodded since she didn¡¯t want to keep him standing before her door, and he felt tired. Above all, she didn¡¯t want to feel uneasy anymore with him around.

    ¡°Please go in first.¡±

    He was standing there as if he would leave only after she went inside and closed the door.

    At first she flinched at his tenacity, but turned coldly, thinking that was the way he typically escorted nobledies back home.

    Even in that short moment, she still felt tickled in the pit of her stomach.

    ¡®Was Izy in taking a shower these days?¡¯

    She briefly thought so, knitting her brows. Feeling she might have been contaminated with something strange in the Burgonu forest, she decided to soak herself in warm water and bathe.

    The moment she was about to open the door, she cast a nce at the key ring dangling from the doorknob. She quickly turned it back to pull it out, but it didn¡¯t work smoothly.

    She shook the key from side to side hard enough that veins rose on the back of her hand, but somehow the key was stuck.

    ¡°Excuse me, let me take a look.¡±

    Watching her from behind, he ced his hand over the key in her hand.

    Startled, she pulled her hand away quickly. He tried to pull out the key by turning it in both directions.

    Wendy couldn¡¯t do anything. Her expression hardened when she felt his warmth behind her because that reminded her of his warm touch when he held her hands in the Burgonu forest.

    She momentarily thought of pushing him or bending down quickly to get away from him but did nothing.

    She smelled a familiar scent. At first, she thought it might be the scent of the Retusa fringe tree in the front yard, but the scent grew thicker and softer as the man moved. The nervous, ticklish feeling in the pit of her stomach became stronger and weaker, tormenting her.

    When she gently swung her body, she felt his solid chest behind her, so she had to curl her shoulders slightly. Now, he was more focused on removing the key by getting closer to her from behind. She crouched down like a roly-poly.

    Unfortunately, her strategy didn¡¯t work very well.

    There was no indifference in his grey eyes. Rather, an intense fragment of emotion filled his eyes. He felt deeply frustrated and annoyed whenever she showed extreme reluctance to touch him, but he controlled his emotions, as always.

    Lard turned his eyes away from her and focused on pulling out the key, but he didn¡¯t move away from her, though she was now almost wrapped in his arms.

    He knew that as a knight, it was not courteous for him to stay close to her, but he couldn¡¯t help it.

    While struggling to remove the key for a while, he opened his mouth only when she shrugged her shoulders three or four times.

    ¡°It looks like the key was bent from the inside, ¡± he said conclusively after turning the key once again and looking closely at the position of the key. She was astonished.

    She immediately stiffened. Obviously, she was dissatisfied with his announcement, but he had mixed feelings about the stuck key.

    There was a smile on his face before he knew it. Fortunately, she did not notice that smile on his face. With a straight face, she quickly turned to him and said, ¡°It can¡¯t be bent inside!¡±

    She then hurriedly twisted the key. Although his warmth embarrassed her when she put her hand on his, she relentlessly twisted and turned the key from side to side.

    Right at the moment, she heard the sound of the key being broken while she was forcibly turning it with all her might. What a disaster!

    She was aghast, holding the clover-shaped, silver key head.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s broken¡­ I have to get a locksmith tomorrow¡­¡±

    He spoke with a hoarse voice, ¡°What are you going to do all night? The door is closed but not locked. ¡±

    Like he said, the door was closed but not locked with the broken key inside.

    She hardened her expression and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can hang thetch here.¡±

    She pointed to a smalltch hanging on the door frame. But it seemed to be no more than a useless piece of iron. If any adult kicked the door, it would most likely be taken out at once.

    After agonizing for a moment, he told her in a polite tone, ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t feel at ease with that. If anyone with wicked intention wanted to, he could easily get inside. Let me stay here tonight if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    She felt shocked, as if a stone fell from the top of a stone mountain and rolled into the middle of his forehead.

    ¡®What the hell is this guy talking about now?¡¯

    Her face turned white with anxiety.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for your approval with a foolish heart.¡±

    Wisely enough, Lard quickly sensed she was feeling ufortable, and tried to persuade her. His tone was even more serious, as if he had no intention of forcing her to agree.

    ¡°Well, the reason I came to see you urgently today was not just because I wanted to inform you about the investigation results. Actually, I could not help but worry that the Scholters family would attempt to harm you. Of course, as this ident involved the crown prince, they would not be reckless enough to harm you, but I still kept worrying about you.¡±

    Right at the moment she recalled Lard¡¯s actions today,ing to her shop in a hurry, startled at her absence at her house.

    ¡®Oh, that¡¯s why he came to my shop so urgently?¡±

    Reflecting on his hesitant exnation, she shut her mouth. The reason she kept silent was not because of his concern about her safety. It was true that she felt ufortable about his frankness, but she was on edge because of her potential threat, Altarin.

    Obviously Earl Scholters might be raging with anger after discovering that his precious daughter had been sentenced to jail and mandatory ¡°confession¡± sessions about her crime by the crown prince. Wendy thought she had better watch out for the time being, but once they found her location, they might try to get even with her.

    If they did a background check and found her address, that would be a terrible thing. Besides, if it was ever revealed that she was a former noblewoman, though an illegitimate child, and that she purchased amoner¡¯s status and disguised herself as amoner, she would receive a much more cruel punishment iparable to Altarin.

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t you think youring here might have drawn their attention?¡± she asked with a rather annoying voice.

    ¡°There was nobody following me.¡±

    He narrowed his eyebrows a bit as if he was displeased with her question.

    But she didn¡¯t care at all and continued, ¡°It¡¯s easy to find out who I am if they intend to gather information about me. If you keeping here, they could more easily and find me.¡±

    She spoke with a gloomy expression, looking down. He shut his mouth this time.

    After a while, he opened his mouth in a dark voice, ¡°If you¡¯re so worried, l will refrain from visiting your house.¡±

    His voice was grim, but it was like a man¡¯s instinct, not vain stubbornness, that he did not promise that he would nevere back.

    ¡°Please don¡¯te to my flower shop, either.¡±

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67: Chapter 67 I want to live next door to her house (5)

    Wendy wasn¡¯t the type of woman who was generous enough to care about Lard¡¯s soft spot.

    As he showed he was backing off, she went more on the offensive as if she wanted to stop him from visiting her ce, be it her house or shop. While trying to be tough to him as best she could, she had a victorious expression on her face when he finally gave in.

    ¡°¡­ Okay, let me refrain from visiting your shop and house.¡±

    Wendy nodded in satisfaction, picking up the words that he reluctantly spat out. But there was some sort of mysterious bitterness in her nodding and something somber in his expression. Neither of them noticed it.

    ¡°Now, can Ie inside?¡±

    She opened the door with a feeble sigh instead of answering. Of course, she could tell him that she could take care of herself without any problem, but she didn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t resist him stepping into her house not because she was satisfied with his vow to refrain from visiting her, but because she noticed the fatigue on his face.

    As soon as she entered the house, she picked up the flint lying on the firece.

    But he stopped her, saying, ¡°Let me make the fire at the firece, so just take care of your work.¡±

    She handed him the flint in her hand. She didn¡¯t realize that while receiving the flint, he was looking down at her wounded index finger.

    He quickly made a fire, using the flint. As if he tried to repay his debt to her when he warmed up at the firece on his first visit to her house, he seemed to be very active.

    She stared at his back with an awkward expression. It was the first time someone else built a fire in her house, and she never thought that person would be Lard Schroder, the chief imperial knight.

    She felt ufortable around the man in front of the firece.

    There was the sound of fire moving on the wood. She felt that the warmth of the fire was spreading into the living room.

    She shrugged once and pretended to be busy making a bed for him. All she did was put a thick nket on the parlor sofa.

    When she was done, she talked to him as if she were doing him a kindness, ¡°Would you like to wash up first?¡±

    He looked back at her with a little embarrassment when she said that. She noticed his unusual expression btedly, and felt embarrassed because of the romantic implications..

    ¡°Oh, I live in this house alone, so the first floor bathroom is not good for washing. It doesn¡¯t flush well. You had better use the bathroom on the second floor. ¡±

    Having said that, she turned her head. He nodded once as if he understood.

    She stayed put in the kitchen while he was washing. She prepared a pot of warm water for him and ced it on the living room table. She also put hot water in a leather pouch to keep him warm and ced it on a nket.

    After she heard himing down to the first floor after showering, she climbed up to the second floor not to bump into him.

    The bathroom was still warm when she opened its sliding door. Given his rank and position, he might have been served by someone else in his daily life, but the inside of the bathroom was neatly organized and clean. At first, she felt strange inside the bathroom because she was using the bathroom right after a man used it. So, she sprinkled water all over the ce and hummed a strange song fifteen times. She was done taking a bath only after she sprinkled water all over the bathroom.

    Then she returned to her room next to the bathroom and locked the door securely.

    The Poison Teeth nt that was dozing in the flower pot hanging on the door frame opened its petals, startled by her leaving thetch outside.

    Sitting on the bed and drying her hair, she strained her ears to listen to his movement downstairs. It was a really long time ago that she spent the night at her house with someone else, so she felt very nervous.

    ¡®What is he doing now? He looked so tired. Is he already asleep? His voice was hoarse¡­¡¯

    Complicated thoughts continued in her mind like ants continuously flocking towards a pic in the grass. The procession of ants eventually stopped at the jars of marinated herbal roots. Like the ants who were busy moving to save food for winter, she stopped thinking and put on a nightgown. She cautiously opened the tightly locked door, looked at the Poison Teeth dozing off in the door frame at the moment, and muffled her steps while descending the stairs.

    When she came down to the first floor, he was looking into the fire in the firece without sleeping.

    ¡®He must be very tired. Why can¡¯t he go to sleep yet? Is he going to repay his debt for the fireflies in the forest the other day?¡¯

    She shook her head, watching him busy watching the firece.

    When she entered the kitchen and opened the cupboard where the stone jar was ced, she noticed the light-red ss bottle among lots of bottles.

    Her heart suddenly began to beat hard when she noticed it. Was it because she wouldn¡¯t have done it usually?

    ¡®What the heck am I doing now?¡¯ She sighed alone.

    Wasn¡¯t it awkward for her to be here in the kitchen to make tea for him at thiste hour?

    She barely hid her awkwardness and reached over the cupboard. She took pains to stand on her tiptoes to pull down each of the jars. When she tried to pull down a wide bowl, she identally touched a bowl underneath perhaps because of her awkward movement. The tes stacked neatly on top seemed to be copsing and she lost her bnce.

    Astonished, she tried to extend both hands to grab them, but it was toote.

    She closed her eyes and turned her head sideways to avoid the tes crumbling over her head.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on at thiste hour?¡±

    What followed was not the nking of the tes but Lard¡¯s tired voice.

    Cold liquid flowed down her cheeks. She smelled a sweet lemon scent.

    ¡°Sir Schroder¡­¡±

    When she opened her eyes again, she saw him holding the tes. One of the ss bottles that he couldn¡¯t catch was leaking liquid from it¡¯s loose lid, dripping lemon tea onto her cheeks.

    He hurriedly put the tes back on the cupboard and turned his eyes to her as she stood stiffly next to him. As if she was stunned, she was looking into his dark blue eyes silently. He saw some liquid on one of her cheeks. The familiar and pleasing lemon scent filled the kitchen. It looked like her hair was touching the spilled liquid on her cheek. He put his hand on her cheek unconsciously, to her surprise.

    He lightly wiped the lemon liquid on her cheek with his index finger, but he couldn¡¯t easily take his finger off. He came closer to her as if the sticky lemon fixed his hand on her cheek. He smelled her skin, which seemed to bury the lemon scent in the kitchen. She felt dizzy.

    Suddenly, she stiffened like a starched cotton cloth. She felt strange about the atmosphere in the kitchen, but she did not know how to cope with the situation. She felt as if the sticky lemon tea bound her body.

    She saw his wet hair. His gray eyes were trembling like a starlight on an autumn river. As the the reeds in the field were shaken by the wind, or a flock of birds gathered in the field soared to the sky and headed south, she closed her eyes without knowing what else to do.

    She voiced no resistance now. Looking at her face with her eyes closed, as if he had been meant to do it for a long time, he kissed her.

    She felt the touch of his soft lips but didn¡¯t resist. It was a gentle and cautious kiss, as if he touched a flower to his lips. Maybe it was the opposite. It may have been a desperate kiss like a man who got lost on a remote mountain trail touched his lips to water out of thirst.

    Feeling dizzy, she felt the reality surrounding her was eerie.

    He gently held her trembling shoulders. She naturally put her hands around his waist and held the thin hem of her nightgown¡¯s sleeves.

    At that moment, she thought of a tree before she knew it.

    Why did she think of it? A tree that appeared faintly in her distant consciousness came to her mind. At least, she believed so. It was a tree that came to mind as if it wiped out herplicated thoughts.

    Although she recalled it instantly, the stream of consciousness reached her fingertips.

    At that moment, she heard a slight noise around her index finger on his back.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68: Chapter 68 I want to live next door to her house (6)

    Feeling some strange sensation from his waist, he raised his hand.

    Taking his lips off hers reluctantly, he looked at her lips. Then, he quickly kissed her lips again. He saw her opening her eyes and her shoulders began to tremble again.

    The strange noise was heard again, making the two turn their eyes toward that direction.

    She broke off the bandage around her index finger and looked down at a small nt growing on the edge of his crumpled shirt in surprise. He was also looking down at his waist in embarrassment.

    The small nt grew thin branches and shot out light green leaves over them. She grabbed a branch in a hurry, startled at the wonder her fingers made. Fortunately, the nt stopped growing after it grew as high as an adult¡¯s palm.

    ¡°¡­If I stay with you, I¡¯ll see an endless disy of wonders.¡±

    He cracked a joke, who was more surprised than he, and her face turned white.

    His face, which was always expressionless, had a light smile.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it¡­¡±

    Looking up at his face for a moment, she spoke while avoiding eye contact with him.

    She was so embarrassed.

    ¡°Would you tell me the name of this tree?¡± He asked, unbuttoning his shirt one by one.

    ¡°This is an ash tree. ¡±

    ¡°Ash tree¡­ I¡¯m very curious why this is growing here.¡±

    ¡°Reason? There is nothing like a reason for that. I¡¯m embarrassed, too. So, please don¡¯t give it any meaning! ¡±

    Wendy nced at him, flushed. While talking to him with an annoyed tone, she was stunned to see him taking his shirt off.

    ¡°¡­ Why are you unbuttoning your shirt? ¡±

    She hurriedly stepped back, finding his chest half-naked .

    rmed by her reaction, he knitted his brows as if it was unfair and said, ¡°Well, I think I have to change my shirt as it¡¯s torn like this. I can¡¯t sleep with this tree hanging on my side. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, let me bring you clothes.¡± She hurriedly left the kitchen as if she was running away.

    After she left, he took off his shirt and picked up the small, thin ash tree. It was a tender vibrant green sapling. Fortunately, it was not dry and sap rose in it. As time went by, there woulde a day when he could see its dark blue leaves with the sap rising in a fully grown tree.

    Though the ash tree growing on his shirt was small, he didn¡¯t feel any regret and smiled again.

    That night shey down in bed with a deep sigh and wandered alone in chaos.

    Although she did not want to admit what happened, she could not help but acknowledge it. How could he kiss her? And he was none other than Lard! She closed and opened her mouth, looking in the air.

    ¡®What the heck is this ash tree? How can I see it growing suddenly on his shirt when I can¡¯t sort out myplicated mind? Should Ifort myself with a small tree like that? If I had grown a tall tree with colorful flowers, I would have not ended up settling here and left somewhere else¡­¡¯

    ¡°Oh my God¡­¡±

    She was in agony, lying on the bed. Then, she remembered seeing the phantom in front of her house on that rainy day when she walked along the street with him. That ash tree shooting out petals like the setting off of firecrackers! She had not the slightest idea of why she would rte what happened today to that ash tree, but she crumpled the corners of the pillowcase as she felt ufortable and embarrassed about the kiss.

    Although she was exhausted, she could not easily sleep. The sound of ripples waving in theke buzzed in her ears like tinnitus.

    ¡®How can I see his face tomorrow morning?¡¯

    She moved his legs nervously with a deep sigh. She just wanted to erase the memory of a moment ago. If she could have her way, she wanted to turn the clock back and strongly refuse his visit. This would not have happened if she had not gone to the kitchen to find the jar of herbal tea.

    ¡®If I had not opened the cupboard, if I had not identally touched the stacked tes, if he had not entered the kitchen at that moment, if the jar of lemon tea had not spilled, or if the lid had been closed more tightly, this kind of embarrassing thing would not have happened to me!¡¯

    She closed her eyes as if she couldn¡¯t forget his soft touch on her lips.

    But she could not deny what already happened, no matter how hard she tried to deny it.

    Ripples had already begun on the surface of the quietke.

    That day the petals fell from the white por by the river.

    Dressed in his uniform, Badge Enos, the head of the 2nd Imperial Knights, reported to the chief of the Imperial Knights Corps a dayter. Originally, he was supposed to report yesterday after he cracked down on the disturbances in the Henobi region and returned to the capital. As soon as he returned, however, he was dispatched to the Brugonu forest to search for Wendy and Lard, which dyed his report to the captain.

    With fatigue still on his face, Badge left the chief¡¯s room with a light heart after receiving the chief¡¯s passionate wee. Obviously, Badge made a great contribution by quelling the turmoil in the Henobi region, and he even found Lard and his partner who went missing at the hunting contest.

    After he was given one week¡¯s vacation as the reward for his special contribution, Badge walked with a happy expression.

    The training field of the 2nd Knights Division was empty because lots of knights were dispatched to the Brugonu forest to search.

    Badge grinned at his achievement. ¡®Wasn¡¯t it a huge event? How did I get involved in the missing case involving Captain Lard!¡¯

    In addition, the news that he had interrogated Altarin in person surprised him a lot.

    That was a pretty serious scandal. Although it was widely known that Altarin had set her heart on Lard, no one would have known that the situation developed further and brought about such a disastrous result.

    Admittedly, she acted too recklessly, but he was more surprised that Lard was in charge of the interrogation in person.

    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because of her?¡¯

    Badge recalled the woman he saw in the forest. Why was she so familiar to him when he met her for the first time there? He remembered that Lard gave him a sharp nce when he stared at her intently. He found Lard¡¯s nce dreadful. Recalling Lard¡¯s actionsst night, he chuckled.

    While he was chuckling to himself, he quickly found a familiar guy sitting on the grass next to the field and quickened his pace. His unusually white hair came into Badge¡¯s view at a distance.

    ¡°Hey, Sir Lennox!¡±

    When Badge called him, Dn Lennox was surprised and quickly stood up.

    Dn saluted him with a pleasant expression.

    ¡°How have you been?¡±

    ¡°Sir Enos! I heard that you came back. I¡¯m d to hear that you¡¯re safe. ¡±

    Looking at the drawing book in front of him, he said, ¡°Not a big deal. I feel like I was on a local inspection tour. By the way, you are at it again today. ¡±

    In the album were some dynamic drawings on the knights¡¯ sparring at the field.

    ¡°It¡¯s my hobby, sir.¡±

    ¡°Where is that woman who used to inspire you so much? With her gone, are you drawing these silly things? Well, your drawings are dynamic, though. Haha.¡±

    Badge asked him, recalling a woman he identally saw in Dn¡¯s drawing book.

    Back then, he was immersed in drawing alone. In fact, he waspletely absorbed in drawing that he didn¡¯t sense Badge approaching right up close. He drew a beautiful, brightly smiling woman, holding a handful of light red begonia in her arms. As someone who had an eye for beauty, Badge was greatly impressed with Dn¡¯s drawing.

    So, he almost forcibly took it from Dn and took a careful look at her. He always drew the same woman, who was sometimes drinking tea, sometimes riding a horse, or sometimes taking a walk. Even when he rarely drew andscape, there was always the same young woman at the corner of the painting.

    Hearing first that a guy with such a strange hobby was admitted to the 2nd Knights, Badge became very interested in him. It wasn¡¯tmon for a knight to take drawing as a hobby, so Badge thought Dn was quite an interesting guy. As far as he remembered, his seniors made fun of his drawing, calling it a sissy hobby. But their mocking stopped when they sparred with Dn in fighting with swords.

    Just like he had a strange hobby, Dn¡¯s wielding a sword was also unique.

    He beat his rivals with anomalous attacks disguised as graceful movements.

    It was obviously different from the pure swordsmanship he showed in the Sinuel contest designed to qualify for imperial knighthood. He said he had inherited the swordsmanship from his family, but the anomalous movement steeped in pure swordsmanship interested Badge all the more.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69: Chapter 69 I want to live next door to her house (7)

    Dn also had greater talents than his peers, so Badge had many expectations of him. He had such a good name among the imperial knights for his excellent swordsmanship that he could aim for the premier position Lottea, the best Imperial Knight, some day.

    Of course, that would be impossible as long as Badge himself would not retire.

    Badge said with a mischievous look, ¡°Hey, Dn, let me ask about that woman in your book.¡±

    Dn grabbed the drawing book, smiling at him.

    ¡°Are you really not going to tell me who she is? Don¡¯t be so heartbroken, man! Hurry up and get married. If you don¡¯t, you will go the same way as I¡­¡±

    Befitting his status as Lottea, Badge, who had been deeply in love with swordsmanship, reached a marriageable age a long time ago. Until now, he didn¡¯t care what others said about his not finding a girl. But he became impatient when he found his rival Lard Schroder was dating a woman.

    ¡°I feel it is right when they say you have to marry when the time hase.¡±

    Badge murmured to himself when he felt embarrassed to see Dn¡¯s face growing dark.

    ¡°Did the woman in your picture not ept your proposal? Hmm, I think she didn¡¯t. The woman in your drawing has quite an arrogant image. Like that woman I met yesterday. Ah! That woman really looks like the woman in your drawing. Now I think I know why that woman was so familiar to me.¡±

    As if he regretted recalling that woman only now, Badge looked at his drawing again.

    At the moment, Dn grabbed his arm. Badge looked surprised at this junior knight¡¯s rudeness.

    ¡°Sir Enos! What did you say now? Did you see a woman who looked like my drawing? ¡±

    Dn¡¯s blue eyes trembled wildly, as if he couldn¡¯t believe his ears.

    ¡°Yes, yes. If I remember correctly, she does. ¡±

    Noticing his embarrassed expression, Dn urgently turned the pages in the book. He found a portrait of a woman with a slight smile before turning over a few pages. It was an unpainted picture. Dn again turned over the canvas book and found a colored drawing this time. A woman was smiling brightly, holding a begonia flower.

    ¡°Does she look like this woman?¡±

    Badge looked into the drawing and hardened his face.

    ¡°Well, yes. Her face looks more hardened than this woman here, but they look quite alike.

    What¡¯s the matter, man?¡±

    ¡°Where did you see her? Do you know her name? Olivia, Olivia Hazlet. Is this name correct?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know her name¡­ By the way, why are you so excited about this woman? I¡¯m getting embarrassed.¡±

    Dn clenched both fists. Badge¡¯s testimony alone that he saw a woman resembling the woman in his drawing made his heart sink. His heart began to pound hard.

    He said with a trembling voice, ¡°¡­ This is a woman I have been desperately looking for until now.¡±

    As soon as he heard it from Badge, Dn headed straight for the 1st Knights Division building.

    Badge didn¡¯t know which family she came from or what her name was. In fact, he only knew that she was the woman who had disappeared with Lard in the Brugonu forest where there was a big disturbancest night.

    Badge tried to get hold of Dn and struggled to calm him down, who wanted to see Lard and find out if hispanion was the same as the woman in his canvas.

    Looking back, Badge felt that the woman didn¡¯t look like the woman he saw the night before. He tried to dissuade Dn from making trouble many times in vain, even reciting the imperial knight¡¯s code of conduct, but all his efforts failed. As Dn wouldn¡¯t listen to him at all, Badge gave up.

    Dn stood in front of the executive office of the 1st Knights Division with a hardened expression.

    The fact that she was Lard¡¯spanionplicated his thoughts, ¡®Howe she is Captain Lard¡¯spanion?¡¯

    Dn thought that there was no chance that Lard¡¯s woman was Olivia.

    In his memory, she went into hidingpletely. He couldn¡¯t imagine that she appeared with Lard at the hunting contest. But as he heard about her for the first time in two years, Dn had no choice but to rely on the unexpected clue that Badge gave him.

    At the same time, he dearly wished she was the same woman.

    ¡®How long have I been searching for her? How desperately did I try to find her?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m Dn Lennox with the 2nd Knights Division. Can I see Captain Lard Schroder? ¡±

    When he entered the office, he smelled the strong scent of ink first. He was bold enough to ask to meet the captain, but it wasn¡¯t as easy as he thought. Dn also knew that, but he couldn¡¯t give up.

    ¡°What business has brought you here? Did you make an appointment with him?¡±

    One of the knights on standby at the entrance of Lard¡¯s office looked at him strangely.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to ask him something. Can¡¯t I see him briefly? ¡±

    ¡°He is tightly scheduled. So, please leave. ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very important to me. Can you confirm if he is in the office or not?¡±

    ¡°He is not here. Ask for a formal meeting with him ording to the rules. I won¡¯t tolerate your rudeness anymore.¡±

    The knight gave him a cold look, asking him to get out. Standing for a little longer, Dn left the building with reluctance. He assumed that he would not have left the pce as he heard that Lard was in charge of interrogating Altarin because of the identst night.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    Dn sighed deeply. He knew he acted rudely, but she was the woman he had been trying to find desperately for the past two years. He found himself easily excited and swayed by even a small clue about her whereabouts. He clenched both fists again.

    If Lard¡¯spanion was Olivia, if the woman who had a hard time in the forest was Olivia, she would have found it very difficult to endure as a woman, though she was rescued safely.

    Dn sought to calm down, recalling the terrible thing yesterday that he heard from Badge.

    The woman might be a total stranger to him, but he was so nervous even at the slightest thought that she might be Olivia.

    So, Dn waited until it got dark outside. He was ready for the possibility that he might not meet Lard. He knew it would be more wise for him to ask for a formal meeting when he was in the office the next day. Nevertheless, Dn could not leave because the name Olivia was hovering in his ears.

    At that time, he saw somebody talking to each other. A group of knights were seen walking towards the building.

    Blonde knight Jean said, looking at his boss with a worried expression, ¡°Captain, please go back home tonight. Let me get the wagon ready for you. I¡¯ll keep an eye on the movement of the Scholters family. So, please go back home and take a nap.¡±

    Despite his persistent request, Lard didn¡¯t listen and walked toward the building.

    Dn Lennox stepped forward as they wereing closer. At that moment, Lard cast a nce at him. Their eyes met. Their eyes glowed with a cold light. Dn urgently saluted him when Lard was passing by him and stopped him.

    ¡°Captain Schroder!¡±

    Lard stopped at his call and looked back at him. Obviously, Lard, exhausted from the long interrogation of Altarin, was annoyed when he remembered that he was the knight that he had encountered at Jerus Hall.

    ¡°My name is Dn Lennox with the 2nd Knights. I havee here to ask you something.¡±

    One of Lard¡¯s deputies tried to stop Dn, but Lard raised his right arm towards him.

    Lard opened his mouth, staring at him, ¡°Tell me what you want to ask.¡±

    ¡°I would like to know the woman¡¯s name who apanied you to the Burgonu huntingpetition. I know I¡¯m rude, but I¡¯vee here to find if she is the same woman I¡¯ve been looking for a long time. Please answer me. ¡±

    Normally, Dn Lennox would not have acted rudely like this. How could he visit the knights division and ask its captain about his partner¡¯s name? No excuse could justify his attitude. But as far as Olivia was involved, Dn could not remain calm. Even if the other party were the emperor, he would be ready to ask.

    ¡°¡­ How rude you are! I have no reason to give you her name. Go away,¡± Lard resolutely said. From the moment Dn talked about hispanion, Lard¡¯s face became hardened.

    ¡°Captain! It¡¯s more important than anything else to me. If you can¡¯t give her name, please check it against the woman¡¯s name I know! ¡± Dn said, stopping him.

    Lard looked at the young knight¡¯s face coldly. Dn also looked at him face to face without avoiding his eyes.

    ¡°Olivia Hazlet. This is the woman¡¯s name that I know. Is that the same person? ¡±

    Lard tantly expressed displeasure. Dn Lennox with the 2nd Knights? He was the same knight he met at Jerus Hall, who was hastily pursuing Wendy. Obviously, Dn showed the same impatience in his face as that he did at Jerus Hall.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not the same name,¡± he answered with a displeased tone.

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70: Chapter 70 I want to live next door to her house (8)

    Dn was discouraged at his reply.

    Seeing him lowering his head, Lard said, ¡°Sir Dn Lennox, you still haven¡¯t learned the manners of an Imperial Knight. Didn¡¯t you learn that it¡¯s rude to stand like this in front of your boss? I think I pointed out the same problem with your courtesy at Jerus Hall. If you belonged to the 1st Knights Division, I would teach you about imperial courtesy right now, but let me give you another chance to learn about the imperial knight manners. This is myst warning. Do not show this kind of rudeness in front of me again.¡±

    Lard had never spoken to anybody with such a cold and frightening voice. Even Lard¡¯s deputies standing nearby were shocked at his unprecedentedly harsh voice. Jean nced at him quickly because he had never seen Lard showing such tant displeasure to someone.

    ¡°Olivia!¡±

    Sitting under a lush tree, Olivia raised her head, hearing Dn calling her name.

    As soon as she put down the book she was reading on herp, he jumped off the horse and quickly ran towards her. She felt his body was hot, with beads of sweat on his forehead.

    ¡°I sparred with master Lebelian and won for the first time! He said he did his best to beat me. Hahaha! Do you know how I feel right now? Today is a really historic day for me!¡±

    So excited, the young man with sky blue hair grinned at Olivia cheerfully.

    Olivia also smiled at him and pulled out her handkerchief.

    ¡°Wipe your sweat first. Sweat stinks! Did you run here without washing off first?¡±

    ¡°How can I wipe off the afterglow of my victory so easily? I¡¯ve run to you as I was done sparring. Aren¡¯t you happy, too?¡± Dn jokingly said, with a mischievous look on his face.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m happy. I know you have been looking forward to that for a long time, and you finally got it! Oh, I think it was good that I prepared this. Come on, let me give you this to celebrate your victory.¡±

    Smiling at him, Olivia offered a package. Dn nced at the package, wondering what she was doing, and quickly unwrapped the package in excitement. When he opened it, there was a box made of mocha-colored royal foxglove tree. It was a t and long box.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Open it.¡±

    Olivia pressed him to open it as soon as possible.

    Inside the box there were fiverge and small brushes. They were made by the famous craftsmen of the empire, made with the highest quality weasel hair and squirrel hair.

    ¡°¡­ How do you know I would like this? ¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know because you have ink stains on your fingers and clothes all the time. I also saw you carrying canvas and brushes in your saddlebag several times. ¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you think I¡¯m weird? ¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I mean you know that I want to be a swordsman, but you see me drawing pictures. ¡±

    ¡°Well, do you think that¡¯s strange?¡±

    Olivia looked at the distant sky, speaking as if it was not a big deal.

    ¡°¡­ Well, the weather looks weird to me today. I think I should go back. It looks like it will rain soon. ¡±

    Dark clouds were already gathering from afar. Her round forehead shined brightly even under the darkening sky.

    ¡°When you have a chance, show me what you have drawn. Don¡¯t hide your canvas like that. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    Staring at her nkly, he blushed. In no time, he took out one of the brushes out of the box and grabbed it in his hand.

    ¡°My master always told me that a sword was like a ck fate to the swordsman. He told me the moment you touched the sword you would know it¡¯s yours¡­ As for brushes, it¡¯s like a swordsman¡¯s sword. I think I can know it when I grasp this,¡± Dn said, chuckling like a boy. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll escort you to the western field.¡±

    He reached out to Olivia. Hesitating for a moment, she gently touched his hand.

    Dn squeezed her hand as if holding a brush.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s like fate.¡± He muttered to himself.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    He just shook his head when she said she couldn¡¯t understand what he was talking about.

    She looked up at the sky again with a smile. It looked like rain anytime soon.

    Tuk, tuk, tuk.

    Wendy woke up at the sound of rain knocking on the window. It was still early morning.

    She felt like she was wandering in a dream for a while, but she couldn¡¯t remember what it was about. She stretched. As it was a dream, she didn¡¯t care. She felt much better than the previous day, and she liked that.

    Looking at the door quickly, she found the door securely locked. The Poison Teeth nt in the doorway opened its petals, asking for prey. She generously fed the Poison Teeth, recognizing its nice job of protecting her room throughout the night. Although she didn¡¯t doubt the man on the first floor, it was the first time she spent the night with a man under the same roof, so she was on edge.

    Besides, she kissed himst night.

    Right at the moment, she dropped the tweezers on the floor, with which she was feeding the Poison Teeth. The kiss upied her mind again.

    ¡°Oh my¡­what did I dost night?¡±

    Wendy felt the sizzling heat of the midsummer sun shining on her cheeks.

    She had a fever from head to toe at once. She vowedst night that she would forget all about it in the morning, but it was of no use. She picked up the tweezers and opened her eyes wide with frustration.

    After getting dressed, she fidgeted and went down to the first floor with a lot of difort. She saw a neat-looking man sitting on the couch of the living room. He had already washed his face and got dressed.

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± She said, raising her chin conceitedly.

    ¡°I slept well thanks to your warm considerations. I used the first floor bathroom without your permission because I might wake you up. I hope you can understand me. ¡±

    She nodded silently once. She was annoyed to hear him mentioning ¡®thanks to your warm considerations,¡¯ but she decided not to take issue with that.

    ¡®Thanks to my warm considerations? What does that mean? Are you talking about what happenedst night? Doesn¡¯t that mean you slept well thanks to your own actions?¡¯

    Wendy chewed on the words, nervously thinking that his words had hidden meaning. She was nervous about saying too much.

    ¡®Can you have a drink of water? Nothing happened between you and me! What do you mean you slept well because of my warm considerations?¡¯

    She tried to figure out if he had any other motivation behind his words. Each of his words now rubbed her on the wrong way.

    Lard asked, ¡°Can I have a cup of water?¡±

    ¡°¡­Let me bring it to you. Would you like to have a quick breakfast? Are you hungry?¡±

    She said that out of courtesy as the owner of her house, hoping he would refuse it.

    He replied with surprise, as if he didn¡¯t expect she would make such a suggestion, ¡°¡­Well, if you don¡¯t feel bothered, please¡­¡±

    She blinked at his answer a couple of times then nodded. Normally, she would try to make some usible excuses to induce him to refuse her suggestion, but this time she went into the kitchen without saying anything.

    Dropping a ss on the table, she hurriedly poured water in it. Her hand trembled slightly when she was pouring water.

    She bit her lip, ¡®Why didn¡¯t I refuse him?¡¯

    She tried to pull herself together while pouring water, but she couldn¡¯t for some reason.

    For some time, she was cooking, ming herself. Finally, she prepared a bigger breakfast than usual.

    She diligently went to the front yard, picked a handful of vegetables, and took out the fine oil and pepper in the cupboard. Without her injured finger, she might have served a southern steamed dish chopped and wrapped in grape leaves with minced vegetables early this morning.

    After persuading herself that it was to keep her pride at the table, she put her brain to work to prepare a delicious breakfast. Although she asked in passing if he wanted breakfast, she was now serious about treating him to the best breakfast she could.

    He sat upright on the couch, hearing the soundsing from the kitchen. He soon leaned back on the couch and rxed. He felt good about the sound of her cutting something on the chopping board regrly. His smile was rxed, despite his cold eyes.

    Suddenly, he rose from his seat, waking up to the fact that his expression was rxed.

    Touching his chin, he felt strange that he could spend a night at somebody¡¯s house sofortably.

    She saw him pacing up and down nervously near the kitchen, lost in thought.

    Seeing his yellow hair shaking gently, she began to feel strange. It was very difficult for her to express that feeling. She had never felt that kind of feeling before.

    In the meantime, Lard was carefully watching her cooking.

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71: Chapter 71 I want to live next door to her house (9)

    ¡°Please have breakfast,¡± she said.

    He sat at the table face to face with her.

    She asked him to try the food she prepared. It was quite a bit of breakfast for her, but he dly ate everything as she rmended. However, he couldn¡¯t enjoy the food in a rxed mood because he often found himself distracted by her adorable lips when she was constantly chewing and watching how much he was eating.

    He had no choice but to recite the boring Imperial Knights¡¯ code of conduct again.

    ¡°Here is dessert for you.¡±

    She presented the steamed pudding with fruit.

    ¡°It was a nice breakfast. I enjoyed it very much. ¡±

    With dessert on the table, he praised her cooking skills. Although he didn¡¯t remember the taste of the food, he knew he swallowed it as if it was delicious.

    ¡°Try some pudding. It is good for your body as it is mixed with herbal juice. It helps you with oveing fatigue¡­ You may also love the soft texture of this pudding. You won¡¯t taste this kind of food at other ces. My cooking skills might not be better than your chef, but all the food you ate today was made with rare ingredients. ¡±

    Holding her index finger, she praised herself. She felt it was a pity that she couldn¡¯t exin the ingredients of each dish a little more in detail. Then, she also had a spoonful of pudding while watching him tasting it. Like she said, he felt its soft texture while enjoying it. He liked it.

    Right at the moment, both looked at each other¡¯s lips as if they promised. It was fortunate that they did not meet each others¡¯ eyes. As she was embarrassed, she repeatedly picked up and put down a bottle of salt. It was the right decision that she didn¡¯t put lemon in the pudding.

    That afternoon Lard returned to his house and sat alone in his study, lost in deep thought.

    The raindrops were still knocking on the windows, creating a clear, cloudy sound as if they reflected his heart.

    When he fixed his eyes on the piles of papers that randomly spread out, the letters floating in his mind began toplete a certain name: Wendy Waltz.

    More concise than any epigram, these letters were surprisingly swaying his mind.

    A name never got stuck in his head. When he found himself carried away with a flood of unfamiliar emotions, he tried to control his mind by closing and opening his eyes several times.

    Concentrating on the documents in front of his eyes, he barely put away her name.

    This time, however, he recalled the soft touch of her red lips. The touch of her lips lingering in his mind despite his hard efforts disturbed this young knight.

    Even though he saw her only a few hours ago, he couldn¡¯t understand why he kept thinking about her, so he pressed the tip of the quill to the paper a little harder than necessary.

    He didn¡¯t know when this kind of symptoms began, but they were bothering him more than usual today.

    Tuk tuk tuk.

    The sound of rain grew louder as if the raindrops were getting bigger. Hearing the heavy raindrops, he kept focusing on her image despite himself.

    ¡®Is she thinking about me like I am thinking of her?¡¯

    Suddenly he recalled what she told himst night.

    <¡­Sure, let me refrain from visiting your shop, too.>

    At that time she kept pushing him out of her mind. Trying to pull himself together, he put the slightly bent nib into the ink bottle and pulled it out.

    While he was lost in such idle thoughts, he heard somebody knocking on the door and came to his senses.

    ¡°Sir, it is Belhar.¡± He was the butler of Lard¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°Come on in.¡±

    The old butler opened the door and entered his study.

    ¡°Master, Sir Edmonds is here. I led him into the waiting room as he urgently asked to see you.¡±

    His friend came to see him without any notice. He assumed Edmonds visited because of the Brugonu ident. Edmonds dashed to him the moment he opened the door, with a hardened expression.

    ¡°Hey, my friend! How do you feel? I¡¯m so surprised to hear about the ident in the Brugonu forest. I hear you have severe bruises. Let me take a look.¡±

    Edmonds spoke, urgently opening the medical box he brought with him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s just a bruise. I¡¯ve already been treated. ¡±

    ¡°Well, if you were cured overnight, Linus Medical Center would have already been closed.

    You have to take care of the wound every day. Don¡¯t neglect it.¡±

    Edmonds resolutely asked him to take off his shirt. Lard reluctantly took off his shirt.

    ¡°You have bad bruises. I heard you fell from a cliff. Fortunately, your wounds are not that serious, given your fall. By the way, I hear you are dating a woman. Do you know that people in the social circles are going crazy about your dating? Altarin¡¯s fabrication of the ident is also in the news, but they are more interested in the mysterious woman you apanied at the huntingpetition.¡±

    Edmonds picked up a medicine bottle and applied a topical medicine on his skin, which smelled bitter. He sat silently with his back to Edmonds.

    Edmonds waited for a moment to feel out his reaction and then continued, ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve heard some rumors about you that I really can¡¯t believe. ording to the rumors, you didn¡¯t hesitate to risk your life in order to save that woman. Of course, I didn¡¯t take it at face value. You did your job honorably as a knight, but I hear you cast a romantic gaze at her. Of course, I would like to ignore it as a groundless rumor¡­¡± Edmonds spoke awkwardly, clearing his throat as if he was embarrassed to repeat the rumors.

    ¡°Who is that woman, Lard? I understand she won in the shootingpetition amongdies before the hunting contest began. Marian told me with a heartyugh that she received the crown prince¡¯s violin bow as the reward for her victory.¡±

    Looking at the back of his friend, Edmonds once again got up the nerve to ask him.

    ¡°Hey, talk to me about that woman! Who is she? Are you dating her now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Edmonds.¡±

    As Lard opened his mouth after some silence, Edmonds demanded with delight, ¡°Just tell me, please?¡±

    ¡°Well, I suddenly recall the days when you were feverishly in love with Prince Marian.¡±

    ¡°What the heck are you talking all of a sudden?¡± Edmonds quipped, with a displeased voice.

    ¡°You know, you kept telling me how much you missed her every day, right? Back then, I thought you¡¯re the most pitiable guy in the world.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Lard, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re trying to bring up my old love stories.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember you kept wandering around the pce, hoping you could see the princess. You sometimes bashfully told me you wanted to eat and sleep in the pce to see her face.¡±

    ¡°Nope! When did I tell you such a lie?¡± Edmonds denied, blushing.

    ¡°At that time, I couldn¡¯t understand why you were sticking around the princess.¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­that¡¯s why you don¡¯t know anything about love. Isn¡¯t it natural that you want to stay with your lover all the time? Haven¡¯t you ever thought you are weird because you don¡¯t know the ways of nature in human life?¡±

    After rebuking him, Edmonds undid the bandages around his shoulder.

    ¡°Hum¡­ the ways of nature¡­¡± Lard murmured to himself.

    ¡°But the problem is you didn¡¯t bring too little results for your enormous efforts. Don¡¯t you remember you never saw the princess while you were hanging around at the pce? If you really wanted to see her, why didn¡¯t you volunteer to be a royal doctor back then? You were really stupid at that time, Edmonds.¡±

    ¡°Well, as you know, the royal doctor at the time was Dr. Benhount. How could I dare to rece him?¡±

    ¡°You told me it was the ways of nature in human affairs that you wanted to stay with your lover, right? Didn¡¯t it go against the ways of nature because you didn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°What the heck are you talking about? That¡¯s sheer nonsense!¡±

    Lard just chuckled at him without replying. Ways of nature in human affairs? Lard liked that expression of his friend¡¯s because it urately reflected his frame of mind right now.

    If that¡¯s the case, he thought he shouldn¡¯t go against the ways of nature in human affairs as far as Wendy was concerned.

    ¡°So, are you dating a girl or not? Tell me, Lard.¡±

    ¡°Edmonds, is this medicine effective?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sure. It¡¯s a drug that researchers at Linus National Medical Center developed after years of research. It is very popr among patients these days because of its excellent effect on bruises and pain relief.¡± Edmonds spoke with anguid voice, as if he gave up hearing from Lard about that mysterious woman he was rumored to be dating.

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72: Chapter 72 I want to live next door to her house (10)

    ¡°Then give me some before you leave¡­By the way, its scent is strong. ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you like it? In fact, I¡¯ve been thinking about how to change it. If you want to change it, why don¡¯t you work with my team on what kind of scent it might be better.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, I would love a fresh scent like lemon. ¡±

    ¡°What? Lemon?¡­ Huh, you¡¯re talking nonsense! The sour scent of lemon doesn¡¯t go well as an ointment to apply to the wounds.¡±

    With a look of strong disapproval, Edmonds quickly wrapped the bandage.

    Not caring about his reaction, Lard became absorbed in himself.

    Recalling the order he was about to give his butler, he made a smile again.

    In the meantime, Wendy, sitting alone at her flower shop, was quite busy handling the back orders.

    Today of all days, there were so many customers stopping by her shop that she couldn¡¯t take a break. Fortunately, she could not afford to be distracted by other thoughts, which she liked very much. This was the perfect daily living pattern she wanted.

    She took a small break only after she trimmed some colorful flowers and gave an errand boy a handful of flowers for delivery. She made a cup of light ck tea. She was about to put milk-filled cookies into a bowl and put the teacup to her mouth when the door opened with a tingling bell.

    ¡°Come on in¡­¡±

    She fumbled when she confirmed the faces of the visitors while trying to wee her customers.

    ¡°Miss Wendy, how are you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Wendy! How do you feel? I was worried a lot.¡±

    They were Jean and Melissa. She greeted the two without hiding her ufortable expression. And then she immediately looked out of the flower shop to see if there was anybody watching their visit suspiciously.

    Melissa trotted toward her and spoke, ¡°Please forgive us foring like this, Wendy. I wanted to visit you as soon as possible because I was worried, but Sir Simuan stopped me, saying you would feel bothered and annoyed by visitors because you haven¡¯t recovered yet.¡±

    Although Wendy wanted to remind them that their visit today bothered her a lot, she couldn¡¯t do so after checking Melissa¡¯s excited expression.

    ¡°Have a seat.¡±

    She asked them to sit down and poured two more cups of ck tea. The three talked about the ident in the Burgonu forest for a while, drinking tea.

    Melissa was chattering about Altarin¡¯s humiliation in a high soprano tone, saying that the Scholters family was keeping a low profile, trying their best to prevent the scandal from spreading anymore.

    When he drank half the tea, Jean Jacques hastily offered a big box he was holding, as if he read from Wendy¡¯s look that he should tell the truth about the purpose of his visit.

    ¡°Miss Wendy, this is the dress captain Lard has sent you. He has asked you to wear this dress when youe to the baron title awarding ceremony tomorrow.¡±

    She closed her mouth because she felt upset about Lard¡¯s actions, who tried tomunicate with her through Jean Jacques, since she formally asked him not to visit her house or shop.

    When she recalled Lard¡¯s face, her memories brought back a series of things that happened, while she was wrapped in his armsst night. She shook her head as if to dispel those memories and epted the box hastily.

    ¡°Please convey my gratitude to him.¡±

    Jean nodded with a bright expression as she thanked, hiding her embarrassment. Melissa looked at her earnestly as if she wanted Wendy to open the box quickly, but she just dropped the box on the table.

    ¡°The ceremony won¡¯t take long. So, don¡¯t feel pressured. ¡±

    He told Wendy with a bitter expression. The baron title he would receive tomorrow was something Wendy gave to him. ordingly, he wouldn¡¯t feel happy, either. Wendy nodded with a gloomy expression.

    Although she managed to avoid the yoke of the aristocratic title, she couldn¡¯t disobey the crown prince¡¯s order to attend the awarding ceremony. It was a ceremony she would attend with great reluctance. She would be drawing attention of the participants in the ceremony because of the Burgonu ident, so it would be hard for her to avoid their attention even if she were extremely careful about her behavior. She felt she was strong enough to cope with a difficult situation as she went through ups and downs, but this time she was very nervous.

    ¡°Well, it smells so good. Its color is good, too. ¡±

    While Wendy was agonizing for a moment, Melissa, who couldn¡¯t stand the silence, pulled out a daisy from the vase and smelled its fragrance deeply. The bridge of her nose was filled with yellow pollen as she put it to the flower so closely.

    ¡°Oh, Melissa! ¡± Jean said, looking at her mouth, as if he was put on the spot.

    ¡°There on the bridge of your nose¡­¡±

    He pointed at it. Melissa looked startled and groped the bridge of her nose as he pointed, but the pollen was spread around not wiped clean. In the end, he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and leaned over to wipe it.

    ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±

    Melissa¡¯s face blushed as he carefully wiped the pollen from her nose.

    He also noticed her embarrassment and cleared his throat, putting the handkerchief back in his pocket.

    Looking at the two, Wendy forgot the anxiety surrounding her for a moment and pouted, ¡°My flower shop is not a ce for your unsound dating.¡±

    Their faces turned red at her thunderous announcement.

    ¡°Dating? No way!¡±

    The two briefly protested, as if it was nonsense, but they quickly shut up, looking at her ferocious eyes.

    Melissa, looking at Wendy¡¯s eyes, raised her head up and down, at a loss about what to do. Jean was as nervous as she was. He kept moving his lips as if he wanted to make excuses. He raised and lowered his right hand then folded his fingers as if he vehemently wanted to deny that he was dating Melissa. But his strange gesturing seemed crazy to Wendy.

    ¡°Wendy¡­ What do you mean? Dating? I¡¯m not dating him!¡±

    Melissa once again strongly protested, denying her romantic rtionship with him, but her voice was feeble. Wendy snorted at that.

    ¡°She is right. Please stop ying jokes like that. Did you mention ¡®unsound¡¯? If others heard what you said, they would misunderstand us!¡±

    ¡°I mean your dating itself is unsound, especially in a ce like my shop.¡±

    Wendy spoke coldly, filling her empty cup.

    But Melissa pouted, retorting, ¡°No way! Howe you dare say dating is unsound? If that¡¯s the case, your dating can also be called unsound. I know you are desperately in love with Sir Schroder.¡±

    Wendy paused for a moment at her unexpected counterattack. As she was so embarrassed to hear that, she wanted to pass her tongue over her dry lips but put up with it as she didn¡¯t want to be caught off guard.

    ¡°Melissa, you are really mistaken about my rtionship with Lard. Who is dating whom? Please refrain from speaking any words that disgrace me.¡±

    At Wendy¡¯s reply Melissa flinched, ¡°Are you going to hide it from me? Everybody has already witnessed your passionate loos at each other. When your horse went wild because of the drug in the forest, we all saw Sir Schroder running without hesitation to save your life. Oh! That was definitely love! ¡±

    ¡°Melissa, it looks like you are distorting the truth.¡±

    ¡°Wendy, you can be honest with me. I understand your desire to hide your rtionship with him. But do you think you can hide your feelings of love even if you want? It¡¯s just a pity that you can¡¯t reveal your love! Well, I¡¯ve decided to shut up my mouth as long as any stories about you are concerned, so don¡¯t worry. ¡±

    ¡°Let me tell you again. I¡¯m not dating him!¡± Wendy said clearly.

    ¡°Then, is Sir Schroder alone loving you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true, either.¡±

    ¡°Really? Both of you don¡¯t have any romantic feelings toward each other? Are you sure you are not romantically rted at all?¡± Melissa asked as if she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.

    ¡°Nope, we aren¡¯t romantically involved at all.¡±

    Her voice was firm. Only then did Melissa close her eyes with a regretful expression.

    Although Wendy beat her in an argument, she didn¡¯t regret it at all. On the contrary, as soon as she vehemently denied it, she felt as if a cold wind was passing over her heart. It was because she felt guilty and ufortable about the fact that her denial made her kissing Lardst night meaningless. She was afraid for some reason that she didn¡¯t know.

    Jean and Melissa remained a little longer awkwardly then quickly left, expressing hope that they would see her at the titling ceremony tomorrow.

    Wendy had to work diligently until the evening, trying hard not to get distracted by thoughts about Lard.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73: Chapter 73 I want to live next door to her house (11)

    On the way back home, dragging her fatigued body, she heard some unusual noise in front of her house. The noise wasing from her neighbor Benfork¡¯s house.

    Under the brightly litnterns, several people were seen carrying moving packages out of the house. It looked like Benfork¡¯s father had finally made the decision. Wendy felt sorry for Benfork, who would have to part with his first or sixth love.

    ¡°Oh, sis Wendy! ¡±

    Wendy, walking across the front yard of her house, looked at the building on the side, turning her head toward Benfork¡¯s voice. The boy, looking out of the window, waved at Wendy, smiling brightly.

    ¡°Hey, are you packing your stuff right now? I guess you finally decided to move.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think your father is in a hurry? I have no idea why you¡¯re moving at night like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­it looks like my dad wants to fulfill his dream as soon as possible. As soon as the house was sold, he said he should hurry up to move out. ¡± Benfork shrugged.

    ¡°¡­ Are you okay? ¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help it. What power does a kid like me have? I can¡¯t go against my father¡¯s decision, you know.¡± Benfork spoke in a conceited tone, as if he had forgotten he cried loudly because of his moving.

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Even if you move to Jopiern, make a lot of friends and stay healthy, ¡± Wendy said goodbye to him.

    ¡°Hyup, sister. I¡¯m not moving to that rustic town. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Do you mean you are going to stay alone here? ¡±

    ¡°Well, you got it now. I¡¯ll tell you moreter, sis! I need to pack now. See youter!¡±

    Benfork waved with excitement and disappeared into the house.

    She cast a suspicious gaze at the ce where the boy disappeared then went into her house.

    Benfork¡¯s house was noisy all night.

    Wendy woke up at the noise several times then went back to sleep. She heard the moving workers shouting ¡°Move quietly!¡± while she slept.

    Vowing toin to Benfork¡¯s father about the noise the next morning, she fell asleep deeply.

    The next morning Wendy, who slept fitfully, got up and yawned.

    After stretching, feeling unwell, she rubbed her sleepy eyes several times.

    When she approached the window slowly and opened the window wide, the cool morning air came in. She felt like she was refreshed and invigorated a bit. As if all the disturbancesst night never happened, there was no more noise from Benfork¡¯s house.

    She mumbled to herself, scratching her neck, ¡°Did he embezzle from somebody? Why was Benfork¡¯s father in such a hurry to move out at night?¡±

    Click!

    Right at the moment, she heard the utching of the window of the room of her neighbor¡¯s house, which faced her room. It was the room where Benfork lived.

    Wendy stiffened like a stone statue on the spot. Her eyes were fixed on the human shadow that appeared through the open window.

    ¡°Wendy!¡±

    A guy dressed up was calling her name, basking in the morning sun with a bright face.

    His hair was slightly disheveled by the wind. His gray eyes were slightly bent round because of the dazzling sun. She thought he might be just smiling.

    ¡°Good morning!¡± Lard Schroder said. His voice was cheerful like a morning glory shooting out buds first in the morning.

    At the moment she felt blood rushing on her face. She couldn¡¯t afford to think. She felt like it took a billion years to blink her eyes. Her crown was heating up as she was in shock.

    ¡°Wendy¡­? ¡± Lard called her name again.

    Bang!

    As if his voice was a signal, she closed the window with a bang and hid behind a wall.

    ¡®Why is that guy standing over there in Benfork¡¯s house?¡±

    She covered her mouth with both hands and exhaled roughly. A ridiculous assumption shed through her mind.

    ¡®No way, he can¡¯t move into Benfork¡¯s ce unless he is crazy!¡¯

    She extended her arms silently and drew the curtains quickly, hiding her body.

    Standing in a dark room, she nced over the window with a confused look.

    She rolled her eyes, knitting her brows for some time, and headed for the bathroom because she thought she had to take a shower first.

    Walking in shock, she gazed at the wall mirror in the hallway. At that moment, hernguid shoulders became stiff and her eyes were opened widened suddenly.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    She quickly stood in front of the mirror with an incredible expression. Her miserable features, which wanted to deny the reality unfolding before her, were clearly reflected in the mirror.

    Her disheveled hair and fatigued face were ugly in the early morning.

    She raised her chin arrogantly, as if she couldn¡¯t ept her current features, standing at a different angle in front of the mirror and looked at herself again in the mirror. But she had the same ugly look from any angle. She stepped back with a broken heart.

    She took a quick shower, got dressed, put on makeup, and pulled out the dress sent by Lard, while trying to calm down as best she could.

    Standing in front of the mirror again, she looked at her face calmly. She was looking at herself carefully, trying to erase her ugly appearance just a moment ago from her head. The dress from Lard fit her perfectly. The white dress, with whiteces around the shoulder and sleeve, was designed to make ady look good in a decent ce. It was a style and color that only noblewomen could wear.

    She let out a little sigh and touched up her hair.

    With her yellow hair twisted up and a small flower-shaped decoration in it, she headed for the house next door with a firm determination.

    Knock knock knock!

    She knocked on Benfork¡¯s green door wildly. As if he was waiting for her, Lard opened the door quickly. He smiled gently at her dress.

    ¡°¡­I thought that dress would suit you well,¡± he said readily.

    He fixed his gaze on her round shoulders as if he was captivated. Her small shoulders wrapped in ssicalce seemed even more slender.

    When he praised her dress, she wanted to shout at him right away. But she just stared at him without saying anything.

    ¡°Will youe in?¡± Lard asked as if it were his own house.

    Ignoring him, she asked sharply, ¡°Why are you here, Sir Schorder?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a talk after youe in.''¡±

    He again pressed her toe in. After staring into his gray eyes for a moment, she walked along with him into the house.

    ¡°The house is still messy.¡±

    He led her to the sofa in the parlor. Wendy looked around with a wary expression. The interior wasn¡¯t yetpletely renovated, but obviously he tried every effort to get it into neat condition in a short time. She sat on the silky surface of the buffalo leather sofa, which was clearly in new condition. It was luxury furniture, but it was no match for the kind of furniture used by nobles.

    ¡°Did youe here to experience the lives ofmon people? It looks like you have renovated the interior wonderfully just like that ofmon people.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to get upset like that. I know you will feel ufortable if this house draws the attention of others, so, I had it renovated at an appropriate level. Lard spoke nonchntly, sitting across from her.

    She could refute him, but she restrained herself and said calmly, ¡°Did you really purchase Benfork¡¯s house?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    So excited, she screamed loudly at him before lowering her voice to protest, ¡°Why? Why did you buy it?¡±

    As if he already expected her reaction, he looked at her silently without any agitation.

    ¡°Well, as you have prohibited me from visiting your house and flower shop, I have no other way than buying this house¡­¡±

    She spoke as if she was suppressing her raging anger, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I really can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re wasting your breath on like this.¡±

    He sighed a little and said, ¡°Well, I think it is sometimes necessary for me to spend time and energy on wasteful things like this. I think it¡¯s hard to exin this to you in a way that I can persuade you. If I say I purchased this house to be by your side, you will be mad at me. And you wouldn¡¯t believe me if I say it was a mischievous trick,¡± he said calmly.

    She stopped getting excited and stared at his face in embarrassment.

    ¡°If I confess to you sincerely how I feel toward you, can you ept it? ¡±

    She couldn¡¯t understand what he was trying to say when he said he wanted to stand beside her or show his sincere feelings toward her.

    ¡®Is this the technique he uses in interrogating people?¡¯

    She racked her brain to figure out his motivation behind his words, but she just heard her heart pounding louder and louder.

    ¡°¡­ what do you mean by your sincere feelings toward me? I don¡¯t have any reason to hear that¡­¡± She fumbled.

    She took a short breath, hiding her green eyes under her eyelids. She thought she should stay alert, but she felt a little woozy. It was hard for her to hide her spontaneous feelings because his gray eyes, which seemed to melt away even the darkness, were clearly facing her.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kiss you casuallyst night,¡± he said, looking straight at her eyes.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Memories are beautified and faded (1)

    Wendy seemed to have a slight pain in her stomach. Obviously it was abdominal pain due to her hypersensitivity. It seemed that he would hear her stomach growling. Lard said, looking straight at her, ¡°I want you to stay beside me just a little bit¡­If you want me to tell the truth, that¡¯s how I feel toward you. I will do as you wish, but don¡¯t try to stop me from being in the ce where I want to be. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    The silence between them continued for a while. She didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Sighing, he opened his mouth first, looking at her confused expression.

    ¡°I have paid Benfork¡¯s parents enough for this house. I also promised to be the boy¡¯s guardian. As I can¡¯t leave the little boy alone here yet, I feel like I am going to visit this ce often¡­You¡¯re going to be my neighbor.¡±

    She frowned at him. Benfork¡¯s grinning at her a moment ago shed through her mind.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think about others around this ce? Don¡¯t you remember the reason why I told you not toe to this ce? I have no idea what kind of bad trick the Earl Scholters family will y on me.¡±

    ¡°If they can¡¯t ovee my anger, they won¡¯t be able to do anything against you. If they do, that means they¡¯re going to turn their back on the Schroder family. I¡¯m saying this because I¡¯ve already taken precautions to protect you. So, there is nothing to worry about, ¡± he said in a resolute tone.

    ¡°I think time is up. I think we need to hurry up to get to the pce on time. ¡±

    After checking his pocket watch, he stood up first, ¡°Will you give me your hand?¡±

    He reached out to Wendy as he stood up. She looked at his extended hand with aplex expression. She felt she should not hold his hand, but she could not easily take his eyes off of his hand.

    She opened her eyes in surprise and stiffened. He grabbed her hand silently after approaching her, who was standing still. His grip on her hand was so strong that she could not pull her hand away.

    Then, he walked as if to ignore her refusal.

    Walking, led by the man holding her hand tight, Wendy had to quicken her step to avoid stepping on her dress. She was upset, but she couldn¡¯t tell if she was angry at the man or herself. Looking at his hand, she decided to forget grumbling for now.

    Lard and Wendy soon arrived at the imperial pce, which was crowded with people. The two stood out among them, though. As soon as they got out of the wagon, the crowds immediately paid attention to Wendy and Lard.

    Wendy covered her bare face unconsciously with her hands because she didn¡¯t put on the veiled hat because she left the house in a hurry, shocked by Lard¡¯s sudden appearance in Benfork¡¯s house.

    She btedly discovered she had it with her, so she agonized over whether to go back to pick up the veiled hat, but she couldn¡¯t because she would have beente if she had.

    So, she lowered her head.

    While they were moving to the ce where the ceremony was held, the crowd were watching them carefully. She looked up at his face and held his hand firmly, as if she was not conscious of their attention. He soon met her eyes. Although his eyes seemed indifferent, she could feel his grip tightening, which made her feel rxed somehow.

    The ceremony ce in the rose garden on the east side of the pce was already crowded with people. Aristocratic women in dresses more colorful than roses looked at the two with great interest. It was clear that they were whispering about the two, given that they covered their mouths with fans and leaned toward each other.

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    Right at the moment one of the knights, with golden hair, noticed them, walking toward the two.

    He was Jean, dressed up nicely in the dark blue uniform. His hair shining brightly in the sunshine sparkled more today. He dly greeted Wendy with a nod.

    He thought of showing due manners by kissing on the back of her hand but gave up because he found it hard to do so in front of his boss who was holding hand tightly as if to protect her.

    He said with a smile, ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting because you werete, Miss Wendy. You are beautiful today.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Melissa is right there under that shade. It looks like she is very nervous,¡± he said with augh, as if he felt she was looking for Melissa.

    ¡°I think you should be by her side. There are so many people here that she definitely feels nervous. ¡±

    ¡°Sure, will do. I hope you have a good time.¡± He yfully saluted Lard.

    ¡°Hope you can have a nice ceremony.¡±

    When Lard said that, Jean had aplicated and subtle expression and hurried back to Melissa.

    It seemed he didn¡¯t feel ufortable because he knew he was iming the baron title which should have been Wendy¡¯s. Looking at him with a pitiful expression, she turned her eyes to the attendant¡¯s roaring voice announcing the crown prince¡¯s arrival.

    ¡°Crown Prince Isaac von Benyahan has arrived!¡±

    The prince climbed on the marble tform and looked over the crowd with a smile. As if he noticed Lard and Wendy among the crowd, there was a satisfied smile on his face.

    The ceremony began. Jean and Melissa came forward in front of the Prince when their names were called, and they knelt in order. Unlike the sword used for bestowing knighthood, a short dagger was used for the noble title awarding ceremony. It was a dagger used by the first emperor Nichs Benyahan engraved with a colorful pattern on the de.

    Jean put his forehead on the dagger and pledged allegiance to the imperial family. Melissa, who received the dagger with trembling hands, swore, too. Soon the prince came near them and put a red ruby-embedded badge on their chests, a symbol of the Benyahan imperial family. The prince smiled at Melissa while putting the badge on a ruffle on the bodice of her dress, feeling as if her hardened face was cute. Her face turned as red as the ruby on the ruffle.

    After the ceremony was over, there was a reception to congratte the two.

    In the rose garden, where beautiful melodies began to y, people enjoyed chatting andughing, holding sses of champagne in their hands.

    After exchanging pleasantries with some, the prince walked towards Wendy and Lard,ughing brightly as if he had been waiting for this moment.

    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m so happy to see you again, though I saw you only a few days ago. ¡±

    Wendy reluctantly smiled at him, because she couldn¡¯t harden her expression in front of the happy prince.

    ¡°You guys are in the limelight in social circles these days. They are calling you the couple of the century!¡± The prince spoke with a surprised tone.

    Looking at the prince¡¯s sly expression, she thought that his curly hair seemed to be more curly today and she was upset that he embarrassed her so much. Some of the crowd wandering around the two listened to their conversation. Everybody was now paying their attention to the prince¡¯s conversation with them.

    Prince Isaac leaned over to them and whispered, ¡°Look at their gazes, straining their ears over there. Don¡¯t you think they are looking at you as if you¡¯re the protagonists in this ce today?¡±

    ¡°Oh, today¡¯s protagonists areing over here. It looks like they know you¡¯re talking about them,¡± said Lard nkly, watching Jean and Melissa walking toward them. The prince smiled and looked at them, but he didn¡¯t seem to have been offended by Lard¡¯s joking.

    After congratting them, the prince soon left the ce, but he did not forget to give a meaningful smile to Wendy before leaving. She couldn¡¯t figure out what the hell he meant by it.

    Watching his actions carefully, Wendy could only breathe a sigh of relief when he left.

    Melissa felt the same way. When the prince disappeared, Melissa grumbled freely as if she was rxed now.

    ¡°Oh, I was so nervous while the ceremony was going on that I couldn¡¯t breathe!¡±

    With an excited face, Melissa leaned over to Wendy. Wendy was embarrassed by her informal actions but had no choice but to stand still, surprised by her reaction.

    Jean and Melissa carried on the conversation skillfully with Wendy and Lard who were silent with nk expressions.

    Hearing the people whispering about her here and there, Wendy casually stared at their faces briefly, as if she was pretending to look outside the window.

    ¡®Is it right for me to stand here?¡¯

    Wendy sighed when she felt she couldn¡¯t share the same feelings with the people gathered for this ceremony today.

    She really felt awkward at the moment. Wendy, deliberately pretending to grab a ss of champagne, gently pushed Melissa to the side. Melissa¡¯s champagne ss tilted slightly. Wendy¡¯s hem got wet with the transparent champagne flowing from Melissa¡¯s ss.

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Memories are beautified and faded (2)

    Stunned, Melissa shrugged and apologized to her, ¡°Oh, no! What should I do? So sorry!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Wendy said as if it was not a big deal, but Melissa was about to cry, at a loss for words.

    ¡°Wendy, let¡¯s move to a different ce for a moment. Excuse us for a moment!¡±

    Melissa led Wendy to the Pce of Cecilia next to the garden. The pce was equipped with a women¡¯s lounge, which was opened during the event.

    When they walked in through the arched door, they could see the antique elegant interior. Melissa led her to take a seat and disappeared, saying she would bring something to clean her dress with.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡± Wendy sighed, lifting the damp dress, and looked nkly at the beige-toned wall. ¡°Is it true that she can¡¯t get even one step out of her room?¡±

    ¡°You bet! She can¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I would guess Altarin feels so frustrated and resentful¡­¡±

    At the moment, three gorgeously dressed noblewomen came into the hall with noisy footsteps. The women, who had been chattering for very long, stopped all of a sudden when they found Wendy there and looked at her with a surprised expression.

    Obviously they recognized her face because she came to the ceremony as Lard¡¯s partner today.

    As she was the hot topic among them today, it was natural that they recognized her immediately. They whispered among themselves for a second and soon approached her.

    ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m Hers Setoran of the Earl Setoran family. Nice to meet you. May I ask which family you are from? ¡±

    A dark-haired woman with a bulging cheekbone spoke to Wendy. Her gaze was far from kind.

    This woman must have had Altarin in mind when she spoke to Wendy.

    Faced with an unfamiliar situation, Wendy replied, with a low sigh, ¡°You might not know my family, so I don¡¯t have to reply.¡±

    She grumbled deep down, ¡®Would you know which family it is if I tell you I¡¯m the head of the Waltz family?¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re rude. I guessed you are from a declining family in the country, but I didn¡¯t know you knew nothing about the basic manners!¡± A red-blonde woman standing next to her quipped angrily.

    Wendy silently looked at the three women alternately, whose faces turned red with anger.

    ¡°Now I know why Altarin said that. How ill-mannered you are! ¡±

    When Wendy sat still despite their provocative actions, their expressions turned even more evil. ¡°Hey, please calm down. This is not a matter you should be angry about.¡±

    A skinny woman who had not interrupted until now spoke with a smile, stepping forward. Given the way she raised her chin, her smile was far from benign. ¡°But it really seems that you have not learned how to show manners properly. Why are you sitting over there like this?¡±

    Wendy looked up at her as if she didn¡¯t understand.

    That woman continued, with a haughty look, ¡°That seat you¡¯re taking has been upied already. I was sitting there a while ago, so you need to ask me for permission to sit there. It¡¯s not courteous to take somebody¡¯s seat. It is not right for you to covet something, be it a seat or a man. Can you step aside?¡±

    Wendy had never heard that the women¡¯s lounge had reserved seats. Besides, this woman mentioned a ¡® man.¡¯

    She wondered, ¡®Is she talking about Lard?¡¯

    Hiding her perplexed expression, Wendy quietly hid her index finger behind her back.

    Then she pressed it on the chair on her hip. It was an impulsive action.

    She always tried her best to refrain from using her index finger for her safety, but this time she didn¡¯t. It was toote. She was imagining something like a ¡®fart mushroom¡¯. Pressing and detaching her index finger happened in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know you were resting in this seat. Sorry about that. Please have a seat.¡±

    Wendy, who was happy to give up her seat, left with a light heart, expecting the blooming of a fart mushroom on the seat.

    The fart mushroom was nicknamed that because it was a finger-sized brown mushroom that gave out a nasty smell from its spores. It had a special effect on gastrointestinal disease, but because of its bad smell, patients could not easily take it.

    Wendy was kind enough to grow the mushroom to the size of a millet, so that it would not be easily visible to these three women. No one would notice it until they sat on it and removed their butts. Wendy felt very refreshed, leaving the ce.

    ¡°Oops! Wendy! ¡±

    When Wendy was leaving the lounge with quick steps, she saw Melissa walking towards her with an attendant.

    ¡°Why are you standing here outside? Am I toote? It looks like the servants here went over that ce because there was some problem preparing the dinner. I was about to get something to clean¡­¡±

    Wendy smiled at Melissa, shaking her head as if she didn¡¯t need it. Melissa stopped talking after seeing her bright smile for the first time and blushed.

    ¡°It¡¯s already dried well. Let¡¯s go back to the garden,¡± said Wendy, walking first.

    ¡°Ah, go with me!¡± Melissa trotted toward her like a duckling.

    Meanwhile, the small fart mushroom was spreading a bad odor inside the lounge. The woman, who took Wendy¡¯s seat, kept raising her butt up or down, while shaking her head probably because of the strong scent of the fart mushroom. As the nasty scent of the spores stuck to her butt was bing more intense on the wind, the other two women did not hide their frowning and rose from their seats awkwardly. The woman, who was attacked by the fart mushroom, was also embarrassed by their reactions and stood up awkwardly. As she was wearing an inted dress, her protruding butt aroused a lot of imagination among them. The other two women were looking at her strangely.

    ¡°Oh, I have to go back to the ceremony ce!¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve been spending too much time here. Let¡¯s hurry up!¡±

    While walking back to the garden, the two women were imagining something disgusting

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t leave me!¡±

    The spores of the fart mushroom were fluttering through the hems of the woman¡¯s dress, who went out of the lounge btedly, trying to catch up with the other two.

    Imagining the big fuss in the lounge, Wendy reached the entrance to the rose garden.

    She stopped for a moment and looked around the garden. Melissa, who was trying to check Wendy¡¯s feelings, basked in the fragrance of roses. The imperial garden, overflowing with ate spring mood, was full of red roses with small bursting buds.

    Wendy looked at the noisy garden and then turned her eyes to the rose bush that enclosed the rose garden. When she looked at it closely, she found there were many varieties of roses.

    She noticed all-the-year-round roses with deep green leaves. That was a precious rose that she saw in a book many years ago. Her heart was full of excitement.

    Thankfully, Melissa smiled and suggested,¡±Why don¡¯t we take a walk for a minute before going back?¡±

    Wendy thought a brief walk would be fine.

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do that.¡± Wendy nodded.

    At that moment, there burst out an apuse with the shouting ¡°Wow!¡±

    Surprised, Wendy cast a nce inside the garden. Soon afterwards, a powerful violin melody began to flow from the garden.

    ¡°It looks like the prince started ying the violin,¡± Melissa whispered.

    As if she knew this often happened, she didn¡¯t show any surprise.

    Wendy thought the prince must be entric and weird, wondering how he could gather nobles and y the violin in a ce like this. She shook her head.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he cool? How can he y that rhythm? His Majesty always looks like a sparkling jewel. Before he was named as the crown prince, I hear he was a little depressed and reticent. I really can¡¯t believe it either.¡±

    Wendy was aware that the crown prince was good at hiding his expressions, but that didn¡¯t mean his current appearance was all false. She couldn¡¯t imagine how he could be called gloomy and reticent. She felt that his image might have been fabricated to give innocent noblewomen fantasies about him.

    ¡°I heard the rumors at that time that the Queen didn¡¯t give birth to him¡­ Oops! This is a secret! Anyway, I guess the prince was hurt because of such rumors. I think he would really look cool if he was seen in depression. Of course, I can¡¯t imagine that!¡± Melissa spoke with a dreamy voice. Wendy did not sympathize at all, but just nodded.

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Walking through thebyrinth-like shrubs in the garden, Wendy took special notice of the rose that she had seen in a book a long time ago. When Wendy was absorbed into the beauty of the rose, Melissa no longer spoke to her.

    The prince¡¯s performance, which was heard over the rose bush, was overflowing with excitement as if his ying came to the climax. The participants pped their hands, responding to the rhythms of the melody. Wendy was happy, too, because of her discovery of the special rare rose. Her expectations were growing again when she felt she could find another rare nt in the imperial garden.

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76: Chapter 75 Memories are beautified and faded (3)

    The two walked on silently as if to enjoy the mood of the garden. Several white butterflies flew around them. With a gentle smile, Wendy followed the movements of the butterflies.

    She noticed a tiny bee hanging around the bursting buds between the rose vines. Melissa was warily watching the bee¡¯s movements tapping its lips over the buds.

    Wendy held back herughter at that.

    The grass, full of the vitality of spring, was growing soft, so they stepped on it lightly.

    They were about to turn a corner that meandered like a maze.

    Wendy was as excited as a child dancing with the spring breeze. Some sort of vague anxiety turned into a small heartbeat and swept through her body, but she quickly forgot it like the passing wind.

    At least she felt like that until she noticed several knights walking from the opposite side.

    She stopped breathing. Something crumbled from her heart. A buzzing bee hovered all over her ears.

    She could immediately recognize him among the five or six Imperial knights. As if he found her first, he was watching her with a hardened face.

    Soon his expression was distorted, ¡°Olivia.¡±

    He called the name feebly, as if he let out the breathing that he had been holding. The other knights standing beside him did not hear his subdued voice, but Wendy could hear it clearly.

    He called her name.

    Dn Lennox called her name.

    Her heart was pounding violently. She felt dizzy. She felt like the earth, the sky, the rose bush were all shaking. Wendy turned her back, gasping for breath.

    ¡°Wendy? ¡­Ah, Wendy! ¡±

    Surprised by Wendy¡¯s strange behavior, Melissa called her, but there was no chance Wendy heard it. Wendy turned and began to run. Trying to pull herself together, she tried to run as fast as she could, with her heart pounding hard.

    She now realized she was foolish. She was paying the price for her sentimental musical experience at Jerus Hall. She should have left the ce the moment she saw Dn at Jerus Hall. She should not havee to this ce without the veiled hat to protect herself. She thought how foolish she was, assuming she erased her past selfpletely and forgetting she had been walking on a tightrope without expecting to meet Dn Lennox again.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡±

    At that moment, Dn grabbed her by her arms with a strong force. Stopped by that power, she was roughly turned back. Her disheveled hair ran down her earlobes.

    He was looking at her face with his blue, cool eyes. His wild breathing passed over her face like the wind.

    ¡°Olivia¡­¡±

    He called her old name desperately. Her whole body began to shiver as if that were a spell.

    ¡°¡­You stopped the wrong person¡­ Let me go, ¡± she said softly, holding her messy dress.

    Although she spat it out with all her might, there was no chance that he would believe it.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how desperately I¡¯ve been looking for you¡­ ¡±

    Dn couldn¡¯t bear to speak and distorted his expression. His wounded heart was reflected in his gaze, but she got enraged at that.

    ¡®Why are you looking at me like that?¡¯

    ¡°Please let me go.¡± Wendy said with a suppressed voice.

    Her eyes were sore.She couldn¡¯t do anything as if her legs were stuck in mud up to her knees.

    ¡°Why did you disappear without saying anything or without hearing my exnation? Why¡­ ¡±

    He spoke as if he was letting out the breathing he was holding back. His eyebrows wiggled suddenly. He looked into her eyes as if he was distressed.

    Wendy couldn¡¯t respond. All the emotions that had been firmly frozen deep down for the past two years were thawed and brought to the surface, which then turned into a sharp dagger to pierce her throat.

    She felt like she tasted blood in her mouth. She felt like throwing up.

    ¡°Olivia¡­¡±

    He called that name again. Wendy shook her head.

    ¡®Don¡¯t call me by that name!¡¯

    Her bright yellow hair was scattered like crushed petals.

    At that moment, Dn flinched and looked behind her.

    Someone with a cool aura touched her shoulders with a strong hand. He pulled away his arm and held her in his arms. Her forehead touched his strong chest. His strong voice was heard over her head.

    ¡°I clearly warned you not to show rudeness before me again¡­It seems like you ignored it when I said it was myst warning to you.¡±

    It was a familiar voice. Wendy closed her eyes, resigned to the situation.

    Everything was a mess.

    She felt the anger in Lard¡¯s cold hands holding her. But she felt as if that coldness was so hot as to get burned, so she hunched her shoulders.

    Dn¡¯s eyes turned to Lard¡¯s face. As if he lost his judgment momentarily, Dn was looking at her held in another man¡¯s arms with a stiff expression. There was a tremendous sense of loss in his eyes.

    ¡®I barely found you atst. But why are you¡­Olivia ?!¡¯

    Dn soon clenched his fists tightly.

    ¡°Please release her hand¡­¡±

    His sense of loss soon turned into his passion.

    He protested with an angry voice, ¡°It is you who are rude now, captain! This is not a problem you can interfere with. So, please step aside.¡±

    His fellow knights were moaning at his indignant voice while watching him at a distance.

    Dn Lennox was always polite to the senior knights. Surprised by his excessive behavior, his fellows were watching their confrontation silently.

    ¡°I have no idea how etiquette andw are defined in your mind,¡± Lard said with displeasure.

    ¡°This is a matter involving her and me. Don¡¯t talk to me recklessly without knowing anything,¡±

    Dn spoke, barely suppressing his anger.

    Dn wanted to remove her slim shoulders from his arms right away. His mind was disturbed.

    ¡°Did you say I don¡¯t know anything? At least I know you are a nuisance to mypanion,¡± Lard said, after looking at the woman trembling in his arms.

    ¡°She is not the type of woman you can stop recklessly, and I¡¯m not generous enough to overlook your rudeness.¡±

    A strong wind blew around them, drifting away several rose leaves mixed with grains of dirt.

    Tightening his grip on her, Lard said, ¡°Do you want me to teach you each of the manners like I would teach a child? Or should I draw a sword to correct your fault? ¡±

    It was Dn¡¯s fellows who were stunned by Lard¡¯s warning.

    One of them, who was familiar to Lard, quickly came forward and tried to calm down Lard by saying, ¡°Sir Schroder, please calm down, I apologize for his rudeness to you. I¡¯m going to discipline him hard, so he can never show this kind of rudeness again. So, please calm down.¡±

    He was Badge Enos, the head of the 2nd Knights Division.

    He bowed to Lard Schroder. He lowered his head with a serious expression.

    ¡°It looks like thedy has been surprised. Why don¡¯t you move to a different ce?¡± Badge said carefully.

    Lard again looked down at Wendy in his arms, as if to check her condition.

    As if she was nervous, she was holding his shirt.

    After casting a cold nce at Dn, Lard led her to turn back.

    Melissa, standing near them and stomping her feet, soon followed the two.

    As Wendy stepped out, Dn hysterically shouted her old name, ¡°Olivia!¡±

    Badge held him roughly and stopped him.

    Overwhelmed by fear that he would lose her forever if he let her go like this, Dn ripped his hands off. However, he couldn¡¯t outdo Badge, the head of the 2nd Knights Division. He quickly overpowered him.

    ¡°Stop here!¡± Badge shouted. ¡°Control your mind, man! What are you going to do right now? There¡¯s nothing good toe even if you follow her! ¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let her go away like this!¡±

    ¡°If this is the woman you¡¯re looking for, you will find her anyway. Because she is Sir Schroder¡¯spanion, you¡¯ll find her by all means. So, calm down first. ¡±

    Badge told him nicely, trying to soothe him. Dn stared at his face with trembling eyes before looking down.

    After they heard a loud noise, there was whispering here and there among the participants in the ceremony in the rose garden. As if to confirm the source of the disturbance, several nobles walked toward them. Badge nced at the knights standing with a perplexed look and told them to take Dn somewhere else.

    Leading Wendy out of the rose garden, Lard sat her on a secluded bench to escape notice. Her shoulders trembled like the bare branches swayed in the harsh wind during winter.

    He hurriedly took off his jacket and covered her, but her trembling did not stop. Crouching under her loose jacket, her figure looked smaller and more slender. He felt heartbroken.

    ¡°Oh, let me go over there and check who ising this way,¡± Melissa said suddenly, as if she sensed the unusual moods of the two. Looking back at Melissa¡¯s running away, Lard couldn¡¯t understand why she volunteered to keep watch, but he turned her eyes to Wendy.

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77: Chapter 77 Memories are beautifed and faded (4)

    ¡°Wendy¡­¡± He called her name. Wendy looked up at him with a sad expression, like a withered flower. Soon, her face turned pale and gloomy.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ ¡± She said with a trembling voice.

    The wind blew hard, disheveling her hair. Lard gently swept her yellow hair behind her ear.

    Surprised by his touch, she raised her eyes and looked at him. He noticed a sadness in her eyes that he had never seen before. He again felt the urge to hold her in his arms. She looked down at the des of grass trampled.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t ask me anything¡­¡± She said with a trembling voice. She seemed to be on the verge of bursting into tears, but her dark green eyes were bitter with sorrow and held no sign of tears. Nevertheless, Lard thought she would start crying. The mysterious sadness in her eyes disturbed him.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ask you anything.¡± He could say nothing else.

    Lots of questions came to his mind, but he decided to forget them.

    The young knight with the 2nd Knights called her by that name with a desperate voice as if he called his old me. Obviously, there was hostility in that young knight¡¯s eyes and the determination that he would not lose her to Lard.

    Lard couldn¡¯t forget that she was breathlessly watching him calling her desperately.

    Lard¡¯s heart pounded harder than when he had witnessed her mystical power. He thought she must have another secret that he didn¡¯t know. He wanted to know what it was, but he did not want to know. It made him anxious.

    Lard held her hand. It was small and thin. It seemed especially so today. She flinched but did not pull her hand. His grip on her hand wasforting.

    For a moment, the two sat in silence. After a few passes of the spring breeze around the pce , she stopped trembling. Slightly calmer, Wendy adjusted the hem of her dress.

    Soon, she stood up. She wanted to leave the pce right away, but she couldn¡¯t leave before the prince. She hesitated for a moment, conscious of Lard who stood up with her, and returned to the ce of the event.

    Melissa saw them, approached them and shook her hand, ¡°Wendy! Are you going to go back inside looking like that? Pleasee to me for a second.¡±

    Looking at Lard sharply, Melissa forced her to sit back down.

    ¡°Your hair is ruffled. I¡¯ll fix it. Anyway, men never pay attention to this kind of thing.¡±

    Scolding Lard, Melissa spoke and tidied her disheveled hair. It was not easy.

    After Melissa strugged several times, she managed to get Wendy¡¯s hair into a pretty style again.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s done!¡±

    Melissa was happy to see Wendy¡¯s new hairstyle but didn¡¯t say much else to her. Melissa also wanted to ask a lot, but she didn¡¯t. Wendy appreciated that.

    Wendy had stopped trembling, but her heart was still agitated. She couldn¡¯t figure out what to do now. She felt dizzy. She was anxious and fearful as if her body was tied up alone on the mud t when a tide wasing in.

    When Wendy went back to the rose garden, the atmosphere of the celebration party was well underway. Nobody was worried about the disturbance a little while ago. It seemed they thought Badge and Dn had something like a quarrel that wasmon on an asion like this. Of course, if Lard and hispanion were there, they would think differently.

    Wendy carefully looked around just in case Dn was still hanging around, but she didn¡¯t see him. Wendy rxed a bit until she made eye contact with Prince Isaac.

    Prince Isaac had been listening to the man who seemed to be his aide and smiled as his eyes met hers. The man raised his hand, covering his mouth and continued talking about something, so that only the prince could hear him. Wendy felt it in her bones that the prince was being briefed about the disturbance a little while ago. His smile, as always, gave her a foreboding feeling.

    Then there was a loud noise on one side of the garden. Everyone turned their attention to it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think even the rotten waters of the Psis slum is as bad as this.¡±

    The source of the disturbance was Jack Zaildus, the notorious lover boy. The man said something to thedies, while frowning. All of them were ncing at a woman. She was the woman who took Wendy¡¯s seat at the women¡¯s lounge.

    ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± The woman shouted, shaking herself.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re mistaken. Don¡¯t worry because we are just talking about ourselves. ¡±

    But he covered his nose with a handkerchief as if he could not stand it anymore, showing contempt for the woman.

    ¡°I have never been so insulted!¡± The woman shouted, blushing, but she also noticed those around her were trying to avoid her.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± the man said, putting up with nausea as best he could. His reaction was not fake but genuine.

    He soon left her, practically running away from her. The two women who were with her in the lounge also seemed to be stepping back from her as if they didn¡¯t want to raise others¡¯ attention or they knew something about her. That strange phenomenon happened one after another. Another two men immediately fled from her as soon as they approached her. All of them covered their noses with their hands and frowned as if they smelled something nasty around her.

    Wendy recalled for a moment the fart mushrooms spreading spores.

    Although she didn¡¯t feel any better at all, she could briefly forget about Dn because of the disturbance.

