Chapter 104 [part 1] (1/2)

(4)

Lucia returned to the party hall and mixed in with the noblewomen. She didn’t have time to think properly and because of the sudden incomprehensible sequence of events, her heart was racing, and her palms were sweaty.

But even then, she was outwardly smiling at the noblewoman who was talking to her. Her experience in the dream of socializing while wearing a fake smile till she was sick of it, was very helpful to her.

Katherine returned to the noisy party hall filled with the sound of people’s voices and music. She quickly approached Lucia without concealing her cloudy expression.

As soon as Lucia saw Katherine, her mind which had been in a state of confusion, began to regain order. This whole situation began from the moment she went to the break room after hearing the maid say that Katherine was looking for her.

“Princess. Are you…coming back from the Inner Palace?”

“You know, I just ran a fool’s errand. His Majesty was never looking for me. I am going to find out who in the world passed on this nonsense and punish them severely for this.”

Katherine furiously expressed her displeasure.

Seeing this, Lucia realized that she had been conspired against. Someone lured Katherine first with lies, and then used that to lure her to the break room.

‘Why? Who would do this?’

If not for Sir. Krotin, it would have resulted in a huge problem. Lucia thought back to the situation in the break room earlier. The man whom Sir. Krotin was holding by the throat was definitely the Count of Ramis.

‘I don’t know how this situation came about. Did Count Ramis try to harm me?’

More than anything else, Lucia’s biggest worry was what would happen to Sir. Krotin.

“Duchess. The imperial doctor is waiting for you.”

A handmaid approached them and said.

“The imperial doctor? Duchess, are you not feeling well?”

“Yes. My head is a little…”

“Oh no. You should go home and rest. I don’t think Duchess is cut out for activities that are late at night.”

Suddenly, people began to stir. In the hallway connected to the spacious party hall, the royal knights made their way through, and the sound of banging armor echoed as they moved swiftly. Realizing that the knights were headed towards the princess’ private breakroom, Lucia’s expression paled as she stiffened.

A situation where there was a collective movement of knights that could ruin a party’s merry atmosphere was extremely rare. People began to grow noisy as they wondered what big incident had occurred.

“Go find out what’s going on.”

Katherine sent her handmaid. The sound of the knights’ banging armor grew farther away and Lucia went to the public break room to get a checkup from the imperial doctor. In the meantime, the atmosphere of the party slowly returned.

The noblewomen gathered around Katherine. A certain noblewoman spoke up.

“Please show us your break room sometime too, Princess.”

“I agree. I know not too many people can go together at once, but I feel sad that I didn’t have the honor of being invited to the first opening of the princess’ break room.”

“What do you mean by opening of my breakroom?”

“Earlier, didn’t the handmaid escort several ladies to the princess’ break room, under the princess’ instructions? We were told that Princess was holding an opening and had chosen the first visitors.”

“I never gave such instructions. So you mean to say that I now have people who I never gave permission to, inside my breakroom?”

When Katherine retorted sharply, the noblewomen were bewildered and looked at each other.

***

After being told by the imperial doctor that there was nothing wrong with her, Lucia returned to the party hall. And at the same time, the handmaid who Katherine had sent on an errand, came back to the party hall and whispered something to Katherine with a very stiff expression. After hearing what she said, Katherine’s expression also stiffened.

“Duchess, a minute please.”

Katherine took Lucia away from the crowd of people and went a remote area.

“Duchess. Don’t be alarmed and listen to me. I looked into what the knights were up to, and it seems like an accident has occurred. Actually, rather than calling it an accident…”

Katherine was unable to finish her sentence.

Lucia intentionally tried to make a calm expression, but her tightly clenched fists were trembling. She had an ominous foreboding. An eerie cold chill ran up her spine.

Please. Lucia muttered to herself. Her heart rattled with worry that something bad might have happened to Sir. Krotin.

“There was a murder. The culprit is Duchess’ guard escort. Knight Krotin.”

***

The lord has changed.

“For the time being, we’ll use this village as our camp.” (Hugo)

“Yes, my lord.”

As he watched Boris, who was looking at their lord with sparkling eyes and yelling with his loudest voice, Dean thought this. Boris was the youngest participant among the knights of the northern subjugation this time. And he did remarkably well in the battle with the barbarians.

Although Captain Elliot wasn’t big on emotional expression, he looked satisfied at his son’s growth. And Boris’ expression was full of pride that he was participating in an important mission as a knight of the family.

Dean predicted that it wouldn’t be easy for Boris to recover from the shock of the first battle, but Boris beat that prediction. The reason for that was because their lord had changed.

During the battle with the barbarians, the lord mainly commanded them. He didn’t take just the elite knights and slaughter the barbarians indiscriminately as before. The knights who guarded the border were inducted into the ranks and participated in the war as well.

He gathered the knights, made strategies and utilized various methods of operation. The knights fighting the barbarians under the direct command of the Duke, entered battle with firm resolves, and enjoyed their proud achievements.

‘If it’s not just a temporary change…’