Meanwhile, on the evening before the weekend, at the monastery.
Noah came to understand why Clarisse had so carefully read the ‘Visiting Etiquette’ booklet from last week.
In fact, he had thought last week, ‘The Marchioness would not blame Clarisse if she failed to follow the etiquette, so why is she so anxious?’
But now he knew how she felt.
Clarisse just wanted to show the madam a good image in any way possible, regardless of the evaluation.
Noah is now starting to have the same concerns.
He wanted to impress Clarisse.
Although that feeling… began with a terrible one-sided love betraying Clarisse’s friendship, he will be desperate to suppress this emotion in the future.
Anyway, how can he look good?
He looked into the mirror and pulled his mask down over his eyes.
“It’s ugly.”
He said that as if warning himself and quickly put his mask back on.
‘If it were Valentine, he wouldn’t have to worry about this…’
The gorgeous blonde prince was born with a handsome appearance that could make anyone fall in love with him.
Although his flawed personality was regrettable, he tended to soften a lot in front of Clarisse.
Perhaps…
This is probably because Clarisse is very special to him.
‘It wouldn’t be a bad choice for Girl either.’
No, isn’t it actually the best choice? If she becomes a part of the royal family entirely, she might escape the status of a sinner.
Before that, could a sinner belong to the royal family?
Noah thought that he should look up the rules of the Saphers Kingdom’s royal family when he had time later.
Only then can he help Clarisse…
“Ah.”
He paused to think and sat down for a moment, frustrated.
He’s not sure if he can dare to think like this, but…
‘…As expected, I don’t like it.’
* * *
The following day arrived, and Noah went to Clarisse’s room a bit earlier than promised. After knocking and waiting briefly, Clarisse, with her disheveled bangs, promptly opened the door.
“Hi, Noah!”
“….”
After that, he saw Mallang holding a round comb with both hands, so it seemed like the two of them were trying to somehow resolve the situation.
Noah entered the room with a chuckle, then borrowed the rounded comb from Mallang’s hands for a moment.
Then, after skillfully putting the hairpin into Clarisse’s bangs, Noah used magic to send her some warmth.
“You look just like Rosalie.”
“I’m simply making use of the characteristics of hair influenced by heat.”
After blowing a breath to cool the lingering warmth in the hair, he carefully removed the comb.
When he finished brushing it with a straight comb, the hair that had grown unruly was finally in order.
“Oh, it’s done. It looks good now!”
Clarisse looked into the mirror, smiling satisfactorily.
“Noah is good with your hands.”
“Anyone can do this.”
“Uh, that’s absolutely not true. I’ve become really good at tying my hair now, but dealing with hair as unruly as this is something I just can’t manage. Oh, by the way, have you gathered all the belongings you need to take?”
“I put it down in front of the room for a moment. What about the girl?”
“I’m… well.”
Clarisse picked up a thick notebook. Looking at the symbols at first glance, it looks like the chemical formula has been organized in its own way.
“This weekend is a success if I memorize all this.”
“Good luck, um.”
Noah wondered for a moment whether he should extend his arm to Clarisse.
He read in a book he had searched for yesterday, and it was written that a desirable gentleman should offer his arm to a woman whom he admires.
But he felt a little embarrassed when he actually stretched out his arms.
Furthermore, if he were to face rejection, he might feel so embarrassed that he’d want to hide away somewhere.
‘S, still…’
Noah closed his eyes tightly and gathered his courage.
“Shall we go now?”
But Clarisse, who spoke so bravely, was already several steps ahead.
“….”
With his face flushing, Noah quickly hid his arms behind his back.
“…Cooh.”
Mallang, hidden behind Clarisse’s shoulder, was staring intensely at him.
Seeing that it was somehow a pathetic voice, it must have noticed everything Noah was trying to do.
Noah put his hands together neatly towards Mallang while Clarisse wasn’t looking.
Please keep it a secret.
“Cooh.”
Fortunately, it seemed to mean that the request would be granted.
“Whoo.”
For some reason, he felt a little tired before he left.
* * *
Upon arriving in Heiden, they waited for Brielle at the second fortress entrance, where they had agreed to meet her, with a carriage already stationed.