    The three noblewomen women who made Wendy ufortable were so embarrassed that they left the garden urgently. The prince shook his head from side to side, feeling sorry for the women who left the ce before him.

    The time at the imperial pce passed slowly. Wendy dryly looked at the people whoughed and enjoyed happy hours. She felt as if she came to a different world, and she was floating in the air. Her time at the pce passed like that.

    Inside the carriage on their way back, Lard said nothing. Wendy and Lard both knew that the silence was not the same as it used to be.

    Though Lard said goodbye to her, his tone was different. It was kind and warm, which she had never felt before. So, she looked back at him before opening the door of her house. She felt heartbroken for unknown reasons.

    As soon as she came into the room, she took off the dress roughly.

    ¡®Damn it! It all started with me ying the noble! It all happened because I forgot my ce!¡¯

    She sat down on the floor, rebuking herself bitterly.

    She couldn¡¯t understand why she acted so dumb in front of Dn Lennox. She could not forgive herself for having shown her weakness in front of him. She never forgot why she trembled so much before him. She was helpless in the flood of emotions.

    What was the feeling thatplicated her mind? Was it fear of her identity being revealed? Or was it because of her lingering affection for Dn? Wendy was more confused.

    It was only a matter of time that her real identity would be revealed. If her purchase of status was revealed, it was obvious that she would be punished severely on charges of disturbing the strict order of status. If she was lucky enough to avoid the punishment of thew, she could end up being sent back to Earl Hazelet¡¯s mansion. The life she had built over the past two years would copse. She knew she had only a few options avable.

    She began to pack her stuff like crazy. She took out a big bag and crammed her immediate necessities in it. Money, jewelry and clothes were crammed in the bag at random.

    She didn¡¯t forget to include the extensive pictorial book of the list of nts that she hadpiled. She stopped for a moment when she grabbed the identity card with Wendy Waltz engraved on it, but she didn¡¯t hesitate at all.

    She took out the house deed and the purchase document on her flower shop from their ces deep inside the drawers. If she disposed of the documents at the Centrus auction market at a bargain, she could make some money right away. If she added it to her big savings until now, she could start a new life anywhere without difficulty.

    She recalled a list of those who bought flowers on credit, but she decided to give up the idea of collection. She had no time to dy. She meticulously closed the bag.

    Thump, thump, thump.

    She heard a dull thump downstairs. Obviously somebody knocked on the door on the first floor. She stiffened and stopped all her movements. She listened to the noise, thinking she heard wrong. After some time, there was silence.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78: Chapter 78 Memories are beautified and faded (5)

    She let out a sigh of relief with ¡°Whew!¡±, but she heard the thumping noise again.

    Someone was there.

    She freaked out.

    Dn¡¯s face shed through her mind. She got goosebumps when she thought that he might have already found her house.

    She got dressed urgently and went down to the first floor. Aftering to the door, she tried to check who was outside the door. As if he noticed hering down, the stranger outside the door went silent. She put her ear close to the door.

    ¡°Wendy, are you in?¡±

    Stunned by someone¡¯s calling her name suddenly, she got scared and stepped back.

    Soon, she caught her breath andid her hands on her chest as if she felt relieved.

    It was Lard¡¯s voice.

    ¡°What business has brought you here at thiste hour?¡± She said with a low voice, opening the door. He was standing in front of the door, dressed in the same clothes as when he parted with her a little while ago. His face seemed flushed for some reason.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯vee here to tell you something urgently.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you want to tell me?¡± Wendy asked with an anxious look.

    He said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you frankly. Just put aside your prejudice and listen to me.¡±

    She was nervous because she feared something went wrong.

    Lard was silent, looking at her face seriously for a while. She grew more anxious when she noticed his face turned pale.

    She grew impatient, ¡°What are you going to tell me?¡±

    ¡°Wendy!¡±

    When she first opened her mouth impatiently, he called her name loudly.

    Frightened, she trembled.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know anything about your past. No, I¡¯m not interested at all. It doesn¡¯t matter to me at all¡­¡± He randomly babbled.

    She frowned after hearing that. She thought to herself, ¡®Has hee over here to pick a fight with me in the middle of the night?¡¯

    Her eyes glowed with anger, ¡°Why are you¡­! ¡±

    ¡°What I only know is Wendy Waltz, just you.What really matters to me is you right now before my eyes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Wendy?¡±

    She did not respond to his repeated calling. She looked down with an empty expression. She felt something touching deep inside like the setting sun over the sear, turning it red.

    The name that he called repeatedly was stuck in the middle of her heart like a fixture.

    ¡°Actually, I decided not to say what was on my mind, but I couldn¡¯t help it today. Please understand me.¡±

    His voice was trembling a lot. She noticed his tense expression. She swept her forehead nervously.

    ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t believe that you are the same person I met at Rajabude Museum,¡± she said with a curious expression. Lard looked puzzled at that, ¡°I thought you were far from gentle and kind. I never thought you would tell me something like that¡­¡±

    Hearing that, he unconsciously stroked the badge on his shoulder. Obviously, his words were not suitable for him as an imperial knight.

    Lard, who never cracked a joke, spoke sincerely, ¡°You can rest assured that I am the same person as before.¡±

    She reluctantly smiled gently like a farewell, ¡°By the way¡­what you have said now is so obvious. How do you know about me other than Wendy Waltz? Who would know about me? I¡¯m just Wendy Waltz. Thank you foring. I want to say this to you today. ¡±

    Returning to the room, she unpacked the bag and began to take out all of her belongings one by one. Like the hand of a sculptor embossing on a soft wooden board, her movement was serious. She emptied her bag as if she were going through a ritual.

    After emptying all the bags, she felt as if she got something heavy off her chest. She felt surprisingly refreshed. She held her identity card with a rxed expression.

    She vowed that she would keep Wendy Waltz¡¯s name, and no one could take her name.

    So, she had to meet Dn in order to keep her name and identity.

    She decided to find and visit him as soon as the day dawned. She thought he would find her within a day or two, but she could not allow him to spread her original name Olivia everywhere.

    She vowed that she would never look weak and run away because of the fear he stoked in her mind.

    With her eyes full of firm determination, she touched the name inscribed on her identity card.

    The next day she went to the flower shop as usual and started work. She watered the nts in a hurry. She adjusted her clothes, waiting for a general store girl who agreed to watch the shop before she met the customers in the morning.

    At that moment someone visited the flower shop. Wendy guessed the general store girl came, but she didn¡¯t.

    Looking at the faces of the two entering the shop, Wendy stood up calmly. Melissa looked embarrassed, and Dn was standing beside her.

    ¡°Wendy, I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t help it ¡­ ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Melissa¡­will you return home now? I think I have to talk with the customer for a long time,¡± Wendy said coldly.

    Melissa checked her expression and reluctantly went away. After she closed the door with the clinking bell, Wendy opened her mouth finally, ¡°Soon a girl wille here to watch the shop. So, let¡¯s move somewhere else to talk.¡±

    Dn wanted to respond to her unusually cold voice but shut up with a sad expression.

    She began to trim a bunch of flowers without making eye contact with him.

    The waiting didn¡¯t take long. The general store girl with a face full of freckles arrived. Wendy left the shop after telling her something. Seeing the appearance of an unfamiliar imperial knight, the girl looked at him curiously, but the two disappeared silently.

    Wendy started walking ahead of Dn. After a long walk through the remote alleys, they reached an open space with long hills.

    There were several small almond trees with withering flowers. Small dried petals fell and scattered on the green grass.

    She walked into the grass, trying to find a space that would not be disturbed by anyone.

    ¡°Why did you visit me?¡± She asked, stopping and turning to him.

    Dn, who was keeping an eye on her back, paused a few paces away and looked into her face. He stood still as if he could not readily understand what she said in such a cold voice.

    Suddenly, he closed and opened his eyes. The calm waves in his blue eyes turned into a ck storm.

    ¡°Did you ask why I came to see you?¡± Dn asked her with a sad voice.His face was distorted as if he was distressed. He continued, ¡°Well, it would be easier to answer if you asked me why I would note find you. Did you ask me why I came to you? Olivia¡­ How could I not find you?¡±

    Wendy looked down. As if she did not want to notice any piece of sorrow he showed, she coldly ignored him. As if she wanted to remind him that Olivia from the past didn¡¯t exist anymore, she hardened her expression further. Her lips were firm and tightly closed without any movement. Her face was cold as if it had frost on it.

    ¡°Olivia¡­¡± Dn called her old name. There was palpable desperation in every syble he spoke.

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Please, look at me.¡±

    She didn¡¯t lift her head.

    ¡°Olivia.¡±

    In the end she frowned and she shouted, furiously, who was indifferent to his repeated calling until now, ¡°Don¡¯t call me by that name!¡±

    ¡°How dare¡­ ¡± Her lips convulsed with anger, and there was intense hatred in her eyes. The sight of it saddened him, ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a name I abandoned a long time ago. Don¡¯t call me by it with your disgusting voice.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I understand why you¡¯re reacting like this. What happened at Hazlet¡¯s mansion on that day¡­¡± His eyes trembled like a bruised animal, ¡°¡­Yes, it¡¯s natural that you are mad at me.¡±

    He noticed her shoulders moving up and down with an uncontroble anger.

    ¡°You understand me? No way, you¡¯ll never understand me! You ruined my world in that hellish ce! You were the only reason I could live in that world¡­But you ruined everything! You were my everything, and I lost you that day! You made me lose everything!¡± Wendy screamed at him. Her angry rebuke was like a violent cry like a snowstorm. ¡°How can you say you¡¯ve been looking for me? How can you be so shameless? How can you have the nerve to show your face as if you are the victim?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin why I acted like that on that day. Let me exin everything.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you need to exin your deception? ¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it! I had no other option to save you.¡± Dn spoke eagerly like the defendant in court.

    ¡°¡­ Did you do that to save me? What are you talking about? Are you crazy? You kissed Francis to save me?¡±

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Memories are beautified and faded (6)

    Wendy bit her lips, as if she was dumbfounded by his reply. Her eyes glowed dangerously.

    ¡°Dn Lennox, don¡¯t you remember I warned you clearly on that day? ¡­I warned you that I would behead you if I saw you again. ¡±

    Spitting out her words coldly, she took the sword that he was wearing. The sword gleamed bright and cold between them. Dn did not stop her. He stood still like a criminal waiting for his execution.

    Their trembling eyes met in the air. She bit her lip, pointing the de of the sword at his neck. The shing de touched the standing cor covering his neck, cutting off a piece of it.

    ¡°The Dn Lennox I used to know is dead. Olivia Hazlet, she also died a long time ago.¡±

    Wendy spoke with a firm tone. Her words turned into a weapon stabbing him in his chest.

    ¡°¡­ Dn and Olivia are dead. My affection towards you and the time I shared with you are all gone. Don¡¯t interfere with my life anymore! I won¡¯t let you destroy my life again. This is myst warning.¡±

    She gave him a stern look as if she was sentencing him. He stood still, just looking at her with a pale face. Staring at him sharply, she dropped the sword on the grass.

    Some dry petals scattered at that moment.

    She turned away from him as if their rtionship could never be reversed and walked away as if nothing could ever make here back to him.

    ¡°Francis showed me the marriage certificate between you and Earl Duoldran.¡±

    She suddenly stopped walking.

    Dn continued with a subdued voice as if he gave up a will to survive.

    ¡°I had to choose between the two options of sending you to him or betraying you. ¡±

    ¡°Why? Olivia is only the child of a dirty mistress, and she has never been loved by anyone. Why did Dn choose Olivia, not me? ¡±

    Francis buried her face in her arms, crying. Her attractive red hair fell down around her shoulders. Although the wind blew the fragrance of flowers through the open window, the atmosphere inside the room was gloomy.

    ¡°Oh Francis, my sweetheart. You don¡¯t have to cry. The Lennox family¡¯s second son Dn is an immature child. He just got carried away with her by a casual encounter. So, don¡¯t worry, Francis. Children are supposed to grow old enough to be mature one day. If you want him, let me make him your sweetheart. ¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do it, mom! Dn loves Olivia. He confessed it to me, as if to humiliate me!¡±

    Francis raised her head and shouted hysterically. The countess wiped her tears tenderly.

    ¡°Without your father¡¯s and my permission, Olivia can¡¯t marry him. We will never let her marry him. She doesn¡¯t deserve such a good marriage. Oh, it¡¯s almost gonna be a big disgrace to our family. I¡¯ve been looking for a suitable mate for her for a long time. There¡¯s nothing you need to worry about. You can rest assured you can trust me. Dn, that immature man, will soon wake up from his vain love fever,¡± said Mrs. Hazlet with a cold look.

    It was four dayster that Francis recovered her offended pride.

    Everything proceeded very fast. A matchmaker from Dolsang, a territory famous for producing horses, began to visit the Hazlet family. Earl Duoldran, the lord of Dolsang, was a middle-aged man whose wife died three years ago. He had no reason to reject Olivia. He said he would send a hundred horses as a gift in honor of his friendship with the Hazlet family.

    What a wonderful marriage! Countess Hazlet cheered it. Although there were ominous rumors that his violence was linked to histe wife¡¯s death, Mrs. Hazlet didn¡¯t believe such rumors.

    Earl Hazlet had been troubled by theck of horses in his territory and expressed subtle expectations as if he hoped to solve the problem through the marriage.

    This allowed Mrs. Hazlet to proceed with Olivia¡¯s marriage without a problem.

    The marriage certificate, signed by Earl Duoldran, was delivered to Marquis Zaksen Bahar, his long acquaintance, through the matchmaker.

    ording to thew of the Benyahan Empire, the marquis became the witness appointed by the bridegroom and signed the marriage certificate. The certificate, signed by the Marquis, was handed to Earl Hazlet by the marquis¡¯s knights. The family of the witness who signed the certificate were obligated to keep it before the wedding ceremony because the witness¡¯s signature was a promise to defend the marriage of the bridegroom and his bride.

    ¡°I certify that this certificate of marriage is valid under my honor, kept under Nichs, and under my name, recorded under the Benyahan Empire. Zaksen Bahar¡­¡±

    Francis murmured with a low voice, appreciating the marquis¡¯s handwriting on the certificate. Pacing up and down the study, holding the certificate of marriage in her hand, she was silent for a moment, as if she was lost in thought. Only the rustling sound of her dress was heard in the study.

    Earl Hazelet watched her with a nervous expression and opened his mouth in spite of himself, ¡°Francis, give me that marriage certificate.¡±

    ¡°Daddy, why are you so worried? I am just holding the marriage certificate briefly because it is meaningful to me, ¡± Francis said, sitting on the sofa in the study. She looks innocent when she smiled at him, but he shook his head as if he didn¡¯t like her stubbornness.

    ¡°Who is the man you designated as your witness?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Earl Nias Hartman. ¡±

    Earl Hazlet named the bride¡¯s witness with a sigh. With a frown, he put a functional thank-you letter to the marquis in an envelope and sealed it with a seal of his family. He didn¡¯t feel good when he pushed a spoon of melted wax into the corner of his desk.

    ¡°The certificate will beplete as soon as you get his signature, right?¡±

    Pretending not to know her father¡¯s unhappy mood, Francis humed with satisfaction.

    She touched the marquis¡¯s handwriting on the certificate with her finger. She felt the fine nib used to produce his handwriting on the smooth texture of the high-quality paper.

    ¡°¡­ Honey, put the certificate in its ce. I don¡¯t want to get the stigma that I¡¯ve ridiculed the honor of Marquis Bahar. ¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he already ridiculed when he swore his honor to certify Olivia¡¯s marriage? I think it¡¯s an undeserved honor to her that the marquis stood as the witness for her marriage. ¡±

    Francisughed at that.

    The witness system was created to prevent indiscriminate unions of noble families and check each other in the midst of power struggles. The witness to the marriage was usually of a higher or simr level than that of the marriage partners. The witness formally honored his family by signing the marriage certificate and protecting the marriage. ordingly, the destruction of the marriage certificate meant the nullifying the marriage as well as disgracing the two families.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid somebody will hear you, Francis. You should not act frivolously while the marquise¡¯s guests are staying in our mansion. If you don¡¯t want to ruin Olivia¡¯s marriage, give me that certificate. If the certificate is damaged, this marriage you want will be nullified, as you know, ¡± he said, scolding her.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, daddy. If I have to pick one of the most precious things for me right now, let me pick this certificate of marriage until Earl Hartman signs here under your signature on his honor,¡± she said, standing up.

    ¡°Okay, let me go and check if the guests of the marquis are being treated well. As they are responsible for delivering this certificate to Earl Hartman, I¡¯ll have to make sure they are treated very well.¡±

    Francis ced the certificate of marriage on his desk and smiled cutely at him.

    Coming out of her father¡¯s study, she walked toward Olivia¡¯s room instead of going to the guest room where the marquis¡¯s guests were staying. While walking through the long hallway, there was a serious look on her face. She approached Olivia¡¯s room and nodded slowly as if she decided on something.

    Knock knock.

    Light knocking echoed through the hallway, but there was no human movement inside the room. Francis opened the door as if she did not expect any reaction from the owner of the room from the beginning. As soon as she entered, she noticed that the balcony door was open.

    ¡°Are you deaf now? Didn¡¯t you hear me knocking on the door? ¡± Francis spoke bluntly, stepping out onto the balcony.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember allowing you to enter my room.¡±

    Olivia sat on a chair on the balcony with her face buried in a book and spoke without raising her head. Olivia¡¯s dark blonde, basking in the bright sunlight, shone with the wind.

    Francis saw her sweeping her messy hair as a nuisance.

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80: Chapter 80 Memories are beautified and faded (7)

    As she unexpectedly recalled Dn¡¯s voice, Francis was instantly moved to tears. Olivia¡¯s glittering golden hair filled her red eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? I don¡¯t want to hear about Dn again. I¡¯m sick and tired of your mom¡¯s nagging me about him,¡± Olivia said.

    ¡°You will never know,¡± Francis murmured, leaning on the balcony railing.

    There was emptiness and frustration on her face.

    Francis continued, ¡°You have always looked at us in a condescending manner as if only you were hurt.¡±

    When Francisined, Olivia took her eyes off the book and looked up.

    ¡°You cannot know how much I as well as my mother were hurt because of you.¡±

    ¡°¡­You have not yet kicked the habit of ming everything on someone else,¡± Olivia said, staring at her eyes sharply.

    ¡°My mom often shed tears in front of me. Can you imagine? My mom shed tears! It was all because of you and your mother. What woman could love her husband¡¯s illegitimate child as soon as she got married? ¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I was born with my mom¡¯s anger and sorrow. As I was raised by her, how can I recognize you? I inherited her anger.¡±

    Olivia turned her eyes back at the book without responding. A blue bloodline was visible on the back of her white hand, turning the pages.

    Francis covered her face with both hands. She couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open because of the sparkling sunlight.

    ¡°Because of you I couldn¡¯t be the eldest daughter of my family. Maybe I won¡¯t be forever.¡±

    Francis wanted to shout at her, ¡®It will probably be impossible for me to be his first love.¡¯

    But she held back the urge to say that.

    That afternoon, Francis made a secret order to her loyal maids. It was very difficult, but not impossible, to steal Olivia¡¯s marriage certificate from the earl¡¯s study. Looking at Olivia¡¯s marriage certificate back in her hands, she tried to calm her nervousness.

    ¡°Lady, Dn Lennox arrived at the mansion. As you asked, he was escorted in the back garden.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Great. you stand nearby and when I have Olivia¡¯s marriage certificate, tell Olivia where Dn is. ¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    Francis stood up from the seat.

    In the back garden full of dahlia flowers, the afternoon sun was shining everywhere.

    Francis approached a man standing in the middle of the sunny meadow.

    ¡°Francis.¡±

    Dn called her, looking at her with a smile. His lively face and blue eyes were attractive enough for her to kiss.

    ¡°What is the urgent matter you mentioned to me? Is it anything to do with Olivia? Has anything happened to her?¡± He asked Francis as she stood among the red dahlia flowers. Her red hair looked more red with the dahlia flowers in the background.

    ¡°Dn, I don¡¯t feel good as you have mentioned Olivia as soon as I meet you. Of course, I know what you have said about her,¡± sheined with a sullen voice.

    She carefully held Dn Lennox¡¯s hand and continued to speak. He pulled away his hand as if he was embarrassed. She withdrew her hand quickly, though she plucked up the courage to hold his hand. As if to show her that he was not her lover, Dn awkwardly lowered his hand.

    Francis took a deep breath. The sweet scent of dahlia was hanging in the air as if caught in a spider web. It was very strong.

    ¡®You will be shocked to hear what I have to say from now on,¡± Francis thought to herself, looking at Dn with a grin.

    ¡°I wish you had loved me. Then I wouldn¡¯t have had to share this sad news with you. ¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Sensing her seriousness, he hardened his expression. Francis was curious how deeply Dn could knit his neat brows. It wasn¡¯t hard for her to imagine what his face would look like after hearing what she had to say, but she didn¡¯t want to see him frowning in distress, either. But today she intended to watch his distressed face as much as she could.

    ¡°¡­Olivia and Earl Duoldran are in the process of marriage. Today, the people of Marquis Zaksen Bahar brought the marriage certificate because he became the witness of the groom. ¡±

    Dn¡¯s face turned white immediately. He asked back as if he could not understand.

    ¡°What do you mean? Olivia is getting married? ¡±

    ¡°Yes, since Marquis Bahar signed the certificate as a witness, half her marriage is almost done.

    ¡°Nonsense! Does Olivia know this? No way!¡± His pale face turned red with anger.

    Francis continued after looking at his red face, ¡°Olivia doesn¡¯t know anything about this. It was decided by my parents. I couldn¡¯t stop it even if I knew it. ¡±

    ¡°How can your mother do this when she knows my rtionship with Olivia? Does she think I will sit idle? I¡¯ll formally protest your family about this. You can¡¯t do this! ¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? The marquis already signed the certificate. What can you do now? If you do, it will disgrace Olivia all the more.¡±

    If one lost both arms on the battlefield, would that person have the same expression that Dn had on his face? Dn breathed out with a resigned look at her scolding.

    ¡°Well, there is a way for you to solve the problem¡­¡± she said, holding a dahlia petal in her hand.

    ¡°¡­ If you destroy her marriage certificate and show it to Marquis Bahar and openly disgrace his honor, the marriage bes invalid. ¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°If you can put up with Marquis Bahar¡¯s anger, you can do that.¡±

    Dn stared at Francis¡¯ face. As if trying to figure out her intentions, he stared at her for some time.

    ¡°Dn, I can help you. Let me give you the marriage certificate, if you do me a favor.¡±

    Speaking with a fresh voice, she put her hands on his waist.

    ¡°You knew I set my heart on you, right? Isn¡¯t it why you said you loved Olivia in front of me several times? Oh, don¡¯t tell me that you didn¡¯t know. ¡±

    She knew his indecisive character that made it impossible for him to ignore her because she was Olivia¡¯s sister.

    So, she used his indecisiveness in her favor. To get close to him, the shield of Olivia¡¯s sister was very useful for spending time with him.

    The shield that she was Olivia¡¯s sister always helped her to approach him or spend time with him. Although mentioning Olivia always offended her pride, Francis decided to put up with it as long as she was with him.

    ¡°¡­ So, what do you want?¡± said Dn warily.

    Francis smiled gently, ¡®Hummm¡­ even if you are wary of me, I¡¯ve already set my heart on you.¡¯

    Pulling her hand from his waist, she called a maid standing at a distance. Receiving arge silk pouch from her, Francis offered it to Dn. Then, the maid quickly disappeared.

    ¡°This is Olivia¡¯s marriage certificate.¡±

    Dn urgently took it and opened it. His face was distorted when he saw the handwriting on a piece of paper acknowledging the marriage of Olivia and Count Duoldran.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to pretend to love me. I want to be your love at least once. If you kiss me passionately like you would to express your sincerity, I can forget everything and bless your rtionship with Olivia. ¡±

    After she said that, she took the wedding certificate out of his hand. Dn¡¯s eyes followed her hand holding the certificate.

    ¡°If I kiss you, you will give me that certificate?¡± he asked with a feigned smile as if she was ridiculous.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense! Ha, Francis, please don¡¯t do this to me. Don¡¯t y the fool with me!¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­ do you think I¡¯m ying the fool with you? Don¡¯t you know I¡¯ve been loving you for a long time? But I¡¯ve told you I will give up on you when you kiss me. You can¡¯t even do it?¡±

    She looked at him in resentment.

    ¡°¡­ Do you think I can ept your request? ¡±

    ¡°Of course, because you have no choice. You can invalidate Olivia¡¯s marriage with this, so you don¡¯t have to hesitate. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Francis said, leaning into him with a cute smile.

    She continued, ¡°You won¡¯t try to take this certificate from me by force, right? One kiss is enough, so don¡¯tplicate things. If you let me down, I know how to make you run into trouble. So, help me refrain from saying anything nasty about you. ¡±

    ¡°Francis! Howe you¡­.!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time, Dn. If my father knows that this marriage certificate is missing, he will have the servants search for it right away. And the guests of the marquis will also try to search for it like mad.¡±

    Dn clenched his teeth with trembling eyes. While staring at her sharply as if he could not understand her, he closed his eyes as if he was determined.

    His hand touched her shoulders. In a tempting manner, Francis narrowed her eyes and put her hands around her waist. While Dn hesitated for a minute, she first put her lips on his.

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81: Chapter 81 Memories are beautified and faded (8)

    Only a moment ago, she thought she could let him go. But she now realized that she could never let him go. Even if she armed herself with hypocrisy, she could not let him go. She could never.

    At that moment, however, she was soaked with water. She saw Olivia¡¯s face through her hair stuck to her face with muddy water, with her eyes sparkling with a sense of betrayal.

    ¡®Olivia, I¡¯m so d you are here right now!¡¯

    Francis didn¡¯t grab Dn Lennox as he pulled his body away from her. Dn didn¡¯t even feel Olivia had been standing close as he was carried away with Francis¡¯s aggressive kiss.

    ¡°Are you guys ying the fool with me?¡±

    ¡®Yes, please get more angry and feel betrayed. I didn¡¯t think you would have a smooth rtionship with that old dotard even if you were forcibly married to Earl Duoldran. That will make you feel more attached to Dn¡­But I won¡¯t let you do that.¡¯

    ¡°Olivia, don¡¯t misunderstand me! Let me exin everything.¡±

    But Francis thought to herself, ¡®Oh, Dn. My poor man. Look at Olivia¡¯s eyes over there. She will never believe what you have to say from now on.¡¯

    Francis sighed, looking at Dn miserably. Olivia¡¯s eyes were already full of anger, as if she was convinced of his infidelity.

    ¡°Misunderstanding? Shut up! Francis, you crazy bitch! How can you insult and shame me like this? Ha! Misunderstanding?¡±

    ¡°Please calm down! I know what you¡¯re thinking, but I swear! This wasn¡¯t what I meant. Francis and I are not romantically rted at all as you imagine! ¡±

    ¡°Dn, how can you say that? Don¡¯t tell me a lie because that woman¡¯s talking flippantly. Are you going to hurt my feelings?¡±

    Francis deliberately squeezed his arms tightly as if she would never let him go.

    ¡°Olivia, please!¡±

    Dn violently pulled his arms away from Francis and grabbed Olivia¡¯s arm, but Olivia pped him in the face furiously. Dn¡¯s head turned sharply.

    ¡°Why are you touching me with your dirty hands?¡±

    She shouted as if she was venting her frustration and anger. Though she uttered a few more words icily, Dn stood still as if he had been bound up with her resentful eyes. She turned her back without any regret. Next to him, Francis shouted with a shrill voice, while touching his face. Watching Olivia disappearing, Dn came to his senses btedly.

    ¡®No, I can¡¯t let her go like this!¡¯ He began to follow Olivia urgently.

    ¡°Dn!¡± Francis stopped him, shouting at him loudly.

    She shook her head from side to side, presenting Olivia¡¯s marriage certificate.

    Dn Lennox¡¯s eyes trembled when he looked at the certificate stained with muddy water.

    He was filled with anger.

    ¡°Is this what you wanted from me?¡± He said as if she was disgusting.

    Dn grabbed the marriage certificate from her hand and ripped it apart on the spot.

    Folding the torn pieces of the certificate and putting them in his pocket, he left the Hazlet mansion. That day Dn rode all night and reached Marquis Zaksen Bahar¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°So, I showed the torn marriage certificate to Marquis Zaksen¡­ and that made your marriage invalid. ¡±

    After he briefed Wendy about what had happened between him and Francis, Dn sighed a long sigh.

    He had been hoping for a chance to exin to her for the past two years. Now, his heart trembled tremendously. As if to hide the trembling, he took a deep breath again.

    ¡°When I came back from the marquis¡¯s mansion, you were already gone.¡±

    He did not talk about what kind of troubles he went through at the marquis¡¯s mansion and the quarrel between the two families. That¡¯s nothing,pared to his sense of loss after she was gone. He suffered a lot of mental stress and other troubles after she left, but he would not be able to make her understand his pain.

    Wendy, stood silent like a statue for a long time, repeatedly opened and closed her lips as if she was hesitant.

    ¡°You must have suffered a lot of troubles in the territory of the marquis¡­¡±

    Wendy couldn¡¯t finish her thoughts before turning away from him. The almond petals fell sporadically.

    ¡°There was nothing for you to worry about.¡± Dnughed bitterly.

    He was moved to hear her speaking sincerely without showing any cynicism.

    ¡°Why¡­Why did you do so on that day?¡±

    Wendy asked him what had happened for the first time on that day. Actually she heard him exining everything, but she asked again.

    ¡°I had no other choice at that time.¡±

    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t have kissed her!¡± Wendy raised her right hand and stroked her face.

    ¡°Please, believe me. At that moment, I had no choice but to do what Francis wanted.

    Even if she did it with malicious intention, I had to do as she wished. I had to because I couldn¡¯t lose you¡­¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that you would lose me the moment you kissed Francis?¡±

    She looked at him nkly.

    ¡°It was a meaningless kiss. It was just a kiss. I swear I had no other woman in my heart. ¡± He spoke earnestly.

    Wendy raised her head and looked at Dn. Due to the sun, she could hardly see his face. A ck shadow, contrasted with the sun beyond, covered his face. It was dark like their rtionship.

    ¡°A single kiss can destroy all one¡¯s trust in the other party,¡± she spoke, closing her dazzling eyes. She felt her whole body getting cold. She had no anger or hate for him now.

    ¡°If there¡¯s something wrong, I¡¯ll get it right. If I was foolish then, I will reflect and fix it. I also know that although my choice on that day was the best for me, it turned out to be the worst. Nevertheless, give me a chance.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Too much time has passed since then. ¡±

    ¡°You know how much I loved you. You, too, loved me, right? Think about our good times.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even have any memories to beautify now. I couldn¡¯t even tell you I am grateful to you that you saved me and stopped my unwanted marriage. I don¡¯t want to me you for not telling me first, or not knowing Francis¡¯ cunning¡­ What¡¯s the point of me feeling sad at this point? Our rtionship is over already. It¡¯s just that our rtionshipsted up to that point.¡±

    Although she knew that she wasn¡¯t the only one who had been hurt by their broken love, she couldn¡¯t treat him like she used to. She didn¡¯t want to say she was sorry for misunderstanding him, nor did she want to me herself for her hasty judgement about his rtionship with Francis. Several seasons passed, and their good rtionship in the past disappeared like the piles of leaves.

    ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t say that, Olivia!¡± Dn¡¯s eyes were bloodshot.

    He was more fearful than the moment she was upset with him. He felt he would really lose her.

    ¡°I¡¯m leading a new life now. I¡¯ve got a new name, Wendy Waltz, and I¡¯m spending every day so peacefully that I can¡¯tpare it to my past life.¡±

    She had forgotten Dn, who was once her darling and could not be separated from her life. The waves carrying him had already drifted far away, while she already set her foot on thend and walked long and far away from the shore.

    ¡°So, just lead your own life from now¡­ Please. Nothing changes. Just help me lead a new life of my own. It hasn¡¯t been easy for me to get here. I don¡¯t want to go back to the past again.¡±

    She looked at him bitterly for a while. There was nothing left in her heart where her intense hatred of him had been. It had been swept away in a storm or emotion so there was nothing left, nothing to sprout a bud again.

    ¡°I just¡­¡± Dn couldn¡¯t speak.

    After looking at her wistfully for a while, he couldn¡¯t hold her until she turned and left. He didn¡¯t have the nerve to do so because her desperate and earnest voice was more urgent than his begging voice.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    He leaned back against the tall almond tree and sighed. The few remaining petals from the tree fell silently. He lifted his arm and covered his eyes. He was crying silently. Francis had kissed him passionately. As her lips and tongue touched his in his mind, he could only feel his tears of the present.

    Wendy walked along aimlessly, staring nkly into the distance as if her soul had dried up.

    After walking for a long time she came to her senses and looked around. She found herself already at the corner of the street leading to her house.

    ¡°Oh, I have to head for the flower shop,¡± she muttered.

    Nevertheless, she continued to walk on in the same direction. She couldn¡¯t know the reason.

    She walked as if she was bewitched by something.

    Walking past the alley and entering the front yard of her house, she unconsciously looked up at the window next door.

    A dusty wind blew and tickled her eyes. When she rubbed my eyes, she felt sore.

    She felt as if grains of sand had filled her eyes.

    While she was rubbing roughly, someone grabbed her arm.

    ¡°Wendy.¡±

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Yellow green certainly turns green (1)

    Lard called her name with a scolding tone, ¡°Your eyes are bloodshot.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Wendy looked up at him nkly, who was standing before her. She screwed her eyes shut as if they were sore.

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me. I was justing out of my house when I saw you, so I just stopped by to say hi.¡±

    He held her innocent fingers, keeping her from rubbing her eyes, and said his visit was not intentional. When she once again moved her hand to rub her eyes, he frowned.

    ¡°My eyes are a little sore,¡± she said with a hoarse voice.

    He looked at her with a suspicion, ¡°Let me take a look. It looks like you¡¯ve got something in your eye.¡±

    He put his hand near her eyes and looked closely into her eyes, but she quickly turned her head.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked in a way that he could not embarrass her.

    He was still holding her hands. Wendy turned back and looked at his face. He saw tears welling in her eyes. He felt uneasy when he noticed them.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m okay.¡±

    Contrary to what she said, she burst into tears suddenly. She now began to cry sadly.

    Tears fell from her yellowshes. He paled and hugged her tightly, at a loss about what to do.

    She forced back her sobbing on and off, but continued to cry. Her small body, swaying like a wave, was wrapped in his arms. As this was the first time he saw her crying, he lost his usualposure and his face morphed into an expression he couldn¡¯t control. Her crying rang in his ears and broke his heart. He felt like a usually calm river had overflowed and devoured his whole body. He could hardly breathe.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±

    As if he forgot how to control himself, he soothed her, his voice thick with emotion. She cried louder now. He felt like he made her cry more instead offorting her. He had to beg her not to cry, while calming his troubled mind.

    The warm air of the early summer gently blew over Wendy¡¯s forehead. The early summer sunlight shined onto her white skin exposed by her rolled-up sleeves.

    She was busy tilling the front yard with a small seedling shovel. A littleter she straightened her back and stood up. She beat the dust off her body and looked around the fence around the front yard.

    One, two, three, four¡­ After pointing at and counting the earthen floors carefully, dug along the low fence, she went into the house.

    When she opened the sliding door, she saw the garden in the middle of her house.

    On one side of the garden were the pots she prepared beforehand. As usual, she put up a shade to cover the open sky and locked the door carefully. Then she touched her index finger to a pile of soft soil. She repeated the action several times.

    A littleter, thin and strong brown bark began to grow fast and sprout buds. Sky-blue hydrangea blossoms came out through therge, wide serrated leaves flourishing from the trunks of trees. She smiled in satisfaction at the hydrangea that blossomed so quickly.

    In a cheerful mood, she began to carry the hydrangea flower pots to the front yard.

    It would be much easier work if she touched her index finger directly on the front yard, but she couldn¡¯t because she feared others might catch her.

    ¡°Hey, sis! How are you, sister Wendy!¡±

    Someone called and stopped her while she was in the thick of carrying hydrangea.

    It was her neighbor, Benfork. He ran onto her front yard, wrinkling his nose.

    ¡°Sister Wendy, long time no see!¡± He greeted her yfully.

    ¡°Why are you calling my name formally?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you think I have to call you politely?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel good when you call me that.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t like it?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Just call me casually as you used to.¡±

    Benfork scratched the back of his head with regret. She overheard him murmuring that it was a popr term among his peers.

    ¡°Are you good at practicing swordsmanship?¡±

    ¡°Sure! Look at me!¡±

    He proudly showed the wooden sword on his side, with a strange shout, ¡°Uratsha!¡±

    The way he was carrying that wooden sword, not a real sword, he looked childish, but he still seemed in a very good mood.

    ¡°Sister, you scorned me deep down, right? Look at that! I¡¯ve seen your eyes flinching! Phew, women usually judge people only by their appearance. Sarah, that girl keeps telling me that Jake, the tall guy, looks handsome and cool. How can I tell her how he pees in the restroom? Damn it! I really can¡¯t tell her that just being tall isn¡¯t the measure of a man.¡±

    He gently shook his head, sweeping his long hair gently. She agonized briefly about whether to put a fart mushroom in his mouth.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not important anyway. What matters is that I¡¯m carrying a wooden sword as part of my training. My master told me that I should alway carry a sword. I have to practice how to carry a sword like this. This is very important,¡± he said with a very mature look.

    ¡°Are you giving lip service to your master now? No kidding.¡±

    ¡°Lip service? How can I give lip service to my master who I respect with all my heart? I¡¯m an apprentice knight who doesn¡¯t know a lie! That famous imperial knight captain, Lard Schroder, is my master. You know that, right?¡±

    Excited, he began to praise Lard greatly, who was an idol in his heart. She moved diligently while letting his words in one ear and out the other.

    ¡°Huh? Sister, I¡¯m not home on weekends, so have a good time. I think I should go down to Jopiern this week to help my father with his work. ¡±

    ¡®What the heck is he talking about?¡¯

    She stared at him, sneering at him. To her, it would have been nicer to hear the noise of the ten flies flying around on the rotted manure.

    ¡°Benfork, what are you talking about?¡±

    He winked at her mischievously, ¡°Oh my¡­ you are so dumb, sis.¡±

    Even if he tried to rify, he would certainly argue with her. So, she handed a hydrangea to him, pulling a face.

    ¡°Hey, put it in front of the fence over there, and move everything at the front door to the same ce.¡±

    ¡°Oops! Why do I have to do chores like this?¡±

    ¡°Did not your master tell you that you should help your neighbor in need? This sister desperately needs your help.¡±

    While grumbling, Benfork carried the hydrangeas.

    ¡°¡­Oh, really. Just go to Jopiren this weekend and help your father, okay?¡±

    She seemed satisfied with him using his hands nimbly. She sat down nearby, keeping an eye on him doing as told.

    A hydrangea was erected at a suitable height in a pit and covered with soil to allow roots to settle down well. After working for a while, she handed him a watering can and told him to bring some water.

    After stopping for a moment, she took off her dirty gloves and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. Seeing the hydrangeas nted near the fence, the whole yard looked more bright and cozy. She smiled before she knew because the bright blue petals were so beautiful.

    ¡°Wow! Master! ¡±

    Benfork shouted with joy as he returned with the filled water can after seeing Lard Schroder walking from a distance. Giving him a nod, Lard came to her.

    She greeted him by bowing lightly.

    ¡°Hi, Sir Schroder. Are youing back from the Imperial Pce? ¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Wearing a summer uniform made of light cloth, he smiled lighty at her. As she was not yet ustomed to his smiling, she turned her head.

    ¡°Are you nting flowers?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they look gorgeous, right?¡± She said, ncing at the bunch of light blue flowers.

    Looking at the light blue hydrangea surrounding the front yard, he reluctantly smiled.

    ¡°There are many customers looking for blue hydrangeas in flower shops these days.

    I wonder if it¡¯s because the color of the flower is unusual,¡± she said.

    Watering the flowers profusely, she talked about the blue hydrangeas, the best seller of her shop. As if she really liked the attractive flowers, she kept talking about the flowers, even though he didn¡¯t ask her, without knowing he was staring at a bunch of flowers with an unsatisfied expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little cumbersome because I have to water them a lot, but I have to take it if I want to see these bright flowers.¡±

    ¡®Why do you think they¡¯re beautiful? I have no idea.¡¯ Looking at the dark blue petals, he stroked his chin.

    ¡°¡­Have you ever heard of an anecdote about the defeat of Emperor Nichs Benyahan, the first emperor of the empire, who went to the battle in Dahambark?

    She curiously shook her head when he brought up the anecdote about the emperor¡¯s defeat.

    ¡°The only battle he lost after achieving a series of victories was the Battle of Dahambark. At the time he was wearing the light blue armor that Duke Gettymann gave him. It was made by specially processing the minerals produced in the Gettymann mines, but the light and hard armor did not stop the enemy sword from piercing into his body. He was injured for the first time and lost in battle. Since then, sky blue has been considered an ominous color in the battlefield. ¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83: Chapter 83 Yellow green certainly turns green (2)

    Wendy¡¯s green eyes widened. Benfork, who was close to her and listening to him, shouted excitedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that, master! I should never carry anything sky blue on my body. Ah! Dang it! I think there was a light blue stripe in the vest I boughtst week. ¡±

    Benfork made a fuss with a desperate expression.

    ¡°Besides, there is another thing. Have you ever heard of the Blue Handkerchief Pact?

    At the time we were engaged in concluding a trade agreement with the prince state of Johanles decades ago, we couldn¡¯t settle the pending issue of the Montrafi tariffs, which still remains a painful failure of diplomacy even today. At that time, our diplomatic negotiators were wearing light blue handkerchiefs. Since then, sky color was avoided because it was regarded as ominous in negotiations with other countries, ¡± he said, frowning like the soot of a firece.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about?¡­¡± she asked, still unable to figure out what he was trying to tell her.

    Looking at her face with a sigh, he said, ¡°What I mean is that sky color is ominous.¡±

    He nced at a bunch of sky-blue flowers shining brightly in the sunlight. He narrowed his eyebrows again.

    ¡®Why are the flowers sky blue of all colors?¡¯

    ¡°So, do you mean this flower is ominous? You don¡¯t have to take the color of the flowers too seriously¡­¡±

    ¡°No, sister. As an apprentice knight, I can tell you that this flower is ominous. Nothing is as ominous as sky blue! ¡±

    Benfork looked up at Lard with blind loyalty to him. She stared at Benfor who went as far as to say he would pluck out all the sky blue flowers then looked at Lard silently.

    But he kept silent, with knitted eyebrows.

    ¡°Hydrangea flowers change their color over time, so wouldn¡¯t it be okay? If I mix mshells powder in the soil, the color of the flowers may change quickly. If I see any ominous signs, let me do so,¡± said she with an embarrassed look, feeling he was displeased with the blue color of hydrangea. She clicked her tongue, secretly ming him for believing the groundless talk.

    ¡°¡­Okay. Then, finish what you were doing. I¡¯m leaving now. ¡±

    Lard didn¡¯t ask her further as if he gave up persuading her.

    She couldn¡¯t shake off an ufortable feeling until he left her front yard and disappeared.

    In the meantime, Lard returned home and stood by the window wearing a thin shirt after putting his uniform jacket on his bed.

    He saw Wendy and Benfork out of the window. While unbuttoning his shirt, he thought about the knight with the 2nd Knights Division that he had seen a few days ago at the training field, Dn Lennox. He couldn¡¯t forget his name.

    He knew that Wendy¡¯s tears he saw the other day were rted to him, so he felt more heartbroken. Now, it was impossible for him to look at this junior knight without a grudge.

    He felt ashamed that his personal feelings affected his personal matters, but the principles and beliefs that he kept strictly until now crumbled when it came to matters rted to Wendy.

    Dn, who was busy with training, found Larding towards him and stiffened. The young knight quickly focused back on training as if he was ignoring his presence, but Lard didn¡¯t miss his subtle change in his mood. In fact, he couldn¡¯t.

    He took off his shirt and sat in a soft chair.

    ¡®Since when did I be a person swayed by emotions? Did I mention the Blue Handkerchief Pact to her?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    He closed his eyes with a long sigh.

    Even when he closed his eyes, Wendy¡¯s face came to his mind.

    That evening Lard had an unexpected guest. It was Jean Jacques Simuan, deputy captain of the 1st Imperial Knights, who knocked on his room, escorted by Benfork.

    After stepping into the room, Jean looked around the room with his eyes wide open as if he were admiring his boss¡¯s secret private life. He looked at his boss mischievously as if he already figured out Lard¡¯s wicked intention to move here.

    ¡°Hoh¡­¡±

    He eximed with a sigh, frowned and hastily cleared his throat when his eyes met Lard¡¯s.

    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ming here after I stopped by your mansion and found you were not there. Your butler wouldn¡¯t tell me about your relocation, but I had to find out because I have something to tell you urgently. So, don¡¯t punish him, please.¡±

    ¡°¡­So, what¡¯s the matter that has brought you here?¡±

    In fact, Lard saw him in the pce today. Like he said, he would note here unless it was urgent.

    ¡°The Crown Prince is looking for you urgently.¡±

    ¡°Crown Prince?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Thinking about something for a moment, he picked up a small bottle of water on the table and walked to the window.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of the political meeting tomorrow,¡± he said, watering the flower pot by the window. As he was so sincere in watering, Jean pulled a face at his unusual actions.

    Just like a stranger who experienced culture shock, Jean said awkwardly, ¡°I have never known you to be such a delicate person. How can I imagine that as the best knight of the Imperial Knights groups, you have been cultivating the flowers so preciously? ¡±

    ¡°¡­This is not just an ordinary nt. ¡±

    ¡°Really? What is it then? ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called an ash tree.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah yes. Ash tree¡­¡±

    Jean opened his mouth widely and repeated the name slowly. The young nt that Wendy created under Lard¡¯s cor was growing well in the corner of his room, boasting vivid green leaves, under his intensive care, as if he had been born again as a gardener.

    Walking near the closet, he put on his uniform again, ¡°Any updates on the movement of the Scholters family?¡±

    Jean patted his cheeks as if toe to his senses at his question, and opened his mouth, ¡°¡­Well, Earl Scholters suddenly began to meet Duke Auguste Engre frequently. Although they are disguising their meetings as a light family gathering or a wine party among the aristocrats, they look suspicious. As you know, Duke Engre doesn¡¯t like to go outside.¡±

    ¡°Engre and Scholters¡­They¡¯re not a desirable mix. Let me check out the list of those who attended their meetings. We need to pay attention, so tell my men to watch out for them.¡±

    Auguste Engre was a hidden power who moved the Benyahan Empire behind the imperial family. He was widely admired by the aristocrats because he had no greed for power, but Lard was always wary of his hidden ambitions.

    ¡°What! That¡¯s Wendy!¡±

    Suddenly, Jean stood at the side window and shook his hands toward her outside the window. But the woman with yellow hair frowned and pulled the curtains roughly. As if she just took a bath, she was holding a towel wrapped around her hair. Her wet hair looked very fresh.

    ¡°Oh, you aren¡¯t surprised by things like that, right?¡± Jean asked with an embarrassed look.

    Lard looked at him with a disgusted expression then left the room alone without replying.

    When they arrived at the imperial pce, they secretly headed to the crown prince¡¯s residence.

    The prince sat in an old maple chair in his room, wiping his violin with a dry cloth. He was very careful in clearing the pine resin. After carrying out his mission, Jean bowed to the prince and went out to stand outside.

    ¡°Oh,e on in, Sir Schroder.¡±

    Prince Isaac weed him, turning his mouth up slightly.

    ¡°I have something important to tell you, so I¡¯ve asked to see you,¡± he said, sweeping down the strings of the violin.

    ¡°Originally I was going to do it more slowly, but somebody already smelled a rat and began to suspect me. So, I called you urgently. ¡±

    Lard silently waited for what he had to say next.

    ¡°I want you to be on my side at the political meeting tomorrow.¡±

    Isaac looked straight at his face before putting the cloth on the table.

    Lard looked into his brown eyes silently as if trying to figure out the prince¡¯s motivation.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to install another hiring system called the Yinungkwa in addition to the Parisot and Sinuel. So, I would like to let those who pass the Jesolin apply for the new system, so that I can appoint the best possible candidates for key government positions, be they civilians or technocrats.¡±

    Lard¡¯s face hardened at his unexpected initiative.

    ¡®How can he create a new hiring system for those who pass the Jesolin?¡¯

    The danger lurking in the prince¡¯s words made him feel dizzy.

    ¡°You know that. Currently, the Jesolin is a nominal hiring system. Under the current system only a fewmoners end up serving as junior officials throughout their service with no promotion.¡±

    The Jesolin was the only official hiring system for themon people, while the Parisot was reserved for the civilian nobles and the Sinuel for the noble candidates for knights. ording to the prince¡¯s n, anymoner who passed the Jesolin could now apply for either the Parisot or the Sinuel.

    So far, only the aristocrats with official ranks were guaranteed political participation without having to pass the Parisot or the Sinuel, but passing both tests was honorable for the nobles involved.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84: Chapter 84 Yellow green certainly turns green (3)

    If the prince brought up the agenda at the meeting tomorrow, it was obvious that the noble would strongly resist,ining that the new system would infringe on their own interests.

    ¡°¡­ Your Majesty, that will shake the foundation of the empire.¡±

    ¡°Foundation of the empire? Don¡¯t go too far. How can I appointmoners under the current system, no matter howpetent they are? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯llpromise up to some point.

    But I think my attempt to change the current hiring system is meaningful.¡±

    The princeughed a heartyugh like a boy, but Lard could immediately notice his sparkling eyes when he brought up the topic. The prince intended to make changes to the current hiring system.

    Suddenly, Lard recalled the conversation between the emperor and the prince at the recent Burgonu huntingpetition. Outside the tent where the two were having a conversation, Lard overheard the prince mentioning a bill and the emperor responding with a worried tone.

    Lard felt the prince¡¯s ask for his support regarding the Yinungkwa hiring system had something to do with his conversation with the emperor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to stop the nobles from taking part in politics. Those who are interested in high positions will be appointed by the emperor, as usual. I¡¯m just trying to raise the upper limits of the Jesolin a little higher.¡±

    Lard didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is a good thing for you? Based on my observation of your rtionship with that demuredy¡­I think the new hiring system will be beneficial to you. Have you ever thought about your romantic rtionship with her?¡±

    Lard frowned, watching him smiling at him. He was aware that the prince had some secret n to promote his rtionship with Wendy, but he never expected the prince woulde up with this kind of solution.

    ¡°Are you going to use me and the woman as a shield against their criticism of this new hiring system?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, no. Don¡¯t show such a threatening expression to me! I just want to take you on my side. If this is passed, it would not be impossible for amoner woman to be a duchess.¡±

    Their eyes collided in the air for a while.

    ¡°After tomorrow nobody will try to take me at face value. I think everybody¡¯s going to look at me cautiously and me me behind my neck. I know It¡¯s not very pleasant. But I can¡¯t dy this anymore. The emperor has already grown very old. This new hiring system is not only my own, but also the emperor¡¯s longtime wish. What can I do? It¡¯s my duty as his son to make his wishese true. I know it¡¯s dangerous. That¡¯s why I¡¯m just trying to risk it instead of my father.¡±

    The prince grinned at him once more and yed the violin string yfully.

    ¡°Do you remember the disturbances in the Henobi area?¡±

    The prince talked about the disturbances that urred in the southern end of the Henobi region two months ago. Badge Enos, the captain of the 2nd Knights, was dispatched to calm the turmoil and arrested the main instigators. The incident was regarded as the uprising of the peasants dissatisfied with the damages by blights and insects to the Montrapie bread, the main diet of the Benyahan empire, but the suppressed and condensed grievances of themoners were obscured by the turmoil. Although the turmoil was suppressed by the 2nd Knights, Lard had also been keenly watching the situation at the time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know when the same turmoil will happen again. The Benyahan¡¯s empire is rotten from the inside out. The bad wound has just begun to break open.¡±

    A thick vein popped out from the back of the prince¡¯s hand holding the violin.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is desirable to cut out the bad wounds and treat curable wounds? I know you don¡¯t like the noisy political struggle. But Sir Schroder, if you support me, I¡¯m sure I can pass this agenda. There are already many on my side. I¡¯ve persuaded them to be on my side with my smiling face. They already let their hair down thanks to the prince crazy about the violin,¡± he said coldly.

    Lard felt unfamiliar with the prince¡¯s unusual look today. Of course, his serious look was much better than his yful look when he threw the sword down like a child while absorbed into ying the violin. But he could not happily ept the prince or the next emperor¡¯s serious expression.

    On her way to the flower shop Wendy inadvertently gazed at the short ash tree standing at the corner of the alley in front of her house. She eximed ¡°Ah!¡± unconsciously.

    The tree, which seemed to have reached the end of its life, was growing well.

    She saw its leaves turning green as if they were trying to be in sync with other leaves. It only had a few leaves but they were clearly green. She approached it and touched a fresh leaf with her fingertips.

    She recalled the illusion that she had seen when she first passed this alley with Lard on the very day when extraordinarily heavy rain fell. She vividly remembered the petals that popped out, the fragrance that filled the streets, and the queer impression on that day. She sensed some strange feeling in her heart again while watching the tree.

    She shrugged it off as if to shake off her strange feeling, but she could not help but slow down because she often looked back at the tree.

    Her girlish emotion did notst long.

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    As soon as she entered the flower shop, she had to pull a face because it smelled musty all over the ce.

    Holding her breath, she quickly dumped a half-rotted bundle of flowers, the source of the bad smell. It was because she left the cancelled bouquet in the corner, which she forgotpletely. Only after opening the door wide and ventting could she start working in a fresh atmosphere.

    When she was done trimming and putting flowers collected from the flower garden into ss vases, the customers began toe into the shop. It was already afternoon when she was done haggling with customers who tried to get a ridiculous discount and taking care of other orders. She shut the door briefly to prepare for herte lunch and visited the bakery nearby.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    Tess, the old owner of the bakery, greeted her with a warm smile, ¡°Lunch iste today, too. No matter how much money you like to make, you should have lunch on time.¡±

    The old manughed heartily when she said she still preferred money to regr lunch.

    ¡°You remember the restaurant owner in the corner, right? Wasn¡¯t he a regr customer at your shop? I hear that the young man is getting married next month. His fiancee is a woman from uptown. That guy couldn¡¯t be luckier! His business is doing so well. I wish you had listened to me when I told you to date that guy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s something to celebrate.¡±

    Tess clicked his tongue when she showed a very lukeward reaction, as if she was not interested in him at all.

    ¡°Let me pay for this.¡±

    As always, she put a bunch of Montrape bread in a basket and gave him coins.

    ¡°You have to give me five more coins. The price of Montape bread has skyrocketed. ¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    She felt recently the price of Montrapi bread jumped, but it was the first time that the price rose so quickly. She took out five more coins. She felt like she paid extra.

    Coming out of the bakery, she took a big bite of the bread. When she looked at the bread with her teeth marks, she couldn¡¯t help butugh. When she lived as a noblewoman, it was unthinkable for her to eat food on the road. She once again greedily opened her mouth and ate a big piece of bread. It tasted so delicious.

    Right at the moment she stopped when she found someone a man standing in front of her flower shop.

    Surprised, she felt like a lump in her dry throat. As she had something caught in her windpipe, she coughed several times to spit out the bread residue. Barely swallowing a piece of bread with a blush, she wiped her mouth and walked towards the shop.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know our rtionship is over?¡± she asked as if she couldn¡¯t understand what he was doing here.

    Dn, with that blue hair, stared at her face for a while. His face was pale.

    ¡°I just came to buy some flowers.¡±

    Those passing by the shop nced at him dressed in the imperial knight uniform.

    She shut up, exercising patience as much as she could. She reluctantly unlocked the door and walked in.

    Grabbing the table, she looked at him silently. She thought she persuaded him enough.

    Of course, she expected it would be impossible for her not to see him as long as she lived in the capital, but she never expected he would visit her shop unexpectedly.

    ¡®What¡¯s the point of me having that long conversation with him under the almond tree on that day?¡¯

    ¡°Can you please pack this one here?¡±

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Yellow green certainly turns green (4)

    Dn pointed at the white roses in the ss bottle. She picked up a bunch of roses, controlling her frustration and annoyance.

    ¡°Are you really going to cause me trouble? Why are you doing this? ¡±

    He looked down at her, ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡­I¡¯ve never thought about doing anything that can harm you.¡±

    ¡°Then, what¡¯s all this? Why are you here? ¡±

    Her expression looked like ice in a ss of water, shaking and cracking.

    He looked at her bitterly and said, ¡°I missed you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°I just came here because I want to know about the woman named Wendy Waltz.¡±

    She frowned when he mentioned her name.

    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t say that. I don¡¯t want to continue my rtionship with you anymore!¡±

    She then handed the bouquet of flowers to him roughly. White petals fell here and there.

    Faced with her rough actions, he did not feel embarrassed. It was she who felt more embarrassed. A white petal, like a wound healed wrong,nded on the top of his foot.

    Looking at the prints of the petal, she said carefully, ¡°I can¡¯t include you in my life anymore. You know that. I told you everything. I¡¯ve gained my current life in a hard way, so please go away.¡±

    ¡°Let me leave if you insist¡­ But your life won¡¯t be ruined because of me. I want to protect you, too. I want to protect you more than anybody else. ¡±

    She quickly shook her head at his reassurances.

    ¡°Please leave,¡± she said, opening the door of the flower shop. He was almost driven out of the door, but he seemed to be satisfied because he could say what he wanted to.

    Wendy, who expelled him from her shop, grabbed the broom from the corner. Sweeping the messy floor ferociously, she tried to shake off herplicated thoughts.

    Later that night after returning home from work, she sat in her room with a frown. Like a child sitting at the desk reluctantly, she opened the book of nts vacantly and closed the book. As she felt stuffy, she opened the window and took a deep breath, but she didn¡¯t feel better.

    She blinked when she inadvertently turned her eyes to the window next door, where there were no lights.

    ¡®He iste today.¡¯

    She suddenly felt irritated about the darkness upying her room. While she was lost in gloomy thoughts for a while, she finally raised her head when the lights turned on in the window next door.

    ¡®Oh no¡­why am I thinking about him now? How bizarre I am!¡¯

    She quickly hid how she felt about him.

    There was a shadow near the window. As if he knew she was on the opposite side, Lard opened the window. His cor seemed loose as if he was unbuttoning the uniform.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re quite busy. You¡¯rete today. ¡±

    She quickly regretted having greeted him like that because she gave the impression that she had been waiting for him.

    ¡°¡­ The meeting was longer than I expected.¡±

    ¡°You look tired.¡±

    ¡°I am tired¡­I seem to have been swamped with work all day. ¡±

    He rarely showed his feelings, but today he let out a sigh with a haggard look.

    She asked, looking at him massaging his stiff neck with one hand, ¡°Was there anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°It took me a lot of time to pass an agenda. I¡¯m getting sick and tired of it.¡±

    As she felt it was rude to ask the details, she stopped asking.

    ¡°You look tired too.¡±

    Wendy nodded at Lard¡¯s words.

    Obviously, it was her alone who had a difficult day. He also leaned back like her when she leaned her head against the window sill. The moonlight fell on their shoulders side by side.

    The same moonlight touched their foreheads, noses and lips. She felt a littleforted.

    ¡°Have you ever experienced the feelings of fear?¡± He asked in a lonely tone like an empty sky. She looked at him without replying.

    ¡°That was something I had forgotten for a long time,¡± he murmured with a feigned smile.

    She raised her body from the window sill, with a curious look.

    ¡°¡­I am afraid I won¡¯t be able toe here for some time.¡±

    All the unpleasant pressures he had suffered all day long, such as turmoil, anger, doubt, resistance, darkened his eyes.

    He recalled what happened today at the imperial pce. Since he supported the crown prince at the meeting, he had no choice but to think about the impending danger to his life.

    Lard easily concluded that the prince would try to make use of her to persuade him.

    ¡°I liked this room very much, so I feel it¡¯s a regret.¡±

    Given the strong resistance of those nobles who opposed the crown prince¡¯s agenda on the creation of a new hiring system, Lard couldn¡¯t stay near her for her safety. When he noticed the icy attitude of Duke Auguste Engre towards him, Lard decided he would stay away from her for the time being. He couldn¡¯t help it even if it was his own groundless fear. He could not afford to be greedy. If he nted a couple of moles to protect her and silence the rumors about her in the social circles in the capital, they would probably not do any harm to her.

    ¡°What happened?¡± She asked carefully.

    But he quietly shook his head, though there was some kind of regret in his tightly closed lips.

    ¡®I can¡¯t take the risk with your life at stake.¡¯ He thought to himself.

    ¡°When Ie back, I wish the flowers in your front yard will have changed.¡±

    Swallowing silently, so she could not hear it, he pulled on his cor as if he felt stuffy.

    ¡°Haam¡­¡±

    After a big yawn, Wendy wiped away the teardrops with her sleeves.

    Her yellow green sleeves turned dark green. She was enjoying a leisurely afternoon after entering the flower shop. She rubbed her drowsy eyes several times and took a nap at the table.

    Contrary to her concern, she never saw Dn again.

    After staying nervous about his potential reappearance for a week or two, she was relieved that he didn¡¯te back. Of course, he coulde back anytime he decided to, but she decided not to worry about it, as if she intended to erase his existence from her mind.

    Thanks to that, she was having a peaceful day everyday since then.

    But she wasn¡¯t really peaceful deep down because she recalled what Dn had told her with respect to his past.

    She sometimes thought about Earl Hazlet, his wife, and Francis who did the dirty trick of separating her from Dn and their wicked actions. On such asions, she couldn¡¯t stand putting up with her raging anger, so she had to gulp down cold water.

    She deliberately tried not to recall the members of the Earl Hazlet family. Of course, she hated them. Although she hated them, she couldn¡¯t allow her resentment of them to ruin her daily life.

    She didn¡¯t want to value anything worthless, so she tried to forget the mean and disgusting things the earl¡¯s family had done to her. Her hard memories of what she had suffered at the Hazlet mansion ironically helped her to deal with her anger against them. She steeled her heart more firmly than she thought possible.

    As a result, her daily life was peaceful.

    Except for Benfork¡¯s singing love songs every night and the hike in the price of Montrapi bread, there was nothing that bothered her daily life. Compared with her life just a few months ago, her life these days was so peaceful.

    Yet, she couldn¡¯t go to sleep at night.

    She tried a few cups of chamomile tea that helped her sleep better to no avail.

    After counting up to the thousandth sheep, she tossed and turned in bed, but she still couldn¡¯t fall asleep easily.

    When she couldn¡¯t sleep easily, she habitually approached the window and stared at her neighbor¡¯s window through the dim dawn. Her actions were meaningless. Rather than making her feel sleepy, she found herself wide awake. Unable to calm down her troubled heart, she crouched and buried herself in the bed.

    Her sleepless nightsted until she felt drowsy at the shop almost everyday.

    Suffering from insomnia, she barely kept her heavy eyelids open. Pressing on the eyelids, she drank a ss of water.

    ¡®Can I ovee insomnia if I feel exhausted?¡¯

    Today, she decided that she would close the store early and stop by Rainey Forest and River Burtuwat nearby. She also vowed that she would collect nts and do the experiments that she had dyed for a long time.

    She quickly cleaned up in the shop and changed intofortable work clothes, packing sturdy leather boots suitable for walking in the rough woods. The sun was still high in the sky when she came out of the shop with a pack of Montrapi bread wrapped in paper and a canteen .

    Unlike her lonely shop, the streets were noisy and crowded with people. The day before had been the emperor¡¯s birthday, all the ces in the empire were full of festive atmosphere. That¡¯s why she had to deliver more flowers to her customers than usual in the morning.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86: Chapter 86 Yellow green certainly turns green (5)

    Just like she did around this time every year, she saw lots of customersing to her shop, starting the next afternoon. As there were all kinds of customers including those in love, who confessed their love in a festive atmosphere, tomorrow would be the red letter day for a florist girl like Wendy because she sold more flowers that day than any other day of the year.

    While she was trying to move, she inadvertently looked back at the sudden loud noise.

    People looked at the same ce at the same time. It seemed that the noise started from the corner of the alley.

    ¡®Is there a fight going on?¡¯

    She tilted her head then headed for her destination, forgetting about the noise.

    She felt tired from her toes because of the tight leather boots that she hadn¡¯t worn in a long time, she frowned at her wrong choice of the boots, so she squatted down and loosened the boots slightly. Right at that moment a shadow covered her body.

    Looking up casually, she saw a strange man standing in front of her.

    She looked puzzled because the man was looking down at her with a serious expression.

    ¡°¡­? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ You are Wendy, right? ¡± She froze the moment he mentioned her name. As she sprang to her feet and stared at him sharply, he said, ¡°There is someone who wants to meet you. Will youe with me for a moment? ¡±

    It was a gentle tone, but his attitude itself was high-handed.

    ¡°¡­Can you tell me who he is? ¡± She spoke, examining the stranger¡¯s dress carefully. Though he was dressed inly, she knew at a nce that his clothes was made of luxurious materials. ncing at the sword on his waist, she sized him up as if to check his strong build. Given his costume and aristocratic attitude, she guessed that the man was a noble or an imperial knight.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you here. As he is waiting for you not far from here, I would appreciate it if you woulde with me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are trying to want me to meet, but I was on my way in a hurry because I had an appointment. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t meet him now.¡±

    ¡°Your refusal is not allowed. Pleasee with me,¡± the man firmly said, frowning.

    She reluctantly nodded, looking around at the lonely street briefly. Only then did the man rx.

    When she was about to follow him, she turned around and began to run quickly.

    Embarrassed, the man quickly caught up and grabbed her arm. Immediately, she tightened her arm on the other side and struck him in his face with her elbow.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Let go of me!¡±

    When he fell and curled up, hit hard by her, she twisted her arm from his hand and ran with all her might. Her heart was pounding hard. As the man never expected to be beaten by a woman, he couldn¡¯t do anything else, helplessly watching her disappear.

    The sound of her running away rang loudly, causing dry dust on the street to lift into the air.

    The moment she thought she ranpletely away from the man, she screamed when the man grabbed one of her arms hard. No matter how fast she ran, she could not run faster than him.

    ¡°Let me go! Why are you holding me?!¡±

    Screaming at the top of her voice, she tried to shake off his hand. A pedestrian passing by from a distance stopped and looked at them to check what¡¯s going on.

    The man whispered to her with an embarrassed expression. Listening to his murmuring voice, she stared at him with astonishment and asked, ¡°How can I trust you?¡±

    ¡°You have no choice today. It¡¯s up to you to believe me or not, but I will escort you by all means.¡¯

    She stared at him fiercely. She again raised her hand not held by him in a threatening manner. Stunned, he quickly grabbed her hand. This time his grip was harder, as if he couldn¡¯t treat her softly. She gave up the idea of defending herself because he was not to be beaten with her self-defense skills.

    ¡°It hurts!¡± Wendy screamed.

    As she shouted loudly, he loosened his grip on her hand a bit, but he was on alert, still holding it tightly.

    ¡°Please follow me.¡±

    She was angry, but calmed down, looking at one of his cheeks, which was beginning to swell.

    A littleter she stood at the entrance of an alley out of town. Amon wagon stood obliquely ahead of them. When one of the three men standing before the carriage saw Wendy and the man, he knocked on the carriage door.

    Led by the man, she stood in front of the wagon. As if to memorize the faces of the three men who surrounded the carriage, she noticed that one of them was familiar.

    He was knight Jonathan who tried to escort her back home at Lard¡¯s order at the Rajabude Museum. Jonathan quickly turned his head away from her when she examined the dirt on his ck clothes with a suspicious expression.

    Was it because of his aching cheek? He let go of her hand a bit roughly as if he had bad feelings toward her. She immediately turned on him with daggers in her eyes, staring at him.

    ¡°Sir Fidon, what¡¯s wrong with your face?¡±

    She quickly turned her head to the owner of the voice from the wagon and looked at him.

    ¡°No way¡­did the woman here beat you like that? ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Hahahahaha, you don¡¯t have to feel sorry. Yes, yes. Wendy, you never let me down. Don¡¯t stand like that ande on inside.¡±

    She reluctantly got on the carriage. As soon as the man called Fidon closed the wagon, there was silence inside the wagon.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m honored to greet you, Crown Prince.¡±

    Wendy greeted him awkwardly. As she was dressed in pants, she looked funny when she greeted him.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Have a seat there. You must have been surprised as I called you here suddenly.

    I guess I can size you up when you beat Sir Fidon¡¯s face like that. Ha ha ha ha ha.¡±

    Prince Isaacughed merrily as if he was excited.

    ¡°Are you on a secret inspection tour? I never thought I would see you outside the Imperial Pce,¡± she said, ncing at the crown prince dressed in in clothes.

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t say it¡¯s a secret inspection tour, but it would be more appropriate to describe my actions as an attempt to kidnap you.¡±

    The carriage began to move as soon as the prince finished talking. She grabbed the carriage¡¯s seat as if she felt nervous about its shaking suddenly.

    ¡°You can rx. Am I not the crown prince of this country? Don¡¯t ever think I¡¯m going to do something unscrupulous to you. Ha ha ha ha ha.¡±

    Prince Isaac spoke, looking at her mischievously. She became more nervous.

    ¡°The price of Montrapi bread has gone up high. As high as fourteen times. Does it make any sense? I think I see the resentment lurking in theirughter. Maybe they might rise up and charge toward the pce, armed with weapons, in the near future.¡±

    The prince murmured, looking at the people outside the window nkly.

    ¡°Do you know how many people are leading miserable lives in this country? If you walk toward the Psis area, there are many wretched people living out there. Have you ever been there? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, not yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been there several times. It¡¯s a smelly and dreadful ce.¡±

    ¡°Is there any connection between me and what you have said now? ¡± She asked coldly.

    She had no interest in the prince¡¯s actions, who came out to check the lives of the people.

    She was only interested in the reason why he was trying to scare her.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s relevant. In the broader context, it¡¯s very relevant. ¡±

    He spoke, grasping his light chocte curly hair with one hand.

    ¡°I want to change their lives.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°I want to change their poor lives, who are helplessly fated to pass down their poverty to their offspring.¡±

    ¡°Why is that rted to me?¡±

    ¡°The disease and insects of the Montrapie area are spreading north. Do you know why the price went up so high when the crop of Montrapi bread was the same asst year? Is it because their Montrapi farming this year was ruined this year? Oh, of course that might be one of the reasons. But the decisive reason is that some crazy guys aren¡¯t hesitating to monopolize the supply of the Montrapi bread. Even the taxes set by the imperial family, and the right purchase price for the farmers, are totally ignored by them.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°They are above thews of the empire. It¡¯s been a while since the government¡¯s efforts to stabilize the prices failed. The price of losing Baltazar in the war with Carloen was harsh to the imperial family. The imperial family lost power. Although we btedly recovered Baltazar, we didn¡¯t fully regain our original imperial power. The power of the aristocrats reached everywhere like a dense. Even if we tried to crack down on those nobles seeking to maximize their interests by manipting the price of Montrapi, we had to be content with cutting off some of their tails. Don¡¯t look at me like that. As a member of the imperial family, I¡¯m so ashamed.¡±

    Prince Isaac frowned and shook his head.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87: Chapter 87 Yellow green certainly turns green (6)

    ¡°I realized how important it was to bnce power. So, I intend to distribute some of the power of the empire to those poor people, ¡± he stammered, groping at the window of the wagon.

    Wendy, following his gaze and looking at the people beyond the window, still couldn¡¯t understand why he told her all this.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I really can¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    ¡°Wendy, kidnapping you is my first step toward achieving the goal. Oh, you don¡¯t have to feel nervous like that. I know my choice is an honorable thing for you. Ahaha, I would be more than happy if you could just enjoy watching how this will unfold!¡±

    She swallowed though her mouth was dry, watching the mischievous princeughing heartily.

    Basically, she just felt like she was talking to herself. She was unsure about how to ovee the situation.

    The carriage was running and running before it finally stopped. There was a knock on the carriage door, and the door opened.

    She got out of the carriage with the prince and quickly noticed that she was inside the pce. She saw the magnificent ivory pce in front of her. It was a building with delicate cross-shaped columns and arched elongated windows.

    ¡°It took a long time for us to get around the town ande back. I feel exhausted,¡± the prince said, reaching out to her.

    ¡°Let me escort you. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°I am embarrassed to be escorted as I am dressed like this.¡±

    Pretending not to respect her refusal, the prince took her hand.

    ¡°Wendy, you need to be intimate with me. Won¡¯t you open your heart to me when Ipose a waltz for you? Man, it¡¯s so hard. I can guess how hard Sir Schroder is trying to win over your heart.¡±

    She barely held back the urge to refute his words and followed him.

    After a long walk along the endless rows of pirs, she saw the northern wing of the Imperial Pce. When she was escorted into the building, there was a beautiful room decorated with golden curtains, white marble and colored tiles.

    ¡°If they decorate it from now on, they can finish it on time. See youter. ¡±

    Prince Isaac quickly left after escorting her into the room. Unable to hide her embarrassment, she stammered, ¡°Your Majesty!¡±

    Turning to her at her urgent calling, the prince ordered Jonathan, who was standing at a distance.

    ¡°Oh, hey, Sir Jonathan Rankin. Just keep carrying your unfinished mission. Keep this ce thoroughly until Ie back, so that this beautifuldy can stay safely here¡­.Oh, you¡¯ll have to put off reporting to your boss for a while. ¡±

    After making an embarrassed look briefly, Jonathan replied loudly that he would follow the prince¡¯s order.

    That evening she stood in front of the mirror with a fatigued expression. She was putting on a dark green dress with a round neckline and a wide skirt.

    Dressed up with the help of pce maids, resigned to the situation, she let out a sigh as soon as they left the room. Knight Jonathan, standing at the door, turned his head at her sigh. When his eyes met hers, he blushed as if he was embarrassed.

    ¡°¡­ Aren¡¯t you a member of the 1st Imperial Knights Division? Why are you here standing by the prince?¡± Wendy asked, looking at him nkly.

    ¡°¡­ Oh, I was carrying out his order,¡± he replied after hesitating for a while.

    ¡°I wonder how you could carry out his order, dressed like that. I don¡¯t think he ordered you to kidnap me, right?¡± She asked, seeing his in clothes stained with dirt.

    ¡°Of course not! Captain Lard was concerned only about your safety. Kidnap you? No way!¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, were you carrying out his order only rted to my safety?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Did you tussle with somebody? You need to beat the dirt off your clothes.¡±

    She spoke, recalling the noise that she had heard while leaving her shop in the morning. She picked up the handkerchief on the end table and walked to the table where the kettle was ced. After dipping it in water, she gave it to him.

    ¡°Like me, you are trapped here. ¡±

    Seeing him standing without receiving the handkerchief, she frowned as if she felt sorry.

    ¡°You had a fight with the prince¡¯s henchmen while keeping an eye on me, right?¡±

    At her question, he suddenly raised his head.

    ¡°Is it because of the incident involving Altarin? I wonder why he gave you such an order to protect me¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just because of Altarin.¡±

    At that moment, she heard Prince Isaac¡¯s voice outside the open door. He came into the room with a bright smile. Following him were the young maid responsible for her dress and makeup, as well as Sir Fidon, whose cheek was ck and blue.

    ¡°There has been some troublesome stuff at the Imperial Pce these days. As a result, there are some who feel resentment against Sir Schroder. It¡¯s a pity that he has made enemies. Well, that old-fashioned Schroder is really serious about your safety.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She recalled Lard¡¯s wordsst month. He said he had a hard time at the political meetings. Since then, she hadn¡¯t seen him for several weeks. Did he start sending security to protect her on that day? She wondered what made him nervous.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re beautiful. I think green goes well with you, as I expected. ¡±

    Prince Isaac looked at her in a green dress.

    ¡°Oh, by the way. Her dress is bigger than I thought it would be,¡± he said, looking at her breasts.

    She frowned at his rude gaze. She heard the maid standing in the back making an excuse with an embarrassed voice.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, Your Majesty. I¡¯ve fixed the dress as best I could¡­¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to say that to embarrass her. ¡±

    Isaac waved his hand. Wendy grinded her teeth.

    ¡°You look great, Your Majesty, but it looks like the trouser cuffs are a bit long, ¡± Wendy said, looking at his lower body.

    ¡°Ahahaha! Really? I think I have to have it fixed as best as possible. ¡±

    Isaac smiled cheerfully and reached out to her again.

    ¡°Well, shall we go then?¡±

    She opened her mouth, staring at his hand with a perplexed expression. She had no intention to follow his wishes.

    ¡°My lord, I really can¡¯t¡­! ¡±

    ¡°Wendy, my hand extended to you is not a request, but an order.¡±

    The prince spoke with a smile. He didn¡¯t hide his feelings at the moment.

    She was speechless for a while. Something like cold feelings filled her heart.

    The Pyoseina Pce, where they arrived, was full of colorful lights and noise.

    She grasped the hem of her dress as if she was nervous, while listening to the music flowing out of the banquet room.

    The eve of the emperor¡¯s birthday party was held in a more liberal atmosphere than the main banquet. Without any special call, the two entered the banquet hall. When the prince entered, they bent their knees and bowed to him. Wendy stepped next to the prince and took a breath awkwardly.

    Although she followed the prince like a kite knotted to a string, there was a man standing at the end of the line, who she had been thinking of all along. She shut her mouth because she felt like she would say something deep inside.

    ¡°Oh, Sir Schroder!¡± The prince shouted with joy when he saw Lard. He didn¡¯t show due manners to the prince. She had never seen his expression so scary before.

    ¡°I have brought your partner here. Oh, you don¡¯t have to feel happy.¡±

    The prince spoke,ughing like a boy. Obviously, he made that expression on purpose.

    He gazed at Wendy, then dropped his head with a slight sigh. Looking at the prince again, he opened his mouth heavily, ¡°If you insist on promoting her and me as the shield of your new agenda, I think I have to repay you.¡±

    He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, who was standing by the prince.

    His grip on her hand was polite and firm.

    ¡°No, no. What are you doing now? You know I am not that type of man. Stop saying anything that¡¯s not ttering to me! I just wanted to get rid of this thick mist all over the ce.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I mean you guys¡¯ rtionship¡­I know you want to protect her, but I need to be assured about the exact status of your rtionship. It is very important to make people clearly know your rtionship. Only that way can you keep standing by my side. The clearer the goal, the better I can carry out my agenda,¡± the prince whispered.

    Although Lard asked bitterly, he knew the prince trusted him fully, ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me, Your Majesty?¡±

    And the prince was well aware that Lard was not the type of man who would betray him. Lard frowned as if he felt migraine. He easily sized up the prince¡¯s strategy. No matter what, the prince was intent on bringing the attention of the nobles to the two with respect to his agenda on the new hiring system.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88: Chapter 88 Yellow green certainly turns green (7)

    Lard¡¯s efforts to silence the rumors about his rtionship with Wendy were quickly overshadowed by the prince. In a situation where her identity could be revealed at any time, he could never wee the prince¡¯s moves. If her status was exposed, the rtionship between them would be a big scandal that would shock the noble society overnight. The nobles¡¯ attention to the new legition on the new hiring system that the prince was pushing forward would naturally shift. The Engre faction would also pay attention to their rtionship. Of course, they would certainly be wary of the new legition in the context of the rtionship between the two.

    ¡°I trust you. I just don¡¯t want the situation to change. Let me be responsible for her safety, so don¡¯t worry. ¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t let you do that,¡± Lard said coldly and pulled Wendy closer to him.

    ¡°Take it easy, man. She seems to be surprised.¡±

    The prince looked at her, pretending to act like a gentleman.

    ¡°You made a big mistake today. You made me angrier today than you did when you threw a sword at me a long time ago.¡±

    Lard, speaking with a suppressed voice, pulled Wendy along with him and turned away.

    The moment they were about to leave, they heard a bright voice that did not suit the atmosphere.

    ¡°Oh! Who is this? You must be Sir Schroder, right? ¡±

    A woman with a bright smile walked towards them andughed dly, looking at Lard and Wendy alternately. The woman in a pearly elegant dress was holding a little baby in her arms. The blue-haired man who followed her also looked at Wendy and Lard with a surprised expression.

    ¡°Edmonds was right when he said there was an extraordinary scandal!¡±

    The man who followed her rebuked her, clearing his throat, ¡°Marian, it¡¯s discourteous if you say that in front of them like that.¡±

    The woman smiled with an elegant expression and asked for her understanding, ¡°Oh, forgive me if you were offended. I was so delighted to see you that I forgot¡­¡±

    ¡°Sister, can¡¯t you see your younger brother¡¯s face here? I feel sad as you only care about these two,¡± the prince said with a grumbling voice.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be interested if you brought a beautiful girl like this woman.¡±

    The woman called Marian told him off with a scornful gaze at her brother.

    At that moment, the baby in her arms whined and cried. She instinctively dandled her baby with a perplexed expression.

    ¡°Oh, Asharon seems to have been surprised to see lots of people suddenly. Ma¡¯am, can you help me? I think I should bring my baby to a quiet ce. I hope there are not so many people in the women¡¯s lounge¡­¡± she said kindly, looking at Wendy.

    Lard opened his mouth as if to refuse, but couldn¡¯t, because the baby was crying more loudly.

    Signalling to Wendy with his eyes, she walked first. Wendy nodded to Lard, as if she was okay, then reluctantly followed her. As they moved, several knights suddenly appeared and walked behind them. Wendy nced at them quickly and fixed her eyes on the crying baby¡¯s face.

    Fortunately, there were no people in the women¡¯s lounge because the banquet had just begun.The knights stepped in and looked around the lounge before going out to remain on standby at the door.

    Marian asked Wendy to bring a nket folded on one side of the lounge. As the baby never ceased crying and continued to move, she had a hard time humoring the baby girl.

    ¡°I¡¯m still clumsy in humoring my baby. I wish Asharon was milder, but she is stubborn.¡±

    Marian smiled shyly. Wendy wrapped the nket around the baby and smiled reluctantly.

    ¡°Sorry for asking for your help suddenly¡­ As the moods of the three were not good, I led you here on purpose. I¡¯ve never seen Sir Schroder make such an expression. My heart sank because I felt you might be in big trouble if I let you two go away like that. I wanted the prince and Sir Schroder to talk a little bit more. I just want Edmonds to mediate between them well. ¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Isaac¡­ The crown prince is still poor at managing rtionships with people. But he¡¯s very good at hiding things. If he made a mistake, please generously understand him.¡±

    The baby¡¯s crying subsided. Wendy tried to think about how to respond before saying, ¡°How can I dare judge him?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Isaac is very interested in you. He has sometimes told me about you. I hear you run a flower shop, right? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    The princess knew Wendy¡¯s status. It was not surprising that the prince knew her identity. She was ready from the moment he ordered Sir Fidon to forcibly bring her to him.

    She couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of conversation he had with Marian, but she thought Marian might know more about her than she thought.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much you know, but the prince¡¯s interest in you isn¡¯t just for his efforts to get Sir Schroder¡¯s help. Apart from theplex politics¡­ he has a very good feeling about you. That¡¯s why he offered the noble title to the winner of the hunting contest at the Brugonu forest.

    I don¡¯t think he wanted to involve you in his agenda from the beginning. I¡¯m very positive about that. ¡±

    Wendy stood silent and looked into Princess Marian¡¯s brown eyes.

    ¡°I was not sure if I could say this. But when I looked at the expression of the three people a little while ago, I felt I could not ignore it anymore. ¡±

    Marian paused for a moment and moved her lips up and down as if she tried to find the right words.

    ¡°¡­ This morning, I received a letter threatening Asharon. It was not a simple threat¡­.It¡¯s because of the political agenda he has been pushing for. He has enacted legition that allowsmoners to take office without discrimination. It¡¯s already been passed at the State Council level. It is now waiting for the emperor¡¯s approval and promulgation.¡±

    Wendy stared at the baby¡¯s face, who now stopped crying, when she heard the phrase ¡®threatening letter.¡¯

    ¡°I and Edmonds were already prepared because we knew his agenda was dangerous. But I never expected my baby girl would be the target¡­¡±

    Marian couldn¡¯t finish her words and carefully touched the child¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Is that the reason why he has brought me here?¡± Wendy asked.

    ¡°¡­ Yes, the emperor needs fifteen days to approve the bill under the imperialw, so the prince wanted to distract him by all means until then. I¡¯m really sorry. ¡±

    ¡°I think I know why Sir Schroder mentioned something like a shield¡­¡±

    Wendy rubbed her dry lips with her hand. She couldn¡¯t feel the need to get angry as she felt the princes¡¯ move was too outrageous.

    ¡°Even though he knew that he might lose his biggest ally, namely Sir Schroder, he tried to protect his family by all means¡­ Maybe you might think him so selfish¡­¡±

    Marian lowered her head with a light smile.

    Wendy responded heavily, ¡°¡­ I just don¡¯t know what to say. ¡±

    That¡¯s all she could say other than silence. She suddenly felt tired.

    ¡°He won¡¯t put you at risk. Of course, Sir Schroder won¡¯t tolerate that even before I act¡­¡±

    As if she knew she was now trying tofort Wendy with poor excuses, Marian finished her words with a feeble voice.

    ¡°¡­Is he going to reveal that I am amoner? ¡±

    ¡°No, he won¡¯t do that.¡±

    Wendy couldn¡¯t believe it. If he wanted to promote her as a perfect shield, there would be no reason for him to hesitate to identify her because, by doing so, he could draw the attention of those who sent the threatening letter. It was probably part of the prince¡¯s n to bring her to the party here today. She felt his next move might be to expose her full identity on the asion of the emperor¡¯s birthday.

    ¡°I knew he was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t stop him. I¡¯m ashamed even to say sorry to you. I know how pressured both of you would feel today.¡±

    Hugging her baby in her arms, Marian¡¯s eyes welled with tears.

    They were false tears. She seemed to be holding her baby desperately. Wendy knew they were also the scapegoats of unreasonable circumstances. Although she was like a pawn on a chessboard to be sacrificed by them, she did not want to make the foolish judgement about which of them was put in a more tragic situation.

    ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine how big a load I have on my shoulders, but I¡¯m just an ordinary woman who runs a small flower shop. I don¡¯t know much about the legition that the prince is pushing for, and I really don¡¯t understand why I should be involved in it against my will.¡±

    The baby was breathing smoothly now. She was trying to protect her baby girl with all her might. Wendy stared at her with mixed feelings.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ But I think I can understand your sincerity about protecting somebody. I think the prince and you felt the same way. Even if I can¡¯t agree with his method, I understand it, ¡± said Wendy with a bitter smile.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89: Chapter 89 Yellow green certainly turns green (8)

    She recalled her mother¡¯s blurry face when she was suffering from high fever as a child.

    Why did she ovep her memory with the princess? Wendy could not me the princess, but it didn¡¯t mean that she could tolerate the prince¡¯s efforts to try to use her and Lard just because she didn¡¯t me him now.

