Chapter 76 (You are not a time limit!)
Thick drops of sweat ran down the white skin.
The nape of her neck was burning red under her braided hair from the scorching summer sunlight.
The woman, who was sweating and picking open tomatoes, stretched her back and exhaled heavily.
Just then, a pleasant wind blew and shook her hair. The light-pigmented platinum blonde shimmered in a soft pink color when exposed to the sun.
“Rie! Stop it, come and eat!”
The woman, Lariette, turned around with a bright smile at the call that called her.
“Yes! I will go!”
Hurray, it’s meal time!
She learned how delicious the food she eats while working.
As of today, it was the first week of farming.
* * *
Yuya, a small town located near the capital.
The small buildings lined up nicely, and the natural scenery surrounding the city was so beautiful that it was a famous tourist destination.
However, as it is a small city, there is not much to see. In two days, I had enough time to see everything.
Most of the tourists are people living in the capital, and they used to make short trips to this easily accessible place on holidays.
The reason Lariette went to Yuta without going on a western tour was because it was so close to the capital.
Due to the kidnapping incident, she took a lot of time so that it would not be strange if her body exploded and died, and there was a high possibility that she would explode and die without even reaching the West.
So, if you want to enjoy even a little bit of sightseeing, it is best to go to a nearby place.
And above all, it was clear that important news would not be quickly in the West. The important news for her was the news of the war that Asrahan had gone to.
Although she had left, his life or death was unclear, and she could not enjoy the tour.
A trip to the West was on her bucket list, but more important than that was Asrahan’s safety.
Therefore, Lariette decided to live in Yuta, where the information was easily accessible, and die quietly.
“Rie. Does it taste good? That person over cooked the potatoes, and the texture is not good. Ugh”
“It tastes good, but why are you being mean again? Right, Rie?”
The couple, who appeared to be in their mid-thirties, sat in front of Lariette and looked at each other. When I first saw them, I thought it was a real fight, and I was embarrassed, but now it was a quarrel that I got used to.
“It is very delicious today, Mrs. Sarman. Thank you for your concern.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it-!”
The pretty freckled woman smiled and waved her hand. Unlike the way she treated her husband, she had a very caring attitude.
She was the one who helped Lariette, who arrived in Yuta at midnight and was struggling to find a place to sleep.
They even provided a place to stay on the condition that she help with farming and household chores. It was a warehouse room that was not in use so that I could sleep.
The difference was so great that it would be rude to compare it to the rooms in Blanche or Kandel’s mansion, but Lariette was far more comfortable living in a warehouse a little further from the couple’s house than in an inn where many people came and went.
“Rie’s hair color is so pretty to look at. It is even more beautiful when it is dyed in the sunset light.”
“To me, your auburn hair is the prettiest.”
“Put some saliva on your mouth and say it, you gentleman.”
Mrs. Sarman, who had bruised her husband naturally, looked at Lariette’s hair with envy.
It has always been a very unusual color.
The pigment was light to be blonde, and colorful to be wheat. Under the sunlight, pink was subtly wrapped, and pink became darker when the sun set.
“I dyed my hair.”
Lariette responded with a thank you. As she said, as soon as she left Kandel’s mansion, she ate magic dyed hair to change the color. I used my hand in advance because I thought Asrahan would figure out her movement.
Mrs. Sarman glanced at the eyelashes of the same color as my hair, and guessed that Lariette had taken magic dye.
To buy a magic item that the price of anything is beyond your imagination, even if you dare to buy hair dye. It was a booty look just by looking at it, so it wasn’t surprising. I was just guessing that something had to happen.
“By the way, did you hear that? I have some good news.”
“If you’re going to talk rudely again, I won’t let it slide.”
Lariette watched the couple quarreling happily while eating the soup. It was very nice to see the kindness that cannot be seen in aristocratic society.
However, at the next words Mrs. Sarman, she dropped the spoon.
It was because I heard a name that was too familiar.
“The war with the Danube Kingdom is almost over! The Duke of Kandel was said to have won a landslide victory. Indeed, war-demons.”
“That’s good news, but the news that has nothing to do with us.”
“You don’t know, how do you know if there will be more tourists? I’m relieved that the war is over.”
At first, the people of the Empire did not even recognize it as a war. Madame Sarman chuckled, asking what we had to do with the war in that distant place.
You don’t even know that the person you care about the most is right next to you.
‘Asrahan…!’
