Chapter 42
The moment it was formed, the period mark was quickly erased from my mind.
“Ha! That’s ridiculous. There’s no way. I should stop imagining things.”
Hearing my muttering, Ena, who was putting flowers into a vase, turned to look at me.
“Pardon?”
I awkwardly smiled and shook my head, saying it was nothing.
Thinking that Ricardo liked me even for a moment… I deserved to be called crazy.
“But madam, why aren’t you wearing the necklace given by Her Majesty the Empress? It’s so pretty.”
Ena looked regretful while staring at the necklace placed on the dressing table.
“And you treat that strange drawing like treasure.”
It was understandable that Ena thought it was strange.
I left the jewel necklace carelessly but carefully cleaned the dusty, gloomy-looking picture every day.
I walked to the dressing table and picked up the jewel given by the empress.
Whenever it caught the light, the clear green gem sparkled faintly or brightly.
The luxurious craftsmanship was enough to make anyone’s eyes widen.
“Something feels… suspicious.”
Why did the empress give me this?
The more time passed, the more suspicious I felt, and even the brilliant light from the jewel looked as if impurities were mixed inside.
“I don’t have any use for it. I should sell it later.”
“Wha—?!”
When I casually put the necklace down, Ena jumped in shock.
“Are you joking? That was a gift from Her Majesty the Empress.”
Ena carefully rearranged it and placed it deep inside the dressing table.
“Good. Let’s take it when we go to Kaia. It would be strange to sell it in the capital, so I can sell it while I’m abroad. Why didn’t I think of that?”
Ena looked speechless at my words.
I was also excited like a child about going to the Kingdom of Kaia because I could meet Xeno Haberstorn there, and also because I was happy just to leave the capital far behind.
Soon, all the luggage was packed, and the day to depart for Kaia arrived.
The carriage started moving after seeing Yan and the servants who came to see us off.
Ricardo and his men rode horses, while I rode the carriage with Ena.
Several luggage wagons followed behind us.
It was said that the fact that the person going to Kaia had suddenly changed to Ricardo made the third prince’s couple furious.
This was also something I had read in the original story.
I could imagine how much the couple gritted their teeth inside the prince’s palace.
‘Serves them right.’
Even if the annoying couple were stuck in the imperial palace and angry, I happily enjoyed the start of my exciting journey.
‘Huh! Why am I enjoying this so much?’
I scolded myself.
I once firmly promised that I wouldn’t die foolishly like Stella and would safely escape from the duke.
My mindset had clearly changed.
‘Focus. This is not a picnic!’
I calmed my scattered heart again.
What would happen next was a very important point that ran through the main story of the original novel.
In the original story, although Kaela could not go with Ricardo because of the hunting competition incident, Ricardo used this visit as a carefully planned move to build a bridge toward the throne.
And those who remained in the imperial palace…
I started biting my nails again.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t clearly remember this part of the original story.
Since Kaela and Stella barely appeared and the part focused mainly on Ricardo and other characters, I had read it quickly and skipped it.
‘It seemed the third prince tried something to slander Ricardo.’
The happy feeling from earlier suddenly became heavy.
“Leaving the mansion and traveling this far is my first time.”
Ena, whose face was flushed with excitement, looked outside the carriage.
“We will return safely without any trouble, right?”
“Of course. Naturally.”
I smiled gently at Ena and also comforted my troubled mind.
‘Let’s wait and see what happens. Tomorrow’s me will somehow handle it.’
I decided to trust that belief.
The place we stayed on the first day of departure was a village on the outskirts of the capital.
There was a fairly large inn in the center of the village.
From hearing Gary earlier, this place was like a gateway where travelers entering or leaving the capital would pass through.
“Looks good, doesn’t it?”
Ena, who got off the carriage first, held me and said that.
The inn was a five-story brick building.
On the first floor, there was a cafeteria, and because the sun had already set, the lighting looked beautiful.
The inn gave the feeling of a mountain lodge.
Although it was not winter, the large fireplace with burning firewood felt very cozy.
I had heard that foreign envoys also used this place.
It seemed well maintained.
Even if we stayed in a more worn and shabby place, I would not complain.
After sitting in the carriage since early morning, my body felt stiff.
Even a carriage with good cushions was tiring after riding all day.
“I want to go upstairs and lie down quickly.”
“Me too, hee hee.”
Ena smiled and agreed with my complaint.
“You will feel much better if you soak in a hot bathtub upstairs.”
Led by the inn employee waiting at the entrance, we slowly walked inside.
Unlike us, who only had to get off the carriage, the knights and other servants who came with us seemed busy from now on.
Watching them made me feel a little sorry.
Then Gary walked toward us.
“You have worked hard today. His Grace left earlier, saying he would personally check the surroundings of the inn.”
I had expected that, since he was such a meticulous and thorough person.
“He said there would be many uncomfortable things since this is an unfamiliar place, so madam and the maid can share a room.”
That made me feel even more grateful.
“Alright. Thank you.”
“Yes.”
After Gary left, I turned to Ena and urged her.
“Let’s go inside quickly.”
As we passed the cafeteria, a delicious smell that I had forgotten due to fatigue tickled my appetite.
I felt my stomach growl, so I held my belly slightly while walking.
Then I heard a giggling laugh from somewhere.
“Hm?”
I turned my head toward the unpleasant laughter.
Near the fireplace, an old woman was sitting at a round table.
She had an old cloth covering her head.
Her wrinkled face, hooked nose, and bent back made her look exactly like someone who would say, “I am a fortune teller.”
In front of the old woman was a round object that looked like a crystal ball showing the future.
I felt curious for a moment.
‘She’s an interesting person.’
Smiling slightly, I followed the employee again.
But this time, instead of laughter, I heard a voice.
The sharp voice reached even my distant ears.
“You have begun a very dangerous journey, madam.”
I stopped walking.
I looked around, but everyone was busy with their own work.
Since she ended her sentence with “madam,” it seemed she was speaking to me.
“Was that said to me?”
When I asked, the old woman tilted her head slightly with a meaningful smile.
Her eyes were a dull gray, as if someone had taken all color from them.
It felt eerie and ominous.
Ena, who was beside me, spoke quietly, probably because I had stared too long at the old woman.
“Let’s go upstairs, madam.”
Ena also looked tense and wary of her.
“Alright.”
I ignored the old woman’s words and went upstairs.
When I looked back slightly while climbing the stairs, the old woman was still watching me, supporting her chin with her hand leisurely.
The room upstairs had a small brick fireplace and a soft bed, making it feel too good for just one night.
In the bathroom, the bathtub was already filled with warm water.
The fragrant steam warmed the air.
As Ena said, when I soaked in the bathtub, my fatigue slowly melted away.
While splashing the water slightly, I suddenly remembered what the old woman said earlier.
“You have begun a very dangerous journey, madam.”
It was natural for travelers to stay in this inn.
And since I was not the type to believe fortune tellers, I tried to laugh it off.
But strangely, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
