***
***
What I just did seemed to have set fire to the suspicion that was sprouting.
Devan crossed his legs and gently looked at me.
Of course, I can’t see his eyes, but at least I felt that way.
Devan was doubting me.
I agonized over how to avoid his suspicion.
“It wasn’t a curse… do not look like a curse.”
“It was a misundertanding?”
“…If it’s my credibility, I can easily cure the curse.There’s definitely something else.”
Devan sighed deeply at my determined tone.
What i said was true.
When I lived in a temple, I had treated curses.
God’s curse did not come down only to the imperial family. Regardless of their status, those who committed injustice were often cursed.
The temple received money from them in the name of lifting the curse.
Of course, it was up to children who were born with great confidence like me to actually treat them.
The curse on the imperial family was only a little more tricky because of the prophecy. He, too, could theoretically be treated if he had enormous credibility enough to lift the curse.
Of course, there were no children as powerful as me and Cordelia before this, so they looked for clues to predict. To find the girl….
But the dark and dangerous-looking energy that surrounded Devan earlier,
İt’s felt different from other patients.
“This thing… if you handle with this thing, it’s easy to treat…”
I nervously ripped the tip of my fingernail.
“since just now, you are saying something wrong with me.”
“….I don’t know if it’s a problem, but I’m sure there’s something.”
.
“But you don’t know what it is? What do you want to say?”
I closed my eyes and opened them.
Devan leaned toward me. He was already doubting me, and there was only one thing I could do.
“Today.”
Devan’s nerves headed toward me at my firm words.
I swallowed my dry saliva.
“I’m sure there will be results in tonight’s and evening’s treatments. So, I’ll let you see at least one eye.”
“One eye?”
He looked like he wanted to ask why.
I took a deep breath.
This was a gamble. Gambling to gain his trust.
“…everything has its own order.”
Devan’s adam apple moved.
Is that an expectation, anxiety, or is it just a physiological phenomenon?
A moment of silence passed by.
“…I got it.”
He replied. There was no turning back now.
***
No more excuses will work.
Before dinner treatment, I came out recklessly.
Hilda often walked after me.
“Hilda.”
“Yes, lady.”
“Do you know the paths of this castle?”
“Of course, lady! Everyone knows. Is there a place you want to go?”
How can Hilda be so confident when she came a day later than I am?
It was a little strange, but it was also reassuring.
“I just want to look around.I don’t know the ways yet.”
“Inside the castle?”
“Hmm…..No, let’s look outside first?”
“Then I’ll guide you to the main gate, Miss.”
She took the lead.
The main gate was quite far away, so I could see the interior of the castle as I went.
The castle was much bigger than I thought.
So far, the only places I have visited have been my bedroom, Devan’s office, and the Great Hall where I eat.
It turned out that it corresponds to the eastern tower of the castle.
If so, at least the entire castle was more than three times the space.
Count Diego’s castle was also not as large as anywhere else. It was clear that I heard it from the infants who attended the social gathering.
Compared to such count, this place was enormous.
Maybe it’s because there’s no one coming and going, and there’s a gloomy atmosphere in decorations and furniture.
“That’s the main gate, Miss.”
“Okay.”
It was when we moved to the main gate.
Suddenly, two soldiers blocked the front.
Except for the old butler, Hilda, and Devan, I was surprised to see him for the first time in this castle.
“You can’t go here anymore.”
“What does that mean?”
The two soldiers silently overlapped two windows. It seemed to be surrounding at least.
I was surprised first that there was a proper soldier in the Arcduke’s castle and second that they were blocking me.
A man appeared behind the soldiers. He was wearing armor similar to that of the soldiers, but at a glance, his dignity was extraordinary.
Even to me, who had no idea about swordsmanship, it seemed that he was not an ordinary person.
The man walked past the soldiers and came to me and bowed his head.
The restrained movement was just like Killian.
He was a knight, so it wasn’t difficult to infer.
“Lady, you can’t go outside the castle.”
“Why?”
“That’s…”
Knight scratched his head as if it were difficult to answer.
I wriggled my eyebrows.
His voice looked familiar somewhere.
