Adrian's transformation amazed many. The servants said that in this form she could slip away from anyone without being noticed. The words that she didn’t look a bit like a man gave Adi an indescribable feeling.
“In this form, even those who have seen her in person won’t recognize her, right?”
At Bert's words, Roy nodded affirmatively. First of all, she seemed to be of a different gender, and the changed hair color completely radically transformed her aura. She could be mistaken for a rare beauty, but not for the same Dog of Palesa.
Moreover, despite Adi’s notoriety, few people knew her by sight. Roy himself saw her for the first time when he personally went looking for her. He could not say this out loud, but, looking at this face, he wondered: where is that famous dog?
So the guards who see her for the first time will certainly not have any suspicions.
— If you had changed into a woman’s dress at the festival, there would have been no shortage of fans.
- Shut up.
-......
Her character has not gone away.
Roy hurriedly gathered his things. Bert had nothing to leave here and nothing to take with him.
Adi's situation was the same. It would be strange for a dead person to take his sword or his usual things. She would leave letters from her mother here, but she saw no point in taking the books that she occasionally read with her.
There were things issued in Pales, and those that she brought from her family; She used both of them, and therefore monitored their condition, but did not have any special attachment to anything. She only needed to pick up one thing.
Portrait of Adrian and herself. That was all Adi needed.
Bert knocked on the half-open door. When Adi looked at the entrance, she saw him - he was standing with his hands folded on his chest. Glancing at Roy, who was bustling around in the next room, packing his things, Burt asked, “Can I come in?” Adi nodded.
Entering the room, Bert carefully examined Adi. A sigh escaped him of his own accord. Rubbing his eyelids with his fingers, Bert said: “In the end, the Count still killed you.”
- And twice.
Once he buried Adrian, marking it as her grave, but this time he decided to frame her, kill her and take the body with him.
“That’s right,” Adi answered and smiled.
There was not a shadow of self-flagellation in this smile. The situation even seemed to amuse Adi. Bert could not understand her at all.
“He did this in the hope that he could still keep me with him.” He probably didn't expect me to run away.
The Grimaldi family was definitely out of their minds. However, if they weren’t crazy, they would hardly have been able to hold out for so long.
In fact, Bert himself would have preferred not to get involved and not take Adi with him, if not for the Duke. Moreover, he believed that even if the Duke did not mind, it would be better to leave her here. At least if she remained Adrian.
- Sir.
However, if it is Adrina, everything changes. Haven't there already been several speculations? If Adrina died and her fate passed to Adrian, then only Adrian would be able to lift the Curse.
But if it was not Adrina who died, but Adrian, and the one to whom the Duke pointed so many times is the real Adrina...
Adrina is a key that cannot be thrown away. The key to lifting the Curse. Under no circumstances should she be lost.
- Thank you.
Adi bowed. Bert hesitated for a moment.
“Although I understand why the Woodpecker family is helping me.”
Bert's face gradually hardened. Adi must have understood that this favor was conditional. Because she is the only one who can lift the Duke's Curse.
“But still, for someone to care about me like that... this is the first time, that is, in a long time.”
He doubted whether to give in to pity, but Bert felt sincere compassion for Adi.
- It's a strange feeling.
Yes, what is Adrina Grimaldi's fault? If there is any fault here...
The beginning of this sin is hidden in the fog. Everything happened because of Ma녀's whim. No, it wasn't a whim. Ma녀 only fully expressed her feelings.
Before this, the person himself gave the reason. But even this reason did not arise from his will. Where did it all go wrong and how can we unravel this knot now?
Bert did not know this. Bert remained a man of the past, and his own history was already declining. The time has come for those who are just rising to decide their destinies.
Even if he doesn't like it, even if everything is more complicated than he expected, Bert must follow their path. This was the duty of an adult.
- Adi.
- Yes, sir.
“At least you won’t have to endure hardships in Woodpecker.”
—…….
Adi's gaze flashed with disbelief. Bert had nothing to answer to this. It’s quite natural that she doesn’t believe it.
- In any case, prepare well and hit the road. We'll be heading out soon.
“It feels like we’re running shamefully.”
“Not that it’s very different from the truth.”
Having said this, Bert put his hand on Adi’s shoulder, but immediately shuddered and pulled it away. While he considered her just a comrade, a young knight, this was in the order of things, but now, knowing that she was a girl, he could not allow himself to touch her so unceremoniously.
So she is a woman. Bert had one last question. The Duke kissed Adi without hesitation and extended his hand, offering to kiss her back.
It is unknown how far they went, but the Duke easily touched Adi when she was still considered a man. At first Bert thought that Jules had some special preferences, but that was not the point, it was that...
- Adi, I'm curious about something.
He alone knew about it.
- Yes, speak up.
