Captain! Where is the Battlefield?

 

 

  Winter nights seemed to arrive quickly, and the sunset painted the city in its warm glow. In the bustling, sunset-lit streets, Sonia was enjoying her shopping while accompanied by her maid, Hilda, hoping for a change of mood.

 

  Then, someone familiar caught Sonia’s eyes as they passed through the gap between buildings.

 

  ‘Hmm? Isn’t that child over there…?’

 

  Her curiosity piqued, Sonia entered the alleyway, with Hilda following along in confusion.

 

  Sonia murmured as she saw the familiar woman going into a shabby tavern.

 

  “Ah, that’s right… Her name is Callie.”

 

  “Oh my! Miss, that’s a dangerous place. Let’s leave quickly.”

 

  “What’s so dangerous about it?”

 

  “I’ve heard that it’s an assassination guild. They take any job for money and don’t ask any questions. It’s a low-quality place.”

 

  As Hilda whispered nervously, Sonia sneakily slipped her ring off her finger and hid it inside her dress.

 

  “Is that so? Oh, Hilda! I think I left my ring in the dressing room earlier. Can you go find it for me? My feet hurt too much from all the walking, so I’ll wait here.”

 

  “But Miss… it could be dangerous…”

 

  As Hilda grew perplexed, alternating her gaze between Sonia and the street, Sonia’s big eyes welled up with tears as if they could fall at any moment.

 

  “Please, it’s important to me since my mother gave it to me as a gift.”

 

  “Ugh… alright. Then, at least wear my robe and cover your face. Someone might see you wandering around in such a dangerous place and start spreading rumors.”

 

  Sonia put on the robe that Hilda gave her, and as Hilda disappeared into the distance, Sonia secretly observed the shop where Callie had entered.

 

  Not long after, there was a loud commotion and Callie was thrown out of the store. However, Callie didn’t leave and continued to linger in front of the store.

 

  Sonia approached her with a friendly smile, pretending to be there coincidentally.

 

  “Oh, what are you doing here?”

 

  Callie shuddered heavily. Her appearance was far from clean, and the stench emanating from her indicated that she hadn’t even washed herself properly. Sonia tried to hide her curiosity and put on a sympathetic expression.

 

  “What’s wrong? Do you need help?”

 

  “Who…?”

 

  “Don’t you recognize me?”

 

  Callie tried to run away when Sonia lifted the hood of her robe, but Sonia quickly grabbed her and calmed her down.

 

  “Why are you running away from me? I won’t harm you.”

 

  Callie’s lips quivered at Sonia’s kind attitude.

 

  She had come to the city to find distant relatives, enduring hardships along the way, but ultimately, her relatives ignored her and she received no help. Since then, she hadn’t been able to rest comfortably after giving the poisonous herbs to the poor Bella.

 

  “But… the young lady is the Duchess’s friend… and because you might kill me too…”

 

  Sonia’s head began to spin as she alternated between looking at the shabby tavern and Callie’s sobs and whimpers.

 

  ‘Why is this maid even here without Bella to begin with?’

 

  Bella’s death, who was already an unwelcome presence in high society due to her poisonous nature, had been overshadowed by news of the territory’s war, so it did not cause much of a stir. Sonia, who did not know this, spoke softly just in case.

 

  “I feel sorry that the lady who was supposed to protect you is gone.”

 

  At her words, Callie burst into tears. When she had fled to the capital, she wanted to take revenge on Rosalie, for herself and for poor Bella.

 

  “Sniff, sniff… Lady Bella…”

 

  The tiny sobs confirmed Sonia’s suspicions.

 

  ‘Callie came here to commission an assassination against Rosalie… but it looks like she was driven out because she didn’t have enough money.’

 

  Sonia continued to speak calmly with a slight expression of regret.

 

  “I’m sure that Rosalie will kill you. I know her well since we’re friends, after all. She even said that she had fun playing with Lady Bella.”

 

  Callie’s face filled with anger and fear at Sonia’s whisper. Despite telling such a blatant lie, Sonia was completely unapologetic, and even smiled with satisfaction at Callie’s reaction.

 

  “What a pity… really.”

 

  Then she turned and intentionally dropped her pouch that was full of money. Sonia immediately hid behind the building and watched Callie enter the store with the money pouch before leaving empty-handed.

 

  ‘All I did was accidentally drop the money.’

 

  Seeing Callie’s relieved expression as she exited the shop, Sonia was about to leave, but a sudden thought stopped her in her tracks.

 

  ‘What if it fails and Callie gets caught…? If she talks about me, Rosalie will know what I did.’

 

  The last thing she needed was for Rosalie to raise her voice and yell at her. What had happened in the salon was humiliating enough. Sonia, irritated and angry at the mere thought, followed Callie silently.

 

  ‘Before that happens, I just have to eliminate the evidence.’

 

  Callie headed towards the main street. The street, where the sunset had disappeared and the night had arrived, was not crowded, and the carriages were running at a fairly fast speed. 

 

  When Sonia saw a carriage coming, she pushed Callie onto the street without hesitation.

 

  “Ah!”

 

  Exhausted, Callie stumbled and fell onto the road. Ignoring the screams of the people and the startled cries of the horse, Sonia left the scene.