“We arrived too early, didn’t we?”
Noah looked out the window endlessly and checked his pocket watch after hearing Clarisse’s words.
“It is true that we arrived with plenty of time to spare, but the madam will be here soon.”
“Uhm, it would be nice to meet her soon,” she mumbled absentmindedly as she stared blankly out the window again.
“Cooh?!(Cici?!)”
Suddenly, Mallang made a sound like the jewels of a brooch. Moreover, it was much louder than usual.
Noah and Clarisse looked at Mallang with surprise.
A carriage passed by them at high speed.
“Cooh! (Hey, it’s that kid from the expedition!)”
The carriage pointed to by Mallang passed through the castle gate and was running straight towards the first gate.
And then, an unusual sound echoed from the sky, and soon, winter rain poured heavily.
* * *
The sharp sword came perilously close, almost touching the tip of Rosalie’s nose. If the carriage had swayed incorrectly, she could have been seriously injured. However, she remained motionless, simply staring at the men beyond the coach seat.
“Grandma, you’re not afraid, huh? Anyway, stay still. Then you might live another hour.”
“Slow down this speed now! You damn b*stard!”
“…What?”
The man seemed a bit surprised by the confident response that came back.
“I said, slow down! Surely, those punks who don’t even know how to rein in a horse wouldn’t be wielding swords, right?”
“Ha, it’s amazing. Grandma, how many lives have you left behind? Huh?”
He moved the tip of his sword back and forth menacingly, but Rosalie didn’t stop glaring at him.
“You young ones need to think carefully. If you cause even the slightest harm to the person here, do you think you’ll be able to survive?”
“Oh, old woman, thank you for the kind words.”
The man put away his sword and chuckled for a moment.
“But who in their right mind would dare to kidnap the Duchess without leaving a single clue?”
“Who is it? Which daring guy on earth dares to target our madam, talking about tearing apart and killing!”
“I don’t know.”
The man pretended to think for a moment, then stretched out his arm and pushed Rosalie’s shoulder backward.
Thud! Her body rolled on the floor of the carriage with a sound.
Brielle quickly stood up from her seat, supported her, and cautiously lifted her gaze
The man grinned.
“It’s fortunate that the madam is quiet. We, too, are poor workers laboring under contract. Please pity us a bit and let us go quietly.”
He closed the coach window with such force that it made a loud sound.
Brielle turned to the window. She opened the tightly shut curtains and tried to push the door, just in case.
But he must have locked it from the outside, and no matter how hard she tried to shake the door, it would never open.
Before she knew it, the carriage had passed through the populated area and was leaving the first castle wall.
She doesn’t know what kind of agreement was made in advance, but the carriage, not even undergoing the inspection of the royal knights, accelerated further and began to run freely across the expansive fields.
The place where the carriage stopped was a forest road with few people at all.
The men in the carriage immediately opened the carriage door.
The rainwater that was constantly hitting the roof of the carriage was blown around by the wind and into the inside of the carriage.
The man’s arm reached out towards Brielle.
However, rather than that, Rosalie was a bit faster, and with her small body, she completely blocked the way in front of her master.
“You punks, you can’t do this to madam!”
“Rosalie…!”
Brielle tried to stop her because she was worried, but the old woman, her arms spread wide, wouldn’t move.
“You crazy old woman!”
As the man tried to grab Rosalie by the collar, Brielle quickly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back.
“Rosalie!”
“You’re being a bother! Damn it, it’s even raining, making it all the more irritating.”
The man, drenched in rain, extended his arm into the carriage and roughly pulled Rosalie’s arm.
“No, please…!”
Brielle, who lost sight of Rosalie for a moment, pleaded urgently, but the man didn’t stop his vicious touch.
Meanwhile, Rosalie didn’t stop resisting. She was constantly swinging her weak arms and making violent noises.
“The Duke of Sheridan is coming! You guys will fall into the fire of hell! Do you think he will stand by quietly and watch?!”
“Ah… it’s noisy.”
The man, with his face contorted, struck Rosalie hard near the nape of her neck.