    The two sat silently for a while. Princess Marian stood up only when Asharon, who was asleep, trembled as if she had convulsions.

    ¡°In fact, it was really hard for me toe over here today. I couldn¡¯t help but show myself here to celebrate my father¡¯s birthday. As I was too anxious to leave Asharon to someone else at my mansion, I had no choice but to carry her in my arms here¡­ I think you can go back now. Would you like to go back together?¡±

    She left the women¡¯s lounge and walked down the hallway back to the banquet hall. On her way back, she was lost in thought. She found herself involved in dangerous things even before she knew it. It was not easy even if she tried to understand the situation logically.

    And it might not make sense to try to judge the absurd situation logically.

    She had toe up with the best solution she could find. But was there such a thing?

    Suddenly she recalled Lard¡¯s face. His gray eyes and sparkling pupils clearly lingered in her mind. Like the wind blowing by the river, she was swayed byplicated thoughts.

    What would he say to her right at this moment?

    ¡°I really want you and Sir Schroder to have a good rtionship. Of course, the prince is of the same mind. After I talked with you today, I really hope so from the bottom of my heart.¡± Marian spoke, patting Asharon¡¯s back. The baby twisted as if she was surprised by the noise of the banquet hall.

    ¡°In fact, my rtionship with Sir Schroder¡­¡±

    The moment Wendy was trying to rify her rtionship with Lard, she breathed in without finishing her words, as if she was stunned.

    It was because she inadvertently saw some familiar faces.

    Various thoughts thatplicated her mind a little while ago disappeared at once. She was trembling with astonishment.

    She saw several familiar faces in front of the table with champagne on one side of the banquet hall. She didn¡¯t want to see their faces again. Their shadows overwhelmed her as if they were burning out all the lights of the gorgeous chandelier. Their red hair only filled the darkness.

    Wendy moaned unconsciously. She felt some pain as if her fingertips were indiscriminately pierced by the thorns hidden between the bushes.

    Mrs. Hazlet was introducing Francis to somebody with a feigned smile. Francis was smiling shyly, she looked more slender but more mature than Wendy saw herst time.

    ¡°Are you okay? You look a bit pale¡­¡± Marian asked Wendy, seeing her face turning white.

    ¡°Excuse me, please.¡±

    Wendy stepped away, saying goodbye quickly. The moment she turned around, Francis turned her head towards Wendy. Wendy didn¡¯t realize Francis¡¯ red hair was waving toward her.

    Her heart sank, ¡®Did she recognize me?¡¯

    Wendy got so nervous while she was stepping out of the banquet hall. She felt the hem of her dress caught between her legs could not be more cumbersome.

    While walking through the hallway in front of the banquet hall, she hurriedly hid behind a dim column. Her anxiety that Francis might follow made her crazy. She hoped it was groundless fear.

    In the shade of the pir, she breathed out nervously. The moment she was biting her lip in nervousness, she heard the sounds of somebody clicking heels through the hallway. She was in extreme anxiety now.

    A littleter Francis came into her view. Dressed in a colorful dress embroidered on a ck fabric, she kept looking around the hallway. That ck and red color of her dress disturbed Wendy¡¯s eyes.

    Wendy closed her eyes. What should she do if she were caught by Francis, and her identity revealed? Her dark future shed through her mind.

    Was it the right decision for her to remain in the capital? Wasn¡¯t she struggling alone in a fate that she couldn¡¯t escape? Boundless emotional and sober thoughts kept dominating her mind. ¡°Francis!¡±

    Right at that moment, a voice calling her name was heard in Wendy¡¯s ears, who were lost in idle thoughts.

    She could see Francis making an awkward expression, as if she was halfughing and half crying. After hesitating for a moment, he walked away. Francis quickly passed the column in the center and called his name with a trembling voice.

    ¡°Dn!¡±

    Wendy noticed her excitement in the quickening of her steps. Even though she couldn¡¯t see Francis as she was hiding behind the column, she could imagine what kind of expression Francis was making now.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. When I came to the capital, I thought I might meet you, but¡­¡± Francis said bashfully.

    ¡°¡­Yes, it¡¯s been a while since we metst time.¡± Dn replied at a distance from her.

    ¡°How have you been? I heard that you have be an imperial knight. I wanted toe, but you know¡­ I have to be careful about my activities because of our family¡¯s rtionship with Marquis Bahar¡­ ¡± Francis stuttered with difficulty.

    It seemed she found it hard to say something asfortably as she wanted.

    Dn was silent.

    ¡°Today¡¯s prom is kind of a debut ball for me. I know everyone willugh at my debut only now, but I was earnestly waiting for today because I might meet you, Dn¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Would you be with me if you could take time out? If you were with me, I think it would be a great leg up for me¡­¡± Her voice trembled.

    ¡°I see you are working now¡­ If it¡¯s your debut ball, you shouldn¡¯t be away for a long time. Just go back now. ¡± Dn said with a monotonous tone.

    ¡°I have a lot to speak with you about. Can I see you for a moment after work?¡±

    ¡°As you know, we¡­¡± Dn said, cutting her off. ¡°You know you and I are not close enough to exchange greetings informally.¡±

    His voice was cold and relentless. Francis, who didn¡¯t speak for a long time at his decisive refusal, quickly turned and ran down the hallway. Wendy looked at her running toward the banquet hall, holding her breath in the dark.

    As she saw Francis disappearing, with her red hair swaying from side to side, she felt her heartbeat was slowing down gradually. A sigh of relief came out of her mouth.

    ¡°Wendy.¡±

    At that moment, she heard Dn¡¯s low voice right behind her.

    Wendy did not realize that her slow heart rate was too hasty. She thought momentarily she heard wrong. Although Dn¡¯s footsteps drew closer and closer, she couldn¡¯t believe it was his voice that called Wendy.

    ¡°¡­! ¡±

    Only when Dn stepped into the narrow, dark space where she hid herself, Wendy realized that she was not wrong. Her slow heart beat pounded hard again.

    ¡°Wendy.¡±

    At a very close distance, he called her name. She instinctively stepped back. She felt the tight texture of the cold column behind her back. He grabbed her arm tenderly when she was pulling it away from him. When she tried to shake off his hand, he held her shoulder with the other hand. They heard people¡¯s footsteps in the distance.

    ¡°Why¡­! ¡±

    ¡°Shh, they are going to hear us.¡± He said, blocking her words.

    ¡°¡­ What are you doing? ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you¡­ What are you up to here? Why are you here? Didn¡¯t you think Francis or anyone else could recognize you easily? ¡± Dn med her.

    ¡°¡­ Thank you for getting Francis away from me. But it¡¯s none of your business. ¡±

    ¡°Did youe here with Captain Schroder? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    Wendy looked up at his troubled face instead of replying. Reading her silence as affirmation, he said with a lower voice, ¡± I don¡¯t know what kind of life you are longing for now. I guess you already know what it means to you if you have a rtionship with the captain, right?¡±

    Wendy sighed at his question.

    ¡°I know what you are worried about¡­ But I don¡¯t want to exin it to you. ¡±

    Dn shut his mouth at her reply and frowned as if he felt sorry.

    ¡°I tried to understand your situation and what you wanted. Even if I understand everything¡­I really cannot understand why you are with him,¡± he said in a dark tone.

    ¡°¡­Well, I don¡¯t want to make you understand me. It¡¯s not important to me whether you understand it or not.¡± She drew a clear line.

    Hearing that, he suddenly became agitated. He shouted with wounded feelings, ¡°Why! Why isn¡¯t that important to you? ¡±

    She looked embarrassed when he got upset suddenly.

    ¡°Even if I have ruined my rtionship with you because of my stupidity, you shouldn¡¯t say that. Do you know how I feel? Can you imagine how miserable I felt over thest two years? How can you try not to think about my wounded heart at all? ¡±

    Dn trembled with unexpected anger. She was speechless, when faced with his resentful eyes.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90: Chapter 90 Don¡¯te to the imperial ball (1)

    ¡°I¡­I tried to understand you, thinking how much you hated me and how much you have misunderstood me. So, I felt you wouldn¡¯t forgive me because you couldn¡¯t trust me anymore¡­ I tried to understand your pain.

    But why have you never tried to understand me? Do you think you alone spent your past days in pain? What about me? Don¡¯t you think I didn¡¯t suffer at all?¡±

    Wendy couldn¡¯t blink. She felt as if all the blood was being drained from her head.

    Dn took a deep breath several times. He seemed to try hard to restrain resentment welling up in his heart. Seeing her embarrassed expression, he closed his eyes as if to mock himself.

    Heavy silence fell over them for a while.

    He carefully removed his hand from her shoulder. He bowed his head as if he tried to control his feelings, and he said feebly, ¡°¡­You can¡¯t go back to the banquet hall, so let me bring Captain Lard here. Wait here¡­¡±

    Wendy lowered her head as she didn¡¯t have the nerve to watch him disappearing into the darkness. The light from the oilmps that lighted the hallway still did not shine into the darkness in which she was hiding.

    She sat down on the spot. She felt emaciated. Dn¡¯s dejected face came to her mind on and off.

    ¡®Have I ever tried to understand him?¡¯

    His pain broke her heart.

    Wendy recalled her work today, with a dry and tired expression like a withered flower.

    A feeble smile came out of her mouth. It was a tiring day. She could not hold her body sinking into the dark. She even wished she would disappear somewhere like a wrecked ship floating on the night sea.

    She heard the sound of someone walking toward her. She was aghast for a long time. At one point, one clear voice was heard loudly in her ears. Wendy¡¯s vision was vaguely blurred like a bent autumn tree.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    At that moment, someone stood in front of her. She looked up with blurred eyes.

    The man was looking down at her, lowering his body. A worried voice came out of his lips.

    ¡°Are you ying hide and seek now?¡±

    Lard reached out to her. Wendy looked at his hand for a while and put her hand on it.

    He raised her up quickly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back now.¡± He said with an expression of anguish and conflict.

    She followed him silently. The light of the oilmp shook with their movement.

    As she stepped out of the building, she felt some violent emotioning up from deep down.

    Unable to determine whether it was sadness or guilt, she was distressed for reasons that she didn¡¯t know. She kept lowering her head, as if she didn¡¯t want him to notice her troubled mind. ¡°What happened?¡±

    When she reached the staircase past the long corridor, he asked the question he had been holding back until then. But she shook her head a couple of times, with her head down, counting the numerous steps.

    ¡°As you did note back for a while, I went to the female lounge¡­I really regretted sending you away with her¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve worried you.¡±

    ¡°I met Sir Dn Lennox. He told me where you are. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ I think I¡¯m beholden to him, ¡± she said with a gloomy expression.

    Although Lard seemed to ask her much more, he shut up, trying to put up with that. He fixed his eyes on her wet eyes, which turned red like the ming sunset.

    When she came out of the building, the cool night air blew over her skin. She stroked her arm, as if she was touching the seam of the old sleeve. A leaf from an old oak tree that endured for a long timended on her feet. She walked away after looking at the cracks in the leaf quietly.

    The two headed across the corridor to the ce where the carriage was waiting. There was a loud noise of the people chattering with wine sses with faraway fountain brightly lit.

    While the two walked along, people were smiling and chattering on the benches here and there.

    ¡°¡­I told you so! Ahaha, As this is the direct import from Soperanin, you never know good quality it is. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, As you say so, I really would like to see that.¡±

    As the two passed by them who were chattering in a merry mood, they shut up at the same time. Only after the two walked away from them a little farther did they resume talking.

    ¡°You are Sir Schroder, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Is this the same woman as the one in the rumor right now?¡± One of the men asked with a low voice. Although they talked carefully and quietly with a low voice, she could hear them all.

    ¡°Yes, she is the same woman I saw at the title awarding ceremony recently.

    They say nobody knew which family she was from. Another rumor has it that she is not a noblewoman¡­¡±

    As their chattering continued, Lard looked back and cast a fierce nce at them.

    Their conversation stopped again.

    ¡°Ahahaha¡­ Shall we go back now? ¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    They hurriedly went back to the banquet hall. Lard said in a quiet voice, once again staring at the disappearing people, ¡°I feel heavy because I think I¡¯ve involved you in imperial stuff.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve heard something about it from the princess. I hear she received a threatening letter. ¡±

    ¡°Edmonds said the same thing, too. But they can¡¯t take it as a cause to draw you into their matters.¡± He said resolutely.

    ¡°Do you think this would put me at risk?¡±

    At her question, he stared at her with a gloomy expression.

    ¡°I am not so sure. Those who oppose the bill could threaten you to force me to be on their side¡­But I will not tolerate it. I can reassure you that nobody will hurt you. ¡±

    She nodded once, hiding her pained heart. He looked at her with a lonely expression as if he read her mind.

    She heard the horses whinnying nearby. When she moved a few steps further, she arrived at a ce where the carriages of nobles were lined up. Noticing his mastering, Lard¡¯s horseman quickly ran to him.

    As she moved to the wagon, escorted by him, there was the ttering of a horse. A littleter, there was a wagon passing through the entrance. It was ate guest.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡±

    The wagon stopped in front of the two. The shape of an eagle flying up grasping a small beast with its ws was painted on the wagon door. It was the symbol of the Engre family.

    A man with a sharp expression got out of the wagon, as if he was determined to do something.

    Given that he had a solid build with a sword, he looked like a knight under Engre.

    Then a middle-aged man dressed in an old-fashioned taupe suit got out of the carriage.

    His hair was gray, and his eyes looked good.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to see you here, Sir Schroder.¡±

    He approached the two with a friendly smile. It was a smile that would appeal to anyone.

    ¡°Sir Engre!¡± Lard greeted him, moving ahead of Wendy.

    ¡°I think I amte, though I tried my best not to bete. Are you leaving already? Why are you in a hurry? I hope you could enjoy the party a little longer.¡±

    ¡°I enjoyed it enough,¡± he replied shortly. His attitude toward Engre was cold.

    ¡°The woman behind you¡­.Is she your partner? I want to say hello. ¡±

    ¡°I felt so unwell that I was going to leave. You can say helloter,¡± Lard said, blocking his sight.

    ¡°¡­As you refuse, I can¡¯t say hello. Have a good night then! ¡±

    A sly smile appeared on the face of Duke Auguste Engre. Lard narrowed his eyes and nced at him sharply.

    Right at the moment there was a big earthshaking st through the corridors of the banquet hall. Lots of dust was seen rising from the banquet building. At the same time people screamed here and there.

    When there was a disturbance, Lard instinctively pulled Wendy into his arms.

    Her face was turning white as if she was scared about the screamsing out everywhere.

    His face grew dark instantly. The crown prince was still inside the banquet hall.

    Something creepy shed through his mind.

    With his eye fixed on the banquet hall, he looked at Wendy again. As he couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on now, he couldn¡¯t take her to the center of the turmoil.

    ¡°What the heck is going on? Sir Burleigh, go and check what happened!¡±

    Engre ordered his bodyguard knight. But the knight bowed and said, ¡°I cannot leave you here alone.¡±

    Lard looked down at Wendy with a serious expression after watching the knight having a run-in with his master. Meeting his eyes, she bit her lip as if she decided something, and said, ¡°Please go ahead. You have something to do out there! ¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Come on!¡± She pressed hard.

    At her urging, he nced at Engre¡¯s face. He could not take Engre¡¯s concern about her at face value.

    He couldn¡¯t leave Wendy alone here.

    Maybe the man in front of him was more dangerous than the turmoil out there. He had foreboding that the explosion inside the hall and Duke Engre was very relevant.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave you here!¡±

    After he said that, he grabbed her hand.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91: Chapter 91 Don¡¯te to the imperial ball (2)

    Grabbing her hand, Lard began to run. She breathed out as if surprised.

    The sound of the two running on the road rang into the tense night air.

    The closer they came to the banquet hall, the greater the disturbance was. He smelled a slight smell of gunpowder. He was growing very impatient.

    ¡°Haa¡­.haa¡­¡± Her breathing was rough. While running, holding her big dress, she looked up at him on and off. Feeling her worried gaze, he signalled to her with reassurance.

    Her pale skin seemed visible through her yellow hair falling around her ears.

    After looking at her worried expression, he was a little relieved. If she had felt fear at the moment, it would have been difficult for him to move with her further.

    He turned his head shortly after quickly checking herplexion.

    ¡°It will be fine,¡± he said as if he was trying to calm down her anxiety.

    She breathed out instead of replying.

    As yelling and screaming resonated through the hall, she had sweat on her hand holding his. He felt she was getting more and more tense, so he tightened his grip on her hand.

    When they arrived in front of the pce where the banquet took ce, they saw a cloud of dust scattering behind the building, which overlooked the imperialke, Odot. Schroder followed them as he saw a group of knights running towards it.

    The situation was terrible. The outer wall of the building was torn to pieces, with fragments everywhere. Several people were bleeding among the fallen column debris. Knights and several nobles were dragging them out of the rubble.

    Wendy felt cold in her neck amid the white dust still rising from the rubble.

    ¡°Carry them this way!¡±

    The knights shouted loudly and carried the wounded on one side.

    Watching their faces, Wendy¡¯s eyes trembled. She wondered if Dn was among them, and checked out the people who were injured, but no one was dressed in imperial knight uniform. She felt a great relief after confirming he was not there.

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    At that moment, a lean knight who discovered Lard rushed to him. His ck hair was covered in dust and looked whitish.

    ¡°Where is the prince right now?¡±

    Lard shouted at him even before he approached nearby.

    ¡°His Excellency returned to his pce before the explosion. The princess and her family also left here under the protection of the knights.¡±

    Lard breathed out shortly with a great sense of relief.

    ¡°Did you find who was responsible for the explosion? What is the damage?

    ¡°I haven¡¯t yet found the suspect yet. Fortunately, there were not many people outside the banquet hall as the party had just begun inside the banquet hall. So far, six people have been confirmed to have been wounded. I sent someone to call the royal doctors to treat them. ¡±

    ¡°Has there been any messages from Sir Simuan?¡± Lard asked, recalling that Jean Jacques Simuan and some other knights were deployed to protect and escort the emperor.

    ¡°No, sir.¡±

    The emperor was supposed to appear at the end of the eve party. That meant that the explosion was not aimed at the emperor, to say the least.

    ¡°Send the vanguard party of the 1st Knights to the emperor, so they can help Sir Simuan escort him. Right now, the alert level is the highest risk level. Deploy the security knights to escort the crown prince and the princess, and put all the rest here. Just in case, escort the nobles still inside the banquet hall to the Chessirant Pce, and ce two teams of knights to prevent their agitation.¡±

    Lard also ordered them to move the princess and her family secretly to the Sabrina Pce. He chose that pce on purpose because it had nothing to do with the princess. He had to be conscious of the threatening letter the princess had received.

    ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯ll carry out your order.¡±

    ¡°Immediately find the whereabouts of Captain Hoikin of the 2nd Imperial Knights and bring him here. Double the royal guards around the pce. From this moment on, no one should be allowed to leave the pce. ¡±

    Lard then ordered the imperial pce sealed off to prevent the escape of the suspect.

    The knight nodded at his order and quickly ran out.

    Lard turned his head to Lake Odot shrouded in the darkness. Beyond theke he saw the crown prince¡¯s pce, with its spires pricking up into the sky. He stared at the other side of theke with a heavy heart then turned back to the chaotic scene. The scene of the wounded moaning here and there was like a cold mist.

    None of the injured seemed to be unique enough to catch his eye. The wounded were less influential noblemen in the border areas and their young sons and an attendant.

    ordingly, it was unreasonable to conclude that the explosion didn¡¯t seem to target any particr person.

    ¡®Was it unrted to the prince¡¯s legition on the new hiring system?¡¯

    After thinking for a moment, Lard shook his head.

    He felt it was not rted because the timing was not good. However, the explosion was too radical to be regarded as a simple warning. What did the suspect make such a fuss then?

    Right at the moment he suddenly felt something ominous. His eyebrows were distorted grossly.

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡¯

    ¡°Sir Owen!¡±

    Lard called a knight standing at a distance and ran to him. Given the blue badge on the shoulder, he was a member of the 2nd Imperial Knights.

    Suddenly led by Land as he was running, Wendy breathed in a lot of dust and exhaled a cough.

    ¡°Owen! How many knights escorted the princess¡¯s family? ¡±

    ¡°¡­At the order of the crown princest night, Sir Badge Enos and 20 knights ¡­¡±

    ¡°How many were dispatched to protect the crown prince? Were there additional knights assigned?¡±

    ording to the knight security manual, the Lottea of the 2nd Imperial Knights and 20petent knights were supposed to be assigned to the crown prince in contingencies.

    ¡°Sir Jessie Kressen was just dispatched to select nine knights from the 2nd Imperial Knights. When they join, a total of twenty knights will be on security detainee.¡±

    Lard distorted his face miserably.

    The security force to protect the crown prince was ridiculously weak. If the enemies had targeted the prince from the beginning, the explosion was nothing more than a trick to distract the knights. The same was true of the threatening letter delivered to the princess.

    ¡°Sir Owen, gather ten knights right now and follow me. I¡¯m going to the prince¡¯s pce. ¡±

    As if he sensed Lard¡¯s anxiety, Sir Owen turned back with a gloomy look.

    ¡°Wendy, go to the Chesirant Pce now. Let me send a knight to protect you. You will be safe if you are with other nobles,¡± he said, releasing her hand.

    She raised opposition to his proposal.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a burden to the knights in this situation¡­I¡¯ll be taking care of the injured over there. Don¡¯t worry about me. They need helping hands here, too, ¡± she said, watching the knights carrying the injured.

    ¡°No, move to a safe ce!¡±

    ¡°Captain! We are ready! ¡±

    Sir Owen came back with the knights and shouted at Lard. Lard was interrupted by Owen briefly then looked at Wendy. He was hesitating. But she nodded as if she had no problem.

    ¡°¡­ Sir Gerrard! ¡±

    Lard called the name of the knight that Wendy pointed to. The knight who had just put the wounded down looked at his boss.

    ¡°Thisdy here will help you guys treat the injured¡­Ask this knight for any help.¡±

    After he finished talking in an uneasy tone, he led the knights quickly and left.

    Looking at him disappearing through the dim dust, Wendy shook her head as if toe to her senses. She grabbed an attendant who was running around and asked for the cleanest cloth possible.

    ¡°Are you a doctor?¡± Sir Gerrad asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a doctor, but I can do first aid.¡±

    Fortunately, the wounds of the injured were not deep. She noticed torn and bruised flesh as well as broken bones from the fragments of the broken building, but no one seemed to be directly hit by the explosion.

    Wendy, who agonized whether to use the power of her index finger for a while, decided to wait for the imperial doctors after confirming that their lives were not in danger. She could grow a nt like Bahazman or Venenta, that would help heal the injured quickly, but she didn¡¯t need to take that risk.

    Wendy pulled a long piece of cloth around injured limbs to stop the bleeding of the wounds while looking around. The explosion scene, full of chaos a little while ago, was now getting back to normal gradually thanks to the quick response of the knights. Wendy was busy again, hearing the painful moaning of an injured person.

    ¡°This is a dangerous ce!¡±

    ¡°Just a minute is okay. I just want to check the face of the injured!¡±

    Suddenly, there was a loud quarrel. It was a familiar voice.

    Surprised, Wendy turned her eyes toward the source of the noise while cleaning the wounded area of an injured person. Beyond the rubble, she saw the red hair of a woman who was haggling with the imperial knight. She was Francis Hazlet.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92: Chapter 92 Don¡¯te to the imperial ball (3)

    ¡°If you can¡¯t allow me to enter, please tell me where Sir Dn Lennox is right now! I need to confirm that he is safe!¡± Francis asked about Dn¡¯s whereabouts recklessly. But the knight before her answered in a businesslike manner.

    ¡°It is an emergency situation now. I can¡¯t give you the location of that knight thoughtlessly. As there is no imperial knight among the wounded, please go back with peace of mind.¡±

    Wendy stood up quietly. There was clearly tension in Wendy¡¯s face as she was wary of Francis.

    It looked like she would pass by the knights ande right into the ce where the injured were being treated.

    Right at the moment, Wedny saw three members of the royal medical service, all dressed in dark blue clothes,ing toward the ce in a hurry. While Sir Gerrard rushed to meet them, Wendy carefully stepped out of the copsed building.

    When she hurried to the other side of the scene, several people were pacing up and down outside the building. One of them recognized Wendy and asked aloud. It was a horror-struck voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re Sir Schroder¡¯s partner, right? Do you know what the explosion was about a while ago? Where is Captain Schroder?¡±

    Just like rumors spread fast, his questions attracted the attention of those around him.

    Wendy moved her lips as if embarrassed, and ran quickly, saying she knew nothing.

    She heard him calling her urgently, but she didn¡¯t look back.

    Wendy ran away from them to a lonely road. When left alone, she was scared suddenly, but she felt more secure than being in the crowds. She felt more relieved by trying tofort herself with such thought.

    While wandering on the road for a while, she concluded that it was best to return to the ce where her carriage was stationed.

    Then she heard some men whispering among themselves at a distance. She hid behind the tree, thinking that she might look suspicious if she was seen hanging around near the explosion scene.

    A littleter two men appeared. As they walked around the ce she was standing, their voices were heard more clearly. She could see only one of them from her ce. She just wished they would pass by quickly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make any fuss. I can¡¯t talk with you long here.¡±

    The man that came into her view paused for a moment and said again, ¡°I¡¯m so nervous, man. What did Duke Engre say? I believe he has promised the safety of our family, right? ¡±

    ¡°Of course. He will never forget your loyal actions today. So, keep yourself low. Please refrain from asking for a meeting with Duke Engre for the time being. You shouldn¡¯t repeat what you did today.¡±

    ¡°I did it because I was not so sure¡­ let me refrain myself.¡±

    As she heard an unfamiliar name, Wendy listened to their conversation more carefully. If that person was Engre, was he the man that Lard encountered a little while ago? She recalled the middle-aged man with a gentle impression when he got out of a carriage. Apparently Lard called him Duke Engre.

    ¡°¡­! ¡±

    At the moment the man, who made the other man feel timid, turned his head back as if to look around carefully. She noticed his strong impression with sharp eyes even in the dark. She could immediately find out that he was the knight who was with Duke Engre.

    Fortunately, the man continued to walk away without finding Wendy. It wasn¡¯t until long after they disappeared that she got out from behind the treefortably. She felt their conversation was very suspicious. Who was the other man who talked to the knight? Maybe he was rted to the explosion.

    As she saw and heard so many shocking events so suddenly, she was full of all kinds of spection in her head. Soon, she shook her head. She had no time to hang around. She couldn¡¯t stay here any longer.

    Wendy looked around as if she were measuring the distance. In the distance, she could see ake shimmering in the moonlight through the trees. Unlike the scary image of the Imperial Pce, the calm water was slowly flowing in theke. She went a little closer towards it.

    She saw a building with a steeple not far away. It was the same building she saw at the explosion site. From the location of the building, she noticed that she was walking far above the scene of the ident. If she walked back without drawing people¡¯s attention, she could go back to her carriage.

    Wendy was just about to turn back when the birds swarming around theke flew at once.

    There were gentle waves on the water when the birds suddenly flew into the sky.

    Boom, boom!

    While staring at the irregr sparkles of the river, she froze at the roaring noise that hit her eardrum. A frightening explosion was heard everywhere.

    The vibration came a bitte. A few seconds after the explosion, one of the spires of the building copsed. Even in the darkness she saw the dense dust from the copsed building.

    Holding her breath, she stared at the traces of the destroyed steeple.

    ¡°¡­Oh, no!¡±

    She repeated it unconsciously as if she was bewitched. Soon she started running along theke like crazy. She didn¡¯t know what she was afraid of. She just ran and ran.

    She knew Lard headed to the prince¡¯s pce, but she didn¡¯t know where the pce was.

    She had no conviction that the building with the broken spire was the prince¡¯s pce. Her anxiety grew out of control and struck her like a roaring roar. She remembered that Lard had long looked at the spire before leaving her. She wished his gaze was meaningless.

    When the copsed building was now visible in her eyes, she was choked with emotions. Part of the building around the spire strangely copsed. It was very simr to the explosion at the banquet hall.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    Wendy fell t on her face in the grass. Her shoe had broken and flew away. Raising her body without feeling even pain, she ripped the hem of her dress.

    She divided the torn cloth into two pieces and wrapped one on each foot. Because of her trembling hand, the knot got entangled, which made her nervous.

    Suddenly, she recalled the knot that Lard had shown her before. The images of Lard who taught her kindly how to untie the knot came to her mind and soon disappeared. She wished she had learned how to tie the knot, too. She felt something hot rising from her heart.

    Standing up with her sore legs, she started running again, throwing away her shoes. She was approaching the pce quickly.

    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡±

    Standing in front of the copsed steeple, she turned her head in search of any person. Good or bad, there was no person around her. The broken and torn building looked bleak, mingled with bluish moonlight and dust.

    ¡°Is there anybody here?¡± She screamed as if trying to dispel the fear.

    Although she was scared about meeting an unknown enemy, her sense of duty that she could save someone facing death there made her ovee fear and shout. But there was no reply to her screaming.

    The building, which had a spire on each end and copsed in the shape of T, looked rtively intact, except for one copsed spire and its surroundings. She stepped toward the lower, unbroken part of the building. How far had she run? There was a loud noise of iron shing. It was a sharp ringing sound enough to make her tremble.

    She stopped running, out of breath, and looked straight ahead with her eyes wide open.

    The light leaking from the wide open door shone on the floor. There were royal guards lying on the floor. They were lying on the cold floor outside the building unmoving, as if they had already died. She felt like her blood was freezing cold.

    She stood there for a while because she couldn¡¯t dare to confirm whether they were still alive or dead. Only when one of them coughed and had convulsions did she move. Dark red blood spread around the soldier.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± she whispered. He bled a lot with his small movement. It was a deep sword cut from the chest to the belly. She needed Bahazman desperately, but she did not know what to do after the nt would grow here. But she also did not know if she could be free from the sense of guilt when she shunned the responsibility and turned away from him.

    What kind of consequences would she face if she used the mysterious power offered by the fairy and got caughtter? Not everyone would react like Lard. The most terrible misfortunes shed through her mind, but she shook off such thoughts while shaking her head strongly.

    Although she was scared, she firmly decided that she could pretend to be indifferent to this man who was on the threshold of death.

    She gave strength to her index finger after touching the ground with her trembling hand.

    As soon as she removed her hand, the green leaves of Bahazman began to grow.

    In the blink of an eye, the Bahazman produced red fruit, shaking with leaves due to its quick spreading of branches.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93: Chapter 93 Don¡¯te to the imperial ball (4)

    Without even praising its wonderful work, Wendy picked a fruit from the Bahazman tree, grabbed it between her index finger and thumb and crushed it. Then she forced it into the man¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Swallow it if you want to live,¡± she said.

    As if he heard her voice, he barely swallowed it. She saw the bleeding from his chest stopped slowly.

    She got up and checked the breathing of others nearby, but none of them were breathing anymore. She shuddered whenever she confirmed their death.

    She held her trembling wrists and picked a handful of Bahazman fruits. Inside the door there was still a sharp nging of iron.

    When she approached the door and carefully looked inside, she saw men engaged in fighting with swords at a distance. They were imperial knights.

    She narrowed her eyes after confirming their uniforms in beige. The enemies were all dressed like imperial attendants, but the way they wielded swords showed they were trained in swordsmanship for a long time.

    She btedly noticed injured men falling to the ground around them here and there.

    At that moment, she felt her heart shaking wildly because she recalled Lard leaving for the prince¡¯s pce. She vaguely thought he might be safe as the Lottea, the best imperial knight.

    She carefully went inside the door. She knew it was crazy to go there, but she couldn¡¯t stop. She felt she had to go there to shake off her anxiety. Fortunately, she could almost muffle her footsteps because she took off her shoes. She bent her upper body and hid behind a sofa.

    ¡°Sir Owen!¡±

    She raised her head when she heard someone¡¯s calling in the midst of a fierce fight.

    It was Lard¡¯s voice. She trembled as if she was struck by lightning. Turning her head towards that, she saw Lard wielding a sword in the intense fight. He was here. With the prince behind him, Lard was wielding the sword to protect him. It seemed that he was injured, given the way he was moving his left arm.

    ¡°Defend on my left!¡±

    The enemies were charging toward Lard. When he stabbed the two enemies in front of him, another man with brown hair was trying to stab him in the side. She was stunned, holding her breath.

    ng!

    Lard instantly twisted his body, smashed the man¡¯s sword and cut him in the side. Blood gushed from his side and sprayed across the floor. At that moment, a chunky tall man, who bounced like a wildcat from behind that man, stretched his sword to stab Lard¡¯s lower body.

    While Lard blocked his sword, another guy was trying to attack the prince. The prince quickly lifted his sword up to his chest. Groaning, the prince barely blocked the enemy¡¯s sword, but his attack left a wound on the prince¡¯s shoulder.

    In no time, blood stained his white shirt. Lard stabbed the guy who attacked the prince in the stomach.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lard asked, ncing at him.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel okay.¡±

    The prince grabbed his sword, grimacing in pain. His sword was trembling as if he couldn¡¯t tighten his grip.

    ¡°You won¡¯t die with that wound. So, don¡¯t worry so much,¡± Lard said coldly, cutting the enemy right before him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be as loyal, as I expected,¡± said Prince Isaac, grinning with a pale expression.

    Although he said that, Lard was trying his best to stop the enemy from attacking the prince.

    But the number of enemies was overwhelming,pared to the imperial knights led by Lard. It seemed that allies and enemies were already engaged in a long battle even before Wendy arrived there. They all looked exhausted from the fighting. Just as many knights as enemies were on the floor.

    The imperial reinforcement army would soon arrive here because they heard the spire copsing, but most of the knights were gathered at the explosion site of the banquet hall due to the enemy¡¯s trick. If they crossed theke by boat, they could arrive here quickly, but she was not sure if there wererge boats to carry several knights at a time. If they get around theke toe here, it would take lots of time.

    Considering the distance between the banquet hall and the prince¡¯s pce, she assumed that no matter howte, the reinforcement army would arrive here soon. That was a hopeful sign, but the problem was that the number of imperial knights was far less than the enemies.

    ¡®Could they hold out to the end?¡¯

    She counted the number of the enemies, staring with trembling eyes at the knights fighting in the hall. At first nce, the fighting knights were too few. While nervously scanning them one by one, she opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°Dn¡­¡± She muttered before she knew.

    Although blood was scattered over his face and uniform, she could recognize him right away. He was Dn Lennox. Fighting with the enemies not far from her ce, he lost bnce momentarily because of the blood on the floor. An enemy tried to stab him at the moment, but Dn was a little faster. With his back on the floor, he lifted the sword and stabbed the enemy¡¯s neck. Dn¡¯s azure hair was stained with blood and turned dark red.

    Wendy held her breath. As she had a premonition of his death, she uttered ¡°Huck¡± unconsciously the moment he stabbed the enemy and survived. She felt like her heart was bursting out.

    At that moment, Dn¡¯s eyes turned towards Wendy. His eyes popped up as if he was surprised. Again attacked by the enemies, he quickly got up. She could feel that while cutting the enemies, Dn was conscious of her.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Right at the moment one imperial knight was stabbed by the enemy¡¯s sword and fell over the couch where she was hiding. He fell, making a big thump. The couch fell over because of his weight, which revealed Wendy hiding there.

    The dark-haired man who killed the knight found her. She instinctively stepped back hesitantly with her butt on the floor. The moment his eyes shed, he pointed the tip of his sword ruthlessly toward her. She froze, helplessly watching him pointing his sword at her.

    ¡°Oops!¡±

    The dark-haired man rolled his eyes, moaning momentarily. Blood gushed from his mouth.

    He fell to the floor right away. She looked ahead with bloodshot eyes, breathing roughly.

    Dn Lennox was seen standing over the fallen enemy. Dn pulled up his sword from his chest and raised her up.

    Peep!

    Sir Owen whistled long after receiving Lard¡¯s order. It signalled the change of military strategy. As the number of allies drastically decreased, he needed to collect all the knights who had been dispersed inside the hall. The remaining knights heard the whistle and gathered around the prince.

    ¡°Put your head down.¡± Dn told Wendy.

    Hiding her behind his back, Dn moved towards the prince. Since many of the enemies who blocked the entrance of the hall attacked, Dn had no other choice. The two enemies near the entrance headed in the opposite direction of the hall where the knights gathered.

    Although Dn was attacked from all directions, he bravely blocked their attacks. There was blood everywhere, and many died. She endured a terrible time behind his back with her head down. Dn was injured all over his body as he was moving forward, counter attacking the enemies without stepping back as if he wanted to protect her.

    Shortly afterwards, Lard discovered the two. Lard was embarrassed to find her standing behind Dn¡¯s back. He focused on her, full of anxiety.

    ¡®Why are you here?¡¯

    Lard called out the name of the knight closest to both of them.

    ¡°Sir Morie! Help Sir Dn! ¡±

    At his order, Morie approached the two, cutting the enemies and stood by Wendy.

    The two knights who protected her on both sides joined the rest of the knights after an intense fight with the charging enemies.

    ¡°Wendy!¡± Lard called her name as if he was rebuking her. Sitting next to the prince, she was surrounded by the knights in the middle of the battle. Her face grew pale.

    ¡°Did youe here to share thest moment of your life with your lover?¡± The prince said, as if he was a little impressed. As her face grew paler, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t die here. The reinforcement army will be arriving soon. ¡±

    Isaac pressed on his wound with one hand, looking at the entrance.

    The reinforcements, however, did not arrive as soon as he expected.

    ¡°Hold out! You have to protect the prince until the reinforcement unit arrives!¡±

    Lard shouted to encourage the fighting knights. But he also looked intently at the entrance as if he was worried. It was obvious that the longer it was before they arrived, the more unfavorable the fight would be for them.

    At that time, there was a harsh sound of the wind blowing. It sounded like a flute or a beast¡¯s cry. When they heard the sound, the enemies refreshed their determined will. They pulled back one by one and rearranged their ranks. There was a brief standoff between the enemies and the knights.

    ¡°We won¡¯t allow you to hold out until your reinforcement forces arrive here.¡±

    One of the enemies shouted at Lard with a threatening voice.

    ¡°¡­ Are you the leader? ¡°Lard asked, narrowed his eyes.

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94: Chapter 94 Don¡¯te to the imperial ball (5)

    ¡°We put gunpowder all over the prince¡¯s pce. The whole pce is like a powder keg. There will be an explosion soon. ¡±

    ¡°¡­! ¡±

    The knights flinched at his words.

    ¡°No one can escape here. We prepared for death. Think of it as sheer luck that the explosions went off only in some parts of the pce, extending your lives a little longer.¡±

    It seemed that they didn¡¯t n to destroy the spire. The explosion of the spire disrupted their initial n to kill the crown prince. Lard¡¯s involvement would have been the first unforeseen obstacle to their nned assasination of the prince, and the explosion of gunpowder beyond their control would have been another stumbling block.

    Without these variables, they might have easily killed the prince and gotten out of the pce. The explosion would have taken ce only after they aplished their goal. Being caught in the explosion was probably theirst resort.

    While the two were exchanging a tense dialogue, Wendy stared at the marble floor, squatting surrounded by the knights. Carefully stretching her index finger next to the knees of the knights surrounding her and the prince, she pressed it to the marble floor. She had sweat on her forehead as she was so tense. Going round the knight¡¯s knees, she repeated the same action several times.

    Dn looked at her suspiciously, but she couldn¡¯t even notice his gaze. While the knights were desperately fighting the enemies, her strange actions caught their eye instantly. When her arm touched a knight¡¯sp, he looked at her in surprise. Soon, the prince and several knights also cast a suspicious gaze at her. They thought she was acting crazy out of fear.

    Explosions sounded in the distance. The vibrations shook the prince¡¯s pce, sending grain-sized debris off from the ceiling.

    ¡°Everybody, get close to the middle!¡± Wendy, feeling the danger, shouted at them desperately.

    She looked at the marble floor where she touched her index finger then looked up at the ceiling where the debris was falling off.

    But the knights didn¡¯t follow her request. They were busy fighting for a way to survive through escaping and measuring the distance to the door while fighting against the enemies. But the enemies surrounding them were determined to keep them trapped. They resolutely pointed the swords at the knights, showing no sign of giving in.

    Standing up quickly, Wendy shook Lard¡¯s arm. Lard, closely watching the enemies¡¯ move, nced back at her. She looked at him desperately. Their desperate eyes met briefly.

    He nodded at her, hiding his growing worries. Regret and sadness in his gray eyes came up and disappeared.

    ¡®I have sinned against you. I vowed I would not put you in danger.¡¯

    He had to hide the sadness that he could not express properly. He turned his head after looking at her with a guilty smile.

    Shortly afterwards, he shouted to the knights resolutely as if to shake off her idle thoughts.

    ¡°¡­Everybody,e to the center! Stay close! Keep the prince protected with your body. ¡±

    Although they showed despair momentarily, they gathered at the center to protect the prince and carry out their duty as the knight to the end. They stood close together around the prince.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The explosion took ce in a row. Far away from the shaking building, the walls and ceilings copsed in all directions. They were stricken with horror in a situation where they couldn¡¯t even move their toes. Their swords were useless before the huge explosion. There was nothing they could do anymore.

    Lard hugged Wendy hard and turned her away from the explosion. As if to calm down her anxiety, he stroked her hair. He put his lips on her ear and whispered quietly.

    ¡°If I say I love you, would you push me away?¡±

    Scared, she looked up at him quickly.

    ¡°Foolish enough, I want to say that to you now.¡±

    That was his heartbreaking confession.

    She closed her eyes, feeling his ck hair tickling her cheeks. As soon as he finished talking, a piercing explosion resounded nearby. Nheless, his voice alone hovered in her ears.

    ¡®How can I ¡­¡¯ She kept murmuring it.

    Just like petals swaying silently, she leaned her forehead on him silently. She was trembling. She felt like she was numb. At first she thought it was pain, but it was not. It was just his warmth. She realized that his heart was warm enough. She felt heartbroken because he was warm-hearted. He showed it without any exaggeration.

    Even at that moment, many parts of the building crumbled with loud bangs. They wereing closer with every moment.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    At that moment, the knights uttered exmations of amazement. Faced with the unbelievable phenomena taking ce right before their eyes, they forgot that their lives were at stake.

    The ck-brown stems that quickly broke out of the marble floor grew all over the ce as if they were protecting the knights. The knights looked at the growing nts in amazement.

    The prince was no exception, expressing wonder and amazement.

    ¡°Ironwood¡­¡±

    Someone muttered the name of the tree. He was Sir Busset who had been training new knights. As someone who had frequently handled wooden swords, he recognized at a nce that it was iron wood, a precious material used for wooden swords.

    Ironwood was given its name because of its tight and solid structure, heavy and strong like iron.

    Wendy made a thick fence around the knights and the prince with the trees. It would be hard to see ironwood as strong as this in the whole empire. She was not sure if it could withstand the explosion, but it was the best defense she could create.

    The stems of the ironwood inteced with each other, creatingrger, stronger stems.

    Spreading branches of the trees did not invade where the knights stood, but stretched toward the ceiling. Despite the explosions outside, the ironwood trees grew branches continuously, guarding the knights.

    They soon made walls between the intruders and the knights. The invaders had to retreat back as the trees wrapping around the knights stretched their strong branches toward them. Extensive roots of the trees broke the marble floor on which they stood and pushed them further upwards. The knights had to try to maintain their bnce on the rocking floor.

    Dn Lennox, standing firmly on the roots of the trees on the floor, watched her in the midst of the chaos.

    He was worried so about her, but she looked the safest of them as she was leaning against Lard at the moment. He let out a sigh of relief after confirming she was safe, but he looked disappointed at the same time. He couldn¡¯t afford to feel sentimental, though. Piercing explosions hit his eardrum one after the other. All the knights instinctively lowered their heads.

    Just before the terrible explosions, the trees created severalyers of thick trunks and branches over their heads. As if they were wrapped in a broad cloth, they were now in perfect darkness. Under the hemispherical solid roof of the trees they held their breath. Lard hugged Wendy even harder.

    Shortly afterwards, an explosion took ce around them. They felt the violent explosions and vibrations, the cracking sounds here and there. Extreme anxiety and fear floated in the air. They felt an explosive sound that could uproot the tree. Wendy curled up her shoulders while struggling to control her shaking knees. She could feel Lard¡¯s breathing on her neck.

    Shortly after the powerful vibrations and explosions passed like a whirlwind, it was quiet everywhere. The knights breathed roughly, buried in the total darkness.

    ¡°¡­ All done?¡± Prince Isaac murmured with a nervous voice.

    Lard said, ¡°Is everybody safe? Check the status of the person next to you! ¡±

    At his order, they checked the condition of their fellows next to them, murmuring among themselves.

    ¡°Sir Roset injured his leg,¡± Dn said. Sir Roset, who was standing next to him, slowly sat on the floor with Dn¡¯s aid. His condition needed a further examination, but his injury didn¡¯t seem to be serious.

    Everyone smoothed down their chests, relieved at their survival.

    But it was too early for them to rejoice in their survival. Lard approached the ironwood and touched its surface. He knocked on it. They survived thanks to the trees but breaking through them was another headache.

    The knights were faced with the challenge of breaking out of the solid wooden walls surrounding them. If at least one of the enemies was still outside, they might be ambushed while they were getting out, but they could not stay inside the trees forever. Obviously the foundation of the building would also have weakened because of the explosion. No matter how deep the roots of the tree were, he did not know when the floor would copse or be turned upside down.

    Some knights kicked at the trunks in the dark, but the trees did not move. After checking the trunks for a long time, they noticed several spots of damage to the trunks, but they still were blocked by the rubbles created in the aftermath of the explosion.

    ¡°We¡¯re blocked everywhere.¡± Sir Owen said with a gloomy tone.

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95: Chapter 95 Don¡¯te to the imperial ball (6)

    Right after Sir Owen said that, Dn kicked the tree hard as if he could not give up. As he kicked several times, stone debris fell from the top. A faint beam of moonlight flowed in through a tiny crack.

    It was a very fine light, but thanks to that, they could identify themselves vaguely. Sir Owen looked at the light-emitting from the ceiling and Lard¡¯s face alternately, waiting for his order.

    Lard soon ordered them to secure an escape route upwards. Several knights climbed on each other¡¯s shoulders and groped for something upwards.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Push me a bit more!¡±

    But the situation was not optimistic. As if fragments of the building were piled above them, the columns of the trees covering the ceiling would not move despite how hard the strong knights pushed.

    All the hope they pinned on the moonlight shattered. It was literally a tiny crack. They couldn¡¯t think of escaping because of the ovepping trees and the debris on top of them. They began to be agitated.

    ¡°Sir Schroder! ¡± Wendy called him suddenly as if she had decided something, ¡°Please lift me up here.¡±

    Lard looked at her hesitantly. If she could make another nt grow again here, it would confirm her mysterious power to everyone. Lard shook his head. As if she was aware of his concern, she held his hand.

    ¡°¡­I think we had better hurry up. If there¡¯s a heavy load on top, I don¡¯t know how long the trees willst. ¡±

    He looked at her with a serious expression. He could only vaguely see her face because of the dim light, but he could see what expression she was making.

    He reluctantly wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her up . He was afraid of what kind of consequences this little woman¡¯s power might bring about.

    ¡°Push me a little more to the right!¡±

    Reaching out to the ceiling, she touched her index finger as close as possible to where the light leaked in. She didn¡¯t know whether the tree would grow or shrink as she intended, or what could happen unexpectedly in the middle, but that was all she could do at the moment.

    Ironwood. She recalled the tree once again. If there was one difference between the trees she grew and ironwood, its shape was very curved.

    A littleter, a small nt began to grow in the ce where she touched her finger.

    The nt pushed its fast-growing stems through the tiny crack. The trunk of the ironwood rolled up between the cracks and gradually expanded the crack. The yellow green stems became hard with dark brown bark. The round-shaped tree gradually opened up the cracks like a man was opening his sped fists. As the nts grew, stone debris from the top began pouring down.

    There was a loud noise as the nt grewrger. The tree was broken and cracked here and there. The knights felt a sense of crisis that the ceiling would copse anytime. They were extremely tense at the moment.

    Even during that moment the ionwood did not stop growing. Stones piled up on the ceiling were pushed away by the ironwood¡¯s growth. It pushed out new shoots and removed the piles of stones, but the knights didn¡¯t know what was going on.

    It was a cruel moment when they were holding their breath. They were just looking up to the ceiling with a firm expression. They did not fully understand what was going on.

    ¡®How can the nt grow in such a short time!¡¯

    They could not exin it with anymon sense or scientific theory.

    The more the ceiling shook, the more debris fell. In the end, they had to lower their heads as they couldn¡¯t open their eyes.

    Ironwood¡¯s continuous growth stopped at some point. Falling debris also disappeared.

    One by one, they opened their eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

    ¡°Oh my¡­! ¡± Again they began to groan at the spectacr scene before them.

    They could see the open space in the center of the ironwood where the stems had grown

    It was spacious enough for an adult male to escape.

    Moonlight poured in through it. The pale twinkling moonlight illuminated Wendy beneath the tree her hair, her face, and her shoulders looked so white and shiny. Everybody watched the woman in the midst of gathering dirt with awe

    After getting out of the ironwood enclosure, the knights felt ashamed toward each other, showing various gestures. One of the knights, with brown hair and dark eyebrows, avoided her eyes when he bumped into Wendy.

    When she turned her head away, he looked back at her furtively. When she looked at him, he again turned his head. It happened several times. Other knights also looked at her with great interest. This was a rare scene in a situation where all of them had been engaged in a deadly fight with the enemies. Ignoring their attention, she raised her chin. She wanted to get away from the ce, but there was still someone inside the ironwood.

    ¡°Pull harder!¡± Dn Lennox and a blonde knight pulled thest one up. The tired knight grabbed their arms and came up.

    ¡°Is there anyone else left inside?¡±

    ¡°I am thest one.¡±

    ¡°Sir Owen, check them all!¡±

    He checked the number of survivors as soon as thest one was pulled up.

    ¡°Eleven including me, all told,¡± Sir Owen said with a firm look.

    Lard finally looked inside the ironwood and ordered the knights to move.

    Only then did they turn their eyes from Wendy.

    While moving on the in ground to avoid the debris, she made a decision. She carefully thought about which was her wisest response in theing days, but she knew the answer already. She felt calm now as if she had been prepared for a day like this for a long time.

    The surroundings were deadly quiet. She could find neither intruders nor reinforcement forces. Only a few of the knights watched the surroundings to check for the enemies¡¯ possible attack.

    A cold night breeze blew over them. It was a wind smelling of death and blood. As the wind blew, she trembled like a rain-drenched bird.

    ¡°What happened to them?¡± Looking at the rubble of the copsed building, she asked Lard.

    She was referring to the intruders inside the building.

    ¡°They couldn¡¯t avoid the explosion. I think they couldn¡¯t get out. ¡±

    He took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders. It was bloody and dusty, but her bare shoulders seemed to bother him. When he took off his jacket, there were red blood stains all over his white shirt. She saw blood stains growing along his side, too, as if bleeding hadn¡¯t stop there.

    Her face darkened quickly at that. She quickly opened her hand, thinking of Bahazman fruits that had been in her hand. They were crushed. Some fell on the floor during the turmoil, so there were only a few left. She picked up one in a hurry and blew the dust off.

    ¡°Open your mouth.¡±

    He stared at her with a puzzled look.

    At her repeated urging, he opened his mouth.

    Soon she squeezed a fruit into his mouth. She imitated chewing as if to ask him to chew it quickly. He did as instructed, with a curious look. After confirming he swallowed it, she seemed satisfied.

    ¡°How does it taste?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sweet,¡± Lard said awkwardly. There was a faint smile on her face.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary fruit,¡± she lowered her voice to whisper. ¡°You just had a Bahaman fruit. ¡±

    She looked at him with a triumphant look. He nodded silently.

    In fact, he wanted to have one more of anything she put in his mouth, no matter what it was.

    At that moment, a loud noise came from the ce where building debris piled up.

    It was the sound of the ironwood crumbling after they came out of it. The traces of ironwood trees disappeared in the blink of an eye and building debris piled up in its ce.

    If the knights had dyed a little more, they would not have survived.

    As if they all thought about the same thing, they stopped caring for their own wounds and turned their eyes to her again.

    She shrugged as if she was conscious of their intense gaze. A shallow sigh came out of her lips. Now she had no other choice but to confront them. She was long prepared for this situation. She tried to pull herself together.

    Shortly afterwards, she pursed her lips as if she was determined and looked straight at them. As the tense moment continued, the knights stared at her more seriously. The woman with yellow hair in her dark green dress with a torn hem stood before them like an unknown being in a forest.

    ¡°What you think deep down is correct.¡±

    All of a sudden she said something like an announcement. It was the knights who were more surprised. The pale-looking prince looked at her curiously.

    ¡°Did you say what we were thinking about is right?¡­ What do you think these guys here are thinking now? ¡±

    She turned her eyes to the prince and said, ¡°¡­Who do you think saved them from the explosion? If you can answer my question, that will be my answer,¡± she said in a rxed voice.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96: Chapter 96 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (1)

    ¡°¡­ I saw a tree growing where your finger touched. If it was you who grew the tree, then it would be you who saved everybody¡¯s life, unless everything I saw with my eyes was not an illusion,¡± the prince said.

    As if to observe her reaction, he did not turn his eyes away from her. He frowned a bit, feeling pain from the wounds in his shoulder.

    ¡°Of course, what you have seen is not an illusion. Your analysis is also right,¡± she said clearly.

    ¡°You owe me your life. The same is true of the knights here. ¡±

    She turned to the knights with a serious expression. They looked confused. She deliberately looked at each of their faces to remind them what they saw was real.

    Dn was seen among them. He looked at her with great concern. She turned her head away from him.

    ¡°Yeah, if the mysterious phenomenon was caused by you, I owe you my life.¡± Prince Isaacughed as if it was fun.

    ¡°Your Excellency is a precious man who will lead the next generation of the Benyahan Empire. The knights here are also very valuable people to the empire. Anybody would ask for a reward if he or she saved the lives of those people, but I want something different. I only want one thing.¡± Making eye contact with the crown prince, she spoke resolutely.

    ¡°Tell me what you want,¡± said the prince, with his eyes sparkling, as if he found her proposal interesting.

    She took a deep breath and nced at Lard. He nodded at her.

    She said, ¡°Will you give me an imperial order? Please order everybody here to keep silent about what they saw here today. I don¡¯t want my power to be known to the outside. Your Majesty, can you please swear it for the honor of the Benyahan Empire? Knights, please swear it for the honor of the knight.¡±

    The prince seemed agonized over her daring proposal for a moment then opened his mouth, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a small reward for my life. I promise on the honor of Benyahan that I will keep silent about your power. I order the imperial knights who serve Benyahan and protect the royal family to keep everything you have seen today to yourselves. You haven¡¯t seen or heard today anything rted to Wendy Waltz. Can you swear?¡±

    The prince looked around and spoke in a strict tone.

    Beginning with Sir Owen, everyone bowed to the prince and said they would swear on the honor of the knight.

    She made eye contact with each of them as if to confirm their sincerity.

    She did not fully trust the oath of the prince or the knights. She didn¡¯t even naively believe that they would keep the secret forever. But if any of them broke their oath, she would surely make them pay the price thoroughly enough to regret having survived the explosion at the pce.

    ¡°I am grateful that you repay me in good faith,¡± she said, smiling gently.

    But not all the knights were childish enough to take her smile at face value.

    They clearly read her warning behind the smile.

    ¡°Wendy, I want to ask you one thing,¡± the prince said suddenly,ing close to her.

    She tilted her head, suggesting that he could ask any question.

    ¡°Can you make any nt grow like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you asking?¡± Wendy asked the prince angrily because he promised to keep silent and then tried to satisfy his curiosity.

    ¡°Well, I feel severe pain here. I wonder if you can grow a nt that eases pain,¡± he said, moving his shoulder up and down. She instinctively hid the Bahazman fruit that she was holding in her hand. She felt that nothing good woulde of it if she showed it to him.

    ¡°¡­ I do not know. I think my answer depends on what you can give me in return.¡±

    The prince showed a displeased expression at her reply, ¡°Are you now asking for a reward?¡±

    ¡°The clearer the goal, the better it works out. Isn¡¯t that what you told me before?

    She grinned at him, repeating what he told her the banquet hall.

    ¡°Oh, yes. You¡¯re no different from Sir Schroder. You¡¯re not loyal to me.¡±

    The prince frowned andughed like a habit.

    ¡°Your Majesty! Are you okay?¡±

    Right at the moment the imperial knights were seen approaching from afar. At the forefront of them were Badge Enos, the best of the 2nd Imperial Knights, and Captain Hoikin.

    Given their dirty uniforms, they, too, seemed to have had a fierce battle with enemies.

    ¡°Captain Schroder! What happened? ¡± Hoikin asked Lard.

    More knights wereing over. Wendy stood far away from the iing knights, looking at the debris of the copsed building nkly. The fog that rose from the shore of theke beyond the prince¡¯s pce was spreading over thend. The copsed building looked even more bleak.

    Anticipating a bloodbath in theing days because of the prince¡¯s new legition, Wendy tightened her hold on the jacket around her.

    ¡°Sir Dowain, could you bring me more dirt there?¡±

    Wendy, who was changing the pots, told a man with brown hair.

    He quickly moved at her request. He was Pascal Dowain of the 1st Imperial Knights and had straight eyebrows.

    Right after the prince¡¯s pce copsed, Sir Dowain began to serve as her personal bodyguard, always staying close to her. He was assigned to that duty by the order of Lard and the crown prince.

    At first, she resolutely rejected their offer of escort but changed her mind when she was reassured that the bodyguard would protect her after disguising himself as her employee and that she could use him freely

    Come to think of it, she thought it was really good to have Dowain with her.

    ¡°Lady Wendy, where should I put this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, put it by the door over there.¡±

    Sir Dowain was the type of man who always volunteered to do work. He was the perfect helper in that respect.

    ¡°You can take a break. You¡¯ve been carrying fertilizer all morning. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to get sick.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, madame,¡± said Pascal with a smile.

    Whenever he looked at her, his eyes sparkled. His eyes glowed more especially when she was working in the flower garden. Obviously, he was expecting to find her working wonder with her mysterious power that he had experienced at the prince¡¯s pce recently. But she had not yet shown her ability around him.

    ¡°Has there been any updates on the investigation of the recent explosion?¡± She asked, gently stroking the soil in a pot.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know the details, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any update yet because all the intruders died at the scene. Even those captured alive chose to take their lives instead of confessing.¡±

    The insurgents, who invaded the prince¡¯s pce, hid their identities and affiliations and left no evidence. As a result, the investigation hadn¡¯t made any progress. Although there were some usual suspects, there was no material evidence, which suggested that the suspects prepared their treason very thoroughly.

    The intruders carried out their mission throughout the pce. After the first explosion, they burned therge and small boats on Lake Oduto. They also raided the knights who were heading for the pce bynd, stopping their movement. Even though the first explosion was beyond their control, they were not embarrassed at all, and they stopped the imperial support unit from entering the prince¡¯s pce. Although their n to assassinate Prince Isaac failed, it was clear that there was someone behind the plot, who controlled them, and foresaw such variables.

    There was a background Investigation into Duke Auguste Engre and his supporters, but they kept a low profile and refrained from going outside since the incident. Not only them but also all the nobles in the empire confined themselves at home, closely watching how the situation would unfold. They knew clearly that if convicted as the culprit who attempted to kill the prince, they would have to face execution, let alone the downfall of their families and the punishment of their offspring. They were afraid they would be entangled in charges of treason if they looked suspicious.

    Wendy recalled the conversation between the two that she identally overheard before the copse of the prince¡¯s pce.

    It was a suspicious conversation between Duke Auguste¡¯s knight and another man. Their conversation was suspicious, but she was not sure how their conversation was rted to the explosion.

    She agonized over whether to share what she heard on that day with Lard. She wasn¡¯t sure if it would help, but she was afraid that she could be further entangled in the assassination attempt case.

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you going to respond to the prince¡¯s call today?¡± Pascal asked carefully as Wendy watered the repotted flowers.

    For the first several days following the incident, the prince asked to meet Wendy. Obviously, he wanted to satisfy his curiosity and doubt about her power. It was clear that he would ask her questions that she could not answer easily. Lard politely conveyed her refusal to the prince on her behalf. Nheless, the prince persistently asked to see her despite her initial refusal.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97: Chapter 97 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (2)

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother about it because Sir Schroder told me I didn¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°Haah¡­ I heard that the crown prince was very displeased after he met Sir Schroder.¡±

    ¡°As Sir Schroder doesn¡¯t tolerate nonsense, I don¡¯t think he told the crown prince more than what he had to. As you know, good advice is supposed to bother you.¡±

    In the end, citing the banquet hall incident, Lard asked the crown prince to refrain from his ns if he didn¡¯t want to lose his allies. Apparently the prince himself was partly responsible for the incident and could not refute Lard. But as he didn¡¯t take Lards¡¯ advice seriously, the prince again asked to see Wendy.

    ¡°Thanks for your good job. Would you like a cup of tea? Many customers wille to the shop in the afternoon, so let¡¯s have a break now,¡± she said, standing up.

    Responding dly, Pascal lifted the repotted flowers.

    ¡°I will move these inside the shop.¡±

    Looking at him, she thought that it was good that she had Pascal as her bodyguard.

    Around the same time, a man was busy moving among the canvases and the easels all over a room. He skillfully arranged the painting supplies. He was Dn Lennox.

    After returning home from work all night, he stayed in the studio until now instead of trying to sleep. He knew that he couldn¡¯t sleep even if he tried to hit the sack. He had to move constantly to get rid of his daydreams that overwhelmed him.

    Even though he stood in front of the canvas with a brush, he couldn¡¯t draw any pictures. There wasn¡¯t much he could do in the studio. How could he imagine his drawings without her? The drawings without her were just a messy series of lines and colors.

    He looked at the paints, brushes, knives and charcoal on the table and arranged them in ce one by one. Then, he suddenly stopped because an old brush on a t box of paulownia caught his eye.

    He recalled Olivia¡¯s smiling face when she gave him the gift box.

    He carefully grabbed the brush. Although it was old and stained, its surface was smooth and well thumbed, showing much he cherished it.

    He thought she was his destiny. He felt, ¡®this is mine,¡¯ the moment he held the brush in his hand.

    It was the same feeling he felt when he grabbed his sword.

    Holding her hand, he thought he could be with her forever. He had never stopped thinking like that for thest two years while he searched for her. He never stopped trying to find her whereabouts. He never stopped missing her.

    He even thought that if he met her again, he could go back to the happy days when they were together. As he thought she was his destiny, he could not lose hope.

    But was it all an illusion? Although he met her again, he couldn¡¯t change her mind. He was forced to listen to her deration that their rtionship was over. Nevertheless, he could not lose Olivia. He tried desperately to get hold of her, but it was not easy.

    When he saw her on the day that the crown prince¡¯s pce copsed, he was convinced that he had to give up on her. He repeatedly felt like his whole body was breaking like vanishing waves. He felt so all the more when he saw her standing next to Lard.

    His eyes were sore. A sense of loss and defeat he had never experienced before made him feel helpless. He didn¡¯t want to admit that there was no more room for him in her heart.

    ¡®Can I give up? Olivia, can I forget her?¡¯

    He sat down in a chair with a nk expression. There was always hope even when he felt hopeless. But now he couldn¡¯t see it. He didn¡¯t know what to do.

    She had the same old yellow hair and dark green eyes when he met her again, but everything else was changed. Her name, her way of speaking, her facial expressions when she looked at him, and her miraculous power on the day of the explosion were all unfamiliar to him. He felt confused in his mind as if it was filled with unorganized stuff.

    Knock knock.

    When he pressed his bitter eyelids with the back of his hand, he heard somebody knocking on the door. It was the butler of the Lennox mansion. He informed Dn that he had a visitor.

    An unwee guest visited theLennox family¡¯s mansion. Dn, who was exhausted at the moment, greeted the guest. There was a breathtaking silence between the two facing each other.

    ¡°¡­ Francis, why have youe here? I think I¡¯ve made clear to you that I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± He did not hide his hatred of her.

    ¡°¡­I havee here to double check with you. ¡± Trying to hide her humiliation, she spoke softly. ¡°No matter how much I thought about it¡­I don¡¯t think I saw it wrong. I wondered if you might know that, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean? ¡±

    ¡°In the banquet hall of the Imperial Pce the other day¡­.I think I saw someone who looked like Olivia. No, it was definitely her! ¡± Francis, who was hesitant to mention the name Olivia, said confidently, ¡°Olivia¡­Didn¡¯t you see her? Is she in the capital? ¡±

    Dn stared at Francis with a firm expression. There was disgust in his eyes.

    ¡°The only reason I¡¯m seeing you face to face like this is because you were once part of the Hazlet family. Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m showing due manners to you? How can you mention Olivia to me? Do you think you are qualified to do so?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! I just¡­ ¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do after finding her? Are you going to shift the responsibility for your dyed debut in the social circles to her? Are you going to me her because the Hazlet family has been humiliated by her?¡±

    Her face turned white when he kept rebuking her. .

    ¡°¡­Do you think Olivia is a victim in your eyes? Am I only a perpetrator in your eyes? ¡­ I was also distressed because I couldn¡¯t have you for a long time! Looking at myself getting more and more degraded as I couldn¡¯t win over your heart, I was distressed!¡±

    ¡°Then, don¡¯t show me your ugly behavior anymore. We¡¯re just harming each other. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ If Olivia told you the same thing, can you easily say yes? ¡±

    As he couldn¡¯t answer anything, he just looked at her face with a fatigued expression.

    Francis read from his silence he was still in love with Olivia. It would have been better if he had denied what she said. She felt as if the air as sharp as a knife was blowing through her throat.

    Transparent teardrops welled in her eyes. She stood up with faltering steps.

    ¡°I think I took your time in vain. Let me leave now.¡±

    While walking away hurriedly, her lips trembled as if she was choked up with emotions.

    As she got into the wagon and left the Lennox mansion, Francis barely held back tears.

    ¡®I want you. I¡¯ve been wanting you, knowing that my vain love was eating away at my heart.¡¯

    In the end, she burst into tears, unable to ovee her sadness. Her whole body ached as if it was dominated by her betrayed feelings. She couldn¡¯t stand it.

    A littleter, she took a deep breath as if to calm down and knocked down the wall of the wagon. Several times. The carriage stopped and the horseman said, ¡°Mydy, you have anything to order?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Please go to the Eldon Intelligence Center.¡±

    At her order, the horseman turned the horse in another direction. The sound of horseshoes rang out loud as if it was hitting her chest.

    She decided to be degraded as she loved him. Anyway, nobody could appreciate how sad she was even if she tried to not be.

    ¡®Sure, let me be as degraded as possible if I can¡¯t get rid of my heartbreaking sorrow, if I can¡¯t give up my natural affection for him.¡¯

    Holding back tears deep down, she chewed her lips with a determined look.

    By the time she calmed down a little, the wagon stopped in front of the Eldon Intelligence Service. After getting out of the wagon, she looked around and went inside the office.

    The Eldon Intelligence Center was a powerful organization that tracked all kinds of information in all areas, from the Bennahan Empire to the Carloen Empire across the sea.

    With many branches and arge workforce in every nook and corner of the empire, they had been growing solidly for a long time.

    Francis asked to meet with Zephyllin Sheiras, the most influential guy at the headquarters of the Eldon Information Center.

    Although it was not easy for her to meet him, people at the headquarters were slow because most nobles who used to visit this ce kept a low profile in the wake of the failed assassination of the crown prince. Thus, the meeting between the two took ce.

    ¡°So, why has such a preciousdy of the Hazlet familye to see me?¡±

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98: Chapter 98 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (3)

    ¡°¡­ I want to find someone. ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our specialty to find people. Can you tell me the name, age and impression of the person you¡¯re looking for? The more detailed the better. Oh, let me give you this paper here. ¡±

    He took a piece of paper from the drawer and handed it to her with a quill.

    Looking at the paper for a moment and reflecting on what she was doing, Francis moved the quill with a smile. There was no more hesitation in her actions.

    ¡°Is this person ady of the Hazlet family? Did she go missing?¡± Zephyllin said, looking at the paper she wrote down. Instead of replying, Francis talked about a woman believed to be Olivia.

    ¡°¡­ I think I saw her at the emperor¡¯s birthday celebration party recently. So I want you to look for her in and around the capital. ¡±

    ¡°At the eve party?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The party to celebrate the emperor¡¯s birthday was canceled because of the assassination attempt. A banquet was held, and as it was an unprecedented incident, the list of the participants in the banquet was kept more closely by the imperial family because all of those who attended it were potential suspects. Obtaining the list was not easy, but he had no problem with obtaining it with the Eldon¡¯s intelligence gathering power.

    ¡°Let me try to find her. As the timing was delicate, I¡¯m afraid you have to pay more.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much it costs,¡± Francis said cynically.

    He smiled at her as if he liked her attitude, ¡°Good. I will contact you as soon as I find her.¡±

    Pascal liked Wendy¡¯s lemon tea. He didn¡¯t usually enjoy sweet and sour food, but when he leaned over a cup of tea at the flower shop, he felt a peace of mind in the atmosphere filled with the scent of flowers. Wherever he saw, it was quiet and beautiful. He was afraid that he might be addicted to this peace that he had never experienced before.

    ¡°Would you like another cup?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I would appreciate it.¡±

    When he put down the teacup, she poured in yellow tea. His dark straight eyebrows softened.

    Looking at his expression, she said, ¡°It looks like you like lemon tea.¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily. But I really like the tea you make, Miss Wendy.¡±

    She stared at Pascal when he was talking.

    ¡°Well, was there any dirt on my face?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Ah¡­ No.¡±

    While hearing him, she thought about the blunt imperial knight Lard. He had grey eyes and made little change in his facial expressions. But even that man had praised her lemon tea.

    As she recalled serving Lard tea reluctantly at the flower shop she grinned unconsciously.

    As if he was conscious of her, Pascal seemed to look at her, but she lifted the lemon jar from the table, pretending not to have noticed him. The jar was nearly empty. She tapped on the jar then tilted it. There was not much of the sticky lemon left. She decided to grow a lemon tree with lots of yellow lemons this evening.

    Right at the moment the door was opened with the cheerful ringing of the bell.

    The hot sunshine outside filled the shop.

    ¡°Pleasee on in!¡± Pascal weed the customer with the customary greetings he became familiar with in a few days.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Oh my¡­¡± Pascal stuttered, opening his mouth. He felt embarrassed as soon as he looked at the customer.

    ¡°Oh, Sir Dowain. It¡¯s nice to see you working hard here.¡±

    The visitor was Crown Prince Isaac von Benyahan. Dressed in casual gray clothes, he stuck his hand in the pocket of his vest like a young man in the street.

    ¡°Wendy, how are you?¡± He said, looking at her hardened face.

    Now that the situation was in chaos in the empire, she never expected that the prince woulde to her shop like this. She couldn¡¯t respond properly as if she was very embarrassed by the unexpected guest. Discreetly making eye contact with her, he looked at her embarrassed face. After she managed to calm down, she asked him to sit down with a contorted expression. With a smile he sat in the chair that she pointed to.

    ¡°I never thought you woulde here.¡±

    ¡°As you didn¡¯t want to see me, I had no choice but toe here. Don¡¯t be so mean and wee me with a smile, please. I¡¯ve brought you some gifts!¡±

    When Isaac beckoned, the man who escorted the prince put down severalrge bags.

    ¡°I can¡¯t buy flowers at the flower shop, so I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about the gifts. Come to think of it, I felt you take substance more seriously than ostentation, so I¡¯ve brought Montrapi powder. Do you like it? ¡± Isaac smiled awkwardly unlike him.

    ¡°¡­Thank you for your consideration. I will enjoy it. ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d that you like it. By the way, can I talk with you in a quiet ce? Just between you and me.¡± The prince whispered, looking around the interior of the store.

    ¡°¡­ If you prefer a quiet ce, there is a flower garden inside the shop. Of course, it¡¯s not a good ce to talk. ¡±

    ¡°Great! Your flower garden! I really wanted to see it. Let¡¯s go. Escort me there.¡±

    Responding with delight, he stood up first. With a little sigh, she walked reluctantly.

    Leaving the prince¡¯s attendants and Pascal left behind in the shop, the two stood side by side in the flower garden. He breathed out as if he felt ufortable about the muggy air.

    ¡°Are all the nts here growing with your care?¡±

    ¡°Yes, many of them.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what I mean is those flowers that you created with your magical ¡®touch¡¯.¡±

    Then Isaac raised his hands high and smoothly moved his fingers as if he were ying the piano.

    ¡°Yes, mostly¡­.¡±

    She replied, without hiding her twisted lips. There was wariness in her dark green eyes.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m curious what kind of principle is working here. Is it magic? Or something like the mysterious power handed down from generations? No matter how much I think about it, I can¡¯t find the answer. Actually, I stayed shut up in the imperial library, rummaging through dusty books for several days. But nowhere is there a story about your wonderful power,¡± Isaac asked, touching the four-colored rose vine with turquoise leaves with his thumb and index finger. It was the rose that she grew after seeing it in the imperial garden at the recent title awarding ceremony.

    She opened her mouth without any hesitation, staring at the prince¡¯s curious expression.

    ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t ask me any more about my power. No matter what you ask, there is nothing I can answer. Please remember that you promised to keep silent about my power, and don¡¯t ask me any more.¡±

    ¡°¡­ If you insist, let me respect your opinion. But, Wendy, even if I forget about satisfying my pure curiosity, I can¡¯t help but think it¡¯s a waste of your power if you keep it secret.¡±

    ¡°Waste? No way. You are now looking at the nts here with your own eyes!¡±

    ¡°What I mean is you¡¯re using your power for so trifling things like this. I think if you can use it for a greater cause, your power will be much more appreciated. I feel lots of regret about it.¡±

    Wendy moved with a subtle smile at the prince¡¯s words. Wendy decided to be brave today. From the moment she saved the prince¡¯s life, she thought she was no longer weak.

    ¡°Can I ask what you mean by a greater cause?¡±

    ¡°You have infinite power, right? I think you can change the fate of the empire with that.¡±

    ¡°I am not interested in changing the fate of the empire. Everyone has his or her own standard. The greater cause that you mentioned is purely your own standard. Did you think you could convince me of it?¡±

    ¡°There is amon standard that everyone agrees with. You are no exception, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Well, there are people who don¡¯t agree to thatmon standard. I think that¡¯s me. ¡±

    Wendy put her hand in the apron pocket and pulled out a small pruning shear as long as her index finger. She moved her hand over a rose that bloomed splendidly and cut off its stem.

    ¡°Wendy, don¡¯t you want to use your power for the righteous cause? Your power can be hope for those in grief. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ If you had not promoted me at the recent ball, I would have felt what you said was true.¡±

    Isaac stopped at her reply and looked into her face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t resent you. Maybe you did what you had to as the crown prince. But I can¡¯t deny that it wasn¡¯t very pleasant. ¡±

    Isaac stroked his cheeks with a hardened face. His expressionless face was neither like a boy musician nor an unruly prince.

    ¡°¡­ Do you know the region called Charpanti? There is an imperial summer pce. It¡¯s a very beautiful ce with the beach, but if you go further, riding a horse, you will find a vige where the poor farmers take their miserable poverty as fate. If you see their miserable life, everyone including you will be ashamed. I was, too. ¡±

    The prince paused, staring at the cut stem of the rose. His brown eyes, like the bark of trees, subsided as if they were wet with rain.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99: Chapter 99 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (4)

    ¡°I¡¯ve had a dream since I was a very young boy. I wanted to give themon people plenty of opportunities to enhance their lives and empower them to change their cruel fate. The current legition on hiring talents I¡¯m working on is only part of the great n that I¡¯ve been thinking about¡­ It¡¯s true that I have burdened you in the meantime, but you know they targeted me in the end. Can¡¯t you think your sacrifice on that day was for this great cause of mine?¡±

    ¡°You said you wanted to change the miserable lives of themon people, but you promoted me, amoner, to avoid danger. It could end with a simple scandal, but in the worst case, I could be the enemy¡¯s target. How can you talk about a sacrifice for a great cause in this situation? There is no good life when it is sacrificed. There is no good life even if it is sacrificed for someone, for the empire and for the era we live in, let alone the kind of sacrifice forced by others.¡±

    The prince shut up at her reply. But his eyes trembled.

    ¡°¡­Your Majesty, I don¡¯t have any desire to use my power to get a high position or achieve something, let alone anymitment to devote my power for others. I don¡¯t have any particr sense of mission. In conclusion, there is nothing you and I have inmon as far as your wishes are concerned. No matter how you express your wishes, you won¡¯t persuade me.¡±

    She spoke as sincerely as possible. Holding four cut roses in her hand, she looked at his face. His chocte curly hair looked almost blond because of the light beaming from the ss ceiling of the flower garden.

    ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t you take my side? Let me also take your side and help you, so you can achieve your love and all other things that you want. I promise that I can make your wishese true, no matter what. ¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, all I want is just lead a normal life. You already know that. ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you need my help if you want to stand next to Sir Schroder proudly? I mean, for your love.¡±

    When he said that, she dropped the roses she held in his hand.

    Love.

    When she recited, she felt something heartbroken because she recalled a man¡¯s face.

    ¡°My love is¡­It¡¯s still small and vague, but not weak enough to need your help.¡±

    When she said that, she felt refreshed, but at the same time felt heartbroken. Standing with her back against him, she recited the word again in her mouth.

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    He had a disappointed expression at her decisive reply. He knew well that he couldn¡¯t force her. He could satisfy his imminent needs but that would mean he would have to make Sir Schroder his enemy once and for all.

    ¡°At first, I was interested in your status. Then, at one point, I felt interested in you as a woman. I could see it all in my eyes. I read in your face that you repressed your emotions and wanted to hide your heart, which was somehow very simr to mine. Even now you seem to have a lot of secrets.¡± Isaac grinned at her.

    She shrugged at his words that she seemed to have lots of secrets.

    ¡°¡­I think you will certainly be of great help to what I am trying to do. But I think it¡¯s far more difficult to persuade you than to pass the bill. But I want to clear your misunderstanding. The reason I promoted you at the ball wasn¡¯t because I wanted to pass the bill, nor because the lives of the royal families were more valuable than those of themon people. What I¡¯m saying may sound selfish to you, but I just did so to protect my family. Even if you think I¡¯m talking big, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let me think that way. Anyway, I¡¯m going to put you in the clear,¡± she said confidently, with her chin up. He frowned at that.

    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t talk to me, the crown prince, like that even if you think I¡¯m talking big.¡±

    There was the noise of someone making a fuss heard when he was grumbling to her.

    Obviously, the noise wasing from the flower shop. As soon as they turned their eyes toward the door leading to the flower shop, it opened suddenly.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±

    Stepping into the garden with a hardened look, Lard stared at Isaac sharply.

    He was expressing his pure anger.

    ¡°It seemed you didn¡¯t take my warning. It was a very heavy warning. ¡±

    He approached and stood before the two, looming over the prince.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, calm down. I just wanted to talk to Wendy. ¡±

    Prince Isaac looked embarrassed. This time he couldn¡¯t repeat something like ¡®you¡¯re not as loyal as I thought.¡¯ If he said that, it looked like Lard would really pull out his sword in rebellion. He grabbed Wendy¡¯s wrist, staring at him intently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t visit here again, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll go see you tomorrow morning. Let¡¯s put off our dialogue until tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you and I have nothing to discuss tomorrow. Besides, my schedule is tightly booked tomorrow morning.¡±

    Without hearing him out, Lard took Wendy to walk away. She felt Lard was casting a dreadful re at the prince. A bunch of roses in her hand fell on the floor because of his sudden pulling. The prince shouted in desperation, looking back at the two trying to get out of the flower garden.

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Where are you going?!¡±

    Lard stopped walking and turned around quickly, staring at the prince. She felt that a terrible energy was emanating from his eyes. Even the prince¡¯s attendants came into the shop, looked at Lard, wary of him.

    When she shook her wrist and signalled to Lard with a worried look, he took his gaze from the prince. The two soon left the flower garden.

    ¡°It¡¯s me who is really startled today. Why is he staring at me so fiercely? This is really unfair. ¡±

    The prince mumbled with a straight face. When he was about to leave the flower garden, grumbling all along, he found a vine on one side of the garden and approached.

    ¡°¡­What a waste of power!¡± He picked up a ripe grape.

    ¡°She said there was no good life when it¡¯s sacrificed¡­¡±

    Isaac recalled what she said, putting one dark red grape into his mouth. Its sweet juice filled his mouth, but his face wasn¡¯t bright.

    Meanwhile, the two people who left the prince behind in the flower garden, walked out of the flower shop.

    Pascal, who looked at them in embarrassment, stuttered that she didn¡¯t have to worry about the flower shop, but she ignored it.

    The door of the flower shop closed with a thump.

    Still fuming, Lard walked with a hardened look. Walking silently with him, she opened her mouth carefully when her wrist held by him felt a dull pain.

    ¡°It looks like you are hot tempered.¡±

    He stopped walking at her criticism and looked at her.

    ¡°Am I?¡±

    ¡°As you are pulling me like you drag Balos, I can¡¯t stand it,¡± she said, looking at her wrist.

    Noticing her wrist, he let go of it quickly. The spot on her wrist held by him was already pale.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t know that.¡± She smiled slightly at his apology.

    ¡°¡­By the way, where are you going?

    He looked noticeably embarrassed at her question. She leaned over and stared at his face.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know where you¡¯re going now?¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, shall we walk?¡± She said with a rxed voice. He nodded.

    ¡°I tied Balos at the stables over there. Let¡¯s go there. ¡±

    The two walked toward the stables run by the tavern on the road. Sheughed bashfully, taking off the apron that she hadn¡¯t untied as she was absent-minded.

    ¡°Did youe after discovering the prince came to see me?¡±

    She folded the apron and held it. Looking at her stroking the folded apron, he replied, touching his wrinkled shirt.

    ¡°I stopped by Cheddar Pce because I had something to report to the prince, but I found out that he went out to meet you.¡±

    ¡°¡­He suggested working with me. I refused firmly, but I can¡¯t guarantee that he will give up easily. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Let me persuade him out of it. Don¡¯t worry too much. ¡±

    Lost in thought, he spoke. When they approached the stables, a mix of the haystack and the horse dung smelled strongly. Balos neighed as if it noticed its mastering from afar.

    ¡°Can I spend some time with Balos as I¡¯vee here?¡± Wendy said, with her eyes fixed on Balos. Obviously, she felt the strong urge to ride him.

    ¡°Sure, no problem.¡±

    As he already expected, Lard agreed, leading Balros.

    Balos recognized Wendy and snorted in excitement, but he pulled the reins firmly without allowing Balos to feel the joy of meeting her again. Mounting the horse, helped by him, she reached out to him with an excited expression.

    ¡°I want to ride Balos. Is that okay?¡±

    Narrowing his eyes at her suggestion, he said hesitantly, ¡°Well, if you can promise me that you won¡¯t go to Devita Boulevard¡­ ¡°

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100: Chapter 100 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (5)

    With a bright smile, she guaranteed him that she would not. With a reluctant expression, he handed the reins to her and climbed on behind her. Lard didn¡¯t have a fond memory of the ce.

    ¡°I promise you. I won¡¯t go to Devita Boulevard. ¡±

    When she shouted ¡®Giddy-up!¡¯, Balos began to gallop at full speed. She drove Balos towards the Buttuwat River. The dazzling sun glided smoothly over Balos¡¯ brown fur.

    Shortly afterwards, the scent of fresh water carried on the wind tickled her nose. Wendy speeded up in excitement.

    Near the Buttuwat River, there were blue forget-me-nots here and there, shining in the sun. The energy of the early summer was all over the river. The dark green of Rainy Forest in the distance blended well with the blue river, shining dazzlingly. She narrowed her eyes to the dazzling light emitted by the waves.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡±

    Catching her rough breath, she turned her head as if he was checking for Lard¡¯s safety.

    ¡°The way you ride is still reckless. I don¡¯t think anybody can beat you at horse riding,¡± he said, as if he was dumbfounded.

    Sheughed at his ambiguous remarks, which could be taken aspliment or an insult then nudged his chest lightly with her elbow.

    Getting off the horse, the two walked along the river. She picked up several forget-me-nots and held them in one hand. Looking at the flowers in her hand, which had obviously withered and bloomed again, he asked, ¡°What is the name of the flower?¡±

    ¡°Forget-me-nots. I think you have be sharply interested in nts these days.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Because you¡¯re interested.¡±

    She was pleasantly surprised by his casual response, who would not have said anything like that in the past. The wind blowing through her neck rang like a pulse.

    ¡°¡­ Has there been any progress in the investigation? ¡± She asked about the explosion incident at the pce to calm down.

    He was watching her all along.

    ¡°I heard you¡¯re having difficulties with the investigation¡­ Oops! ¡±

    While trying to avoid his gaze, she stumbled and almost tipped over. As she cried out, staggering, he quickly wrapped her in his arms.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not an easy investigation, ¡± he said slowly, holding her in his arm.

    She was not sure if what he said was about the investigation itself or something else.

    When she looked up, his face was closer to her. She could not move at all as if she had a bowl full of water in her hand. Her heart was beating irregrly.

    ¡°¡­What do you mean? ¡± He was looking into her dark eyes when she asked.

    ¡°You will never know how hard it is to recite the knights¡¯ code of conduct while looking at you¡­¡±

    She could not understand what he was talking about. She made eye contact with him, her eyes trembling.

    ¡°I¡¯ve learned how to control my emotions a long time ago. But I find myself forgetting how when I¡¯m with you. ¡± He looked at her as if he didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°¡­Can I kiss you? ¡±

    She didn¡¯t know how to respond when she looked into his ash eyes, which seemed to appeal to her not to refuse. She couldn¡¯t avoid his gaze like the moonlight filled with the empty field.

    She raised her hand to his cheek. Clouds passed over their heads, creating shade for a moment. He kissed her palm. He smelled of grass from it.

    She felt as though her whole body was aroused as if the ripples of the river were rolling around her body. Standing on her toes, she lifted her head. He leaned over and put his lips on hers.

    The moment he kissed her, she closed her eyes. She saw the dark green afterimage of Rainy Forest in the distance. The background she saw behind his earlobe was beautiful.

    Their kiss was long.

    He kissed her as if he were dealing with the most valuable person in his life. He didn¡¯t feel lonely at all despite the passing of the loney wind.

    He reluctantly ended the kiss as slowly as possible. Looking at each other for a while, the two began to walk hand in hand. Her hair, swept by the wind, touched his shoulder several times. He liked it.

    As if all the words they had been speaking until now in their lives were useless, they were silent. Although they kept silent, they knew they didn¡¯t need to speak as if they already listened to what they had to.

    The two continued to walk on that day until Balos, tied up in the distance, neighed loudly out of boredom.

