Chapter 95
“Does the head maid have some urgent matter? Or perhaps she was given an urgent task herself, I’m not sure.”
Hannah shrugged lightly and moved toward the door.
“It’s nothing dangerous, right?”
Hestia’s worried eyes flicked up again, but…
“Hardly. If it were dangerous, the Empress wouldn’t have sent me personally. She’s not the type to take the front line in something like this, right? Good timing, actually. Who knows? Maybe I’ll stumble onto something.”
Hannah offered a small smile, attempting to soothe Hestia.
“…Be careful. Come back safely.”
In the end, Hestia couldn’t stop Hannah, only managing a farewell.
“Yeah. I’ll be back. I’ll report to His Majesty as well, so don’t worry too much.”
Without another word, Hannah gave her final greeting and briskly left the room, as if something urgent had pushed her forward.
“….”
The door shut firmly behind her. Hestia paced in circles, biting at her fingernails, anxiety gnawing at her.
By all appearances, there was no danger awaiting Hannah. Nothing suspicious accompanied the ointment either.
“Sigh… why do I feel so uneasy?”
Was it the sun, scattering crimson light as it sank today? Or was it Hannah’s final smile?
Even when Hestia returned the ointment to Hannah earlier, she hadn’t felt such a sharp pang of anxiety.
But now…
“Tonight.”
That word lingered in her mind, setting her nerves on edge.
Surely something would happen tonight. The crimson light seemed to confirm that ominous premonition.
And so far, her instincts had never been wrong. Not once.
After leaving Hestia’s room, Hannah headed toward Terhan’s office, but couldn’t meet him.
“His Majesty is currently in personal training. What is it regarding?”
Ultimately, Hannah explained the situation briefly to Milan and hurried on her way.
Milan, like Hestia, held suspicions, but seeing the Empress’s behavior—who didn’t seem to notice Hannah’s identity—Hannah calmed Milan’s concern.
More importantly, if this were a trap…
“One firm command would have been enough.”
If the Empress wanted Hannah eliminated, a simple authoritative order would have sufficed.
Or, like she did with Terhan, she could have poisoned her tea or sent an assassin—much safer and more effective.
There was no need to leverage her family to force obedience. And surely, the Empress wouldn’t personally intervene just to eliminate one person.
So, this was not a trap.
Yes. This might even be an opportunity. If she was sent on such a secret errand, it implied connections with the merchant guild were involved. They wouldn’t risk such a task lightly.
Hannah paused at the head maid’s office, where her steps finally slowed.
“Is the head maid here?”
“She’s stepped out briefly, but she instructed that if Miss Gustin arrived before leaving, her business should be received.”
A servant who assisted the head maid welcomed Hannah, as if expecting her arrival.
“…Then please deliver this.”
Hannah, feeling the urgency, took the ointment box from her bosom without hesitation and turned to leave.
But as Hannah disappeared…
Knock knock.
“Head Maid, Miss Gustin has been here.”
The servant slid inside the office, carrying the box.
“Did she say anything?”
Inside, the head maid sat elegantly, sipping tea.
“No, she only delivered this.”
The servant placed the box on the table and left promptly at the head maid’s gesture.
“…I wonder what the Empress wants to check with this.”
Hannah could never fully understand the Empress’s intentions, but anyone closely serving her would know she never acted foolishly.
Sending Hannah in her place was likely intended to accomplish two goals at once—a prearranged instruction, as usual.
Yet this matter…
Click.
The ornate golden box opened, releasing a sharp herbal scent that tingled the head maid’s nose.
“What exactly do you intend to achieve with this ointment?”
Thud!
The box snapped shut violently. The head maid, leaving the steaming tea behind, headed toward the Empress.
Whatever the intention, she was to obey.
For the Empress. For her dignity.
At that moment, as the sun finally set and the moon rose through the fading crimson light, Hannah quietly slipped out of the palace.
Under the dark night swallowed by the moon’s shadow, a small figure in a hood cautiously scanned a secluded alley far from the city.