Her bent body, resisting without a pause, trembled for a moment. Soon, she completely collapsed, as if all her strength had drained away.
“Ro… Rosal…”
Brielle, who was still sitting on the floor of the carriage, covered her mouth with both hands and just looked at Rosalie’s limp body, which had slumped down.
The hands were stiffened by fear to the point that there was no sensation left in them.
As if frozen in the bitter cold of Sheridan.
‘Sheridan’s…cold.’
She repeated the words that had suddenly occurred to her.
Sheridan.
The very first land confronting the monsters from the north, a place renowned for its brutal winter where only the brave can survive.
Brielle was a person called ‘Madam’ in that land.
She clenched her fist forcefully.
As the flesh parted and red blood flowed, it seemed like consciousness was slowly returning.
“…What is the purpose?”
For a moment, the man holding the hanging Rosalie looked quite surprised at the question with his eyes wide open.
“I asked about the purpose behind kidnapping me and my maid!”
The other men looked at each other for a moment, probably taken aback by the change in attitude.
Brielle became a little more courageous.
“If you have any requests, I will listen. However, my maid will have to come here.”
Maximilian would probably have said this.
He cares for his people like ‘family.’ In any situation, he would have been concerned about them first.
When she thought about that, even the slightest remaining fear seemed to melt away.
“You’re worried about the innocent old woman. Your purpose is here, with me.”
Brielle kept looking at the man holding Rosalie.
The sound of rain became stronger.
Maybe, because neither of them wanted to be the first to speak, they simply exchanged glances without uttering a word.
Soon, the man took steps towards the carriage. It seemed like he was trying to release Rosalie.
A little relief bloomed in Brielle’s heart.
However,
“You guys stand back!”
Someone behind the men raised their voice.
Brielle raised her head in surprise.
When someone with a black leather raincoat over their head showed up, the guys split into two sides right away.
The face wasn’t visible due to the heavy rain and the dark shadows created by the clouds.
Brielle continued to stare at her opponent with her eyes narrowed.
And the other person, who was gradually approaching at a slow pace, slowly pulled back the hood.
“….!”
Meanwhile, on the evening before the weekend, at the monastery.
Noah came to understand why Clarisse had so carefully read the ‘Visiting Etiquette’ booklet from last week.
In fact, he had thought last week, ‘The Marchioness would not blame Clarisse if she failed to follow the etiquette, so why is she so anxious?’
But now he knew how she felt.
Clarisse just wanted to show the madam a good image in any way possible, regardless of the evaluation.
Noah is now starting to have the same concerns.
He wanted to impress Clarisse.
Although that feeling… began with a terrible one-sided love betraying Clarisse’s friendship, he will be desperate to suppress this emotion in the future.
Anyway, how can he look good?
He looked into the mirror and pulled his mask down over his eyes.
“It’s ugly.”
He said that as if warning himself and quickly put his mask back on.
‘If it were Valentine, he wouldn’t have to worry about this…’
The gorgeous blonde prince was born with a handsome appearance that could make anyone fall in love with him.
Although his flawed personality was regrettable, he tended to soften a lot in front of Clarisse.
Perhaps…
This is probably because Clarisse is very special to him.
‘It wouldn’t be a bad choice for Girl either.’
No, isn’t it actually the best choice? If she becomes a part of the royal family entirely, she might escape the status of a sinner.
Before that, could a sinner belong to the royal family?
Noah thought that he should look up the rules of the Saphers Kingdom’s royal family when he had time later.
Only then can he help Clarisse…
“Ah.”
He paused to think and sat down for a moment, frustrated.
He’s not sure if he can dare to think like this, but…
‘…As expected, I don’t like it.’
* * *
The following day arrived, and Noah went to Clarisse’s room a bit earlier than promised. After knocking and waiting briefly, Clarisse, with her disheveled bangs, promptly opened the door.
“Hi, Noah!”
“….”
After that, he saw Mallang holding a round comb with both hands, so it seemed like the two of them were trying to somehow resolve the situation.
Noah entered the room with a chuckle, then borrowed the rounded comb from Mallang’s hands for a moment.
