Chapter 69
“Now, then. I need to tell you about the current situation.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“It’s nothing. But… it’s true that things are quite… pressing right now. From what I’ve heard about the Duke—at the royal castle—apparently, they are restricting entry.”
“Th-that can’t be…”
Restricting people from entering the royal castle is usually only done during wartime or disasters. Natalie swallowed hard as she listened to her mother.
“It seems that anyone other than the royal family or those serving the castle—even nobles—aren’t allowed to enter.”
“…But if the restriction is still in place…”
“Yes. That means there’s still a high possibility that His Excellency is… alive at the castle, I think.”
Her mother gently patted Natalie’s shoulder.
“Surely, there must be a way to resolve this.”
“Y-yes.”
“You look determined. Hehe… oh, by the way, regarding His Excellency’s illness and constitution… that doctor couldn’t cure him, could he?”
Her mother suddenly voiced a question, one that Natalie had been thinking about too—or rather, in her previous life, she had assumed Franz had cured Julius’s body.
(Lord Franz has examined His Excellency’s body for years, so there’s no way he wouldn’t know something.)
Natalie understood well, from the underground crypt, that there was a risk of magical power going out of control. But whether she could heal it with her own magic was uncertain.
(Temporary treatment was possible—but in the end, His Excellency relapsed…)
What came to mind was Julius’s pained expression at the Pettigrew family ruins. Perhaps her knowledge alone had its limits. However…
If it’s Franz, who is familiar with Black Spot Disease and various other illnesses, and also serves as the Fanglay family’s doctor, meeting him might reveal something.
“Mother, I… I plan to go to Lord Franz.”
“I see. You’ve made up your mind, then?”
“Yes…!”
When she answered her mother firmly, her mother smiled warmly.
“In that case, you’ll have to leave the house…”
Hearing this, Natalie’s expression darkened. At present, her father was keeping watch over her—she wasn’t allowed to go out. Even though she had decided, leaving wouldn’t be easy…
In contrast to Natalie’s troubled thoughts, her mother immediately stood and opened the door to Natalie’s room.
“Ma’am, are you finished with your talk?”
“Yes… oh, speaking of which, isn’t it about time for your shift to change?”
“Oh, indeed… it is about time.”
It seemed her mother was speaking with the servant standing guard outside the door.
“Standing all this time must be hard on you.”
“N-no… thank you for your consideration.”
“Well, oh… isn’t that Mina!”
“Ma’am…! It’s Mina!”
Alongside the servant’s voice, Natalie heard the familiar voice of Mina.
“I thought it was about time to give Mina, who’s been working too hard, a break.”
“Eh! Th-thank you so much!”
“Yes, you can rest properly tomorrow… but first, could I entrust you with today’s… guarding duty for this lady?”
“Of course!”
“Oh, ma’am…!”
After hearing Mina’s cheerful voice and the servant’s overwhelmed response at the same time, her mother instructed the servant to step back—and returned to Natalie’s room with Mina.
“Miss! Are you alright?”
“Mina, I’m fine… but more importantly…”
Natalie looked at her smiling mother and then at Mina, wondering why she was there. After all, Mina was supposed to be the substitute guard.
“Ma’am! It went well…!”
“Yes, perfectly!”
“Huh? …Eh?”
It seemed there was no misunderstanding between the two of them. Mina was smiling brightly while her mother winked at her. Natalie, meanwhile, looked around at their faces.
“Hehe… Mina helped me. You could say it’s the escape plan from the mansion?”
“Yes! I love my husband and my lady…but being your maid and serving you is my greatest pride!”
“Mina…”
“Hehe, it’s also because we’ve been together since we were children.”
Mina’s shy smile made her look at Natalie happily. Mina was a child of the servants serving the Pettigrew family, and they had been together since childhood.
“Hehe, you have a good maid, Natalie.”
“Yes…! Thank you, Mina.”
When Natalie expressed her gratitude, Mina’s smile grew even brighter.
“Well then, we’ve prepared a carriage… take your things to the back door, Mina. Show her the way.”
“Yes! Leave it to me…!”
At her mother’s words, Natalie reached for her pouch to carry her belongings and checked the drawers for anything else to take.
(…The pendant Lord Edward gave me…)
She saw the pendant with the lion motif that she had forgotten to return. Thinking about the royal castle, his face came to mind—and she unconsciously put it in her pouch.
“I’ve got my things.”
Her mother nodded at Natalie’s words and then turned to Mina.
“Then, Mina. I’ll take care of your father inside the mansion. Leave that to me.”
“Mother…”
“Alright? Cherish the feeling of having no regrets.”
“Yes…!”
“You look good. Now, off you go.”
Receiving her mother’s encouraging words, Natalie opened her eyes wide and met her mother’s gaze. And then:
“I’m off!”
Pushed forward by her mother, Natalie stepped out of the room into the hallway. After leaving her mother behind, the door closed.
“He really does look just like his father… hehe.”
Her mother’s cheerful voice echoed through the room she left behind.