“…The third house after this alley, right?”
Hannah checked the small notes on her map, apparently written by the head maid.
Come to think of it, she’d heard that the head maid…
“Huh? Did I misread the map?”
Reaching her destination, Hannah used the moonlight filtering through gaps in dark clouds to review the map again.
“This should be it…”
Yet the path ahead was a dead end.
According to the map, old wooden houses should have lined the street, but only a massive tree stood alone.
At that moment, Hannah sensed a gaze and looked up.
“Eek!”
Flap!
A massive hawk soared into the air, scattering its glowing red eyes as Hannah let out a short scream. The wind whipped with the flutter of its wings.
“G-Gone…?”
In the sudden stillness, Hannah cautiously opened her tightly shut eyes.
She quickly scanned the surroundings. Fortunately—or unfortunately—the street remained empty. Only the faint red traces lingered in the air, as if sending her a warning.
“I should go back.”
Something felt very wrong.
Hannah suppressed the rising unease and forced herself to stand.
Just as she turned to retrace her steps…
“After coming all this way to such a shabby place, are you just going to leave?”
From the alley’s entrance, a bulky figure emerged slowly.
“We’re not that bad. Don’t be scared, miss,” he said.
Behind him, another brandished a spinning blade, grinning wickedly.
“Stay still, and you won’t be hurt. Phht!”
Another tugged a thick rope and spat with a raspy sound.
“…There’s no gain in killing me.”
Hannah realized immediately—they intended to kill her, appearing before her unmasked.
She stumbled back at the sudden proximity of death, glancing around for escape, but…
“Heh heh heh. You seem confident, even now?”
“Don’t struggle. Just stay still.”
Behind her, only despair awaited.
If they were mere thieves, they’d have worn masks. Yet they didn’t even glance at her valuables—only cruel intent filled them.
As Hannah stepped back with trembling legs, they advanced with vile grins.
“Who… sent you?”
Hannah tried to hide her trembling voice, but fear betrayed her.
“Why bother knowing who sent us?”
The largest man licked his yellow teeth under the moonlight, strolling leisurely.
Behind him, the blade-wielder and rope-handler leered at Hannah with obscene smiles.
“Hahaha! Seeing you shake is delightful! Now, let’s see if you’re the one we’re looking for.”
“You should’ve been more careful. But it’s too late to regret it now.”
Even cornered, Hannah gleaned a clue from their words: someone had hired them.
That meant…
Thud.
Her retreat ended against the massive tree.
“…Even if I die, I want to know why at least,” she muttered through parched lips, pressing her back to the tree.
She likely had been recognized as someone from Terhan’s side. Hannah thought furiously.
The Empress had sent her here, confirming her involvement. But who else was implicated?
And why go to such lengths?
This was no simple method to eliminate one person. Surely they knew that.
At the top of it all sat the Empress. Then who directly commanded this task? Who were her hands? How far did her influence reach?
“Who sent you?”
“Heh heh. That’s your last wish?”
As they closed in, Hannah pressed her trembling hands against the tree, as if the shadowy outline under the moon offered a safe haven.
“Countess Arena? Count Marlon? Or…?”
She tried to sound calm, but her voice betrayed her.
“Phht! Shall I tell you? Doesn’t matter; once you’re in the coffin, it’ll be useless anyway.”
They scanned her up and down, grinning wickedly.
“Emily Gaiser.”
At last, Hannah uttered the name, and their expressions froze.
“Grab her.”
The largest man barked sharply.
“Gah! Phht!”
“Stay still, miss!”
The others rushed at her.
Hannah bit her lips and spun around, attempting to dart behind the tree, but…
“Ugh!”
She couldn’t escape their rough hands.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
“Stay still! Heh heh heh.”
Her hood was grabbed violently.
“Let go!!”
No matter how much she struggled, her resistance had no effect.
Why hadn’t she doubted this could be a trap?
The evidence had been overwhelming.
Regretful tears rolled down Hannah’s cheeks as she lamented her own foolishness.