Then, after skillfully putting the hairpin into Clarisse’s bangs, Noah used magic to send her some warmth.
“You look just like Rosalie.”
“I’m simply making use of the characteristics of hair influenced by heat.”
After blowing a breath to cool the lingering warmth in the hair, he carefully removed the comb.
When he finished brushing it with a straight comb, the hair that had grown unruly was finally in order.
“Oh, it’s done. It looks good now!”
Clarisse looked into the mirror, smiling satisfactorily.
“Noah is good with your hands.”
“Anyone can do this.”
“Uh, that’s absolutely not true. I’ve become really good at tying my hair now, but dealing with hair as unruly as this is something I just can’t manage. Oh, by the way, have you gathered all the belongings you need to take?”
“I put it down in front of the room for a moment. What about the girl?”
“I’m… well.”
Clarisse picked up a thick notebook. Looking at the symbols at first glance, it looks like the chemical formula has been organized in its own way.
“This weekend is a success if I memorize all this.”
“Good luck, um.”
Noah wondered for a moment whether he should extend his arm to Clarisse.
He read in a book he had searched for yesterday, and it was written that a desirable gentleman should offer his arm to a woman whom he admires.
But he felt a little embarrassed when he actually stretched out his arms.
Furthermore, if he were to face rejection, he might feel so embarrassed that he’d want to hide away somewhere.
‘S, still…’
Noah closed his eyes tightly and gathered his courage.
“Shall we go now?”
But Clarisse, who spoke so bravely, was already several steps ahead.
“….”
With his face flushing, Noah quickly hid his arms behind his back.
“…Cooh.”
Mallang, hidden behind Clarisse’s shoulder, was staring intensely at him.
Seeing that it was somehow a pathetic voice, it must have noticed everything Noah was trying to do.
Noah put his hands together neatly towards Mallang while Clarisse wasn’t looking.
Please keep it a secret.
“Cooh.”
Fortunately, it seemed to mean that the request would be granted.
“Whoo.”
For some reason, he felt a little tired before he left.
* * *
Upon arriving in Heiden, they waited for Brielle at the second fortress entrance, where they had agreed to meet her, with a carriage already stationed.
“We arrived too early, didn’t we?”
Noah looked out the window endlessly and checked his pocket watch after hearing Clarisse’s words.
“It is true that we arrived with plenty of time to spare, but the madam will be here soon.”
“Uhm, it would be nice to meet her soon,” she mumbled absentmindedly as she stared blankly out the window again.
“Cooh?!(Cici?!)”
Suddenly, Mallang made a sound like the jewels of a brooch. Moreover, it was much louder than usual.
Noah and Clarisse looked at Mallang with surprise.
A carriage passed by them at high speed.
“Cooh! (Hey, it’s that kid from the expedition!)”
The carriage pointed to by Mallang passed through the castle gate and was running straight towards the first gate.
And then, an unusual sound echoed from the sky, and soon, winter rain poured heavily.
* * *
The sharp sword came perilously close, almost touching the tip of Rosalie’s nose. If the carriage had swayed incorrectly, she could have been seriously injured. However, she remained motionless, simply staring at the men beyond the coach seat.
“Grandma, you’re not afraid, huh? Anyway, stay still. Then you might live another hour.”
“Slow down this speed now! You damn b*stard!”
“…What?”
The man seemed a bit surprised by the confident response that came back.
“I said, slow down! Surely, those punks who don’t even know how to rein in a horse wouldn’t be wielding swords, right?”
“Ha, it’s amazing. Grandma, how many lives have you left behind? Huh?”
He moved the tip of his sword back and forth menacingly, but Rosalie didn’t stop glaring at him.
“You young ones need to think carefully. If you cause even the slightest harm to the person here, do you think you’ll be able to survive?”
“Oh, old woman, thank you for the kind words.”
The man put away his sword and chuckled for a moment.
“But who in their right mind would dare to kidnap the Duchess without leaving a single clue?”
“Who is it? Which daring guy on earth dares to target our madam, talking about tearing apart and killing!”
“I don’t know.”
The man pretended to think for a moment, then stretched out his arm and pushed Rosalie’s shoulder backward.
