Sniff, sniff.
Rita wrinkled her nose and carefully sniffed the scent lingering in the air. Once again, she noticed that Mary smelled like Angela, carrying the same scent of bath salts. It was the very same scent that had triggered the last incident.
Rita quietly slipped out of bed and approached Mary, who was hunched over the vanity, scribbling something down. There was something she needed to confirm.
Since recalling a long-forgotten moment from the past, Rita had been unable to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, instead of sleep, waves of thoughts surged in. Thoughts of Angela.
Angela, the embodiment of fear and someone to be avoided at all costs. Not only for Rita but for everyone in the Bilton estate—perhaps even for the entire Phaelon Empire—Angela was that kind of existence.
It wasn’t without reason. Angela was someone too thorny to approach. Many had been drawn to her beauty, only to be pricked by her sharp thorns and left bleeding.
Rita had always believed without a doubt that she, too, had been pricked, that she understood exactly how those thorns had formed. But now… after uncovering a fragment of her memory, that long-held belief was starting to waver from its very core.
— “Do you know who I am?”
— “Aren’t you… Lady Angela?”
— “So you did know.”
The beautiful girl living in a luxurious mansion had smiled over something so trivial.
— “This is worth quite a bit.”
She had been kind enough to take off her necklace and offer it to a maid she had just met, without hesitation.
— “What are you apologizing for?”
Rita couldn’t recall the expression on Angela’s face when her goodwill had been rejected for no reason and tossed away like garbage out the window. She had stubbornly refused to look, so it was only natural that no trace of that face remained in her memory.
“…Hey.”
Rita glanced at Mary before speaking. But Mary turned her head sharply, making it clear that she was ignoring her.
Ever since Angela had been punished because of Rita’s lie, the two had once again ended up rolling on the floor, pulling each other’s hair. After that, they hadn’t exchanged a single word. So Mary’s reaction wasn’t all that surprising.
Still, lately, whenever other maids tried to pick a fight with Mary, Rita had stepped in and started talking to her, diverting their attention. Of course, Mary had no way of knowing that.
Even though it hadn’t been an act of pure goodwill, Rita still felt a vague sense of disappointment. She tapped the leg of Mary’s chair lightly with the tip of her foot.
“Answer me. I have something to ask.”
“…”
“I know you can hear me, so don’t pretend you can’t.”
“…”
“I said I have something to ask!”
Mary refused to open her mouth, no matter what.
“It’s about Lady Angela!”
Reaching the end of her patience, Rita snapped and was about to kick the chair hard. But she stopped herself at the last second when Angela’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind, warning that after a windfall always came a disaster.
In that moment, Mary abruptly stood up, knocking the chair over with a loud crash.
“What about Lady Angela?”
Mary glared at Rita as if she were about to devour her.
Had she grown taller? Rita hesitated, intimidated by Mary’s more imposing presence. She awkwardly put her foot down and opened her mouth hesitantly.
“D-Did Lady Angela really give you permission to use her bathroom?”
“Hah…”
Mary responded first with a sigh so deep it belied her age.
“I’ve told you so many times already.”
Her voice was thick with resentment, and her gaze carried the same emotion.
If only Rita had believed her that day, Angela wouldn’t have gotten caught up in the mess. Mary’s thoughts were written plainly on her face.
“Do you think she just let me use the bathroom? She even told me to take a bath with her, in a tub filled with flower petals.”
That wasn’t a boast. It was Mary’s desperate plea for Rita to finally understand.
Normally, this would be the perfect moment to flick Mary’s forehead and call her a liar. But this time, Rita couldn’t confidently refute it like before—couldn’t insist that Angela would never allow a mere maid to use her bathroom.
Because Rita had seen it herself.
The Angela Mary was talking about.
Rita bit her lip, her expression turning uncertain.
—
“Miss! Miss, Miss! Miss!”
Could there be an illness that makes someone physically incapable of calling out just once? If such a disease existed, then Mary undoubtedly had it.
Otherwise, how could she act like this every time?
“Miss!”
Angela, too tired to even warn her about the noise, simply shook her head and let out a short sigh as Mary came dashing into the room.
“…Hup!”
Still, Mary was quick-witted enough to realize that the sigh had been because of her. She immediately pursed her lips tightly and even tiptoed forward, as if determined not to annoy Angela any further.
Did she really not understand that this was even more irritating?
Angela narrowed her eyes and stared at Mary, suspecting she was deliberately playing around.
“Do you think I’m that easy to deal with now?”
“A letter arrived from the Imperial Palace.”
Undeterred, Mary cautiously approached on her toes, holding out the letter as if presenting an excuse for the commotion she had caused.
Angela cast a brief glance at Mary’s grinning face before taking the letter. The imperial seal confirmed that it was indeed from the palace.
She had half-expected Mary’s ruckus to be about news from Kalian, but…
“…Kal.”
Hiding her disappointment, Angela gave a short command.
Mary quickly fetched a knife and handed it to Angela with the handle facing her.
Angela’s hand smoothly sliced open the envelope. As she read the contents, she tilted her head slightly to the side.
“What kind of letter is it, Miss?”
“The Empress is inviting me to a tea party.”
That was unexpected. If it had been an official event, that would be one thing, but Anette inviting her to a private social gathering?
Especially now, when she was gaining favor among the nobles thanks to Count Conrad’s support. There was no way Anette was simply inviting her for friendly conversation…
“A Tea Party? Then, are you going to the Imperial Palace?”
Angela was just organizing her thoughts when Mary suddenly raised her voice—almost to the point of shouting. What a nuisance.
“Me…”
Angela, whose eardrums had nearly been shattered, turned her head to scold Mary. But before she could even finish saying her name, she found herself speechless.
