Fenric opened his eyes at the crack of dawn.
“……”
He got up from his bed and looked at Prisippi who was sleeping soundly on the bed for a long time.
Unlike the last time he saw her in the palace, Prisippi was fast asleep without groaning in pain or moving restlessly.
Was it because she was staying away from those annoying humans?
Or because she feels safe with him?
Fenric smiled softly to himself, lost in thought.
“Their number will decrease one by one.”
Those who tortured and violated you.
“So, sleep peacefully.”
He extended his large, blue-veined hand and gently stroked Presibe's slightly protruding forehead.
He gently caressed her calm face several times, then left the room carefully, so as not to wake her up.
As soon as he came out, he was greeted by Kevin, who was wearing his armor and standing waiting for him.
“All the soldiers were mustered in front of the forbidden forest, except for those I ordered to remain in the village.”
Kevin spoke in a calm voice.
“I've given instructions to those who will stay with Miss Presby in the village, so you don't have to worry about that.”
"Good."
Fenric nodded in agreement.
As Kevin said, a third of the soldiers were kept in the village, while the remaining two-thirds were sent to the Forbidden Forest.
Considering that Fenrik was going to be moving with Siegfried and his knights, the chance that one of them would try to harm Prisippi was slim, but he couldn't leave her alone while he was away.
Deep in his heart, he wanted to keep everyone stationed here, but no one knew what might happen in the Forbidden Forest.
Or rather, he didn't know what might happen while trying to get rid of Siegfried.
“What’s the status of Siegfried and the knights?”
“Nothing suspicious has happened so far. As always, they checked the entrance to the forest to make sure no new monsters had appeared, then returned to their positions to wait. But...”
Kevin hesitated for a moment, then looked around quickly.
After making sure that no one was nearby, he whispered in a low voice.
“I'm a little worried. The duke, myself, and the soldiers are unaccustomed to the forbidding terrain of the forest.”
“……”
“If they try to escape, it could get annoying.”
Kevin's concern was justified.
If Fenrik could end Siegfried's life immediately, things would be clean.
There might be some doubts, but since the incident happened in the Forbidden Forest, it would be easy to claim that monsters did it.
But what if Siegfried was injured and managed to escape?
What if he could join the Knights and tell Dietrich what happened?
The results were quite clear.
Then, Fenric would become a traitor and be immediately sentenced to death.
“It's unfortunate for Siegfried, but that won't happen.”
However, Fenric spoke in a calm tone, as if the matter was not even worth worrying about.
“He won't be able to escape with his head still attached to his body.”
“……”
"You know that, Kevin. How I got into this position."
Fenric was right.
Kevin knew that all too well.
So far, Fenric has never failed to eliminate his target.
“When I give you the signal...”
Fenric said in a low voice.
"Get rid of the knights. I'll deal with Siegfried myself."
“Yes, understood.”
Kevin answered without any hesitation, watching Fenric as he mounted his horse.
Then he swallowed silently, sincerely hoping that he would return safely to the village with him that day.
—
When Prisippi opened her eyes, there was no one in the room.
As expected, Fenric and Kevin had left for the Forbidden Forest.
Just before noon, Malia came cautiously, carrying food in her hand.
“These are foods that Lady Vanessa loved. Try them.”
Honestly, the foods were nothing like the ones she was used to eating at the Imperial Palace or at Fenric's Palace.
There was hard bread that looked like it had been hardened since it was made, and there was only a little butter on it.
There was a steak made from very tough cheap meat.
And fruit juice so sour that it made the tongue numb.
But Preseppe ate the food Malia offered her with gratitude and enjoyment.
…Only because she imagined how much Vanessa, who loved such simple foods, would miss home while eating fine food in the Imperial Palace.
“Would you like to take a look at Lady Vanessa’s house?”
After Prisippi finished her food, Malia smiled and asked excitedly.
“You wanted to visit him, didn’t you? I can accompany you there.”
They said that soldiers were guarding the village. Fenrick also said she could move around freely, so Kevin's absence wasn't a big deal.
“Yes, then I will do it.”
Since the house where Vanessa lived before she went to the royal palace might have some clues, Precipe nodded. After a short while, Malia and I walked out of the old house.
Vanessa's house was located near the western part of the village.
“……”
Presibe stood motionless, watching the little house without saying a word.
“It's pretty ruined, isn't it?”
Malia muttered embarrassedly as she looked at the house.
“I can understand your surprise. You have only lived in the royal palace, so perhaps this place is strange to you.”
If the house was just “old” as I put it in short, it would be better. But Vanessa's house looked like a complete ruin.
It wasn't just that no one lived here now, it seemed like that was the case even when she lived here.
“Let's go inside first.”
Prisippi agreed, and Malia opened the closed door with her hand.
As she said she was using it as a warehouse for the village, the door was devoid of any locking mechanism.
With the sound of the old door cracking, a musty smell emanated.
“The place is a little cramped. It was like that at first, but people put old things in there.”
The items were scattered everywhere. Worn agricultural tools, other unidentified items, and dusty bags piled here and there.
“Be careful under your feet. There are mice.”
There was a faint sound like something heavy moving. Priscipi walked into Vanessa's house feeling a little nervous.
“I randomly collected Vanessa’s things, but now the things are mixed up, so we should check the place again.”
Malia said as she surveyed the messy place.
"Press, you better just sit down. I don't want you to get hurt."
Prisippi didn't answer, just looked down.
Without good light entering, the narrow stairs were completely dark.
“Malia, can you look here for my mother’s things?”
“Precipie?”
“I'll go there.”
Malia's eyes followed Presippi's.
"But, I don't think there's anything useful there. Vanessa used this place as a warehouse even when she lived here, and now it's full of old stuff."
“I'll just check around. If you find my mother's stuff, call me.”
“Should I go with you? It's dark and dirty.”
"I'll take this with me. I can do this alone."
Prisippi said as she held one of the candles Malia had brought.
“Okay. If something happens, you should call me immediately.”
The worry was evident on Malia's face, but since Preseppe insisted on going alone, there was nothing more to say. The place was very close.
"See you soon."
Presippi answered curtly, then began to descend cautiously down the dark stairs.
“If a ghost suddenly came out, it wouldn't be strange.”
The rotting wooden stairs creaked every time they stepped on them. When she carefully descended to the end, she saw the door, which was slightly open. The basement door opened as easily as it did when she entered the house, and she was quickly overwhelmed by the strong smell of mold.
“Ah…!”
Prisippi closed her nose with her hand and carefully placed the candle down.
The basement was very narrow, full of stuff as was the basement. On the rusted shelves, things were stacked so spectacularly that they did not collapse, and in the corners that were full of spider webs, there were old books with yellowed leaves.
Prisippi began to examine the items slowly, even sniffing the dust.
After a while...
She felt something quickly pass over her foot.
She wasn't sure if it was a mouse, like Malia said, or something else, but Prisippi felt goosebumps, and she yelped softly as she shuffled her feet and dropped something.
"Yes!"
It will not be necessary to mention what happened next. The barely balanced shelves fell one by one like dominoes, covering everything with thick dust.
“Cough…!”
It was all over. Vanessa's things were mixed with other people's things from the village. Precipi was pinching her mouth, frowning at that moment.
“…?”
Prisippi's eyes began to widen strangely.
in the far corner,
Above the gray dust, there was a very weak light, but it was clearly visible.
“…!”
Prisippi stepped carefully until she reached that corner, then slowly bent down.