Thud! Her body rolled on the floor of the carriage with a sound.
Brielle quickly stood up from her seat, supported her, and cautiously lifted her gaze
The man grinned.
“It’s fortunate that the madam is quiet. We, too, are poor workers laboring under contract. Please pity us a bit and let us go quietly.”
He closed the coach window with such force that it made a loud sound.
Brielle turned to the window. She opened the tightly shut curtains and tried to push the door, just in case.
But he must have locked it from the outside, and no matter how hard she tried to shake the door, it would never open.
Before she knew it, the carriage had passed through the populated area and was leaving the first castle wall.
She doesn’t know what kind of agreement was made in advance, but the carriage, not even undergoing the inspection of the royal knights, accelerated further and began to run freely across the expansive fields.
The place where the carriage stopped was a forest road with few people at all.
The men in the carriage immediately opened the carriage door.
The rainwater that was constantly hitting the roof of the carriage was blown around by the wind and into the inside of the carriage.
The man’s arm reached out towards Brielle.
However, rather than that, Rosalie was a bit faster, and with her small body, she completely blocked the way in front of her master.
“You punks, you can’t do this to madam!”
“Rosalie…!”
Brielle tried to stop her because she was worried, but the old woman, her arms spread wide, wouldn’t move.
“You crazy old woman!”
As the man tried to grab Rosalie by the collar, Brielle quickly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back.
“Rosalie!”
“You’re being a bother! Damn it, it’s even raining, making it all the more irritating.”
The man, drenched in rain, extended his arm into the carriage and roughly pulled Rosalie’s arm.
“No, please…!”
Brielle, who lost sight of Rosalie for a moment, pleaded urgently, but the man didn’t stop his vicious touch.
Meanwhile, Rosalie didn’t stop resisting. She was constantly swinging her weak arms and making violent noises.
“The Duke of Sheridan is coming! You guys will fall into the fire of hell! Do you think he will stand by quietly and watch?!”
“Ah… it’s noisy.”
The man, with his face contorted, struck Rosalie hard near the nape of her neck.
Her bent body, resisting without a pause, trembled for a moment. Soon, she completely collapsed, as if all her strength had drained away.
“Ro… Rosal…”
Brielle, who was still sitting on the floor of the carriage, covered her mouth with both hands and just looked at Rosalie’s limp body, which had slumped down.
The hands were stiffened by fear to the point that there was no sensation left in them.
As if frozen in the bitter cold of Sheridan.
‘Sheridan’s…cold.’
She repeated the words that had suddenly occurred to her.
Sheridan.
The very first land confronting the monsters from the north, a place renowned for its brutal winter where only the brave can survive.
Brielle was a person called ‘Madam’ in that land.
She clenched her fist forcefully.
As the flesh parted and red blood flowed, it seemed like consciousness was slowly returning.
“…What is the purpose?”
For a moment, the man holding the hanging Rosalie looked quite surprised at the question with his eyes wide open.
“I asked about the purpose behind kidnapping me and my maid!”
The other men looked at each other for a moment, probably taken aback by the change in attitude.
Brielle became a little more courageous.
“If you have any requests, I will listen. However, my maid will have to come here.”
Maximilian would probably have said this.
He cares for his people like ‘family.’ In any situation, he would have been concerned about them first.
When she thought about that, even the slightest remaining fear seemed to melt away.
“You’re worried about the innocent old woman. Your purpose is here, with me.”
Brielle kept looking at the man holding Rosalie.
The sound of rain became stronger.
Maybe, because neither of them wanted to be the first to speak, they simply exchanged glances without uttering a word.
Soon, the man took steps towards the carriage. It seemed like he was trying to release Rosalie.
A little relief bloomed in Brielle’s heart.
However,
“You guys stand back!”
Someone behind the men raised their voice.
Brielle raised her head in surprise.
When someone with a black leather raincoat over their head showed up, the guys split into two sides right away.
The face wasn’t visible due to the heavy rain and the dark shadows created by the clouds.
Brielle continued to stare at her opponent with her eyes narrowed.
And the other person, who was gradually approaching at a slow pace, slowly pulled back the hood.
“….!”