    The next day Cheddar Pce, Isaac¡¯s new residence after his pce was destroyed by the explosion, was disturbed early in the morning. As the two men were engaged in sparring with the swords in the central hall of the pce, the servants and maids looked at them from a distance. The sound of swords clinking against each other resonated throughout the hall.

    ¡°Sir Schroder! Slow down!¡±

    ¡°Your left side is vulnerable.¡±

    Lard¡¯s sword aimed at Isaac¡¯s right side relentlessly. Although Isaac barely blocked his sword, Lard instantly pointed the tip of his sword at his right shoulder. Frightened, the prince stepped back and fell on his buttocks.

    ¡°Oops¡­ Sir Schroder, did you forget I¡¯m a patient? The wound on my shoulder still hurts. Isn¡¯t aiming at it cowardly?¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t your left shoulder the one that was injured? I heard from the royal doctor that the wound on your shoulder was already healed,¡± he calmly said with a nk expression.

    ¡°By the way, why are you so mean to me suddenly? Is it because of what happened yesterday? I promised you that I wouldn¡¯t visit her again. right?¡±

    Lard¡¯s sharp eyes sparkled at his excuses.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were so poor in swordsmanship, Your Majesty. Don¡¯t you think you have to develop fencing skills well enough to defend yourself? Let me rebuke Sir Besha, who was in charge of training you. I will also pay the price for neglecting your progress by sparring with you every morning.¡±

    ¡°So, are you going to harass me every day from now on?¡±

    ¡°How could I harass you? I¡¯m doing this only for your progress. Please don¡¯t get me wrong as I am willingly taking time out for you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were such a cunning guy who paid lip service without changing your facial expressions at all. I can¡¯t have my hands calloused from sparring with you for useless purposes. I mean the calluses that don¡¯t really help me y the violin at all. Huh? Please don¡¯t do this to me.¡±

    ¡°I think you have keenly felt the need to learn swordsmanship. Please remember the day when your pce copsed. Please stand up. ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a knight. I¡¯m the Crown Prince of the Benyahan Empire! ¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why you should train all the more. What the people expect of you is not weakness.¡±

    Despite the prince¡¯s attempts to appease and bluff, Lard was still ready to charge toward him.

    Reluctantly, the prince raised his body. He knew early on that Lard was an inflexible guy, and he knew that Lard would give him such a hard time with swordsmanship. The prince sighed, frowning in frustration.

    ¡°Yes, I have to reap the seeds I sowed.¡±

    Resigned to the situation, Issac took the offensive first with a fierce look.

    But his aggressive move failed even before he attacked Lard with the sword several times.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± The prince dropped the sword, with a moan.

    The sound of his sword falling on the floor with a clicking noise was heard loudly.

    He wrapped his head with both hands.

    ¡°What the heck are you doing?!¡± Hitting the back of his head with the sword handle, Lard coldly, ¡°You¡¯re wielding the sword randomly. You¡¯re wielding it as if you have never learned the basics of cutting and stabbing. If you wield the sword like that, you are exposed to the enemy¡¯s attack.¡±

    ¡°Sir Schroder, did you forget who I am? Howe you are so rude to me?¡±

    As if the back of his head hurt so much, the prince shouted with an angry voice.

    He had tears welled in his eyes, which he didn¡¯t intend at all. He was begrudged all the more when he recalled that he had been hit by Lard in the past while sparring.

    ¡°You¡¯re the crown prince of the Benyamin Empire Isaac von Benyahan. Think of what would have happened if it had been the de, not a wooden handle, that touched the back of your head. Have you forgotten that you have the duty of defending the empire? How can you protect so many people when you can¡¯t protect your own life?¡±

    ¡°Sir Schroder!¡±

    ¡°You must hold your sword more firmly. And wield your sword against the forces that threaten the empire. ¡±

    Lard picked up the sword that the prince dropped on the floor. As if to examine the de of the sword, Lard gave it a thorough look and said, ¡°But you should sharpen it after considering carefully who you are going to aim at. If you wield it wrong, you will hurt not only your opponent, but also yourself all the more ¡±

    The prince silently looked up at him. He clearly knew what Lard was trying to say.

    ¡°As a citizen of the Benyamin Empire, I support you.¡±

    Lard grabbed the other side of the sword and gave it to the prince.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101: Chapter 101 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (6)

    When the prince reached out to receive the sword, Lard withdrew it. The tip of the sword was now pointed at the prince in the blink of an eye.

    Freightened, Isaac stepped back. The royal guards who stood at a distance flinched as if they were surprised.

    ¡°If the de of your sword hurts her,¡­ I will not hesitate to draw my sword to protect her. Today I only hope you have taken my advice seriously. This is thest straw.¡±

    Lard gave him the piece of his mind without hesitation. Sensing his firm determination in his tone, the prince sighed and said, ¡°Sir Schroder, I am more scared of you than anybody else who has threatened my life. I think you¡¯re the only one who points the sword at me recklessly.¡±

    The prince touched the back of his head, moaning sadly.

    Lard quickly grabbed the other end of the sword and gave it to him. After checking his expression and carefully receiving the sword, the prince said as if he surrendered, ¡°How can I make you my enemy? I¡¯m not stupid enough to do that. Let me swear in honor of the Benyahan Empire. I won¡¯t try to approach her without your permission. Of course, I won¡¯t promote her as my shield. I can promise that.¡±

    At his reply, Lard narrowed his eyes as if to check out his sincerity. Isaac strained his eyes as if he wanted to express his sincerity.

    ¡°I trust you,¡± Lard said, nodding. The prince put the sword back into the sheath, feeling relieved.

    ¡°Lift your sword again. Our sparring is not over. ¡±

    ¡°Huh? You want to continue? I told you I won¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take your eyes off your opponent¡¯s sword!¡±

    He thrust the sword swiftly, pretending not to appreciate his protest.

    The prince freaked out and quickly lifted his sword, but he staggered as if Lard¡¯s attack was hard.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Isaac grimaced at the pain in his wrist and moaned. That day, the prince continued to moan in pain until he waspletely exhausted.

    By the time their sparring was over, Jean Jacques Simuan hurriedly visited Cheddar.

    As soon as he appeared, the prince weed him as if he met his savior.

    After greeting the crown prince politely, Jean, who didn¡¯t yet grasp the situation well, said to Lard urgently, ¡°I have something to report to you urgently.¡±

    He put his sword in the sheath, noticing Jean¡¯s unusual expression.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m going to wrap it up here today. So, rx your muscles to avoid any knots. See you again tomorrow. ¡±

    After giving him a scary goodbye, Lard walked out of the hall with Jean.

    The prince, who was forced to have another sparring tomorrow morning, called him urgently, but Lard left without responding.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    Outside Cheddar Pce, he asked Jean, after confirming there was nobody around.

    ¡°While I was investigating the explosion incident, I identally detected some suspicious activities. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Are you talking about Duke Auguste Engre? ¡±

    ¡°Not that¡­ I¡¯m not sure yet, but it looks like someone is looking for Wendy. ¡±

    Lard suddenly stopped walking at his words.

    ¡°The Eldon Information Center was looking for a woman looking like Wendy. They were reluctant to reveal their client, but I¡¯m sure the client is not Duke Engre, given the various circumstances. They would not have epted his request if the client had been a powerful figure like Engre at this time.¡±

    Lard anticipated that someone might be chasing Wendy¡¯s whereabouts because of their scandal. In fact, they were digging into her background. The reason that her identity could not be revealed until now was because Lard strictly blocked it.

    It would be a bit of a difficult fight if Duke Engre would directly try to find her identity, but Lard had been prepared for that, too. It was also part of his strategy to have somebody stay with her and leak out tips mixed with truth and lies.

    But who the hell was looking for her other than Duke Engre?

    ¡°Let me visit the Eldon Information Center,¡± Lard said, stepping back.

    ¡°Are you going there in person? If you go there directly, you will draw their attention.¡±

    ¡°In this situation, who is going to think my visit there strange? We have to find out who the client is even by searching the whole center,¡± said Lard with a gloomy voice.

    Arriving at the Eldon Information Center, the two joined a knight with the 1st Imperial Knights waiting for them and entered the building, escorted by him.

    Inside the room along the corridor was Zephyllin Shes, the director as well as the secret agent of the Eldon Information Center.

    One knight who had been questioning him stood up and saluted Lard. His face grew dark as if he didn¡¯t get any good results. But Zephyllin was carefree andid back. He bowed when his eyes met his the moment Lard stepped in as if he already recognized the captain of the 1st Imperial Knights.

    ¡°Do you recognize me?¡±

    Feeling Lard was asking the obvious question, Zephyllin turned his mouth up.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Sir Schroder, Captain of the First Imperial Knights and Duke Schroder? If I don¡¯t recognize you, I have spent my life as a secret agent in vain. ¡±

    ¡°Good. Then, you know why I came here,¡± Lard said, sitting face to face with him.

    Zephyllin shook his head as if he was on the spot and lifted the cup on the table to quench his thirst. There was nothing like fear in his attitude even when he was being questioned by an imperial knight.

    ¡°Of course. Unfortunately, I have nothing to tell you about that. I have already spoken to other knights several times, but our center here puts the top priority on protecting our client¡¯s identity. We can¡¯t identify our client for any reason.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I thought there was room for consideration as far as the Eldon center was involved in this case.¡±

    ¡°Involved in this case? What do you mean?¡±

    Zephyllin¡¯s rxed face stiffened for a moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the recent explosion at the prince¡¯s pce. It¡¯s rted to the woman you¡¯re looking for¡­ There are several spections about why you guys are trying to look for the woman. But the spections are all about the impure things rted to the imperial family, which will put you into trouble,¡± said Lard, leaning back on his chair.

    Although he exaggerated by mentioning the imperial family, what he said was not totally false.

    It was undeniable that the Eldon Information Center had the list of the participants in the eve party, which had been strictly sealed since the explosion incident. So, it would be negligence of duty if Lard didn¡¯t take the due measures. It was also clear that Wendy was deeply involved in the explosion incident, so Lard did not forge the truth.

    ¡°You guessed wrong. The client¡¯s request had nothing to do with such aplex task. The client just wanted to find an old friend or missing acquaintance.¡±

    Zephyllin denied, knitting his brows as if he heard nonsense. Although he denied it as if it was not a big deal. Obviously, he felt scared about the possible repercussions of the client¡¯s request.

    He hastily pondered over the best solution, swallowing a dry saliva. He thought that he could run into big trouble if he made a mistake.

    ¡°Anybody could make excuses like yours. And I¡¯m also suspicious that a big shot like you would have epted such a trifling request. Let me make it clear to you once again. We can make various spections about this case, but I don¡¯t think this case will be wrapped up as spection on our end.¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me now? I¡¯m not a man who would be ckmailed into revealing the client¡¯s identity. The reason that the Eldon center has been able to grow so far is because we have maintained our clients¡¯ trust. I have never done anything illegal, so I have no reason to respond to your threat.¡±

    ¡°You are using the word trust recklessly. How can you describe your secret investigation of others as trust? I can find out whether your remarkable growth is illegal or not when we investigate your activities. Sir Simuan, arrest all the staff of the Eldon center for investigation and find out their illegal activities.¡±

    Lard stood up quickly. Zephyllin was stunned to hear his order and stood up at the same time. His peace of mind was broken and he broke out into a sweat.

    He couldn¡¯t let the Eldon center copse by protecting just one client¡¯s identity.

    If the knights began to investigate his staff, he could not guarantee the confidentiality of his other clients. Of course, he was worried about those clients who had something fishy.

    ¡°Sir Schroder! Give me a moment, please. ¡±

    Ignoring him, Lard turned around and left the room. Zephyllin shouted hurriedly when Lard left the room as if to show him that he missed the chance.

    ¡°Sir Schroder! I¡¯ll tell you what you want, so please give me a second! ¡±

    When Zephyllin finally said what he wanted to hear, Lard stopped and looked at him.

    As Lard¡¯s expressionless face looked horrible like a beast before a prey, Zephyllin wiped sweat from his forehead.

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102: Chapter 102 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (7)

    Lard returned to his office of the Imperial Pce looking at the paper, lost in thought. It contained information about a woman looking like Wendy. The paper that Zephyllin reluctantly gave him, sweating profusely like a man with hyperhidrosis, was crumpled in one corner by his sweat stains.

    Written on the paper by the client¡¯s neat handwriting was the woman¡¯s hair color, eye color, and facial appearance. The color of the dark green dress that Wendy was wearing at the imperial banquet was very clearly described. All the descriptions on the paper reminded Lard of Wendy Waltz, but there was one strange thing in his eyes. But he was not so sure. He noticed the name ¡®Olivia Hazlet¡¯.

    Knock knock!

    ¡°Pleasee in.¡±

    After a slight knock, Jean entered the office with his permission. He carefully opened the parchment in his hand, looking at Lard¡¯s face.

    ¡°Lady Francis Hazlet appears to have attended the eve party to make her social debut as the only daughter of the Hazlet family. She is still staying in the capital with Countess Hazlet. She has not done anything else except for her attendance at the tea party hosted by the daughter of Count Setorang three days ago. Countess Hazlet had never left her estate in the most recent years.¡±

    ¡°Any other unusual things?¡±

    ¡°Well, one strange thing is that although Francis is known as Hazlet¡¯s only daughter, she allegedly has an older sister who was emunicated from the family several years ago. ¡±

    ¡°Then, is she Olivia Hazlet?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It looks like she wasn¡¯t emunicated officially because her name is still on the nobles¡¯ list. It seems that the Hazlet family announced her emunication hastily. At that time, there was a cancelled marriage between Olivia and Earl Duoldran. It seems that the Hazlet family announced it to prevent any negative repercussions.¡±

    Lard tightened his hands. He felt unbearable anxiety surging in his heart.

    Marriage, cancetion of marriage, Earl Duoldran.

    The words spat out by Jeanplicated his thoughts.

    ¡°Olivia¡­¡±

    He mentioned it while looking at the ink marks on the paper. He spoke it to figure his thoughts out, but he felt stuffy.

    Olivia.

    It was the name Dn Lennox with the 2nd Knights Division called at the recent title award ceremony. Lard was reminded of that name, it echoed in his mind in Dn¡¯s desperate voice.

    ¡°Is there anything close to Belta, the estate of Earl Hazlet?¡± Lard asked.

    As his voice was pitched with emotion, Jean paused for a second to look at him and then opened and examined the parchment in his hand.

    ¡°There are two ces, Madran and Mullerdon.¡±

    ¡°Mullerdon¡­ It¡¯s the estate of Marquis Lennox, ¡± said Lard as if he expected, standing up.

    ¡°Sir Simian, dispatch someone right now to keep an eye on Francis Hazlet and Countess Hazlet. If you find anything suspicious, let me know right away.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ try to find some more detailed information about Olivia Hazlet. Don¡¯t go through anyone else. You must find it out for yourself. No one should pay attention to her or try to know her. ¡±

    Jean, who recalled the woman¡¯s impressions on the paper, nodded heavily. There was some regret on his face.

    ¡°You can go now.¡±

    After Jean left the office, Lard pulled the shirt cor as if he was frustrated. As his heartbeat was pounding unusually high, he was troubled. It was too early for him to be convinced of everything, but he felt he could grasp some clue to his curiosity about this woman.

    ¡°Olivia Hazlet¡­¡±

    He muttered the name once again, which he was already familiar with.

    Around that time Zephyllin, who had been raided by the imperial knights and felt offended, urgently sent a messenger to Francis. It was his final consideration for his client.

    ¡°Regarding my request, did the imperial knightse and investigate?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. As you are looking for the woman who attended the party to celebrate the emperor¡¯s birthday, it looks like your request drew their attention. As you know, the atmosphere of the imperial family these days is¡­¡±

    ¡°Who are you ming now? Howe you can boast as the best intelligence center of the empire when you have failed to take care of my request? Besides, you exposed your client¡¯s identity.¡±

    Francis screamed loudly. Her lips, which turned white, moved up and down.

    ¡°¡­Our center will refund the money five times over as an apology¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡±

    Francis stared at the messenger, throwing away the bag containing the money.

    ¡°¡­ Zephyllin says you had better be careful about your actions for the time being. As the imperial knights are paying attention to you, it is good for you to act carefully. ¡±

    The messenger barely conveyed his message and left in a hurry.

    The bundle of money he left behind was scattered on the floor like the excrement of dirty sin. Francis stood up for a while and stared at the bundle of money.

    Imperial knights? She was not sure how their involvement would affect her. She was nervous that her visit to the Eldon center would harm her family. She knew her family had suffered too much because of the cancetion of the marriage of Olivia and Earl Duoldran.

    Then, suddenly she hit upon an assumption.

    ¡®Dn Lennox, what if he already knew this?¡¯

    Francis wrapped her arms with a pale expression and stroked her forearm. He looked at her so in such detestation when she asked him if he saw Olivia at the party.

    When she recalled Dn, she was shrouded with extreme anxiety. If Dn learned that she tried to find Olivia¡¯s whereabouts by using the Eldon Information Center, he would certainly cast a more hateful nce at her. She was so scared about that possibility.

    Consumed by anxiety, Francis urgently called a maid.

    ¡°Get ready for me to go out. Right now.¡±

    The maid was surprised at her pale face, but Francis didn¡¯t exin anything and pressed her on the preparation.

    Just before going out, Francis had a knight who was familiar with the situation in the capital apany her. Of course, she did not reveal her destination to the knight or anyone else. Recalling Zephyllin¡¯s warning that she should act cautiously in and out of her house, she did not use her private carriage and left the house through the back door where the servants came and went. She was also careful enough to put on the hairpins that the maids usually used.

    As it happened that Countess Hazlet was out, she had no problem going out.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you use the wagon?¡±

    The middle-aged knight Dous asked her with a worried voice, but she diligently walked, pretending not to have heard his suggestion. The hat she took off was held in the knight¡¯s hand. The knight escorted her, holding it anxiously. They walked on and on for very long and finally reached their destination. It was the Lennox mansion.

    ¡°Is he out now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Can you find out when he ising back? ¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell us when he woulde back,¡± the Lennox¡¯s butler said with a hard expression.

    Francis again asked when Dn would return home, but she could not hear the answer she wanted to hear. As a result, she had to leave the mansion as if she had been expelled without even being escorted into the parlor. Dous protested to the butler, as if he felt disgraced, but there was no chance that the butler could react favorably.

    Recalling Dn¡¯s hatred of her the previous day, Francis left the mansion silently as if she had expected such a reply in advance. She felt humiliated but she had to hide it because she didn¡¯t have the nerve to reveal it, so she held back the urge. She did not want to look more ugly in his mansion.

    Leaving the house of Lennox, she had no ce else to go. Francis stayed put along the wall and didn¡¯t move for a long time. She really didn¡¯t know where to go now.

    Understanding her sentiment, Dous, who kept silent, asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back to the mansion?¡±Nevertheless, she kept silent and stood there. It looked like she was waiting for Dn Lennox. Staring at the road leading to the Lennox mansion, she didn¡¯t take her eyes off of it, just in case he would appear. As she could not know when he woulde back home, she had no choice but to wait helplessly.

    She had no specific n when she met him. She just wanted to check his face. Even if he showed the same resentment as he did the previous day, she wished he didn¡¯t show her the irreversible hatred. The longer she waited, the more desperate she became.

    She even felt sorry for herself as if she was falling into hypnosis created by herself.

    ¡®What should I do now if he already knows everything?¡¯

    Francis blinked quickly as if she was nervous. Although she tried to find Olivia in a fit of anger, she had never assumed that she would be faced with this kind of situation, so she became nervous and worried all the more.

    Only when the sun, which had risen high, tilted westward, did she begin to walk away at a staggering pace. Dous reached out to support her as the huge iron gate of the mansion opened with a squeaking noise. On the spur of the moment, she got alert and strained her wobbly legs. She saw Dning into the mansion.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103: Chapter 103 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (8)

    She saw Dn mounting a horse and a servant preparing to leave the Lennox mansion.

    Her lips trembled as she felt so miserable at the moment.

    ¡®Does he hate me so much that he expelled me by lying that he was not at home?¡¯

    Francis looked back at him nkly. As she had been humiliated by Dn, Dous, who witnessed it all, also fumed with anger.

    At that moment, Dn Lennox coincidently turned his head towards her. They looked vacantly away from each other. As Dn¡¯s upper body moved unstably after he saw her, the horse neighed loudly as if it was unsatisfied. She could see him clearly.

    Dn stood for a moment before he turned around and approached her. The closer the tter of the hoofs came, the more nervous and agitated she became.

    She regretted not leaving earlier. She didn¡¯t want to be a forlorn figure before him.

    ¡°Francis.¡±

    Getting off the horse, he called her name with a subdued voice. She closed her dry lips tightly and didn¡¯t speak.

    ¡°Howe you came to my ce without a wagon¡­¡±

    Seeing her standing miserably on the road, Dn could hardly get the words out properly.

    He was more embarrassed because he didn¡¯t expect she would wait for him here. He really felt sorry for her, of course. He hated her, but he felt sorry at the moment.

    ¡°Let me give you a wagon to ride back home,¡± he said.

    Then he directed his servant to get her a horse.

    ¡°Is that all you can say to me?¡± Her terrible feelings showed in her controlled voice.

    She demanded, ¡°Was it because you didn¡¯t want to see me at all? How could you humiliate me like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, that¡¯s not what I mean. I just thought nothing good woulde out when I saw you again.¡±

    ¡°Why? We met again only recently¡­ I¡¯m not begging you to love me. I just asked to see you. That¡¯s all. Why are you so cruel to me?¡± She stared at him resentfully. She was stricken with sorrow.

    ¡°Am I cruel?¡± He asked, as if he was dumbfounded. As if it was thest straw, his eyebrows trembled. As she retouched his wounded heart that he barely healed, he spat it out.

    ¡°It¡¯s you who has been cruel to me. I have thought so numerous times. So cruel. How could you be so cruel to a man driven to the edge of a cliff?¡±

    ¡°What the heck?¡± Francis was embarrassed by his unexpected response. Her lips were blue with embarrassment.

    ¡°The choice I made to get the marriage certificate from you that day¡­ It was a sin that I have to carry for the rest of my life. Just ask to see me? How can I see you again? Every time I see you, I can¡¯t control my emotions because of my growing resentment and sense of loss. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Do you hate me so much? Do you think it¡¯s all my fault that you broke up with Olivia? ¡±

    Francis said in a crying voice, with her face contorted.

    ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m sick and tired! What¡¯s the point of this kind of useless argument?¡±

    ¡°I loved you! That feeling of love that made your heart broken also made me feel the same. So, I couldn¡¯t stand it¡­ Can¡¯t you see how broken my heart is?¡±

    She finally cried. He put his hand on his forehead as if he was distressed.

    ¡°Do you want me to be patient for your love? Haven¡¯t you ever thought that your love is violence to me?¡­ Stopining like a child. Just take it if you feel distressed. You have to deal with it on your own.¡± Having said that coldy, he mounted the horse. His servant, standing hesitantly, followed him. Left behind, she was shedding tears, short of breath. She felt like her heart was torn apart.

    Her clenched fists turned pale. She thought it would be very hard to win over his heart, but she never thought she would face this situation. She felt as if even a ray of hope waspletely dashed.

    ¡°How could he¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t know she would be so heartbroken. Sheid her hands on her chest and held back tears. But her wounded heart would not go away and tormented her all the more. Her sadness sharply reminded her of the reason why she was trying to find Olivia. Sheughed in vain, trying tofort herself desperately. She was now listening to the cry of her innermost heart.

    ¡®Olivia, wasn¡¯t your revenge sessful because you humiliated me like this?¡¯

    She bit her lip. Her emotional distress gave birth to an illegitimate child called ¡®resentment¡¯ in her heart. It was a dirty feeling that she couldn¡¯t show to anyone. But she could not let even her love turn into an illegitimate child. The only illegitimate child she knew was Olivia Hazlet.

    ¡°Sir Dous.¡±

    Dous, who witnessed this youngdy¡¯s loss of her lover, looked at her.

    She did not hide her miserable feelings any more.

    ¡°I need your help.¡±

    ¡°Please say anything.¡±

    ¡°I heard there are many other ces than the Edon center in the capital that boast of their excellence in checking others¡¯ backgrounds. It doesn¡¯t have to be an authorized service under the imperialw. I want you to take me there.¡±

    ¡°Lady¡­¡±

    ¡°Please. I want to check something with their help. I think I can feel rxed only when I confirm that¡­¡±

    Looking at her miserable face, Dous couldn¡¯t refuse, breathing out deeply.

    A few days passed. During those days, Wendy spent a lot of time alone, looking down.

    Pascal threw a suspicious gaze at her sometimes, but every time she met his eyes, she didn¡¯t respond at all, looking more suspicious.

    Pascal would not have cared much if she had continued to act like that. He now got used to seeing her face without the hint of a smile, but sometimes he was surprised at her strange behavior, which made him open his eyes wide. It¡¯s because she often smiled without any reason while sitting alone, trimming flowers.

    Her eyes still looked cold, but the smile on her face seemed very awkward and even weird.

    There was clearly something wrong with her, he thought.

    She sometimes hummed a tune, and she was excessively kind to the customers. During that short span, Pascal was scared because she looked so different from the woman he had known for the past few days.

    ¡®Should I report this to the captain?¡¯ He frowned heavily, at a loss about what to do.

    Even now she was showing the same reaction. Every time the door opened, she was surprised and instinctively checked the visitor¡¯s face. On such asions, Pascal flinched in surprise.

    Obviously, she was waiting for someone.

    Surprised at her unusually strange attitude, Pascal naively asked her whether she was expecting anybody, but she reacted coldly like before.

    She asked with an annoying voice, ¡°Is there anybody elseing here except for customers?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I just thought you might be expecting an important customer,¡± he responded awkwardly.

    Pretending not to have noticed it, she handed him a handful of flowers that a customer ordered.

    Shortly after he gave the flowers to the customer and received the payment, the doorbell rang again. Seeing the personing into the shop, Pascal quickly stopped moving a vase and gave him a salute briefly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to salute me here.¡±

    Having said that, Lard greeted her with his eyes. Looking at her face unintentionally, Pascal had to swallow again though his mouth was dry this time. Her thick eyebrows trembled, but she was obviously happy about his visit, though she didn¡¯t express it. Pascal noticed a huge disharmony between her smiling lips and her frosty eyes.

    ¡°Come on in,¡± she said, asking Lard to sit down.

    ¡°Long time no see. I¡¯ve been so busy these days that I couldn¡¯t stop by. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ No wonder you can¡¯t stop by as you¡¯re so busy. I thought you woulde hereter than sooner. I¡¯m surprised at your unexpected visit today.¡±

    Checking her sullen attitude again, Pascal found out why she showed such a cynical reaction until now. Although he was not sure if it was good or bad for him not to have reported her unusual behavior to the captain, he clearly realized that he would excuse himself and get out.

    He picked up the empty vase again and walked into the muggy flower garden. Even if he sweat profusely in there, he vowed he would not get back into the shop.

    As Pascal closed the door leading to the flower garden, there was silence between the two who had been talking naturally while he was there.

    Was it because this was the first they had seen each other since they kissed by the river recently?¡¯

    As if conscious of this , she busied herself with preparing tea diligently without meeting his eyes. Fortunately, the sound of her pouring water hid her awkward breathing.

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104: Chapter 104 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (9)

    It wasn¡¯t long before the shop¡¯s floral scent began to give way to the smell of a rich lemon scent.

    It was a nostalgic scent that reminded her of old memories.

    ¡°I¡¯ve made some fresh lemon tea. It might taste too sweet,¡± she said, putting the mug down in front of him.

    Drinking the lemon tea and savoring its fresh scent, he responded with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not sweet.¡±

    He spoke briefly but seemed fully satisfied.

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t taste it properly because of the memory of the fragrance of the jar of lemon tea that reminded him of the night he had stayed at her house. He recalled that night when the ss bottle fell out of the cupboard while she was trying to get it. The deep texture of the sticky lemon tea, the touch of his fingertips stroking her cheeks, and their kiss shed through his mind suddenly,plicating his thoughts.

    He put his index finger on the mug handle and took it off repeatedly because of the sticky lemon lightly staining the handle. He smiled bitterly when he felt that his wistful feelings about her would haunt him for the rest of life.

    He tried to dispel hisplicated thoughts, looking at her stirring the teaspoon carefully. Naturally, he turned his eyes at her yellow hair and green eyes. Then, he recalled the descriptions of the woman on the paper that Zephyllin gave him. He had been distressed by that for the past several days. The anxiety and doubt that had weighed so heavily on his mind were still bothering him, but he struggled to forget about it because he couldn¡¯t do anything about it now. He didn¡¯t want to share that distress with her, above all.

    ¡°Did you eat on time? You seem a bit haggard. ¡±

    Breaking the silence, she opened her mouth first. She was looking at his clear jawline.

    There was concern in her voice when she spoke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I got more training in the morning these days.¡±

    Recalling his daily sparring with the crown prince, he responded casually.

    He wondered how she would respond when she looked at the crown prince¡¯s face, whose cheeks became hollow after only a few days.

    ¡°Do not overwork yourself.¡±

    He didn¡¯t expect she would naturallye up with such a warm response. He looked at her seriously. As if she was embarrassed by her words, she avoided his gaze with a sullen look for a while. Heughed a bit, watching her tapping her fingernail on the mug mindlessly.

    ¡°You should not overwork yourself, Wendy. I feel sorry for you as you look more skinny than I saw you the first time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t. These days Sir Dowain has taken over most of the hard work here, so my work has lessened greatly. ¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the crown prince¡¯s agenda, so rest assured. You can stay healthy when you feel rxed.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I am not worried. So, don¡¯t worry about me. I won¡¯t be worried even if the crown prince visits me again. If he brings me lots of Montrap powder like before, I¡¯ll be happy to wee it.¡±

    Sheughed with a big smile, responding in jest.

    He smiled like her briefly then made a gloomy expression and said, ¡°This morning some of the knights by the 2nd Knights¡¯ Badge Enos headed for Johamon. We have reports that the situation there was not very good because of Montrapi. They were dispatched so the disturbances of the Henobi area won¡¯t be repeated. Damages to Montrapi by blight and harmful insects are continuing to spread. Compounded by the difficult political situation, the crown prince is very much worried that the possible disturbance in Johamos due to the Montrapi damages will get worse.¡±

    ¡°Well, I see the price of Montrapi has stabilized for the past several days.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because the government released the reserved Montrapi, but it¡¯s only a temporary solution. There are bad guys who stockpile Montrapi blindly to promote price spikes. The prince is looking for a way to crack down on the nobles behind it, but these guys are so clever.¡±

    ¡°What has happened to the bill that the crown prince pushed forward?¡±

    ¡°There are six more days before it will be effective. One day passes very slowly.¡±

    He sighed deeply.

    ¡°Is the investigation of the explosion at the prince¡¯s pce still in limbo?¡±

    He nodded bitterly at her asking. It made her feel ufortable to see himnguid.

    Looking down for a moment, she asked carefully, ¡°Even a little clue can help?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by clue?¡±

    She told him about the conversation she had heard before the explosion of the pce.

    She told him after a few days of thinking hard, but he shook his head, contrary to her expectation.

    ¡°Forget about it. The contents of the dialogue are not sufficient to pinpoint Duke Engre as the culprit of the explosion. Besides, the price you have to pay to testify about their conversation on that day is too high. Nothing good woulde out even if you brought it up.¡±

    ¡°If you hear the voice of the man talking to the knight again¡­¡±

    ¡°Forget it. Do not try to get involved in the case.¡± When she made a surprised expression at his resolute attitude, he said with a sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you put in danger anymore.¡±

    He sincerely said that without any exaggeration in his voice. She suggested that she would follow his advice by nodding slightly. As he was more worried about her than she, she just lowered her head. Afternoon sunlighting in through the ss of the shop disappeared a bit, her heart was bright, strange enough. She felt as if the light was back on in the room of her heart that she had neglected.

    ¡°Will you give me some more tea?¡±

    At his request, she poured more tea into his empty mug. While looking at the tea, he suddenly turned to the door as if he felt someone was outside door.

    Shortly afterwards, the door opened and a man stepped in.

    Their faces hardened at the appearance of a man. The man with the blue eyes also looked embarrassed a lot when he saw Lard.

    ¡°Sir Dn Lennox!.¡±

    When Lard called his name, she stood up awkwardly with a puzzled look. The chair she was sitting in was pushed back, making a loud noise. After he looked at her, who was embarrassed at his unexpected visit, Dn turned to Lard again. Lard looked at him calmly.

    ¡°What business has brought you here?¡± He asked.

    Quickly pulling himself together, Dn greeted the captain of the 1st Knights Division and answered, ¡°I¡¯ve got something to talk to Wendy about.¡±

    Lard had to pretend to stay calm when his junior knight called her name and exined the purpose of his visit.

    He remembered that Dn expressed hisplicated feelings by calling her Olivia at the recent noble title award ceremony.

    With the investigation of the woman Olivia Hazlet was underway, nothing was clear.

    ¡®What if the woman just took after Wendy, or what if everybody misunderstood Wendy as Olivia Hazlet?¡¯

    Lard looked at the two alternately stiffly. He felt his assumption might be stupid, but at the same time found it difficult to admit it easily.

    Lard noticed a clear embarrassment in her face. He ovepped her images when she encountered Dn in the Imperial Pce and cried. Their gaze at each other was far from that of those dealing with strangers. Lard felt something strange behind their feelings.

    ¡°Are you still looking for the woman? Now that you¡¯vee here, it seems you haven¡¯t been satisfied with my answer.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not here because of that. ¡±

    ¡°Then, why did youe here?¡±

    ¡°I have something to talk with her, not you. Should I report my private matters to you, sir? Or do I need your permission to talk with Wendy?¡± Dn said in a firm tone. He looked angry.

    At that moment, Dn had no choice but to recall Lard and Wendy¡¯s friendly interactions at the pce. His deep sense of loss no longer allowed him to pretend to be calm and casual.

    Even before his wounded heart was cured, Lard¡¯s presence with her in the shop was enough to make Dn go on the offensive now.

    ¡°Did you forget that you swore by your honor on the day when the pce fell? ¡±

    ¡°I have not forgotten my oath, but is the oath on that day only applicable to some people? I can¡¯t ept the fact that your presence here has nothing to do with the oath while I¡¯m affected by that oath.¡±

    Without giving in at all, the two were in a sharp stand-off. So irritated, she shouted in an embarrassed voice, ¡°Stop it, please!¡±

    At her shouting, the two eased off the tense atmosphere.

    Lard looked back at her. Her face turned white. He admitted that his argument with Dn was cruel to her and controlled his surging anger.

    ¡°Do you want to talk with Lennox? If you want, let me leave.¡±

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105: Chapter 105 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (10)

    Her eyes trembled violently. She nced at Dn for a moment and nodded heavily.

    Although he agreed, Lard couldn¡¯t easily leave. In fact, he was cowardly enough to expect her to shake her head.

    Lard sighed slightly. Although he had been wary of an impulsive life, he felt as if his life was a series of impulsive feelings these days. He left the ce, struggling to calm down.

    The sound of him closing the door with a thump rang through the empty shop.

    Stepping into the flower garden like Pascal, he narrowed his eyes because of the muggy air inside the garden.

    ¡°Captain?¡± Pascal, who was cutting the stems of flowers there, nced at Lard. ¡°Do you have instructions for me?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No. ¡± Looking at his puzzled face, Lard responded nicely.

    Pascal¡¯s ultra-blue shirt was smudged ck. Sweat quickly formed on Lard¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°You¡¯re working hard, man.¡±

    ¡°Oh, not at all, sir. It¡¯s quite fun. ¡± Pascal lifted his eyebrows andughed.

    Just as he discovered another special skill other than swordsmanship, he skillfully cut the stems of flowers and trimmed them.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you think so. Let me take a look inside, so don¡¯t care about me and keep up the good work.¡±

    When he finished talking, Lard walked near a green lemon tree. There were still fruit on the tree. When he thought she might have picked up the fruit to make the lemon tea that he drank a little while ago, he felt somewhat strange.

    For some reason, he felt like the sour and sweet taste of the lemon tea was an illusion, and only the bitter taste remained in his mouth.

    He stood in front of the tree for a while and looked down at the fruit that might have touched her hands. Hot air seemed to surround his body, but it was not as hot as the temperature of his mind.

    ¡®How foolish I am!¡¯ He mocked himself.

    However, he was not sure if he was foolish because of his expression of anger before the woman he loved or because he left the two alone. He clenched both hands, unable to control his foolish feelings. He struggled to regain calmness for a while.

    In the meantime, there was a chilly silence for a while in the flower shop where Lard left.

    Wendy and Dn, who were left alone in the flower shop, looked at each other¡¯s faces but couldn¡¯t easily open their mouths. Only when Wendy swallowed past the dryness in her throat and drank the chilled lemon tea once more, did the stiff mood ease a bit.

    ¡°Francis¡­ She came to see me.¡±

    Dn, who kept silent, spoke with a heavy heart. Her face was contorted at once.

    She hysterically put the mug down. The sound of the cup hitting the table was loud.

    ¡°So what? Do I have to hear more about your meeting with Francis?¡±

    She rejected him from the beginning. She recalled him kissing Francis in the past. Her lost trust in him was revealed clearly again like the low tide of the sea. She thought she understood his feelings when he exined and denied his rtionship with Francis, but it was so hard for her to forget about their passionate kissing on that day.

    Dn said desperately, pretending not to have noticed her feelings, ¡°¡­Francis said she saw you in the pce. I don¡¯t think she will give it a pass, given her hot temper. I think you had better not appear in public meetings for the time being. ¡±

    ¡°Did she say she saw me?¡±

    In fact, Wendy was upset that Francis chased her in the pce. She got up from her seat suddenly, gabbing the table.

    ¡°Yes, I felt she was almost confident about it,¡± Dn lowered his head.

    ¡°¡­ A few days ago when she came back to see me, I med her with harshnguage. I¡¯m worried it might have upset her. ¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ I know what you mean¡­¡± She murmured with a worried expression.

    ¡°Well, I¡­¡± Dn murmured hesitantly, ¡°I wanted to say thank you. You saved my life because of what you did at the pce. ¡±

    She raised her head quickly at that and stared at his face. Soon, she let out a sigh.

    She could not show a stiff attitude when he honestly expressed his feelings.

    ¡°Oh, I have saved my life because of you, Dn. Thanks for saving my life that day,¡± she said.

    Dn smiled bitterly, shaking his head.

    ¡°As for the things I saw that day¡­ I have a lot to ask you, but I have to keep my oath because I swore I would keep it secret.

    In fact, Dn was troubled with countless questions about the abnormal growth of ironwood in the pce. The scene that day was shocking to him. Her miraculous work was a phenomenon that he had never experienced before, and at the same time, it was a lifeline that saved him from death.

    He traced his memories of her doings in the past to check when she had such a power, but he could not find any special clues. Above all, he agonized about what her power would mean to her and what danger it would cause her. However, he was not sure how beneficial his angst would be to her.

    ¡°If you have any hardship, I would like to help you in one way or another. Anytime is fine,¡± Dn said softly. Now that he was not allowed to be beside her, he felt sad about the fact that he couldn¡¯t do much to help her.

    ¡°Thank you for saying that, but you won¡¯t have to.¡± She refused his help firmly.

    But Dn strained his lips, as if he sensed her wariness again, and said, ¡°I told you confidently I wanted to know about a woman named Wendy Waltz¡­ I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s so hard toe here. I know it¡¯s hard for you to see me, but I feel the same, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°No matter how heartbroken I am, I have to deal with it on my own.¡±

    He muttered as if he was talking to himself, with his head down, ¡°I know my grumbling like this won¡¯t be of any help to you. Let me leave. Take care of yourself.¡±

    After looking at her one more time, Dn turned and left the flower shop.

    The bell rang loudly as the rattling door vibrated. She stared at the door for a long time.

    Even after the door stopped vibrating, she stood there, looking at it.

    Feeling a bit anxious about what Dn said about Francis, Wedny stepped inside the flower garden. As she walked into the flower garden, she saw the two with tired expressions.

    ¡°Miss Wendy!¡±

    Pascal first called her name dly. She was surprised that he was sweating profusely.

    She made an apologetic expression and said, ¡°Are you okay? You both sweated a lot. ¡±

    She cast a nce at Lard, who stood before the lemon tree. He was standing there with his shirt unbuttoned because of the heat inside the garden. .

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out. I¡¯ll make some cold drinks.¡±

    Pascal walked ahead, encouraged by her remarks.

    ¡°How did your meeting with Dn go?¡± Lard, approaching Wendy, asked, buttoning his shirt.

    She btedly turned her eyes from him and said in a hesitant tone, ¡°Yes, thanks for your consideration. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say that. I rather feel sorry I have made you ufortable. ¡±

    ¡°¡­I want to say something to you. It may be a little long story. ¡±

    When she said that, Lard stopped buttoning and looked at her. He could her pure heart in her eyes. He felt heartbroken when he saw her eyes. Calming down, he quickly buttoned up the shirt.

    ¡°Miss Wendy, do I have to stay in the garden again?¡±

    Pascal, who was walking ahead, stopped and came back to them carefully.

    His expression was wary.

    ¡°No. If you stay here any longer, you¡¯re going to be dehydrated. Today I¡¯m closing the flower shop early, so, go back and rest,¡± she said with regret, staring at his wet shirt.

    Pascal nodded, as if he felt relieved at her early closure of the shop.

    A littleter, she closed the shop and went to her house with Lard after seeing Pascal off.

    She needed a safe ce to talk with Lard without being disturbed.

    ¡°Come on in.¡±

    Unlike Wendy who stepped into the house quickly, Lard couldn¡¯t easily step in.

    He was nervous. His lips were dry as anxiety and nervousness gripped his mind since the investigation began. As the captain of the imperial knights, he was hardly swayed by tricks or conflicts, but he was agitated and tense this time.

    Letting out a sigh secretly, he soon followed her into the house. A vague anxiety was bothering him just like the path of the sword that could not predict its path.

    After showing him into the parlor, she asked him to sit down. When she unlocked the brown sliding door on one side of the drawing room and pushed it open, a fresh wind came into the house.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, could you look here?¡±

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106: Chapter 106 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (11)

    At her request, Lard stood up and approached her. She nced at his face quickly then looked at the scenery outside the door.

    ¡°I live in this house because of its location. It¡¯s been two years and several months since I moved here. ¡±

    There was a small garden in the open space inside the sliding door. There were some unknown flowers swaying with fluttering petals. Sunlight came through the ceiling and fell on his feet as he stood inside the sliding door.

    ¡°Well, thanks to the birch over there, this space has been created. The tree was nted by an old couple, the previous owners, as a sign of their love. They vowed that they would love each other like the white bark of the tree. Originally, it was nted in front of the house. But they created a garden space here and moved it here because they couldn¡¯t cut it down when they built a new house here several yearster.¡±

    ¡°Oh, this is a special space,¡± Lard said. He couldn¡¯t figure out why she was trying to show it to him. But he thought she might have some special reason to do so because he had never seen it even though he had visited her house several times.

    ¡°I needed this space because I had to cultivate nts secretly, but it might have been a ce for them to check each other¡¯s love,¡± she said, gently looking at the birch standing in the middle of the garden. Her voice seemed calm though it trembled a little.

    ¡°When I was buying this house, I shuddered to hear the old couple¡¯s story from the real estate agent. Love story? I felt horrible about it,¡± she smiled sadly for some reason. ¡°But at some point I changed my heart. Just look at me talking about the tree again in front of you. ¡±

    She lowered her head and then looked at his gray eyes, seeing her reflection in his eyes.

    ¡°Sir Schroder¡­ I¡¯ve been agonizing really a lot before I said it. I have never thought I would say this to anyone, and I never expected this kind of feeling before. But I had to say it to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the name that Sir Dn Lennox called me the other day?¡±

    At her question, he didn¡¯t answer. He felt heartbroken again.

    ¡°¡­Olivia. He called me by that name. ¡±

    A familiar name came out of her lips. She shook her head as if to mock herself.

    ¡°¡­Olivia Hazlet. It¡¯s the name of the woman Dn loved. She was the illegitimate child of Earl Hazelet. It¡¯s the name of my past that I abandoned. It¡¯s my past life that you don¡¯t know. ¡±

    Breathing out, she finally got her words out. Then, she looked up at him with a scared expression. She saw his face was hardened. Her heart pounded hard.

    She could not stop confessing the truth.

    ¡°Dn Lennox, I loved him, but I couldn¡¯t keep that love and I left. To get away from my past, I needed a new status. So, I created the name Wendy Waltz, and I have lived with that name until now. ¡± She reluctantly smiled, hiding her bitter feelings. The wind blowing through the ceiling blew through the garden and scattered her hair. Petals shook all at once.

    ¡°I¡¯m now confessing my crime to you. I bought mymoner status and disguised my noble status. I could be sentenced to a severe punishment under the imperialw. ¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say that just because the person in front of you is an imperial knight, right?¡±

    Lard cut her off. His eyes looked sad.

    ¡°Yes. I¡­ ¡±

    She bit her lip as she couldn¡¯t get her words out properly. She wanted to confess everything, choked by her emotions, but she was afraid of how to express it to him. He was waiting for what she had to confess next, with his eyes fixed on her. Neither of them avoided each other¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Lard Schroder¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Because I fell in love with you, I had to say this. ¡±

    Her anguish and sorrow were finally expressed into her words. She confessed her love to him without regard for the life she earned after throwing everything away. It was more difficult than her confession of crime.

    ¡°No matter how hard I think about my future¡­ I can¡¯t imagine the future of you and me, but I had to say it. ¡±

    Even if she med herself for being foolish, she couldn¡¯t change her mind. Her affection for him had be stronger than any executive officer¡¯s judgment and moved her regardless of her will. Even if it had pushed her back into despair, she could not have stood it without confessing her love to him.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t think about the future of you and me even after your intense angst, it should be me who has to confess my crime to you right now. In other words, if I have made you unable to think about your future, it¡¯s me who deserves a severe punishment,¡± he said.

    There was trembling in his speech that he could not control.

    He continued, ¡°Do you remember that I told you it didn¡¯t matter to me who you were in the past? I¡¯ve clearly told you that what¡¯s important to me is you right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°My stance has never changed. Whether you¡¯re Olivia Hazlet or Wendy Waltz, you¡¯re more important than that name.¡±

    He let out a long sigh. As if to calm down, he took a deep breath several times.

    ¡°I have no desire to deny your past, because all that time until now has made you what you are now.¡±

    ¡°Sir Schroder¡­¡±

    ¡°I will protect you by all means,¡± he said,ing one step closer to her.

    His deeply moving words stroke an emotional chord in her heart.

    She approached him and looked up at his face, trying to calm her trembling lips.

    ¡°So, can you say that again?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked, controlling her overcharged emotions. He looked down at her wistfully.

    ¡°You confession,¡± he said impatiently.

    Shortly afterwards, he pulled her arm until he held her in his arms. He firmly wrapped his arms around her as if he would not allow any space between them. She was moved to tears in his arms.

    Strangely enough, her anxiety was relieved in a moment, as if she met a guide on a distant road. She opened her eyes slowly, but soon closed again when she felt his warmth.

    The wind blowing through the ceiling stopped long ago, but she felt as if it was stilling from somewhere. It was a warm wind drifting over her whole body.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know which confession you are talking about¡­ I have no idea.¡±

    She tried to speak with a rxed voice, but she couldn¡¯t hide her tearful voice.

    He tightened his grip on her. He could feel her heart pounding hard. Its beating was fiercely like his desperate heart.

    ¡®You do have loving feelings toward me like I do, right?¡¯ He thought, cing his forehead on her hair. He barely held back his desires, satisfied with hearing her thundering heartbeat.

    ¡°Can you give me the chance to repay your courage?¡±

    When he put aside his desires, he became more affectionate toward her. He couldn¡¯t stop loving her more dearly like the deep blue leaves of trees after the rain. Even if the sun rose again and the leaves were dry, his love would never go away.

    ¡°I have struggled to aplish many things through numerous fights until now¡­ But my affection for you is growing more and more without any effort. I really don¡¯t know if I have to be happy or worried because of my growing sense of aplishment everyday.¡±

    Lard spoke from his heart. He didn¡¯t know how to express his true feelings. His feelings were wholly reflected in his voice, which made her heart tremble. Wendy, raised her head, full of uncontroble excitement.

    ¡°Sir Schroder¡­ Is this your confession? ¡± She asked with trembling eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again and again. If you can ept my heart dly. What I confessed to you in the prince¡¯s pce was not something I did because I was on the cusp of death. ¡±

    He narrowed his eyes as if he recalled his confession that day. When she bashfully lowered her head, recalling it at the same time, he raised her hand over his cheek.

    ¡°Please look at me,¡± he said earnestly. Led by his hand, she raised her head.

    When he made eye contact with her clear blue eyes, he felt something hot rising from deep inside. He naturally looked at her lips. He touched her lips with his finger. His hand rested on her lips briefly.

    ¡°Let me tell you what you have to say. I really don¡¯t know how to express my affectionate feelings¡­ Please forgive myck of patience. ¡±

    He then kissed her forehead, revealing how helpless he was before her.

    ¡°I love you¡­ I do love you. ¡±

    After hearing his confession of love, she leaned her cheek on his palm. He felt the warm and soft touch of her cheek. Now, he could not help but kiss her. Before he knew it, his lips touched her blushed cheeks.

    In the end, he kissed her lips. Her sweet breathing through her lips intoxicated more than any drug.

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107: Chapter 107 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s house (1)

    A horse suddenly neighed loudly in the middle of the street. Pulling the reins roughly, Dn Lennox stared at the other side of the street where lots of people were crowded. Sir Fullon, who was riding alongside him, approached him, as if he was surprised.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Sir Lennox?¡±

    Not caring about his question, who was his senior, Dn was staring at a point in the distance intently. Like him, Sir Fullon also looked at the other side of the street.

    ¡°Did you sniff the air?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I think so,¡± Dn replied, turning his head to track somebody.

    ¡°Did the guy from the Earl Setrong family do it again?¡±

    The two were heading toward the scene where the merchants made disturbances in order to investigate the dispute between the Almarsi merchant group and the merchants in the market. The dispute was caused by the Setoran family¡¯s excessive purchase of Montrapi bread.

    However, Dn was not easily persuaded by Sir Fullon¡¯s spection because he paid the utmost attention to the person he had been shadowing him for the past several days.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t think we can find him anyway.¡±

    Sir Fullon, who rode a few steps closer to the ce they had been watching, came back and spoke. Like he said, the suspect had already disappeared. Dn Lennox, however, couldn¡¯t easily leave the ce. His lingering anxiety dominated his mind so much that he could not pull the reins of his horse and leave.

    ¡°Hey, are you okay? What¡¯s wrong? ¡± Sir Fullon asked, deeply puzzled at his expression.

    Only then did he Dn realize that Sir Fullon was standing before him with a frightening look, with his face contorted.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± he hastily replied, struggling to put lingering anxiety out of his mind.

    Late afternoon sunlight was streaming into the peaceful Hazlet mansion, built by their ancestors in the capital.

    Francis Hazlet, the only sessor to the family, strolled in the garden with her attractive red hair down. Soothing her troubled mind while listening to the birds chirping asionally, she looked around when their chirping became louder.

    But the chirping became smaller again and it was quiet around her, she dispelled suspicion and walked again. But when she walked a few steps, she heard a rustling sound from one side of the tall lime tree.

    ¡°Jessi¡­? ¡±

    Francis, who called his maid¡¯s name and turned to the sound, stopped and stepped back momentarily. An unfamiliar man stood in front of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to respond to your request,¡± said the stranger with an attractive voice.

    He was skinny, but he had a very strong build and a shrewd impression.

    Francis, who looked nervous at the appearance of the man, turned around quickly and looked around warily, but he reassured her that she didn¡¯t have to worry about it.

    ¡°There is nobody here. Please rest assured as I¡¯ve checked.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Okay. Please tell me. ¡±

    Relieved by his reassurances, she swallowed dry saliva and waited for his next words.

    He grinned at her, as if her nervous reaction was funny.

    ¡°Let me get to the point. I¡¯ve found someone looking like the woman you asked us to look for.

    Here I¡¯ve put down in detail the ce where the knight and the woman met,¡± said the man, handing her a roll of paper.

    ¡°Did you say you found her? Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Francis looked at the man nkly. There was shock on her face as she didn¡¯t expect what she had suspected woulde to light so quickly. As if she couldn¡¯t believe her ears, she confirmed again.

    ¡®Olivia, you are here? In this capital where Dn Lennox is staying?¡¯

    ¡°While I was shadowing the knight, I saw him stopping by the woman¡¯s shop. His visit time was also written on the paper. Other than that, I didn¡¯t find anything unusual about the knight.¡±

    ¡°A shop? What are you talking about? ¡±

    ¡°I mean the store she runs. It¡¯s a flower shop. ¡±

    ¡°Flower shop¡­ ? ¡±

    As if she heard something ridiculous, she repeated that word over and over and touched her forehead with an incredulous expression.

    ¡®Flower shop? Olivia Hazlet is running a flower shop? I can¡¯t believe that holier-than-thou girl is running a shop.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ve additionally found out her residence, so you will have to pay me for the extra service other than the down payment,¡± said the man coldly.

    ¡°Dn¡­ Dn Lennox and that woman, do they seem close?¡±

    As if she didn¡¯t care about his request for more money, Francis hastily asked him what she was most interested in now. Looking into her eyes mixed with anger and jealousy, the man pouted as if he sneered at her.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find it out. What I have found out is that the knight went to the flower shop in question, and that the woman running the shop is simr to the woman you talked about. If you would like me to find out more, I can check out how close they are. But I want to stop shadowing the knight at this point. If I don¡¯t, I think I might be caught anytime,¡± he said, balking at her unreasonable request.

    But Francis flied off the handle at his negative response and asked quickly, ¡°That woman! ¡­ How can I meet her?¡±

    Tilting his head at her irritated voice, he stared at Francis. In no time, he began to giggle at her funny question.

    ¡°If you want to meet that woman, just visit her shop. Simple!¡±

    It was a shower. Sunlight spreading through the dim sky soaked the earth with rain, leaving its traces here and there.

    Standing under the wet eaves of her shop, Wendy watched the falling rain quietly. She smiled at the frog¡¯s asional croaking. She was a bitte in going to the shop because of the sudden rain, but she felt that her waiting until the rain stopped was like a gift.

    She quietly stuck the back of her hand out of the eave. The raindrops falling on it brightened her mind. His confession came to mind all of a sudden.

    As her heart was still trembling, she instinctively touched thece ornament hanging on her chest. While she was at it. Lard¡¯s low tone mixed with the sound of the rain thrilled her heart.

    She couldn¡¯t hold back smiling, no matter how hard she tried to. She cleared her throat, trying to cover her smiling lips with her hand.

    ¡®Oh what am I doing now?¡¯

    She wiped away the raindrops on the wet back of her hand.

    ¡°Hey, sis, what are you doing there?¡±

    When she turned her head, she saw her neighbor, Benfork, standing in front of her house, all wet in the rain. He smiled awkwardly when she found him. Then he gave up going back home, jumped over the yard fence and came to her house.

    ¡°Why are you so wet?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I did some hunting. Frog hunting, hahaha. ¡±

    Benfork was holding a frog as small as his finger.

    ¡°Sis, can I show you something amazing?¡± He said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

    He rummaged through his pocket, pulled out a hollow barley stem, and ced it in the private part of the frog. Then, when he blew it with his lips on the barley stem, the frog¡¯s belly swelled quickly.

    ¡°Woohaha. Look at this, sis! ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t you stop it right now? Howe a grownup guy like you still does this?¡±

    Wendy rebuked him sharply. He hesitated for a moment then released the frog. Croaking several times, the frog quickly fled and disappeared into the bushes.

    ¡°¡­ Are you still practicing fencing?¡±

    As she didn¡¯t see a wooden sword he was always carrying around, she asked curiously.

    He looked downcast at her asking.

    ¡°I went to Jopiern to see my fatherst week. He took it away from me¡­ He told me that I could never be a knight no matter how much fencing training I had. He even said even if things worked out well, I would end up being no better than an imperial gatekeeper at the back door of the pce. ¡±

    ¡°If you try hard, I think you can aim at being a royal guard¡­¡±

    While trying to correct what he thought, she drifted off. She felt she seemed to give some hope to him who keenly realized the limit of his social status.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think he was so mean? How could he tell me to do farming in Jopiern without any dream? I wonder if he is really my biological father. There is a lot of chaos in Jopiern right now because of Montrapi. How can I farm there?¡±

    Benfork grumbled about his father and spoke ill of him. Then, he said he wanted to be a knight rather than a farmer with a sullen voice. When he used to carry a wooden sword, she regarded his behavior as childish, but she felt a sense of guilt when he was so disappointed at his father¡¯s discouraging words. She now knew he was serious about being a knight, which was impossible with his current status as amoner.

    ¡®I wish I had made him face reality and stopped him from carrying the wooden sword¡­¡¯

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine even if you can be a low-level soldier as long as you can be a knight, but that¡¯s impossible.¡±

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108: Chapter 108 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s house (2)

    Wendy, sighing a little, went inside the house and came out with a dry towel. When she handed the towel to him, Benfork epted it silently. After wiping his wet face, the boy looked a little better. But no matter how much he wiped his face, he couldn¡¯t get rid of his disappointment, no matter how much he tried.

    ¡®If the prince¡¯s bill passes, will this boy have a chance to achieve his dream?¡¯

    She briefly thought about the optimistic prospects of the bill, but she held back the urge to tell him about it. In fact, it was only a few days before the prince announced the neww officially, which would open the way formoners to get key positions in the government.

    ¡®Can his bill make a difference and bring about changes in the Benyahan Empire? Will there be a day when I can give him the right advice?¡¯ she thought to herself.

    ¡°Wow, the rain stopped!¡± Benfork shouted, looking up at the sky. The sunlight spreading through the dark clouds were already all over the ce.

    She left the house after saying goodbye to the boy.

    Her cork-coated dark brown leather shoes carefully tread on the wet soil. The mud stained the edge of her shoes, but it wasn¡¯t visible due to the dark leather color of the shoes. She walked down the street with her hem in her hands to keep the muddy water from fouling her dress.

    Today her shop was closed because it was a regr off day, but she was heading to the shop to prepare flower decorations for a customer¡¯s wedding ceremony tomorrow. Her floral decorations became popr among brides, so there were lots of ordersing in, as her work was promoted through word of mouth.

    She felt good that her flower decorations were popr, but she didn¡¯t feel happy about the fact that she had to give up her off day to do extra work. Nevertheless, her great mood like the fine weather outside was not unrted to what happened between her and Lard yesterday.

    The flower shop door was wide open when she saw it at a distance.

    It looked like Sir Dowain had already arrived at the flower shop before her. Most likely he would be cleaning the shop by now. She felt sorry for beingte because of the rain, so she quickly stepped in. She washed her feet gently in a pool of water, so that the muddy shoes should not not soil the shop.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯mte, right?¡±

    She smiled a little in embarrassment and greeted Pascal quickly, but noticed that his expression was not as bright as usual.

    ¡°Wendy, a guest is waiting for you. She insists on buying flowers from you¡­ ¡± He said silently, as if he was at his wit¡¯s end.

    She soon cast a nce at somebody behind him. Sticking her head over his shoulder, Wendy discovered a woman hidden behind his tall height.

    Her green eyes popped up when she discovered the woman. Her peach-colored face turned white at once. She had thin bloodshot eyes. There stood a woman who she had no reason to see, or she should never see.

    ¡°¡­ What the heck? I wonder if i¡¯m seeing something wrong now,¡± Francis spat out, frowning a lot. There was intense hatred in her frowning eyes when she discovered the shop owner was Olivia.

    Wendy confronted Francis¡¯ red eyes, revealing her indescribable confusion. Her eyes, mixed with all sorts of emotions, were trembling hard. Francis was obviously as shocked as Wendy.

    However, Francis¡¯ shock made Wendy stay calm. The agitation of the other party was the basis for one¡¯s oveing the crisis. Wendy stared at Francis with slightly subdued eyes. Francis looked more mature and slender than before, somewhat different from the woman Wendy used to know.

    ¡°Why are you still in the capital? Why?¡±

    The moment Francis shouted at her, however, Wendy quickly realized that she had not changed at all.

    ¡°Why¡­ ¡­ ! ¡± Francis shouted again with a shrill voice. Wendy stood without any reply, with her eyes fixed on Francis¡¯ wrist. She could see thece ornaments on her wrists trembling when she clenched her fists firmly.

    Wendy was well aware that what made her tremble hard was her uncontroble anger. As far as she knew, Francis always found herself consumed by anger that she couldn¡¯t control.

    It was always Francis who got upset first when she engaged with Wendy. But Wendy, who was always the subject of her anger, never showed generosity in dealing with her. She responded to Francis¡¯s anger with sharp criticism as well as enmity. She didn¡¯t know when she started to treat Francis like that.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but¡­ Would you please leave us alone for a moment? ¡±

    Wendy asked Sir Dowain to get out instead of replying to Francis. Pascal nodded with an awkward look, presuming that the two had something to talk about. When he closed the door of the shop, the bell jingled.

    ¡°¡­ Why did youe here?¡±

    ¡°What the heck are you staying here for? If you want to disappear, go anywhere else, not in this capital! Why are you hanging around here? ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! Don¡¯t be way out of your line, okay?¡±

    ¡°So, you opened a shop here to earn Dn¡¯s sympathy? Are you going to tempt him by trying to be pathetic to him like this?¡±

    In the end, Wendy lost herposure at her provocative remarks. Her subdued eyes began to glow sharply. Francis should not have mentioned Dn Lennox before Wendy.

    ¡°How dare you say that to me? ¡± Wendy yelled, raging with anger. ¡°You ruined my rtionship with him by ying a dirty trick on me. How could you¡­¡±

    Wendy stared at Francis with a disgusted expression.

    ¡°Did you say I ruined your rtionship with Dn?¡± Francis asked, mocking her as if she had never heard any more absurd things than this. Francis continued, ¡°If your rtionship with Dn was supposed to have ended at that point, you should rather think it fortunate that it ended earlier thanter. I understand you just believed what you saw, but never thought of believing what he said. It¡¯s you who disappeared even without giving any chance to rify his position, right?¡±

    Francis¡¯s outrageous sarcasm distracted and angered her. She didn¡¯t know how to calm her trembling shoulders because of her surging anger.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s the farthest your rtionship with him could go. Don¡¯t me me for your ruined rtionship. You never changed! You are trying to justify yourself in a ridiculous manner, and your damn conclusion mixed with sophistry also never changed. Did you feelfortable after doing that? So, did you get Dn¡¯s sympathy by running a shop here? Could you earn his love that you wanted so much?¡± Francis shouted.

    Wendy could no longer tolerate her tant behavior.

    Wendy yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t shoot off your mouth! I didn¡¯t act imprudently as you thought. As you know, I loved him before you did. I had known him for a long time even before you came to know him¡­ Don¡¯t you know it was you who took him away from me? Even though I was born as an illegitimate child, you and I still had the samest name Hazlet! But Francis, you brutally shattered my love, though you¡¯re my sister. How could I have put up with that? Are you going to say you didn¡¯t know that you asked your father numerous times to arrange my marriage?¡±

    She continued, ¡°¡­ You and I are sisters? Have you ever shown me you are my sister by blood? Or have you ever treated me as your sister? Never! You have always despised me. It wasn¡¯t just you. Everyone at the Hazlet family despised me! In such an atmosphere, how could I know you secretly begged your father to arrange my marriage? Even if I had known it, nothing would have changed. I wasn¡¯t falsely dreaming of my future with him! ¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t you know that your misery began when you dreamt of a future with Dn without knowing your ce? Do you know how terrible life I¡¯ve lived until now? The day your biological mother died, you should have died, too. If you had died, neither Dn nor I would have suffered this kind of agony and distress. I hate you! ¡±

    Francis spat out cruel words, as if they would cut to pieces animals at the ughterhouse.

    Looking at Francis¡¯ red face, she tried to calm down her throbbing heat. Francis reminded her of the indelible scars of her past, which she had never mentioned before.

    ¡®How dare you mention my mother? How dare you¡­!¡¯

    Wendy felt the strong urge to break Francis¡¯s heart as much as she could, like she had done. Her indignant facial muscles moved freely.

    ¡°So, the only reason you found me and visited here was to question my past rtionship with Dn? How childish you are to talk about it when you and I make such a dramatic reunion!

    Do you still think you can revive any romantic rtionship with Dn? Just look at your terrible figure! I¡¯m so sick and tired of you. I can guess he feels the same way, too. You aren¡¯t begging for his love, right?¡±

    p!

    Francis, who was shaking with anger, pped her in the face.

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109: Chapter 109 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s house (3)

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    Wendy, feigning smile, wiped her lips with a finger to find a trace of blood. When she found blood at the tip of her finger, her eyes glowed with murder. In no time, she picked up a vase on her right and stared at Francis. Threatened by her unusual actions, Francis flinched and stepped back.

    Wendy took out the scarlet peony in the vase and threw the water inside the vase at Francis¡¯ head. Francis blinked through her wet eyshes. She was shocked as if she couldn¡¯t believe the situation she was in. Drops of water kept running down her slender chin.

    ¡°Come to think of it, on the day I saw you and Dn kissing¡­ I remember pping him in the face, but not you. I don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t show you how ferocious a girl I was.¡±

    As soon as she said that, Wendy raised her right hand and pped her wet cheek without hesitation. Unable to overpower her, Francis fell to the floor.

    ¡°Only now I think I have given you proper lessons as your sister. I hope you will realize on this asion that there will always be a fair reward for your dirty tricks. Oh! You don¡¯t have to be so impressed because I have recognized you as my sister. ¡±

    Getting even with Francis¡¯s mean actions at the back garden of the Hazlet family, Wendy sneered at her.

    ¡°Do you¡­ Do you think you can survive after hitting me like this?¡± Francis shouted at the top of her voice. Feeling humiliated, her face contorted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to worry about my life, Francis.¡±

    Francis gnashed her teeth at her casual expression. Full of anger, Francis said sarcastically, with her mouth turned up her trembling mouth, ¡°Wendy Waltz? How much did you pay to buy that name? Do you think you can survive if I use you of breaking thew?¡±

    ¡°using me? You are talking as if I¡¯vemitted treason. But if you really want to, I don¡¯t want to discourage you. Do whatever you want. Go and tell everybody that Olivia Hazlet of the Hazlet family has disrupted the Empire¡¯s order! Do that thing that will disgrace your Hazlet family! ¡±

    ¡°What, what? Are you threatening me now? ¡±

    ¡°Be it a threat or advice, you had better listen to me well. Just do what you want. use me, so you can test whether it¡¯s possible for your family to survive the repercussions of your actions.¡±

    With her hands on the floor, Francis stared at Wendy intently. Blue veins stood out on the back of her hands she strained.

    ¡°Will you go, please? I have to clean up the floor,¡± said Wendy coldly.

    Francis frowned helplessly. Her round cheeks looked pitiful, but Wendy didn¡¯t feel sorry at all.

    ¡°Why are you still here? Can¡¯t you find a good agency to file aint about me? If you walk three blocks from here, you will see the Investa building. The investigator there will transfer your case to the Imperial Knights. Or you could go straight to the Imperial Pce and ask any knight for help with your case. Oh! It may be the quickest way to tell your mother. Wouldn¡¯t your mother run right here and do something for you, such as pping me in the face or making a great fuss here?¡±

    Francis breathed roughly at Wendy¡¯s sarcastic remarks. As if she was insulted and mocked, Francis screamed, ¡°Don¡¯t insult my mother! She doesn¡¯t deserve your insult!¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you think there is a special group of people who deserve to be insulted? When I recall the old days when I was insulted by you and your mother all the time, I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. I didn¡¯t deserve to be insulted by anybody at the time. I asked you to hide behind your mother¡¯s back and act like a child. Why do you think my suggestion insults your mother?¡±

    ¡°Wow, it seems you have nothing to fear. Like you said, don¡¯t you know what will happen to you if my mother knows what you did to me today?¡±

    ¡°Well, what¡¯s going to happen? I don¡¯t really want to imagine it¡­ But if Dn gets to know what happened today, and if he hears that your mother has been here, I can imagine what¡¯s going to happen to you and your mother,¡± said Wendy with the meanest expression she could ever make. She did not hesitate to mention Dn for her safety. Seeing Francis¡¯s face turning white, Wendy felt her bluff paid off.

    The two stared at each other intently as if to kill each other. At some point, Francis looked dejected and lowered her head first.

    ¡°You really make me miserable. You used to all the time¡­ Dn would hate me a lot if he knew I came here to meet you,¡± Francis said, raising her body with faltering steps.

    ¡°¡­Stepmother and half sister. An illegitimate girl suffering between them¡­.This is really a perfect environment in which the child gets sympathy¡­ Who wouldn¡¯t sympathize with the girl who is poor and pitiable? It¡¯s going to be a really sad story, right? ¡± said Francis sarcastically. ¡°Who would pay attention to the girl¡¯s half sister? ¡­ Of course, there may be some trying topare how much better than her half sister she is¡­ Do you know how terrible it is when your life ispared with someone else¡¯s? I didn¡¯t even get any sympathy from anybody because everyone thought my mother and I were viins when they looked at your miserable face. Even maids thought so! ¡­You don¡¯t know how much I suffered from groundless rumors about my failure to make a debut in the social circles timely.¡±

    ¡°Haa¡­ How ridiculous! Are you ming me for everything you did?¡± Wendy retorted.

    ¡°No! I am just talking about my suffering!¡± Francis cut her off. She added, ¡°Dylene Lennox! He didn¡¯t think of me like that. He didn¡¯t back then¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°But now¡­he hates me more than anybody else. That¡¯s why I hate you so much.¡±

    Tears flowed down Francis¡¯s red eyes. She struggled to hold back tears without even daring to wipe them. She swallowed several times. That old hostility toward Wendy deep inside harassed her like an old boil.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just you alone who didn¡¯t go through a great girlhood.¡±

    Swallowing the old hatred, Francis stared at Wendy for thest time before leaving.

    The sound of the doorbell rang eerily.

    As soon as Francis left, Wendy¡¯s legs were wobbly, and she flopped down helplessly. Her proud face became hardened quickly. Although she shouted at Francis fearlessly, she was scared. Soon Pascal came back into the shop. Seeing Wendy sitting on the floor, he hurriedly approached her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± Wendy replied with a subdued voice.

    ¡°I heard you having a quarrel, but I couldn¡¯t cut in easily. Please forgive me. ¡±

    It looked like he heard them quarrelling. As if he already heard their conversation outside the door, he spoke without meeting her eyes. She closed and opened her eyes with a heavy heart.

    ¡°Never mind. Unfortunately, I showed you an ugly side of me. Please pretend for the time being that you didn¡¯t know what happened between me and her.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t worry about that. Although I don¡¯t know much about it, I know I shouldn¡¯t run my mouth recklessly,¡± Pascal spoke in earnest tone. Wendy stared at his face nkly then raised her exhausted body.

    As it was certain that the more people knew her secrets, the more likely they would leak, she didn¡¯t feel good about it, but Pascal was one of the knights who had pledged to keep silent on her power at the pce. When she watched his character over the past few days, she felt he was reticent. So, sheforted herself by relying on his prudence and reticence. She could do nothing except to trust him. She couldn¡¯t force him to swear again.

    ¡°Let me clean this up, so would you pick the flowers from the flower garden? The list of flowers you need are on the table. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, let me clean up. I don¡¯t know the names of the flowers yet¡­ I think you need some rest right now.¡±

    Pascal smiled at her quickly and turned to clean the messy floor. Like him, Wendy gazed at a pool of water on one side of the shop and the peony blossoms here and here. The scattered scarlet petals seemed to reflect her troubled mind. .

    ¡°So, you mean I shouldn¡¯t scare her off, right?¡±

    A guy with a sweet voice spoke, scratching the back of his dry hand.

    As if he dealt with an uninteresting case, he tapped the tree in the garden naughtily.

    ¡°What if she resists?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want to escte matters. So, punish her appropriately,¡± Francis replied a little hesitantly. Her tired red eyes rolled if she were insecure.

    ¡°In other words, you want me to punish her in a way that won¡¯t escte matters, right?¡­ Your request is a bit difficult. Got it. I¡¯ll see you again when I¡¯m done,¡± the man said, nodding.

    As Francis didn¡¯t respond, he left the garden quickly.

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110: Chapter 110 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s house (4)

    Long after he left, Francis stood alone, utterly self-forgetful. Her exuberant mind turned into a sense of shame, breaking her down. She covered her fragile face with both hands as if to hide her shameful behavior.

    She wanted to ruin Olivia.

    She even thought recklessly that it wouldn¡¯t matter even if she lost everything as long as she could ruin Wendy, but she didn¡¯t know why and for what she wanted to do so.

    Such questions came to her mind btedly, but she couldn¡¯t even see why she was thinking of such questions. There was an unbearable bitterness in her empty eyes.

    She couldn¡¯t know exactly when she started to hate Olivia. The more blindly she loved Dn, the more she hated Olivia. She had been hanging on to that kind of feeling so far.

    Besides, Francis was aware that she had hated Olivia much longer. Perhaps Dn was just part of the reasons for her to hate Olivia. Francis shook her head quickly when she began to question her strong affection for him. Unspeakable fear filled her mind.

    ¡°Francis.¡±

    At that moment, she heard somebody calling in the garden.

    Calling her name with a familiar voice, the person approaching her, seemed to be smiling at her kindly at first nce.

    ¡°What are you doing, standing there nkly? Refrain from doing anything that could make servants here gossip about you.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Francis stared at her mother, who looked cold behind her soft smile.

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯s wrong with your cheek? I think it¡¯s swollen. ¡±

    The countess spoke, looking at Francis¡¯ face, reached out into her face.

    Francis turned her head and said, ¡°Oh, it looks like my makeup is wrong. My face looked swollen, so I tried to hide it¡­¡±

    The countess looked at her suspiciously for a moment, then clicked her tongue as if to me herxness. It seemed she couldn¡¯t even imagine that someone hit her precious daughter.

    ¡°How did your outing go?¡± said Francis, quickly changing the topic.

    She replied with a satisfied expression, ¡°It was great except for the chaos at the fundraising event¡­ Well, the Scholters again caused trouble. She had a big quarrel with the daughter of the Bishop family. I¡¯m so d you were not there. Youngdies there got caught in the quarrel between the two. Originally, Countess Setorang had a lingering affection for Scholters, but she seemed to turned her back on them on this asion.¡±

    But the countess talked happily about that unfortunate thing that should have made her frowned and scorn. Looking at her mother¡¯s strange expression, Francis¡¯s face grew dark.

    ¡°Definitely, you¡¯re a better candidate for the son of the Setorang family than the Scholters daughter. Mrs. Setorang is probably very well aware of that¡­ Actually she has given me very positive feedback! Best of all, Damian seems to like you. I hear he graduates from Jeddah Academy next year¡­ I hope you can get married to him then.¡±

    The countess touched the brooch hanging from the center of her chest. It was a ruby brooch offered by the Setoran family in return for the sapphire ne sent by Earl Hazlet as a symbol of their friendship.

    ¡°Look at this. Isn¡¯t the red color here very beautiful? They remembered your hair and eyes as well as mine to prepare this gift.¡±

    Then the countess happily wrapped Francis¡¯s cheeks with her hands as she stared at her dumbfounded.

    ¡°Oh my baby! You don¡¯t have to feel sad. When you go to your room, you¡¯ll see a ne more beautiful than this. I feel Mrs. Setoran pays particr attention to you. ¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Damian Setoran is a promising young man. He has the perfect condition to seed the Hazlet family with you. As he is the second son, he will not be the heir of the Setoran family, but he hasrge rice paddies and fields estate in Mopensha. I hear his academic records were very good at Jeddah Academy. Rumor has it that he is an excellent young man! ¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want to marry him, ¡± Francis said, pushing her mother¡¯s hands away. Her chin trembled lightly.

    The countess got angry about Francis¡¯ rejection and rebuked her.

    ¡°Are you stuck with that vain illusion? Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re done with Dn Lennox? You have to admit that your rtionship with him is over. How can you solve your entangled rtionship with him? You don¡¯t have time to waste anymore. ¡±

    As Francis remained silent without showing any sign of repentance, her voice grew louder.

    ¡°Did you already forget the lesson you learned over thest two years? There is only contempt reserved for the weak! Oh, it really makes me shudder even to think about it. You know well how much I suffered in the social clubs after Marquis Zaxon Bahar publicly criticized our family, right? If I think of the money that Earl Duoldran took from me as thepensation for the canction of his marriage with Olivia, I am still very upset. How much humiliation our family suffered until now! Come to your senses! You barely pulled yourself together, then are you going to waste your time again?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You know my heart, right? I can¡¯t get married to someone I don¡¯t love. ¡±

    Francis shook her head with a crying voice. Tears full of resentment came down her cheeks.

    ¡°Remember there are many blood rtives who are aiming at our family¡¯s wealth and power. They will rejoice at your weakness like this! Do you think it¡¯s easy to make rtionships with a powerful family like the Setorang family? You will be surprised to know how much Duke Engre is helping them secretly. Francis! Why are you so stupid?¡±

    While rebuking her daughter for a while, the countess let out a sigh after seeing her despair. She soon relented her anger and began to soothe Francis by saying, ¡°Honey, don¡¯t ever think I¡¯m trying to give you something bad. Please appreciate my wishes that I just want to give you only good things. It¡¯s hard to find a better bridegroom than him. Don¡¯t you think you should get married as soon as possible and be named heir of our family?¡±

    ¡°Why did you give birth to me, mom?¡­Did you just want to see your child be heir to the Hazlet family? Was that the reason? Don¡¯t you wish for my happiness?¡±

    Francis spoke, as if to vent out her resentment of her mother.

    The countess hardened her face at her angry resistance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Unless you¡¯re a fool, how can you dream of a happy future Dn, the son of the Lennox family? You don¡¯t have any sense of reality! ¡±

    ¡°Oh my god¡­ Was I born to hate Olivia Hazlet? Was I born as your tool to get even with Olivia¡¯s mother?¡±

    She shouted. As she used harsh words to criticize her, the countess raised her right hand, unable to restrain her anger. The sound of her pping Francis sharply in the face rang through the garden.

    ¡°Watch yournguage! If you could understand my feelings just a little bit, you wouldn¡¯t dare to talk nonsense like that.¡±

    The countess warned her with an angry voice. As if she was shocked by her mother¡¯s hitting her for the first time in her life, Francis didn¡¯t reply. The countess barely controlled her anger, adjusting her faded red hair.

    ¡°Tomorrow¡­ The son of the Setorang family promised toe here. We¡¯re going to have lunch together. Keep it in mind!¡±

    Giving her such a short notice quickly, she left the garden, leaving Francis alone. When her mother¡¯s footsteps disappeared, Franics began to sob. As her sobbing became louder, the maids nearby were sticking around at a loss.

    Crying alone in the garden, Francis cursed the desperate reality facing her.

    Wendy, with her wet hair wrapped in a towel, cast a nce at the window of her neighbor¡¯s house. It was full of darkness, as if to show Lard was not there. Wiping the water fromher neck, shey her fatigued body in bed. It seemed that she was too exhausted to dry her hair.

    ¡°Lard¡­¡±

    She rolled her dry tongue and called his name. The bitter taste of toothpaste mixed with myrrh and herb powder was on the tip of her tongue. She missed him very much tonight.

    ¡®Should I consult with him about Francis¡¯ visit? Can I tell him everything as it is?¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t figure out if it was right to reveal everything about her past and her rtionship with the Hazlet family. Who would be pleased with listening to herplicated story?

    ¡®What if myplicated story bothers him?¡¯

    Lonely, Wendy closed her eyes. It was not easy for her to make a quick decision because she had never discussed her problems with anyone. Moreover, it was very difficult for her to talk to her affectionate lover.

    She knew it was impossible to imagine that Francis would give up without getting even with her for her humiliation the other day. But she cautiously spected that if Francis was smart, she would be able to easily use her. Of course, she had to be ready for Francis¡¯s mother to stop by her shop at any time.

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111: Chapter 111 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s house (5)

    ¡°Haa¡­ ¡±

    After she sighed deeply, shey on her side. The pillowcase was wet from the towel wrapped around her head. Her cheeks on the pillow felt hot suddenly. It was the spot that Francis pped. If she felt this much pain, Francis would feel much more pain.

    ¡°I feel so much better as I gave her a piece of my mind!¡± She said bitterly.

    It was not too difficult for her to forget about Francis¡¯s insults. It was even more frightening that she might have to give up her precious present rather than giving her a cheek. All she wanted was to live the way she had been for the past two years.

    ¡®Why can¡¯t she leave me alone?¡±

    Wendy felt resentful about Francis.

    But now, it was not easy for her to me and hate Francis because she was so tired.

    Wendy fell asleep before she knew it.

    In her dream, she faced her painful past. As if she was suffering the aftereffects of her painful reunion with Francis, it led Wendy into her past memories.

    ¡°Your mother¡¯s body arrived in front of the mansion. Go and say goodbye to her. ¡±

    The countess spoke as if she was very generous.

    Her mother, whom Olivia met as a child when she had fever, came to the mansion just once before she died. Her request to meet Olivia had been rejected by the countess. As for her rejection, the countess exined that since Olivia met her mother because of her fever, she felt lost. But Olivia knew that it showed the countess¡¯s crooked mind.

    Her mother was also not even allowed to enter the mansion. Instead, Earl Hazlet tried to erase his sense of guilt by sending her to a doctor, but it was already toote. They said her illness was lung disease, a fever, or a severe boil. Nobody knew which was true, and nobody told Olivia exactly what caused her mother¡¯s death.

    Olivia¡¯s mother, the daughter of a fallen baron family that had barely kept their family together met herst moment as tragically as Olivia led her past life. Olivia inherited her mother¡¯s remaining possessions. Tiny gold and coarse jewels were in a leather pouch. It had been held by Olivia¡¯s mother for her daughter.

    Olivia paused in front of her mother¡¯s shabby coffin and spoke herst farewell. Her mother, who had no rtives or wealth, was buried in the vige where she once lived. She was not allowed to be buried on the earl¡¯s estate.

    Olivia went to the belfry of the estate to find a ce to live alone there. She hated everybody¡¯s sympathy, finger-pointing and gossiping. She climbed to the top of the bell tower and sat on the windowsill.. She could look down far over the estate, but she could not see the procession of her mother¡¯s coffin anywhere. Olivia looked around the estate for some time.

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    Olivia turned her eyes at someone¡¯s uneasy voice. She saw Francis standing on the staircase leading up to the entrance. Francis, who was always hostile to Olivia, had a terrified expression.

    She was looking at Olivia sitting on the windowsill dangerously.

    ¡°What¡¯s so dangerous? ¡­Are you afraid I¡¯ll die? ¡±

    ¡°Because you are sitting there, you really look dangerous!¡± Francis said, shaking her shoulder. Her neat red hair scattered and fell down under her shoulders.

    ¡°I heard what the countess said. She said it was a pity that I didn¡¯t die with my mother. I think you feel the same way because you and your mother are always of the same mind. ¡±

    Olivia spoke coldly as if to sneer at her. Olivia despised herself.

    She felt it so shameful that she didn¡¯t call her mother¡¯s name loudly in front of her coffin. She was ashamed of her position.

    ¡°¡­ Really? I wish you had died! Someone like you ¡­ I just wish you just died! ¡±

    Francis yelled in a crying tone. Olivia looked at her with a puzzled expression.

    Francis¡¯ young face was contorted as if she was hurt.

    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Olivia said. Francis looked at her sharply. The two stared at each other intently. It was a cold and painful look.

    At dawn, Wendy woke up from her dream when she heard a subtle noise in her sleep.

    As soon as she lifted her heavy eyelids, she heard the opening of the sliding door again downstairs.

    ¡®Is the noise from the sliding door?¡¯

    She guessed the source of the sound while asleep. She recalled the sliding door to the center of the house and the garden.

    ¡°¡­! ¡±

    She suddenly felt wide awake. There was no reason for the door to open at this time!

    If she didn¡¯t hear wrong, there was obviously someone in her house. The memories of her dream disappeared in the blink of an eye. A chill went down her spine.

    Something creaked.

    When she paid all attention to the noise, she heard someone¡¯s movement. The noise was barely audible, but she knew that someone had broken into the house.

    She got scared suddenly. It was a horror she had never experienced before.

    Carefully kicking out the nket and getting out of bed, she stepped down on the carpet, holding her breath. She didn¡¯t realize how ufortable she felt about the texture of the rough carpet that she touched with her bare feet. Unconsciously, she turned to the window next door. It was still dark out there. Nobody could help her.

    Wendy grabbed a birch stick by the table with her shivering hands. She obtained it just in case when she learned and practiced self-defense skills, but she never expected that a day woulde when she would have to use it. She couldn¡¯t tighten her grip on it. She trembled so much that she couldn¡¯t believe she was holding it.

    The intruder wasing closer, making noise that told her exactly where the intruder was walking. It was an old house that needed repairs Wendy hadn¡¯t gotten around to. The intruder was obviously walking toward her room. Her mouth was dry.

    Finally, her doorknob was moved in one direction. She red at it intently.

    She was seized by a breathless fear. She felt her messy hair standing up.

    Her door cautiously opened. A ck shadow was seen through the open door. The man was wearing a mask on his face as if to prove that he didn¡¯te here for a good purpose.

    Because of the ck mask, his blue eyes seemed to be floating in the dark. Her fear reached its pinnacle.

    He looked around her room. And at some point, he stopped moving. His face was fixed in one direction because he found her.

    ¡°¡­ ! ¡±

    Their eyes met. She saw a murderous look in his eyes.

    The fear that made her unable to even scream seized her. She couldn¡¯t open her mouth, nor scream.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    It was unexpectedly the scream of the man that broke the silence in the room full of tension. The Poison Teeth, her pet nt growing in the gap of the right door frame, bit his head like a venomous snake.

    She saw the nt biting his shoulder hard. The Poison Teeth instinctively bit all moving objects indiscriminately when touched, but she never expected it would fully utilize its power in such a dramatic moment like today! She never failed to givervae to the nt every morning for the past two years and it had paid off so nicely now.

    Amazed by the Poison Teeth¡¯s attack, she managed toe to her senses and began to ponder over how to beat the intruder.

    When bitten by something on his shoulder, the man reached out to the bites instinctively. Then he grabbed the stem of the Poison Teeth violently. The moment the stem of the nt was about to be cut, the energy vanished from his hands. His legs were wobbly and he fell.

    A small amount of poison from the Poison Teeth spread through his body, but its effectsted only enough to stop his movement briefly. She only had a few moments to act.

    She felt in her bones that if she missed this moment, she would be in more serious trouble.

    The opportunity was only now.

    Immediately, she charged towards the intruder fiercely. She didn¡¯t know how she could muster such power. She hit his head with the birch stick hard.

    He screamed with pain. Just before falling, he stared at her with a murderous look.

    She was again seized by fear, but she couldn¡¯t afford to be frozen with fear.

