The carriage stopped after a long ride to its destination. However, the duke’s castle, which he visited again after two days, had a different, more chaotic atmosphere than before.
Hermia couldn’t take her eyes off the butler who seemed so polite as he ran towards her. Walter also sensed something was wrong and quickly approached her.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry, Master. Miss Melissa has disappeared.”
I was already out of my mind, and then Mel disappeared again. In contrast to Hermia, who was dumbfounded, Walter was serious.
“Tell me more.”
The butler continued his report with his head bowed in a rare state of embarrassment.
“You were having a snack and doing well until the afternoon… … A little while ago, when I went to your room to ask about the dinner menu, you weren’t there.”
“and.”
“And… I searched the entire main building, but I couldn’t find it, so I reported it to Lieutenant Schumacher, and the lieutenant is currently searching the inside of the citadel.”
“How long has it been?”
“It’s been about two hours.”
Walter took off his gloves and ran his hand through his hair as was his custom. He seemed to think for a moment, then gave an order.
“Send more personnel to expand the search outside, and send people to the nearby post station. Find out if they boarded a carriage.”
“yes.”
“What about Melissa’s luggage?”
“Nothing is missing. It’s literally just the body that’s gone.”
Walter’s eyebrows furrowed sharply, perhaps considering the possibility of kidnapping.
Hermia, who had been listening quietly, remembered something and took a hasty step forward.
“Doctor. Maybe Mel should have gone to the doctor.”
“Doctor? What’s wrong with Melissa? Wilson didn’t see anything… … .”
Hermia shook her head vigorously.
“No. There’s a doctor named Dr. Isaac who Mel has been seeing a few times recently. He has a connection with Bansenga.”
Considering Lucy’s words about how she had been to the hospital several times despite not having any money, it is highly likely that Isaac recognized Mel.
Even then, I felt uneasy, but before the engagement, the thought of how I had let it slide suddenly crossed my mind.
“This is the ‘St. Post General Hospital’ in Postbury.”
“I will send someone right away.”
Aiden, who understood right away before Walter could speak, answered with strength and ran away again.
Gerard, who had been watching the scene from behind, walked over leisurely.
“Where did our golden calf go tonight? Did he run away?”
“Melissa was constantly anxious that I would kick her out of here. It’s hard to believe that she left of her own volition.”
Despite Walter’s denial, he shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
“You never know. It could be the effects of a curse.”
“Are you going to start cursing again? If you have nothing better to do, go back to the villa, Gerard. Go and make sure your sister doesn’t do anything stupid.”
Hermia bit the inside of her mouth as she saw him frown. Even though he pretended not to notice, it was clear that he was concerned that she had been taken away from the party without permission.
Although he used the excuse that it was a military matter, anyone present could not have been unaware that he was defending himself unless they were stupid.
Damn. Even though it started out as a curse, the rest was clearly his own fault. It shouldn’t have exploded like that…
It had been a long time since he had openly touched his mother in front of her, so he couldn’t hold it in any longer and ended up flipping the table over in front of the princess.
‘The Countess never specifically insulted my mother.’
Of course, it wasn’t because the stepmother was a noble person that she didn’t do it. As the wife, speaking ill of her husband’s government was no different from belittling herself.
In a world where it is considered a virtue for a noblewoman to quietly smile and say, “What a shame,” when someone curses on her behalf, she must have just followed suit.
Anyway, I was only concerned about my own safety because I was worried about going to jail, but after thinking about it carefully, I began to worry that the Duke might be in an even more difficult situation.
Hermia quickly joined the conversation.
“Even so, isn’t the Duke in a difficult position? What did he say? Abuse of authority? Something like that.”
“I don’t think the princess would put pressure on me. She wouldn’t be that reckless.”
He answered as if he didn’t care at all and then said to Gerard.
“However, it is not easy to predict what kind of retaliation they will take against Hermia or Bansenga in the future.”
It was a request for a definite answer from his older brother. Seeing Hermia’s darkened complexion, Gerard lightly placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I told you not to worry. I told you. I got a bunch of embarrassing stuff from Liz’s secret space. If I had that, she wouldn’t be able to do anything.”
“How did you get it?”
“Um… … . Is that a secret too?”
She really likes secrets. She brushed the hand off her shoulder as if brushing something bothersome away.
Walter looked at Gerard with a displeased face, then extended his hand to Hermia.
“Melissa will continue to search with a search party. First, let’s get treatment… … .”
“No, I mean, I’m not hurt.”
As if it were a habit, he held her hand and spoke, but his gaze fell on her wrist. Hermia, who was looking down at her own arm, quickly realized, “Ah.”
“When did you get that bruise… … .”
Earlier, the guard hugged me tightly from behind, but I didn’t know that there would be bruises on my arms. I thought it would just turn red and then go away, but now that I look at it, the red part has turned blue. I feel embarrassed for no reason.
