『 Could it be that Edith was captured and harmed by the angry residents and the militia?』
Isabelle, surprised, immediately approached Elizabeth and asked.
“Elizabeth, you couldn’t find Edith? What do you mean by an imprisonment spell?”
As far as she knew, there was no reason for Elizabeth to be looking for Edith. They had no special relationship or connection.
Elizabeth was momentarily speechless in response to the innocent question without any malicious intent.
Even though it didn’t seem like Elizabeth had said it loudly, she couldn’t easily lie, especially after saying the words ‘imprisonment spell’ so clearly.
“That… I found out that Sophia had cast an imprisonment spell on Edith while I was interrogating Eugene.”
“An imprisonment spell?!”
Only then did Isabelle realize why Edith had dragged Sophia away in such a troublesome way that she had at the same time asked her to call a mage.
“Yeah, so I was looking for her to release her. It’s a complicated situation, you know.”
Elizabeth thought she had handled the unexpected question quite well, but Isabelle couldn’t help but have doubts.
『 Sophia cast the imprisonment spell, but Elizabeth is the one to lift it?』
It was a well-known fact among everyone in the manor that Elizabeth had the worst relationship with Sophia.
Isabelle wondered how Elizabeth, who was not even a mage, could break the imprisonment spell, but she decided not to delve any further.
『 The people Elizabeth brought in as servants… they certainly seem like trained soldiers.』
Even though she was unfamiliar with martial arts, she could at least recognize their exceptional composure and precision in their posture and movements.
Isabelle used to think of Elizabeth as a close friend, but the reality was that she couldn’t trust her like she used to, given her tendency to keep secrets and tell lies.
“Alright… By the way, where were you going?”
“Of course, I was trying to escape. Isabelle, you don’t seriously think I’d stay here, do you? Are you out of your mind?”
Upon closer inspection, Isabelle noticed that the servants following Elizabeth were all carrying bundles of luggage.
It seemed she was trying to escape before the intruders occupied the western part of the manor.
Even though Isabelle smiled bitterly, she respected her decision.
“I heard Edith disappeared too so someone must stay here to listen to what people want.”
“You want to stay? Here?”
“I plan to leave at least after the negotiations are over. Take care, Elizabeth.”
“…”
Elizabeth took a moment to look at Isabelle’s back as she walked past her.
She remembered how Isabelle smiled, sang, and drank tea with an innocent face, saying that she would become a singer someday.
Isabelle was an innocent child like no other.
『 ….She’s just a kid.』
Although she felt an inexplicable sense of defeat, Elizabeth didn’t change her direction and continued walking.
──────────✿◦•
“Our strategist knows the layout of the manor, so taking control was a breeze.”
Helen said while sitting on the central staircase of the manor. And Reinhardt, who was by her side, nodded quietly.
“If Walter had taken the lead instead of just acting as a strategist, it would have been much faster than it is now.”
Walter had personally drawn up most of the plans for taking over Fortrian but claimed to have other tasks to attend to.
Thanks to this, the Militia Force, who had taken credit for his efforts, was drinking liquor with a sense of victory.
“Well, since Walter said it’s an important matter, we have no choice but to listen. He’s probably been waiting for this day the longest, and if it’s really that important, he must have passed the credit to others.”
Helen remembered the way Walter looked at the Fourth Lady on Thanksgiving Day. Walter didn’t explain, but perhaps his other work involved her.
“Anyway, it’s awkward that the commander speaks so highly of me.”
“Haha, you will soon become Viscountess Fortrion, so you’ll have to get used to it.”
Helen and Reinhardt engaged in casual conversation as they prepared to move toward the western part of the manor, where Elizabeth and Isabelle were located. Suddenly, amid the murmurs of the crowd, a youthful lady appeared.
“I am Isabelle Fortrion. I’ve come here as the representative of House Fortrion to listen to your concerns and negotiate.”
Her small body was visibly shaking, but her voice was clear.
Helen felt intrigued and stood up from the stairs where she had been sitting.
“Well… since you’ve come for negotiations, let’s set up a table.”
The militiamen placed a wooden table and chairs they had somehow acquired in the middle of the hall.
“A pleasure to meet you, Lady Fortrion. I am Helen Fortrion.”
“Helen… Fortrion?”
“Yes, Nicholas Fortrion’s grandfather had an intimate relationship with my mother, who was a maid at that time. I think there will be an opportunity later to prove my lineage.”