A thick tear fell down her cheek and onto the table. It was the first tears I shed after leaving the Kandel mansion.
But those were tears of sadness, this time they were tears of joy.
Having confirmed that he was safe, there were no more regrets.
‘… But why haven’t I died?’
And only at the moment when the regrets were gone, Lariette realized that something was not right.
She had already passed the time the doctor said, but she didn’t die, and there were no similar symptoms.
On the contrary, because of working steadily for a week, muscles were attached to her arms, and her skin was never clean thanks to forcibly quitting dessert.
‘Did I live longer because of Doha’s continuous healing?’
If so, now it’s time to go fulfill the last remaining bucket list.
“Well Mr. Sarman. Mrs. Sarman”
“Huh? Oh my, Rie. You dropped the spoon? I will give you a new one.”
Mrs. Sarman kindly stood up immediately and took the spoon.
“I’m going to leave now.”
Following Lariette’s words, this time she dropped a new spoon. It was because she thought of this beautiful woman, who had an extraordinary circumstance, as her younger sister.
It was so sad that we had to part. But since they first met, she knew this moment would come, so she couldn’t hold on to it.
“Where are you going now?”
Lariette thought of a way to go to the west from Yuta. The fastest way…
“I’m going to go to the capital first.”
I had to go through the capital.
‘I have to visit the Doctor again.’
Lariette thought of Zakaskov, a doctor with a long beard.
It was to check the condition of her body one last time before leaving for a long trip.
* * *
Naturally, nothing had changed in the capital, which returned after a week and a few days.
The buildings towered high in the blue sky, the squares and streets were bustling with people. It was unbelievable that he was at war, and he looked the same as usual.
The only thing that changed was Lariette’s shape and attitude.
Dressed in Mrs Sarman’s frugal clothes, with an old shawl covering her face and carrying a large suitcase, she looked like a commoner.
Thanks to spending the whole day with Mrs Sarman, the sense of aristocratic nobility disappeared even in the way she spoke and behaved.
Perhaps because of that, none of the passersby paid special attention to Lariette. It felt very different from when I was wearing a dress for an outing and riding in Kandel’s carriage.
Arriving in the capital, Lariette stopped by Zakaskov clinic first. In order to avoid any unexpected events, I was planning to leave the capital again after doing business.
But what greeted her like that were the large letters on the door.
<Closed today>
‘Is this man willing to do business, or not!’
It was her fault for not making a reservation. Even knowing this, Lariette slightly blamed the doctor for nothing.
‘Today, I must stay in the capital.’
“Hah,” she sighed, looking for a suitable inn. There were only a few hours left until sunset, so I thought it would be better to take a break and go to the clinic in the morning before leaving.
After unpacking her things in her room, she left the inn and looked for a nearby restaurant. It was for an early dinner.
The taste of the food was not very good because I stopped by the nearest restaurant without considering the taste or popularity.
When I ate such poor food while eating with ingredients grown in the countryside, my stomach felt startled.
“Do you have Clarahana.”
“Yes- Here’s Clarahana!”
Lariette ordered an additional sweet beer to remove the bitter taste that lingered in her mouth. Drinking a refreshing lemon-flavored beer made me feel better.
When I was almost full, the speed of eating slowed considerably. From then on, Lariette began to overhear the conversations of the surrounding guests. It was a hobby I developed while eating alone.
And, to my surprise, not long afterward, I heard stories of people I knew.
“Oh my God, are there terrible diseases?”
“Yeah, it’s a rare disease. The Blanche, they worked hard, but the rumors had already spread. How fun would those who have been victimized, that the ignorant young master exploded and died?”
Blanche and young master, a rare disease that explodes.
It was Raon’s story.
‘Raon is dead?’
Unknowingly, the force in the hand holding the fork was tight. My brother, who had tormented me all my life, died of the same disease as me.
That bastard face is still clear, but his body exploded before me.
The feeling was so subtle that I couldn’t explain it. I was neither happy nor sad. It was only the unknown gloom that filled my chest.
“The Duchess was almost lost, and the Duke was arrested. One of the three greatest contributors has gone through a storm! What did he say, the Duke keeps crying out for his daughter’s name?”
The middle-aged man continued to explain as if he was very happy. As always, someone’s downfall was something to enjoy.
“Daughter? The princess who ran away? Why, because you’re sorry?”
“Feeling sorry? According to an acquaintance who works there, it’s the first time he’s seen a father who curses his daughter like that.”
He said that he would surely kill her someday. The man chuckled and added.
