Chapter 247 – 24. Kaleidoscope (7)
Twelve carriages rode vigorously across the cold, frozen ground. The procession on a grand scale was like a moving mansion. It was not an exaggeration in that the disappointed Duchess lived in seclusion until she returned home and did not experience any inconvenience.
As the fierce cold subsided, what appeared was an endless meadow under a clear sky.
The plain where wild beasts roamed was a warmer world than the gray north. Even so, Henrietta, who had forgotten the sense of time, still glanced at the scenery outside the window with empty eyes. It seemed that he was waiting for the years of despair to be buried with an expression that had forgotten even his thoughts.
A gentle breeze blew on the way home, where the verdure was thick. The coachman holding the reins of the lead hummed, probably because he was finally able to take off his stuffy winter clothes. It was also a big reason why the castle of the LeBlanc family could be seen in the distance along the rippling water vein.
“Madam, I will be arriving soon.”
The rich eastern scenery seemed to welcome the woman who returned after a long outing. This was especially true of the trees that swayed their branches in the clear, cloudless sky and gentle breeze. That’s why, for some reason, I wondered if the mistress, who was always depressed, would feel a little better if she saw the familiar scenery of her hometown.
But Annette, that was only the head maid’s misunderstanding.
Reclining in an armchair in a large carriage, Henrietta looked like someone who had lost her soul. I was reflecting on my life and endlessly regretting it, so maybe it was only natural. Because there is no existence as devoid of vitality as a person who is consumed by negative emotions.
“If you don’t mind, please say something…”
Annette continued talking with a worried face. The other employees were just avoiding the mistress’ feeling of low pressure, but she knew that she was Henrietta’s confidante, like the position of maid.
That something was terribly wrong.
She was a duchess who was always bold and elegant. Even if there were difficult and tiring things, he was the one who showed the will to overcome them only by holding back for a while. But for some reason, the eastern spring stone, which was so fresh, was gradually withering away.
“Annette, I’m fine, so leave me alone.”
The caste system in Gaul is strict. No matter how close they are, there is not much that a mere maid can do as long as they are entangled as master and servant. So even though she knew that nothing was okay, the only thing she could do was make a sad expression, and she had no choice but to nod.
“All right…”
Leaving behind Henrietta, who looked somewhat haggard, Annette opened the driver’s cab door and came out. Feeling frustrated, I sat down next to the old man who was driving the horse to get some fresh air and catch my breath. I was very envious of him silently concentrating on his duties, befitting a duke.
Even if she is in the position of a general, she is essentially a maid anyway.
Isn’t the world different from that of the aristocratic mana?
Still, Annette was distraught. It would have been better if, like the other maids, she had worked diligently and received her salary on time. They said that all human ties cannot be broken, even if one tries to break them arbitrarily.
She sighed and leaned against the backrest. He looked forward as he pondered how to rejuvenate his precious mistress. That’s how I found a group wandering around the entrance of LeBlanc Castle.
“The lady-in-waiting?”
The coachman, who turned his head to the side, called attention with a noise.
“Yes, I saw it too.”
It was not an ordinary traveler or caravan. If that was the case, why everyone wore long swords and mounted the warhorse would not have been explained. The only reason they didn’t change direction was because they were holding the LeBlanc family flag, but I didn’t have a good feeling about it.
“What should I do.”
“Looking at the flag over there, the person in charge seems to be a vassal. Let’s raise the majestic machine tool.”
The coachman immediately jingled the bell next to him. Then, someone in the back row attached a colorful silk to a long pole and raised it up. It was a pattern indicating the most noble woman in the East.
“It seems to work.”
“Of course it should.”
Fortunately, the heavily armed men took off their helmets and slowly approached, as if recognizing Henrietta’s flag. It was regrettable that we couldn’t tell them apart just by the shape or size of the wagon, but it wasn’t rude. It must have been newly reinforced troops in line with the chaotic situation.
Annette, as the Duchess’s maid of honor, tidied up the clothes she was wearing. The closer they got to Goto, the closer the intimidating cavalrymen approached. Some of them turned to their backs so that they could not see the swords on their sides, and speeded up to see their faces first.
“Stop!”
The two groups running from opposite poles were about to collide. The coachman, who had stopped his weary horse and yelled at the nearby soldiers, groaned to be polite.
“You are now in front of Madame LeBlanc, the mistress of the East!”
He didn’t even get tired of laughing. The cavalrymen, who had seen the old coachman with a cold look on their faces, secretly surrounded Henrietta’s carriage. Only then did Annette, realizing that things were getting serious, opened her mouth to order a fight, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak out.
“Shh.”
Slowly, the sword, which I don’t know when it was drawn, aimed precisely at the maid’s smooth nape. To their horror, it was a sword that could not feel any sound or presence. This meant that they were highly trained knights, not clumsily mounted swordsmen.
“He who moves, dies.”
The first article said.
“He who speaks, dies.”
The second article also spat out.
“Those who do not follow will die.”
The third article was the last.