Isabelle nodded. Part of the reason was that Helen’s appearance had reminded her of one of the portraits of the Viscounts hanging in the hallway.
『 Did Edith know of the existence of a Fortrion descendant within the Militia?』
It was also because she recalled a recent conversation she had with Edith while they were having tea.
⋙“Isabelle, if you could buy honor with money, what would you do?”⋘
When Isabelle first heard Edith’s intriguing question, she answered with a light heart.
⋙“Well, you see, my father always said that you can’t buy honor with money. So, as an alternative, I accepted the Viscount’s marriage proposal to lend the honor of House Fortrion to my father.”⋘
The Karkus Family, who were strongly aware of their commoner background, knew that honor was something they always wanted but could never have.
However, after hearing her answer, Edith gently locked eyes with her.
⋙“Isabelle, my mother used to think differently. She believed that honor was not just about prestige; instead, it’s about earning people’s respect and fulfilling the true value of the taxes.”⋘
Although her family, the Barony Lowell, had become a family with nothing left, her parents had always emphasized this: even if we don’t have much to enjoy now, we should live with the mindset of sharing and serving as our ancestors received these privileges.
Isabelle, who didn’t know much about Edith’s upbringing, had her explanation deeply etched into her heart.
⋙“Isabelle, in that sense, you are a person who knows more about honor than any of the commoners and nobles I know.”⋘
With Edith’s calm voice echoing in her mind, Isabelle calmed her heart before making eye contact with Helen.
“A friend of mine said this… The honor of nobility ultimately comes down to its worth in money.”
Although her choice of words may have been somewhat audacious, there was no other accurate definition than that.
Helen expressed her agreement with interest.
“So, I want to propose something in order to pay the value of what I’ve enjoyed all this time. First and foremost, I want to address the budget for the maintenance of the river embankment.”
Isabelle began to explain the matter that she had been able to discuss with her father thanks to Edith’s advance notice.
──────────✿◦•
“Lady Edith!”
Vivian found Edith and Walter standing side by side outside the manor and approached them.
Edith, who had been gazing at the scenery to cool off after the passionate kiss, suddenly noticed Vivian. Throughout her time in the secret passage, Vivian had been constantly on her mind, and she hurried a few steps toward her, concerned.
“Vivian! Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, but are you alright, M’lady? You haven’t had a proper meal in a while.”
Thanks to Vivian, who cared about her as if it were her own business, Edith was able to relax and tell a small joke.
“I was starving to death earlier, but when I came out, it didn’t seem like the right atmosphere to ask the kitchen for food.”
“Well, the chefs are probably swamped with all the guests rushing in.”
Vivian also chuckled in response to the joke.
The conversation between the two stopped for a moment because a carriage suddenly pulled up.
『 That carriage… it’s definitely…』
Edith immediately recognized that the horse pulling the carriage was the Viscount’s favorite horse, the one she had previously ridden with Walter.
“We don’t have time, so get in.”
Walter opened the carriage door with an indifferent expression.
After Edith got into the carriage, Walter turned to Vivian.
“How about coming along? I assume you probably don’t want to stay in Fortrion.”
Vivian had noticed something about Walter: his words and actions evoked a sense of obedience in others even though he was a stableman.
Vivian nodded and made a request to him.
“I want to go and get M’lady’s clothes and some food. Can you find someone to go with me?”
“As for the food, don’t worry about it. Just bring all the clothes and anything precious.”
Walter assigned Cassius to accompany her and then climbed into the carriage.
After giving a couple of firm knocks on the carriage’s interior, the driver, who was sitting in the coachman’s seat, started to drive.
With the sound of clanging, the Fortrion Manor, surrounded by torches and crowds, gradually receded into the distance.
Edith began to feel the reality of having escaped from Fortrion Manor, where she had been confined for months. Suddenly, she became aware of the fact that she was sitting alone in the carriage with Walter.
As if he had known that fact from the beginning, he gazed at her with his intense green eyes.
Whenever she looked at his face, memories of the sense of liberation, satisfaction, and fervor he had given her would flood her mind, causing her heart to race uncontrollably.
Just as she was about to shift her gaze back to the window to hide that fact…
“Edith, why don’t you eat something first?”
Walter pointed to a basket he had asked others to prepare and place in the carriage.
It was filled with fruit, milk, and delicious-looking sandwiches.
Edith, who thought the food was mouth-watering just by looking at it, suddenly frowned.
For some reason, the smell of the food suddenly felt nauseating to her.
❀.°• ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ •°.❀