“If you leave it for a few days, it will go away quickly. I know this better than doctors because I experienced it often when I was young.”
“… … .”
I said it as if it was nothing, but somehow the duke’s face became even more fierce.
As soon as he entered the mansion, he shouted, “Wilson!” and immediately handed her over to the military doctor whom the servants had brought from the official residence.
I’m sure you’ve seen much worse things on the battlefield. The duke’s overreaction is strange and ticklish.
Last time I made a fuss, I just assumed it was because my feet were bleeding, but today it has finally become clear to me.
‘Ah. This guy. He’s worried about me.’
Hermia suddenly felt like crying.
* * *
Nora, as before, sent all the servants away and then began to examine Hermia. Then, as was her custom, she asked a question.
“What kind of exercise do you usually do?”
“Exercise?”
When Hermia asked again about the unfamiliar word, she belatedly shook her head. It was an obvious slip of the tongue.
“No. That was an inconsiderate question.”
It wasn’t something to ask a person like her who didn’t seem to have learned ballet or horseback riding when she was young like most other girls, and who didn’t even seem to have the basic physical strength, let alone the strength to exercise.
“Running? I was good at it when I was young.”
“Yes. I see… … .”
In the meantime, seeing Hermia answering every question made my feelings even more complicated.
She left Hermia and went outside, took out some painkillers and ointment, and handed them to the maid.
“Soak your body in lukewarm water and give yourself a full body massage. Even if it hurts, I have to give you a good massage. I’ll also apply ointment thoroughly.”
“Did you get beaten up somewhere?”
Nora shook her head and let out a sigh of relief at Emily, whose expression was crumpled.
“It would have been a shock of similar intensity to that body.”
“… … ?”
Emily frowned, but had to swallow her words to protect the patient’s information.
During the subsequent bath, the maids were astonished at the sight of her voluptuous body, and Hermia held a towel in her mouth during the massage.
It was a luxurious full-body massage that the Count could only dream of, but to Hermia, it was nothing more than a torturous treatment.
“Ugh… … .”
When I finally escaped the clutches of hell, I groaned like someone losing their breath.
I had difficulty even standing because they rubbed my whole body like kneading bread dough, saying that they needed to loosen up my tense muscles. Furthermore, I had to be carried like a piece of luggage on a chair with wheels to the dining room, due to the maids’ urging.
As Hermia entered in her wheelchair, Walter and Gerard, who were waiting inside, widened their eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh my god. I suddenly became seriously ill.”
“The doctor said that if you strain your body, you’ll be more sore tomorrow. I’ll take care of your meal, young lady, so both of you go back to your seats.”
The one who answered the two men was Emily, who was pushing a wheelchair.
“Hello?”
The duke and prince returned to their chairs quietly at the firm attitude of the maid, who was a few years older than them. Only Hermia, who was stuck in the middle, felt like she was going to die.
No, is it something to make such a fuss about just a bruise? It’s just that my skin is pale, so it shows a lot.
As soon as she thought that, Hermia’s mouth opened.
“Anyway, I thought you might be a noble, so don’t joke around. Ah.”
She bowed her head hastily.
‘Here he is again, out of his own mouth. That damn writer… … Just wait and see if he gets caught.’
As she was preparing herself to express her anger, food arrived. Her head, which had been down, turned around as if possessed.
Even though it was covered, I could tell by the smell without even looking. This was definitely… pork. The smell of the perfectly cooked pork ribs was so strong that it drowned out the savory flavor of the grits.
Hermia, who had been unable to take her eyes off the plate rising on the table, suddenly raised her arm and took a breath through her nose.
As expected, a foul odor came from his body that made his nose clear. The smell was strong from the moment I opened the ointment cap, so how could I be okay after applying it all over my body?
Even at this level, the smell would have been noticeable from ten meters away.
“Uh… I’ll… go to my room and eat.”
Hermia carefully turned her head so as not to blow her hair out, as she did not want to disturb the others’ meal by giving off a strong smell of medicine.
I have already received help so many times, so I don’t want to cause trouble for such trivial things. Aside from being grateful, I felt that if I added apologies here, I would feel too pathetic.
Neither a duke nor a prince would hold their nose or frown in front of a lady, and even if there was a bad smell, they would just pretend not to notice and endure it.
Suddenly, I came to my senses and felt dizzy. I almost sat there with my butt pressed against the wall and enjoyed myself alone.
‘You shouldn’t take it for granted just because two people are doing well for you.’
The habit of blindly expecting something should be rooted out early on. That way, you won’t take kindness for granted.
Haven’t you already regretted acting stupidly twice?
She let out a small sigh.
It hurts so much to lean on the warmth of others and then be betrayed.
It was like that when I was abandoned by my adoptive father, and when I found out the truth about Count Bahnsen. Both of them acted like they would treat me like a precious daughter at first, but then they hit me hard in the back of the head.
Is there any guarantee that the peacock will be any different from them…?