“I wholeheartedly recommend it. Even if you are prepared to die and resist, we can take our lives with a single sword. Don’t waste your life on a wrong decision.”
It was an awkward voice. Perhaps she was not familiar with the Gallic language, Annette guessed. As a high-ranking aristocrat’s henchman, she completed higher education and went one step further, to the point where their accents were close to that of the island nation of Britannia.
“The woman over there, what’s your name?”
“… This is Annette.”
“Annette, bring Henrietta.”
It was an impossible request. The maid of honor of Gallia was not a place to colonel the person I was serving in front of unknown people. Even if they had no intention of hurting the Duchess.
“It’s rude!”
No matter how different the country is and even if you are not familiar with the language here, there are basic etiquettes that you should follow. Biting her lip softly, Annette shook her head with a determined look. It’s as if I would never give up my mistress to a ruffian like you.
“Give me three. Or kill them all.”
However, there was no mercy for the ruthless knights. The forces of the rear joined before they knew it and those who completely surrounded the area put pressure on the loyal employees.
Twelve wagons, five coachmen, two butlers, three servants and six maids.
The lives of as many as sixteen people were at stake. She didn’t know what to do with her and cried, but she couldn’t do this or that and was in conflict. Meanwhile, among the warriors on horseback, a woman dressed in a maid’s uniform like me walked across the street.
“Mrs. Annette, please follow their orders.”
“… Kenna?”
Even though it was noon when the sun was shining brightly, her scarlet hair, reminiscent of the setting sun, fluttered in the soft breeze. The bloodless white and pale skin was accompanied by a few freckles to create a lovely charm.
Kenna, the foreign witch.
Arnaud LeBlanc’s mistress was dressed frugally as usual, as if she really wanted only love from her man.
“What is this? Amman, even if you are the duke’s lover, doing this to her is treason!”
“Mrs. Maid, I don’t like to say it twice.”
“How… !”
Slap! The witch’s thin fingers handled her telekinesis. She forcibly closed the chin of the lady-in-waiting, who seemed to be speechless, and quietly warned. Rather than stopping her speech with this power, it seemed that what would happen if her heart was tightened.
“Sigh, sigh… !”
Annette, bound by an invisible force, struggled hard. He endured it with difficulty, thinking that the owner, who was intelligent and had a clear mind, must have been possessed by this kind of witchcraft. Here, she repeats that if she steps down, it’s really over.
“Do you really think so?”
Surprisingly, Kenna responded as if she had read her heart. As if she wasn’t called a witch for nothing, she seemed to have mastered mind reading.
“I’m sorry.”
Kkuk, the power exerted by telekinesis became stronger. There was no change in his face and upbringing, but his emotions were clearly angry. It was an insult to my pure affections that I took with great displeasure.
“Keuk, kkeuk… !”
Annette was tormented by her pale blue face. It was very dangerous to spit out disordered breathing as if he would faint sooner or later. Even so, the warriors of the foreign country just watched bluntly, and the employees who were frightened were only trembling.
“It’s okay, stop it, Kenna.”
In the end, it was Henrietta who was in the carriage who calmed the situation down. Feeling the commotion outside her and understanding the situation as soon as she came out, she became nervous as if she was fed up with everything.
“Madam Henrietta.”
“So, did she finally reveal her true color?”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something.”
“Since the island witch bewitched my husband, I guessed that this day would come someday. By all means, she should have jumped the ball, but she didn’t. On the day she returned from the north without much success, she must have been confined under some special pretext.”
Henrietta, who muttered that she was an obvious trick, approached her as she said that she would be willing to hang out with her. She unexpectedly tilted her head at her cooperative appearance, but she calmly corrected her misunderstanding.
“It is not an incarceration. The madam will be charged with the assassination of many of her eastern figures, including the late Duchess Juliet LeBlanc, from this time on.”
“… Are you putting me on trial?”
“Yes, here is the letter of approval from the Duke of LeBlanc, so please obey it.”
Henrietta snorted her. She frowned at the knights who dared to take me in, and tried to swear. If she had a reputation as the queen of society, she could deny these allegations and quarrel with her husband.
“He allowed it.”
But what use is it all for? The Duchess, who was all annoyed at heart, muttered in a somber tone. She shook off the touch of the knights around her and glared at her Kenna, then she growled.
“Okay, get rid of it, I’ll go with my own feet.”
“Lord, master!”
Embarrassed Annette exclaimed. It was impossible to raise one’s voice right away after how long it had been since he had been gasping for breath.
“You’re noisy, but Annette, it’s annoying to see you pretending to be worried.”
Thanks to that, her witch’s attention was directed to the woman who repeatedly insulted me, but fortunately.
“It’s fired, don’t even stand in front of me.”
If the guilt-by-association system is applied, I will not stand by. With such an implication, the Duchess stared at Kenna after fiercely shooting her confidant. Even though he regarded it as disgusting hypocrisy, he gently nodded his head as a sign of respect.
“Take them, gentlemen.”
Annette, who could not recognize the mistress who played so that they would not get involved.
And leaving the other employees alone in the field.