    She raised her knees and violently kicked him in his abdomen when he fell to the ground.

    It was a kind of defensive violence. Her fear of the intruder made her forget all the lessons she had learned at the training center that she should not hit a fallen opponent. Painful screams once again popped out of his mouth.

    She got out of the open door. The stick that slipped out of her hand after she hit him rolled on the floor. Even without thinking of picking it up, she traversed the corridor with trembling steps.

    After she reached the stairs, she couldn¡¯t stop her legs from shaking. Leaning against the railing, she was trembling.

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112: Chapter 112 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s house (6)

    ¡°Argh¡­ hey!¡±

    When she walked halfway down the stairs, she heard him moaning painfully.

    His voice was sweet enough to make her think he was not the type who would be involved in this kind of thing.

    ¡°Do you know what you did to me¡­? ¡±

    The man coughed and spat. It was hemoptysis. The blood flowing over his temple was so profuse that it soaked his mask. The darkmp lights hanging from the wall made him look even more eerie.

    ¡°Huck¡­ ! ¡±

    So surprised at his bloody figure, she walked down the stairs quickly.

    She walked down the stairs, ignoring his voice. As her legs were wobbly, her steps were unsteady. Her steps twisted and faltered one after another.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    At that moment, the man who came closer to her grabbed her by her hair. He mercilessly pulled her hair. She fell on the floor as he pulled her to the side. She hit her back and hips on the edge of the stairs. She felt unbearable pain.

    ¡°I was just trying to scare you¡­ But I give up. I¡¯m going to get even with you and pay you back more than I suffered. What should I do?¡­ Do you want me to beat you, so you can¡¯t raise your pretty face? Or do you want me to break your limbs? ¡±

    The masked man squatted in front of her and poured out bad words.

    She barely moved her right hand, moaning in pain and pale.

    Her whole body ached because of the impact of her fall. She found it hard even to flip her palm. Even in pain, she immediately thought of some nts that could stop his approach.

    ¡°Oh, yes! I shouldn¡¯t break your feet because you have to leave the capital. I might have made a big mistake!¡±

    He giggled as if he realized something awesome.

    ¡°¡­ Well, it looks like I can break your fingers freely.¡±

    Suddenly, he snatched her right hand. It was an unexpected development. He yfully touched her finger joints. She felt like her skin was shrinking as his touch continued. She tried to pull her hand away from him, but it was in vain. With a scared look she looked sideways at her index finger held in his hand.

    ¡°Oh, you have to promise me one thing before that¡­ It¡¯s not hard, so don¡¯t be nervous. It¡¯s very simple. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Leave the capital as soon as the day breaks. And you should nevere back¡­ How about it? Very simple, isn¡¯t it?¡± He said, moving one of his eyes as if the blood flowing from his head got into it.

    Wendy barely opened her mouth after looking at his face.

    ¡°¡­Why should I leave the capital? ¡±

    ¡°I want your promise, not your questions!¡±

    ¡°Ouch!¡± She moaned painfully because he grasped her hand tightly.

    She felt extreme pain as if her finger knuckles were broken.

    ¡°¡­ Now, let me give you another chance. Tell me if you can keep your promise. ¡±

    Easing his grip on her hand, he spoke as if to appease her earnestly.

    ¡°The person who sent you here¡­ Does she want me to leave the capital?¡±

    She was not supid enough to ask him who gave him the order. She could easily guess the identity of the person who sent this man here. An obvious person came to her mind.

    Francis Hazlet! Yes, there was no other person than her who could do this crazy thing.

    After all, she was the woman who yed the dirty trick of threatening Dn with a marriage certificate.

    When she recalled Francis, She felt an irresistible hatred spreading all over her.

    ¡®Why! Why are you doing such wicked things to me? It¡¯s me, not you, who has to take vengeance!¡¯

    She felt the urge to smash everything she couldy her hands on. She was so mad that her whole body felt tingling.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you should have paid more attention to your human rtionships,¡± said the man, giving her a piece of advice.

    Instead of replying, she stared at him ferociously, trying to pull her hand away once again.

    But the man kept his grip on her hand.

    ¡°¡­Let go of my hand. Don¡¯t make me do terrible things to you. ¡±

    Wendy warned him sharply, gnashing her teeth. If he made her more upset than now, she felt she could be cruel enough to nt a thornbush on his body. She felt a strong impulse.

    ¡°¡­ Why¡­ Why did she do this?¡±

    Wendy was tired and tired of being trampled on. She was full of desire to repay her by making her feel the same pain she had suffered. Her right hand trembled as if it had a seizure.

    She strained her index finger before she knew it.

    ¡®Yes, if I use this power! With this power!¡¯

    She felt she could give the same pain to all who have harassed her. She felt she could make them struggle in pain before meeting their final moments in their lives.

    Her breathing became very rough. She wanted to be freed from her hatred that had been bothering her for a long time.

    Her index finger trembled in his grip. She had to survive, freed from this man and all kinds of hatred.

    She was shaken by the defense mechanism of her survival, but she was hesitating to press her index finger on the back of his hand.

    ¡®Can I really feelfortable ever after doing this? Can I escape from the bondage of hatred? Can I use this power on such a dirty thing?¡¯

    After she was imagining such things, she frowned at the moment. She heard something sharp around her. The masked man seemed to tell her something, but she could not hear.

    Her heart, which seemed unable to pound faster anymore, began to beat faster.

    Another fear, different from her fear of that man, overwhelmed her. She looked down at her hand held in his hand.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s no use trying to buy your time. Can¡¯t you hear me? You had better leave the capital before dawn. ¡±

    He threatened her, using foulnguage on and off. His harshnguage made her pull herself together. She clenched her teeth. She could not use the power of her index finger on him.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you know how horrible your voice is? It sounds like a girl¡¯s shrill¡­ It gives me goosebumps!¡±

    She deliberately tried to provoke him by saying so, while pointing with her chin at her hand in his grip. He grinned and looked at her arm.

    At that moment, she raised her other fist and smashed it into the pit of his stomach. Although her attack was useless, it made him angry. He stopped it and held her left hand. She did not stop trying to pull away her left hand and spit as hard as she could in his face. Her saliva got stuck on the mask and did not reach his skin, but it was enough to fan his anger.

    ¡°¡­ what a bitch of a woman!¡±

    Raging at her, he pped her in the face. She lost her bnce and rolled down the rest of the stairs, with a big thump.

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­ ¡±

    She felt pain as if her whole body was broken. It was possible that some of her bones were broken due to her impact. She saw him slowly descending the stairs. She moved her index finger when she couldn¡¯t move her body in extreme pain.

    Bang, bang!

    Right at the moment somebody opened the door roughly and stepped in. The masked man stepped back up the stairway, stunned at his appearance. The man pulled out a sword even before she turned her head to check out who came inside the house.

    ¡°What the heck?¡±

    The man on the stairs also took out a dagger hidden in his pocket, but the man who came into the house passed her quickly and walked up the stairs. Only then did she know who he was: Lard Schroder.

    Confronting the intruder, Lard turned his head to check if she was okay. She barely raised her upper body with all her might. Lard wanted to show hisposure, but he felt like he was going to cry. Lard looked at her face resolutely.

    During that short span, the masked man ran up the stairs because he felt he could not beat Lard. Lard immediately jumped up the stairs to chase him.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    As the two were engaged in fierce fighting, someone quickly approached Wendy.

    Astonished, she looked up at him warily. He was familiar to her. He must be one of the knights she saw at the time when the prince¡¯s pce copsed. He checked her wounds with a heavy heart.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move to a different ce,¡± The knight carefully helped her stand. As she limped and couldn¡¯t walk, he almost picked her up and took her away from the fighting scene.

    Wendy, stepping back from the parlor, turned to the stairs again at the rattling sounds of iron. She saw Lard quickly stopping the dagger thrown by the man and charging toward him.

    Instantly, Lard narrowed the distance and cut deep into the man¡¯s shoulder with the sword. The man, moaning in pain, took another dagger and swung it towards Lard¡¯s face. Lard avoided his attack by twisting his body, but the masked man continued to wield the dagger.

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113: Chapter 113 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s house (7)

    The man intentionally drove Lard to the wall.

    Although the man threw the dagger at Lard¡¯s neck, it was stuck in a frame hanging on the wall. The ss shattered and fell to the floor. Quickly avoiding the man¡¯s dagger, Lard grabbed the back of his hand and held it against the wall.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Groaning with pain, he dropped the dagger in his hand on the floor.

    Lard did not stop there and kicked inside his knee, causing him to bend his knee.

    The silver de of his sword touched the man¡¯s throat.

    Looking down at Lard coldly, the man picked up the dagger on the floor. Due to Lard¡¯s movement, it pierced the man¡¯s throat, causing bleeding immediately.

    ¡°Why did youe into this house with a dagger? ¡± Lard asked with a heavy voice.

    ¡°¡­ For this purpose? ¡±

    As if he didn¡¯t want to hear the man¡¯s reply from the beginning, Lard put the dagger in his forearm. The muscles on his arm were cut mercilessly.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    ¡°You will never wield a sword again¡­ It¡¯s not that dear of a price to pay for your actions today. ¡±

    Despite his screaming, Lard twisted the dagger¡¯s handle into his forearm. Miserable screams came out of his mouth.

    ¡°From up here¡­. Did you push her down? Or down there¡­ Did you touch her hand?¡±

    He shivered at Lard¡¯s questions as if he foresaw cruel punishment.

    ¡°Whatever it is¡­ you have to pay the price.¡±

    After he said that, Lard kicked the man¡¯s back and pushed him down the stairs. His body rolled down the stairs with a loud noise.

    ¡°Huck¡­! ¡±

    Lard walked down the stairs and pointed the sword to the man¡¯s neck. Then, he lifted the sword as if to kill him.

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    The knight standing by Wendy shouted at his boss. Lard looked up at the knight gravely.

    He saw her. Seeing her miserable appearance, he stood silently for a while. The masked man¡¯s breathing was now slow and rough. Their eyes were entangled in the air.

    Lard slowly withdrew the sword and put it back into the sheath. The sound of the sword rattling into the sheath sounded unusually sad.

    Martin Bishop yawned long and rubbed his drowsy face up and down. If only he could take a nap for a few minutes, he would be happy to clean up the training field as a neer.

    ¡°Whew¡­ It was all because of that damn Scholters family.¡±

    He wanted to me Altarin Scholters, but Martin didn¡¯t have the nerve to add the word ¡®damn¡¯ to thedy, so he just referred to her family. As Martin couldn¡¯t sleep properly because of what Altarin of the damned Scholters family had done to his sister, it was natural that he felt hateful towards them.

    Yesterday, Altarin confessed her crime at the order of the crown prince. At the fundraising event held at the Linus Medical Center, which was herst confession session, Altarin¡¯s confession wrapped up the event and drew the attention of those who attended the event. Unfortunately, Martin¡¯s sister happened to be beside Altarin, who became the topic of gossip among the social circles.

    Altarin, who went around the fund-raising event with a murderous look, vowing, ¡®you¡¯re gonna pay for this!¡¯, happened to pick a quarrel with Martin¡¯s sister.

    Although Altarin¡¯s violent temper was notorious in the social circles, Martin¡¯s sister also had a bad temper not to be outdone by her. It all started with a war of nerves between them, but they ended up fighting, even tearing their dresses.

    For this reason, Martin had to listen to his sister¡¯sints all day long. As he had to make up for his lost sleep due to his night shift, he really had a hard time listening to her constant gumbling.

    Even though he shut his mouth, Martin felt so tired. Due to his repeated night shift duty, he felt like his fatigue kept doubling as he couldn¡¯t have a good sleep during the day. With drowsy eyes, Martin looked up at the window next door. As it was alreadyte dawn, the lights in the room went out long ago. His next door was quiet.

    ¡°I envy Sir Dowain so much these days.¡±

    He deliberately talked to himself to stay awake. He felt it was much better to sell flowers at a flower shop than spend every night on duty like him. ording to Deputy Captain Jean Jacque Simuan, Dowain¡¯s face looked so bright these days. Obviously, Dowain was spending happy days there, making friends with the captain¡¯s ¡°lover.¡± It seemed like yesterday that he made a mockery of Dowain¡¯s security service for her at the flower shop. Now, he regretted mocking Dowain. Rather, Martin envied him.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    He would feel better if the captain was in the house, but the only guy sticking around inside the house was a young kid named Benfork or Benknife, whose name he didn¡¯t care about. So, he didn¡¯t feel any tense atmosphere while he was staying there.

    The shock he felt when his boss, who had a house in themoners¡¯ residential area, was dating a woman and disappeared often, and he was getting sick and tired of his repeated night shift work.

    ¡°He¡¯ste,¡± Martin took out a small pocket watch and murmured again. He heard that his boss found a suspicious spot presumed to be the source of the explosives installed in the pce. So, he felt it would be difficult for his boss to return home before the moon rose.

    Martin stood up with a sigh. He felt he needed to change a little bit of his area of usual activity, which was limited to the first floor railing and parlor. He needed it to stay awake.

    He decided he¡¯d have to wash his face first before patrolling his surroundings, so he went into the bathroom. He shut the door behind him. A dull morning was passing like that.

    Meanwhile, Lard, who just finished interrogating the suspects untilte in the morning, was returning home quickly. He got some satisfactory results after questioning Joseph Yass, the owner of Helen Yass Store, and his wife, Helen Yass.

    The Imperial Knights found out the circumstances where theponents of the explosives, which had been thoroughly managed by the imperial family, were smuggled and stormed the Helen Yass Store. They found a ledger that recorded the bulk purchases ofponents such as sulfur, charcoal, and cornerstone: the raw materials for gunpowder.

    Joseph and Helen, who vehemently denied the charges until then, had to admit their guilt when they were presented with the specific evidence. Nevertheless, they still refused to reveal who was the force behind them.

    But when they demanded Joseph reveal the real mastermind behind them in return for exempting his wife from any charges, he was visibly swayed. Under constant pressure and persuasion, he asked for some more time to think about, and Lard epted his request.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡±

    After riding long at night, Lard reached themoners¡¯ residential area and left the horse at an inn far from Wendy¡¯s house.

    The stableman came out with drowsy eyes and dragged the horse. After realizing that Duke Engre was his potential threat, Lard refrained from bringing Balos to this area as much as possible because he and Balos were easily recognized. If he found it inevitable to bring Balos here, he always left the horse in a distant vige.

    He also took pains to get out of the official uniform of the imperial knights when he came here.

    In the past, he used to frequent this ce, dressed in the knight¡¯s suit, so even though it was difficult topletely cover up his identity, he made it a rule to change his clothes.

    Luckily, it was easy to find imperial knights anywhere in the capital because of the disturbances of the Montrapi bread price hikes and the explosions in the prince¡¯s pce. So, if the residents here still remembered Lard¡¯s visits in the past, he just hoped that they would regard him as one of the knightsmonly seen in this area these days.

    Lard was wandering around the quiet alley for a while. In the silence of dawn, his footsteps were soft. There was no sign of anybody shadowing him. Lard went round the corner with a sigh of relief. He heard that Duke Engre¡¯s moles were shadowing him and monitoring his movements to report back to the duke, but he found no unusual movements to worry about Wendy¡¯s safety. Nevertheless, he could not feel at ease.

    As Lard dispatched some knights here for her security, it would be the best policy for him to refrain froming here in order not to attract the duke¡¯s attention. Nheless, Lard woulde here sometimes due to his fatigue from work.

    ¡®How can I avoiding over here?¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t stand not seeing her. Even before he sat back and thought about the wisdom ofing here, he always found himself already walking toward her house.

    In fact, he decided not toe here to protect her from external threats in the past. But he couldn¡¯t stop the crown prince from visiting here. So, he came to the conclusion that it was best to check her safety with his own eyes, which naturally led him to her house.

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114: Chapter 114 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s house (8)

    But today he did note here simply by following his desire to see her, he recalled a message from Sir Sociere during the day.

    It was the first urgent report Sociere, a junior knight he assigned to check Francis¡¯s movement, had made.

    ording to him, Francis visited Wendy¡¯s flower shop the other day and talked with her for a while. He said he didn¡¯t know what they talked about, but Lard felt it was not a big deal because Sir Dorwain didn¡¯t report anything unusual to him after Francis¡¯s visit.

    But this was no more than his ownfort. Lard felt nervous while he was working in the Imperial Pce today. As soon as he received the message from Sociere, he was eager to go and see Wendy, but as captain of the 1st Imperial Knights, he couldn¡¯t because he had to resolve some important cases.

    It was for this reason that he hurried to Wendy¡¯s house, although he knew it was difficult to see Wendy this early morning.

    He saw her house at a distance. He just felt relieved by just seeing her house shrouded with the bluish light of dawn. He hurriedly walked toward her house, while casting a quick nce at his house next to hers.

    He didn¡¯t see Sir Martin Bishop who was supposed to stand by the yard on the first floor. Usually Martin spent most of his time on a bench hidden behind the tall potted tree.

    As the door leading to the house was wide open, Lard felt he was away briefly.

    This time he turned to Wendy¡¯s house again. He felt something eerie for no reason.

    Bang, bang!

    At that moment he heard a dull and unpleasant noiseing from her house. It was like something rolling on the wooden floor. The noise was terrible and long.

    His gray eyes turned cold instantly. Without any hesitation he ran to her house and kicked hard at the door. He broke thetch on the door and opened the door.

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    Martin, who heard the disturbances next door, popped out of the parlor of Lard¡¯s house and called his boss. He went straight into her house without even looking at him.

    ¡°What the heck¡­¡± Martin, with drowsy eyes, turned white, as if he anticipated his boss¡¯s punishment.

    He had no idea why he fell asleep a little while ago. He just earnestly wished Wendy would emerge safely. With a pale look, he followed his boss and ran to her house.

    When he entered the house, a masked man and his boss were already confronting each other.

    As soon as he entered the house, Lard was full of intense anger over the miserable situation he had never experienced before. Wendy Waltz was on the floor. The moment he saw her, he couldn¡¯t control his surging anger. The wild outburst of his anger turned into deep hatred of the masked man. He thought about how to inflict pain on the man while using his sword.

    Her weak body burned his vision. When he thought about the terrible things the intruder had and could have done to this innocent woman, he felt it would be meaningless to live and breathe unless he repaid the man in the most painful way.

    He immediately cut the man¡¯s shoulder without any hesitation. It was almost a fatal blow. Then, he easily overpowered him and knelt him down. Then, he chose the man¡¯s dagger as a tool to make him suffer.

    ¡®This weapon you handled will break your muscles and tear up your flesh.¡¯

    Lard stabbed the dagger firmly in the man¡¯s forearm until only its handle was visible. With the man¡¯s terrible scream, blood oozed out of the deep cut. When he twisted the dagger, the man screamed even louder. His punishment continued for a while.

    With a dry and murderous look, Lard kicked him so he rolled down the stairs, shivering with pain, stricken with horror.

    Watching the man¡¯s body rolling like a meatball down the stairs didn¡¯t interest Lard at all. His punishment was not enough to satisfy Lard¡¯s revenge and hatred. He could be more cruel.

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    When Lard was about to behead him, Martin called out to him. Lard would not stop it at Martin¡¯s shouting, but when he noticed Wendy¡¯s miserable expression, he stopped it.

    Her green eyes were trembling like withered grass. Lard could feel her pain entirely.

    He couldn¡¯t add to her pain by beheading the man before her eyes.

    Putting the sword back into the sheath, Lard slowly turned his head toward her. Something hot and heavy surging from his heart made him more tired. He couldn¡¯t look straight into her eyes.

    Sir Martin approached the masked man and tied up his hands.

    He said with a subdued voice when Martin was frisking the man, ¡°Take that guy to the Investa building. With the help of the investigators there, transfer him to the underground prison of the Imperial Pce. Put him under intense surveince, so he will notmit suicide. Let me trust you, Martin.¡±

    He saluted his boss at his order. Lard would certainly punish him for neglecting his dutyter, but he could not do without his boss¡¯s lingering trust in him. When he dragged the man roughly out of the house, Lard approached Wendy.

    He felt so sorry now. He felt so ashamed of himself that he was at a loss about how tofort her. He felt a strong sense of guilt that he didn¡¯t protect her.

    ¡°I am fine¡­ As you came here timely, you saved my life. ¡±

    She tried tofort him first, even though she was injured. He again felt guilty.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re not okay. I knew all along that you had never been okay, and that you endured it all the time.

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    I have not protected you¡­So, don¡¯t say you¡¯re okay. Just express your feelings to me. Get angry with me, cry, or tell me you are scared. You can do that to me. You can show me the feelings that you couldn¡¯t reveal or put up with. I want to share them with you.¡±

    It was painful for him to see her saying that she was okay, even though she could copse anytime from her painful wounds.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to struggle before me¡­ Please tell me you¡¯re not okay, ¡± he said earnestly.

    He hugged her before her tears welled up and dropped. She trembled against him, striking a strong emotional chord in his heart. Sadness soaked his whole body like a broken wave.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not okay¡­ I¡¯ve never been okay¡­¡± she said, crying in his arms.

    There was sorrow in her hot breathing. She was choked with sorrow for a long time.

    ¡°Why did youe here only now? I was so scared. I was really scared¡­ Why should I go through this? Why weren¡¯t you by my side? Why¡­¡±

    The river of her emotions broke its dam and overflowed. As if she resented histe arrival, as if she regretted that he didn¡¯t share this crucial moment with her, and as if she resented her bted reunion with him, she shed the tears that she had been holding back. He touched her back when she was sobbing.

    ¡°I just¡­ I just tried to live my own life. Why is it sinful? ¡­ If I have a sin, it¡¯s because I just had ast name called Hazlet. Why should I pay a hefty price for it? Why?¡±

    He wiped her weary eyes. She was exhausted from heartbreak and anxiety. He was so heartbroken when she kept shedding tears even after he wiped them.

    Witnessing her deep-seated sorrow, he spected who was behind the terrible things today.

    He instantly recalled the intelligence tip that Francis visited her shop during the day. He painfully regretted it. If he had taken some preventive measures when he was briefed about it, he could have prevented her terrible suffering today.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I waste¡­ Don¡¯t forgive me who came to you sote. ¡±

    It was not important to him whether it was a member of the Hazlet family or Duke Engre that was responsible for today¡¯s horrible results. What really mattered to him was that she hurt.

    He felt the strong urge to get even with whoever they were. It was an intense hatred that he had never felt before.

    ¡°You are innocent. Nobody should me you¡­¡±

    He hugged and wrapped her body as he felt she was so pitiful. He just wanted to keep her in his arms forever.

    She cried for a long time. It took quite a while for her overflowing emotions to subside.

    ¡°I will do it.¡±

    Wendy¡¯s hands trembled with embarrassment. She grimaced as if she felt pain even with a small movement. Lard quietly pulled her hand.

    ¡°Please stay still.¡±

    Not caring about her reaction, he applied ointment on her wounds.

    Whenever he touched her skin, she felt strange feelings, but she didn¡¯t resist any more and held her breath while he worked. She looked around the parlor and finally fixed her eyes on the creamy wallpaper. She was a bit nervous because he was too close.

 Chapter 115

    Chapter 115: Chapter 115 Don¡¯te to Wendy¡¯s house (9)

    He seemed to act recklessly, but she knew he was trying to stop her from feeling gloomy.

    If she showed nervousness for a moment, he immediately said something to distract her. She didn¡¯tin about his unusual chattiness.

    ¡°I ate the Bahazman fruit¡­ so I¡¯ll be better soon,¡± she said with a small voice.

    ¡°Let me check your legs.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    When he said that, she freaked out and pulled down the hem of her skirt.

    ¡®What the heck is he talking about?¡¯ She quickly blinked. She felt she needed to change her initial judgement that his reckless actions were intended to stop her from being gloomy.

    ¡°I need to see the wounded parts to apply this ointment.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a wicked sense of humor. How can you crack such a joke¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. It was not you who didn¡¯t want to call a doctor. Even if you ate the Bahazman fruit, I can¡¯t leave your wounds untreated without confirming it.¡±

    Without changing his expression at all, Lard spoke resolutely as if he couldn¡¯t budge a bit.

    She was the only one feeling ashamed.

    ¡°What the heck are you talking about? If you leave the medicine, I¡¯ll apply it. So, please put it there. ¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be relieved only if I check it. As you never tell me you¡¯re hurt, I think I need to check if it¡¯s really a minor wound before I can feel relieved.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you really want me to cry wolf? I¡¯m really fine.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please do so.¡±

    He spoke as if he was dissatisfied with her reply. She was dumbfounded by his unexpected reaction.

    ¡°If I could have my way, I would check wounds on other parts of your body, but let me stop here. Promise me that you will go to the medical center as soon as the day breaks.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure, no problem. So, give me the medicine. ¡±

    When she gave in, Lard gave her the bottle of medicine readily. She fidgeted with the bottle in her hand.

    ¡°I smell lemon from the medicine¡­? I didn¡¯t know there was medicine like this, ¡± she said, touching the white unicorn on the bottle, the symbol of the Linus National Medical Center.

    He was embarrassed at her words and quickly replied, ¡°I hear this is a new medicine. In fact, Dr. Edmonds gave it to me, the princess¡¯s husband who you met at imperial court the other day. He likes this lemon vor, strangely enough. ¡±

    When the scent of the medicine he was using to treat Lard was too strong, Lard asked him to make it smell good like lemon. It was Edmonds who was surprised by Lard¡¯s request, but Lard insisted on it, pretending not to know why he would be surprised.

    ¡°Well, I like the lemon scent¡­ It reminds me of good memories of my wounds healing well,¡± she said slowly in a hazy voice, lost in thought.

    Lard looked at her lips when she reacted well. He recalled the smell of lemon jar pouring from the cupboard and his touch on her lips some time ago.

    Lard suddenly kissed her lips. He touched then took his lips from hers briefly. Her eyes were wide.

    ¡°Do you know about what they call a conditioned reflex?¡± He asked, lightly touching her cheeks. Without waiting for her reply, he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about the scent¡­ I really can¡¯t talk about it without kissing you.¡±

    He kissed her again. He felt the thin texture of her upper lip. Her grass-green eyes closed. Her heart continued to pound hard. His warm touch on her lips seemed to melt away her anxiety.

    ¡°¡­ I think you should go now, ¡± she said, pushing at his chest. He swept her hair, distancing herself from him as she did. Sweeping her soft hair behind her earlobes, he firmly said, ¡°I can¡¯t leave you go. Don¡¯t you see the front door was smashed? I vowed that I would never leave you alone here.¡±

    ¡°¡­ But you can¡¯t stay here with me. ¡±

    ¡°Use my room. As there is another room next to it, I will take the other.¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t,¡± she replied with a perplexed look, but he was adamant. As she grabbed his arm and shook her head, he reluctantly offered one more option. His voice was soft but he was stubborn.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you can go to my mansion in Soleanga. If you don¡¯t want to use my room, I¡¯ll give you a guest room. As it is much safer than here, I really want you to go there.¡±

    She could not ept his proposal to go to his official mansion. Seeing her frowning, he put his hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Wendy, I really can¡¯t leave you alone in this ce. Not just for you but also for myself. I really can¡¯t stand it if you go through this again. I¡¯m afraid I might lose you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­¡±

    ¡°So, won¡¯t you just follow me this time? ¡­ Benfork, and other knights will be around, so you don¡¯t have to be wary of me.¡±

    She lightly smiled at his words. Though she felt she¡¯d never smile again, she did so before she realized.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not wary of you. I¡¯m just afraid I might continue to depend on you.¡±

    ¡°You can depend on me, no matter what.¡±

    She raised her head and looked at him. She saw trust and warmth in his eyes like the silver por by the riverside she saw one day and the trees she saw with him in the Burgonu Forest.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you might beg me if I keep refusing. Okay, let me ept your offer.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was going to beg you if you kept refusing. Thanks!¡±

    He grinned and helped her to her feet carefully.

    He led her to his room on the second floor. He said goodbye after escorting her and telling her to have a rest, but she stood nervous in the room as if she felt awkward. She called him when he was about to leave. Hesitating for a second while looking at him, she said, ¡°Lord Schroder, do you remember what I told you in the Burgonu Forest? I told you I was no longer scared when I was alone because of the white por I saw by the river¡­ I felt so because I was so impressed with the powerful figure of the tree.¡±

    He replied, looking at her with his serene blue eyes that brought out her old memories, ¡°I remember¡­ You told me back that you felt so because of the beauty of the trees that stood between the moonlight and the river. ¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ Are you going tough at me if I tell you I realized how stupid I was?¡±

    She spoke, tilting her head forward slightly. She had already tears welled in her eyes.

    ¡°¡­ Sir Schroder, the tree I saw was not alone. It wasn¡¯t beautiful as it stood alone. How stupid I was to think that it stood alone beautifully¡­ Without the moonlight and the waving of the river, it wouldn¡¯t have shone beautifully.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Wendy. ¡±

    ¡°I thought I was happy when I was alone. I never wanted to experience that loss again. I didn¡¯t want to expect that I would possess something I could lose, but the beauty of the tree that I fell in love with was not actually created by the tree itself. ¡±

    She came to his side, who was standing outside the door like a fixture, and took his hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to taste that loss again¡­ I can¡¯t hide my feelings. I don¡¯t want to be alone. Whether you are the moonlight, the river, or the silver por¡­ I want to be by your side.¡±

    She leaned her forehead on his chest . He embraced her. She felt relieved and happy to know that she had someone to depend on now.

    ¡°If you want¡­ I can be anything that would be helpful to you¡­ I¡¯ll do anything if I can be with you forever,¡± he whispered. She listened to it with, blushing. ¡°I will try to stay with you for the rest of my life.¡±

    ¡°Sir Schroder¡­¡±

    He conveyed his heartfelt sincerity to her from the bottom of his heart. Though she felt overwhelmed like a drifter who reached thend by swimming across the rough sea, she tried to be silent. She was emotionally choked when she felt his warmth in the silence.

    With his warmth that showed no sign of cooling down, he hugged her once again. He reluctantly released her and left her, though he didn¡¯t want to.

    ¡°Get some more sleep. There is quite a bit of time left before daybreak, ¡± he said, closing the door. Soon, there was the sound of him moving away from the door and another door closing not far away.

    Standing in an unfamiliar room, she took several deep breaths, as if she pulled herself together.

    Then, she walked across the room to the window. She saw her room¡¯s window.

    When she recalled what happened in her room, she flinched. She felt scared momentarily, but relieved when she thought he was in the next room.

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116: Chapter 116 Dahlia withered without blooming (1)

    Sheforted herself, reciting that someday she would forget about what happened today.

    But she had no intention to turn a blind eye to Francis¡¯s wicked actions. She didn¡¯t want to ignore or forgive her behavior.

    ¡®How could I forgive her?¡¯

    She thought about how she could punish Francis¡¯s crime in the most wise way.

    She needed to calm her troubled feelings and deal with it cool-heartedly.

    Even before she hated and got even with her, she needed to think about first whether she was misunderstanding Francis because she recalled the countess who was as hostile to her as Francis. Wendy soon gave up that stupid idea. The countess was not the type of woman who was stupid enough to y this kind of wed trick on her.

    Wendy felt that if the countess had acted, she would have had someone kidnap her to a remote area instead of threatening her, or she would have somebody almost maim her.

    That was the cruel nature of Francis¡¯ mother. She was much more cruel than Francis in every way. She remembered how cruelly the countess treated her and her mother.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    But there were many obstacles. Francis was not alone. Behind her was her mother, the countess, and the entire Hazlet family.

    But she was not alone either. She was never alone.

    Sitting on the bed, she soon fell on a warm nket. She smelled his scent when the nket rustled and pulled it over her head. She felt it swarmth all over her body.

    ¡°Wow, the sunshine is nice. I think it¡¯s been a long time since I enjoyed this kind of lunch.¡±

    Demian Setorang spoke with a bright smile.

    ¡°You must be very busy as you are graduating quite soon, right?¡± Mrs. Hazlet asked after drinking a sip of water in a clear ss.

    ¡°Oh, just my mind was busy, though it doesn¡¯t make things any better. ¡±

    ¡°Jedda Academy is notorious for its rigorous evaluation of graduate candidates. I hear you were always the top student. As you¡¯re so diligent even until the end of the semester, your mother must be very proud of you. Besides, you are handsome and tall. I can imagine how proud she is of you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ttered. Thanks so much for praising me.¡±

    Demian bowed slightly to her to show his appreciation. Soon his eyes turned to Francis Hazlet, who was eating silently. The countess, conscious of his gaze on her, opened her mouth in a hurry, ¡°Francis, the scent of flowers mixed with the wind is very fragrant today. I saw dahlia shooting out new buds in the garden a few days ago, so I wonder if they¡¯re blooming now. Did you notice the flowers? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, I do not know. I haven¡¯t seen them.¡±

    She reluctantly responded, expressing her desire not to participate in their conversation.

    Embarrassed, the countess looked at Demian and Francis alternately.

    ¡°You would think it was easy to notice that flowers are blooming and withering, but it¡¯s never easy. They keep blooming and withering even before we notice it. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s why we are impressed by the full blossoms of flowers by chance, ¡± Demian said to Francis in a sociable manner.

    Only then did Francis raise her eyes to see him. The khaki haired man smiled at her. His dark brown eyes seemed milder in the sun, but Francis looked away as if she had no intention of making friends with him.

    ¡°Of course, if you look at flowers with affection and care¡­ you¡¯ll be more impressed,¡± he added.

    Francis said, holding a napkin in herp, ¡°¡­ Have you ever seen a flower with affection?¡±

    Her tone was monotonous, as though she was carrying on an uninteresting conversation.

    As it was her first question today, he answered dly, ¡°There are many beautiful gardens here and there at my academy. Even if I don¡¯t have to visit a garden, there are a lot of unknown flowers on the roadside. Anyone has felt affectionate for the flowers they unintentionally see on their way back and forth to their workces or homes. ¡±

    She stopped suddenly while wiping her hands with a napkin.

    ¡®Have I had that experience like anybody else?¡¯ She asked herself.

    To the best of her memories, she had never felt so even after seeing them in the past.

    Looking back, she felt lonely as she hadn¡¯t experienced such small pleasures. The fact that she didn¡¯t have such small pleasures at all made her feel another sense of loss.

    Now that she lost Dn Lennox, the only object of her affection, she was left with no lover. Her glorious things disappeared long ago. As if there was no light from the beginning, emptiness filled her mind.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never felt affection for flowers when I saw them by chance. Flowers are just flowers. Why should you feel affection for the objects used to make the garden beautiful? ¡±

    The countess¡¯s face was more embarrassed by the arrogant pitch of Francis voice.

    ¡°Oh my¡­ Francis¡­! ¡±

    ¡°Can you show me the garden here after a meal? I want to take a walk together. Please check with me if the dahlia is in bloom,¡± Demian said, interrupting the countess who was about to rebuke Francis.

    ¡°If you could feel affection for the flower when you look at it identally, I think it¡¯s going to be a great pleasure for me to walk with you.¡±

    Francis quickly hardened her face at his attitude when he responded to her disrespect with a smile. She suddenly recalled her past encounter with Dn Lennox who was generously kind to her. Looking at Demian¡¯s eyes trying to meet hers, as if asking for her permission, Francis didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Get out of my way!¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t!¡±

    At that moment, there was a loud noise inside the terrace where they were eating.

    With the noise of iron rattling, several people were seening toward them.

    Soon, the protagonists of the uproar appeared between the white curtains extending from the terrace to the building. They were imperial knights.

    ¡°What the heck is going on?¡±

    Countess Hazlet asked them with a furious voice. As if to ignore her out of hand, one of them came near and said, ¡°I¡¯m Jean Jacques Simuan, Deputy Captain of the Imperial 1st Knights. I¡¯ve the order to arrest Francis Hazlet right away.¡±

    ¡°Who ordered that? Do you know where you are right now? How rude you are! ¡±

    The countess once again got furious and stood up.

    ¡°The order has been issued by Sir Lard Schroder, Captain of the 1st Knights. We have evidence that Francis hasmitted a crime, so follow our order. We¡¯re taking the due process of arresting her because of her crime,¡± Jean said, calmly.

    But his voice was heavy and authoritative. Francis jumped out of his seat and her face turned white. When she hastily stood up, several dishes rolled to the floor because the tablecloth was pulled outside. The sound of the tes being smashed to pieces was heard.

    ¡°Evidence? What the heck¡­! How could you disgrace my family like this? Don¡¯t you know how serious a crime you aremitting now?¡± Mrs. Hazlet yelled at him, shocked by her daughter¡¯s arrest.

    Demian Setoran, who was standing silently in shock, spoke softly, stopping the knights from approaching her, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but why are you dragging her away recklessly? If there is any misunderstanding, you have to clear it, but you have to follow the due process¡­¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t tolerate any further obstruction. I can¡¯t afford to waste my time here. Just move back as I don¡¯t want to use force. ¡±

    When Jean nced at the knights standing behind him and signalled to them with his eyes, the two knights approached Francis and grabbed her by her arms. The countess shivered and tried to stop them, but another knight stepped in front of her.

    ¡°Oh my god! What the heck is this¡­¡±

    Demian, who was watching the scene,mented with a sigh. While being led away by the knights, Francis inadvertently turned to him with a terrified look. She couldn¡¯t ept his request to walk through the garden and watch dahlia flowers together. Even though she wanted to, she could not.

    The opportunity for her gaze at a flower to turn into affection for him disappearedpletely, regardless of the type of affection.

    It was horrible to be alone in a closed space where no one entered. One¡¯s sense of horror was especially big when one doesn¡¯t know what one¡¯s fate will be.

    Francis was trying to keep her hands still despite her anxiety and kept massaging them. The imperial knights who brought her there didn¡¯t appear for hours. Maybe more than several hours passed. Of course, it might be a lot shorter than she felt, but it was a long and slow time for her.

    Some timeter, the silence in the room was broken, and the tightly closed door was opened. Francis sprang to her feet and looked at the man entering the room.

    ¡°Sit down, Miss Hazlet.¡±

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Dahlia withered without blooming (2)

    A dark-haired, tall young man came in. Her gaze rested on the golden strap of the man¡¯s imperial knight uniform. Only the captain of the knights were allowed to use that color.

    ¡°I hear you have denied all the charges.¡±

    He was silent for a moment before moving his tight jaw line.

    Francis responded immediately with a trembling voice, ¡°Which charges are you talking about? Why are you threatening me when I¡¯m innocent? You can¡¯t do this to me by using your authority as the head of the imperial knights!¡± She shouted in anger.

    Despite her strong protest, the man stared at her intently without changing his facial expression.

    His ashen eyes, chilly like cold mes, made her tremble. When she realized that she would get nothing from getting angry with him, Francis suttered with a subdued voice, ¡°Please don¡¯t treat me like this. I think you have some misunderstanding about me¡­ I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here. So, please send me home. ¡±

    She looked at the knight feebly. Her eyes welled with tears and trembled.

    ¡°¡­Well, I think I¡¯ve got to show you first before questioning you.¡±

    Then he put a messy piece of paper on the table. He kindly pushed it near her and nodded as if to ask her to read it quickly.

    ¡°This is ¡­ ¡±

    On the crumpled paper stained with wetness and blood was something written in coarse handwriting.

    ¡°As you see, Joe Fisher admitted his crime. He said he carried out the assignment you requested. Please read it carefully at the bottom of the paper as it states that he was paid by you for this job.¡±

    At his shocking exposure, Francis raised her body halfway and shouted, ¡°I do not know such a guy! This is a set-up!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too excited because you¡¯ll have a chance to face him.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ Please believe me! ¡±

    ¡°Your family¡¯s knight Sir Thomas Dous has also confessed. He said he escorted you to Jeschuta. What a damn guy! How can he escort you to such an alley of crimes? Anyway, there is enough evidence that you instigated the current incident.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that¡­ I just¡­ ! ¡±

    ¡°Is it true that you ordered him to kill Wendy Waltz?¡±

    ¡°Oh my god! Kill her? No way! How can I order such a terrible thing¡­ ! No!¡±

    ¡°Whatever you ordered him, Joe Fisher confessedst night that you ordered him to kill her. He said he did everything at your order.¡±

    She kept shaking her head with a terrified face. Her pale face turned dark before turning white repeatedly.

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t! I just told him to scare Wendy off! Yes, I just ordered him to scare her off, not kill her. I just wanted to scare her off enough, so she would leave the capital!¡±

    He made a strange expression at her confession. There stood out a vein on his temple.

    When he made a frightening look, she hesitantly stepped back.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how many will believe what you are saying, Francis Hazlet. An innocent woman was in danger of being killed, and she was greatly injured because of you. No matter what excuses you are making, you can¡¯t nullify what has already happened. ¡±

    He spoke sternly without expression. She hunched her shoulders at that.

    There was despair and hopelessness in her face.

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to kill her at all. I¡¯m serious¡­¡±

    ¡°You will be tried by the court ording to due process. Perhaps it will be a public trial. ¡±

    ¡°Public trial?¡±

    Straightening up, Francis asked with a trembling voice. She broke into a cold sweat when she thought that she would face a trial in the presence of others. Whatever the oue of the trial, it was clear that it would disgrace her family. She was extremely afraid of Dn¡¯s face if he ever came to know about this. In that case, Dn would feel not only resentful and contemptuous towards her but also feel the urge to kill her. It would be horrible for her.

    Dn would never believe her. No matter how much she imed that she just wanted to drive Olivia out of the capital. Most likely he would hate her most for the simple reason that she tried to expel Olivia from the capital.

    ¡°But¡­ I do not want this trial to proceed publically. That¡¯s what you want as well, right? ¡±

    She opened her eyes wide and swallowed at his words. She looked at his lips earnestly.

    ¡°Let me offer you one thing, so you could avoid a public trial. You won¡¯t avoid heavy punishment for your crime. On charges of instigating murder, you could spend up to fifteen years behind jail.¡±

    ¡°No way, I¡¯ve never instigated murder!¡±

    ¡°So, let me help you avoid that. I mean, lower your sentence.¡±

    She looked eagerly at him as if she grabbed a rope at the end of the cliff.

    But she frowned after realizing what it meant to have her jail terms lowered.

    ¡°Do you mean that I have to spend my life in the prison in Jacquelin?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to be jailed there.¡±

    ¡°Pardon¡­? ¡±

    The man pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.

    ¡°Leave the capital and nevere back. If youe back to the capital, you will be humiliated by being sent to prison. In that case, you will have to serve full terms without any lessening of your jail terms. So, do not attempt to return here unless you are prepared to do so. ¡±

    ¡°Are you going to expel me from the capital?¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly. It means you have to be away from the ce where Wendy Waltz, the woman you harmed, is living. Please read the terms in the document. ¡±

    At his urging, Francis held the document with her trembling hands. The thick, smooth fine paper was full of numerous provisions, and at the bottom, the captain¡¯s seal was stamped in dark blue ink.

    ¡°¡­Flogging¡­ I will get tenshes¡­ What is this?¡± She asked in shock when she pointed out the uses one by one.

    ¡°I hear you asked Zephylin Shairas with the Eldon Information Center to find a woman presumed to be Wendy Waltz, right? When I examined your track records, I discovered that your crimest night was very well nned. In case of a premeditated attempted murder crime, the flogging sentence is added more.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°You had better keep in mind thest use, in particr.¡±

    ¡°¡­I should keep silent about everything rted to Wendy Waltz¡¯s past.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a must for the sake of you and your family.¡±

    She raised her head suddenly at his words. Her eyes trembled lightly.

    As if she brought up a taboo topic, she carefully looked around and asked, ¡°Wendy Waltz¡­ Do you know who she is? ¡±

    ¡°Sure, I know.¡±

    ¡°But why are you involved in this¡­?¡±

    She stared at the face of the imperial knight who made an iprehensible suggestion to her and held the document tightly. He took the crumpled document from her hand and put it on the table.

    ¡°Sign here if you are a wise woman at all. I don¡¯t think you will miss this opportunity. ¡±

    He then handed her a quill with a blunt nib. He opened the lid of a small portable ink bottle, put it on the table, and urged her to sign it.

    ¡°Please give me some time to think about it.¡±

    Francis hesitated and put the quill pen on the table.

    She couldn¡¯t figure out why the man in front of her eyes was giving her such a generous offer.

    She was surprised that he already knew, but she couldn¡¯t understand why he wanted her to keep silent about it. She couldn¡¯t figure out what he was up to, or what kind of trap he set up for her. Who was this guy trying to save her from serving jail terms?

    She looked at the strap on his shoulder with a perplexed expression.

    He was wearing a golden strap¡­ There was only one young captain of the knights in the empire, but she wasn¡¯t sure if her guess was right. Besides, he had no connection with her family, or Olivia. She spaced out with tension and fear.

    ¡°I can¡¯t give you any more time to think about. If you don¡¯t want to sign it, you don¡¯t have to. This is yourst chance.¡±

    The man was impatient. He quickly reached out to retrieve the paper from her. She had no choice but to stop him. She nervously looked at the paper and the man then reluctantly picked the quill. Whatever trap was hidden in the document, she had only one choice. In the end, she signed the paper, breathing deeply.

    Then, he offered another piece of paper with the same uses and asked her to sign it. When she finished signing it, he gave her one of them.

    ¡°Keep it always and memorize it. Never forget it for the rest of your life.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why did you make this offer to me? Why are you trying to hide Wendy Waltz¡¯s identity?¡±

    ¡°Let me also ask you one thing.¡± Instead of replying to her question, he asked her. With a scared expression, she just looked at him.

    He continued, ¡°I told you that Wendy Waltz was severely injured, but you didn¡¯t ask how she was or how serious her condition was. Why are you so cruel? Are you sure you really didn¡¯t want to kill her?¡±

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118: Chapter 118 Dahlia withered without blooming (3)

    Francis freaked out when he asked that. Her eyes stopped rolling and her heartbeat seemed to stop as if she stopped breathing. The man stared at her coldly for a while.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer.¡±

    Speaking as if he knew her response, he took back the document with her signature on it.

    ¡°I guarantee you one thing. If you vite any use in it, namely if you appear before Wendy Waltz again, I will make sure that you get the maximum punishment you were supposed to receive originally. Oh, I will make sure that yourst moments will be in Jacquelin prison before you serve out your terms. Keep in mind that this is not just a warning but a future that cane true,¡± the man said casually with a dry voice.

    ¡°I want you to know that all the words I¡¯ve spoken to you were generous. I feel disgusted sitting in front of you and looking at your face. Today was the first time I have found it so difficult to hold back the urge to kill somebody.¡±

    Although he spoke casually, there was an intense hostility in his words. Frightened, she strained her body and leaned back as if she wanted to move away from him. She was afraid that he would kill her right now.

    ¡°You¡­ Who the hell are you? ¡±

    She barely asked with a tense voice. Only then did he reply with a small smile on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m Lard Schroder, Captain of the 1st Imperial Knights. You¡¯d better remember it because your life depends on me.¡±

    He stood up without any hesitation. She trembled even at the small sound of the chair scratching across the floor when he stood up. She felt her hair stand on end with fear, but she wanted to ask him one thing. She had the guts to open her mouth before he left the room.

    ¡°Why are you so concerned about this case? Why are you being generous to me?¡±

    It seemed that he would leave without replying, but he suddenly stopped at the door.

    His gray eyes looked back at her with the kind of emotions he had never felt before.

    ¡°¡­Because Wendy Waltz¡¯s pain is tormenting me,¡± he said with a quiet voice.

    She looked at him inplete shock. There were mixed emotions on her lifeless face.

    ¡°¡­ So, keep in mind that harassing her is nothing more than inviting a fight from me. I¡¯m confident of winning the fight, and I¡¯ll beat the opponent ruthlessly. I won¡¯t show you mercy twice. Unless you are prepared to die, you and your family had better not provoke the fight.¡±

    His calm warning rmed her more powerfully than any other message.

    After throwing ast nce at her as she held her breath, he turned and walked out of the room.

    When the door closed, she lowered her head. In no time, her shoulders began to shake. Her miserable situation tormented her more than ever. Her punishment and fear of the future also gued her mind, but that was not the only reason. The source of the teardrops falling on her cheeks was sadness foremost rather than fear.

    His affection and constant support of Olivia, which she had not noticed at all, made her sad. More than any fearful words Lard threw at her, his love of Olivia Hazlet put her into irresistible sadness. Awareness of her own ignorance made her sadder than anything else.

    ¡®Have I received that kind of love before?¡¯

    Lard¡¯s words became a cruel dagger to her, who had not even received a little affection from Dn though she had longed for it so much.

    ¡®That man loves Olivia. Maybe Olivia loves him. She may be freed from her past life and perhaps she is already on the trajectory of life I don¡¯t know. Thismoner woman named Wendy Waltz may not be Olivia Hazlet.¡¯

    Her such assumptions made her hard to breathe.

    She was confused. She suspected that the rtionship between Dn and Olivia was probably no more what she had imagined. She suddenly thought that her fury so far might have been meaningless. If she could, she wanted to erase all of these confused thoughts, but she kept thinking.

    The fact that she alone was stuck in the past scared her.

    ¡®If I lose something I have been hating so much, what should I do then?¡¯

    She was stricken with sorrow and fear, reflecting on her past for a while in the room left alone. There was nobody who couldfort her.

    That evening the 1st Imperial Knights headquarters was disturbed by an unwee visitor.

    There was screaming and shouting that rang through the building, and shortly afterwards, a knight entered Lard Schroder¡¯s office. He spoke with a fatigued expression, ¡°Captain, the visitor that you mentioned came. I¡¯ve repeatedly refused her request to meet you¡­ ¡±

    ¡°I heard the disturbance, too. I think her anger knows no limits. Let her in.¡±

    There was contempt for her in his eyes. As the knight went out of the room, he turned the pages of thew book he had been reading. The book was thick and considerable and full of detailed uses on thews of the Benyahan empire. The pages of the book were worn out and discolored as if he had touched them several times.

    A littleter somebody knocked on the door, and when he gave permission, Mrs. Hazlet came into his office with the knight who had just left. Her face was burning with anger.

    As if she was determined firmly, she was about to protest strongly. She opened her mouth as the knight nodded to him and left the room.

    ¡°My name is Anice Hazlet of the Hazlet family. I¡¯m honored to see you, Duke Schroder, though it¡¯s rude for me toe here. ¡±

    The countess changed her expression and bent her knees. Her breathing showed her fatigue from a long day.

    ¡°If you knew it would be rude toe here, why did you want to see me?¡±

    Seated in his chair, he asked calmly. The countess, who expected him to invite her to sit down out of courtesy, was annoyed when she was treated poorly.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re busy, but my daughter is now in a precarious situation, so I came to see you with a sad heart as her mother,¡± she said, changing her expression once again.

    Her pathetic voice trembled. She was doing her best not to annoy him to save her daughter¡¯s life.

    ¡°I now know you are more patient than I thought¡­ Can you get to the point? I have refused to see you to avoid this kind of war of nerves. You¡¯re wasting my time now,¡± he said, turning a page of thew book. Her nose twitched when he said that. As she felt humiliated, she began to change her tone and asked sharply, ¡°As you are so proud of your integrity, please tell me why you arrested my daughter so roughly. What crime did shemit?¡±

    ¡°There will be a trial tomorrow morning. It¡¯s a private trial, so you won¡¯t be able to observe it, but you¡¯ll know when the verdict is delivered. You will see what crime your daughtermitted and how generous punishment she will receive for her crime.¡±

    ¡°Why did you arrest my daughter by only hearing the ridiculous testimony from a back street bum? Is this thew of the empire?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I have other evidence. Your daughter has visited several detective agencies to cook up a scheme. I can present all the evidence I have. ¡±

    ¡°Who the heck is the woman who was injured? I want to meet her, so I can give her enoughpensation. I¡¯m willing to give her as much money as she wants, although I can¡¯t admit that my daughter was involved in the crime. I¡¯m going to give her enoughpensation, so the injured woman would rather think of her wounds as a lucky asion.¡± Mrs. Hazlet yelled, revealing her nasty attitude.

    He frowned and nced at her as if he was annoyed by her shrill voice.

    ¡°How vulgar you are! Why are you trying to save face and appease the wounded woman with money?¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Olivia Hazlet. Is that name familiar to you? ¡±

    When he mentioned her name, the countess stopped all of a sudden. Her shoulders moving up and down with anger stiffened. She swallowed while struggling to hide her embarrassed expression.

    ¡°She was expelled from my family¡­ I don¡¯t want to reveal the shame of my family¡­ Why are you bringing up her name all of a sudden? ¡±

    ¡°Because Francis Hazlet ordered the man to kill her.¡±

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Dahlia withered without blooming (4)

    Mrs. Hazlet¡¯s face became pale when he said that. She was at a loss what to say.

    ¡°No way! Why did Francis¡­ Olivia broke an oath of a marriage vow and ran away many years ago! Do you mean she is here in the capital now? ¡±

    ¡°As for her oath of marriage¡­ Are you talking about her forced marriage with Earl Duoldran?

    Are you talking about your attempt to marry the young woman off to an old man who lost his wife? There were scary rumors about the earl¡¯s violent temper. Didn¡¯t you hear that?¡± He asked bitterly.

    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± With an embarrassed expression, the countess fumbled because she didn¡¯t expect that he was so aware of her family¡¯s situation. As if her shame came to light, her lips were dry. Little did she think he knew about her family¡¯s situation in detail!

    ¡°Are you asking me to arrange a meeting between you and the woman? How funny¡­ Let me tell you clearly once again. Don¡¯t ever think about meeting Olivia Hazlet again.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I was told that the woman who was injured was amoner. Now you suddenly mentioned Olivia! It doesn¡¯t make sense at all!¡±

    Although she folded her hands neatly, she shouted in a fit of anger as if she was about to shake her finger at him.

    Looking at her calmly, he looked down at thew book he had been reading all the time and quickly got up.

    ¡°That woman is Olivia Hazlet. Now, she lives with a different name. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ ? ¡±

    She looked at him as if she could not yet understand. But he had no intention to exin to her kindly. He repeated his warning, ¡°Let me say it again. Don¡¯t think about meeting her. If you do, you will share your daughter¡¯s fate.¡±

    ¡°Olivia¡­! What are you talking about? ¡°She shouted as if she thought it was ridiculous, revealing her true colors.

    ¡°Let me give you one more piece of advice. Keep in mind the preciousness of silence. Don¡¯t try to know who Olivia is, or talk about her. If you start to talk about her change of status, I can guarantee you that your family will not be safe anymore¡­ If you ask for her punishment because of it, your family will also have to pay for it as a coteral in terms of the honor of your family or the severity of thews.¡±

    ¡°What the heck¡­¡±

    He then walked to the countess. As he came closer, she felt a strange pressure. She felt goosebumps despite her intense anger.

    ¡°You know that those who buy and sell their status are severely punished under the empirew. But do you know that this use is included in the Imperial Treason Act?¡± he said, who stood before her, looking down at her parted hair.

    He saw the white hair among her faded red hair. She raised her head arrogantly but didn¡¯t have the nerve to stare at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a use that applies to those who undermine the dignity of the imperial family ormit treason. Breaking the treasonw means that any family member of the convicted can also be punished. I don¡¯t have to say that if youmit the crime, you will have more jail terms.¡±

    Her dry cheeks convulsed. He intensely stared at her like a beast chasing its prey ferociously.

    It was a dreadful gaze.

    ¡°Not necessarily because of that¡­¡±

    Having said that, he stepped back. She looked at his movements with intense wariness.

    ¡°If the rumors spread to the social circles that Francis Hazlet envied her half sister and conspired murder-for-hire¡­ Just imagine what will happen. Isn¡¯t it the shame of your family?

    Can you deal with that?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°So, you had better freak out and shudder. When you stay like that, you¡¯ll be relieved to see the negotiated sentence terms signed by your daughter. ¡±

    She couldn¡¯t open her mouth for a while at his barbed words. A littleter she made a few more protests with awkward gestures while pretending to be calm, but he ordered her to get out without expression. Without swaggering anymore, Mrs. Hazlet had to leave hurriedly as if she had been expelled.

    After she left, he was lost in various thoughts for a while when he received a call from the emperor btedly. He headed straight to the emperor¡¯s Kingsbray Pce.

    He met the emperor in his study rather than the formal audience room.

    There was a heavy atmosphere dominating the emperor¡¯s private space. The emperor greeted Lard with a smile, but he could easily read nervousness and anxiety in the emperor¡¯s face.

    ¡°Two days to go,¡± the emperor said.

    He was referring to the day when he was going to proim the new legition proposed by the crown prince.

    ¡°Do you think Duke Engre will give up his resistance?¡±

    ¡°You had better prepare for tomorrow¡¯s political meeting. As Marquis Versa, who held to neutrality, turned to our side, he will help us check the opposing members. Although Duke Engre did note forward to oppose the neww, tomorrow he will have thest chance to express his opposition. So, I don¡¯t think you should assume that his reaction will be the same as before. It is of utmost importance that you are not swayed by their opposition.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Now that we havee this far, I can¡¯t revoke it,¡± the emperor said, stroking his chin habitually.

    The emperor, who defended his empire in the war with Carloen, expressed contrition at the current danger of the empire. He was angry at the explosion of the crown prince¡¯s pce and the attempted assassination of the crown prince, and he worried about the future of the empire. What he regretted bitterly now was that he failed to pass the bill earlier during his reign.

    Watching the bureaucrats being extremely corrupt and exploiting their people, the emperor had been looking for ways to weaken their power for a long time.

    But taking back power from the nobles was more difficult than winning the war againtCarloen. It took almost his entire reign to rebuild the fallen pro-imperial faction.

    It was hisst wish to support the crown prince¡¯s efforts to draft aw on the creation of the Yinungkwa system to empower themoners before he handed down his throne, but it was not easy. As he felt creeping anxiety, the emperor brought in Lard, the supreme knight of the empire. When he saw Lards¡¯ firm and reassuring attitude, the emperor felt somewhat relieved.

    ¡°I was briefed by Hoikin, the general manager of the imperial knights about the security of the imperial pce. Are you going to triple the number of security detainees for me and the prince?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. As they don¡¯t hesitate to act extreme, we must be alert for the time being.

    You will feel inconvenienced, but please bear with it until we carry out our mission.¡±

    ¡°Sure, especially pay attention to Prince Isaac. ¡±

    Lard nodded to his request. After the pce explosion, Lard redeployed security personnel or added them for the safety of the emperor and the crown prince. After the debate within the knights, he decided to reinforce them. He couldn¡¯t guarantee there wouldn¡¯t be any further attacks.

    ¡°¡­ I hear Isaac offended you? I heard it from princess Marian btedly. I was surprised to know that Isaac disappointed you for the safety of the imperial family. I think I taught him wrong.¡±

    He was talking about the fact that the crown prince took Wendy against her will to the eve party recently. Lard leaned forward and said to the emperor full of anxiety, ¡°I have already talked with the crown prince. So, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°As you know, he iscking a lot in terms of managing his personal rtions. I will be greatly relieved if you can support him.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I hear you are dating a woman. I heard a bit about it. I¡¯d like to meet the woman who won over your heart¡­ Keep her. Otherwise, she will nevere back to you. I hope you won¡¯t regret itter.¡± The emperor said, stroking the back of his wrinkled hand.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think you will regret itter when I see you now. I know you won¡¯t regret itter.¡±

    Lard decided to agree with his remarks quietly, who made a heartyugh. He vowed that he would never regret itter. He vowed that he would keep her under any circumstances. After making his vow anew, his ashen eyes sparkled even more.

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120: Chapter 120 Don¡¯te to the coronation at noon (1)

    The countess ordered them, trotting back and forth down the corridor. The servants, who moved Francis on the stretcher, bowed their heads to her and carried it more carefully.

    Laying on the stretcher, Francis was constantly moaning.

    ¡°Move her this way!¡±

    When the servants moved Francis on the bed as pointed by the countess, the maids wiped her sweat. Her moaning got louder at their mere touch.

    ¡°Where is the doctor?¡±

    ¡°He ising right now.¡±

    The countess clenched her teeth when she saw the red blood stains on the fabric near Francis¡¯s hips. Flogging! How cruel they were!

    She shivered with unbearable humiliation and felt hurt as if her limbs had been cut off.

    There had not been a moment she didn¡¯t feel terrible since Francis was arrested.

    ¡°Has there been any news from Max yet?¡±

    The countess opened her eyes wide, asking the chief maid about any update on her servant Max, who went to escort the earl back home from his estate.

    The chief maid freaked out and said there hadn¡¯t been any news.

    ¡°Did you already inform Daddy about me?¡± Francis asked feebly.

    As she heard her daughter¡¯s voice for the first time after she was released, Mrs. Hazlet bent her knees beside her with a thrilled expression.

    ¡°Honey, how do you feel? Be patient a bit! The doctor will be here soon. ¡±

    ¡°What did you tell Daddy about me? ¡­ Please don¡¯t escte the situation¡­ Please!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this case, so you just focus on recovering your health. I won¡¯t forgive those who punished you like this! ¡±

    At her mother¡¯s decisive words, Francis shook her head and stared at her. Her red eyes were filled with sorrow and repentance, but her mother took it only as a trace of pain and wiped the cold sweat from Francis¡¯ forehead.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how Olivia had tempted the knight, but I won¡¯t give her a pass on this.

    Don¡¯t worry, I will certainly make sure that those who punished you will pay the price for their cruel actions.I will bring her here and make her kneel before you by all means.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Did you meet the captain of the knights? ¡±

    ¡°Yes, he threatened me without batting an eye.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a threat¡­ He is serious about tranting his threat into action¡­ So, please do nothing.¡±

    Francis begged. Listening to her silently, the countess let the servants and maids out of the room. As the door closed, she lowered her voice and whispered, ¡°There are plenty of ways to get revenge on Olivia even if I don¡¯t mention her name. It¡¯s important to get your honor back before that. I will make sure you cane back to the capital! Oh sweetie, this is not your end! ¡±

    Holding Francis¡¯s hand, she tightened her grip every time she spoke emphatically.

    Francis moaned with a tired expression, looking at his mother.

    ¡°¡­I feel cold. Please close the window. ¡± She shivered, shaking off from her mother¡¯s grip.

    With a sigh, Mrs Hazlet pulled the nket over her. Then she jumped up and walked to the window. There was a bell ringing in the afternoon outside the window.

    Dang, dang, dang, dang¡­

    The sound of the bell was ringing inside the room now.

    ¡°Damn it! The bell ringer must be crazy. How many times had he rang the bell?¡±

    Long past noon the bell kept ringing without any sign of stopping.

    As if to me the bell ringer who forgot any sense of time, the countess clicked her tongue several times. The sound was quiet only when she closed one window.

    ¡°Wait a minute! ¡±

    The countess trembled as if she was hit by a lightning bolt.

    His eyes opened wide.

    ¡°Francis! ¡­Honey, have you counted how many times the bell has rang? ¡±

    When Francis didn¡¯t respond to her asking, the countess urgently brought in the maid.

    As soon as the chief maid who had just gone out came back, she asked in a hurry, ¡°Do you know how many times the bell has rang?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I was absent-minded at the moment, so I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m right¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell me right now!¡±

    ¡°I think it was thirteen times, all told.¡± The maid answered with a pale look.

    ¡°Thirteen, thirteen times¡­! ¡±

    Without finishing her words, the countess looked out the window far away.

    She saw the pointed royal bell tower over the tall tree.

    ¡°¡­If that¡¯s true, does it mean that something bad happened to the emperor? Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I think so.¡±

    Thirteen o¡¯clock was a time that did not exist in the Benyahan empire. Death stayed in the time that didn¡¯t exist. A time of sadness that one could never ept. Thirteen bell rings meant the emperor¡¯s death.

    ck gs rose all over the Benyahan Empire, announcing the death of the emperor.

    The emperor¡¯s sudden death saddened the whole people of the empire. Vatist von Benyahan, who became the emperor at the age of 18 and ruled the empire for 41 years, defended the empire by winning in tworge and small wars and restored the glory of Benayhan in its early days by reiming the former territories of Baltazar. His peace treaty with Carloen brought peace to the empire that was stricken with the terror of war. He was an emperor respected by all.

    His sudden death was suspicious since he had no major health problems. However, the state funeral took ce as scheduled, and all the people mourned. The hours of sorrow passed by.

    ¡°He passed away just one day before the neww was announced! He was so strong¡­ How could we not be suspicious of his cause of death?¡±

    Dn Lennox spoke to his senior knight with an unusually loud voice. Before heading to work, Badge Enos, who was checking his weapon, sighed while looking at him and said, ¡°Of course, I do suspect. The problem is we can¡¯t find any evidence, no matter how thoroughly we investigate.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the evidence enough that Duke Auguste Engre had a sole meeting with the emperor on the day before his death?¡±

    ¡°Shush! Lower your voice. There are so many around us that could overhear us!¡±

    Surprised by Dn¡¯s dangerous words, Badge quickly looked around.

    ¡°¡­The Crown Prince suspected Duke Engre first more than anyone else. It was with his permission that the 1st Knights interrogated Duke Engre. But you can¡¯t produce the evidence that doesn¡¯t exist. What¡¯s important is the evidence of his involvement in the emperor¡¯s death. What would you do? Besides, if you attack Duke Engre without any specific evidence, you will give him the excuse to strike back. You won¡¯t get anything good. That¡¯s why everybody is keeping quiet and refraining themselves from any provocative actions.¡±

    The atmosphere subsided heavily. No one understood the emperor¡¯s sudden death. To the imperial knights the emperor¡¯s death was the most tragic and dishonorable.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s our job right now to make sure there won¡¯t be any disruption in the crowing of the crown prince as the next emperor.¡± The badge spoke, breaking the subdued atmosphere.

    For the coronation of the crown prince the next day, the 2nd Imperial Knights were bending over backwards to check the overall security of the ceremony.

    As Badge went out first, Dn followed him, holding his sword. He saw a ck g far away. The g fluttering in the breeze seemed very bleak. Dn¡¯s face was filled with sorrow.

    ¡°Are you sure the crown prince wants me to attend his coronation?¡± Wendy asked, looking at the colorful paper of gold leaf on the table. The wax paper was engraved with the seal of the imperial.

    ¡°¡­ I couldn¡¯t refuse his request. As the crown prince was in great distress because of his father¡¯s sudden death, I wanted to do as he wished.¡±

    Lard, who was resting his chin on his two sped hands, spoke and released his hands. As he knew her difficult position, he couldn¡¯t tell her to follow the crown prince¡¯s order unconditionally, but he also couldn¡¯t refuse the emperor¡¯s request.

    Contrary to his usual appearance, the prince looked like a different man for the past several days. It was all because of the emperor¡¯s death. Even the top-ranking officials were embarrassed by his unusual behavior as he mourned the death of the emperor so deeply.

    They vaguely thought that given his preference for queer behavior, the crown prince would ept the emperor¡¯s death a bit differently. Every time he reported the updates on his investigation of the cause of the emperor¡¯s death, even Lard found himself unable to continue when he saw the crown prince overwhelmed by sorrow.

    ¡°Yeah, I understand how difficult of a time he is going through right now.¡± He murmured.

    He felt as if he was in the same situation as the crown prince.

    It seemed that not only the prince, but also Lard was feeling a sense of big loss because of the emperor¡¯s death. Although he pretended not to show it to others, Wendy could clearly feel his sadness. That¡¯s why he probably could not refuse the prince¡¯s request.

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121: Chapter 121 Don¡¯te to the coronation at noon (2)

    ¡°It looks like the crown prince has thought much about you. He wants to talk with you¡­ If you are worried about any possible encounter with Mrs. Hazlet, don¡¯t worry too much. If she is conscious of others present at the coronation, she won¡¯t do anything reckless. As she witnessed her daughter¡¯s punishment, she will not forget my warning. So, will you believe me and attend the coronation?¡±

    Wendy nodded faintly at his offer. Although she didn¡¯t want to go, she felt it hard not to attend. If she decided not to go, she would feel heavy. As she already witnessed her mother¡¯s death, she knew how the prince who lost his beloved father must be feeling. It was difficult for her to refuse his invitation.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Lard, picking up a bottle of water on the table and pouring water into the ss. Like a thirsty man, he gulped down a ss of water.

    ¡°The day before his death, I met the emperor. Although he looked tired, I couldn¡¯t find any sign of impending death. ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself because it¡¯s not your fault¡­ You still haven¡¯t found any clues about Duke Engre¡¯s involvement?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, not yet. If I could know what he talked about with the emperor, I think I could find some clues. ording to the testimony of the emperor¡¯s attendant, the emperor felt very displeased after the duke¡¯s visit.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they talk about the crown prince¡¯s new legition? I guess Duke Engre¡¯s faction was driven into a corner with one more day to go before the emperor proimed it.¡±

    ¡°Duke Engre said he just had an everyday conversation with the emperor. Who would believe that? I could suspect his motivation behind the meeting, but I couldn¡¯t find any solid evidence about his involvement. ording to the doctor, the emperor died from heart failure, but I don¡¯t have any clue to link it to him. After the duke left, several other officials also met the emperor¡­ So, I can¡¯t directly link his death with the duke without any solid evidence,¡± he said, pressed his temples as if he was tired. His hollow eyes seemed to reflect how distressed he had been for the past few days.

    She stood up first, so that he could take a rest. She needed time to reflect before attending tomorrow¡¯s coronation ceremony. Above all, she had to be ready to face Mrs. Hazlet.

    Maybe Earl Hazellet would be there, too. He would likely attend. Isn¡¯t he the head of the Hazlet family? It was the moral duty and customs even for the ordinary head of the nobles in the provincial areas to attend the new emperor¡¯s coronation.

    Wendy grabbed the invitation card from the crown prince off the table.

    If she had to confront this kind of situation someday, this might be a wee asion, she thought. Vague fear was supposed to turn into more fear over time. What she got instead was growing nervousness. She hoped that her encounters with them in quick session would relieve her fear.

    The next day she braided her hair, let it down over one side and put on a noble gray-white dress. The moderately bare-necked dress made her look like a neatdy. When she was fully ready, she took Lard¡¯s hand with a determined expression.

    Before leaving home, Wendy, who was conscious of people¡¯s attention, did not forget to hide her dress with a long cloak over her dress. Lard also left the house, holding his uniform jacket in hand.

    There were no more people in ck on the streets. Perhaps because of the coronation of the new emperor, people felt restrained amid the excitement. The new emperor¡¯s taking office was auspicious, so the coronation should take ce in a festive atmosphere, but as the coronation was taking ce as soon as the state funeral was over, the people could not rejoice freely.

    Wendy and Lard headed for the Imperial Pce in a carriage waiting in a remote ce outside the alley. As soon as he got into the carriage, Lard put on his jacket and buttoned it up one by one. She also removed her cloak and readjusted her clothing.

    On the way to the pce, Lard continued to touch the inner cor of his summer uniform as if he felt stuffy. Sheughed a bit, seeing him.

    ¡°As I¡¯m with you, I think I¡¯ve gotten used to wearingfortable clothing. I feel it¡¯s ufortable because I¡¯ve not put it on for a while.¡±

    Unlike the knight¡¯s uniform that emphasized mobility, Lard¡¯s formal uniform had many decorations and emphasized ceremony and prestige. He sighed unconsciously.

    ¡°If Duke Engrees to approach you, try to avoid talking to him as much as possible. You had better assume that he already knows your identity. My subordinates and I entered this town numerous times, it might be impossible to hide your identity no matter how careful you are.¡±

    After her house was intruded by strangers, many knights came to protect her, which increased the risk of her identity being discovered to the outsiders. Although she trusted them, she also had to prepare for the possible exposure of her identity.

    After a while, the wagon slowed down and the horse stopped. Soon the horseman told them he arrived at the pce. Lard took her hand to escort her and headed for Cheddar Pce where the crown prince stayed.

    ¡°Oh, Wendy!¡±

    When she entered the innermost part of Cheddar Pce, she heard a familiar voice first. She knelt before him and formally greeted him.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw you.¡±

    Unlike his bright greetings, the prince looked very pale. His cheeks were no longer vibrant, and his forehead, which once shone brightly, had wrinkles. His smiling eyes, which once looked so intelligent, also seemed gloomy.

    Although she didn¡¯t have a good feeling about the crown prince, she was very heartbroken to see him. She could feel he was very sad, but it was familiar to her because she had been there.

    ¡°Let me go to Sher Pce and check the coronation hall. Please have a conversation.¡±

    Looking at the two, Lard spoke casually. As she nodded, he greeted the prince and went out of the room.

    ¡°I asked Sir Schroder if I could see you briefly. Please have a seat first. ¡±

    The prince asked her to sit down. She cautiously lifted the hem of her gown and sat on the couch across from him.

    ¡°¡­ Do you know what this is? ¡±

    As soon as she sat down, the prince pulled out a square boxe. It was an antique box with a colorful ivory trim on the outside. When he opened the lid of the box, half of it was filled with cigars.

    ¡°This is ¡­ ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a cigar. Thete emperor used to enjoy them. Can you see if there is anything strange about this tobo leaf?¡­ I was thinking about getting advice from Jeddah Academy professors, but I gave up. I wanted to find this out in secret because I don¡¯t know who the enemy is. ¡±

    The prince seemed to suspect that the cigar leaves favored by the emperor may have caused his death. She looked at his face with a worried expression.

    The prince looked more desperate than ever, but she couldn¡¯t figure out how she could help him. What could she find in the ripe cigar leaves? After hesitating for a minute, she picked up a cigar at his desperate look. The rolled cigar leaf spread out when she opened it.

    ¡°¡­ What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Well, all I know is this is a top quality leaf¡­¡± She said with an unconfident tone.

    The prince lowered his head a bit as if he was disappointed.

    Then she, feeling ufortable, picked up another cigar and carefully spread it.

    At that moment, she knitted her brows.

    She hurriedly spread other cigars and separated some of them.

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯s the matter?¡± The prince hurriedly asked, noticing her unusual actions.

    She nced at him and said,paring the leaves in her hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain that different kinds of leaves are mixed here. If you look here closely, you can see the shape of the leaf veins is different. You see the difference between the angle of the leaf veins and its shape finely spread out, right? This leaf was inserted between the cigar leaves. ¡±

    ¡°Can you find out what the heck this leaf is?¡±

    The prince asked, leaning toward her, but she shook her head with regret.

    ¡°I can¡¯t judge by looking at the shape of this leaf alone¡­ It was already ripened and cut off little by little¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s easy for a Jeddah Academy professor to find it out. ¡±

    The prince shut up, feeling regretful about it.

    ¡°But I can grow this nt¡­ As I¡¯ve only seen its leaf, it will grow ipletely, though.¡±

    Prince Isaac straightened up after listening to her. He nodded with a serious expression.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122: Chapter 122 Don¡¯te to the coronation at noon (3)

    ¡°I can grow this nt anywhere, but it¡¯s good to grow it in soil if possible¡­ Is there a ce where I can dispose of it? I don¡¯t want to invite suspicion by leaving it where it grows.¡±

    ¡°How about burning it in the firece?¡±

    ¡°That sounds good.¡±

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to the instrument room. I sometimes make a fire in the summer to control humidity, so it won¡¯t be a problem. ¡±

    The prince walked first to escort her. The instrument room was set up in an annex quite far from his residence. The instrument room had only a few violins. Given that the prince had been collecting violins for a long time, there were so few in the room.

    ¡°It was fortunate that these were not damaged when the pce copsed with the explosion. All the violins that I left in my ce werepletely destroyed,¡± he said bitterly when she took her eyes off of a violin.

    After a while, a servant came with two small pots, as the prince asked. They were filled with moist soil. The servant set fire to the firece and left.

    ¡°Don¡¯t expect too much. You may not get the results you want,¡± she told him for caution¡¯s sake.

    The prince nodded with a nervous expression. She breathed a shallow sigh and opened the cigar box and looked into the shape of its leaves. Then she put her index finger on one pot.

    She felt the texture of the wet soil.

    Shortly after removing her finger, she unfolded another leaf that was padded between the cigar leaves and looked closely at its shape. In no time little buds began to sprout on the pots that she touched earlier.

    ¡°Wow, this is unbelievable, though I saw it before!¡± The prince eximed.

    He admired, watching her touching her index finger on the rest of the pot.

    When she took her hand off, the wet soil crumbs fell off. The second pot also began to show the same results. Pushing out the soil, the buds sprouted and began to stretch their stems.

    The nts in two pots stopped growing at nearly the same size. There were stems with no leaves, and some with yellow leaves. Some of the stems were dried, with the leaves drooping. As she didn¡¯t grow them based on a healthy whole nt, they could not bear fruit or grow muchrger.

    ¡°Yes, this is a tobo tree,¡± she said, touching arge oval shaped leaf. The shape of the leaves on the branches was clearly tobo.

    ¡°And this is¡­ ¡± She looked into another tree for a while, but she was speechless.

    At first nce, it looked like a tobo tree, but unlike the pointed tobo leaf, its tip was a little round. Looking at the shape of the leaf vein, she could clearly notice the difference.

    She, who was looking back and forth over the leaves in front of the mysterious nt, suddenly tore apart several leaves at once. Soon she threw them into the burning firece.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    She stirred a little smoke from the burning leaves with her hands.

    ¡°Would you like to smell it ? Just a little bit.¡±

    Prince Isaac, who narrowed his eyes at her iprehensible action, reluctantly followed her direction.

    ¡°Now, raise your hand like I do.¡±

    While inhaling the smoke, she talked, with her palms on her left chest. The prince reluctantly followed her actions with a curious look. He felt his heartbeat pounding under the palm of my hand.

    Shemented suddenly and said, breathing out loudly, ¡°Oh my¡­ this is bentoxique. ¡±

    Then the prince squeezed the shirt on his chest and clenched his fists. His face was blushing.

    ¡°My heartbeat was pounding very fast now.¡±

    He felt the heightened heartbeat that he usually felt when his performance with the orchestra reached its climax in just seconds.

    ¡°Bentoxique leaves contain substances that excite nerves. When the leaves are dried and lit, the smoke not only clears the mind, but also induces moderate excitement. That¡¯s why its smoke was used in the rituals of the natives of the Jacob region before they hunted.

    Of course, they used a very small amount of leaves. For any misuse can cause breathing problems or even a heart attack,¡± she said, holding the water kettle on the table.

    She poured water in a milky cup with a gold rim border and sipped it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to look it up in the book, but I¡¯m certain that this is a bentoxique leaf.¡±

    ¡°I hear that the emperor copsed while on duty even before the royal doctor arrived. He died even before the doctor could treat him. The doctor said there was a problem with his heart¡­ Do you think his death is rted to that cigar?¡±

    ¡°If the emperor steadily burned the cigar with a small amount of the Bentoxique leaves¡­ he might have felt refreshed right after he smoked, but I have reasonable confidence that his repeated smoking might have harmed his heart. I think you should find out more about this clearly. I can¡¯t give you a definite answer right now.¡±

    For a long time the prince silently watched the mes burning in the firece. In his calm eyes was a hidden irresistible anger.

    The prince sorted out his thoughts instead of revealing his anger.

    His father had been using cigars for decades. He could not figure out when his father began to use the cigars with Bentoxique leaves. Could he find the suspect if he investigated the merchants that supplied the cigars and their masterminds?

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m going to burn these leaves,¡± she said, who approached him, pointing to the pots on the floor.

    The prince nodded with a dark expression. face. She pulled out a few leaves of the bentoxique stems and threw them into the firece without hesitation. The leaves, swallowed by a roaring me, vanished quickly.

    He looked so gloomy while watching the faint smoke disappearing over the firece chimney.

    While heading for the coronation hall with Wendy, Lard looked gloomy. After hearing about the cigar and its possible connection to the emperor¡¯s death, he was in a gloomy mood.

    He was certain that somebody must have included the toxic leaves in the cigars.

    The emperor¡¯s meeting with Duke Engre and his sudden death one day before his promation of the new legition were obviously rted to each other. Even if the emperor¡¯s heart was weakened because of his addiction to the cigars with bentoxique, his sudden death on the day of his meeting with the duke was certainly rted to the toxic substance. Lard believed that the duke instigated the murder of the emperor. Obviously the duke must have done something evil and wicked to the emperor.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, I think you¡¯d better brighten your expression. Everyone¡¯s looking at your serious expression,¡± Wendy whispered to him. Only then did he lighten up.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not necessarily because of your frown,¡± she said.

    Even after he lightened up, the participants in the coronation were paying attention to him.

    As if he and Wendy were still a hot topic in the social circles, many of the participants looked at them while they were heading for Sher Pce, where the coronation was supposed to be held.

    ¡°Captain!!¡±

    When they entered the coronation hall, Jean approached them. Behind him was Pascal Dowain, her helping hand at the shop. In her eyes, Pascal looked a bit awkward in his formal uniform because she was used to seeing him in casual clothes.

    ¡°I feel strange to see you here, Captain. Of course I¡¯m happy to see Ms. Wendy who is so beautiful, ¡± Pascal said, smiling at her dress.

    Lard asked, looking at him suspiciously, ¡°Sir Dowain, where is General Manager Hoikin? It looks like the security of the western side of the pce doesn¡¯t seem to be tight.¡±

    ¡°I saw him in the Denver Hall. In fact, General Manager Hoikin was looking for you. He said he had something to discuss with you about the security of the outside of Sher Pce. ¡±

    When he said that, Lard hesitated a bit and checked the pocket watch in his hand.

    The ceremony time was approaching. When he looked at her face as if to ask for her permission, she smiled and nodded.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go and see him. Escort me then.¡± Lard asked Jean to take care of her and left with Pascal. Although she was nervous that Lard was not with her, she, pretending not to, moved under the guidance of Jean.

    Taking a seat far back from the stairs on the tform where the coronation ceremony was to be held, Jean brought a ss of champagne for her. She sipped little by little, holding the champagne ss in her right hand. When she tasted the cool champagne, she felt her nervousness went away a bit.

    ¡°Oh, Sir Simuan! ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Sir Simuan.¡±

    Partly thanks to his title ¡°Deputy Captain¡± and partly thanks to his good reputation, he was surrounded by many people as time went by. Wendy avoided their attention by distancing herself from them a bit.

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123: Chapter 123 Don¡¯te to the coronation at noon (4)

    The sound of a sweet string concerto and the chattering of people filled the hall.

    While looking around the coronation hall, decorated in a gorgeous and neat manner, she stayed alert just in case she might bump into the Hazlet couple. She felt relieved thanks to the huge round pirs around that sort of served as a protective shield for her.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m so excited to know that the crown prince has already grown up to have a coronation! I¡¯m so impressed!¡±

    ¡°You bet! He hasn¡¯t seeded the throne easily. He had lots of ups and downs. As you know, there were rumors about him circting for a long time before he was designated as the crown prince.¡±

    ¡°Are you referring to the rumors that he was delivered by Queen Ruzan?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s just groundless. I still vividly remember how Queen Ruzan furious was about such rumors. In some respects, I feel sorry for the crown prince. Queen Ruzan, who loved her son so much, passed away early, and so did the emperor.¡±

    An elderlydy and another woman who was younger than her were chatting on the other side of the column from Wendy. Wendy listened to the conversation between the two.

    They did not stop whispering.

    ¡°I heard that as soon as the coronation is over, the new prince will choose his partner. Don¡¯t you think the Bishop family should have some expectations?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? We dare not expect it. As you know, everyone knows that the Jaylins and the Scholters were being talked about because of their lousy quarrel. How could she be chosen as his fiancee?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯smon for youngdies to quarrel like that. What¡¯s the big deal about it? You don¡¯t have to feel ashamed about it.¡±

    The olddy went to her andforted her with a smile.

    Listening to their conversation identally, Wendy tilted her champagne ss, surprised at the new emperor¡¯s choice of fiancee. Was the new emperor getting married soon? She instantly felt it was very unsuitable for him at this point, but she also thought that he could fill the vacuum left by histe father by getting married. The crown prince certainly needed somebody tofort him.

    A littleter, they stopped ying suddenly then yed some heavy tunes. All those who were engaged in chattering stopped and faced the massive arched door.

    ¡°Wendy!¡±

    Wendy, looking at the front door like others, turned to the side when she heard the familiar voice calling her name. Lard approached her and met her eyes. As if he already sensed that his short absence caused her anxiety and tried to ease it, he grasped her gently. She felt relieved when she felt his firm grasp.

    ¡°So, have you aplished your mission?¡±

    ¡°I have not met Captain Hoykin. He was out double checking the security outside the pce. I¡¯ve just returned after instructing the 2nd Imperial Knights to tighten security around some fragile areas.¡±

    Sir Hoykin, the Captain of the 2nd Knights, was in charge of defending the imperial pce. His responsibilities had increased since the 1st Knights focused on investigating the explosion of the princes¡¯ pce and the death of thete emperor. The security of the Imperial Pce was coordinated between the two knight groups, but recently, the 1st Knights reinforced the 2nd Knights.

    Lard was briefed by Jean Jacques Simuan about the status of the deployment of the 1st Knights¡¯ main forces and ordered him to increase the security personnel.

    ¡°Crown Prince Isaac von Benyahan has arrived!¡±

    Only minutes after the string concerto yed magnificent tunes did the massive arched door slowly open. The prince was wearing a suit of gold, ck, and crimson. His cloak stretched across on the floor behind him and moved silently as he walked in a solemn manner.

    The silk cloak, padded with fine marten leather inside, seemed to show his gravitas.

    His long gold-ted inteced jacket sparkled with brilliant gold buttons and red rubies.

    He moved toward the crown at the highest ce in the middle of the tform. The crown, made of all kinds of precious gems from around the world and gold, seemed to be very heavy at first nce. If this fragile prince man put on the crown, it seemed like his neck would soon be broken by its weight. The weight of the next emperor¡¯s robe and the crown were heavy as if they were designed to have him experience the weight of his responsibility as the next emperor.

    After the Chief Justice chairing the coronation ceremony finished the long introduction, he read the official oath used by the seeding emperors in a majestic tone.

    The majestic voice of the prince resonated through the hall as he pledged his vows, asionally looking at the scroll held by the two pages.

    Wendy predicted that the pledge ritual would not end quickly when she noticed that the scroll in their hands was quite long.

    She looked around the hall. As she stood still in high-heeled shoes, she felt ufortable because they weighed heavily on her toes. When she pulled one foot off the floor and moved her eyes aside, she saw a familiar face.

    There was no trembling in the eyes of the other party as if she had been watching Wendy for a long time. She was none other than Mrs. Hazellet.

    Wendy felt creeped out at her sharp nce. She looked at Mrs. Hazlet without turning her eyes, at a loss what kind of expression to make.

    ¡°Wendy.¡±

    She turned her head only when Lard tightened his grip on her hands. He threw a sharp nce at the direction Wendy turned to. Only then did Mrs. Hazlet turn her eyes to the prince on the tform.

    ¡°Don¡¯t care about her.¡±

    Lard stepped forward and blocked the countess from Wendy¡¯s sight. Although she was ready to confront her, Wendy found it hard to calm down her throbbing heart. She couldn¡¯t describe how to express her feelings. The voice of the countess who had harassed her so much echoed in her ears from her memories.