“…”
Mary was staring at her with an expression so intensely eager that it was almost overwhelming. Her brown eyes sparkled incessantly with every blink. If someone had plucked a star fresh from the sky and placed it in her eyes, it would have shone less than this.
Why is she acting like this? Angela was still trying to make sense of it when—
“Miss, miss. You see—”
Mary squirmed excitedly, twisting her body like a perfectly layered croissant before speaking.
“If you’re going to the Imperial Palace, don’t you need to pick out a dress? And you’ll have to wear plenty of pretty accessories too, right? Right?”
Angela could tell what she was trying to say. She desperately wanted to be entrusted with that role. Her voice, brimming with anticipation, was even louder than her earlier shout.
It was only then that Angela realized just how much Mary had been craving an opportunity like this. She had heard before that some maids lived for the joy of dressing up their mistresses, but she had never thought Mary was one of them.
Come to think of it, when she had suggested going for a stroll in the garden last time, Mary had chosen a rather decent dress. But in the end, they hadn’t even taken a single step outside before returning. That must have been disappointing for her.
Looking into Mary’s expectant, twinkling eyes, Angela let out a breathy laugh.
“Fine. Choose something appropriate.”
She gave her permission almost as if tossing it to her.
“Kyaa! I’ll do my absolute best, Miss! Really, I will!”
Mary knew she had won, yet she still let out an excited squeal and dashed straight toward the dressing room. Her footsteps were so loud that it was as if she had completely forgotten how she used to tiptoe around, careful not to irritate her noise-hating mistress.
And strangely enough, Angela also forgot to find her noisiness bothersome.
“Is she really that happy?” Angela clicked her tongue quietly but couldn’t take her eyes off Mary’s retreating back. By the time she snapped out of it, the sound of her energetic footsteps was already approaching once more.
—
“Rest for everyone! We’ll be riding non-stop from early morning tomorrow, so get plenty of rest!”
Kalian’s commanding voice rang out as he addressed his knights. They erupted into cheers, whistling and clapping in celebration.
They were on their way back to Rhone after completing their reconnaissance mission in the Golden Plains. What was supposed to be a simple patrol had turned into an unexpected battle against a flock of Alkyon, leaving most of the knights exhausted.
On top of that, they had encountered a fierce rainstorm in the forest. It was heavier than expected, forcing them to halt their journey earlier than planned and set up temporary shelters. However, as if it had only been a passing summer shower, the torrential rain quickly subsided into a light drizzle.
Now, the question was—should they pack up their camp and continue moving, or take advantage of the already-prepared resting place and stay put?
The knights’ thunderous cheers made it clear that they fully supported Kalian’s decision to rest.
“Who’s on cooking duty today? Since we have some time, let’s make something delicious.”
“Maybe we should catch something first before worrying about good food!”
“I don’t care about food—I just need to sleep. I’m about to pass out from exhaustion.”
“Sleep? Already? You should at least take care of your sword while you have time.”
While the knights went about their respective tasks, Kalian set off toward a lake he had spotted earlier during their journey.
Since heavy rain could cause sudden flooding, they had set up camp at a safe distance from the water. That meant he had quite a bit of walking to do.
The fickle forest had already begun to change again. By the time Kalian reached the lake, the sun, which had been hidden behind gray clouds, started peeking out, allowing light to seep through. The sky, which had been dark and overcast, gradually brightened as if welcoming a new dawn.
“If it was going to be like this…”
Kalian glanced at the crystal-clear lake, reflecting the sky, with a hint of resentment. Then, without warning, he plunged his entire head into the water and pulled it back out.
Droplets cascaded down his face and dripped from his chin. The water was so cold that it made his hair stand on end.
And yet, the heat simmering deep within him refused to be cooled.
In truth, Kalian wanted to rush back as soon as possible.
He didn’t care if the knights grumbled about it. He didn’t want to stop, even if it rained. He wanted to order them to tear down the tents they had just set up and ride on.
Outwardly, he pretended to be calm and rational. But inside, there was a man gnawing at his own impatience.
He still hadn’t confirmed whether the girl he remembered was still at the Bilton estate.
The rational decision to prioritize his knights’ well-being ended today.
With an almost stubborn determination, Kalian dunked his head into the water once more, holding his breath as if suppressing his rising emotions.
It was then—submerged in the muffled silence of the lake—that he suddenly heard the crisp, distinct sound of wings fluttering.
Kalian had spent enough time dealing with Alkyon to recognize that sound instantly. He jerked his head up out of the water.
Flap, flap.
A small bluebird elegantly swooped into the picturesque scene. It was Bell, faithfully delivering another message from Mary.
Judging by the fact that the note tied to Bell’s leg was completely dry, the clever little bird must have found shelter from the rain before coming.
Wiping the lingering droplets off his face with his sleeve, Kalian gently patted the bird’s round head before untying the message.
“Good job. Go to Bigo and ask for double the food today.”
Bell chirped happily in response. Then, with a powerful flap of his wings, he soared back toward the camp.
Watching the blue streak disappear into the distance, Kalian unfolded the note.
[Aghasihwankwolsodaechachbatseoddippattikayo]
“…”
He stared at the note in silence.
Until now, no matter how much of a mess Mary’s handwriting was, he had always managed to decipher it. But this?
He had absolutely no idea what it said.
For a brief moment, he even wondered if it was written in a foreign language he didn’t know.
“Meal’s ready! Why are you still here?”
By the time Bigo came looking for him, Kalian still hadn’t cracked the code.
Holding up Mary’s note between his fingers, Kalian sighed and answered—
“Deciphering a cipher.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