 

  ‘It’s okay…it’s okay.’

 

  Sonia tried to steady her trembling hands. She recalled the refreshing feeling she felt when she killed a noisy bird that had irritated her on the day she visited the salon.

 

  “Miss! I’ve been looking for you for a while!”

 

  Hilda, distracted by the commotion on the side of the road, came running up to Sonia. Sonia pretended to be oblivious to the commotion and focused on Hilda.

 

  “Sorry. I don’t know what happened…”

 

  “Oh my goodness, there was a carriage accident! It’s so noisy, so let’s go quickly.”

 

  Hearing Hilda’s words that were tinged with pity, Sonia glanced behind her and muttered with an emotionless face.

 

  “That’s right… what a pity.”

 

  “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t find the ring. What should we do?”

 

  Hilda paused for a moment, and Sonia simply smiled. It was a fresh smile, as if all her worries had been swept away.

 

  “It’s okay. Everything is fine now.”

 

  It was nothing less than words of assurance for herself.

 

 

  ⊱⊱⊱────── {.⋅ ✧✧✧ ⋅.} ──────⊰⊰⊰

 

 

  “Emma… what are you doing?”

 

  Rosalie, who had looked through some documents in her office as usual, came up to the room and asked as she saw Emma flipping through her dressing room, sweating profusely.

 

  “Oh, I’m sorry for touching it without your permission, Your Grace.”

 

  “No, that’s okay. But what are you doing?”

 

  “How about taking the opportunity to get rid of or remodel the dresses that are too old or worn out? It’s actually something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”

 

  Emma took out a dress and presented it to Rosalie. It looked cheap and old, even to her.

 

  “That’s a good idea. Let’s tidy up.”

 

  When Rosalie gave permission, Emma rolled up her sleeves in her maid outfit and got to work. She then suddenly looked at Rosalie and asked.

 

  “Then, how about trying on the dresses we’re going to remodel?”

 

  Rosalie flinched at Emma’s suggestion, then quickly pointed her finger at the shoes underneath the dresses.

 

  “Emma, while you’re at it, how about organizing the shoes as well?”

 

  “Oh, that’s a good idea!”

 

  Seeing Emma immediately turn her attention to her shoes, Rosalie quietly and quickly left the dressing room. Rosalie avoided Emma and left the mansion altogether, while Nathan followed Rosalie from behind.

 

  “I can’t believe that Rosalie fled. This is so unexpected…”

 

  “I can’t help it. Emma can be persistent at times.”

 

  When Rosalie let out a small sigh and turned her head, she noticed a large bookstore on the second floor of a building.

 

  “Nathan, let’s go to the bookstore.”

 

  “A bookstore?”

 

  “It’s quieter over there.”

 

  Nathan looked back and forth between Rosalie and the bookstore with wide eyes.

 

  “Are you going to the bookstore for me?”

 

  “Yes.”

 

  Rosalie nodded slightly and headed towards the bookstore. Nathan followed Rosalie with a smile on his face.

 

  The bookstore was a massive two-story building. Although the bookshelves were packed with countless books, the middle of the second floor of the bookstore was a double-layered structure with a high ceiling, making it look spacious and not at all cramped.

 

  Rosalie looked satisfied with the quiet atmosphere and browsed through the bookshelves. Nathan, still smiling next to her, said:

 

  “Rosalie is more considerate than I thought, huh?”

 

  “Did you just realize that? You’re making me feel bad.”

 

  Nathan let out a small chuckle at Rosalie’s playful response. Rosalie looked at him and put her index finger over her mouth to silence him.

 

  Rosalie had finished looking at the books on one shelf and was heading to the next one when someone called out to her.

 

  “Rosalie?”

 

  “…Sonia.”

 

  Rosalie looked at Sonia, who had called her. Holding a few books in her arms, Sonia  slowly scanned Rosalie up and down.

 

  “I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

 

  “It’s common to run into other nobles in a small capital.”

 

  After finishing her sentence, Rosalie shifted her gaze from Sonia to the book she was looking at. It was a clear signal that she didn’t wish to engage in conversation. However, Sonia didn’t leave and instead gave Rosalie a meaningful smile.

 

  “I’ll be going now. Take care of yourself.”

 

  Rosalie turned her gaze back to Sonia again, sensing a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

 

  “I can take care of myself just fine; you can go.”

 

  “…You’re being too harsh on a friend who’s saying hello.”

 

  “Don’t you know how to behave in a bookstore and keep your voice down?”

 

  Annoyed by Rosalie’s uninterested tone, Sonia abruptly turned around. She had initially thought that she would feel relieved after seeing Rosalie, who was unharmed. But she now felt a sense of anticipation that prevailed over anything else.

 

  ‘It hasn’t been long since I met Callie… But still, soon…’

 

  She even felt a hint of exhilaration at the thought that Rosalie would soon be in trouble. Sonia turned her head slightly and gave Nathan a sidelong glance before leaving.

 

  Nathan sniffed slightly as they watched Sonia walk away with a confident stride. When Rosalie cocked her head at the behavior, Nathan spoke up.

 

  “She has a unique scent.”

 

  

 

 

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