    As Francis Hazlet was in miserable condition after flogging, obviously the countess would feel more intense hatred of her. Although Wendy hadn¡¯t seen her in three years, her malicious face and murderous gaze seemed unchanged.

    Had Earl Hazlete here with her?

    Wendy suddenly became curious about his presence. It wasn¡¯t out of curiosity about his affection for his beloved daughter. She was only wary of the presence of a potential threat, nothing more or less.

    With Lard standing firmly next to her, she lifted her trembling eyes and looked around his shoulders to check where the countess was.

    While Wendy was casting a nce at the countess¡¯s ce for a moment, she noticed a gray-haired old gentleman standing a little away from her. He was Earl Hazlet.

    With a skinny and slender figure, he was looking at the prince on the tform while listening to his pledge. He looked a bit older and more skinny than when shest saw him.

    Although he looked stubborn, he was a man with a tender heart. It was because of his timid disposition that he could not bear the countess¡¯s fiery temper. While Wendy stayed at his mansion, he never protected Wendy.

    Taking her eyes off of him bitterly, Wendy stared at the back of the prince as he finished his pledge. Her resentment and hatred of them slowly lifted its ugly head and broke her heart.

    Their resistance to her decision to change her status and her fear of them possibly disclosing her true status as well as their possible retaliation for Francis¡¯s punishmentplicated her thoughts.

    Even Lard¡¯s exnation about the coteral punishment they would suffer did notfort her much. She wondered if it would really limit the countess¡¯s retaliatory actions against her.

    She tightened her fingertips as if she were trying to feel Lard¡¯s presence in her hand. She was nervous.

    Initially, the reason for the inclusion of the purchase and sale of status in the uses regarding treason was because the emperor intended to severely punish nobles shaking the foundations of the status system and challenging the authority of the aristocracy.

    Thewmakers who tabled the legition at first did not tolerate those who infringed on their vested interests by buying and selling noble status. In the days of Nichs Benjahan, the first emperor, a case involving the purchase and sale of the status of aristocracy was first discovered, so the emperor applied the coteral uses to the criminals to set an example through heavy punishment. Regardless of whether they were young or old, man or woman, the punishment would be levied against the whole family of the criminal. It was dreadful enough to every noble in the empire that they didn¡¯t do it.

    At the same time, the government began to block the sale or purchase of noble status by making a list of nobles, but it was almost impossible to obtain the list which was under strict control by the government, so it was difficult to find nobles who had given up their vested rights by selling their noble status.

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124: Chapter 124 Don¡¯te to the coronation at noon (5)

    The buying and selling of status was done only amongmoners. Those involved in such transactions were mostly fugitives whomitted crimes or those with ill luck. When they were caught, they were given heavy punishment, but linking them to their innocent families gradually disappeared.

    here was a universal consensus that coteral punishment was too severe and unjust.

    Punishing the families of those involved in the purchase and sale of status was not a writtenw, but it had been established for a long time as themonw dered by Emperor Nichs.

    This was only known in detail by those who long studied the history and statutes of the empire or those who were working in the field. Because of this, Wendy did not know that there was room for punishment based on the guilt-by-association system.

    The application of the system had lots of loopholes. In addition, in contrast to the usual case, Wendy abandoned her status and bought themoner¡¯s status, so it was difficult to apply the system to Wendy¡¯s case.

    In other words, the relevant use was open to varying interpretation.

    But if Lard had to interpret, he would be able to make the case against the problem of the guilt-by-association system without any ambiguity. He could persuade them with his status, but he would not make such a bad situation because it was only a means to protect Wendy.

    Nevertheless, what Wendy was concerned about was the possibility that the Hazlet family could beat him at his own game. What¡¯s more, they could take issue with the negotiated punishment terms for Francis to threaten Lard. Wendy was so nervous when she made such an assumption.

    She was even worried that Lard might be implicated in her crime because of the guilt-by-association system.

    ¡°¡­I, Isaac von Benyahan, will follow and devote myself to Benyahan, engraved in my name, ording to Nichs Benyahan¡¯s will. I am Benyamin, and Benyahan shall be me. ¡±

    When he recited thest line of the oath, the pages wrapped up the scroll and knelt before him. Beginning with that, all the nobles in the hall knelt simultaneously in a rare show of their unity and loyalty to the new emperor.

    Shortly afterwards, the Chief Justice stood in front of the crown prince, holding the crown. The prince bowed before him. As soon as he put the magnificent crown on the prince¡¯s head, the orchestra began to y majestic tunes.

    It was the historic moment when the new emperor Isaac von Benyahan was crowned. The hall was filled with overwhelming emotions.

    ¡°Everyone, get up, please!¡±

    Emperor Isaac, who looked around the participants, allowed all the nobles to stand up. There were shouts of congrattions everywhere.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Although the new emperor appreciated their congrattions briefly, he was deeply touched.

    Princess Marian, who was sitting in a high position near the tform, wiped her tears with a handkerchief. Some wives were also shedding tears, overwhelmed with emotions.

    Wendy nkly watched them without being touched.

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    At that moment she heard a knight calling Lard sharply. The knight urgently came over and whispered to him with a serious look, even forgetting to salute. After hearing him, Lard¡¯s face quickly hardened.

    Feeling ominous, Wendy watched them closely. Looking around, she noticed several knights moving around the hall urgently. The royal guards who escorted the new emperor were also being briefed by one of the 2nd Knights wearing a blue shoulder patch.

    ¡°Sir Simuan, escort the emperor.¡±

    After exchanging a few words with Jean, Lard instructed him with a low voice.

    ¡°Wendy, please go with him, too.¡±

    He held her wrist without any exnation and had her stand next to Jean.

    In surprise, she grabbed his hand when Lard was leaving in a hurry. He stopped and looked back at her.

    Reading her anxiety, Lard raised her hand and kissed the back of it. When he breathed in and out while kissing it, it numbed the heart. She couldn¡¯t be more nervous.

    Letting go of her hand, he signaled to Jean behind her with his eyes. The moment Jean grabbed her arm, Lard turned around and left the hall.

    Dn Lennox, who was on duty in the southeast of the Imperial Pce, was walking along the long corridor of Cheddar Pce with Badger Enos, the Lottea of the 2nd Knights. It was noisy around them because many servants and maids were packing up their things. It was a massive move from Cheddar Pce, the prince¡¯s temporary residence, to Kingsbray Pce, the new emperor¡¯s residence.

    The crown prince could not move to Kingsbray Pce until he officially put on the crown as the next emperor. It was a time-honored practice of the Imperial Pce.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the crown prince would have the coronation so quickly. I thought it would take five years, or even ten years for him to seed the throne. Even if the emperor abdicated the throne, I thought he would live to watch his son rule the empire for a long time¡­¡±

    ¡°Any emperor would do so,¡± Dn agreed with him bitterly.

    They wanted Isaac von Benjahan to seed the throne, but not like this.

    That¡¯s why they had mixed feelings about the coronation of the prince.

    The ck g fluttering here and there had been taken down while the new g of Benyahan rejoicing the crowning of the new emperor, was now taking its ce.

    Dn looked at the red g fluttering in the distance with his empty eyes. He once looked at the g in excitement. The g was embroidered with four unicorns on all sides raising their hooves and guarding the crown in the middle. The pattern embroidered on the g was vivid in his eyes. The four horses represented the knights, the officials, the aristocracy, and the people, respectively. Unfortunately, none of them defended the crown they were supposed to keep.

    Dn, only recently officiated as an imperial knight, felt helpless at the death of the emperor. The ambition of this young knight, who felt he could achieve and keep anything, crumbled overnight. Looking back, he thought there was nothing left for him. He was suffering from a deep sense of loss and despair after he lost Olivia. There was nothing he could do about it. He was exhausted.

    ¡°¡­Sir Enos, as for my vacation leave you mentioned the other day, can I take it before the season changes?¡± he asked Badge lonely.

    Looking at him briefly, Badge nodded. He also sensed Dn had been devastated. That¡¯s why he had been asking this junior knight to take vacation leave several times despite the urgent situation.

    ¡°Okay. Let me talk to the captain after the coronation. As you refused to take vacation leave after the explosion ident, I think you can take it without any difficulties. ¡±

    Dn was one of the few knights who survived the explosion. He needed time to heal from the shock and suffering that he felt after his colleagues¡¯ death. It was something any knight had to go through several times, but oveing it was not as easy as it sounded. As he was not the type of man who confided his emotional distress to his friends, many around him were concerned all the more. Badge was also concerned about him in many ways.

    ¡°Have a good rest this time and refresh yourself. No training is as important as mental stability.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    The two walked around silently for a long time afterwards. They were silent as if they were detached from the noisy surroundings around them.

    ¡°What the heck¡­? Those guys¡­¡±

    Their silence was broken when they reached the corner of the corridor. While staring at the far end of the corridor, Badge tilted his head. In response to his unusual tone, Dn also followed his gaze.

    There were six, all told, wearing the attendants¡¯ costumes, but their movements were suspicious in many ways. Even their small movements were unusual in their eyes as knights. Remembering their look and clothes clearly, Dn watched their actions carefully.

    They quickly gathered under the shady roof and dispersed after whispering among themselves. Dn and Badge also nced at each other quickly and went to the corridor on the opposite side imperceptibly. They stopped three of the servants who were heading in the same direction.

    ¡°Hey, guys! Can you stop there?¡± When Badge called them, they noticeably flinched.

    After ncing at each other, they went to the imperial knights, lowering their heads.

    ¡°Can you show me your IDs as the servants of Cheddar Pce?¡±

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125: Chapter 125 Don¡¯te to the coronation at noon (6)

    When Badge asked them to present their IDs, one of them said, bowing deeply, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We work at Verman Pce and came here to chip in at the request of the people here at Cheddar Pce. ¡± He took out his own ID showing the official stamp of Verman Pce.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard that we requested your help,¡± Badge said, shrugging with a frown.

    Dn watched their movements closely.

    ¡°Well, what are you hiding in the waist of your pants?¡± asked Dn, standing next to Badge, pointing to the servant. Upon closer look, he saw something sticking out of the servant¡¯s side. The servant raised his head suddenly and said, ¡°Hiding what? I¡¯m not hiding anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­. ¡±

    Dn quickly approached the servant without asking further. Embarrassed by Dn¡¯s actions, the servant quickly stepped back and exchanged an urgent nce with the other two servants.

    Right at that moment they attacked in a sh. Badge knocked down the dagger that had been thrown at Dn. Badge charged toward the servant who threw the dagger at Dn and beheaded him. Blood gushed from his neck as he copsed without even moaning. Dn fought with the other two servants. They attacked him with the daggers they had hidden in their inner pockets.

    Dn struck down the three daggers they threw then cut the abdomen of the attendant who was trying to stab him with a dagger. The man fell on the floor, vomiting blood.

    Helped by Badge, he controlled the remaining one quickly. The two captured him alive on purpose. They had to find out the purpose of their secret hiding in Cheddar Pce.

    ¡°Tell me who sent you. Why did youe to this pce? ¡±

    At Badge¡¯s questioning, the man moved his lips as if he was trying to say something.

    Dn, who was gagging his mouth to prevent any dangerous action, released his grip on his mouth.

    ¡°¡­Oops! ¡±

    Freed from Dn¡¯s grip, the servant wiggled his mouth and fell down.

    When Dn opened his mouth btedly, he couldn¡¯t do anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s poison. If they had poison in their mouths, they are not ordinary assassins,¡± Badge said, searching the man¡¯s pockets.

    Dn was filled with anxiety and searched the other two¡¯s pants. Soon they took out several long bottles from the servants¡¯ pants. Almost at the same time, they opened the caps and smelled the liquid inside and hardened their expression. They smelled the strong scent of gasoline.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The soldiers who heard the disturbance yelled from afar, trying to confirm their safety. Looking at them quickly, Badge told Dn, ¡°Inform the soldiers about this. We have to find the rest of them right now!¡±

    Without any further dy Badge ran toward the room where one of the suspicious servants went out.

    ¡°Sir, Are you okay? ¡± asked the soldiers who urgently ran to Dn. He informed them about the situation quickly. There were three remaining fugitives. Even if Badge captured one servant, the other two might carry out their assigned mission. Requesting the support of other knights, Dn ran in another direction in search of the fugitives.

    Dn quickly looked around and tried to find them. He could see lots of servants wearing the same outfits all over the ce, but they were not the fugitives he was looking for. As time went by, he became more nervous.

    He had just entered the central building of Cheddar Pce when he noticed someone pacing up and down in the corridor leading to the reception room. He was a servant with themon brown hair, but Dn felt it in the guts that he was one of the suspects he had seen a little while ago.

    Dn approached him quickly and narrowed the distance. Noticing Dn, he was surprised and looked back. Dn did not hesitate to pull the sword. The servant changed his expression at that. If he were innocent, he would kneel down and beg for his life or ask the reason for the attack, but he took out daggers from his pocket. Shortly afterwards, several iron-shaped daggers were flying toward Dn. Dn quickly knocked two daggers away with his sword and avoided the third by rolling on the floor.

    In the meantime, the man had distanced himself from Dn. Then he threw the bottle in his hand on the floor and broke it. The liquid in it wet the floor. When Dn got up and rushed toward him, the man quickly sparked a fire with a flint. The spark turned into mes on the floor in a moment and spread out in all directions.

    ¡°Let me make it clear again. I have no intention of escaping this ce.¡±

    When he was briefed by the knights about the incident at Cheddar Pce, who urged him to flee, the new emperor refused their offer resolutely.

    He did not want to be a cowardly emperor who left his servants behind in the hall and avoided danger. If the first thing he did after the coronation was escape from the pce, how could he live proudly?

    ¡°Don¡¯t make any more fuss. Make sure that those gathered here won¡¯t be agitated.¡±

    Emperor Isaac warned the knights strictly. Standing near them along with Sir Simuan, Wendy noticed that Isaac¡¯s eyes were fixed on one man. He was Duke Auguste Engre standing in front of the tform.

    ¡°Report to me about the situation. How is the damage?¡± Isaac asked one knight.

    ¡°Most of the people have been evacuated but we have not yet brought the mes under control.¡±

    The emperor stopped for a moment and said, ¡°¡­ Focus on reducing the loss of lives. I already witnessed the scene where my pce copsed. You have to keep in mind that I was more angered by the people¡¯s injuries than the copse of the pce.¡±

    He spoke with a low and gloomy voice. As she felt the emperor made the remarks with the duke in mind, Wendy slowly looked at the faces of the new emperor and the duke alternately.

    The knights were concerned about the safety of the emperor who would not leave the coronation pce, but Wendy felt their concern was useless. The reason why the duke was still staying here without leaving was because he felt this ce was safe.

    Of course, the emperor¡¯s thinking rested on the assumption that the duke was behind all kinds of unpleasant things that had happened to the imperial family until now.

    He felt reassured when he saw the duke, his wife and children still hanging around. How could the dukemit terrible things in front of his family? He was not stupid enough to neglect the safety of his family and his own safety.

    Watching the duke with a serious expression wrapping an arm around his anxious daughter¡¯s shoulders, Wendy thought about what he had in mind at the moment. He would certainly have set the ce on fire if he had wanted to stop the coronation. There was no reason for him to set fire to Cheddar Pce.

    ¡°Duke Engre!¡±

    ¡°Earl Scholters!¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, what the heck is this? I hear that a fire broke out at Cheddar Pce. Was it a big fire? ¡±

    Wendy tilted her head when a middle-aged man approached the duke and spoke to him.

    For his voice was unusually familiar to her.

    She heard the duke calling him Earl Scholters.

    He looked like Altarin Scholters whom she hated so much, it was the first time she saw him. If that was the case, his voice could not be familiar to her.

    ¡°Well, I just hope it¡¯s not serious.¡±

    ¡°As the fire broke out on the coronation day, this is not auspicious¡­ ¡± The earl fumbled.

    Other nobles around him heard it and began to whisper. The emperor, who kept receiving updates from the knights about the fire, fortunately did not seem to have heard his rude words.

    Watching the emperor¡¯s face for a while, Wendy¡¯s face hardened at that moment because she realized why Earl Scholter¡¯s voice was familiar to her.

    The suspicious conversation she overheard between the duke and this man right before the crown prince¡¯s pce copsed.

    That mysterious man who talked with the duke¡¯s bodyguard knight.

    He was the same man!

    Wendy stared carefully at his face and tried not to be embarrassed. It was obvious why he made nobles around him feel nervous by saying the fire was not auspicious.

    Sensing something bad was going on, Wendy ced at the ss door leading to the terrace, opening her eyes wide at the outside scene. She walked to the terrace.

    When she opened the door and went out, she could see the castle and other things beyond it clearly. First of all, she could see the beacon next to the bell tower of the pce burning brightly. The white smoke burning from there was constantly rising up in thick clouds into the blue sky. Beginning with the beacon of the Imperial Pce, other beacons outside the castle were also burning one after another.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126: Chapter 126 Don¡¯te to the coronation at noon (7)

    It was the sacred beacon that heralded the rise of the new emperor.

    They were the mes that burnt away evil spirits and brought in the opening of a new age under a new emperor.

    Wendy bit her lower lip and looked at the southeast of the pce. She saw a lot of smoke. Greater mes than the first beacon of the imperial pce were rising in the vicinity.

    ck smoke constantly rose into the sky in sharp contrast to the white smoke of the beacon of the pce! Only then did Wendy fully understand the reason for the fire at Cheddar Pce.

    The mes were a clear signal to deny the new emperor¡¯s ascension to the throne.

    At the same time, the mes revealed to all the people in the capital that the duke did not approve of Emperor Isaac von Benyjahan.

    ¡°Ah¡­ ¡± She moaned a little and bit her lip. It wasn¡¯t because she felt scared about the fluid political situation, but because she felt immense anxiety about the growing mes.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, Sir Schroder,¡± she murmured his name repeatedly.

    Lard was there trying to control the mes. She wanted to believe in his safety, but she found her heart pounding too hard to pray for his safe return. The soaring ck smoke and burning mes seemed to indicate that nobody would emerge safely, and she began to think foolishly that Lard was no exception.

    She began to walk away as if she was determined. Even if she went to the scene of the mes, there was nothing she could do, but she thought she had to do something.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    The moment she was about to turn, she screamed because someone grabbed her wrist roughly.

    ¡°Can you feel the pain now?¡± Mrs. Hazlet asked, with her face close to Wendy with a smirk.

    ¡°Let go of my wrist!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re frowning at this little pain! As you know, Francis was beaten severely enough to turn into a living corpse from flogging because of you! You bitch!¡±

    Mrs. Hazlet roared fiercely as if to kill her. Birds chirping on the oak tree outside the balcony flew away because of her shrill voice.

    ¡°¡­ Did you say ¡®pain¡¯ to me a moment ago? ¡±

    Wendy trembled, looking at Mr. Hazelet¡¯s resentful expression. When she heard such harsh words, Wenndy felt her initial anxiety and fear quickly disappeared. Her uncontroble hostility and anger dominated her mind.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re absolutely right, Mrs. Hazlet, because pain is not a feeling that only Francis feels. I also have suffered pain many times because of Francis. Don¡¯t you know that Francis paid the price for her crimes? Don¡¯t ever think that the pain your daughter has inflicted on me is insignificant, while her pain is enormous.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me now that you didn¡¯t do anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°Lower your voice!¡±

    At somebody¡¯s sudden voice, Wendy turned her eyes to the balcony door. She could not help but scoff at the owner of the voice. He looked so funny and miserable that she almost broke intoughter.

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how miserable you would look after not seeing you for a few years, Earl Hazlet! Howe you¡¯re on the lookout there in front of the door?¡±

    His face turned white at Wendy¡¯s sneering. He stared at her with a displeased expression then lowered his voice as if he was concerned that his voice might be heard by somebody in the coronation hall.

    ¡°¡­ Olivia, what are you doing here? You left my house without my permission then you changed your status and even filed aint against your sister. Why are you so mean and cruel?¡±

    From the beginning Wendy and Francis had no warm feelings toward each other, and he knew that very well. She was speechless by his nonsensical words. She found it even hard to calm down her troubled mind.

    ¡°¡­ Are you telling me now you don¡¯t know what terrible things you did to me?¡± Wendy retorted, staring into his eyes. She was raging with anger that his eyes didn¡¯t show any sense of guilt.

    ¡°¡­Maybe that¡¯s why you secretly made a marriage certificate without me knowing and tried to sell me like you would sell a mule. ¡±

    ¡°Selling you? What the heck are you talking about, you bitch!¡±

    ¡°Do you know what makes me the most angry? The reason I really got upset about it was not because you tried to sell me to that old dotard earl or you pretended that my mother begged you to meet me before death, but because you treated me like a wooden doll with no feelings. Of course, I feel the pain you do. How can you never know that simple fact?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Olivia! You poor child! It looks like you still haven¡¯t admitted that you were an illegitimate child. How can you ask me to appreciate the feelings of a vulgar illegitimate child? ¡± said Mrs Hazlet sarcastically, suddenly cutting into their conversation.

    In the end, their conversation ended as always with the sharp reminder to Wendy that she was an illegitimate child. It was their invincible logic that she could never win.

    ¡°It looks like I forgot briefly that you are not the type of humans that I should mingle with me.

    I think I should have appreciated the fact that I inherited half of your precious bloodline that made you toy with such dirty thinking! ¡±

    Wendy shouted at them with a sharp look. Unlike the earl who turned his head, clicking his tongue, the countess again pulled Wendy¡¯s wrist roughly and shouted, ¡°¡­ Make the case for Francis¡¯ innocence! If they nullify the ruling on Francis, I¡¯ll no longer bother you. Let me give you the freedom that you want so much, so defend her innocence!¡± Mrs. Francis said in amanding tone.

    Wendy burst into a mockingughter and said, ¡°Did she say she was innocent? Don¡¯t you know she hired a guy to do a terrible thing to me? I think you should go back to your estitate with Francis and learn the meaning of innocence. I hope you have a great teacher this time. Oh, I hope you can also realize the meaning of what you told me when you said you would give me the freedom. I can¡¯t believe how ignorant you are!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t babble on without thinking!¡± The countess¡¯ lips twitched bitterly when Wendy harshly retorted as if she wouldn¡¯t budge a bit.

    Mrs. Hazlet¡¯s deep anger made her facial muscles tremble.

    ¡°Would you like to release your grip on my wrist because I don¡¯t want to engage in useless arguments with you anymore?¡± Wendy said, trying to pull her wrist from her.

    Mrs. Hazlet, full of evil, gripped her wrist with all her strength. A blue vein stood out on her temple. Wendy briefly agonized about whether to use her self-defense skills.

    ¡°Stop it, honey. Try to appease her gently. Let¡¯s go now. How long are you going to wrestle with her? ¡± The earl told his wife out of frustration about their endless argument.

    ¡°Olivia, are you really going to fight with me to the end? It looks like you have great trust in the duke knight who has supported you, but how long do you believe he will support you? Do you think he will be safe if Iin to the emperor that he disrupted the order of the empire by threatening Francis and that he tried to disgrace my family because of your crime? If you drive me into a corner like this, I¡¯m going to get even with him brutally. Do you really think this will only end up with the downfall of the Hazlet family? ¡±

    Wendy shut up at her resentful remarks. Although she seemed to beat back the countess¡¯s scornful look calmly, her green eyes trembled slightly. Sensing that, the countess was made a satisfied smile when somebody shouted through the balcony, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure only you go down by all means.¡±

    Wendy instinctively turned her head toward the balcony.

    It was Lard Schroder who opened the balcony door where the earl had been standing.

    As he pushed the door open, the earl had to move back, wary of him. His curled shoulders and his scared eyes made the earl look funny and weird like aedian.

    ¡°If anyone hurts her or even me, I will pull out his or her eyeballs and cut his or her tongue and ears, and scatter them on the roadside frequented by wild dogs. It was my mistake that I spoke to you with restrainednguage when I met youst time, Mrs. Hazlet. I regret that I didn¡¯t show you how determined and cruel I could be.¡±

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127: Chapter 127 Don¡¯te to the coronation at noon (8)

    He approached the countess and Wendy, then shook her hand from around Wendy¡¯s wrist. Her hand fell off so easily with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this again. Don¡¯t touch her again,¡± he said coldly.

    The countess, who was driven into a corner, kept looking at her husband as if she was asking for help. However, the earl, standing in a crooked position, blinked and checked Lard¡¯s countenance.

    ¡°You had better not do anything that prompts my anger. If possible, don¡¯t even breathe toward her,¡± said Lard resolutely.

    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s the most fundamental moralw for me to meet my daughter. Why are you trying to separate me from her?¡± Mrs. Hazlet protested.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it you who did so from the beginning? Did you forget you didn¡¯t let Olivia¡¯s mother meet her?¡± Lard asked, as if he could not understand. After looking into Olivia Hazlet¡¯s personal background, Lard found out that she had suffered a lot at the hands of the Hazlet family. When Mrs. Hazlet came to realize that Lard pointed out her cruel treatment of Olivia¡¯s mother, she just sighed without replying at all.

    ¡°Duke Schroder, I¡¯m sorry¡­ She made a slip of tongue as she was emotionally charged. So, please be merciful,¡± said Earl Hazlet cautiously after watching his wife¡¯s violent reaction nervously.

    He continued, ¡°I regret that I have not managed my house and family members properly. It is my fault that I didn¡¯t fully understand my daughter¡¯s feelings as a father¡­ I hear you love Olivia. You know that Francis is her only sister. Would you be able to cancel the heavy punishment meted out to Francis, given her special rtionship with Olivia?¡±

    He politely spoke, looking at Lard¡¯s expression. Wendy turned her eyes at his changed attitude.

    ¡°Earl Hazlet, you still can¡¯t make head or tail of it. Don¡¯t you know why Francis paid the heavy price? How can you try to cover your eyes with such ridiculous excuses and gloss over the truth of the matter?¡± Lard sharply rebuked him as if he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Lard¡¯s eyes sparkled with anger.

    The earl flinched at his unexpected anger and changed the topic by saying, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m sorry to have offended you, sir. Yes, you¡¯re right. I totally agree with you. I¡¯m going to manage my family well, so please be merciful toward me. And please forget what we have told you today.¡±

    Earl Hazelet was at a loss about what to do. He grabbed Mrs. Hazlet¡¯s arm and pointed to the balcony door with his eyes. Her face was oddly contorted.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave, honey. Come on!¡±

    While resisting a bit, she left the balcony reluctantly with her husband. But even in that embarrassing situation she didn¡¯t forget to cast a resentful nce at Wendy.

    While facing her fierce gaze for a moment, she closed her eyes when they left the balcony.

    Her eyes felt sore as if she hadn¡¯t slept for a long time.

    ¡°Wendy!¡± She silently opened her eyes at Lard¡¯s call and looked up at him.

    Over the castle behind him the smoke of the beacon was still rising into the sky. Holding her breath briefly with a heavy heart, she turned her eyes and saw the burning Cheddar Pce.

    ¡°The fire is still intense there¡­ How did youe to this ce again?¡±

    ¡°I have taken measures to prevent the fire from spreading outside the pce. It¡¯s toote to bring the fire under control, so I chose to let it burn down rather than face the danger.¡±

    Like he said, the fire at Cheddar Pce did not spread to surrounding areas. The mes around the pce seemed to have died down a little, but the ck smoke was still rising furiously.

    ¡°¡­I came to you for help. ¡±

    ¡°My help? ¡± She saw him with a curious look. He hesitated for a moment.

    ¡°Sir Dn Lennox was injured. I think you had better see him.¡±

    While she was going to Merihi Pce where the Imperial Medical Center was located, she blinked her eyes in confusion. She did not want to judge hastily why he wanted her to see Dn.

    ¡®How much was he injured? How serious is his condition?¡¯ She thought to herself on the way.

    Lard also shut up without further exnation. Wendy also hesitated to ask him. She spaced out at the moment.

    Adjacent to Cheddar Pce, Merihi Pce was in chaos, full of noise everywhere. There were people carrying the injured, patients making desperate cries for help, and the doctors running around everywhere. It was a terrible and miserable scene.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± Lard stopped in front of a door on the long hallway. Wendy mechanically followed him when he opened the door. As he entered, two doctors who were busy moving around inside greeted him. They were holding a bunch of red and yellow gauze in their hands.

    ¡°You can get out now.¡±

    ¡°Pardon? But¡­¡±

    ¡°Can you leave, please?¡±

    Because of Lard¡¯s sudden order, the doctors made eye contact with each other, hesitating to get out. As the older of the two reluctantly nodded, the other one also moved out of the room.

    Without further involvement, Lard stood on the spot. Wendy nced at him and headed for the bed in the middle of the treatment room. As she walked closer, her fingertips trembled.

    ¡°Dn¡­¡± Wendy called his name after confirming he was in bed. She uttered a series of ambiguous words close to moaning.

    ¡°Howe you got this¡­¡±

    Wendy couldn¡¯t say anything at the terrible burns spread across his hands. Blood and sores oozed between burnt and peeling skin. A couple of his fingers had melted together from the intense heat and stuck together. Amid the extreme pain, he was barely gasping for breath.

    Wendy extended her trembling hands toward the soot marks on his pale face. They were like the wounds that signalled hisst moments as a knight. Even if the wound healed, he would not be able to hold the sword again. She couldn¡¯t touch his face but grasped his trembling hands and pulled them to her chest.

    ¡°Uhhh¡­ ¡± He moaned feebly. The moan rang in her ears louder than thunder. She felt heartbroken.

    Wendy started wandering around like a crazy person. She stopped moving only when she cast a nce at the window. Opening the window quickly, she reached out over the long flower pot on the outside windowsill. She pulled the pansies out roughly. Then she tightened her grasp and pulled the pot several times to pull it out of the fixed window frame, but the fixed pot would not move. She got annoyed.

    ¡°Let me do it.¡± Suddenly, Lard approached her and pulled it out for her.

    She ran to the other windows silently and did the same thing.

    When she put the pots side by side in the treatment room, she pressed her index finger down on them. She did it in session and repeatedly.

    She was very quick and didn¡¯t hesitate.

    As soon as she rose from her knees, she poured water into the basins used by the doctors and wiped her dirty hands. Then, she searched the ss shelves on the wall and found medicinal bowls.

    In the meantime, the nts budded in the pots and extended their stems, as always, and continued to grow diligently as she wished. Soon red fruits appeared on the limbs of the nt. They were familiar with the fruits. The fruit, with its rough surface like a mace, had endless vitality in its small flesh. It was Bahazman called the Fruit of Heaven.

    She picked plenty of fruit without hesitation. She quickly put them in a bowl and crushed them with a stick and spread them over Dn¡¯s wounds. Some of the juice flowed down onto the bed sheets, but she didn¡¯t care and continued to spread it around.

    Soon, she wrapped Dn¡¯s arms with bandages. After she was done giving first aid with the fruit, her body was soaked with sweat. Dn¡¯s breathing rxed a bit.

    Lard came to her silently and offered her a cup of water. She took a few sips of water and told him, ¡°Can you raise his upper body a bit?¡±

    He nodded and carefully raised Dn¡¯s upper body. She put Bahazman juice into his mouth. After several attempts, Dn managed to swallow the juice.

    It took effect immediately. After coughing several times lightly, his eyelids fluttered quietly like dragonfly wings, and soon, he opened his eyes. His blue eyes wandered briefly without focus.

    ¡°¡­Oli¡­via?¡± He recognized Wendy. His voice was very dry and cracked, but even before she replied, his face contorted in pain and he began to moan. As he regained consciousness, he began to feel the pain of severe burns.

    Embarrassed, she tried to get up to bring a little more Bahazman fruit. He called her name again, ¡°Olivia.¡±

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128: Chapter 128 Don¡¯te to the coronation at noon (9)

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t go¡­¡± His voice was so feeble. At his desperate call, she could not leave and sat down in the chair next to his bed. Standing by her all along, Lard turned his face from her. Looking out the window for a while, he opened his mouth when Dn fell asleep again.

    ¡°It seems he wounded his hands like that while trying to put out the fire. Thanks to his efforts, they had more time to get out of the pce. As there was fire everywhere in the pce, they couldn¡¯t bring it under control¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Are you going to stay by his side?¡± Lard asked. She couldn¡¯t figure out why he asked, but she had the answer ready, regardless of his motivation behind such a loaded question.

    ¡°I think I need to change his gauze several times. I also need to grow several Bahazman trees. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ I think I have to dispose of those trees then,¡± said Lard, looking at the Bahazman trees whose fruits she picked already. .

    ¡°Let me send Sir Dowain to you. He can help you.¡±

    He got up as if to go back to the scene of the fire. She called him.

    ¡°Sir Schroder.¡±

    At her call, she looked at his face silently, but she could not find anything proper to say to her.

    She bowed her head without saying anything while moving her lips up and down several times.

    ¡°I wille back as soon as I¡¯m done¡­ Don¡¯t worry. What is more important than the life and death of man? ¡±

    Hearing that, she couldn¡¯t tell whether he was talking about her growing the Bahazman trees at the Imperial Pce, or felt regretful about her decision to stay beside her former lover. Lard turned back and left the treatment room.

    It wasn¡¯t until midnight that Dn came to his senses again.

    It was when she changed the gauze wrapped around his arms for the third time andpoured the juice of Bahazman fruit into his mouth. Dn swallowed it with difficulty.

    ¡°Are you conscious now¡­? ¡±

    ¡°¡­Have you been by my side all along?¡±

    While blinking slowly, he saw her. She nodded a bit and fed him Bahazman juice again. He looked haggard before, but he was beginning toe back to life.

    ¡°This¡­ ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Bahazman juice.¡±

    When she said that, his eyes turned to the potted nts lined to one side of the treatment room. The trees, which he heard only by rumors, were there in radiant light. Sir Dowain, who was picking the fruits from the trees, greeted him with a nod.

    ¡°Your arms got much better. ¡±

    She began to unwrap the bandages carefully, as if she wanted to have him confirm the condition of his arms. Sir Dowain came near her and helped her with removing the bandages.

    After she unwrapped all the bandages and removed the crushed Bahazman fruits, he confirmed that his skin looked much better. Although there were still marks of burns in some parts, his skin was remarkably better,pared with before.

    Bahazman.

    Although it was the fruit of life that saved the dying and revived dead flesh, she couldn¡¯t find any case involving the treatment of such serious wounds or any record of the amount of Bahazman fruit needed, so she was not sure how effective the treatment would be.

    When she removed the bandages, she realized that her concern turned out to be groundless. She witnessed incredible things. His wounded skin was reced with new skin and his melted fingers and burnt skin were reconstructed. She could not know whether he would be able to use the sword again, but at least he would have no difficulty leading a daily life.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to wrap the bandage one more time. I¡¯ll make some more medicinal syrup, so drink it by tomorrow. You¡¯ll be able to hold the sword like before¡­ Yes, you certainly will.¡±

    She didn¡¯t say everything she wanted to,just smiled bitterly to convey her feelings.

    Several hourster, Lard returned to the treatment room. Next to him was a knight of the 2nd Knights, who witnessed Wendy¡¯s wonderful miracle at the scene of the explosion.

    Seeing his familiar face, she greeted him.

    ¡°Miss Wendy, I will take care of Sir Dn. You look very tired. So, please go and have a rest. ¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond to his suggestion and watched Dn lying in bed. He was asleep again.

    Then she nced at Lard at the door and told the knight, ¡°Okay, then. Hope he is in great hands.¡±

    She handed him the bottle she had prepared for Dn and told him how to administer it.

    After asking Sir Dowain to dispose of the used Bahazman trees, she left the treatment room with Lard. Before leaving, however, she looked back at Dn.

    When she reluctantly took her eyes off of him and left, the other knights left behind chatted in front of the Bahazman trees. They also talked about the burnt Cheddar Pce, the number of injured people and the wonderful power of the Bahazman tree.

    At that moment, Dn¡¯s closed eyelids opened. As if he wasn¡¯t sleeping from the beginning, there was nothing like drowsiness in his eyes. He turned his head to the seat where Wendy sat. There was loneliness in his eyes. He looked at the seat for a long time, where he no longer found her warmth.

    In the meantime, Wendy left Merihi Pce with Lard and handed him a cotton bag that he took carefully. It was quiet everywhere now, unlike the noisy surroundings during the day.

    ¡°This is the Bahazman fruit. Give it to the emperor. You never know when the emperor will be in danger¡­ He had better take it little by little beforehand. ¡±

    As she suspected that the poison of bentoxique mixed with cigars was rted to the death of the emperor and prepared the Bahazman prescription for the new emperor.

    ¡°If thete emperor was poisoned by the bentoxique substance, I think it started afterst spring. Even if he had been poisoned much earlier, I guess he would have been detoxified starting in the spring.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought of while growing the Bahazman tree today¡­ You must remember thatst spring they exhibited the Bahaman tree at Rajabude Museum, right? ¡±

    ¡°Of course, I do remember.¡±

    ¡°At that time, there were already several red fruits on it. Perhaps shortly afterwards they must have picked the fruits, and the fruits must have been delivered to the members of the imperial family.¡±

    The fruits harvested from the Bahazman tree, the property of the Imperial Pce, were immediately returned to the emperor and his family. When the fruits were kept long, their medical effect diminished. They were very hard to keep, so they would have eaten the fruits immediately.

    ¡°If the emperor had taken the Bahazman fruit then, he would have been detoxified even if he had been poisoned before.¡±

    Understanding what she exined, Lard nodded.

    ¡± I have one more thing to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Just go ahead.¡±

    ¡°You remember I told youst time that I heard a suspicious conversation between Duke Engre and someone before the pce fell, right?¡±

    She told him about Earl Scholters that she saw at Sher Pce. She said his voice was the same as that of the man in question who had talked with Duke Engre.

    ¡°I initially wondered if I could identify the voice of the man even if I listened to his voice again. But I am confident that he was the same man.¡±

    This time Lard nodded silently and asked Wendy not to worry any more because he would handle the matter.

    ¡°Before you leave, you¡¯d better go and see the emperor. Why don¡¯t you deliver the Bahazman fruit to him? ¡±

    She agreed to his suggestion. The two headed for Kingbray Pce without mentioning Dn, be it on purpose or not.

    ¡°Okay. So, what¡¯s up? I can¡¯t give you much time because I¡¯m snowed under with work today. ¡±

    Emperor Vatist von Benyahan, the crown prince¡¯s father, said, taking a seat.

    As he beckoned, the attendant on standby brought tea and put it on a tea table.

    On the four corners and in the center of the table were engraved with unicorns and crowns with their hooves raised, respectively.

    ¡°Sit down.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Waiting for the emperor¡¯s permission, Duke Engre bowed and sat down opposite the emperor. The emperor cast a displeased nce at him. There was wariness in his subdued eyes.

    ¡°The scent of his tea smells good.¡±

    The duke lifted the teacup and enjoyed the scent once. The sweet and bitter scent of tea wafted into his nose and reced the scent of cigars that filled the room with it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you havee to have tea with me. Tell me what business has brought you here.¡±

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129: Chapter 129 Don¡¯te to the capital of the empire(1)

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you havee here to have tea with me. Tell me what business has brought you here.¡±

    The emperor clearly wanted to avoid any political rhetoric. It was not clear whether the emperor¡¯s straightforward talking was because of his deteriorated rtionship with the duke or his way of talking with the duke. However, there was embarrassment in the duke¡¯s face when the emperor spoke bluntly to him.

    ¡°I would like you to do me a favor¡­ Would you please let others out of this audience chamber for a minute? ¡± The duke said with a smile on his face.

    Looking at him with a smile on his mouth, the emperor ordered the servants and the knights at the door to get out.

    ¡°Go out and don¡¯t let anyone in until I approve.¡±

    At his order, the servants bowed, but the knights did not leave the chamber easily. They were wary of the duke.

    When the emperor reassured them with a nod, the knights reluctantly left. When the knights disappeared, the emperor looked at the duke seriously. Like a tired traveler who had just unpacked his stuff, there was fatigue on his face.

    ¡°Are you going to talk about the crown prince¡¯s new legition?¡±

    The emperor guessed the real reason for his request to see him one day before the promation of the neww.

    The emperor knew that all the petitions by the cab members at the daily political meetings chaired by the new emperor were initiated by the duke. Although the duke didn¡¯t spearhead the efforts to oppose the neww, he secretly instigated the opposing nobles in a more sophisticated and cunning way.

    As if he didn¡¯t want to get involved in theplicated political affairs, he sat on his hands at the political meeting this morning as the participants had a heated debate on the neww, but nobody took his disguised aloofness as serious.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for me to turn a blind eye to the crown prince¡¯s silly actions.¡¯

    He revealed his real intention before the emperor.

    ¡°Silly actions¡­ Do you really think so?¡± The emperor said, expressing displeasure with the duke¡¯s attitude.

    His wrinkles, which were deep like the bark of an old tree that survived the strong winds, wiggled quickly. It seemed that the emperor could not stand the duke¡¯s arrogant attitude anymore.

    ¡°Are you going to support and proim the new bill, too? It would crumble the foundation of the country. Isn¡¯t it obvious that we will lose the basis to keep the existing status system? I think even the royal family will lose its status at the end of the day. ¡±

    ¡°Are you concerned about the royal family¡¯s existence?¡±

    The duke bowed at his anger, but his bowing didn¡¯t mean he wasplying with the emperor¡¯s mood. It was his disguised resistance. His lowered eyes looked self-possessed.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you know both sides of the story? Public sentiment is boiling now. It¡¯s not the time for the nobles to be calcting your own gains and losses. Didn¡¯t I mention this numerous times at the political meeting? You didn¡¯t say anything at the meeting. I can¡¯t understand why you areining to me now. I¡¯m done talking with you. Can you leave?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Raising his head again, the duke spoke with a loud voice. His unusual tone enraged the emperor all the more.

    ¡°As you asked me why I didn¡¯t mention it, let me answer. Well, I¡¯ve kept silent about the issue because I thought you would not support Prince Issac¡¯s stupid decision at all. But¡­ you betrayed my trust in you, so I can¡¯t sit on my hands anymore.¡±

    ¡°Are you trifling with me now?¡± The emperor was angry at his tant contempt through feigned loyalty. Although the duke tried to persuade the emperor through ttery, the emperor knew he was not serious, but the emperor hesitated to show more anger.

    A dayter, the bill would be announced to the general public. The emperor thought nothing good woulde out of his hostility towards the duke. The emperor exercised patience as best he could. Barely holding back the urge to shout at him to get out, the emperor said with a much calmer voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you really know why there are disturbances breaking out everyday? Can you just forget and feel easy about the disturbances because they are caused by the disease and insects of Montraphi? Don¡¯t know that the nominal Jesolin hiring system is increasing their frustrations? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Your Majesty I don¡¯t want to discuss the hiring system. I know that we can¡¯t be on the same page on that issue.¡±

    ¡°If you think so, get out of here right now. Are you toying with me now?¡±

    ¡°¡­ So, I would like to offer you a solution through which we can iron out our differences a bit. Oh, maybe a lot.¡±

    The emperor sharply stared at him as if to figure out his real intention. Taking the emperor¡¯s responsefortably, the duke opened his mouth with a smile, ¡°Last night, I suddenly recalled Lady Bel Lomar, thete empress¡¯s maid. She was a woman with mysterious elegance even though she was not a noble woman.¡±

    ¡°¡­! ¡±

    ¡°It really came to my mind identally. When I was distracted by various thoughts, I recalled her face. Ah! I¡¯m sorry. I should not call her with contempt because she is the mother of the princess and the crown prince.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± The emperor suddenly rose up from his seat.

    ¡°Your Majesty, please lower your voice. If people outside hear your loud voice, it won¡¯t be good for you.¡±

    ¡°How arrogant of you¡­! ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore it as a rumor. I know that the queen couldn¡¯t get pregnant after she had a stillbirth when she was a crown princess. At that time, I secured several testimonies by royal doctors. Oh, of course, I mean the testimonies of those who helped Miss Lomar give birth to the baby¡­ I knew you were very generous, but it was a great mistake that you saved their lives.¡±

    ¡°Do you really want to be killed? How can you tell such a lie to disgrace me and the royal family!¡±

    ¡°Baschumont, Jin, Sevis, Muriel¡­ I can name the witnesses on and on. They were doctors and maids at that time. One of them told me that it was the summer pce in Charpanti where Miss Bel Lomar stayed when she got pregnant with the crown prince. I heard everything including the shocking idea that the queen was trying to feign a full belly during that period, and that when Miss Lomar was on the way back to the pce, she gave birth to the crown prince in Jopiern. I also heard that Miss Bel Loma¡¯s tomb was near Charpanti. ¡±

    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡±

    The emperor sharply stared at him with a murderous expression. He was full of burning desire to kill him if he had his way, but he felt so regretful that he couldn¡¯t. The duke was the big shot among the nobles. Killing him would incite civil war.

    Duke Engre drank a cup of tea casually.

    ¡°I began to understand only now why the princess and the crown prince went to the summer pce every year and why they were so kind-hearted! When I thought that they were interested in the lives of themoners because of their vulnerabilities because of their birth, I felt sad. No matter how vulnerable they were, how could they not know their ce?¡±

    Having heard his tant bluffing, the emperor walked to the desk with faltering steps. Opening the wooden box on one side of the desk and taking out a cigar, he tilted it over the candlestick. The quality cigar was quickly lit without a strong smell. He took a deep draw It seemed very impatient and rough as if to reflect the emperor¡¯s mood.

    Watching the emperor doing it, the duke said with a satisfied smile, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m determined to reveal all of these facts to stop thew from being proimed. Please remember that I¡¯m telling you out of my heartfelt loyalty.¡±

    The emperor¡¯s expression was contorted when he puffed out the cigar smoke. He grabbed his chest and shouted, breaking into anger, ¡°You son of a bitch! Do you think you will be safe? I¡¯m going to reveal your true colors and tear apart your whole body at the end of the day! Aren¡¯t you afraid of death? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Do everything as you wish, but you have to think about what you can lose. Otherwise, you will have lots of regrets.¡±

    ¡°Damn you! Sure, I will certainly do it until myst moment. I will make sure you pay the price for mocking the royal family with a ridiculous threat¡­ Do you think I don¡¯t know the fact that you instigated the nobles and worked as their leader against me? Auguste, if you intend to stand in the way of the crown prince, I swear you and your children will suffer the same. I will make them pay the price even if I die!¡±

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130: Chapter 130 Don¡¯te to the capital of the empire (2)

    ¡°Oops!¡±

    Duke Engre woke up with a short groan, covered in cold sweat. He wiped his forehead. The emperor¡¯s angry rebuking rang vividly in his ears even though he was awake. He had been dreaming the same dream for the past several days.

    ¡®Did he warn me that he would make sure I suffer even if he died as if he predicted his death?¡¯

    ¡°Sir, are you okay?¡± As he put on a gown and came out to the parlor, his escort knight Sir Burleigh asked, checking his countenance. He seemed to have heard his moaning in sleep.

    Instead of replying, Auguste asked him what he had in mind, ¡°Is John Piaf still in the annex?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s still staying there.¡±

    ¡°Tell him I want to see him right now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    It was dawn. Sir Burleigh left the parlor after ncing at the gray shade of the window. When he disappeared, Auguste took out a bottle of wine from the showcase on the other side of the parlor. He put his hand on a strong whiskey bottle first, but decided against it. He had to have a clear head. He sipped the wine. It was strong enough to help him forget the bad dream a bit.

    Suddenly, he broke intoughter when he pondered over why he had such a bad dream repeatedly. ¡®Should I feel guilty? Have I ever been such a delicate person?¡¯

    He was again reminded how he had walked this path so far. He had to erase all sense of sweet sentimentality to aplish what he had. It was only a fleeing sentimentality like this sweet and sour wine. It would be forgotten once I woke up.

    Crash!

    He threw the ss of wine as if he were trying to dispel the unpleasant feelings in his mind. The colorful beige wallpaper was stained with red. He smiled in satisfaction, looking at the red color spreading on the wall.

    ¡°Duke Engre!¡± Upon hearing the loud noise inside, Sir Burleigh opened the door and jumped in. As if he anticipated the duke¡¯s danger at the crashing sound, he was already holding his sword in his hand.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to make a fuss about. Just a ss of wine was smashed¡­ John, you stay here. Sir Burleigh, you may go out. ¡±

    John, who followed Burleigh into the parlor, looked at the wine stained wall as if to check the situation. When Burleigh bowed to the duke and went out, John sat in the seat the duke pointed to.

    ¡°¡­ Let me get the work done a bit earlier. It¡¯s pointless to dy anymore. Go to Jopiern right away. ¡±

    ¡°Will do, sir.¡± John Piaf replied. He was a slender young man with sharp eyes without double eyelids. He was dressed in shabby clothes, a gray jacket and brown pants.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I will make sure that a support group joins you in time.¡±

    ¡°How can I have any concern about what you¡¯re doing, sir?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you half of the money I promised you when you leave for Jopiern tomorrow morning. That¡¯s enough money for you to recover your forfeited field and rice paddies. Don¡¯t worry about your brother. Since he is a talented young man, I believe he will be an excellent knight for my family. ¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir. I will definitely repay your help.¡±

    Bizarre rumors began to circte the day after the coronation. Wherever people gathered, they gossiped about it. They were whispering that the ck smoke of the burnt Cheddar Pce on the coronation day was a sign of bad things. As the rumor spread so quickly, people suspected it might be spreading on purpose. The rumor snowballed gradually and spread until people took it as a fait apli that the ck smoke on that day was an ominous sign from God.

    Wendy, who visited the marketce with Sir Pascal Dowain, could easily hear people whispering here and there amid the noisy surroundings. Dowain, who was watching an old man sharpening a blunt pruning shear, stood beside her and listened to them whispering among themselves.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bad omen! How can we go through this again after the pce copsed only recently? ¡±

    ¡°You bet. As I hear, the pce caught fire without any specific reason and burnt up.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think so!¡±

    ¡°Man, that¡¯s true!¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a good sign anyway. ck smoke right next to the sacred beacon! I feel goosebumps. It¡¯s the same whether someone set fire to it or it was just an ident.¡±

    They sounded drunk.

    They were talking, seated around a small table in a bar on the street, and slurring their words.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think somebody who didn¡¯t want Emperor Issac¡¯s inauguration was responsible for the fire?¡±

    ¡°Does it matter who did it? Whether those who supported the new emperor did it or even the new emperor himself did it, it doesn¡¯t make any difference who bes the emperor in this situation!¡± A man with a grimy beard screamed and poured the liquor into his mouth.

    ¡°Did you see the price of Montrapi go up today? Why is it even more difficult to live as soon as the new emperor takes office? One piece of bread is as expensive as gold! There is a reason why they¡¯re saying that the new emperor was not anointed by God.¡±

    With his nose red from intoxication, another man yelled the groundless spection. In the end, Pascal lost his patience at the man¡¯s tant criticism of the new emperor and walked to them.

    ¡°Hey! Mind yournguage! Why are you so rude to the new emperor?¡±

    They immediately stopped talking when they noticed a strong man with pruning shears in both hands raising his voice to them. As passers-by paid attention to him, Wendy pulled his arm.

    ¡°¡­Oh, I¡¯m just talking about the rumors that I heard.¡± At Pascal¡¯s raging anger, one of them made excuses.

    ¡°Hey, you bastards! Go back to work instead of talking about groundless rumors!¡±

    The old man, who was still sharpening cutting scissors, screamed from behind.

    At his ferocious shouting, the twoid down their sses and left.

    Watching them leaving the bar staggering, Wendy suspected that somebody might have manipted the public opinion to spread the rumors unusually fast. She suspected Duke Auguste Engre more than anybody else.

    ¡°Tut tut¡­ How stupid they are busy spreading rumors!¡±

    The old man clicked his tongue while sharpening the scissors on the grindstone. Every time he rubbed the scissors back and forth, cloudy water soaked the de. The des stained with dirty water in several ces looked like the messy political situation of the Benyahan empire.

    ¡°It looks like people are nervous about what happened on the coronation day,¡± said Wendy with a low voice.

    The old man stopped sharpening the de and raised his head.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not just because of that alone. The prices of Montrapi today went up higher thanst time. They expected that their lives would get better as the new emperor took office, but they find it hard to get by. Naturally, they have grievances about the emperor.¡±

    Wendy and Pascal listened to the old man¡¯sints, but didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°All done.¡±

    The old man was done sharpening Wendy¡¯s pruning shears for a long time.

    The sharp des of the scissors gleamed much more brightly than before. It¡¯s because the old man wiped out all the dirty water on the surface of the des.

    After paying the old man, she turned around and wondered how she could get rid of all the chaos in the Benyahan empire. She felt it would be possible only after the ruler made cruel sacrifices just like the old man sharpened the dull des.

    She was in deep thought until she left the market and entered the main street. Everything ranging from thete emperor¡¯s cigars to the fires of Cheddar Pce and Dn¡¯s burns distracted her. After letting out a sigh, she looked at the group of children ying from afar.

    ¡°That child is¡­! ¡± Right at that moment Wendy¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    Sophie, Sophie Derian.

    She recited the name that she couldn¡¯t forget for a long time.

    She was the daughter of the man who tried to steal the Bahazman tree from Rajabude Museum. Yes, she was that very child that she remembered clearly.

    Her cheeks, which were hollow when Wendy saw her first, were chubby. She was smiling broadly. Wendy smiled unconsciously while hearing Sophie breaking into cheerfulughter.

    ¡®She has be healthy!¡¯

    It was because of the magical power that the fairy gave her.

    She stopped walking and watched the girl ying lively for a while.

    ¡°Miss Wendy, do you know her?¡±

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131: Chapter 131 Don¡¯te to the capital of the empire (3)

    ¡°Oh, no.¡±

    As Pascal, walking ahead, asked curiously, she quickend her step without replying.

    She was walking more lightly than before.

    ¡°Sophie, Sophie! Did you hear me? ¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­? ¡±

    ¡°Sophie! Where are you looking at so intently?

    When Sophie, who wasughing hard for a while, could not take her eyes off of a man and a woman walking away in the distance, the boy who yed with her asked curiously.

    ¡°Oh, I think I saw someone who looked familiar to me.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°¡­The woman who gave me ck food. ¡±

    ¡°What is ck food? Burnt food? ¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Did she give you burnt food? That¡¯s not good for you.¡±

    ¡°No, just ck in color, not burnt.¡±

    ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never heard that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was very good for me. I regained energy after eating it.¡±

    The girl muttered, looking back and only to find the woman gone. In no time, there was a bright smile on her face. She yed again with the boy like before. She was not sick anymore.

    That afternoon, at about sundown, after she was done cleaning up the shop with Pascal, Wendy left with Martin Bishop who came to escort her back to Lard¡¯s house.

    The imperial knights protected her thoroughly while she wasing and going to the flower shop though it was only a short distance between the house and the flower shop.

    Though she didn¡¯t feel good about their tight escort, she did notin about the denial of her freedom because she knew the situation too well. She felt awkward about such a tight escort now, which she had never experienced when she was staying at the Hazlet house.

    After she quickly nced at the face of the sturdy imperial knight walking by her side silently, she turned her eyes awkwardly. She felt more awkward when she was escorted by Martin Bishop than any other knight. It was because he exceptionally found it hard to deal with her. Obviously, the incident involving an unidentified assant breaking into her house and attacking her left a trauma in his mind because he was not there to protect her.

    ¡°I wanted to say thank you, Miss Wendy,¡± Martin said, who never spoke to her first.

    She was surprised and looked at him.

    ¡°Well, I mean about the night of our vow.¡±

    He was referring to the day when the crown prince¡¯s pce copsed. His face looked serious and resolute as if he recalled the day the knights vowed to keep Wendy¡¯s miraculous work secret.

    ¡°Oh, that expression of yours makes me ashamed.¡±

    When she said that, he suddenly blushed. Obviously, he was trying to mobilize beautiful expressions to describe her great achievement on that day, but it seemed he delved into the emotions of recalling her work back then.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I think I was so excited because I met Sir Dn Lennox. ¡±

    Unexpectedly, Martin brought up a topic about Dn, which she never expected.

    ¡°¡­ Did you meet him? ¡±

    ¡°Before I came to escort you, I checked on Sir Dn ording to the captain¡¯s order. He got better enough to move around. He needs more time for recuperation, but I don¡¯t think he will have a problem with full recovery.¡±

    As if he already knew all the episodes about Dn¡¯s injury and recovery, Bishop looked at her with amazement and respect.

    She silently nodded, avoiding his burdensome gaze. She felt greatly relieved at Dn¡¯s quick recovery. If he could move around, he was recovering far more quickly than she thought.

    As things stood now, she hoped that he could hold the sword again someday.

    ¡°As there are doctors who saw his serious injuries, it seems he wanted to recuperate at his house. He is going to refuse all outsiders¡¯ visit for some time. I¡¯m sure he also didn¡¯t forget the night of vow.¡±

    Martin again mentioned the night of the oath hesitantly. She replied shortly that Dn made the right decision. Martin said, seeing eye to eye with her, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good thing.¡±

    She wanted to keep reciting the word ¡®fortunate¡¯ like him. But instead of repeating it, she took a deep breath and looked into the orange sky. As if to conceal her overwhelming emotions, she took a deep breath with her heart full.

    Back at Lard¡¯s house, she prepared ate dinner with him. As he spoke to her several times to shake off awkwardness, she didn¡¯t feel ufortable. Leaving him behind on the first floor, she went upstairs and spent the rest of the evening alone.

    She brought some personal belongings from her home, but there were not many leisure activities she could do here.

    So, she sat beside the window of Lard¡¯s room and began to read a thick illustrated nt book.

    Then she closed the book after reading it for a while and sighed ¡®Whew!¡¯. Although she was reading about the growth of nts, she was distracted with other things. She thought about the girl Sophie and Dn. Her thoughts about them kept dominating her mind for a while. She came to appreciate the power of her index finger once again.

    In the end, she shook her head as if to stop thinking, and put down the thick book on herp to the side of the window she was leaning against. Then she suddenly noticed a small pot by the window. She smiled, looking at the familiar tree with tightly branched stems.

    When she tried to lift it, it was firm as if it took roots well. The short ash tree was growing well, though it was only a span tall.

    She naturally recalled the memories on the day she first kissed him.

    ¡®Why did I grow this tree on his clothes?¡¯

    She looked out the window as if she was tracing the young ash tree standing at the far end of the alley. The illusions that seemed like a dream in the rain passed through her mind, the dying tree soaking up water and shooting out buds.

    Did she want to shoot out buds like that tree? Or did she want to revive her dead mind?

    She wrapped her arms around her knees while putting down the small flowerpot.

    Although she could grow a nt with the power of her index finger, she could not revive a dead tree. The Bahazman she grew had healing power, but it could not revive the dead again.

    Her mind was the same way. No matter how much money she made from the Bahazman fruit, it could not revive her dead heart.

    But her lost heart was back at some point. It was an amazing miracle. It was not her who aplished this miracle. She came to think about the power that changed her mind, in addition to that of her index finger.

    ¡°¡­ ! ¡±

    Her gaze, floating in the darkness beyond the window, stopped at one point. She saw Lard walking in the alley. He was returning homete.

    She heard him opening and closing the door downstairs. While listening to the sound of him climbing the stairs, she came down from the windowsill and adjusted her dress.

    ¡°Come on in.¡±

    As the door opened, Lard entered the room. He smiled brightly as he saw her face. It was the smile that brought back her lost heart.

    ¡°Did something good happen?¡±

    ¡°I extracted the confession of Joseph Yass, the owner of Helena Store. I found out who masterminded the manufacturing of the gunpowder, ¡± he said, walking to her immediately.

    It was unexpected good news. She swallowed, waiting for his next words.

    ¡°It was the Scholters family.¡±

    As expected, the Scholters family was responsible for the explosion. The suspicious conversation she heard on the day the prince¡¯s pce copsed was not something to pass over.

    ¡°I mean, Earl Scholters you mentioned to me,¡± he said with a smile, as if he read her mind.

    ¡°Scholters is the first who can reveal Duke Engre¡¯s crime. As I¡¯ve revealed their crimes, Duke Engre won¡¯t be safe.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I guess the Scholters family will be in a bloodbath.¡±

    ¡°I already arrested Earl Scholters and his sessor. Other suspects rted to him are being arrested one by one.¡±

    She recalled Altarin of the Scholters family. Even though Wendy had a bad feeling for her wicked actions, she felt sorry when she thought that Altarin would have to go through a hardship. She was set to experience suffering because of her parents¡¯ crime.

    ¡°I hope everything goes well¡­ How about His Majesty? ¡±

    ¡°Oh, he is very upset about it. Today, he called the botany professor of Jeddah Academy.

    He also has considerable knowledge in medicine.¡±

    Lard spoke, recalling the professor wearing thick pince-nez. He had to be stationed at the imperial pce because of the ongoing investigation of thete emperor¡¯s death. He would not be free until the mastermind who supplied cigars to the pce was arrested.

    ¡°ording to him, it is impossible to precisely find out the timing of death, even if thete emperor continued to smoke cigars and became addicted to bentoxique, but¡­¡±

    He paused for a moment as if he was lost in thought. She didn¡¯t press him to continue, patiently waiting for his next words.

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132: Chapter 132 Don¡¯te to the capital of the empire (4)

    ¡°If the emperor had been greatly shocked by some other stimnt, it would have quickened his death, ording to the doctor. I think it was rted to Duke Engre¡¯s meeting with thete emperor. So, I¡¯m currently interrogating the servant who kept watch outside the door at the time.¡±

    ¡°I think I have to make a drug that makes people tell the truth. If I mix some grass ingredients¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you sure there is such a drug?¡± Lard dly responded to her joke and asked. She quickly waved her hand at that.

    ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I heard some rumors about it in the past. It was just a fake recipe.¡±

    Hearing her, he swallowed like a disappointed man. She tilted her head and looked up at him.

    ¡°Are you desperate enough to take that kind of drug?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ If such a drug really exists, I want to use it for someone I know.¡±

    As she was looking at him curiously, he frowned as if he was uneasy.

    ¡°¡­ You. ¡±

    ¡°Not the attendants, but me?¡± She said, pointing at herself with her finger in embarrassment.

    ¡°Yes, because you won¡¯t reveal your genuine heart to me ¡±

    This man who revived her lost heart said he didn¡¯t know her heart. She almost felt pitiable about this imperial knight who was talking nonsense.

    ¡°No matter how calm you appeared to be about your encounter with the Hazlet couple, you must still feel uneasy, but you haven¡¯t expressed it to me at all. Even when I begged you to tell me several times, you haven¡¯t shown me the truth.¡±

    When he said that, she could no longer take his words lightly. He was concerned about her recent meeting with Earl Hazlet and his wife. His concern was like a balmy wind on a spring day when the dry trees were watered and began to shoot out buds. He was always like a balmy wind to her heart.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t feel heartbroken at all¡­ Since you were so blunt and condemning, I don¡¯t have any reason to feel hurt. You really don¡¯t know anything about me. ¡±

    Looking at her calm expression, he tried to stayposed. He realized something and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯ste at night. Please take a rest. I need to get some clothes. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Do you have to go back to the pce again? ¡±

    He nodded. Her face quickly turned sullen. She felt lonely because she had to part with him as soon as she met him.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re working too hard these days. Hope you will get paid for your extra work¡­¡±

    As she spoke, turning back and pretending to look out the window, he came back to her.

    Suddenly, she stopped while grumbling about his extra pay because he hugged her small shoulders quietly. As she was surprised and tried to turn back, he held her more tightly and said,

    ¡°I feel fine even if I don¡¯t know your heart fully, but please don¡¯t show me your back like this. I won¡¯tin again. ¡±

    Her face became more sullen at his response. It¡¯s toote for him to take back what he just said.

    She cleared her throat without any reply and decided that she would turn sulky to him sometimes.

    ¡°I have always respected your moral repute highly.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m ttered. I don¡¯t deserve such praise.¡±

    ¡°How humble you are, sir! Who doesn¡¯ know Duke Engre¡¯s high moral repute in the Benyahan empire? Hohohoho! ¡±

    A roaringughter came out of the parlor. When Mrs. Hazelet, whoughed happily, gently nudged Earl Hazlet in the ribs, he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Duke Engre! I hope you can take care of my daughter Francis¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I understand how worried you are. If we achieve our great goal, I expect the injustices done to the Hazlet family will naturally be vindicated. Don¡¯t worry too much. You will soon see Francis be freed,¡± said the duke with a smile.

    He had some mysterious power to attract people. His soft and deft eloquence helped him widen hiswork of people, and hisfortable and strong impression helped him gain people¡¯s trust.

    Earl Hazlet nodded in satisfaction, looking into his trustworthy eyes, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll gather my personal militia for you in time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your decision. It will be a great help to us.¡±

    ¡°If all the noble families join hands with you in this coup against the emperor, it would be natural that my family participates in it. I trust you, Duke Engre.¡±

    His voice was incredibly decisive for a person who had been hesitant to participate despite his wife¡¯s persistent urging. Satisfied with his decision, he tried to shake off anxiety.

    Earl Hazlet was scared, faced with a situation in which he would lose his right to session and lose his chance to have his daughter married into a promising family because of her crime. When he saw Olivia Hazlet who inherited hisst name, standing next to Lard Schroder, the strong man of the empire, his heart sunk.

    Earl Hazletforted himself with the idea that if he could use the situation in his favor, he could turn the crisis into an opportunity, but Schroder was the type of man that could never be persuaded. He was horrified by Lard¡¯s chilly and scary way of speaking. If he didn¡¯t do anything to turn the tide, he felt that not only Francis, but none of his family would survive. Duke Engre was his benefactor in this tough situation.

    ¡°Let me leave now. I¡¯d like to have a drink with you when we have a chance in the future. See you on the coup day,¡± said the duke, rising from the seat. Earl Hazlet bowed deeply to him.

    Leaving the earl¡¯s mansion in the dark, Duke Engre got in the wagon secretly. His right-hand man Viscount Bual stood waiting outside and rode with him.

    ¡°The situation has turned interesting.¡±

    ¡°Did your meeting go well?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ There¡¯s something you need to find out for me. I hear that Francis Hazlet was ordered to leave the capital on charges of threatening amoner woman. Please find out about it. I can¡¯t trust the Hazlet familypletely, so I can only use him as a good card.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    The two-horse carriage they got in shook easily while crossing small stones. As if the vibrations served as afortable cradle, the duke leaned back in the stiff seat and smiled.

    The shortage of soldiers caused by the arrest of Earl Scholters would be remedied by the soldiers sent by the Hazlet family.

    ¡°Any update on the status of Earl Scholters?¡±

    ¡°I hear that he has constantly argued that he has nothing to do with the explosion.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good,¡± Auguste replied, closing her eyes.

    He felt it a pity that he would disappoint the investigators who expected to extract confession from Scholters that he was behind the explosion. Now, with the fate of Earl Scholters at stake, he would really hope that Duke Engre¡¯s coup would seed. The duke didn¡¯t share the information about his coup date with Scholters for fear that Scholters might be arrested before the coup.

    Even if Scholters confessed under intense pressure, the coup would be carried out before his confession. The duke felt as if his fatigue fromck of sleep was gone forever. He felt unusually good tonight.

    A few days passed. Back at the pce, Lard went to see the new emperor. The emperor, who had been troubled all day long due to the steep increase in the prices of Montrapi, did not look very good. The Montrapi stockpiles that had been supplied to the people throughout the empire to stabilize the Montrapi prices were now almost out of stock.

    The government cracked down on several Montrapi shops that monopolized Motrapi by arresting their owners and imposing heavy fines, but such measures didn¡¯t help much. The real owners of the shops were in hiding, and those arrested were no more than puppet owners. As they made more money than the fines, they didn¡¯t fear the government¡¯s crackdown. When the government tried to change the relevantw, the nobles joined hands and opposed it, creating a vicious cycle of the Montrapi price hikes and a tighter control over the market. Emperor Isaac felt all the more ufortable because he was aware of the rebellious rumors surrounding him.

    ¡°Confiscate the property of Earl Scholters and strip him of his title. If he can¡¯t confess who¡¯s behind the explosion, I have no other choice but to punish him. Behead Derek Scholters this evening and hang his head on a pole. If anybody dares to touch it before it rotspletely, he shall also be beheaded. Let me see if Earl Scholters can protect Duke Engre in the face of his son¡¯s death,¡± said the emperor, looking at the violins in front of him. As if he didn¡¯t like all of them, he put down the violins on the table in annoyance.

    ¡°Are you going to punish Mrs. Scholters and her daughter Altarin under the guilt-by-association system?¡±

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133: Chapter 133 Don¡¯te to the capital of the empire (5)

    When Lard asked, the emperor stopped for a moment and let out a sigh. Obviously, it bothered him to punish them who had nothing to do with the explosion. But he said firmly, ¡°I think they should be punished, too, as their family was involved in the explosion meant to kill me.¡±

    Then he looked at Lard¡¯s ash eyes. While he tilted his head to examine each of the violins in his hand, Lard spoke with a heavy voice, ¡°I¡¯ve found in his letter that he was connected to the Setorang family. I don¡¯t have enough evidence yet on Setorang¡¯s involvement, but I have no problem summoning him. I think isting Duke Engre¡¯s close allies is probably the most effective way to restrain him. ¡±

    ¡°Sure, go ahead without hesitation. This time you don¡¯t have to be generous in dealing with this case. So, you can be a bit more cruel in removing the duke¡¯s allies.¡±

    The emperor told him about his intentions without hesitation.

    Lard opined, ¡°I have to first find out how much he was involved in the explosion, but saving the Setorang family to some extent would be a good tactic, too. Stoking division among them can be the right method to ruin the duke.¡±

    Exining how to stoke division among the duke¡¯s allies, Lard presented the emperor with a list of evidence. When the emperor received the list, the attendant outside announced, ¡°Your Majesty, Sir Jean Jacques Simuan wants to see you.¡±

    ¡°Let him in.¡±

    As soon as the emperor gave a greenlight, Jean quickly came in through the open door. With a badly contorted face, he barely managed to calm down and reported to the emperor. His report was enough to shock everyone in the room.

    ¡°Jopiern has fallen. Thousands of farmers are rising up in revolt and heading to the capital right now.¡±

    Wendy and Pascal, who were picking flowers inside the greenhouse, raised their bodies, startled at the sudden loud noise from the outside. It wasing from the shop. When she went out of the greenhouse into the shop, someone was knocking on the door so hard that the bell hanging on the door was shaking violently.

    Pascal, pushed her to the back, checked the weapon in his arms and opened the locked door carefully. Wendy, looking nervously at the open door, sighed ¡°Whew!¡± when she noticed a familiar woman outside the door standing in the sun. She felt rxed at once.

    ¡°Wendy!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Melissa, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡±

    She was Melissa, a daughter of Marquis Lowney. Apanied by three escort knights and two maids, she stood in front of her flower shop.

    ¡°Come on in!¡±

    Melissa, looking around anxiously before stepping into the shop, grasped her hands suddenly. Embarrassed, Wendy tried to pull her away from her, but didn¡¯t because her hands were trembling.

    ¡°Wendy¡­! ¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Daddy sent me a messenger urgently. He was staying in Jepisa because my grandmother called for him.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°There broke out a big uproar in Jopiern. I hear that not only the people there but also those in surrounding areas started a riot and they are now heading to the capital. All of them moved in small groups to Jopiern and gathered all at once, so the provincial government didn¡¯t notice it. We have to hurry! As you know, Jopiern is not far! ¡±

    Jepisa was a city right next to Jopiern. Her father urgently sent his family members a message because of the disturbances in the neighboring town. As soon as Melissa heard about it, she worried about Wendy¡¯s safety.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to my house together. They can¡¯t keep the security here properly.¡±

    Melissa made an earnest request, pulling her hands. Standing for a moment and thinking about something, she calmly held Melissa¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Thanks for your concern, but I cannot go. I¡¯m waiting for somebody. Don¡¯t worry about me and refrain from going out for the time being.¡±

    Melissa, who was rtively familiar with Wendy¡¯s personality, quickly realized that she would not go to her house no matter how strongly she insisted.

    Melissa said, releasing her hands helplessly, ¡°Well, if you change your mind, can youe to my house? If you say your name, they will open the door for you anytime.¡±

    Her eyes shined tenderly. Although Melissa looked back often, as if she was worried about her safety, Wendy sent her away calmly.

    ¡°It looks like something bad happened.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because of the Montrapi. I hear the damages by blight and insects have already affected Jopiern.¡±

    Blight and insects dried out the delicate stems of Montrapi flowers even before they grew ripe.

    Peasants were agitated when they saw Montrapi flowers withering and were helpless to stop it. The riots in the Henoby region were the first sign of their revolt. Theirndlords were helpless in the face of the devastating disaster, andst year¡¯s Montrapi grains, which they harvested long ago, were sold at a skyrocketing price at the stores run by some nobles.

    These stores, which were run in close association with thendlords, purchased all the crops from the Montrapi fields of their estatends by offering the down payment before the early spring farming began. As a result, the peasants were put in a miserable situation where they had to buy the Montrapi again for the following year at the price several times the amount they sold it for. The more they farmed Montrapi, the more they experienced the vicious circle of increasing debts, fanning their hopeless and desperation.

    A littleter, Sir Martin Bishop came to her flower shop. Given his gloomy look, he also seemed to know the grave situation in Jopiern where the peasants revolted.

    ¡°I¡¯ve brought you a message that you have toe to the Imperial Pce.¡±

    She stood up without replying and got ready to head for the pce quickly. She felt she had to lock the door of the flower shop firmly.

    When she came out and went round the alley in front of the shop, she saw arge four-horse wagon waiting for her. As she got inside with Sir Dowain, Sir Bishop closed the door.

    Sir Bishop, who sat next to the horseman, asked for her understanding, saying that he would drive the wagon a little faster than normal. Soon she heard the ttering of the horses¡¯ hoofs.

    She thought about the people while looking at the outside as the scenery passed by quickly.

    At the same time, she thought about the safety of the farmers heading to the capital right now.

    Which of them could she me? No matter how righteous a judge came, it would be impossible for him to judge clearly. However, what was certain in this situation was that the weakest of them would experience the worst.

    At that moment, the horses neighed loudly and the carriage stopped quickly. The wagon shook violently, and Wendy could not keep her bnce. She bounced off the seat and hit against the wall inside, but Sir Dowain managed to grab her.

    Thud!

    ¡°¡­ Are you okay? ¡±

    Sir Dowain, whose back hit the wall severely, squinted one of his eyes and asked whether she was okay. She nodded quickly and helped him to raise his body. While the two were trying toe to their senses, the noise outside became louder. Sir Bishop¡¯s voice was heard.

    ¡°What the heck are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Are they safe inside?¡±

    ¡°Please get out of our way!¡± Sir Bishop¡¯s voice was unusual.

    ¡°Well, I need to check their safety inside if I want to feel relieved.¡±

    Sir Dowain, who was watching the outside movement closely, was about to pull his sword.

    Wendy held her breath at the scary noise of several knights pulling their swords outside. Shortly afterwards, the carriage door was opened in a tense atmosphere.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re safe. I¡¯m d you are okay.¡±

    As the man who opened the door turned to the side, another man standing behind him said with a sigh, ¡°Thisdy over here is familiar to me. I think we have met before, right?¡±

    Looking at Wendy, the man stroked his jaw as if he was recollecting his memory of having seen her. He stared at her as if he was convinced he knew her. Faced with his good-looking eyes, she smiled a bitter smile. Their encounter this time was far from idental, she thought.

    ¡°Duke Engre, I remember seeing you at the Imperial Pce recently, ¡± she said, slightly bending her knees.

    ¡°Oh yes! You were next to Sir Schroder! I now remember you. ¡°

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134: Chapter 134 Don¡¯te to the capital of the empire (6)

    She felt annoyed when she saw him pretending to be happy to have met her, but she got out of the carriage, trying not to express it.

    Sir Dowain stood in front of her, but she shook her head and warned him not to provoke the duke.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you in the middle of the main street.¡±

    When she said that, she saw the duke¡¯s security pointing their swords at Martin¡¯s neck.

    She continued, pretending to ignore them, ¡°May I ask why you stopped my carriage?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯d like to serve a cup of tea to a beautifuldy. Would you take a moment? ¡±

    He was smiling tenderly, but he seemed to threaten that he would not tolerate her rejection. She had no choice but to climb into his carriage.

    As he traveled with her in the carriage, the duke babbled about useless things such as hot weather or the famous veal. As if he had met his longtime friend, he talked to her informally.

    The problem was they were not close enough at all to call each other old acquaintances.

    She had no idea where she was being taken because the curtains were closed inside the wagon. She had also been isted from the knights who apanied her.

    It was a big mansion they arrived at,rge enough not toe into her view at first nce. He guided her with a gentle gesture.

    Arriving at the small parlor and sitting face to face with him, she began to feel the strain.

    On all four sides of the parlor, there was an awful lot of stuffed animals. The stuffed animals hung on the wall randomly seemed odd and frivolous. Somehow, she seemed to smell the mixed scent of alcohol and the rottenness of the stuffed beasts. If he had no hobby of collecting stuffed animals obsessively, it was obvious that he wanted to intimidate her.

    ¡°You have a wonderful hobby.¡±

    ¡°Do you think so? It was my father¡¯s hobby. He had the blood of the Benyahan family, but he could not live as its member because of some deficiencies. Because of that, he devoted himself to hunting like crazy,¡± he said with aughter, which sounded eerie.

    She alsoughed, shaking off uneasiness. It was never good for her for a man to show his feelings like this.

    ¡°Nothing is as beautiful as one¡¯s being immersed in something. Women mostly fall in love with men when they are engrossed in something,¡± she said.

    She decided to put out an air of ingenuous beauty in front of him. Namely, she wanted to make him believe that she was so stupid that he could not make himself understood. Indeed, he made a strange look when she said that.

    ¡°¡­I never thought Sir Schroederl¡¯s lover was amoner. As you two are in love, that¡¯s not a barrier. I think it¡¯s a beautiful thing to be immersed in something as you said.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think so? In the eyes of others, does Sir Schroder seem to have me in his heart?¡± She said as if she was thrilled. It wasn¡¯t easy until she sped her hands andughed shyly, but she could easily get by after that. She spontaneously twisted her body, moving up and down her shoulders. It was not that difficult for her to disguise as a shy girl.

    ¡°Why do you hate Francis Hazlet? I hear Sir Schroder punished Hazelet unreasonably¡­¡±

    Wendy was a bit embarrassed when he mentioned the name that she did not expect to hear from him, but she hid her embarrassment skillfully.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t care. She might have loved Sir Schroder secretly or she might have jealous about me standing next to him. By the way, how did you know about her? ¡± She abruptly turned and asked him sardonically.

    ¡°There are some things that Ie to hear against my will. It¡¯s because your dating Schroder has be such a hot topic in social circles. ¡±

    ¡°I see. It was really annoying to hear me being talked about in social circles. ¡± She sighed, putting on airs. When the dukeughed, she alsoughed along in satisfaction.

    After that, the duke asked a few more questions about the rtionship among her, Francis and Lard, but she told him nothing useful. Presumably he didn¡¯t seem to know anything about her rtionship with Francis. He just focused on the fact that Wendy was amoner and that Lard was involved in Francis¡¯ punishment.

    Wendy could wrap up the conversation by giving a big yawn as if his questions were boring.

    The duke, who kept a gentleman¡¯s attitude all along despite themoner woman¡¯s rudeness, seemed to be sick and tired of her.

    ¡°You look tired. Please take a break¡­ Debbie! ¡±

    When he looked at the door and called for a man, the man with a stout build came in.

    ¡°Escort thisdy to the ce prepared for her.¡±

    The duke then said goodbye to Wendy with a bright smile.

    ¡°I enjoyed talking with you.¡±

    Shaking dirt off her skirt, she walked out with the man named Debbie.

    Left alone in the parlor, the duke talked to somebody, ¡°What do you make of her? I¡¯m curious what you think. ¡±

    After some time in silence, a man appeared behind a ss framed with a stuffed bear.

    He was Viscout Bual, his right hand man who took care of all his dirty work.

    ¡°¡­ I think you can use the fact in your favor that Sir Schroder resorted to an expedient in the case of Francis. You could press him by citing her status. ¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of using that right now? If our coup seeds, Schroder will not be able to survive.¡±

    ¡°If so¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you make of her?¡±

    ¡°She just looked like a childish girl. I didn¡¯t know Sir Schroder would like this type of woman¡­ Anyway, the two seem to be in deep love, so you can make use of that. I think we¡¯re lucky.¡±

    Bura was encouraged by his unexpected discovery of Schroder¡¯s lover while looking for the weakness of the Hazlet family.

    ¡°Do you really think she looks stupid? Didn¡¯t you think it strange that she epted the situation so calmly? She showed no agitation at all even when she saw my men pointing their swords at the knight escorting her. I never imagined that she wouldmunicate with me so naturally. That makes me feel ufortable.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because she is such a stupid bitch who can¡¯t see reason?¡±

    ¡°She is too ignorant to feel scared or she is strong-minded enough to deceive me.¡±

    Auguste did not agree with him easily. He felt as if he was overlooking something about her. If she¡¯s not stupid at all, how could she stand undaunted in the face of a threatening situation? He didn¡¯t feel she was arrogant enough to just rely on Sir Schroder.

    He was lost in thought about her for a while, but he couldn¡¯t find a satisfactory answer.

    Then he told Sir Bual before leaving the room, ¡°Keep an eye on her. I¡¯m going to have her as an important hostage to take Sir Schroder¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°How long should I walk?¡± Wendy asked the man sharply, but the man called Debbie didn¡¯t reply. No matter how loudly she shouted at him. He didn¡¯t show any reaction. He opened his mouth only when he reached the dark, damp underground corridor.

    ¡°Go in,¡± he told her, opening the iron bars that were blocking the hallway.

    ¡°Do you mean I should go inside here?¡±

    The man opened the door a little wider instead of answering. She stared at him, gnashing her teeth. Inside there were iron bars on both sides of the corridor. It was a dungeon.

    ¡®He put on all airs as a gentleman while thinking of jailing me in this ce? Damn bastard!¡¯

    She sneaked back, ready to flee, but the man came a couple of steps closer to her to stop her.

    ¡°Let go of my hands!¡±

    Catching her trying to run away, he caught her by the neck quickly. When she shook her head violently, feeling humiliated, he stopped moving.

    ¡°Argh! Let go of me! ¡±

    Was it because of her struggling? The man who grabbed Wendy¡¯s neck let go of her hand, and then gently touched it. She felt creepy, swearing at him unconsciously. Ignoring her curses, he touched her wet yellow hair stuck around her sweaty neck.

    ¡°Hummm¡­ this is not a ne,¡± he said with disappointment when he touched it.

    Initially frightened about him considering raping her and clenched her teeth, she now realized that he mistook her yellow hair for gold. Then the man carried her as if she was a baggage and opened one of the prison doors. He threw her into the prison without any consideration of her pride.

    Holding onto the closed prison door, she shouted at him, asking for his help repeatedly, but he disappeared in a hurry without any word.

    Wendy, once again calling for him to no avail, was angry that she was still putting on an air of innocent beauty that she had shown while talking with Duke Engre. She was foolishly hoping for him toe back at her shouting.

    ¡°Miss Wendy!¡±

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135: Chapter 135 Don¡¯te to the capital of the empire (7)

    While nervously knocking on the bar, she turned her head when somebody called her name.

    ¡°Sir Dowain! ¡­ Sir Bishop! ¡±

    She saw them jailed in the prisons on the opposite side. She stood closer to the iron bars, feeling relieved that they were safe.

    ¡°I¡¯m so d to see you safe, Miss Wendy!¡± Sir Dowain said loudly. His voice resonated through the prison, revealing how much he was worried about her. He was deeply touched by his dramatic reunion with her because of his long association with her at the shop.

    She was thrilled, too, but first of all, she needed to devise a way to get out and survive.

    ¡°How can we get out of here?¡±

    At her asking, Martin whispered, ¡°Three men, including that big guy who just left, are taking turns on guard. The most realistic way is to knock down one of them and take the key. ¡±

    ¡°Let me pretend to pass out, so call them, Sir Bishop. It would be better for them to open the prison door themselves,¡± said Pascal.

    Sir Bishop, thinking for a moment, added, ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s much better if you could pretend to have a spasm to look more urgent.¡±

    They implemented their operation immediately. Pascal fell on the floor and began to act like a patient suffering from convulsion by shaking his hands and feet. In response, Sir Bishop screamed for help for a while. The guy named Debbie who brought her walked up to them.

    ¡°Help him, please!¡±

    The man looked down at Pascal on the floor with a sulky expression and scratched his thick hair.

    ¡°Please, help him! He might die if you leave him untreated.¡±

    Sir Bishop appealed to the man, but the man turned with a standoffish manner after looking at Bishop.

    ¡°Hey, dude! How brutal you are!¡±

    Bishop hurled abuse at him to invite his anger, but the man was not persuaded. After that, Bishop shouted and yelled for help, but he never came back.

    ¡°Oh man, how cruel that bastard is! How can he be so indifferent when he sees a man having a spasm on the floor? ¡±

    Wendy looked around the inside of the prison, pretending not to have heard Bishop.

    Pascal, who stood up with an unpleasant look, brushed off dirt from his body. He got enraged as his actions didn¡¯t bring about any desired results.

    ¡°I think we need to use a different way¡­ I¡¯ve got one thing to try,¡± she said, sweeping the dim wall of the prison.

    She spotted the dim light inside her prison and stood on one wall. Pascal said nervously as she began to press her index finger over the damp stone wall, ¡°Miss Wendy, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to use your finger.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got no other way than this.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do¡­ but you can¡¯t beat that guy by yourself,¡± Pascal said barely audibly for fear that they would overhear him, trying to dissuade her.

    Pretending not to have heard him, she continued what she was doing. After standing on the wall for a while, she ripped up some of his skirt and put her index finger on it. The two knights who were trapped behind the iron bars stomped their feet repeatedly, just looking at her.

    Shortly afterwards, there was somethinging out from the spots one by one where she touched her index finger. It was a dim light. Those that came out on the wall were emitting something white and yellow, creating a calming atmosphere.

    ¡°¡­ What the heck is that¡­?¡±

    Martin Bishop couldn¡¯t shut his mouth, looking at the scene.

    His breathing rang unusually loudly in the silent prison. At that moment, he was reminded of the night of the oath, when all the knights promised to keep silent about her miraculous work.

    Martin barely came to his senses and looked at his fellow knight. Pascal fixed his gaze at her without blinking at all.

    ¡°This might be enough to¡­¡± She intensely nced at the torn skirt without being conceited or hesitating at their reactions.

    There was a small tree growing in the hem of her skirt. Looking like a tree, it was precariously rooted on her skirt, with only one stem of it sticking up. The tree had a ckish bark. It was small and oddly shaped, but obviously it was a that birch well known for its hard wood.

    She clenched its stem in her hand. It was small enough to fit perfectly on her hand.

    She hid it between her skirt pleats.

    ¡°Hey! ¡­ Debbie!¡± Wendy shouted over the hallway. The two knights were stunned by her unexpected yelling, while looking outside cautiously. Many times Wendy called the man¡¯s name desperately. Finally, the iron fence blocking the corridor opened and the man appeared again.