— Since when did Your Excellency know?
Having asked this, Bert pointed his chin at her. He was damn curious how long he'd known she was a woman; did he do all this already having knowledge; and why, while the others were worried about the viscous atmosphere that had arisen between them, he did not give a single hint, but, on the contrary, flaunted his feelings even more.
Of course, knowing the answer would not have changed anything for Bert or the servants. But he could have at least said something!
Adi thought about it. Juls called her “Adrina.” This happened quite recently, but in any case he knew about it before they did.
“I myself don’t know exactly when.”
Adi could not understand whether Juls had suspected her for a long time and only then became convinced, or whether everything was revealed to him on that very day.
- But some time has already passed.
* * *The palace was in full turmoil. The incident occurred before people had a chance to properly enjoy the holiday.
Adi Grimaldi killed Marquis Luigi Frankopan, who returned from Thuringia. The Marquis, who was third in line to the throne, had not spent even a day in Pales before he turned into a cold corpse, and Adi was pointed out as a murderer by a vassal of the Grimaldi family, Lef Zid.
People whispered about what really happened, and some, insisting that this holiday was too ominous and they were scared, did not leave their residences at all. There were those who wanted to leave early, and Woodpecker was among them.
Things were loaded into the carriages. Numerous luggage was distributed between the two crews. The only portrait that Adi took with her was hidden among Bert's things. One of the carriages was filled to the brim with gifts received by the Duke during his stay in Palais. Even after some of them were removed, a lot of things remained.
Billy handed Adi a fan and told her to cover her face if anyone came close, so she stood by the carriage the whole time, hiding her appearance.
Guards and knights patrolled the area in groups. At least two at a time, they combed everything around with torches in their hands. Eventually, they reached the Duke's residence.
-Are you leaving already? - asked one of the knights.
Roy, apparently recognizing a familiar face, raised his hand in greeting.
—Are you leaving early this year?
“It’s uneasy in Pales now, so I don’t want to stay here.”
“No one expected this to happen to His Lordship Frankopan.” However, would you allow us to inspect the premises?
The knight's words attracted everyone's attention. Feeling the pressure of dozens of glances, the knight said in confusion:
“Be that as it may, Adrian Grimal디 was in the personal guard of His Excellency the Duke, so we must be vigilant.” Please forgive me for disturbing you, this is a check in case he tries to escape.
“Check as much as you like,” Bert replied.
The servants began moving things again. At this moment, another knight shouted, “We will also check the identities of the servants.” In fact, there wasn't much to check there. When the Duke went to Palesa, he was usually accompanied by the same people, and not a single blonde was among them.
- Thank you for your assistance. Who is this person? - asked the knight, pointing to Adi.
Adi, who was covering her face with a fan, opened it slightly. In front of him was a brown-haired woman. She looked nothing like Adrian Grimaldi.
— Are there any problems?
- No way.
“We need to identify everyone leaving the residence.”
-Haven't you checked them yet? This is everyone who is leaving. If in doubt, you can search the inside of the carriage,” Bert snapped.
The knight hesitated under Bert's words. At that moment Roy came up and, tapping him on the shoulder confidentially, added:
- You yourself know that initially we did not have such a close friendship with Adrian Grimaldi.
- Roy.
- This is Adrian. Palesa's dog. You know how he behaved here. Will he really take her?
- But the application for transfer...
- That's because she worked well. In addition, she refused to move from G Grimaldi to Woodpecker. If the situation had not turned out like this, she would have gone with His Highness the Crown Prince to Jonad. Have you been there?
“His Highness Claude would not take a troublesome person with him.”
- That's right.
- Then, finally, what is this lady’s status...
- She's my niece.
At this moment Bert spoke. No one showed it, but everyone looked at him with obvious surprise.
— Your niece?
- Yes, A... Drina Dean.
- Adrina Dean... She was not on the list of those invited to the court.
“She was registered as a maid of honor, but did not live in the palace, as she came to Palesa for sightseeing. Since I brought her, I have to take her back, so this time I received special permission to leave. But since this person is leaving for good anyway, there is no need for further checks, right?
- Fair. In this case, I will issue a travel permit.
With these words, the knight handed over the parchment document. Gavin, the servant, took it from the guard's hands.
- Well, have a good trip.
“See you next year,” Bert smiled.
Soon two carriages - with things and servants - set off, surrounded on the sides by escort riders. The crews slowly left the palace grounds and, as soon as they reached the road, accelerated.
Outside the window flashed a panorama of a well-maintained city. Adi could not even imagine that she would see Palesa at night like this, because in all the years, except for the day of her arrival and the trip to the witch with Juls, she never had a chance to really look at the city.
The place where she had spent so many years seemed foreign to her. At the same time, she felt relieved that she was finally leaving him.