“No way…”
“Haha…”
He smiled more awkwardly.
He was the one who kidnapped me here by Count Diego and knocked me down on the back of my neck to faint.
“It was you.”
“I did a lot out of manners back then. These was His Highness’ orders.”
I nodded quietly because I didn’t mean to blame him. | In a way, he was rather my savior. Because he kidnapped me properly without getting confused.
“Is that also your highness’s order to say that you can’t go out of the castle more than that?”
“He didn’t order it separately, but you’re in a situation like this.”
“…Did you keep an eye on me so far?”
Isn’t the timing of his appearance too exquisite?
The man smiled silently at my question.
As expected. On the first day, considering that he locked me up in the room, he said he would let the castle be active.
It seemed that the soldiers were monitoring me in a place I couldn’t see.
I felt uncomfortable. I knew it was impossible for Devan to trust me completely.
No wonder. I stood quietly and looked around.
Even so, it was difficult not to go outside the castle.
I didn’t know when, but I had to escape this castle.
Of course, if things work out very well, if he doesn’t doubt me and send me to the temple until I cure all of Devan’s curse.
Then you can get paid fairly by Devan and leave the castle.
It was hard to expect such a fluke.
From the unexpected difficulties in solving the curse, it was so just by looking at Devan’s attitude today.
Didn’t he already seem to doubt me?
Furthermore, with the name of Cordelia, I couldn’t let go of his hand and stay still.
“I want to take a short walk. Will it be okay if I’m with you?”
I slowly smiled at the knight while drooping my eyebrows.
He seemed a little surprised by my attitude.
“You need His Highness’ permission.”
As expected, this much was expected.
I said with a friendly smile to the soldier standing behind the knight.
“Hey, can you go and ask?”
“Me?”
The soldier opened his eyes wide and pointed at himself. It was clear from his actions that he had not been in this career for a long time, and above all, he looked young.
“Yeah, who else is there besides you? I can’t go back this long way again, and I haven’t memorized the location of my room yet.”
“Oh… I understand, Lady!”
With a slightly red face, the soldier quickly took a step.
After confirming that his back was completely gone, I told the knight.
“So, how should I call you?”
“Yes?”
He made a surprised face.
I said softly, with a smile that killed Killian.
“It meant I wanted to know the name of knight. Will you excuse me?”
“………No way. I’m Karen Webow, Lady Evelyn.”
“Sir Karen…… I see. That’s a great name.”
When I smiled once more, I felt Karen’s body stiffened a little.
Soon after, the soldier returned and reported.
“Your Highness allowed you to look around the garden with Lord Karen, Lady.”
Did he run here? He looked at me with a rough breath and a look as if he was asking for compliments.
I smiled and turned to Karen.
“Garden… Is garden big?”
“You won’t be short of a walk. I’ll take care of it.”
Karen politely reached out one hand. I put my hand lightly on it.
“Shall we go, Lady?”
“Okay, Hilda. You…… Hilda?”
I looked around for Hilda. But Hilda was nowhere to be seen.
When did she disappear? Hilda, who was definitely next to me when the soldiers blocked the front, hide her appearance.
“Lady? What are you looking for?””
Karen looked back at me, who was not moving with a strange face.
……Well, she must have gone back because of an emergency.
“…Nothing, let’s go.”
Leaving my complicated mind behind, I followed Karen.
***
Going around the garden with Karen, I collected as much information as possible about the castle.
For example, these were the things when I came out of the castle, a large garden was surrounded by walls. When I left the wall, another river surrounded me.
It was a circle in a circle.
The only way to cross the river was a straight bridge from the gate.
The number of soldiers guarding the castle was not very much.
It was just enough to match the numbers, but there seemed to be a few knights as good as Karen.
If you get caught at least once, you’ll get caught right away.
So there was only one way out of here.
Crossing the bridge through the main gate of the wall without being caught by anyone.
If you reach the large forest at the end of the bridge, you will be able to beat the chase.
With a meaningful smile, I walked with Karen in a garden full of harmony.
Whenever there was a gap, I didn’t forget to measure the distance of the floor from the window of the castle.
While thinking about how to reach from my room to the main gate without anyone being noticed.