    ¡°Hey, look here!¡±

    She shouted, standing at the end of the prison as if she was frightened. The man again came to her with a sulky expression. The moment his eyes turned inside the prison where she was trapped, his dumb facial expressions quickly changed.

    ¡°Gold¡­?¡± His eyes opened wide at the yellow light from the dark stone wall.

    He saw clusters of yellow golden pieces hanging on the wall, emitting the mysterious light.

    The woman inside the prison was seen trembling in his eyes, with her shoulders curled up.

    ¡°Suddenly, this came out on the wall¡­ What the heck is this?¡± she said, blocking his vision.

    The man craned his head to check the blurry yellow light as if he could not hear her. His eyes were burning with greed.

    nk!

    The man hurriedly pulled the heavy key and opened the prison door where she was trapped. He carefully looked around for fear that somebody might intercept the treasure he found.

    Looking at him, she secretly swallowed augh. The man was deceived as she expected. She decided to take the risk after remembering that he mistook her hair for a gold ne.

    The man, who showed no reaction to their desperate appeal, was interested in gold only. While praying that her daring trick would seed, she grabbed the birch tree in her hand tightly.

    Unaware of her real intention, he came into the prison. Not wary of her at all, he nced at her once and walked to the wall full of gold, as if he was bewitched.

    Right at that moment his knees shook while he was walking with ecstasy. It was shortly after a loud noise rang throughout the prisons. The man fell down with a thump immediately.

    She tapped the man¡¯s body gently and confirmed he had lost his consciousness before loosening her grip on the birch pole. Her experience of wielding a club against the intruder who broke into her house recently helped her to knock him down. She picked a bunch of keys from him and pulled the sword from the sheath on his waist.

    After she was done, she came out of the prison. She closed the door as if to lock the man inside, and walked to the cells where the two knights were trapped.

    She first unlocked the prison door where Sir Dowain was trapped. He came out and grabbed her hand once, epting the keys and weapons in her hand.

    ¡°Oh, your hands are trembling,¡± he said.

    She was looking down at her hands indifferently. As he said, she felt her fingertips were shaking. Her tense shoulders hurt, but she had no time tofort herself.

    ¡°Let me check out if there is anyone at the entrance.¡±

    Pascal quickly freed Bishop and went to look outside. While he was away, Bishop came to her side, looking around carefully. He was holding a birch club in his hand. It didn¡¯t befit a knight who usually wielded a sword, but he had no other choice.

    ¡°Are you okay, Miss Wendy?¡±

    She nodded silently. Bishop looked at the scene inside her prison once again.

    ¡°May I ask what that is?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pumpkin mushroom. It¡¯s a luminous mushroom that emits light in the dark. ¡±

    The mushroom, dark yellow like a pumpkin, was a rare species that emitted golden light. Growing in the cool climate of the northeastern forest, the mushroom sparsely grew in dead tree stumps, attracting people passing by the forest. As the yellow light in the dark shone like gold, people were easily tempted, but when they touched it, they suffered from a skin rash for a long time. The reason why it radiated was because it wanted to spread spores by luring insects to its luminance.

    ¡°Yes, indeed. It shines like gold. ¡±

    While Bishop was admiring her miraculous work, Pascal, came back and gestured to them. Muffling their footsteps, they climbed upwards through the stairs at the end of the hallway. By the time the unpleasant underground air disappeared and the light of the earth was seen, they encountered the security guards in the corridor. Due to the narrow space, they had no time to hide and mount a surprise attack.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± The prison security guards shouted at them.

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136: Chapter 136 Don¡¯te to the Raney Forest (1)

    With Wendy behind them, Pascal and Martin charged toward them without fear. Pascal knocked out a guy quickly, but Martin struggled.

    Each time he swung the birch, the torn pieces of Wendy¡¯s green skirt hung over the end of the stem fluttered. Looking at that, she pulled her skirt down in embarrassment.

    They were outnumbered, but the two overpowered them quickly as if to prove that they were members of the empire¡¯s foremost knights group.

    ¡°Over there!¡±

    Bishop grabbed the sword of a fallen guard and pointed to the entrance. She picked up the birch club just in case.

    ¡°We found them here!¡±

    As soon as they came out of the dungeon, other security men chased them after hearing the disturbances. The three quickly ran to the other side and avoided them.

    When they walked around the building and onto the remote road, Wendy was gasping for breath, but she braved through the road with heavy strides.

    At that moment, there was a familiar smell. It was the smell of dung and dry grass. Wendy soon found the origin of the smell. It was a barn.

    The three raced toward the stable as if by appointment. Like the building they were dragged to, the size of the stables was enormous, and fortunately, there was none nearby to disturb them except for one worker who was checking the saddles.

    ¡°What¨CWhat are you doing!¡±

    As they came into the stables, gasping for breath, the young worker stepped back, embarrassed. Although they didn¡¯t mean to, the sparkling des of the swords that Pascal and Bishop were holding seemed to have scared him. As they couldn¡¯t afford to dy, the three climbed onto horses respectively. The security were already approaching the entrance of the stables. The three drove to the opposite entrance.

    ¡°Miss Wendy! Come on! ¡±

    Although she was in the middle of a crisis, Wendy reached out to pick up the birch club and opened the closed bar of the stables. If she had more time, she could whip the horses towards the fence. Pascal and Bishop shouted at her to hurry up, she got on the horse skillfully and caught up with them.

    When she looked back after driving for some time, she found several horsesing out of the barn. She let out a sigh of relief while looking at the security guys running about in confusion among the horses.

    ¡°Let¡¯s ride to that forest at full speed!¡±

    Martin pointed to the forest, filled with dark spruce. Among the many forests in the Benyahan empire the southern part of Rainy Forest was the only ce where there was a dense colony of spruce. Wendy spurred the brown-spotted horse¡¯s belly with her heel to speed up.

    ¡°ording to the descriptions offered by passers-by, Duke Engre and his men seemed to have kidnapped them.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Did you find out where they were headed? ¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a vi in the Rainey Forest where the duke has a hunting ground. I dispatched Sir Janis and his knights to check out the situation.¡±

    ¡°Is there any news from Toulin?¡± Lard asked, loosening his sped hands.

    Jean Jacques Simuan shook his head, looking at the back of his boss¡¯s hands and their white marks from his tight grip. As always, his face had no expression, but Jean could feel how worried and upset his boss was at the moment. As he could see fury and suppressed feelings in his boss¡¯s eyes, Jean reported to him with a subdued voice.

    ¡°It seems that the duke didn¡¯t share any important information with his close aides. He is even paying close attention to their movement.¡±

    In fact, Lard could not get useful information even from Tulin, Augute¡¯s closest aid, who Lard had recently nted near him. There was no evidence that Tulin invited the duke¡¯s suspicion. It showed how thoroughly Auguste was keeping a watchful eye on people around him, whether they were enemies or allies.

    ¡°Please let me know if you hear anything from Tulin, and check out how many soldiers and knights are avable right away¡­ Oh, I think it¡¯s better to dispatch the knights of my family. Send a messenger to Sir Dober to tell him that he needs to select elite knights. You have to carry out the mission in secret, but if you are certain that the three are there, dispatch the supporting troops to rescue them. Above all, you should put the top priority on the safety of the three.¡±

    Because of the rebellious peasants advancing into the capital, all the avable knights and soldiers were dispatched to defend the pce and the capital, so Lard could not be sure how many of them would be avable to rescue the three including Wendy.

    Only some of the nobles¡¯ private soldiers were left behind to protect their masters¡¯ mansions. The rest of them were dispatched temporarily to defend the capital, but they were easier to use than the regr soldiers.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you updates as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    When Jean Jacques Simuan left the captain¡¯s office, Lard stood looking at the map of the capital spread on the central table. The expected advancing paths of the peasants and the lineup of the soldiers to cope with them were borately marked on the map, but his eyes were fixed on the letters reading Rainy Forest written on the dark blue paper.

    ¡°Wendy¡­ ¡±

    He couldn¡¯t call her name anymore because he felt heartbroken. He clenched his teeth, crumpling the corner of the map in his hand.

    It was his mistake not to have detected Auguste¡¯s trick in advance. It was too naive for him not to predict that the duke wouldmit such a dangerous thing. Lard contorted his face, feeling ashamed of himself. He could not find any excuses when Wendy was now held captive in the enemy¡¯s hands.

    But now was not the time for him to despise himself. He tried to think about the incident itself by staying away from a sense of shame. He was perplexed about Auguste¡¯s boldness.

    ¡°Kidnapping them on the main street¡­¡±

    Auguste¡¯s actions were clearly different from what he had done so far, his tactics were marked by caution and low profile. It was such a dangerous gamble. It seemed he didn¡¯t think enough what woulde next.

    Was the duke determined to fight against the new emperor to the end? The death of the former emperor, the peasant uprising, and the kidnapping of Wendy were all interlocked. Just like a snowballing crime, he was bing increasingly bold.

    Then, what made him so bold?

    Auguste was a smart man. Although the uprisings of the farmers caused confusion in the capital, it was difficult to regard it as a threat to imperial security. And it was too far-fetched to think that he wanted to confuse the entire empire with the peasant uprising. In the worst scenario, the peasant uprising was not enough to spread to the entire empire right away.

    He kidnapped Wendy as if to dere an all-out war. If so, he must have some other motivation.

    Lard examined every corner of the map to see if he was missing something.

    If he could figure out Auguste¡¯s trick!

    Lard had no intention to avoid an all-out war with him, but it was the biggest disaster to him that Wendy was to be entangled in the war. He wished the fight with Auguste to end as soon as possible, but he could not imagine that Auguste would do anything terrible to Wendy.

    Lard would do anything to protect the new emperor, but¡­

    Bang!

    Lard mmed his hand on the table, unable to control his anger. When they heard the strange loud noise from the captain¡¯s room where they had never heard noise before, the knight outside the door hurriedly opened the door and confirmed his safety. When the knight looked at his boss¡¯s angry expression, he asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    After staring at the knight nkly, Lard checked back the map. He pointed his fingers at the number of troops marked on the map. Then, he stopped moving at a point on the map.

    He soon found a piece of paper among the piles of paper and quickly flipped through the pages. After checking the paper briefly, he quickly looked back at the map. The knight was hesitating whether he should get out or stand by, but turned his eyes at the captain who suddenly got busy.

    ¡°I need to see the emperor right now.¡±

    Lard spoke sharply. Startled by his shouting, the knight swallowed, looking at him because Lard was fixing his eyes on the map intently as if he found a target to attack.

    ¡°Take this pile of paper.¡±

    Lard handed him a pile of paperwork on one side of the table and other papers he had reviewed. Then, Lard rolled up the map and left the office.

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137: Chapter 137 Don¡¯te to the Raney Forest (2)

    Lard met the emperor right away in Kingsbray Pce. The emperor was in agony while checking the status of the legition he had proposed as the crown prince. The bill that thete emperor couldn¡¯t proim was handed over to Emperor Isaac, waiting for his approval and promation. The emperor wanted to approve the bill immediately, but under the imperialw he had to wait for 15 days to proim it to the people officially.

    ¡°Come on in, Sir Schroder. In fact, I would like to discuss with you about the problem of the 15-day stay period of the bill at the political meeting. I think 15 days is too long. Isn¡¯t it an overly long time to take it as a minimum safeguard to ensure prudence in handling the bill?¡±

    With a straight face, the emperor was fidgeting with the cuffs of his sleeves with a sigh when he noticed Lard¡¯s unusual expression.

    ¡°¡­ I have something to report to you,¡± said Lard.

    ¡°What is going on? ¡­I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be surprised even if they have plotted treason again. So, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me anything. ¡±

    Despite his cynical attitude, Lard opened the map seriously. When the knight who apanied him put down a document next to him and left the room, Lard pointed to the map.

    ¡°Look here.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that the number of the soldiers of the Setorang family?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. And this is the number of soldiers stationed in the estates owned by the Setorang family, which had been reported during the Boltane investigation.¡±

    He handed over the pages of the document and gave it to the emperor.

    ¡°This one is ¡­ ¡±

    ¡°As you know, all the knights and soldiers assigned to each family are now managed by the knights dispatched by the Imperial Knights.¡±

    Just in case of contingencies, the knights and soldiers of each family were managed very strictly by the Imperial Knights HQ. Their management became more thorough after the explosion of the crown prince¡¯s pce.

    ¡°The soldiers dispatched for the defense of the capital and those guarding the nobles¡¯ mansions in the capital are thoroughly managed, but one thing was overlooked.¡±

    ¡°¡­You mean the soldiers assigned to the nobles¡¯ estates?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°But you need the neighboring nobles¡¯ permission to move the private soldiers out of their own estates, right? Even if they take side with Duke Engre, not all of them support him, I think,¡± said the emperor seriously.

    It was necessary to obtain permission from the surrounding lords for any lord to move his soldiers out of his estate. Local lords could maintain the organization of their soldiers in such a check-and-bnce manner because the expansion or movement of their soldiers posed a threat to rival lords. Besides, the central government was maintaining the Boltane system under which the imperial knights and officials were sent four times a year to oversee their organization. If there was any movement of the soldiers and the expansion of the knights, they were supposed to immediately report to the imperial authority.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. But nobody will bother if the residents, not the soldiers, move out of their estates.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you think Duke Engre has moved the private soldiers in the local estates?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t rule out the possibility.¡±

    When Lard said that, the emperor, turning over a few more documents in his hand, was lost in thought. He seemed aloof, but in fact he was deeply agonized over how to tackle the crisis more than anyone else.

    ¡°Tell me what you want to do.¡±

    ¡°We need to send a messenger to the lords under the influence of Duke Engre and ask for their check against him¡­ If something has already happened, you have to order them to dispatch their soldiers.¡±

    ¡°Is there any guarantee that they are not the duke¡¯s supporters?¡±

    ¡°¡­ There are still a number of lords who have not given up their loyalty to you, Your Majesty. Do not lose your trust in them.¡±

    Emperor Isaac stared at his face intently and opened his closed lips. As if to try to ease his anxiety, he swept down his pale chocte hair.

    It was not easy for him to maintain trust in the lords amid the rising insurgencies everywhere.

    However, it was the emperor¡¯s virtue to hold on to trust in his loyal subjects in any situation. Above all, he trusted the knight in front of him.

    ¡°Just go ahead as you wish.¡±

    ¡°Everything will work out well ording to your wishes.¡±

    Lard bowed to him and stood up. When he was about to turn, the emperor said as if something came to his mind.

    ¡°Is Miss Wendy here? If she has arrived, I would like to meet her. ¡±

    Lard looked at the emperor without replying. When the emperor mentioned her name again, Lard felt so frustrated, but he didn¡¯t have the nerve to tell the emperor what had happened to her.

    Meanwhile, Wendy and her party were driving through the wooded spruce trees in the Rainy Forest. Riding on a horse past the sharp branches of trees was almost like a suicide, but they couldn¡¯t slow down because the enemy was gradually narrowing the distance between them. In the end, something bad happened.

    The horse Pascal was riding on neighed loudly and fell down. Pascal was also thrown off the horse roughly because the saddle was not properly attached to the horse as he got on it hastily.

    ¡°Sir Pascal!¡± Wendy hurriedly pulled the reins, stopped the horse, got off the horse and ran to him. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m alright.¡±

    As if one of his arms were broken, he curled up with a frown. Bishop, who came up close, looked at his wounds for a moment and lifted him body. The tter of the horses¡¯ hooves was graduallying closer.

    ¡°We have no time to dy.¡±

    The fallen horse exhaled a painful runny nose and could not stand again. The blood continued to leak out of the horse¡¯s thighs, as it was torn apart by the tree. Bishop supported Pascal and put him on her horse. To speed up, he had to ride on her horse, who was lighter than Bishop.

    ¡°Giddy-up!¡±

    Again, they began to drive at full gallop. Wendy ran dangerously through the spruce trees, keeping an eye on his condition, barely holding onto her waist with one arm. It was a good thing that she was familiar with the trails in the woods because she had been running simtions to test the strength of her fingers in the Rainy Forest for a long time. However, her riding did notst long.

    ¡°Sir Bishop!¡±

    She called his name while slowing down because Pascal¡¯s upper body was shaking feebly.

    It seemed that he was going to fall down if she kept running like this.

    ¡°Let me ride your horse!¡±

    Bishop, who knew that she alone could not bear his weight, said, as if he wanted to support Pascal. As there was no other choice, the two changed the horses quickly. However, the horse carrying the two men did not gallop as fast as before.

    She felt that they would be soon caught by the enemies chasing them ferociously.

    She heard dogs barking at a distance. They were hunting dogs chasing their scent.

    Hesitating to speed up several times, she nced at the precarious two knights who weregging behind. She had toe up with any means to protect them.

    ¡®Can I use my finger¡¯s power?¡¯

    She thought about it first, but she was not sure if she had enough time to do it. She also couldn¡¯t figure out which nts to grow and escape this crisis by using her finger.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡±

    At that moment, Sir Bishop stopped the horse urgently. When he did that, she also hurriedly pulled the reins.

    ¡°Sir, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Keep driving through the forest! Let me deal with the chasing enemies,¡± he said decisively and pulled out the sword on his waist.

    Pascal, who was seated in front of Bishop on the horse, was already lying to the side, as if he had lost his mind.

    ¡°What the heck are you talking about!¡± Wendy said angrily, and turned the horse¡¯s head and approached him.

    ¡°If you would not go with me, I will not go without you!¡±

    She pulled out the birch stick she had put in the saddle canister. It would not be helpful in this dangerous situation, but she showed her willingness to fight even with the club.

    In the worst case, she couldn¡¯t run away alone even if she showed her miraculous capabilities in front of the enemies.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to argue with you!¡± Bishop said, anxiously looking back.

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138: Chapter 138 Don¡¯te to the Raney Forest (3)

    It was the only measure he could take to save her life at this moment to help her get out of the forest. There was no other option for him unless he ran away, leaving the wounded fellow behind.

    ¡°¡­ No! It would be more time-saving to follow me than for you to try to convince me! If we drive just a little to the south, there is a long ditch. Let¡¯s try to get there first. I have an idea, so just trust me!¡±

    While screaming at him initially, she was now begging him to trust her. Like he said, she had no time to argue with him.

    ¡°Come on!¡±

    Turning the horse¡¯s head again, she urged Bishop to hurry up. After some angst, he clenched his teeth and put the sword back in its sheath. He began to drive the horse, holding Pascal with one arm, who had fallen unconscious. No matter how skilled he was at horse-riding, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to ride in this situation. But as if to prove his grit as an imperial knight, he held on to the wounded knight on the horse.

    Driving towards south, Wendy quickly put her brain to work. Even though she told Sir Bishop to drive toward the ditch, she didn¡¯t have a n. She thought that going to a ce with a stream and washing off any scent would be a safe way for them to get away from the hunting dogs.

    She recalled numerous nt catalogs in her head, and at the same time thought of the simtions she had done in the Rainy¡¯s forest. She had to do something because she couldn¡¯t run away alone, leaving both of them behind in the woods.

    Shortly afterwards they reached the ditch.

    Ssh, ssh!

    The sound of the horses making ripples were heard. While treading on the shallow stream, she hoped that their scent would disappear. She felt that Bishop was looking at her nervously from behind. She told him about the only thing that came to her mind.

    ¡°If you go up a little here, there is a small cave. It¡¯s the best thing you can do right now after throwing away the horse and hiding there. ¡±

    ¡°They will find us soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to use my finger to stop them from finding us.¡± He looked at her with trembling eyes.

    Her suggestion to discard the horse before hiding was far from a smart n. As soon as they discovered the three, her safety could not be guaranteed. Even if the three could escape from their chase, it was not easy for them to get out of the woods. It was even more so, given Pascal¡¯s condition. He had a mission to protect Wendy Waltz.

    ¡°Please guide me then,¡± Bishop decided to trust her.

    It wasn¡¯t just because of Wendy¡¯s miraculous work that he had witnessed when the pce copsed and a little while ago when they escaped from the prison. Looking into her eyes earnestly, he knew that he would never be able to ovee her stubbornness. He could feel she was more stubborn than the most strong-willed knights.

    They left the stream and kept riding the horses. running. By the time the forest trails grew rougher, she finally stopped and said, ¡°You see the crevice of the rock over there.¡±

    She pointed to a hill withrge and small rocks behind the spruce trees.

    After getting off the horse, Bishop tore off some pieces of his clothes and tied them to the horse¡¯s stirrup to distract the hounds by leaving his scent there.

    Then he carefully carried Pascal on his shoulder, whipped the horse¡¯s ass hard to gallop away. She followed his actions. Bishop then walked ahead.

    ¡°Be careful not to leave any footsteps when you walk,¡± said he.

    She tried as best she could while walking, and at the same time she put her index finger down the dirt in the middle of the road. Along with her hand gestures, herbs with strong scent rose above the ground. The nts erased their scent. nts such as thistles, ferns, etc were growing beautifully around, so the herbs she grew were not particrly noticeable.

    ¡°Here we are.¡±

    The cave was long and narrow. Deep inside in particr, it was so narrow that they could not movefortably. She recalled farting mushrooms and thorns by putting her index finger at the entrance of the cave and the bottom of the cave. The nts sprouted on the ground quickly. nts grew quickly enough to cover the cave entrance.

    ¡°Shush!¡±

    As soon as heid Pascal on the floor of the cave, Bishop held his breath and looked outward for any human movement. The sound of dogs barking and the horses¡¯ ttering grew louder. In the narrow crevice of the cave, they were stuck, all in tension.

    Bark, bark!

    The hounds were not far. Several hounds were sniffing to find their scent.

    ¡°Philom! What¡¯s the matter with these hounds?¡±

    ¡°It looks like they lost the track.¡±

    Wendy and Bishop could clearly hear the conversation of the chasers. A man, who seemed to be their chief, nagged the other man with an angry voice when the hounds were wandering around, unable to find their direction.

    She plucked her ears like a herbivore and focused on their movement outside the cave.

    It was fortunate that the hounds were in confusion, but she could not feel rxed yet.

    The sniffling sound of the dogs, the rough breathing of the horses and the footsteps of the soldiers passing by the grass were heard right outside the cave.

    Bark, bark!

    ¡°It looks like they found the smell again!¡±

    ¡°Chase them right now!¡±

    Wendy and Bishop got tense at the moment a guy shouted the hounds found the trace, but shortly afterwards the tter of the horseshoe¡¯s hooves began to disappear.

    The barking hounds followed the horses they released a minute ago.

    Crouching her shoulders in the dark cave, she let out a sigh of relief and straightened up her stiff back.

    Sniff, sniff!

    Right at that moment, one of the hounds, which she felt disappeared, was heard sniffing from the entrance of the cave. Its rough breathing through the nostril was loud.

    The hound began to growl wildly, revealing its teeth as if it smelled the scent of the three inside. In the end, it started to dig through the dirt with its paws at the entrance of the cave.

    The farting mushrooms growing in front of the entrance were crushed in a mess.

    ¡°Barion!¡±

    Someone was calling the dog loudly. Despite that, the dog was busy digging the ground. A thorny bush lined up at the entrance was blocking its approach into the cave.

    Because of the stinging thorns, it could not move to the entrance. The owner of the voice walked toward the cave as if he sensed something unusual.

    ¡°Ugh-uh! What the heck is this smell? ¡­Barion! You naughty guy! Don¡¯t y the wag here. Follow me! Hurry up! ¡±

    The man shouted, grabbing his nose. From the farting mushrooms that dogs crushed, there was such a vicious stink that he could hardly breathe. The man escaped quickly, as if he couldn¡¯t stand it.

    ¡°Barion! Can¡¯t you get out of here? If you don¡¯t listen to me, you won¡¯t have any meal in the evening! ¡±

    As if it understood his warning, the hound barked several times at the inside of the cave fiercely then turned away.

    The two were silently holding their breath even after they disappeared. They were seized by the anxiety that the chasers mighte back. It was only after Pascal woke up with a cough that they felt rxed.

    ¡°¡­ Where am I now? ¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still in the Rainy Forest. As we escaped here for a while, please feel rxed. How does your arm feel?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± he said.

    He then got up, putting up with moaning. In addition to his broken arm, he got lots of scratches.

    Bishop, who checked his condition, brought a fairly useful twig from one side of the cave.

    He used it as a splint to hold Pascal¡¯s arm tight.

    ¡°There are signs of fire here,¡± Bishop said, looking at the bottom of the cave.

    The twig used as the splint also seemed to be someone¡¯s firewood.

    ¡°Is this the ce you had stayed before, Miss Wendy?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I oftene to this forest to collect nt samples. This is the ce I came to avoid the rain briefly or take a break. ¡±

    She agreed and put her index finger on the bottom of the cave. Shortly thereafter, a very small Bahazman tree began to grow from the ground. Then there were very tiny fruits sprouting from the small tree. She picked them all and put them on Pascal¡¯s palm. Around 15 tiny grains fell on his palm.

    ¡°I should not grow this tree carelessly¡­ But I have to make an exception now. Please eat. Even if it doesn¡¯t take effect right away, you will feel a lot better.¡±

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139: Chapter 139 Don¡¯te to the Raney Forest (4)

    At her counsel, Pascal threw the fruits in his mouth. She pulled out the tree rooted on the bottom, then smashed its branches and stepped on the roots. Then she buried them in the ground. The small Bahazman could not take root again, but there was no room for its abuse.

    ¡°Is it right for us to keep hiding here? I am afraid they will btedly suspect the hound¡¯s abnormal barking here. ¡± Bishop, who was watching her actions closely, spoke.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± She asked back.

    He paused for a moment and then said, ¡°Even if we get out of the cave now, it will be difficult to outrun the hounds. They are hellbent on searching for us right now. As Pascal hasn¡¯t recovered yet, I think it would be better for us to wait here and see the situation. Whether we go out or stay here, it¡¯s a big risk anyway.¡±

    Although it was Bishop who asked her first, it seemed that Sir Bishop didn¡¯t want to leave the cave from the beginning. It looked as if he was seeking her consent.

    ¡°I think so. Let¡¯s stay a little longer. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ It looks like I¡¯ve caused you some trouble. ¡±

    Pascal, who quietly leaned against the back of the cave wall, heard the conversation of the two and opened his mouth. As there was no light inside the cave, it was difficult to look at his expression, but his voice was subdued.

    She shook her head at Pascal¡¯s response and said, ¡°No, not at all. It would have been difficult for us to get out of the woods even if we had kept riding.¡±

    ¡°I think Pascal hase to his senses now as he can express his opinion. How fortunate!¡±

    Bishop said jokingly.

    Pascal leaned against the wall, changing his posture, and said, ¡°I will pay back your help by all means.¡±

    ¡°Be prepared. I think we have lots of back orders at the flower shop,¡± she replied slyly.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Pascal replied, smiling a little, adding, ¡°By the way. I¡¯ve something I wanted to ask¡­¡± He slurred without finishing his words.

    Watching out closely at the entrance of the cave, she turned her head towards him, as if she was puzzled.

    ¡°¡­What is this smell? Maybe you also smell it , too, right?¡±

    Pascal exchaled, ¡°Whew!¡± as if he found it difficult to breathe.

    She grinned while looking at the traces of the crushed farting mushrooms seen through the thorns.

    ¡°It¡¯s the smell that saved the three of us from the crisis.¡±

    Like Pascal said, the stench of farting mushrooms was difficult to endure, but thanks to it, they were safe from the enemies¡¯ chase for a while.

    They felt time passed quickly because they were tense. The sun set quickly in the forest. They decided to leave as soon as the day broke. As Pascal¡¯s physical condition was getting better, they had more hope.

    She once again used the power of her index finger for the two knights. Small cherry tomato fruit grew inside the cave. When they ate the fruit, it became easier for them to endure the time in the cave.

    However, none of them could sleep. There was no way to ovee the cold without fire as night fell in the forest, where the heat of the day was gone. She felt cold on the floor of the cave and crouched. Midnight starlight poured through the thorns at the entrance of the cave. While looking at the blue light, she thought of one man.

    ¡®He will certainly worry about me. Yes, he will.¡¯

    Her distant memories of his serene gray eyes appeared and disappeared repeatedly.

    He wouldn¡¯t be able to easily sleep, looking at the starlight. However, she prayed that he would not feel guilty for her unexpected suffering.

    Suddenly, she missed him. She felt she wanted to lean on him.She couldn¡¯t figure out how she stuck it out today. Just like there was a crack in a strong dam, she began to feel weak-minded. She tried to shake off her longing for Lard to get tough-minded.

    ¡°I think dawn is breaking,¡± Bishop said, who was staring at the sky.

    She got up and prepared to leave. As she was sitting on a cold hard floor for a long time, her whole body ached and felt stiff. Pascal, who was raising his body in one corner of the cave, made a low moan.

    ¡°Stay still, please don¡¯t move.¡± At that moment, Bishop suddenly turned to the entrance.

    While watching outside carefully, he moved back, startled. Soon there was heard the sound of several horses¡¯ hooves in the forest, and a group of knights appeared in the forest near the cave.

    There was also heard the sound of horses neighing. Some of them got off the horses and started searching around. Faced with a sudden crisis, she pricked her ears sharply and looked outside intently.

    Were the chasers back? Did they notice their location?

    At that moment, Bishop stuck out his upper body, trampling on the thorny grass that blocked the entrance to the cave with his thick boots. When she, surprised by his sudden actions, reached out to grab his shoulder, all the knights outside already noticed someone¡¯s movement inside the cave.

    The knights were wearing spears and swords. She saw them over Bishop¡¯s shoulder who was stepping out the cave. And she found the man among them that she missed so much.

    ¡°¡­Sir Schroder.¡±

    Lard quickly approached as if he noticed her voice even at a distance. She heard Bishop shouting something at the knights, but she couldn¡¯t understand. She was so thrilled to get a glimpse of his face through the faint dawn.

    ¡°Wendy!¡±

    Lard finally came to the cave and got off the horse. He quickly approached her.

    ¡°Look out! Thorns! ¡±

    He braved through the thorns and opened the entrance of the cave, standing in front of her.

    His face looked very haggard. After confirming she was safe, he saw Pascal inside the cave and looked back at her.

    ¡°Your hands¡­¡±

    She was surprised to see him standing, still holding strong thorny stems in his hands.

    He had some small scratches and bleeding on the back of his hands, but he didn¡¯t care. He looked at her quietly, not moving even one step.

    ¡°¡­Please punish me,¡± he said with a heavy voice. He lowered his head like a sinner.

    A breaking dawn left a trail of mottled light on his cheek. It looked like he was shedding tears.

    ¡°Sir¡­ Please don¡¯t do this¡­¡± She walked to him who was not moving.

    She felt like crying, but held it back. She carefully removed the thorns on his hands holding the thorns and pulled him inside the cave. He followed gently.

    His eyes were hollow. She could see how much he worried about her. She put her hands on his cheeks, wrapped his face, and shared a little of her warmth. His cheeks exposed to the morning dew were colder than her hands.

    She hugged him tightly as she could not properly express her overwhelming emotions.

    He hugged her as if he was bursting out suppressed feelings. Although her face was pushed hard against the patterns embroidered on his uniform, she enjoyed touching it without anyint.

    When the two who felt the thrill of the dramatic reunion pulled away their arms a littleter, Pascal, standing awkwardly behind them, cleared his throat to let them know he was still there.

    Wendy, who had forgotten him briefly, was startled and stepped back from Lard.

    On the other hand, Lard focused on cutting off the thorns at the entrance with his sword without caring about him, just like a man who didn¡¯t know shame.

    With a courteous touch, he held her hand and stepped on the bottom of the thorny grass left on the floor, so she could walkfortably in his steps.

    Lard came out and nced at the remnants of farting mushrooms with an unpleasant smell. She left the cave with him, chuckling at them.

    The two got on Balos together. She stroked his mane once and looked around. The armor of the armed knights were inscribed with the crest of the Schroder family. They gave Bishop and Pascal horses and canisters. Pascal still seemed inconvenienced, but he got better enough to sit on the horse alone.

    ¡°Did you search the forest all night?¡± she asked, seeing lots of mud stuck to the horse¡¯s hoofs

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    After they were ordered to rescue Wendy and others, Schroder¡¯s knights ambushed Duke Engre¡¯s mansion and looked for them, but they had already left the ce. After they found the duke¡¯s soldiers roaming through the woods with the hounds, the knights were convinced that Wendy¡¯s party had escaped from his grasp. Unfortunately, however, they could not easily find Wendy¡¯s party.

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140: Chapter 140 Don¡¯te to the Raney Forest (5)

    Schroder, who had been so anxious after she went missing, joined the search shortly after he was briefed that their search efforts didn¡¯t seed. It was around dawn when he joined them. The emperor let him continue the search efforts.

    ¡°We searched the whole forest for you. Since you were hiding in a ce like this, how could we find you easily?¡± Lard said, looking up at the entrance to the cave.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re not ming me¡­ You finally found us!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I will never let you go again. I won¡¯t lose you or have you taken away.¡±

    ¡°Well, can you search for me if I go into hiding on purpose? You realize how difficult it was today. ¡±

    She responded mischievously when he vowed seriously.

    After he got on the horse, he hugged her with both arms, as if he would never lose her. All the apanying knights of the Schroder family cast a nce at him dubiously.

    ¡°Even if my whole body is scratched by thorny grass, even if I have to jump off the edge of a cliff, or fly on a single spore, I will surely find you when you get lost. ¡±

    She smiled bashfully at that. Her old memories warmly came to her mind like the rising sun.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just any spore. It¡¯s a dandelion spore growing only in the Wesraya region¡­ If you wish, I¡¯ll give you one more chance to fly in the air on dandelion spores,¡± she said jokingly to cheer him up. Only then did he ease his hardened expression and smile. He thought that if she wanted, he would fly on the dandelion spores anytime.

    They quickly rode out of the woods. It was a good thing that they didn¡¯t encounter Duke Engre¡¯s soldiers along the way, but even if they did, they were ready to fight. However, he felt it was good not to waste any time fighting with the chasers because Wendy and the two knights spent the night in the woods.

    When she soaked her feet in the hot tub, Wendy felt a tingling feeling in her body. She wiggled her toes and soaked them into the water. Hot steam wrapped around her body warmly, and she quickly felt tired.

    Knock, knock!

    While she was feeling drowsy, she was surprised by the knocking sound in the spacious bathroom, so she hid herself a little deeper into the bathtub. The sloshing water hit the tip of her chin.

    ¡°I¡¯ming in,¡± the imperial maid, who asked for her permission with a pleasant voice, entered the bathroom. She putfortable pajamas woven from Amasa on a marble table. ¡°Please tell me if there is anythingcking. I will be waiting outside,¡± she said, stepping back.

    Earlier, she refused the maids¡¯ offer to help, so she raised her upper body only after the door was closed.

    Even when she was living in the Hazlet¡¯s family as a nominal daughter, she had never been served by the maids when she took a bath. So, the situation was more strange and awkward to her. Besides, she was amoner now. How ridiculous it is that amoner woman is served by an imperial maid!

    When the water cooled, she got out of the bathtub and went out wearing the pajamas the maid left behind. Thanks to the rose oil mixed with the bath water, her body smelled good even after she wiped it all off.

    Even though it was sunny outside, the imperial room where she stayed was moderately dark.

    They created an environment in which she could sleepfortably through the day.

    She climbed into the spacious bed andy down. It was a cozy bed that could not bepared to her bedroom. It wasn¡¯t easy for a vignt woman like her to spend overnight outside her house, but she feltfortable enough when she thought that Lard was somewhere in the Imperial Pce. Above all, she found it hard to ovee the fatigue that filled her whole body.

    Her eyes closed quickly while she was looking at the carefully carved patterns on the ceiling. She soon fell asleep deeply.

    How much time passed? She felt something warm touching her forehead. She was trying to open her eyes a bit, but only her heavy eyshes trembled and she fell asleep again. His sweet and affectionate hands touched her neat eyebrows and disappeared.

    After that, she had a dream. It was a dream in which she spent endless time at the base of a silver por that was sorge that she could not reach the branches even if she held her hands out.

    She touched the grain of the wood, put her cheeks and forehead on it. When she touched the hard grain, it was soft and warm.

    ¡®Man, trees have warmth!¡¯

    She was surprised by the warmth of the tree, something she could not understand it rationally at all, and touched it here and there. The leaves of the grass waved in the wind, and the clouds floated away, but she didn¡¯t feel lonely at all. Even if she sat alone under a tree, she didn¡¯t feel lonely.

    There was nothing like emptiness or loneliness that broke her heart.

    So far, her solitude could only make her whole, but now she experienced some awkward feelings of loneliness.

    The sun was setting in the distance. The deste sunset quickly disappeared, leaving only a fragment of light on her forehead. A dark night came, but she was still neither lonely nor scared because she knew when the light faded it woulde back. She knew well that the night would neverst.

    She touched the bark of the tree again, feeling more rxed and peaceful.

    She slightly opened her eyes, searching for light. She got up, looking at the white light faintly beaming through the curtains.

    How long had she slept? She felt thirsty, so she hurriedly poured some water into a cup at the bedside and gulped it down.

    She got out of the bed and stood on the floor, revealing her calf that seemed to have be thinner overnight. She put on fluffy slippers, and walked to the window with faltering steps.

    As she opened the curtains, dazzling light poured into the room. She turned her head away from the dazzling light. Shortly afterwards a maid, who noticed she woke up, came in and told her that she would bring a meal.

    ¡°How long did I sleep?¡±

    ¡°You slept all day long.¡±

    Wendy assumed she had several hours of sleep, so she was stunned at the maid¡¯s unexpected reply. Hearing that she had slept for a whole day, she suddenly felt hungry.

    Sir Dowain visited her room, as if on cue, when she finished her meal and put on the prepared dress.

    ¡°Miss Wendy.¡± Thanks to the healing effects of the Bajazman fruits, he was holding his broken arm lightly with only a bandage. The two inquired after each other briefly and chuckled awkwardly. They felt their tense moments at the Raney Forest was like a dream.

    ¡°¡­ Is Sir Schroder working at the office now? ¡°She asked, drinking water.

    She continuously felt thirsty perhaps because she slept all day long.

    ¡°He is at the gate of Aluso right now.¡±

    He was referring to one of the gateways to the capital, the Aluso gate.

    When she heard that, she put down the half-empty cup with a gloomy face.

    ¡°¡­ It looks like they arrived at the capital.¡±

    The uprising peasants were already camping outside the capital. Although the central government stopped them froming into the capital by blocking all the gateways to it, it was only a short term solution. No appeasement or intimidation could ay the agitated peasants. The closed gateways rather stirred up their anger. It looked as if they were ready to storm the gates in armed revolt.

    ¡°The situation is worse than we think. Commoners in the capital are also agitated.¡±

    ¡°I think their pent-up dissatisfaction and frustration erupted into this kind of uprising¡­ But the timing of their uprising is very strange. Wouldn¡¯t it be too naive to think that Duke Engre is not rted to their uprising?¡±

    ¡°I felt he must have been deeply involved in it. But the thing is that the Montrapi prompted their uprising from the beginning. So, we¡¯re at a loss how to deal with them.¡±

    The Montrapi blight and damages by insects caused more repercussions than any other event. Montrapi bread was the main food of the Bennyahan empire, and the farmers who cultivated the crops ounted for over 60% of the total farmers. The central government discussed measures likepensation and tax cuts for the affected farmers, but it could not offer any practical alternatives because of the extreme opposition by the Duke Engre faction.

    They obstructed the government¡¯s swift measures by offering vague measures that did not directly help the affected farmers.

    When the two were seriously talking about it, a messenger sent by the emperor came to Wendy, telling her the emperor wanted to meet her.

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141: Chapter 141 Don¡¯te to the Raney Forest (6)

    ¡°You must go then. I will escort you to Kingsbray Pce. The captain ordered me to protect you,¡± Pascal said with a meaningful smile.

    Pretending not to have noticed it, she put her hand lightly on his hand.

    As always, the emperor weed Wendy with some exaggerated words and actions.

    She discovered something strange in him, which she had not noticed in the past. It was a sign of anguish and trouble on his face. There was a sign of unbearable pain on his face, which had always been bright like a young boy.

    ¡°I hear you were in big trouble,¡± said Emperor Isaac, clicking his tongue.

    She lightly replied, ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t something you should worry about.¡±

    ¡°By the way, I have something to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please go ahead.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Can you grow Montrapi? ¡±

    She stared into his face without replying. Despite her disgraceful attitude, the emperor gave only a deep sigh without pointing it out.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the blight and damages by insects usually take ce after the Montrapi flowers bloom. They had simr damages from the southern end to Jopiern. Botanists found the cause of the damages in the flowers of Montrapi. ording to them, the insects suck up all the essence produced by the flowers, so the flowers dry out and do not form grains at all¡­So, don¡¯t you think you can solve the problem after the flowers fall?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I am not sure what you are trying to say. ¡±

    ¡°I wonder if you can grow Montrapi flowers with grains.¡±

    ¡°Of course I can, but I¡¯m asking you what¡¯s the point of growing such flowers.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what I mean is I wonder if you can grow Montrapi enough to appease the farmers seizing the capital.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡± She did not hide her embarrassment. Although he sensed it, he persuaded her once again, ¡°Could you help me as much as you can? I won¡¯t forget your help.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how. It¡¯s beyond my ability to grow Montrapi enough to appease the riot farmers. Even if I use the power of my index finger for 100 days, I won¡¯t be able to fill their needs.

    Even if I put my finger on the soil until it¡¯s bruised, I won¡¯t be able to grow Montrapi as much as you want,¡± she said resolutely.

    She couldn¡¯t do it even if he tried to appease and persuade her. A ray of hope that emerged in his brown eyes quickly faded. He pressed his forehead with his hand as if he was tired.

    Watching him quietly, she opened his mouth with a sigh.

    ¡°Are you ying these days? ¡±

    He looked at her in embarrassment, when she mentioned his ying all of a sudden.

    ¡°I mean the violin.¡±

    ¡°¡­ How can I y the violin? My violins were all burned.¡±

    The recent fire in Cheddar Pce burned the few violins he had kept. As the pce was burnt, he no longer yed the violin, whether he wanted it or not.

    ¡°If you want, you can get a good violin, right?¡±

    ¡°Nope. You need some conditions to obtain a good violin. Namely a great violin craftsman and great instrument materials. It¡¯s not easy to meet these conditions,¡± he said, standing up from his seat. Obviously he was displeased with her talking about the violin.

    She remembered his lively and dynamic attitude at Jerus Hall when he was the crown prince, which was quite different from his helpless and subdued attitude now.

    If Isaac had something he couldn¡¯t give up besides the throne, it would be the violin.

    ¡°Try ying the violin again.¡±

    She felt sorry for that, so she advised him to resume ying.

    She stood up and approached the emperor, who was deeply devastated.

    He didn¡¯t ignore her advice or get upset with her, but just looked into her green eyes up close.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. Anyway, myte father didn¡¯t like it. Don¡¯t you think I should keep dignity as the emperor? ¡± He said, with a smile.

    She felt pitiful, discerning his disguised feelings, because she felt his strange behavior as well as his dreams and aspirations as a young politician all seemed to have disappeared. She knew it was rude to think so, but that¡¯s what she felt. But she didn¡¯t have the gift of gab, nor she had the knack of understanding his troubled heart well. Comforting him hastily was not worth any try from the beginning. So, she no longer spoke pretentiously and remained silent.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I have disturbed you with an absurd topic¡­ I did not forget the oath of the day when the pce copsed. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry I can¡¯t help you.¡±

    She was about to part with him after exchanging routine pleasantries. A royal guard hastily came to the emperor with an urgent message. As the emperor okayed, he came inside.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty! The western gate of Borams was taken over by the mob!¡±

    He used the expression ¡®the mob.¡¯

    In fact, he was referring to the farmers who gathered in the capital. The peasants who used to be good were now called the mob. She curled up at the threatening implication of the word.

    ¡°¡­ Any casualties? ¡±

    ¡°We have no updates on the injuries of the knights yet.¡±

    The emperor frowned at his reply, saying, ¡°No, I¡¯m not just talking about the knights. You have to report about any injured peasants, too.¡±

    ¡°I hear there were many injured among the peasants. However, no deaths have been reported. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is Sir Schroder still on the eastern tower of Aluso? ¡±

    ¡°I hear that as soon as the riot broke out, he headed to Borams.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Send him my message. Avoid armed conflict with the peasants and try to ensure their safety. Let me send doctors there to treat the wounded peasants.¡±

    When the guard bowed out, the emperor called in the chief imperial doctor and asked him to dispatch some doctors to Borams.

    ¡°¡­ It would be a lot easier if we were to suppress them by force. Why did you tell Sir Schroder to avoid armed conflict? ¡± She asked.

    The emperor stopped sweeping his haggard chin and stared at her. He was apparently disappointed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are asking that because you want it. They are my people, too, even if theymitted the crime.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You might have to see the wounded among the knights if something goes wrong.¡±

    ¡°If the shes were severe enough to cause injuries among the knights, there would be deaths among farmers. My knights are excellent. For a long time, they have been trained to cope with this situation. I believe that they will carry out the mission while obeying my order.¡±

    She looked at his face silently, who sometimes seemed to be infinitely weak, but suddenly appeared strong. After adjusting his cors for a moment, he opened his mouth again.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny that I am saying this? You know I once promoted you as a shield to protect myself. At that time, I had the power to put your life at risk. What should I do? I¡¯m such a contradictory person¡­I can¡¯t sacrifice my people.¡± Isaac looked at her bitterly.

    She couldn¡¯t do anything to make him feel a acute sense of guilt as long as she could not shake off her bad feelings about him, so she didn¡¯t say anything. If he were conceited and acted rudely, she would respond correspondingly. But she didn¡¯t want to harass him when he confessed his own contradictions.

    ¡°I promised to improve the difficult lives of themoners, so if I took their lives because they went out to the streets to protest, I would lose my legitimacy. ¡±

    The emperor spoke with a heavy heart, looking at the portraits of the former emperors hanging on the wall. He continued, as if her silence made him morefortable. Obviously, what he needed at this moment was neitherfort nor condemnation.

    ¡°¡­As for the bill I proposed, do you know why I want it so much? Do you know why I¡¯ve been obsessed with it for so long. ¡±

    He asked, but she knew he didn¡¯t ask to hear her reply. She just listened to him.

    ¡°I won¡¯t say I loved more than any other emperor these innocentmoners. Everybody would ridicule me if I said so. I just had no other choice but to love them¡­I was just one of them, and they were like me as a human being. They were my mothers and sisters.¡±

    In the tense atmosphere there was heard the sound of a horse¡¯s hoof on a well-paved road. Lard, who turned his head to the sound, soon received a messenger from the emperor. The messenger delivered the emperor¡¯smand to him.

    ¡°¡­Got it. Go back and help the emperor.¡±

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142: Chapter 142 Don¡¯te to the Raney Forest (7)

    After Lard replied calmly, the messenger went back quickly. Looking at the messenger disappearing gradually, he felt light-hearted because he felt relieved by the emperor¡¯s decision.

    ¡°Captain?¡± Jean Jacques Simuan asked, looking at his strange expression. Jean was also curious about which message he got from the emperor.

    ¡°Instruct the knights and soldiers to refrain from using force from now on. They are not our enemies from now on.¡±

    ¡°Pardon? However¡­! ¡±

    ¡°Hey, you told me that the stout man with a beard was the leader of the peasants, right?¡±

    Lard asked Jean, pointing with his chin to one of the peasants confronting them in Boramas. Jean replied in the positive.

    Lard said to Jean, ¡°Look into the background about the knight who was responsible for the pulleys here, including all the families rted to his birth!¡±

    After he said that, Lard got on Balos and drove to the middle of the ce where the knights were confronting them. The farmers were startled at his sudden movement and lifted their weapons into the air.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡±

    Lard pulled over Balros and stood at the ce where he could have a view of the man with a beard straight ahead. The man¡¯s brown beards covered half of his face, so Lard found it hard to identify his expression. The man was wary of Lard, pointing the pickaxe towards him.

    ¡°I am Lard Schroder, themander of the 1st Imperial Knights. His Majesty sent royal doctors here to treat the wounded among you. So, have them treated. With my honor, I swear we won¡¯t attack you as long as they are treated.¡±

    The man stood still as though he was appraising Lard¡¯s announcement and checking the situation. There was growing whispering amid the peasants who heard him. They obviously found it hard to reject his offer to have their wounded fellows treated and taken care of.

    ¡°Do you believe him? Don¡¯t fall prey to his lip service! He is also a noble! We never know his motivation!¡± One young man shouted. Standing next to the bearded man, he was a dynamic young man with ck skin and sun-tanned eyes with a double eyelid. The peasants began to buzz again.

    ¡°¡­ Stop!¡± At that moment, the bearded man politely shouted and silenced them in an instant.

    ¡°What Piaph just said makes sense¡­ But we can¡¯t turn a blind eye to our injured fellows!

    Think of the reason why we gathered here! ¡± He shouted at them. Everyone was listening to him.

    ¡°We gathered here to be freed from their exploitation and live like humans, right? Look at your colleagues¡¯ wounds. Do you want our wounded fellows groaning in pain or do you want to take away their chance to get treated? Tell me what you want!¡±

    The atmosphere changed seriously in no time. Nobody responded loudly to him, but most felt persuaded. Only the young man standing next to the man was still furious. Fortunately, the royal doctors arrived in time. ncing at them getting off the wagons, Lard told the man, ¡°As long as the doctors are here, can we promise we won¡¯t use force against each other?¡±

    The man nodded. At Lard¡¯s gesture, the doctors who were waiting in the back stepped toward the ce where the farmers gathered. They started treating the wounded.

    Lard, who watched the doctors treating the peasants, got off the horse and put his sword into the horse¡¯s baggage. Unarmed, Lard stared at the bearded man standing in front of him and walked towards him. The farmers felt agitated at his approaching, but the bearded man calmed the peasants by telling them to put down their arms.

    ¡°Tell me what you want. When you havee here at the risk of your lives, you must have a good reason.¡±

    Lard stopped several steps in front of some of them. None of the soldiers or knights who blocked their approach had ever asked the peasants this kind of question, so the bearded man felt strange tension and relief.

    The farmers shouted slogans asking for the government¡¯s relief measures or asking the government to take measures to help them live decently like humans, but none of the knights protecting the capital listened to their request. All of them focused on blocking the farmers¡¯ ess to the capital.

    ¡°¡­ We want the central government¡¯s relief measures. Most of the farmers here are on the brink of bankruptcy. What is the point of farming? What they get at the end of the day is barely enough grains to sustain their lives. Even though most of the cropsst year were in the hands of the nobles. Do you know why they started farming Montrapi again this year? It¡¯s because when we grow crops other than Montarpi on ournds, they levy heavy taxes so much that we don¡¯t get anything from our farming. Eliminate the evilws that make us poorer the more we farm! Can we breathe when you take measures for us to make a living right away?¡±

    In order to maintain a certain amount of Montrapi crops, the central government of the Benyahan empire requires the farmers to cultivate Montrapi on some parts of their farnds. Such a policy has two goals. One was to maintain a stable supply of Montrapi through the imperial family and the local lords¡¯ purchase of the Montrapi, and the other was to have the farmers secure a stable source of ie with their purchase.

    But it was also true that lots of abuse urred during this process. It wasmon for many lords to manipte the purchase prices to make extravagant profits, or to take advantage of the tax cuts and imperial subsidies for the farmers. In this situation, the blight and damages of Montrapi by the insects this year made farmers more frustrated and devastated.

    ¡°Please give us practical relief measures to protect us against the blight and damages by insects. It¡¯s alreadyte autumn in the southern areas. If you don¡¯t take any action, it¡¯s like letting them starve for the winter. ¡±

    ¡°I cannot discuss the abolition of thew right now. His Majesty has ordered me to rescue you first. Go back to your hometowns because the emperor has promised topensate for your damages sooner orter. You will not be held responsible for any disturbances you made in the capital. I can swear on my name.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we are idiots? He¡¯s going to paper over ourints. He¡¯s trying to make a mockery of us!¡± The young man with the dark skin standing next to the bearded man balked at Lard¡¯s persuasion.

    ¡°¡­ If I had tried to paper over yourints, I wouldn¡¯t have tried to talk to you in the first ce. I am the captain of the Imperial Knights, not a scoundrel in the street,¡± Lard said coldly to the young man. He tried to avoid any provocativenguage.

    He continued, ¡°The emperor is sincerely concerned for you. That¡¯s why he dispatched the royal doctors here. He also enacted a legition that guaranteed formoners to get prestigious jobs in the government despite the strong opposition of many nobles. He had a hard time because of that, but he didn¡¯t relent. So, trust him. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Did you say you are Sir Lard Schroder? ¡±

    The bearded man asked, after pondering over something.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a few times about your family. Your father led the fighting to reim the region of Baltazar. I heard your father was fair and just. Sir, I hope you are the same as your father. ¡±

    Unlike an ordinary farmer, he spoke courageously like a knight on the battlefield. Conscious of Lard¡¯s sharp eyes, he remained calm.

    ¡°Let me talk with my colleagues. But can you write down what you just announced in a document?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to be a traitor at this guy¡¯s lip service?¡± The young man next to him cut in, bursting into anger. But the bearded man shouted at him, with a frown, ¡°John Piaf! Shut up! ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed you are such a weak man! Eduval, you no longer deserve to lead us! ¡±

    As the two were engaged in heated arguments, the farmers who surrounded them looked at each other nervously. It was the first crack in their unity, who had remained united without any division until they came to the capital.

    Lard stared at the young guy closely. There was deep suspicion in his eyes.

    ¡°We should discuss among us. So, please return, Sir Schroder!¡±

    His voice was tinged with deep anger. Lard returned without any reply.

    ¡°Sir Becktuel!¡±

    Lard, who pulled Balos and walked to the ce where the knights were lined up, summoned him and gave him a secret order.

    ¡°Keep an eye on that young guy from now on and try to find any wounded man who seems to have a close rtionship with him,¡± said Lard, pointing to John Piaf with his chin, who was very dissatisfied.

    He continued, ¡°And call one of the doctors treating the wounded farmers and instruct him to ask some questions when he treats the patient, such as where he came from and if there was anything suspicious about him.¡±

    Sir Becktuel nodded silently at hismand.

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143: Chapter 143 Don¡¯te to Buttuwat River in the summer (1)

    Initially, Wendy didn¡¯t care very much about what the emperor said. As for themoners, the ss that upied the majority of the empire poption, the emperor spoke of them with love.

    It was a metaphor with nothing special. However, what he said next changed her perception.

    ¡°Have you ever heard of the rumors that I am not the queen¡¯s child? I was a bit distressed because of the rumors. Had the rumors been groundless, I wouldn¡¯t have suffered, but the problem is that the rumors are true¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­! ¡±

    ¡°My biological mother was a craftsman who was trained as an apprentice under Rokasiz. Ah, Rokasiz is a famous violin master. ¡± The emperorughed as he exined.

    Wendy wasn¡¯t sure if he was just kidding or telling the truth, so much so that she could notugh or treat Emperor Isaac¡¯s confession lightly.

    ¡°When thete emperor was the crown prince, he went to the summer pce of Charpenti and met her by chance. I still can¡¯t understand how he was attracted to that woman, but her status didn¡¯t matter to him, just like you and Sir Schroder¡­ But that moment was fleeting. Eventually, thete emperor was destined to return to the capital and marry a noblewoman¡¯s daughter. Isn¡¯t it too obvious a story? Any y based on this kind of story would not likely be performed on any stage.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it easy to imagine what happened next? After he returned to the capital, the crown prince was so lovesick that he visited her again, and finally, she got pregnant with a baby that should not have been born. It was really a dangerous thing for him because the crown prince¡¯s first baby was an illegitimate child, and that the baby was born to amoner woman! How could it be eptable at that time? But thanks to the grace of the queen, my biological mother became her maid and got her protection. My sister and I were also protected by the queen, and could lead a life without any harassment by others. It was a miracle and at the same time a misery because the queen could not have a child any more after she miscarried a baby. The queen was pitiable. I thought she was my biological mother until I turned six. She cried, holding me. I didn¡¯t know why she cried at that time, but I think I can understand her feelings a bit now. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°This is my whole story. It¡¯s about the origin of my birth.¡±

    He stopped talking in front of the portrait of thete emperor. After hearing his story, Wendy had to frown her unconsciously and calm down her irregr breathing.

    ¡®Was the emperor an illegitimate child like me?¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t just live while ignoring my people here because they are my mother, my sister, and myself. ¡±

    ¡°¡­I would like to know why you are revealing this to me,¡± she barely said.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m talking to you about myself¡­ I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m babbling about my shameful story.¡±

    Heughed heartily, as if he thought his confession was ridiculous.

    ¡°Wendy, I know one of your big secrets, so it wouldn¡¯t be bad for you to tell me about it. You can use this as a weapon to stop me from coveting the power of your finger again. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s fair?¡± He spoke casually.

    She thought hard to find out why the emperor decided to reveal his painful past to her.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t it his intention to persuade me to use my index finger power by telling me the secret about his birth? Or does he want to have me around him for the rest of his life in return for sharing his secret?¡¯

    She recalled various assumptions like that, but none of them seemed valid.

    However, when she erased such calcted thinking from her mind, she thought of one clear assumption. Perhaps he told her about his birth in order not to lose his initial determination to save the lives ofmon people and protect them.

    ¡°I wish that at least one person could understand this contradictory emperor.¡±

    Emperor Isaac spoke, awkwardly touching his bangs. The more he touched them, the more his bangs were messed up. He bowed his head before the portrait of thete emperor.

    His face was not wet, but she thought he was in tears, the most dry tears in the world. For him, even tears were contradictory, just like her past life.

    ¡°You can leave now. Rest,¡± said the emperor.

    She wasn¡¯t sure if she could leave him alone and go back. How could she walk away after she heard his secret story? She thought it would have been better if she hadn¡¯t listened.

    ¡°¡­ In the afternoon I¡¯m going to pardon some of those jailed at Bagium Prison. Let me check the list again.¡±

    He was referring to the emperor¡¯s special pardon on the asion of his inauguration. Traditionally the new emperor selected those whomitted crimes for survival and pardoned them. But his pardon was put off because of the confused situation of the country. He turned his back and pulled the string on one side of the meeting room to call an assistant.

    ¡°Tell Behas to bring me a pardon list.¡±

    The attendant went out immediately as his order.

    Wendy, standing nkly, realized that she had nothing more to do here. She couldn¡¯t tell him to forget what he had confided to her, or ask him to cheer up because she was an illegitimate child like him.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to leave now.¡±

    After saying goodbye to him, she turned with a heavy heart. Sir Dowain was waiting for her outside the meeting room. When she walked out of Kingsbray Pce with him, she saw a garden attached to the pce. The garden was not thatrge, given its status as the emperor¡¯s garden. The pce was open in all directions for reasons of security. Therge garden was useless in terms of the emperor¡¯s safety.

    ¡°Shall we walk for a minute?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    The two stepped inside the garden. Even though it was small, it was beautiful. She could feel that the gardener tended to it very carefully everywhere. She stood in front of a triangr-shaped boxwood tree past the cluster of fully blooming flowers. When she saw the tree with its fine branches cut out, she felt bitter.

    Did the emperor say he gave up ying the violin? Like this tree, the emperor cut off some of his life to calibrate his life as the emperor. His biological mother¡¯s apprenticeship to make a violin and his excellence as a violinist were probably notpletely irrelevant.

    Whatplicated thoughts did thete emperor have while watching Isaac growing up?

    Didn¡¯t he feel fear as well as sorrow? His concern must have yed a decisive role in getting him to give up ying the violin. But was it really the best option?

    Illegitimate child. Isaac would have made a lot of effort to get out of the dark shadow of that name, but at the same time he had some affection for his hidden past that was part of him.

    His efforts to stabilize the lives of themon people were prompted by his warm considerations of his background. Obviously, he didn¡¯t devise the new legition to enhance the lives of themoners just because he was conceited or he learned the ruling basics of the king.

    His hidden past and his affection caused by it was not just limited to something political.

    Wendy recalled some episodes involving him in the past.

    Was it because of his background when he showed excessive interest in her when he first met her at Jerus Hall? Did he look at Lard and her with the hope that he could connect the two, something thete emperor and his biological mother could not achieve? Did he offer the title of baron as the reward for the winner for this reason?

    It was only her own guesswork, but she felt heartbroken while reflecting on his past actions that bothered her. She felt he was pitiful, rather than sympathetic towards him.

    ¡°Sir Dowain, do me a favor.¡± Wendy turned to Pascal for help.

    Pascal, who heard her story, looked at her strangely, but soon reassured her.

    ¡°Please wait, drinking a cup of tea. You look pale.¡±

    She did as he wished. While waiting for him, she drank three or four cups of tea and took a rest, looking out the window. He came back by the time she meaninglessly turned around the mug with cold tea.

    ¡°Here it is. I had some trouble finding it. Indeed¡­ he hid it deeply, ¡± he said as if he was whining.

    She got up from her seat with a deep gratitude to him.

    Immediately, she headed for the remains of Cheddar Pce.

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144: Chapter 144 Don¡¯te to Buttuwat River in the summer (2)

    There was no strict security at Cheddar Pce like Kingsbray Pce. The ce where the pce existed waspletely destroyed. There were only the traces of the buildings that were burned ck with white and ck marks all over the ce, reminding her of the tragic explosion. She recalled the harrowing images of those who were wounded with severe burns being carried to Merihi Pce.

    Naturally, Dn Lennox came to her mind. He suffered terrible burns here.

    She forgot about him for the past few days. It seemed strange that she had forgotten him because she cured him with such dangerous burns. Nheless, she forgot him. She felt guilty that she had forgotten him, but also she felt it was good. She really forgot him.

    Squatting on the ground, she touched the ckened soil with her fingertips. As the soil was scattered, she noticed some healthy brown soil among it. However, it would not be necessarily brown soil. The ash that turned ck would be a good fertilizer. One day it would be forgotten when it was mixed into the brown soil, erasing the traces of the burnt pce.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡±

    She, who was lost in idle thoughts, looked up at someone¡¯s voice. She saw the emperoring toward her at a distance. She soon cleaned the dirt and stood up.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a man of leisure. I regret telling you my secret. Why did you bring me here?¡±

    The emperor approached her, grumbling joyfully. She saw Sir Dowain among the royal guards following him. She thanked Sir Dowain, who escorted the emperor to this ce.

    Soon after the emperor told them something, they all turned around and disappeared.

    Soon, only two of them, Wendy and Isaac, stood on the deserted ce.

    ¡°I heard you got something to give me secretly. What is it?¡±

    She handed him what she had in her hand without replying.

    He looked at it in surprise. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the violin bow?¡±

    ¡°This is the bow you gave me at the Burgonu Hunting Competition. It was the prize for the winner of the archerypetition. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, I remember. But why are you giving it to me? ¡±

    ¡°You said all the violins were burned, right? This must be a great bow made by a craftsman because you gave it to me as the prize for the winner.¡±

    ¡°Right, but why are you suddenly¡­¡±

    Again, instead of answering, she bent her knees and put her index finger on the ground.

    Small buds sprouted right from the ash and grew quickly.

    Isaac looked at it with a surprised expression. The thin branches were thickly transformed in no time, revealing a beautiful, floating stem as thick as an armful.

    ¡°This tree¡­ ¡±

    He was speechless, watching the palm-shaped leaves changing from light green to green and red. It was arge maple tree.

    ¡°I read somewhere that wood should be low in density and highly stic to produce good sound. It¡¯s not clear whether I read it in a professor¡¯s research paper or a schrly journal.

    Either way, this tree with such characteristics will be of help to you.¡±

    Emperor Isaac looked at her with a perplexed expression, but she continued calmly, ¡°It will be a great instrument material. Now all you just need to do is find a good violin craftsman¡­You can find the man you mentioned as Rokasiz. ¡±

    ¡°He is already dead.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that¡­ But don¡¯t you think there is his sessor or some other great craftsman in the empire?¡± She said with a shrug.

    ¡°Wendy, this is¡­¡±

    ¡°Please keep doing what you want to do. Is there anyw in the empire that the emperor should not y the violin? I haven¡¯t heard of it. If there is, it would be good for you to abolish it this time. Wouldn¡¯t it be okay for you to wield your almighty power just once? ¡± She said jokingly.

    The emperor who smiled bitterly looked up at the maple tree quietly.

    ¡°Your Majesty, such a serious look does not befit you. Your pleasant look, depending on how you feel, suits you better¡­ Don¡¯t give up on the violin. Why are you doing such foolish things while you are trying not to forget the roots of your birth?¡±

    This time, the emperor didn¡¯t reply. She didn¡¯t even care about it, and continued, ¡°For this tree, your violin collection would have been precious nutrients. People ¡­ they are not that different from a tree. ¡±

    She wanted to tell him that the day woulde when he could be the source of the people¡¯s energies, and that he would grow big like trees growing again in a burnt forest.

    ¡°I hope you can dispose of this maple tree well so that my secrets are not revealed. I don¡¯t think you will have any problem with your power. As we have shared secrets with each other, I think you can grant my request, right?¡±

    Isaac, whoughed at her words, quickly turned to her. His smile looked serious now.

    He was sincere. She tried to be indifferent, pretending not to notice his face, but she couldn¡¯t stop smiling.

    One day passed. There was still an ongoing confrontation between the knights and the peasants at the western gate of the empire, Borams. Although there was a lull as the doctors continued to treat the wounded peasants, nobody knew when the atmosphere would change.

    ¡°I hear that John Piaf was from a family that had been farming Montrapi in Jopiern for generations. His forefathers bought a lot ofnd, but had to forfeit it all to the lords because of increasing debts. But recently, rumors circted that his family reimed the lost farnd. Nobody could confirm it, though. He had a brother. John boasted several times that his brother joined a prominent family as an apprentice knight.¡±

    After he was briefed by Sir Becktuel about John Piaf, Lard made assumptions about every possible situation. He couldn¡¯t help but strongly suspect the guy¡¯s connection with Duke Engre.

    ¡°Send a message to Tulin, asking him to find out if there is any rookie knight in the Engre family with Piaf as thest name. If there was a dealing between them, there must be some evidence somewhere. And send someone to Jopiern to find out if John has recovered the confiscatednd or how he secured the money.¡±

    Sir Becktuel went out with a nod. Lard received a series of reports after that. Sir Jean Jacques Simuan came up with the results of an investigation into the knight who was in charge when the pulleys of the gate were destroyed. His expression was exceptionally eerie even before he opened his mouth.

    ¡°Did you find out?¡±

    ¡°¡­ The knight was Jacob Shelter. It is said that he is a local nobleman and currently serves Viscount Ryonadan. But¡­¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Schroder demanded when Jean hesitated.

    He nodded once and said, ¡°He is connected to Earl Hazlet. I hear he was officiated as a knight by the earl. I think we need further investigation into whether the Hazlet family is involved in the peasants¡¯ uprising. ¡±

    After he heard that, Lard thought for a moment. Hazelt¡¯s involvement was something he never expected. He really felt ufortable about linking this connection with Duke Engre. Given the heavy punishment to Francis Hazlet, he could easily imagine what kind of options the Hazlet family agonized over. But he hoped the family rted to Wendy didn¡¯t make such an extreme choice.

    ¡°¡­ Did you find he deliberately destroyed the pulleys?¡±

    ¡°I found evidence that he touched the lock on purpose. As they were assigned to check the lock on a rotation basis, there was no reason for the pulley wheel toe off.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Keep an eye on him well and find out if the Hazlet family is involved. Use the mole who was nted to check Mrs. Hazellet and her husband¡¯s movement.¡±

    After Jean went out, Lard walked out of the temporary barracks.

    On the other side, Eduval and his colleagues were busy discussing something.

    In the middle of their conversation, John Piaf, the young man, stood up, infuriated. He yelled at them and turned back and left. Obviously, things didn¡¯t work out as he wished.

    Shortly afterwards, Eduval officially asked to meet Lard.

    He headed for them and said, ¡°So, have you reached any consensus?¡±

    ¡°We decided to ept your proposal. However, I want you to put down your promise in a document.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    When he signalled to a knight with his eyes, the knight behind him brought a pre-written document. He handed it over to Eduval.

    ¡°Take a review if there is anythingcking.¡±

    Eduval and his colleagues reviewed it among themselves and had a conversation.

    After a while Edubal nodded and stood in front of Lard again. Holding the document, he was about to open his mouth when a knight hurriedly came over and announced.

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    He approached Lard and said something in secret.

    When his nk face hardened after he heard the knight, John Piaf, had left his seat, elbowed his way through the crowds and approached him quickly. There was relief and joy on his face.

    ¡°There is a big disturbance in the capital now! Commoners there rose up in revolt! They are on our side, too!¡±

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145: Chapter 145 Don¡¯te to Buttuwat River in the summer (3)

    The situation had changed. Negotiations were broken. The chaos inside the capital became another variable. A majority of farmers began to seek immediate and satisfying measures rather than uncertain promises aboutpensation.

    ¡°See? They had no intention ofpensating us from the beginning! What are you doing? Are you going to be duped by them? ¡±

    John Piaf instigated the farmers. Several spineless men supported him as if he had already persuaded them in advance. The atmosphere became overheated with their inmmable propaganda, and the situation gradually got out of control. Eduval asked them to think rationally, but his petition was only a helpless cry before the majority.

    Lard left and returned to the barracks to hear detailed reports about the chaos in the capital. Although the rise in the prices of Montrapi was the direct cause of their disturbances, there was prevalent moods among themoners that they regarded Emperor Isaac¡¯s ascension as an ominous sign when they saw the ck smoke rising in the sky on the day of his coronation.

    The news that the revolting peasants arrived at the capital and confronted the knights also helped stir up themoners in the capital because trading Montrapi at the market was stopped.

    ¡°They opened the imperial warehouses containing Montrapi reserve in a hurry, but the situation did not improve. In fact, the Montrapi reserved for the imperial family was supplied to the market steadily, but the reserve was insufficient and its distribution was not smooth¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Did the market traders coborate with Duke Engre?¡±

    ¡°There was a suspicious movement of some powerful groups. I think they were responsible for the shortages.¡±

    In addition to the hike in the prices of Montrapi, the suspension of the market fueled the anger of themon people. There was a suspicious public opinion urging the need to join hands with the peasants who reached the capital, and it became a reality.

    Lard soon divided the troops and dispatched them to the main areas of turmoil in the capital. The situation was not good. While looking at the map showing the troops, he felt heavy.

    At the same time there broke out theughter of people in an atmospherepletely different from that of Borams. There was even a friendly atmosphere among the people gathered in the room. Only among the soldiers guarding their surroundings there was a tense atmosphere, but their tension did not spoil the satisfaction of the people in the room.

    ¡°Everything is going on well ording to your intention. The Goethesman Merchants Association cooperated with us in a timely manner. The imperial family won¡¯t be able to handle the situation anymore, ¡± Viscount Bual said to Duke Engre with a heartyugh.

    ¡°I want to recognize your great work. I hope you can take care of the rest.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I will.¡±

    The duke nodded, satisfied with his reply and turned to another knight.

    ¡°Sir Buleigh, did you find out about the mushroom?¡±

    ¡°I found it out with difficulty. I could find out its name only after visiting some prominent schrs. They say it is a rare species named pumpkin mushroom. It is a mushroom that grows only in the northeastern part of the continent, and they were surprised to find it here. ¡±

    The knight took out the mushrooms wrapped in a handkerchief from his pocket.

    Sir Buleigh¡¯s hands, taking off the handkerchief, were full of red spots. The skin of his hands that touched the mushroom caused rashes.

    ¡°I feel it¡¯s really mysterious when I see it again.¡±

    Mushrooms that still did not lose their brilliance were radiating golden light faintly. Viscount Bual was impressed with the golden light.

    ¡°Mushrooms in the northeast suddenly emerged in prison¡­ ?¡± The duke murmured silently.

    ¡°Are you sure they didn¡¯t find it there before?¡±

    ¡°It is a fact that I have confirmed from those who kept the prison. They said it was impossible that they could not have noticed such a radiant mushroom. ¡±

    ¡°You said Wendy Waltz? She was imprisoned there, right? ¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Can you bring me the report about her that I had reviewedst time? ¡±

    The duke, who thought about something intently, ordered Sir Buleigh.

    Shortly afterwards, he came back with a thin document. Upon receiving it, the duke read the documents carefully. As it was not thick, it didn¡¯t take long for him to read it.

    ¡°She was there with the crown prince and his knights when his pce copsed?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There was a report that somebody saw the woman when the supporting unit went there after the copse. ¡±

    ¡°Then, could Sir Sir Schroder take the woman there? For what did he¡­? ¡±

    He narrowed his eyes as if he couldn¡¯t understand. When he reviewed the contents of the document again, there were several parts he felt suspicious about. For example, he was suspicious about the report that Jean Jacques Simuan, who won the Burgundy Hunting Contest, testified that he had defeated the bear with the poison arrow he received from Wendy Waltz.

    Of course, the record was trustworthy in that Jean replied at the prince¡¯s question in the presence of a number of nobles. However, it was very strange that the woman had a poison arrow that could knock down the bear at once.

    ¡°This information is too limited. Is there more detailed information? ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was very difficult to find out more information about the woman rted to Sir Schroder. There were lots of rumors about the woman, but they were mostly disinformation intentionally sown by Sir Schroder. ¡±

    ¡°Is it true that they met for the first time when the Bajazman tree at the Rajabude Museum was stolen?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that information has been confirmed to be true.¡±

    The duke swallowed at Sir Burleigh¡¯s reply,

    ¡°From the Rajabude case to her disappearance at the Burgonu forest and the explosion of the pce¡­there were too many strange things for an ordinarymoner woman to go through. ¡±

    The duke lifted the wine ss on the table and put it on the tip of his nose. As if he was lost in thought, his eyes were deep and serene.

    ¡°Try to buy off one knight who survived the explosion, and bring him to me by all means. I have something I really want to ask. ¡±

    The duke ordered Sir Burleigh and Viscount Bual.

    Bual asked, as if he was puzzled, ¡°Can I ask you why you are interested in the woman?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t start the coup when I have doubt. Who knows if the doubt can be a threat to us? We should remove any threatening factor before the coup.¡±

    His voice was low and secret.

    ¡°Are you bored?¡± Pascal asked with a little smile when Wendy, who was stuck in the ce in the Imperial Pce, yawned nkly.

    She shook her head awkwardly.

    ¡°Would you like to walk? There are many other beautiful gardens in the Imperial Pce that you have not yet walked around. ¡±

    She instantly reacted to his suggestion and stood up dly.

    ¡°I will order the maid to bring a Kaplin parasol. The sun is hot.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no¡­ you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    She seemed impatient enough to get out of the room immediately, but sat back with a sullen look. There was a smile on her face.

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Pascal asked, raising his dark eyebrows.

    ¡°¡­ As there are lots of disturbances in and out of the pce, I don¡¯t feelfortable about taking a leisurely stroll through the garden,¡± she said, pulling the sleeve of her dress.

    At that moment she thought of Lard who was in the middle of the danger.

    Only then did Pascal scratch his back head with his injured arm and make another suggestion. His arm was still wrapped in a bandage, but he seemed to have no problem moving it.

    ¡°Would you like to read a book then? I¡¯ll borrow some books from the pce library. Wait a minute. You won¡¯t have to feel guilty about reading a book. ¡±

    She didn¡¯t have to feel guilty about taking a walk in the garden, but he didn¡¯t say anything about it.

    He smiled at her and left the room. She sighed deeply and rested her chin on the table.

    Since she heard about the turmoil caused by themoners in the capital the day before, she couldn¡¯t help but think about the difficulties that Lard was experiencing. His safety was the most important, but she was also very worried about how many people would be damaged and lose their lives.

    Thump!

    She turned her head to the sound of the door opening. An unfamiliar maid came in with a cup of tea. With her appearance the fragrant ck tea wafted into the room. The maid put down the teacup in front of her, who lowered her hand supporting her chin and straightened up.

    It was when she lifted the mug after expressing thanks to her shortly.

    There was a piece of white paper folded finely on the teacup.

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146: Chapter 146 Don¡¯te to Buttuwat River in the summer (4)

    Wendy looked at the maid, but she was only paying attention to the bottle of water ced on one side of the table. Tilting her head, she opened the paper.

    Only a few short sentences were written on the paper, but Wendy¡¯s hand trembled at the shocking meaning of the sentences. When Wendy, who crumpled the paper, turned her gaze back at the maid, she was also looking at Wendy.

    ¡°Who sent it? ¡±

    ¡°I cannot tell you,¡± the maid said indifferently, without trembling at all.

    Wendy stood up carefully.

    ¡°¡­What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°Follow me as I guide you,¡± she said, staring at Wendy¡¯s face.

    There was silence for a moment. Wendy felt agonized over whether to overpower the maid and threaten her. She felt she could easily knock her down with her self-defense skills. However, Wendy didn¡¯t have the nerve to act. She didn¡¯t want to imagine what would be the consequences if things went wrong.

    ¡°What if I said I won¡¯t go?¡±

    ¡°The owner of the letter will not survive. If you don¡¯t show up on time, he will face the same fate.¡±

    As if the maid predicted the fate of the owner, she handed a handkerchief to Wendy.

    When Wendy, who was alert, did not take it, the maid opened it in front of Wendy.

    There was slim light brown hair in it. As soon as she saw it, Wendy felt goose bumps on her back.

    ¡°Depending on your choice, it may be something other than this hair that will be cut next time.¡±

    Wendy¡¯s eyes turned towards the door. Sir Dowain showed no signs ofing back.

    She thought for a moment she wanted to buy time until he came.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t follow me right now, the people waiting outside will probably think things have gone wrong. Then they will rush to me immediately¡­ You had better not think of mischievous things. My men are waiting in the middle of the road like stepping stones, so even if you catch one or two, it won¡¯t solve the problem. We can¡¯t help but be prepared for the contingencies if things go wrong, ¡± said the maid.

    Wendy clenched her teeth and crippled the paper in her hand. She had no other choice.

    ¡°Good. You go in first.¡±

    The maid turned. While she was going in first, the maid paid attention to her movement, checking whether Wendy was leaving any evidence or trying anything. She led Wendy into a private hallway where workers came and went.

    When they got outside, a small wagon was waiting. Wendy boarded the wagon when the maid signalled with her chin. As soon as Wendy got into the wagon, the door closed and its inside quickly went ck. The maid was left behind.

    Wendy, squatted next to a round oak barrel in the wagon and re-opened the paper in her hand. Relying on the faint light leaking through the wooden nks of the carriage, she read the coarse letters. She burst into feignedughter while trying to decipher the difficult-to-recognize letters one by one.

    < I¡¯m sorry. He said he would kill me if I didn¡¯t write a letter to you. A scary-looking man pointed a sword at me. The atmosphere is very bad. Sis¡¯, don¡¯t go buy blue hydrangeas now. Take care, Benfork.>

    ¡°He needs to get tutored on his writing,¡± she said bitterly.

    This stupid boy¡¯s face came to her mind, making her nervous. The carriage began to move, but her eyes were fixed on the paper, especially one very unusual expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go buy blue hydrangeas now¡­? ¡±

    She naturally recalled a story Lard had told her and the boy in the past. It was about the first emperor Nichs¡¯ sky blue armor and the Blue Handkerchief ord. When Lard said that sky blue was ominous, the boy strongly affirmed and acted as if he would throw away all the sky blue things he had.

    The boy was warning Wendy of danger. He was hoping she wouldn¡¯te there, where she would obviously be faced with something ominous. She also knew how dangerous her current choice was. She shouldn¡¯t have followed the maid or got in the wagon from the beginning, but she couldn¡¯t worry about her own safety alone in the face of the young boy¡¯s danger.

    She folded the paper in her hand and pondered over how to save the boy and herself.

    She had to stay calm, but anxiety and anger arose in her heart. The person whomitted this kind of evil thing was obvious: Duke Engre! To recapture the prey that had fled from his hand, he didn¡¯t hesitate to kidnap Benfork. Was this a means to ckmail and incapacitate Lard Schroder by using her?

    If so, she could never follow what he wished to do. She vowed that she would not be a burden to Lard.

    She decided to make something like a weapon. It would be a littlefort for her to hold a weapon against the opponent in an uncertain situation where she didn¡¯t know what would happen. She couldn¡¯t afford to just hope for someone¡¯s help or sheer luck.

    She tore a bit of her underskirt and put her index finger on it. Then, shortly afterwards, small buds began to sprout on the underskirt. The nt, which grew fully, soon revealed surprisingly a sharp-edged leaf. She carefully removed the leaf. It was a silver grass leaf. The resiliently stiff leaf had a bit of a sharpness that was not found in amon grass. It couldn¡¯t inflict fatal wounds but could scare off the opponent enough. It was moderately hidden by the wrinkles of her dress. Its lower part was dull, so it was not difficult for her to hold it in hand.

    ¡°Pass!¡±

    The wagon, which stopped in front of the main gate of the Imperial Pce, began to move again. The soldiers did not go to the trouble of opening the wagon. She surprised by how far Duke Engre¡¯s influence was in the pce.

    Now, after getting through the gate, she thought about leaving marks at this point. She ripped off Benfork¡¯s letter little by little and then pressed her index finger on them. As she pushed the torn paper out of the gap between the wagon boards, they fell off the wagon easily. As soon as the pieces of paper touched the ground, something rough bloomed on them: red moss.

    It was a small amount, but it spread through the paper and rooted in the ground.

    It was a trace that could be discovered with close attention.

    The wagon drove for a long time. In the rattling wagon, Wendy¡¯s shoulders and head bumped against the oak barrel several times, but she did not stop tearing the paper into pieces and throwing them outside. She did it every certain distance. She felt nauseated because of the scent of the oak barrel and rum. She barely held back moaning. Meanwhile, she thought of a way to ovee the situation. In the worst case, she decided to rescue Benfolk and run away by using her finger power. A list of nts came to mind.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡±

    The wagon stopped finally. Wendy quickly held the silver grass leaf in hand. Soon the door opened and a dazzling light poured in. She turned her head away from the light.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Everything happened in an instant. The soldiers roughly grabbed and twisted her hands.

    They dragged her as she couldn¡¯t even get used to the light. Because of their strong grip, she dropped the silver grass leaf in her hand. When she was dragged out of the carriage, she was thrown on the ground. The soldiers pulled her hands back and tied them with a rope.

    She couldn¡¯t move both hands.

    ¡°What the heck are you doing! Oops!¡±

    She was lifted again by somebody¡¯s rough hands. When she knitted her brows and looked at the man, a middle-aged man was standing in front of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to see you again. I¡¯m so happy.¡±

    Duke Engre greeted her with a smile. He was holding the silver grass leaf that slipped from her hand. He looked at the leaf as if he found it interesting.

    She looked around in a hurry. In the distance, the Raney Forest was visible, and the Buttuwat River was flowing alongside it. What shocked her more than encountering him in an unfamiliar ce was the aristocrats, numerous knights, and soldiers in armor lined up behind him. As if they were going to the battlefield, they were fully armed with a strong determination.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Benfork?¡± Wendy said, calming her troubled mind.

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147: Chapter 147 Don¡¯te to Buttuwat River in the summer (5)

    The duke nced at her question. Soon, the soldiers brought the boy. The boy¡¯s face was covered with bruises. His eyes were red as if he cried.

    ¡°Sis! Did you read my letter correctly? I warned you! Why did youe here! ¡± The boy with tears in his eyes shouted at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t decipher my clue? I told you not to go buy blue hydrangeas. As I felt ominous, I warned you not toe. Oh my God, you are driving me nuts!¡±

    The boy tried to talk to her boastfully as usual, but he couldn¡¯t hide his voice trembling from fear.

    ¡°Benfork, shut up.¡± When she rebuked him coldly, he shut up, closing his lips tight. ¡°Since I am here, please set him free.¡±

    The duke nodded at Wendy¡¯s words.

    ¡°Yeah, I have no intention of killing this young boy.¡±

    He nodded at the soldiers holding the boy. Then, one of them hit the back of Benfolk¡¯s neck ruthlessly. Soon, the child¡¯s body drooped. The soldiers left him on the grass.

    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Wendy shouted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. I just made him go to sleep briefly. I don¡¯t want him to run away and tell people what he saw here.¡±

    She stared at the duke. She got infuriated, but she couldn¡¯t figure out how to get out of this crisis. She tried to free her tied hands, but no matter how hard I tried, she couldn¡¯t move.

    She could ovee the crises with the power of her index finger, but this time it was different. In the worst case, even if she was forced to use her index finger in front of them, it didn¡¯t seem easy. The only thing that touched the index finger of her right hand was her left hand. She was frustrated.

    ¡°You know I almost missed your true colors,¡± he said casually.

    As she looked at her with a perplexed expression, he shook his head and said, ¡°Is it pumpkin mushroom? Wendy, I mean the mushrooms you grew on the prison wall.¡±

    When he mentioned it unexpectedly, she held her breath. She wished she hadn¡¯t shown an embarrassed expression, but she couldn¡¯t control her rough breathing. How did that guy detect that! She opened her eyes ringly.

    ¡°The day when the prince¡¯s pce copsed¡­ ¡± He continued.

    The wind from the river swept over their heads. Wendy¡¯s hair scattered.

    ¡°I have already heard about everything about you. Was it ironwood? What a wonderful idea!¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Did you believe that you could shut the mouths of those knights who you saved on that day?¡­ How foolish is a human being? Why is everyone repeating the same mistake? They couldn¡¯t be more naive, ¡± he said as if he felt they were pitiable

    She felt her heart sinking. One of the knights who pledged an oath of silence on that day must have told the truth to the duke. She felt resentful towards the knight, but at the same time, she thought he did terrible things to the knight like he did to Benfork.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so angry. He has already paid the price for betrayal.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? What did you do to him? ¡± Wendy asked in surprise.

    The duke replied, as if it was funny, ¡°Can you afford to worry about him in this situation? ¡­He crossed a river that he could nevere back. It was not an honorable death as a knight. ¡±

    Wendy¡¯s shoulders trembled. She was scared about this man who talked about the knight¡¯s murder so easily. The knight was killed for sharing Wendy¡¯s secret with the duke. It was no longer important whether he revealed her secret for a reward or if he was forced to reveal under intimidation. He was already dead.

    ¡°How could you¡­¡± Wendy muttered nkly. She couldn¡¯t figure out what to do or how to do it.

    She couldn¡¯t judge whether to use the man of killing a person so easily or deny what the dead knight had told him. Her breathing became even more rough.

    She went through a myriad of things until now, but it was the first time someone died because of her. She could not easily ovee the shock that weighed heavily on her mind.

    If she had experienced this several times, she would have always been in shock and suffered.

    She felt fear now. Although she possessed a mysterious power that others did not have, she didn¡¯t have the power to stay aloof from everything.

    ¡°Oh dear, it looks like you are shocked. Don¡¯t pity him too much. You, too, will cross the river of no return soon like he did. ¡±

    When he said that, Wendy raised her head sharply. She looked at the man with trembling eyes, but she sensed that he meant it. This guy intended to kill her.