When her story came out, Lariette quickly bowed her head. It was because I was afraid that they might even know my face.
However, her face was not in a position to be seen, and Lariette’s appearance was so different that even those who knew her could not tell that it was the same person. It was the color of her appearance rather than the color of her hair.
“I’ve heard something about the princess. I heard that a Marquis would not leave her alone.”
“Ah, Marquis of Segreb. I heard that too. Did it say his arm was cut off because of the princess? He said he put a bounty for people who cut her in the same place.”
Marquis of Segreb. It’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.
When she was with Asrahan, he didn’t say anything, and when he left for war, he seemed to be running wild.
‘The bounty….’
At the creepy sound, Lariette glanced at her arm. How painful would it be if her arm was cut off? I’d rather just die, so I wanted to refrain from suffering like that.
“Ugh, arms? That’s a curse. Isn’t that a witch then?”
“Of course, witch. Where is a woman running away from home and meeting men? It’s the end of the world.”
Lariette got up after hearing this. She doesn’t have to be criticized in real time while keeping her place.
After paying the bill and leaving the restaurant, the sun was setting slowly. Even Lariette’s platinum blonde hair was tinged with pink.
The moment she puts her shawl on and tries to take a step.
A familiar face came into her sight.
A man dressed as a knight was walking down the street next to the restaurant.
I didn’t know him very well. However, I was very familiar with that outfit, so it was Kandel’s knight uniform.
“Ah!”
Surprised, Lariette covered her mouth with one hand and moved quickly. Fortunately, the stone wall next to the building was enough to cover her tiny body.
The knight of Kandel, whose name is unknown, walked over while talking to a man who seemed to be his friend, and then stopped on the other side of the wall where Lariette was hiding.
Her heart pounded at the thought of being caught.
But they just took out a cigar and lit it.
“How many people did you catch today?”
“Three.”
“More than yesterday.”
“In the first place, pink-haired women aren’t common.”
Lariette pressed herself against the wall. The pounding of my heart was so loud I could hear it.
Kandel’s knight is looking for a pink-haired woman.
It was very clear what the purpose was. Knowing that Lariette had disappeared, Asrahan must have given the order.
“She’s brave, too. How dare she run away from the Duke.”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen a Duke so angry. I don’t know why she ran away, but if she got caught, she’d be punished so badly that she’d rather beg him to be killed.”
“Ah, please. Still, they said she was Duke’s lover. No matter how much the monster duke is, it’s like….”
Kandel’s junior knight frowned when his friend didn’t believe it. The man’s bravado was triggered. I just wanted to pretend not to know.
“Hey, I know him a little bit, he has no mercy. I bet he’ll order us to cut off her limbs and bring her back if she rebels.”
“What? really?”
“Yeah, man. Kidnapping, Imprisonment, intimidation, torture, and anything else is impossible for revenge.”
Nails toenails plucked out and skin peels off! The knight added exaggeratedly.
In fact, the command that Asrahan gave was to ‘find it somehow’.
However, before meeting Lariette, a knight who knew his cruel side interpreted ‘somehow’ as such.
And behind the wall where they stand.
Lariette’s eyes, which covered her mouths with both hands, flickered incessantly.
As the cigar smokers left, she hurriedly covered her head with a shawl. It was because her platinum blonde hair was dyed pink due to the sunset.
Then, I ran to the inn feeling nervous. It was less than a five-minute walk, so the arrival was quick.
Bang!
Closing the door with a loud noise, she slowly fell to the floor.
A harsh breath escaped between her chapped lips. My neck also sting from running at full speed.
The words I had just heard kept spinning round and round in Lariette’s head.
– Feeling sorry? According to an acquaintance who works there, it’s the first time he’s seen a father cursing his daughter like that.
-Did it say his arm was cut off because of the princess? He said he put a bounty for people who cut her in the same place.”
– I bet he’ll order us to cut off her limbs and bring her back if she rebels.
There were already three people who wanted to find her and get revenge. It wasn’t just killing, it was revenge by cutting off her limbs.
At this point, this thought came to me naturally.
‘Hah, I’m so glad I’m destined to die!’
Lariette grabbed her pounding chest and let out a sigh of relief.
And the very next day.
The old doctor with a long white beard slapped her on the back as if waiting.
“I’m sorry. It was a mistake.”
“… Huh?”
“Yes, Lady Blanche. You are not a time limit! You don’t have to die!”
That’s also very hard.
Poor lariette