    ¡°Why are you doing this to me? ¡±

    ¡°Well, the situation is too serious for me to let a threat like you persist.¡±

    He came close to her and lowered her voice.

    ¡°You are a threat to me. It¡¯s not good for others to know your power. I don¡¯t want to allow you to create any more unexpected situations. I¡¯m very curious what the origin of that power is. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°It would have been nice if you had been on my side from the beginning, but it¡¯s already irreversible. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t help it.¡±

    The man, who bowed to her with a polite gesture, turned away from her soon.

    After that, a knight with a sword moved toward her. It was his bodyguard knight, Sir Burleigh. Her green eyes were terrified.

    She instinctively stepped back towards Buttuwat River. However, there seemed to be no way for her to prevent his approach. He pulled out his sword with a shrill noise.

    Her hair was standing upright. She couldn¡¯t make the horrifying sound signal the end of her life. She, who barely managed to control her shaking knees, tried as hard as to untie the rope that bound her wrists.

    ¡°Wait, please wait!¡±

    At that moment, a familiar voice was heard among those standing behind the duke.

    A man among them stepped forward.

    She confirmed the face of the man wearing thin silver armor. Her face turned white as if she couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°¡­ Earl Hazlet, what¡¯s going on? ¡±

    The duke asked Earl Hazellet seriously.

    The earl wiped his sweaty forehead and turned his eyes toward the ce where she was standing. He saw her stiffened as hard as a stone statue.

    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know what crime that womanmitted¡­ but can you put off punishing her for a moment? ¡±

    He then checked the duke¡¯s countenance, smiling awkwardly.

    She gnashed her teeth. She didn¡¯t expect Earl Hazlet to be there, but at the same time, she never thought that he came forward to save her. She couldn¡¯t believe that he was doing something good for her. Her heart, stricken with fear, pounded hard.

    ¡°We can¡¯t dy anymore. Can you step back? ¡±

    The duke spoke gently, leaning forward slightly, but his eyes weren¡¯t really gentle.

    There was coldness in his eyes staring at the earl. Of course, the earl must have sensed it.

    He stuttered, wiping his dry lips, ¡°I have some personal things to work out with that woman. Now, can you show some mercy on me? ¡±

    ¡°Are you doing this because of Francis? I already promised to you. Don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t ept your intervention anymore. So, step back. ¡±

    The duke turned his head away from him. She witnessed the duke¡¯s smiling turning cold as soon as he turned.

    The earl was at a loss about what to do, as he could not speak or step back easily.

    Several knights approached him and gestured to him to step back. He once saw her face in the distance and stepped back nervously.

    She took her eyes off of him. She knew she couldn¡¯t expect any more from him.

    The duke, who nced at the knights quickly, shouted to them, ¡°I think you are curious who this woman is.¡±

    When they kept silent, he opened his mouth again. There was a smile on his lips.

    ¡°Wendy Waltz, she is Lard Schroder¡¯s lover.¡±

    They looked at her all of a sudden when he said that. They examined her carefully.

    ¡°Although she was talked about a lot in the social circles, I hear nobody knew which family she was from. Do any of you know the status of this woman? ¡±

    He talked for a moment. Earl Hazlet blinked both eyes, not hiding his nervousness.

    ¡°¡­She is amoner. Do you know why Sir Schroder stood on the side of Emperor Isaac and supported his bill? ¡°

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148: Chapter 148 Don¡¯te to Buttuwat River in the summer (6)

    They began to mutter at his words. All of them were saturated in their status as nobles.

    ¡°At a time when peasants stormed the capital and dared to raise their voices, what the heck is the emperor doing? He is only hellbent on creating the legition that will ignore the centuries-old civil state system and shake the foundation of the empire. This woman will be a symbol of the emperor¡¯s policy. The execution of this woman is only the beginning of our great step forward. Think of the uing war!¡±

    The duke¡¯s speech seemed to have influenced the people standing there. At least, it seemed so in her eyes. Clenching her teeth, she stared at him fiercely. She first felt strong resentment about his meanness rather than fear. By executing her in front of them, he was once again trying to consolidate the legitimacy of their actions. She was a great propaganda tool for him before he started the coup.

    When the duke raised one hand to signal to Sir Burleigh, he turned his eyes to Wendy.

    As soon as she met his eyes, she began to run fast. She didn¡¯t want to let them use her to achieve their goal. The river was very nearby.

    Sir Burleigh showed her generosity as if he were a beast chasing a rabbit.

    He watched her running as if she was ridiculous, then began to chase her.

    He quickly caught up with her. He felt he could kill her with his sword, and he did.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡±

    Her screaming rang out. His sword cut through her back, and the rope that tied her hands was cut at the tip of the sword. Blood flowed into the water. As the dress turned red, her body plunged into the river.

    The river was filled with red blood. Her body, which had sunk beneath the cloudy water, soon floated up and slowly floated down the water, revealing her deeply wounded back. Red blood covered her as she drifted down the river. There was nothing but death waiting for her.

    Sir Burleigh, who watched for a moment, soon turned around and moved back.

    He wiped the red blood off his sword casually. Blood on the sword turned into droplets and scattered as he wiped it away. The blue riverside of the Buttuwat River turned red.

    ¡°Did you kill her?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Bowing to the duke, he replied. Soon, he signalled to the soldiers to start.

    The duke, who rode on the horse, looked at Earl Hazlet who followed him. His cheeks were exceptionally haggard. The duke cast a suspicious nce at his pale face.

    The turbulent riverside soon fell silent. Only the dust was settling where the soldiers left.

    Blood stains on the blue river also quickly went away. Wendy¡¯s body floating on the river, bleeding from the grievous wound painted the scenery as one invoking a deep emptiness.

    Right then, there was a change in the river. A dark green mass began to float on the water.

    As if the air bubbles burst from the surface of the river, the leaves burst out next to the green mass. They grew tall quickly. The ball-shaped bulging green mass and its leaves were several meters wide. Such round masses floated on the water.

    Wendy¡¯s hung onto one of them.

    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±

    Her wobbly shoulders shook. Her arms hanging from the ball-shaped leaf moved. Her trembling right hand managed to rest on the leaf. Her index finger touched it. It was her determination to survive.

    Life was born on the nts with small vibrations. A new nt began to grow on the leaves that she depended on. The nt that firmly took root and grew branches and leaves soon produced fruits. It was the Bahazman tree. The nt was tilting its branches near her hand, as if pushing its fruit towards her. She managed to reach out and pick the fruit. Her face was so pale when she raised her head.

    ¡°Urgh¡­ ¡±

    After putting the fruits in her mouth and chewing roughly, she held back a moan. When she came to her senses a bit, she felt a sharp pain from the deep wound on her back, as if she had been burned.

    Her body trembled again because of the unbearable pain. Then, she fell silent.

    She took a breath and put a few more Bahazman berries in her mouth. She felt the pain subside a bit. The red color in her cheeks came back slightly. When she pulled herself together and looked around with her head up, the green mass covered the river more tightly than before. It was huge. She saw they already had flowers here and there, with the light purple petals floating on the water.

    Petioles floating on the water like balloons, smooth leaves, and even the light purple flowers all pointed to the fact that the green nt was water hyacinth,monly seen on the water. While she was floating on the river with cuts on her back, she thought of a nt that could save her at the crossroads of her life. A nt that could clear the water from her lungs. The shape of the nt that would push her up over the water came to her mind. It was a water hyacinth with round air pocketsrger and stronger than a sturdy adult male. She couldn¡¯t afford to hold something and put her index finger on it. She felt the river passing through her index finger endlessly. In the meantime, she has been recalling the water hyacinth.

    ¡®Please, grow! Please, push me out of the water!¡¯ She prayed earnestly.

    As she wished, the nt pushed her out of the water, while drifting her down the river. However, she didn¡¯t expect that she would have such arge number of nts on the river as her index finger touched the water.

    She looked with a surprised expression at the water hyacinth that covered the river.

    All the water that passed through her index finger became a fertile field, where the nts grew as her index finger wished. All she did was let the water pass through her index finger. That was her only wish.

    She recalled the time when she fell from the cliff with Lard in the Brugonu Forest.

    In order to survive, she constantly put her finger on the edge of a cliff and grew several wisteria trees on the steep cliff. Wisteria grew in the ce where she put her hand, as if to prove the trajectory of her falling. The moment she fell down the cliff, she strongly recalled the shape of the wisteria that would save her.

    However, she couldn¡¯t grow such arge number of nts back then. Her determination to survive was not less than now. She recalled the images of a nt that could save her.

    The only difference was in the object that touched her finger.

    Water rather than soil. Wendy realized that if water touched her index finger, it could grow arger number of nts than she dared to think, depending on the flow rate. It was a fact she had never realized before.

    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±

    She let out a painful moan with a deep cough. She was in extreme pain as if she was dying, but she knew she would not. Her pain soon turned into her hatred of Duke Engre.

    ¡°Engre¡­You damned bastard! I will get even with you by all means.¡±

    Lying on top of the water hyacinth, she murmured, opening her eyes slightly.

    Dang dang dang dang!.

    Bells and drums rang everywhere. It was reported that Duke Engre mobilized soldiers to attack the Imperial Pce.

    ¡°Only four units will remain here. All the rest of the knights, go back to the Imperial Pce! ¡±

    Lard ordered sternly. Four units were not sufficient enough to stop the uprising peasants, but he left only a minimum of troops at Borams. The knights mobilized in revolt against the imperial family were already disarmed and imprisoned. Light fighting took ce between them, but they were quickly subdued by the imperial knights without any damage.

    As the massive number of troops led by the imperial knights retreated, the peasants expressed embarrassment. They still had no idea which way the wind was blowing.

    They moved fast. As they experienced the death of the previous emperor, the imperial knights could not imagine the death of Emperor Isaac. Lard believed that the troops left behind in the Imperial Pce would fight well, but they were outnumbered by the troops mobilized by the Engre family. The speed at which their support arrived would determine the victory or defeat of the rebels.

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149: Chapter 149 Don¡¯te to Buttuwat River in the summer (7)

    When the imperial knights arrived at the gate of the pce, part of the gate had already copsed. Duek Engre¡¯s soldiers who had infiltrated the pce were engaged in fierce fighting with the pce guards. The knights had already destroyed the remnants of the rebels outside the pce.

    ¡°Let me leave it to you, Jean.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Jean Jacques shouted at Lard¡¯s request and pulled out his sword.

    After leaving Jean in charge of the battle outside the gate, Lard quickly led the knights into the pce. Battles were going on everywhere. He cut the rebels blocking him one by one and quickly headed to Kingsbray Pce. There were lots of rebel forces to stop Lard¡¯s group, but they were knocked down.

    Lard assigned some of the knights to fight against the rebels and led the elite knights to move forward quickly. Each and every step along the road, there were traces of the battle between the rebels and the knights who defended the Imperial Pce. It was painful to discover their dead colleagues, but they could not slow down.

    When the knights reached Kingsbray Pce, they climbed the stairs after jumping off the horses at once. There were red bloodstains on the white marble of the pce. The sound of their swords shing rang out from within the pce. The knights didn¡¯t hesitate to fight their way into the pce.

    Fighting between the knights and the rebels was more intense inside the pce. Lots of knights were killed, and their bodies were everywhere on the floor.

    ¡°Your Majesty!!¡±

    When Lard found the emperor holding a sword, protected by the knights, he hurriedly shouted at him. The emperor breathed a sigh of relief when he found Lard. As if all the knights risked their lives to protect the emperor, he seemed safe.

    ¡°Captain Schroder!¡±

    Sir Badge Enos, the Lottea of the 2nd Knights, was more than happy to greet him. His hardened face rxed a bit. As the supporting units led by Badge arrived, the tide began to turn in favor of the knights.

    The fighting resumed. Lard, who cut down the enemies, looked at Badge wielding the sword.

    As the best knight of the 2nd Imperial Knights group, Badge¡¯s swordsmanship was impable. Despite that, many of his fellow knights lost their lives. It was partly because they were outnumbered by the rebels, but some of the rebels were verypetent.

    Lard struck back at the enemy soldier¡¯s sword and cut him immediately while he was struggling to keep his bnce. There was no likelihood that the imperial knights struggled in their fight against the mediocre enemies like this man.

    Soon, Lard¡¯s eyes were turned toward the center of the lobby where a group of knights were wielding their swords brilliantly. They were the private knights belonging to Duke Engre.

    Among them an unusually familiar guy caught Lard¡¯s eyes.

    He was Sir Burleigh, the knight who always escorted the duke. He was also the very man whose strange conversation Wendy heard on the day the pce copsed.

    Lard headed toward the center, watching the trajectory of his sword closely.

    As Burleigh¡¯s sword tried to stab the imperial knight¡¯s shoulder, Lard struck back his sword. At Lard¡¯s appearance, Burleigh wasn¡¯t embarrassed and quickly changed his attack as if he was prepared. His sharp eyes were full of murderous intent.

    Burleigh¡¯s sword grazed his earlobes, cutting some of his ck hair. The sharp sound of him wielding his sword rang in his ears like thunder. His murderous intent made Lard nervous. His swordsmanship was excellent enough to make Lard look tense and nervous.

    Lard took a short distance from Burleigh and found his weak spot.

    It was surprising that such a skilled swordsman like him stayed beside the duke without any credit. Lard felt sorry for his talent. Under the name of the traitor, his talent would also fade away. But Lard didn¡¯t have to feelpassionate about the bondage Burleigh made for himself. Lard pointed the sword at him sharply.

    The two traded blows. The sound of their fight rang loudly as if to silence everyone around. After exchanging several strikes with him, Lard noticed his bad habit. When Lard cked off a bit, Burleigh also let his guard down, which was reckless bravado. Lard wasn¡¯t a green boy against whom Burleigh could let his guard down.

    It was right at the moment when the tide turned in their fighting.

    Lard quickly lifted his sword after bending his arm. Burleigh quickly stopped it, but was outpowered. In no time Lard cut through his chin. Blood gushed down his chest. Lard used the momentum to press him until, atst, the silver de of his sword cut Burleigh¡¯s side. It tore through his leather armor, making him bleed from the deep wound.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Burleigh stepped back and retreated from Lard. Staring at Lard with a murderous look, he shouted angrily.

    ¡°Let me dly take your attack, thinking of it as your revenge. I think I can shake off a sense of guilt.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What do you mean? ¡±

    Lard thought that Burleigh¡¯s babbling was intended to make him nervous, but Lard couldn¡¯t ignore what he said. An ominous foreboding shed through his mind. It was a foreboding that made him more nervous than the sound of his wielding the sword under his earlobes.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard the news yet?¡± Burleigh said, frowning, as if he med the intelligence failure of the imperial knights. He didn¡¯t need to listen to Burleigh¡¯s ndering.

    Lard thrust at him. Burleigh hurriedly lifted his sword to stop it.

    The two came close together, pushing back each other¡¯s sword.

    ¡°¡­ I felt bad after I killed the woman¡­ I really felt ufortable!¡±

    He spoke, pushing back Lard¡¯s sword as hard as he could.

    ¡°¡­ I asked you what you meant.¡± Lard stepped back and asked firmly.

    Burleigh was happy to answer with a smile.

    ¡°Wendy Waltz. I hear she was your lover. ¡±

    Lard sharply stabbed his abdomen again. Burleigh, who barely countered, stepped back.

    Burleigh did not miss Lard¡¯s gray eyes turning cold and frozen.

    Watching him be agitated nervously, Burleigh approached and lifted his sword, but Lard easily beat back his sword. Burleigh noticed that Lard was more dynamic and stronger than before. It was the cause of his defeat.

    ¡°I asked you what you meant. Tell me exactly what you are talking about!¡±

    In the end, Lard stabbed him fatally. It was the same spot where he was injured a moment ago. Blood came out of his mouth.

    ¡°Urgh¡­If you want to recover her body, go to Buttuwat River¡­ If you¡¯re lucky, you can find it if it has not yet drifted along into the sea yet.¡±

    Burleigh moaned painfully as Lard stabbed him deeply.

    ¡°Urgh ¡­ Don¡¯t expect the body to be intact. She had a long cut on her back¡­.¡±

    He deliberately taunted Lard. Lard¡¯s eyes trembled. Then, Burleigh pulled a dagger out of his pocket, stabbed it into Lard¡¯s wrist. Lard twisted his hand to avoid his attack, but the dagger cut his forearm. Lard pulled his sword from the man¡¯s side roughly. As the blood gushed from his side, Burleigh tilted his upper body in pain.

    Lard kicked his knee to lose his bnce, then stabbed him in the shoulder before Burleigh¡¯s knees touched the floor. Ignoring his scream, Lard pushed the sword hard. Burleigh fell on the floor.

    Lard pulled the sword from his shoulder in an instant and cut down his back relentlessly.

    The leather armor covering Burleigh¡¯s back was split in half along the trajectory of the sword. Burleigh¡¯s beige shirt was quickly stained with red.

    He spat out a cough. Even if Lard didn¡¯t kill him right away, he would die gradually. He would die slowly in pain.

    The battle came slow for some time. Lard took back his sword and stood before the emperor. His eyes looking at the emperor sank deeply as if he was in a deep abyss.

    ¡°Wendy, where is she?¡± Lard asked.

    The emperor could not respond, which prompted Lard¡¯s anger.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± He asked painfully.

    Emperor Isaac looked at him with a worried expression.

    ¡°¡­She went missing. Sir Dowain led the knights to search for her, so I expect to hear from him soon!¡±

    ¡°Stop it, Your Majesty. Don¡¯t tell me anymore,¡± he said with a suppressed voice.

    Lard was furious with the emperor who didn¡¯t know her whereabouts.

    No, it was not his anger at the emperor, but about everything before his eyes.

    He calmed down to control his anger, but it was not easy.

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150: Chapter 150 Don¡¯te to Buttuwat River in the summer (8)

    Burleigh¡¯s mention of Wendy¡¯s body made him feel as if he was suffocating like his cor was in someone¡¯s hands. It couldn¡¯t be true that something bad happened to Wendy, he kept reciting to himself. He couldn¡¯t stand it unless he repeated it. Anger surged from deep down and settled down over and over again. It was very painful. A lot of feelings came and went in his mind as if he was paying the price for hisck of emotions in the past. It was a pain he didn¡¯t want to suffer if he could avoid it.

    At that moment, there were several people quickening their paces toward the lobby.

    All the knights who let down their swords raised them again. Soon the owners of footsteps appeared.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±

    It was Duke Engre. There were numerous knights and soldiers behind him. They outnumbered the imperial knights remaining in the pce. Obviously, the duke bet everything on the sess of negotiation with the emperor.

    ¡°Duke, I have never allowed you toe here. How could you act so rudely like this?¡±

    The emperor asked with a frown.

    The dukeughed gently and said, ¡°Please excuse my rudeness, Your Majesty. What should I do?¡­ I have a very ominous feeling that I will act more rudely to you today,¡± he said, after slightly looking at Lard standing by the emperor.

    The emperorughed it away as if he saw a clown¡¯s stunt. Hisughter disappeared in an instant.

    ¡°Did you also show me the rudeness of putting bentoxique in thete emperor¡¯s cigar?

    Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­Wow, I have to congratte you as you have found it out. I think I have underestimated you.¡±

    The duke bowed to him as if he was asking for his forgiveness. The emperor hardened his expression at his mockery.

    ¡°You have confessed with your own mouth that you killed thete emperor. Everyone here knows that you were responsible for the explosion of the prince¡¯s pce and the fire of the Cheddar Pce even if I didn¡¯t mention your name. Each of those crimes is so grave that you won¡¯t survive even without adding your treason to the crimes today.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, treason? Why are you so narrow-minded?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°This is a revolution. A revolution that will change the dynasty of this empire.¡±

    When he said that, the imperial knights sharpened their eyes, pointing their swords at him.

    ¡°It is not a revolution. Today will go down as a meaningless day when the Engre family will disappear in the history of the empire. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, do you think so?¡±

    The duke frowned slightly, as if he discovered Sir Burleigh lying on the floor of the lobby.

    It was a big loss of power on his end.

    ¡°Duke Engre.¡±

    At that moment Lard, who remained silent, stepped forward and opened his mouth.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are here to y on words with us. Can I behead you?¡±

    As soon as he said that, Lard gripped his sword. There was deep anger in his subdued eyes.

    The battle resumed again.

    The cruel time of stabbing and cutting each other continued, causing lots of casualties on both sides.

    Like a man born to wield the sword, Lard focused on cutting through the enemies. He never stopped swinging his sword. Nobody could stop him until he finally reached the duke.

    To narrow the distance with the duke, he also had to pay the price of incurring big and small injuries. He had no problem wielding the sword, except that his right hand holding the sword handle was a little slippery. The wounds on his body were not an issue to him at all.

    The pain in his body was nothingpared with his heartache.

    ¡°You look angry,¡± the duke said to him. Auguste, watching the killing scene while he was surrounded by the knights, checked Lard¡¯s face as if to kill his boredom.

    ¡°Are you angry because of Miss Wendy?¡±

    When he mentioned Wendy¡¯s name with his dirty lips, Lard began to wield the sword more violently. It was not a name that a guy like him should recklessly call.

    While striking back against the rebellious knights, Lard thought of another way to punish the duke before beheading him. After today, his head would be cut off for public disy, but that alone would not be forgiven for his crime.

    Lard didn¡¯t believe that something wrong happened to Wendy. However, the duke had to pay for the price of using Wendy to distract him. Lard would have him pay for putting her name on his dirty lips and driving her to death.

    ¡°She was a woman who had a dangerously mysterious power. How could I neglect such a risk?¡±

    The duke said as if he felt sorry for Wendy¡¯s tragic fate, but Lard didn¡¯t listen to him. He only

    focused only on wielding his sword. Lard¡¯s distance from him grew more narrow.

    When Lard suddenly stretched his sword, the duke also felt threatened and stepped back, with a gasp.

    Some other knights came forward to support the duke at once, pointing their swords at him.

    ¡°Captain!¡±

    Instinctively sensing that Lard was in danger, Badge rushed to save him. The two joined hands to stop their immediate attack, but they outpowered Lard and Badge numerically. Nheless, it was not easy for them to beat back the strongest and most skilled knights of the empire.

    For a while there was a sharp confrontation between them. The duke looked at Lard casually without any agitation. His gaze made Lard feel disgusted.

    Right at that moment, one of his servants approached the duke and whispered. The duke smiled in satisfaction at that. He then eximed with joy slightly.

    ¡°Oh, what can you do now? It looks like the Engre family will never be erased from history. ¡±

    He said happily as if he were delivering a congrattory speech on the podium.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just been briefed that the forces that follow me are lined up in front of the gate of the capital.¡±

    As if he was checking the reaction of the emperor and Lard, he paused.

    ¡°The number¡­ 20,000, all told. I don¡¯t think that even if youbine all the troops following you in the capital, they will be able to deal with our troops. Most of the troops in the capital are stuck in Borams, so they can¡¯t fight here. My troops will soon reach here. Would you like to do your best until then?¡±

    Concerns about the movement of the capital troops to the provinces have be reality. The families under the influence of the Engre family disguised their local troops and moved to the capital secretly. The total number of the knights and soldiers were estimated at 20,000.

    They were not enough for a war with another country, but more than sufficient to defeat the troops in the capital.

    Silence continued. It was difficult to take the duke¡¯s words at face value, but if it was true, the situation was hopeless. The imperial knights tried to hide their disappointed look, but it was hard. An uncontroble anxiety spread on their faces.

    And then, an imperial knight rushed into the lobby with urgent news. He reported to the emperor about the number of the pro-emperor troops outside the capital. However, it was a little different from what Auguste knew.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to express regrets, but I don¡¯t want to feel sorry that your coup efforts havee to nothing,¡± said the emperor with a smile. He looked at Lard with full trust, very pleased with the results of his eptance of Lard¡¯s advice.

    20,000 soldiers gathered outside the capital highly raised the gs embroidered with eagles.

    The g symbolized the family of Duke Engre. They were the knights and soldiers of the noble families who pledged allegiance to the duke.

    Anxiety dominated the minds of the imperial knights who were watching them gathering outside the castle of the capital. Numerically, they couldn¡¯t handle the rebellion troops. The fact that they might have to open the gate to them drove the imperial knights into endless anxiety.

    The troops gathered under the g waited for the attack signal. As if they were about to attack anytime, they held sharp swords and spears all at once. The shadow of death fell on the faces of the imperial knights standing on the castle and the soldiers under their control.

    At that instant a dust storm urred on the horizon at a distance. At first, it looked like just a sandstorm or a haze, but it gradually revealed itself. All the knights on the castle opened their eyes narrowly and looked at the dust storm. The wind was approaching little by little.

    ¡°That is¡­! ¡± Someone shouted.

    ¡°Gee, they are reinforcements!¡±

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151: Chapter 151 Don¡¯te to Buttuwat River in the summer (9)

    Exmations of joy erupted everywhere.

    It was an endless procession of troops. Those in the front row held gs embroidered with the pattern of the imperial family. The four unicorns, ced in all directions, had their hooves up and defended the crown in the middle.

    Their ferocious procession showed that they were firmly determined to defend the crown. The armor they wore and the crest of each family engraved on them differed from unit to unit, but there was only one emperor they served. They were united in their conviction that they would drive out the rebels and protect the emperor.

    The private soldiers of the local families loyal to the imperial family arrived at the capital in a timely manner ording to Lard¡¯s arrangement. Soon, the huge army encircled the Engre family¡¯sbined troops from behind. The tables turned. The pro-emperor troops overwhelmed them numerically.

    It was right after Pascal borrowed a book and came back to Wendy¡¯s room that he knew she went missing. In her room, there was only the light scent of ck tea, but she was nowhere.

    There was no possibility that she, who felt guilty about taking a light walk, went without saying anything to him.

    So, he looked for the maid who brought tea and asked her whereabouts, but she said she knew nothing. There was no trace of her anywhere in the pce.

    As time passed, Pascal eventually had to think about the possibility of her being kidnapped by somebody outside the pce. Didn¡¯t she already experience the same thing before?

    He soon informed the emperor of her disappearance.

    Pascal interrogated the maid whost served tea for Wendy began, but he did not hear from her about Wendy¡¯s whereabouts right away. She was dubious in many aspects, but there was no time to wait for her to answer.

    Pascal assumed that Wendy had been kidnapped and began looking for her.

    None of the soldiers guarding the gate said they saw Wendy¡¯s face. Pascal thought she was forcibly bound or taken out of the pce unconscious.

    Pascal looked into the list of wagonsing and going out of the Imperial Pce during that short span when her abduction was expected. As the nobles who were conscious of the chaotic situation refrained from entering and leaving the pce, there was no possibility that their wagons passed through the main gate, but he found a record of two wagons¡¯ entrance into the pce through the entrance dedicated to the carts used by the pce workers. All were wagons that supplied food to the imperial family, and their destination was a couple of farms.

    Both farms were located on the southern side of the capital, so Pascal chased the wagons with the support of the 1st Imperial Knights trained in the search. It wasn¡¯t long before they found a strange trail.

    Sir Muel looked at Pascal with a strange expression. He was a survivor of the explosion at the pce.

    ¡°Did you feel the same way?¡±

    They stopped the horses at the same time. Getting off the horse, Pascal touched the red traces on the ground by hand. It was moss.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen this several times.¡±

    They doubted the existence of the moss growing vividly on the soil without any moisture.

    As it survived in an environment where it could not, they felt more strange about it.

    Its edges were a bit dry, but it was definitely alive.

    Pascal felt something artificial in it. Though it grew gracefully, he felt it strange that it was growing not in clusters but apart from each other. The traces continued as if somebody left red marks.

    ¡°Then, this is her doing, I think,¡± said Sir Muel.

    Pascal found a piece that looked white in the middle of the moss. When he pulled it out, a part of the moss root was taken out. It was smaller than a nail, but it was definitely a piece of paper. The red moss broke through the piece before taking root.

    They started driving the horses fast. After a long run, they reached a fork. The two knights did not hesitate to turn to the right. The knights following the two called out loud.

    ¡°Sir Dowain, Sir Muel! ¡±

    ¡°You have to take this way to get to the farm!¡± said the knights, pointing to the left.

    Pascal, who hastily stopped the horse, turned around and cried to them, ¡°We are not going to the farm. Follow us!¡±

    Pascal drove the horse again. His gaze followed the red traces on the dirt.

    Meanwhile, Wendy, who relied on the green leaf floating on the Buttuwat River, was unable to stand up.

    She bit her lip and diligently ate the Bahazman fruit. She barely woke up when the warm sun dried her hair half way. As she moved, the water hyacinth carrying her bobbed in the water slightly.

    Her pain was gone, but her entire body felt stiff. Above all, she felt very heavy because her big dress was still wet. She began to squeeze the skirt of the dress little by little even though it was cumbersome. The water flowed through the smooth leaves and joined the river.

    A dragonfly sitting at the edge of the leaf jumped at the falling water drops.

    Wendy put down the skirt of her dress and looked at the surrounding scenery for a while. The dark green trees of the Rainey Forest in the distance and the blue sky, the blue river and the wide leaves of the hyacinth floating on the water were beautiful and serene, so much so that she felt the reality was so far away from her.

    ¡°Whew¡­ ¡± She sighed deeply.

    She couldn¡¯t believe the reality before her eyes.

    ¡®Oh my god,¡¯ she had almost crossed the threshold of death a while ago. When she recalled the pain again, she shuddered. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of her wounded back or the weight of her wet dress that her body drooped, but she was definitely exhausted.

    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡±

    To pull herself together, she remembered her grudge against the duke¡¯s group. Her attempt certainly worked, bringing strength to her wobbly limbs. Hatred was a special medicine to stop her from feeling weak-minded.

    A littleter, she finally got up carefully. As her weight leaned to the side, the water hyacinth carrying her sank into the water. While leaning against the round petiole, she thought about the direction of her cruise. Soon, she began to walk across the hyacinth.

    Ssh! Ssh! Ssh!

    Whenever she stepped on the leaves, there was the sound of water hyacinth sinking into the water. She quickly stepped on the leaves to cross the river. It wasn¡¯t easy, but she finally made it. Her good motor skills helped her a lot. As soon as she set foot onnd, she knelt and fell. Her breathing was rough. Her back ached a lot. She wanted to check it, but she couldn¡¯t, which worried her a lot.

    She pulled herself together again and started walking. Because she lost her shoes when she fell into the water, she had to walk barefoot. The sandbank on the riverside was smooth, so she had no big problem. She tried to find a vige nearby more than anything else.

    After walking for a long time, she found a small vige of several houses. It was a vige where the vigers lived by fishing. There were two men trimming thes beyond the low wall.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    When she cautiously greeted them, they stopped working and raised their heads.

    One of them was an old man with grey hair and the other was a middle-aged man.

    Seeing them, she stepped back because the face of the middle-aged man was very familiar to her.

    ¡°Who are you¡­? ¡± The old man asked in surprise. The two were surprised by her ugly appearance, and they were surprised again by her terrified reaction. It was not long before that the middle-aged man opened his eyes wide, looking at her figure curiously. Finally, he recognized her.

    ¡°You¡­! ¡±

    Pretending not to have heard him, she quickly turned and left.

    Because of her urgent actions, several fishing rods that were standing on the wall fell one after another. It sounded loud, but she couldn¡¯t stop walking.

    She never imagined that she would see him here.

    He was the very man who tried to steal the Bahajman tree from Rajabude Museum! Yes, he was that criminal!

    She vividly recalled the image of him scaring Melissa Lowney.

    She heard that he had been imprisoned in Bagium Prison, so she couldn¡¯t figure out how he was here. Besides, as he remembered her face, this was a dangerous situation! If he bore a grudge against her because of his imprisonment, her encounter with him would put her in another danger. She couldn¡¯t be more misfortunate if that was true.

    The man hurriedly called her when she quickened her step to escape while ming her luck.

    His voice was desperate, ¡°Wait a minute! I¡¯m not trying to hurt you! ¡°

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152: Chapter 152 Don¡¯te to Buttuwatt River in the summer (10)

    When the man knew that Wendy was scared of him, the man hurriedly rified his position.

    Then, a door opened from inside. As there was noise outside, his wife looked out, along with a little girl, who was curiously sticking her. The child, who saw Wendy¡¯s face, was surprised and yelled, pointing her finger at her.

    ¡°She is the same sister! The sister who gave me ck food! ¡±

    She was the man¡¯s daughter Sophie. The girl dashed to Wendy, who couldn¡¯t run away anymore and went along with her. Although she did not let her hair down, Wendy believed that he would not try to hurt her in front of his daughter.

    As Sophie introduced Wendy, her mother weed her into the house with a pleasant look. As her wounded back was not visible, they just thought Wendy ran into trouble after she fell into the river. The girl¡¯s mother gave her clothes and shoes. They didn¡¯t fit her, but she could move in them without any problem.

    ¡°I will dry your clothes. They¡¯re very wet.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no!¡±

    The girl¡¯s mother, who picked up the dress that Wendy took off, btedly found blood stains on her clothes and the long vertical tear. Startled, she checked Wendy¡¯s condition.

    ¡°Look at your wounds! I¡¯ve got some medicine from Linus Medical Center, so let me apply it to them as you need urgent treatment.¡±

    Wendy refused, but the woman did not back down easily.

    ¡°It is just a little cut. It looks like that because of bloodstained water.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think you should be treated? I heard that you showedpassion to my daughter, Sophie. I can¡¯t pretend I do not care about your wound,¡± she said, shaking her head.

    Wendy had to show her back to her. The woman who urgently pulled out the medicine examined her back carefully.

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re lucky. There are some red marks, but I think they will heal quickly. ¡±

    The woman felt relieved while applying the ointment on Wendy¡¯s back. The Bahazman fruit had already taken effect.

    She did not ask Wendy why she had the wounds. When she was done treating them, the woman gave Wendy some reassurances and left. A littleter the woman came back and led her to a dining room, where her family members gathered.

    ¡°Your body will warm up soon, ¡± she said, offering a bowl of warm soup.

    It was a soup mixed with potatoes. When Wendy saw the food, she suddenly felt hungry.

    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m sure you are exhausted as you fell in the water,¡± the old man said sadly, pushing a bottle of salt in front of her.

    ¡°Sis, I think this tastes better than the ck food,¡± Sophie whispered as if she was telling her a secret. Grinning at her unconsciously, Wendy picked up the spoon.

    When she inadvertently raised her head after eating a bite of soup, her eyes met with the middle-aged man¡¯s, who was sitting opposite. He hesitated a bit then said, ¡°Well, I was released from Bagium Prison thanks to the emperor¡¯s pardon.¡±

    It seemed that he was included in the pardon list that the new emperor announced on the asion of his inauguration. She heard from the emperor that his pardon would include those whomitted crimes for reasons of livelihood, so his release was understandable in that respect.

    ¡°Now my whole family is staying here at my father¡¯s house. I¡¯m thinking of catching fish here and selling it at the market, ¡± he said.

    Wendy didn¡¯t know why he told him about his story, but she ate soup silently without asking. After emptying a bowl, she hurriedly got up and said, ¡°Thank you for your help. I have to go now quickly. I will return your clothes and shoes within a few days. ¡±

    The man hurriedly followed Wendy when she was about to leave.

    When she came out of the house, he called her and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but I want to help.¡±

    She stopped walking and asked, ¡°¡­Why? I don¡¯t think you have any reason to help me. ¡±

    ¡°¡­I heard from Sophie about you. After looking at your face and clothes, I wondered if she might be you. Sophie said the woman who helped her was a blonde with golden hair.

    After I saw my daughter¡¯s reaction today, I felt you¡¯re the woman who helped her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I just gave her a meal. That¡¯s all.¡±

    Wendy turned away from him and prepared to go again.

    ¡°The mealpletely changed Sophie. After that day, the child recovered like a miracle. She spoke many times about the ck food you gave her¡­ And that little red fruit, too. ¡±

    She stopped again at his words, looking at him with a vignt expression.

    ¡°Sophie was sick for many years. Doctors said it was difficult topletely cure my daughter¡¯s illness. So, the best thing to do was to make herfortable. The reason I tried to steal the Bahazman tree was not simply because I wanted money for her treatment. I thought the tree could cure her,¡± the man sighed ¡°Whew!¡± deeply.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the little red fruit my daughter spoke about was. It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve imagined it on my own, but it¡¯s just my imagination¡­I don¡¯t have any intention of asking you about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Because you just prepared a meal for Sophie.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°I heard from my wife about the wound on your back. If you are in trouble now, I would like to help you in any way. If you need a ce to escape, let me arrange a ce for you to stay.¡±

    This man showed kindness to her because of a sense of guilt. She was satisfied with seeing Sophie cured, but it was true that she needed some help at the moment. Thinking for a moment, she alternately looked at him and his courtyard and said, ¡°I need your help on one thing.¡± She decided to ept his offer to help.

    She had to put aside her direct hatred of Duke Engre first. If she were consumed by hatred, she would chase the duke and press her finger down to cause him pain, but it was difficult realistically. Instead, she decided to ruin one of the duke¡¯s ns. She felt that would be her revenge.

    She went into the house again with the man and talked for a while. The man, who looked puzzled about her exnation even after asking her several times, was reluctantly persuaded.

    He said, ¡°Okay, I will ask people around me for help as much as possible. If my father asks for help, I think many people wille out to help you. ¡± She nodded at his reassurances.

    ¡°Which is the fastest way to go to the Imperial Pce or to Borams from here?¡±

    She wanted to let them know about her survival and ask the knights for help.

    She needed their help desperately to sessfully carry out what she decided.

    ¡°¡­ It is a very long distance from here. So, it would be difficult for you to move without a horse or carriage, ¡± he said, touching his thick jawline.

    ¡°Can I borrow a horse somewhere here?¡±

    ¡°If you go to the Belvo Market, there are a few stables nearby. They sometimes lend a horse there, but I don¡¯t know if they still do these days. I am worried if you go there alone because Belvo is very far from here.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Rather, it would be faster if you go to Dupern. Do you have any family there?¡±

    The man told her of one of the city centers where the noble mansions were concentrated.

    Her ears perked up at his words. She thought it would be better to head to Dupern than to the Imperial Pce or Borams.

    If the duke¡¯s troops had stormed the Imperial Pce, Sir Schroder in Borams would have also headed to the pce, too. It wasn¡¯t wise for her to go there and get involved in the bloody battle. It would be like jumping into death. It would be very difficult even to defend herself alone in that bloody battle. Even before she pressed her finger to the ground, she would have been beheaded.

    She vividly remembered the battle between the invaders and the imperial knights before the copse of the pce. There was nothing she could do in the thick of the battle back then.

    Using her index finger was only when everyone was helpless after the explosion. However, if the duke led the army directly to the Imperial Pce, she assumed that there would be no such explosion or fire this time.

    Above all, she had total trust in Lard. He would stop them. She had to trust him. So, she decided that it was much more wise for her to do what she could do here.

    ¡°If I go to Dupern¡­ ¡°

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153: Chapter 153 Don¡¯te to Buttuwatt River in the summer (11)

    She thought of a noble family who she could ask for help. Melissa came to her mind first. When she heard about the peasant uprising, she asked Wendy to go with her to her mansion.

    ¡°Is the Lowney family there?¡±

    ¡°No, they are in Halmon, I think.¡±

    It was disappointing. There were not many noble families that she could ask for help. The only nobles that she knew were Lard, Melissa, Jean Jacques Simuan, and a few others who escorted her.

    ¡°¡­Do you know which noble families are there?¡±

    ¡°Galluam, Setoran¡­well, Hazlet and Guell again ¡­ and¡­ ¡±

    Scratching his forehead, he tried hard to recall the families in Dupern. When she heard the name of Hazzlets, she flinched and straightened up. Earl Hazlet asked the duke to dy punishing her. His image came to her mind ufortably like a thorn in her neck.

    ¡®Why did he try to help me? Why, why?¡¯

    His mention of the Hazlet family kept her asking questions about his motivation.

    What had he in mind back then? Earl Hazlet was on the duke¡¯s side. Although she ended her blood rtionship with them long ago, they were now her enemies in the Benyahan empire.

    She didn¡¯t worry at all about the fate of the Hazlet family supporting the duke, she still felt heartbroken. She couldn¡¯t exin why, but she felt bitter for some reason.

    ¡°By the way, the Heizel family or the Lennox family¡­.I wonder if the Scorning family is still there. That¡¯s all I know in Dupern.¡±

    ¡°Lenox¡­ Did you just say Lennox? ¡± She asked when he mentioned it. Her eyes trembled like soft leaves.

    After a brief pause, she asked the man in detail where the Lennox family lived.

    The man took a piece of yellow paper and drew a rough map. Based on the map, she went to the Lennox mansion. She assumed that due to the injury, Dn Lennox would still be there because he would still be recuperating.

    After walking for a long time, she arrived at the huge iron gate of the Lennox mansion. The doorkeeper of the family, who was standing inside, looked at her with wariness.

    ¡°What business brought you here?¡± asked the doorkeeper bluntly, as if he didn¡¯t like her appearance.

    ¡°¡­ I would like to meet Sir Dn Lennox. ¡±

    The man frowned and said, ¡°Look, he¡¯s not someone you can meet just because you want to see him. Go away!¡± The gatekeeper grunted, looking at her clothes up and down.

    He shook his head, grumbling that it was the first time he saw a woman like her in many years.

    Obviously, he looked down at her because her clothes, she borrowed from Sophie¡¯s mother, didn¡¯t look good. Anybody wouldugh at amoner woman who appeared all of a sudden and asked to meet Dn. But she couldn¡¯t give up here.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me because I¡¯m dressed like this. My clothes are shabby because I had a hard time during the chaos in the capital, but I¡¯ve known your master since your master was in Mullerdon. ¡±

    When she mentioned the estate of the Lennox family, he hesitated for a moment and nced at her again.

    ¡°¡­ Just tell your master that Wendy Waltz wants to see him. It is urgent.¡±

    The gatekeeper looked agonized. He felt he could not simply ignore her request. But at the same time he was worried he would be scolded for epting her request thoughtlessly.

    At that instant, his supervisor shouted, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    As he approached, the surprised doorkeeper quickly made an excuse, ¡°Nothing, sir. I was giving her a warning because she was hanging around here.¡±

    Wendy quickly frowned at his ridiculous excuses.

    ¡°I want you to tell Sir Lennox my name¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, be quiet! ¡± The doorkeeper shouted, checking his supervisor¡¯s look.

    She gave up talking to him and tried to exin to his supervisor again.

    But even he treated her as a strange woman and signalled to the gatekeeper.

    ¡°The door will open soon. Get her out quickly.¡±

    Hearing that, the doorkeeper came out through a small side door and grabbed her arm.

    The two scuffled for a while.

    ¡°Let me go, let go of my arm!¡±

    She twisted the arm he held. His grip was stronger than she thought. So, she was about to pull her arm from his grip and kick him in self-defense.

    A huge iron gate opened with a squeaking noise. Then, there was the sound of horse hooves and boots trampling on the ground at the same time. Lots of knights and soldiers of the marquis¡¯ family appeared outside the mansion through the iron gate. They inevitably witnessed the scuffle of the two near the iron gate. They stopped. The one at their front hurriedly turned the horse¡¯s head and approached them.

    He jumped off the horse at once. He was Dn Lennox.

    ¡°Let go of her hand!¡±

    Dn grabbed the doorkeeper¡¯s arm and pulled it from her. Frightened, he stepped back and fell on his buttocks. Dn took a look at her face and looked around her once again and said in a slightly loud voice, as if surprised, ¡°I heard you were in the Imperial Pce. What happened? Are you alone here? You know the situation in the capital is bad. You shouldn¡¯t go around alone like this ¡­ ! ¡±

    ¡°Dn.¡± She cut in and called his name. He was dressed in a knight¡¯s suit, with a light shoulder shield on it. The knights who followed him wore the same.

    She said, looking at his waist where his sword hung, ¡°I¡¯vee here to ask for your help¡­ Are you on the way to the pce? ¡±

    He nodded and said, ¡°Duke Engre revolted.¡±

    She dropped her eyes at his serious remarks.

    ¡°Can you hold a sword?

    ¡°Yes, all thanks to you,¡± Dn said bitterly. He was injured so severely that he still had a hard time grasping the sword, but he couldn¡¯t sit idly when he heard about the duke¡¯s revolt. He had to do his bit as an imperial knight. Even if he were killed in action, he didn¡¯t want to have any regrets as a knight. So, he was about to lead the knights and soldiers left behind in the mansion to head to the Imperial Pce.

    ¡°Have you heard anything about Sir Schroder? ¡±

    ¡°I heard he is in the Imperial Pce.¡±

    Wendy held his hands tight. She couldn¡¯t help but worry about his safety while engaging in a tough battle with the duke¡¯s forces. It was separate from her trust in him. She was more concerned about him because she saw numerous soldiers following the duke. But she shook off such thoughts, and focused on what she could do right away.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got something as important as your march to the pce¡­So, please help me. The emperor will surely want it. ¡±

    The battle at Kingsbray Pce continued. Lard and Badge cut down dozens of knights escorting Duke Engre. Lard¡¯s body was soaked with blood as they fell bleeding everywhere.

    There was no moreposure on the duke¡¯s face. The moment his forces confronted the pro-emperor troops outside the capital, his n went wrong. When that news was delivered, the morale of his men fell noticeably. As a result, he spent too long in the battle at Kingsbray Pce. ording to his n, his army outside the capital should have stormed the Imperial Pce by now, overpowered the imperial knights, and upied the pce.

    He should have seen the emperor¡¯s head thrown on the floor by now.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    When the knights defending him fell one after another, the duke hurriedly counted the number of knights around him, but Lard didn¡¯t stop swinging his sword. Those who still survived helplessly fell when he cut them swiftly.

    The rebels whose morale was low became rapidly exhausted and soon foresaw that their revolution would not seed.

    ¡°Let me deal with these guys!¡± Badge shouted, asking to get rid of the remaining rebels.

    Lard nodded and quickly pointed his sword toward the duke. The bodyguard knight who came out from behind him blocked his sword in vain. Lard¡¯s sword cut him across the chest deeply. Red drops of blood sshed on the duke¡¯s face.

    ¡°It¡¯s time I killed you!¡±

    Lard stabbed the sword in his neck. For the first time, the duke used the sword he carried like a decoration in his hand to block his attack, but he couldn¡¯t defend himself long. In no time, Lard swung his sword as if he was going to cut his head at once. The duke closed his eyes.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± He groaned at the sharp pain. Lard¡¯s sword swiped his neck, causing a shallow wound on the skin.

    ¡°Open your eyes. Don¡¯t you have to see the end of your life clearly with both eyes? Face the pain like a man! ¡°

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154: Chapter 154 Don¡¯te to Buttuwatt River in the summer (12)

    Then, his sword pierced his neck. Hot blood flowed down his neck and soaked the crest of his family engraved on the armor. Sticky blood water gathered on it to create a bloody pattern. That was the tragic end of his life.

    The duke said,¡±¡­Sir Schroder, how long do you think this empire willst? Benyahan will copse soon.¡±

    He spoke bitterly like a prophet before his death, but Lard reacted at hisst words scornfully.

    ¡°As long as you are alive, the fall of the empire will be a reality. But after today, I don¡¯t think I need to worry about it anymore because the enemy of the empire will be eliminated by my sword. ¡±

    ¡°The day wille when all future generations will point their fingers at you for your choice. You will have to pay the price of stopping the revolution and going against the current of the times.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking too much before you die.¡±

    ¡°¡­I am not afraid of dying because I am already ready,¡± the duke said calmly, smiling at him coldly. There was disdain in his eyes looking at Lard.

    He continued, ¡°Of course, not everyone is not afraid of death¡­But your lover was very afraid of it. When I saw her running away, terrified, I couldn¡¯t help but feelpassionate¡­Urgh! ¡±

    Lard couldn¡¯t afford to hear his babbling anymore, and pressed the sword deeper. Much more blood than before came out of his neck now.

    ¡°Sir Schroder! Don¡¯t kill him yet! He must be executed in front of everyone. Kingsbray Pce cannot be his grave! ¡± shouted the emperor, who approached Lard.

    The fighting inside the pce was all over. Bloodstained imperial knights were watching them talking to each other with a firm expression.

    ¡°Sir Schroder¡­! ¡± The emperor said again.

    Overwhelmed by the mental pain, the duke looked at the emperor¡¯s face quickly. Soon Lard pulled the sword from his neck slowly. The emperor let out a sigh of relief.

    At that moment, Lard quickly stabbed his shoulder, smashing the man¡¯s flesh and bones without any resistance. The duke¡¯s face, who tried not to lose his dignity until the end, contorted in pain.. He screamed.

    But Lard was not satisfied. He pulled the sword, lifted it and aimed at one of his wrists.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    One of his wrists was cut cleanly and fell over the floor. The duke screamed in pain, groping over the cut area. There was not a single drop of blood from the neatly cut section for a while, but this did not ay his pain.

    ¡°¡­ You look terrified. Are you scared of dying now? ¡± he said to the duke groaning in extreme pain.

    ¡°It is impossible to stop them anymore.¡±

    The imperial knights left in Borams tried their best while confronting the peasants, but reached their limits. Their initial efforts to avoid armed conflicts with them failed, which led to several shes among them. Fortunately, there were only a few casualties because the knights did not wield the swords to kill the peasants and they focused on defense. However, such efforts were wearing thin.

    In the end, the knights could not stop the peasants. It was almost a miracle for them, who were numerically inferior to the peasants, to hold them until now. The farmers who escaped the control of the knights left Borams and entered the capital.

    Originally, they tried to reach the Imperial Pce and ask for a direct meeting with the emperor. Although they weren¡¯t convinced that they would actually be able to meet the emperor, it was very symbolic for the peasants to try to raise their voice and present their opinion to the emperor in the Imperial Pce. Such an attempt would be a watershed in the emperor¡¯s perception of their miserable reality and the improvement of their lives. Also, they could inform the rest of the empire of their attempts. Above all, however, they eagerly hoped for an immediate improvement of their lives by expressing to the emperor what they really wanted.

    When they entered the capital, arge number ofmoners joined them. Their procession towards the Imperial Pce became evenrger. They marched through the main streets. As there were injured among them, they couldn¡¯t speed up their movement.

    Thump!

    Peasants leader Eduval nced at the windows of the houses along the streets, which were closed quickly when they passed. He could see people sticking their necks out and then disappearing quickly. They were likely worried about being attacked. Although the peasants were also good people, Eduval controlled them tightly to prevent any unforeseen provocations. Several childish young men were already given a sharp warning by him because they went berserk and broke the stuff in the streets in joy when they entered the capital. The peasants didn¡¯te to the capital to create a riot.

    At that moment, dozens of knights riding on the horses ran towards them.

    Around 100, all told, their sudden appearance was so intimidating that the farmers were nervous. As the main streets were lined up with lots of buildings on both sides, the horses¡¯ hooves added to the ttering noise on the streets. The farmers stopped walking at the overwhelming sound, wary of the knights.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡±

    One of the knights who stopped in front of them came forward. Wearing a helmet that covered his face and wearing thick armor, the knight appeared to be ready to fight them. Like him, other knights looked like they were going to the battlefield. They wore outside gearpletely different from the knights in Borams. The farmers felt more anxious at theirbat uniforms.

    ¡°I am Dn Lennox of the Imperial Knights,¡± said the knight.

    It was an unexpectedly young voice, but his attitude was threatening. He stared at the faces of the farmers standing at the forefront.

    ¡°¡­ Are you now heading to the Imperial Pce? ¡±

    There was silence for a while at his question. Given their attitude, it seemed that they would not let the peasants pass easily. There was the sound of the peasants swallowing here and there in silence. Shortly afterwards, Eduval replied to his question, ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re going to convey our message to His Majesty directly¡­ ! ¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from heading to the capital.¡±

    Everyone was surprised, and silence resounded at his words. They couldn¡¯t believe their ears.

    When they were curious, the knight continued, ¡°But you are not allowed to take this street. I forbid you to pass by private houses in the capital!¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Eduval asked.

    ¡°I cannot abide by the anxiety that you have created spreading through the capital. We have decided not to take risks for the disturbances you may make. If you want to head to the Imperial Pce, take the road next to Buttuwat River where there are no private houses. If you take that road, nobody will block you. ¡±

    When they heard Dn¡¯s announcement, they began to murmur among themselves.

    Then, a young man yelled ferociously, staring at Dn Lennox, ¡°It¡¯s a trap! They are going to trap us there before attacking at once!¡± He was John Piaf.

    He showed the most radical reaction to the proposals of the imperial knights until now, but what he said made sense. After Eduval calmed him down, he asked the imperial knight, ¡°How can I believe it is not a trap?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I will go along with you without any weapon. I¡¯m Dn Lennox of the Marquis Lennox family. I don¡¯t take my life lightly, but let me leave my life to you, ¡± said Dn without fear. He was on a horse, wearing thick armor, but he was firm without any agitation

    ¡°If you can¡¯t ept my proposal, we will block your march no matter what the cost. What will you do? ¡±

    Eduval looked unsettled, but after some serious thinking, he decided to ept Dn¡¯s offer.

    He didn¡¯t want any more bloodshed. Even if Dn¡¯s proposal was a trap, they would not crack down on the peasants because manymoners joined his peasant militia. Given the consistent attitude of the knights who were hesitant to aim their swords at the farmers, he felt there would be no big danger ahead.

    Besides, if the knights still had armed forces and weapons to outpower the peasants, the peasants would be faced with the same danger no matter which road they took.

    By insisting on marching through the ce where the private house was located, they might bring about armed conflict with the knights, which might entangle the innocent women and children in the fighting.

    Eduval conveyed his opinion to his colleagues. Some raised opposition, but the majority of them agreed.

    ¡°Good.¡± When Eduval epted, Dn immediately handed his sword to the other knight next to him, along with its sheath. He got off the horse, took off his armor, put it on the horse, and approached Eduval.

    ¡°Please pat me down,¡± Dn said, taking off the helmet on his head. His exposed face was younger than he thought, but his eyes were serious. Eduval nodded, looking sideways at his uniform and army badges on his stout shoulders. One of the men next to Eduval came out and searched his body, but he had no weapon.

    ¡°Let me guide you,¡± Dn said.

    The peasants began to move again.

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155: Chapter 155 Don¡¯te to Buttuwatt River in the summer (13)

    Standing on the sandbanks of Buttuwat River, Wendy looked over the river and checked its flow and topography. With the help of Sophie¡¯s father, she chose the ce where its flow was slowest. Now that she chose the right ce, she needed to prepare ording to her ns.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. I think you can ask the crowds toe here. No problem? ¡±

    When Wendy asked, the man told her she didn¡¯t have to worry and left.

    As she began to walk a few steps on the sandbar, an unexpected voice came from nearby.

    ¡°¡­ Miss Wendy! Wendy! ¡±

    Someone called her across the river. His voice was full of joy and excitement.

    ¡°¡­ Sir Dowain! ¡± Wendy immediately ran back across the water.

    Although the water soaked her feet, she didn¡¯t care. She was all smiles. Never did she expect to meet him here!

    ¡°Sir Dowain!¡±

    As if to reply to her trembling voice, Pascal also called her name several times.

    ¡°I knew you were alive!¡± Pascal shouted, with tears in his eyes.

    It was fortunate that his tears were not visible because she was on the other side of the river.

    Shortly afterwards, several knights crossed the river. As they had traveled with horses, they needed a big boat to cross the river. The fishermen who came out to help her offered thergest one to carry them.

    Wendy was very pleased with meeting Pascal again, but even more happy to find Benfork unconscious on his horse.

    ¡°I discovered him lying by the riverside. Looking at the child, I thought he was rted to your disappearance. Is that correct?¡±

    She nodded at his question. She carefully stroked the forehead of the sleeping boy. His warmth proved that he was safe.

    ¡°And this¡­¡± Pascal said, pointing to something tied to the horse. Folded in a random way, it was tied with a rope, but she could easily identify it. It was a water hyacinth she grew on the river.

    ¡°I discovered it onnd. I couldn¡¯t help but think of you because of its strange size. What happened to you? ¡±

    When he asked, she didn¡¯t answer right away, saying that she would tell himter.

    Pascal looked at her with a worried expression.

    ¡°You should help me. All the other knights, too.¡± Wendy spoke to them with a brighter voice.

    There were a lot of things to do.

    Soon the fishermen lowered thes at her request. More people came out than she thought.

    Standing on the sandbar, she was busy running around, assigning their location.

    ¡°Good! Yes, around there! ¡±

    ¡°Lady, it¡¯s pointless to lower the here! You can¡¯t catch any fish here! ¡±

    An old fisherman with a long beard yelled at her. His voice was so great that it echoed everywhere.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to catch fish! When I give you a signal, please raise the! Please bring anything that¡¯s trapped in the.¡±

    She folded her hands around her mouth and cried out loud. After that, she ran upstream.

    Pascal apanied her.

    After running upstream for some time, she stopped where the river became narrower.

    She walked on the rocks all the way up to the other end. After checking nobody was around except for Pascal, she waited for a signal. How much time passed? A long whistle was heard from a distance. It was the signal she had been waiting for.

    Wendy immediately squatted at the end of the rock and soaked her index finger in the water. The narrow upper stream was faster than the lower stream where fishermen were gathered. It was a very good condition for her actions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close to the water!¡±

    Pascal shouted at her for fear she might fall into the water. She focused on what she was doing. She felt a strong stream passing over her finger. The image of Montappi fully came to her mind. It was the image of Montrapi flowers falling and the grains just ripening instead.

    The change happened first down there, not near her fingers. It was a change in the water that passed through her index finger. It was Montrapi. It was definitely Montrapi! The green color that was floating on the river gradually grew big. White Montapi flowers bloomed here and there and quickly faded among the green color.

    ¡°¡­ Miss Wendy, what is this that I¡¯m looking at? That is¡­¡±

    She heard Pascal screaming in amazement, but she could not answer.

    She was busy concentrating on her finger. The waves were unstoppable and continued to flow. The waves that passed through her finger constantly produced light green Montrapi buds, which then did their job on the sparkling water. Light green became green, and flowers fell and bloomed endlessly on the river.

    As soon as the remaining rebels in the Imperial Pce were subdued, the imperial knights, including Lard, began to mount their horses again because they heard about the procession of farmers who left Boram.

    They rushed out of the pce. On the way to the procession, Lard heard that the procession passing through downtown diverted outside. They immediately changed the direction.

    Jean, who was driving a horse close to Lard, hid his nervous feelings while checking his expression. He also heard about Wendy¡¯s disappearance. Sir Burleigh¡¯s babbling about her tragic murder was conveyed to him through a knight who was at the scene of their fight.

    With a nervous look, Jean checked Lard¡¯s countenance again.

    His boss was on the move out of obligation. There was deep disillusionment in his tightly closed lips and untouchable anger and pain in his gray eyes. It looked like he would never shake off such feelings.

    Jean couldn¡¯t tell him that he should recover Wendy¡¯s body. He couldn¡¯t dare to tell him that he should recover it before it drifted out to sea. He was not sure that even if he found her body, he could show it to his boss. Extreme anxiety overwhelmed him.

    He was afraid that the chronic apathy of his boss would deepen or disappear. The sense of loss that his boss would have to go through was like a deep illness that would never end or be cured. His boss would not try to recover from the illness because it was left behind by a woman named Wendy Waltz. He would be willing to suffer the illness.

    They saw Buttuwat River in the distance, and the procession of farmers moving along the river caught their eye. The knights paused for a moment and counted their heads. The procession seemed endless.

    ¡°Sir Simuan,¡± Lard called him. ¡°Wendy, the color of her eyes¡­ ¡±

    Jean waited for his next words for a long time, but he could not hear them. He just guessed that since his gaze was directed at the green river, his boss might have recalled the color of her eyes.

    They moved again to stop the peasants¡¯ procession and convey the emperor¡¯s message about putting the top priority on their concerns.

    It would have been very insulting for Emperor Isaac if they reached the pce and raised their voices before the emperor. There had been no such thing at any moment in the history of the empire. This would be recorded as asting shame in the reign of Emperor Isaac. The imperial knights had to stop it.

    They drove quickly, blocking the peasant procession. The peasants grew agitated all at once, lifting their weapons. Lard looked for a familiar face among them. It was Eduval, the virtual leader of the peasants.

    Lard, who discovered Eduval at the forefront, narrowed his eyes. His eyes turned to the man next to Eduval.

    ¡°Sir Dn Lennox, why are you with them?¡±

    When asked, Dn said in embarrassment, ¡°Didn¡¯t you meet the knight I dispatched?¡±

    At Wendy¡¯s request, Dn sent a knight to Imperial Pce to tell Lard about her survival and her secret n. The knight left after hearing the news that Dn sessfully worked with the peasants. However, the knight seems to have not reached Lard before Lard left the pce.

    ¡°I sent a knight to give you a briefing¡­¡±

    ¡°Dirty bastards! How can the imperial knights set a trap like this?¡± John Piaf cut off Dn¡¯s words and shouted angrily.

    He cursed at the imperial knights at the top of his voice. His high-pitched voice was enough to agitate the peasants. The farmers pushed their weapons forward, wary of the imperial knights. Several farmers standing by Dn pointed sickles and pickaxes at him.

    A knight behind Lard approached him and whispered. He was Tulin, who secretly conveyed to Lard useful information about Duke Engre, while acting as the duke¡¯s right hand man. After hearing, Lard had a cold smile.

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156: Chapter 156 Don¡¯te to Buttuwatt River in the summer (14)

    Tulin, who had searched for some connection between John Piaf and Duke Engre at Lard¡¯s order, briefly reported what he had discovered. He confirmed that John Piaf¡¯s younger brother became an apprentice knight for the Engre family, adding that John met the duke several times and the duke paid him some money.

    ¡°The duke¡¯s spy is here, too. Your boss will be beheaded soon, but you¡¯re still making a lousy noise here. ¡±

    ¡°What, what are you talking¡­! ¡±

    When Lard said that, looking at John, Eduval and their colleagues looked at John suspiciously.

    ¡°Eduval, do you know that guy¡¯s brother became an apprentice knight for the Engre family?

    Do you know that the guy constantly made provocative remarks to take advantage of you in the duke¡¯s rebellion?¡± Lard shouted at Eduval with dignity.

    ¡°The duke¡¯s revolt has failed. John Piaf, your n fell t. Your master, the mastermind of the rebellion will be beheaded and disyed to the public soon. If your neck is also hung next to it, it¡¯s going to be a great attraction.¡±

    Lard did not stop there and pulled out his sword. The farmers stepped back and prepared to attack. As they didn¡¯t know much about the rebels, they could not easily understand what Lard just said. Eduval cast a suspicious gaze at John, but he couldn¡¯t leave John at the mercy of Lard.

    Their confrontation began again. The situation was bad, but Lard did not put away the sword. He could not hide his murderous intent at John Piaf, who worked as the duke¡¯s stooge.

    He was full of desire to destroy everything rted to the duke. The farmers supporting John Piaf were also his targets.

    Wendy Waltz.

    They didn¡¯t know that her eyes were dark green like the water of the river bearing the shadow of Raney Forest. They didn¡¯t know that her hair was yellowish, like a frisian releasing its perfume in the sunshine. They didn¡¯t know that her smile was as beautiful as a star rising through the clouds. They didn¡¯t know anything about her.

    Such memories of her were painful for him, which made him so angry. So, he could not withdraw his sword.

    ¡°Hey, look over there!¡±

    Someone yelled, pointing at Buttuwat River. His shouting rang loudly amid silence, and everyone¡¯s eyes turned toward the river. As if they promised, they looked at the river silently, with their mouths wide open.

    Something light brown was floating down on the waters of the river. Its procession was longer than that of the peasants.

    At first nce, it looked like water weeds floating on the river, but farmers knew immediately that they were not water weeds, but something else. How could they not know what they touched and grew by hand every day for decades?

    The endless procession of the brown stuff was lifted up little by little by thes from the boats floating on the river. There were a number of boats draggings through the water.

    Someone cried when some of it reached the shore, ¡°It¡¯s Montrapi! Montrapi! ¡±

    As soon as he shouted, the orderly procession of the peasants was in disarray. They dropped the ironware in their hands and ran wildly towards the river. Some jumped into the water and grabbed handfuls of Montrapi that drifted downstream, while others picked up and collected each one of them that reachednd. They earnestly held Montrapi in their arms as if they rescued their children from the water. Each of the Montrapi had ripe ears.

    At that moment, Lard, looking at them running to the riverside with trembling eyes, hurriedly drove Balos. The horse¡¯s head was turning toward the upstream from which Montrapi drifted. During that short ride up the river, he prayed and prayed that she was alive.

    When he reached the top of the river, his eyes trembled more than the waves bouncing off the rocks. He saw a woman dipping her hands in the river at a distance. It was Wendy!

    Barely holding his breath and throbbing heart, he tried his best to calm down. Full of hot emotions, he was deeply touched to see her. He drove Balos at full speed not to lose her again.

    After jumping off Balos, he ran to the rock by the river and stood behind her. Surprised, Pascal looked at him hastily, but Lard didn¡¯t care.

    He barely caught his breath and stared at her slender shoulders. He couldn¡¯t even touch her as he was trembling so much. A flower was supposed to be easily blown away by the wind. Lard was afraid that she might be like that.

    Without knowing he was behind her, she pulled her hands out of the water. After breathing out with difficulty, she stood up. She suddenly felt dizzy. It was because she had been exhausted from all the other distractions. She swayed dizzily.

    ¡°Oops!¡±

    He held her shoulders from behind, as if he raised a pile of fallen flowers. Surprised, she turned her head.

    ¡°¡­ Sir Schroder? ¡±

    He could not answer. He managed to open his mouth, but couldn¡¯t say as he was choked with emotions. Now, she tried to turn to see him, but he didn¡¯t let her do it.

    ¡°Sir Schroder¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± he said in a cracked voice. Surprised by that, she called him once again. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m afraid when I think about you. ¡±

    His trembling voice made her feel like crying. She put her hands on top of his.

    ¡°I thought I would never feel the warmth of your hands again¡­ You did cruel things to me.¡±

    Her warmth touched him more intensely than any words or scent. Her hands that he could immediately recognize without seeing them were now on his hands.

    She held his hands carefully and turned to him. He no longer stopped her from turning around. She looked up at him without hiding his wistfulness. She felt very warm looking into his gray eyes, cool like a salt field at midnight.

    His heartache hurt her equally, but the fact that it was reparableforted them.

    She smiled faintly while looking at him.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I will never scare you again. Forgive me if I did something cruel to you,¡± she said.

    She asked for his forgiveness in an honest voice. Unbelievably, he was making an expression as if he was about to cry at any moment. They hugged each other.

    The waves of Buttuwat River flowed smoothly. Raney Forest still glowed dark green, and the wind blew over them gently. The sky was covered with long, scattered clouds as if somebody cleaned up white sand with a broom.

    And there were the two down there. It was a truly peaceful scene.

    Rumors circted across the capital that the rebels who raided the Imperial Pce were suppressed and their leader would be executed soon. However, there were rumors that drew people¡¯s attention even more about Montrapi that flowed down Buttuwatt River.

    ording to the rumors, the revolted peasants all returned to their hometowns with a few carts of Montrapi. Some shook their heads, unable to believe their ears, and others stood aghast in surprise. The rumors were far from crap, given the continuing testimony of many people that they lent carts or saw the Montrapi in person.

    But the people in the capital soon understood all the rumors because the rumors spread quickly that the empire had prepared Montrapi in advance. Some said Montrapi was brought in from the neighboring Sperman Principality, while others argued that the Montrapi was secretly grown within the Imperial Pce with the help of Jeddah Academy professors. Everybody was impressed with the emperor¡¯s wisdom to spread Montrapi dramatically on the river in order to stop the procession of the rebellious peasants.

    Everyone was harmed by the blight and insects, but this time the Montrapi nts were full of grains after its flowers withered. People expected that they would harvest an abundant crop this year, which helped the prices of Montrapi stabilize. Of course, the massive release of Montrapi to the market from the stores of the nobles by the imperial pce also helped stabilize the prices.

    ¡°Here you are. It¡¯s clearly marked with the imperial seal. So, check it out. ¡±

    Emperor Isaac said to Wendy, presenting her with a luxurious piece of parchment.

    She looked at it and nodded satisfactorily.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s certain. The deal between you and me waspletely done with this.¡±

    ¡°Sure. It was a deal that satisfied both you and me.¡±

    With a sly smile the emperor looked over the parchment she was holding.

    ¡°Would you like to celebrate this asion and have a toast in the evening? Let me serve you a great dinner. ¡±

    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s more appropriate for you to have a toast with Sir Schroder.¡±

    Wendy grabbed the parchment with a smile. Although the emperor tried to say more, she said goodbye without giving him a chance.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the trial soon.¡±

    She stood up without any hesitation and left the meeting room of Kingsbray Pce.

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157: Chapter 157 Don¡¯te to Buttuwatt River in the summer (15)

    ¡°Did your talk with the emperor go well?¡± said Lard, who was waiting for her outside the meeting room, approaching her.

    In fact, she met with the emperor alone because she had to strike a secret deal with him.

    ¡°His Majesty epted everything,¡± she said, with a heartyugh.

    ¡°The trial has just begun. Let¡¯s go together.¡±

    He reached out to her. She put her hand on his quickly and headed to the courtroom.

    It was a closed-door trial. The judge was reading the crimes of Earl Hazellet, and the Hazlet couple was listening, with their faces turning white. After the judge was done, the earl made poor excuses for a moment, but soon admitted all the crimes. However, Countess Hazlet, who stood by him, was desperately denying all the charges as if she felt she couldn¡¯t see the fall of the family. There was no chance that her denial could be epted by the judge.

    At that moment Countess Hazellet discovered Wendy, who was watching them from far away.

    The countess had nothing to fear like the waning moon. Even if she got more sentences under the guilt-by-associationw, she wouldn¡¯t care as there was no big difference from now.

    ¡°That girl! I¡¯m using her of crimes! ¡± She shouted, pointing to Wendy. The judge¡¯s gaze turned to Wendy as she pointed.

    ¡°That girl is Olivia Hazlet, the eldest daughter of the Hazlet family. She left home a few years ago, abandoned her noble status and bought themoner¡¯s status! If the imperialw is fair, shouldn¡¯t you duly punish that girl, too! ¡±

    As she shouted, Earl Hazlet told her to be quiet, but she was not persuaded.

    The judge turned to Wendy and asked in a solemn voice, ¡°Is her im true? If it is, you will not avoid a heavy punishment.¡±.

    Wendy opened her mouth without showing any embarrassment, looking straight at the countess.

    ¡°It is true.¡± When she pleaded guilty, the countess smiled scornfully.

    ¡°If I have to be punished for that, I am ready.¡±

    As soon as Wendy said that, the door of the closed courtroom opened and the emperor appeared. Some present in the courtroom stood up all at once to show due manners.

    Emperor Isaac asked them to sit down with a smile and said, ¡°Okay, let the trial continue.

    This is a trial for the Hazlet couple, but not that woman. Her trial can be heldter. ¡±

    The emperor spoke as if he heard every conversation inside.

    The judge replied that he would do as the emperor wished.

    The countess was fuming as Wendy was not dragged out of the courtroom despite her usation. There was nobody tofort her in the courtroom. Soon the judge ruled on the crimes of the Hazlet family. ording to the ruling, their properties were confiscated, their names erased from the noble list, and they were ordered to stay forever in a corner of the Hazlet family¡¯s estate. Although the name of the Hazlet family forever disappeared from the Benyahan empire, their lives were saved unlike other nobles who joined the rebellion.

    It was also one of the conditions that the emperor and Wendy agreed on.

    After the trial was done, the couple were dragged out with their hands tied by red strings.

    The countess didn¡¯t stop staring at Wendy until the end. It seemed that she shifted her resentment of their miserable status to her. On the other hand, the earl avoided Wendy¡¯s eyes and bowed.

    Wendy sighed unconsciously, looking at his miserable figure.

    Lard held her hands tightly. She felt relieved by his cozy touch.

    ¡°Wendy, give the parchment to the judge,¡± the emperor hastily said as if he wanted to solve everything quickly. In response, she took out the parchment she received from the emperor.

    ¡°This¡­ ¡±

    The judge was surprised when he received the parchment and checked its contents. He looked at her face again.

    ¡°Let me certify that I have given her the parchment with the seal of the emperor.¡±

    Although the parchment had the emperor¡¯s seal, the emperor once again proved to the judge that it was genuine.

    The judge nodded silently and asked Wendy, ¡°Would you like to use your right to acquittal for this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    ¡°Okay, you guys go out, please.¡± The Emperor gestured to the tow.

    It was time that the emperor had a long talk with the judge.

    Out of the courthouse Wendy and Lard walked away with a much lighter heart.

    Wendy obtained the right to acquittal in return for the emperor getting all the credit for the Montapi on Buttuwatt River. This was a secret deal between the two.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you have any regret? That was a chance for you to get the right to the session of the Hazelt family. ¡±

    She shook her head at his suggestion. After hearing from her about her status change, the emperor was generous enough to assure her that she could get the session right of the Hazlet family if she wanted. After oveing the crisis, the emperor was endlessly generous to her, so much so that he did not yet give up his lingering affection for her miraculous power. However, she was not happy with the emperor¡¯s generosity. She never wanted the session right of the Hazlet family.

    She said, ¡°You know how I feel about it, right?¡±

    Lard responded, seeing eye to eye with her, ¡°It would have been really sad if you had abandoned the name Wendy Waltz.¡±

    ¡°How can I abandon that name?¡±

    At that moment she saw the Hazlet couple at a distance. Before they were dragged out of the pce, the knights were transferring the two to other knights waiting nearby.

    Watching them, she approached the countess as if she was determined. Lard initially tried to dissuade her, but she showed a mischievous smile as if she was okay.

    ¡°Madame!¡±

    Watching her up close, the countess frowned instinctively.

    ¡°I¡¯ve something to tell both of you. As I won¡¯t see you for the rest of my life, I think I should say this. ¡±

    ¡°How dare you raise your head in front of me!¡±

    The countess was furious, but Wendy ignored her and continued, ¡°Now, you can¡¯t do anything to me. Even if you get angry, I won¡¯t be agitated or nervous. Just like I abandoned the name of Hazlet, you are no longer in my heart. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good to hear! You¡¯ll get punished for the crime of giving up your name! What a pity I can¡¯t see you punished!¡±

    ¡°What can you do? Even if you continued to stay in the capital, you will never see me punished.¡±

    With a smile, she approached the countess and whispered gently, ¡°Because I was given the immunity right. No matter how much you talk about my punishment, nobody will believe it.¡±

    The countess opened her eyes wide as if she couldn¡¯t understand, but Wendy ignored her.

    ¡°Take care!¡± Wendy said briefly to the earl, or to the man who once had thest name Hazlet.

    This was herst greeting to him.

    She turned away from them and walked towards Lard. He reached out to her again.

    She held his hands.

    ¡°Can I drop by your shop tonight? I want to have a cup of tea with you. It¡¯s been a long time, ¡± he said, holding her hand tightly and stroking it yfully.

    Looking at him joyfully, she replied with an affectionate voice, ¡°You already know my answer.¡±

    He had a heartyugh at that.

    Her answer would be consistent forever to this imperial knight.

    ¡°Well, I wish I could make a sign and hang it in front of the door of your shop. I have never seen you replying so readily. Do you know how many times I hesitated at the door?¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Looking at him as if she couldn¡¯t believe it, she decided to think seriously about his idea.

    In fact, the day when a sign would be put up on the shop woulde one day.

    A sign reading as follows:

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158: Chapter 158 Is your moment a gift to me? (1)

    The wind blowing across thend passed over Wendy¡¯s face gently.

    Although her hair was dishevelled, she didn¡¯t adjust it, looking at the dark green hills facing the Buttuwat River for a while. The tumultuous events that happened there faded away from her memories a long time ago.

    The hills by the river had already changed their green clothes three times.

    While looking far away, she turned her head away with a chilly attitude.

    ¡°Nisna!¡±

    A ck horse, grazing nearby, came close to her call at a lively pace. In no time, she mounted the horse and drove toward the boundary of Raney Forest.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡±

    She stopped Nisna at the entrance of the forest, and once again looked over the river. It was a beautifulndscape full of a summer scent, but she didn¡¯t feel moved by that.

    She got off the horse, grabbed the reins and slowly walked along the forest border. On the back of the horse were tools for collecting nts. She had to go inside the forest to collect nts, but she continued to walk around the forest boundary.

    When she walked a little, she saw an apricot tree bearing yellow fruits. She stopped underneath it and put a small apricot in her mouth.

    She spat it out because it tasted sour.

    She felt annoyed because she was in a sour mood like that sour taste.

    When she looked up at the apricot tree with a frown, Nissna pricked its ck ears and neighed. Her eyes naturally turned to the riverside.

    ¡°¡­! ¡±

    When she was narrowing her eyes for a while, something like a small dot grew in the distance gradually and revealed its shape. Soon, she heard the tter of a horse hooves.

    ¡°Wendy!¡±

    Jumping off Balos¡¯s back, Lard walked to her with a quick step. His face was full of joy as he met her after not seeing her for a long time.

    ¡°¡­ Why did youe to this ce? ¡± She treated him rather chilly. Her tone was a bit stiff. He seemed embarrassed.

    ¡°Sarah told me you were here.¡±

    Sarah, Benfork¡¯s girlfriend, was also acquainted with him. She was supposed to take care of the shop at Wendy¡¯s request, so she apparently told him where she was.

    She knitted her brows as if she was unhappy with Sarah who let him know about her destination without her permission. Of course, before she left the shop, she told Sarah several times that she would go to Raney Forest.

    ¡°Howe you came here to find me when you knew well howrge this forest is?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know I promised you that I would find you where you were?¡± He said, recalling what had happened to them in the woods in the past.

    That was his pledge before her on the day when he found her hiding in the cave to avoid her chasers.

    ¡°As a man of promise, today you¡­¡±

    She got annoyed the moment he said that, but stopped talking, holding her breath.

    She felt she was funny when she thought that she had been earnestly waiting for him all morning, looking forward to meeting him after a long time. As he was so busy these days, it was not easy for them to see each other like they did before. He even dyed his promise to meet her, which he had made several days ago.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. As the tests for Sinuel¡¯s new category for themonerssted longer than expected, I couldn¡¯t keep the time.¡±

    Thanks to the introduction of the new hiring system called Yinungkwa three years ago, youngmoners were qualified to take the test and be imperial knights. It was a wee development, but Lard¡¯s workload increased a lot because he was the general manager of the new hiring system.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯ste, but won¡¯t youe with me even now? ¡±

    Wrapping her hands with both hands and putting them before his lips, he spoke like a believer at confession. Looking at him quickly, she softened her sulky expression a bit.

    ¡°Where are you going anyway?¡±

    At her question, Lard smiled slightly and helped her mount her horse.

    Balos, who didn¡¯t leave his fowl for a while, stood next to him. Balos loved Nisna so much, she was an offspring of his and Snowyko.

    ¡°You will see when you get there.¡±

    He took the reins of Balos with a mysterious expression.

    The two soon reached their destination. It was the huge mansion of the Schroder family.

    When a massive iron gate was opened, she stared awkwardly at him. He handed the reins to a servant without any exnation, and took her hand, as she stood hesitantly.

    ¡°I am Belhar Dode, the butler of Duke Schroder¡¯s mansion. It is an honor for me to greet a preciousdy. ¡±

    An impressive butler with neatly swept grey hair politely bowed to Wendy.

    With a smile he looked at her for a while. When Lard cleared his throat, the butler quickly said, pointing his hand toward the hallway, ¡°I will escort you.¡±

    Lard nodded at that. Wendy walked along the strange corridor of the duke¡¯s mansion with a more dazzling expression.

    The ce where the butler stopped was in front of the arched door with colorful geometric intaglios. After he opened the door, he disappeared after saying goodbye.

    Inside was a spacious parlor. It was a ce where delicate ceramic decorations, made by famed craftsmen, were beautifully embroidered along the walls. The walls were all beige and bright, creating afortable atmosphere in harmony with white teak-wood furniture.

    Lard held her hand and went across the parlor. She thought she was led into the sofa, but she was not.

    ¡°Sir Schroder, what¡¯s going on ¡­ ¡±

    He stood in front of the ss door leading to the balcony. The sunlight that came in through the ss reached his neat face. As she saw only his profile shining brightly, she didn¡¯t know that his expression was very stiff with tension. He said, holding her hands, ¡°I have something to show you. I¡¯ve been waiting for this a long time. ¡±

    She looked at him curiously when his voice trembled. He opened the balcony door, unable to face her gaze. When they came out, there was a green garden connected to the balcony. It was a garden in a round shape that surrounded the building, like the garden in the center of her house.

    ¡°Here¡­ ¡± She could not speak, looking at the beautiful garden where the brilliant light was falling. He took her to the center of the garden.

    ¡°Can you recognize this tree?¡±

    Looking at the tree he pointed to, she felt her heart was beating rapidly. How couldn¡¯t she recognize it? It was that little ash tree that she grew on his cor while kissing him.

    It already grew as tall as her chest. It was an amazing growth. What was even more surprising, however, was the white flowers that bloomed on every branch. The small fluffy flowers were hanging softly on the branches. As she was touched by its beautiful flowers, she looked at them for a long time.

    ¡°If you know how much I¡¯ve been earnestly waiting for this day, you¡¯llugh,¡± he said.

    Her eyes turned to him.

    ¡°The flower buds began to open inte spring. I decided to tell you when they bloomed, but it made me feel nervous as I didn¡¯t see them. A few days ago I finally noticed the signs of the budsing out, I have been looking forward to meeting with you¡­ But I didn¡¯t see the budsing out yet. Then, yesterday, they began to blossom.¡±

    She felt he kept dying meeting her because of this. She regretted ming him a bit for his failure to keep the promise.

    ¡°Do you know how much I was annoyed by the knight candidates who sparred at the Sinuel contest today? I reduced the scores of those knights who spent too much time as I had to meet you on time to show you this.¡±

    He cracked a joke lightly. She might have taken it as a joke, but it might have been true.

    ¡°Flowers on this tree also blossomed¡­ I hope you and me will bloom like this. Like the old couple¡¯s tree in the middle of your house, I hope we can look at this tree for a long time. ¡±

    The wind blew and shook the branches of the ash tree. Whenever the branches shook, the petals like corn snow fell. He wrapped one of her cheeks with his hand. He was breathless like a lush meadow in spring.

    ¡°¡­ Will you marry me? ¡°

 Chapter 159-End

    Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Isn¡¯t your moment a gift to me? (2)

    His proposal, which she heard unexpectedly, touched her deeply. She kept blinking, unable to calm down her trembling heart for a while.

    Caressing her pretty face with his thumb gently, he waited for her answer. Though he pretended not, he was full of anxiety.

    ¡°Do you think Wendy Schroder sounds okay?¡± She asked in an excited voice. He smiled at that unconsciously. She buried her face in his arms. What did it matter if she was called by any other name?

    Wind blew around them, when they were leaning on each other. The branches of the ash tree shook again, and white petals fell as if they were celebrating the beauty of the white bride in advance.

    The wedding ceremony was simple. Although it didn¡¯t fit the dignity and fame of Duke Schroder, both of them wanted it. When Emperor Isaac heard of the couple¡¯s marriage, he proposed he would give them a grand wedding, she refused it immediately.

    Isaac felt sad, narrowing his eyes, when she asked why the emperor would host such a luxurious wedding. He was sad because her rejection reminded him of his sister¡¯s in wedding.

    ¡°You¡¯re really beautiful!¡± Melissa said, blotting her eyes with a handkerchief.

    Tears kepting out as she was so moved by Wendy¡¯s wedding.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I can¡¯t control my tears. I haven¡¯t been able to control my emotions since I got pregnant.¡± She shed tears, touching her swollen belly.

    Wendy thought that Melissa wasn¡¯t very good at controlling her emotions in the past, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she grabbed Melissa¡¯s hands and soothed her.

    ¡°Melissa!¡±

    Seeing her crying, Jean Jacques Simuan came quickly to them. He restlessly stroked Melissa¡¯s back. Wendy recalled them dating at her flower shop in the past. Back then, Jean blushed while wiping away the pollen off her nose, and Melissa was shy at his actions. She didn¡¯t know at the time that the innocent couple would get married and have a family before her. Of course, she didn¡¯t have any desire for that.

    ¡°Oh, Wendy! No, should I call you Mrs. Schroder now? ¡±

    The emperor jokingly raised one eyebrow and approached her. As she was about to stand up to show manners, he stopped her and said, ¡°I feel still heartbroken as you have a wed in this small garden. I¡¯m willing to let you use even my pce.¡±

    He nced at the small garden over the balcony.

    ¡°Oh, thanks for your kindness, but let me just receive it with my gratitude.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, that¡¯s your choice¡­ Oh, it looks like time is up. I¡¯m going to go y. Try not to tremble when you enter. You are the only bride in the empire who is entering the garden with me ying the violin,¡± he said, looking at Lard who was walking into the reception room.

    The emperor soon took the violin from the servant waiting behind him and moved quickly. Before leaving the reception room, he lifted the bow and smiled at her.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Lard reached out to her and asked.

    Lightly nodding, she held his hand and stood up. The hem of her white dress gleamed brightly in the sunshine.

    Lard looked at the light purple coro she wore over her head. It was a coro made of wisteria flowers. The flowers that reflected their memories adorned her hair more beautifully than any fancy tiara.

    Soon they began to hear the melody yed by the emperor. When the two joined hands and set foot in the garden, every guest got up and apuded. There were familiar knights and the princess couple among the guests. Benfork and his friends were also there. Benfork looked a bit pitiable as he was preparing for the test that allowedmoners like him to be a knight.

    ¡°Uh, uh?¡±

    Right at that moment everyone gathered to celebrate their marriage looked up at the sky with a puzzled look. When Sir Dowain opened his palm toward the sky, several falling petals fell on it. Numerous white petals were falling down in the middle of the garden.

    Curious where the petals came from, everyone looked around, but they couldn¡¯t find a boy that scattered the petals, or a tree losing its petals to the wind. Wendy unconsciously looked at the ash tree in the middle of the garden, but it stood quiet. Lard, who saw her index finger, cast a nce at her as if to ask about the origin of the petals, she shrugged her shoulders lightly.

    The white petals fell in abundance every step they took. Treading on the beautiful petals, she carefully looked at the faces of those who were there to celebrate them.

    She felt touched. Soon, she turned her head carefully towards the imperial knight standing next to her. His gray eyes bent warmly at her. He smiled, so did she.

    The petals falling with fragrant scent were spectacr, and their wedding ceremony was held beautifully like that in a fairy tale. She didn¡¯t know the origin of the petals that day, but she guessed that it might be the gift of the fairy she had met a long time ago. She always thought that she would thank the fairy if she ever met the fairy again.

    ¡®Juaste, the power of the index finger you gave me has changed my life!¡¯

    However, the true gift given by the fairy might not be the power of her index finger.

    Wendy smiled at the imperial knight putting a ring on her finger.

    Soon, the two kissed.

    Every moment was a gift to her.

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