Episode 21
Journey
The maid looked at me with surprised eyes. No matter how insensitive I seem, I can always remember the names of people around me. Nevertheless, deliberately turned a blind eye to it, trying not to let it show.
I’m the one who’s leaving anyway. I couldn’t get attached. If I was to return back to Korea, I would keep thinking about it.
“Yes, of course, of course.”
She smiles brightly and nods her head. I think I’m getting a little teary.
Whenever I was shaken, I would reflect on myself again and again.
Let’s not be mistaken. That smile is not mine. What Emma loves is not me. It’s Eris, everything that favors me is all hers, not mine.
The people who love me are not here, but beyond, in ‘my world’.
There was a corner of the train station made of baked bricks that somehow reminded me of a novel where a certain wizard grew up. (PR/N: Hogwarts train.)
This place was very similar to King’s Cross Station, but in fact, it had to be so. From what I heard from a friend, the author openly stated that he was referring to King’s Cross Station while describing the role.
Knowing that, I secretly touched the pillars as I moved around. With the expectation that this writer might have set up a 9th and 3/4 stop. (QC/N: Something like a secret passageway? I’m sorry, I didn’t read Harry Potter…)
Hmmmm.
The station was filled with not only customers who came to board the train, but also people watching the train running for the first time.
The train had twelve compartments, excluding the engine room and the driver’s room. It was rather small compared to modern trains. Among them, there were only seven rooms, the other five of those rooms were filled with amenities, so it was a luxurious train suitable for aristocrats to ride.
After sitting on a chair at the station and waiting for a while, Anakin bought a ticket.
“Did you buy what I said?”
“Yeah, as you said, I bought all the tickets at every station where the train stops.”
“Well done. If I buy them all, even if there’s someone tracking me down and listening to me, they won’t know exactly where I went.”
Beep beep. Then, with the horn of the train, the crew began to ring the bell. The crew rang their hand bells and shouted, “Hurry up and get on the train.”
“The train is about to depart. Move your luggage and put it in your room.”
“Okay.”
I looked around my surroundings for a bit. Acting like prey, drawn by the smoke incense, they arrived amid the buzzing crowd. I grinned. The prey had yet to learn of the hunter, and they hurried onto the train before darting away. (QC/N: People are tailing her.)
Convenience facilities were located near each room. There were two facilities, then two rooms next to it, and then another convenience… and so on. And at the end, there was one room with each convenience facility followed by another room.
Among the compartments, the most expensive was the first-class cabin that’s in front of the last facility cabin as it was far from the engine room. Hence there’ll be less noise, and with facilities located in it’s rear and front.
Unlike other compartments, which set walls in one compartment and divided several rooms, the first class cabin was single compartment and was also a room.
Of course, the first class cabin was for Eris. But while she was the only daughter of the marquis, there was a far greater issue of protecting the prince’s fiancée. And…
It cost an astronomical amount of money just to, develop the magic train and track it. To recover the money, the support of nobles and wealthy commoners were required above all else.
However, the aristocrats and commoners were not convinced of the stability of the magic train.
They felt somewhat insecure in the magic technique itself. It was hard for them to fathom, from their point of view, how a huge chunk of scrap metal they had never seen before can be offered as a substitute for a carriage.
So, when I decided to use the magic train, the state took advantage of it and promoted it extensively. That ‘even the delicate young lady of Marquis Misérian can use the train’ is nothing more than a guarantee that the train is safe.
Thus, they will risk their lives and deaths to get me to my destination safely. Of course I plan to disappear halfway through.
In fact, I was going to screw three people at the same time with this plan. The marquis, the imperial family, and…
A string quartet was played by stylishly dressed musicians for the dining guests. It was rare to find such an excellent interior decor in the capital, the baroque gilt frame was dazzling.
It’s not just the decorations. Judging by the taste of the food, the skill of the cook on this train was comparable to that of the chef in the marquis’s estate,
But for some reason, Anakin, who was on her other side, was just looking at the food in front of him.
“Isn’t it to your taste?”
“…You didn’t have to order my share.”
“What is this sound? Is my escort knight saying he’s going to starve now?”
When I heard a remark that I would never accept as a Korean, my eyes went up. Anakin looked me in the eye and said.
“Even if I pay with my full salary, I won’t be able to pay for the little food on this plate. It’s too much for me.”
“I pay you, I pay for this food, and I don’t know why you’re so worried. I’m not poor yet for you to worry about my pockets.”
“I mean… I am saying that the food left by the master will suffice. I am used to starving for a few days.
I could easily imagine how strangely distorted my expression was without looking in the mirror. At this unprecedented remark, I put down my fork and knife and took a long time to choose my words. But in the end, all I could spill out was this.
“… I don’t even feed my dog leftovers. I will get you a new meal.”
Frankly, I thought I made a poor choice in vocabulary, but surprisingly this answer convinced Anakin. He began to sloppily shove food into his mouth. My eyes widened. It must be delicious for him to eat that fast,
He said the best things to eat are expensive things. I ate as much delicious food as I could since I came here, as I had never eaten it in Korea because of the cost. What if my tongue gets accustomed to this expensive taste when I go back to Korea?
Anyway, it was good to see Anakin eating well. Anakin was honestly a bit skinny. If you touch him, his muscles are harder than stones clustered together, but skinny is still skinny.
Frankly, he was a bit slender for my tastes, but that’s what I say to a lover. Anakin is not a lover, but my escort, and to use him for his original purpose, it is necessary to build up his stamina by feeding him well. (T/N: for my tastes hmmm….someone pls purify my dirty mind)
As I ate my share of vanilla ice cream, I ordered extra food and pushed it in front of Anakin.
Eat a lot…… Anakin saw my insidious smile and became a little squeamish. Did I look like the witch from Hansel and Gretel? I turned my eyes out of the window when I became sensitive. Ha The scenery is nice Hmmm
On the third day, I slowly started dressing up alone, according to my plan to escape the train. I wore a hat with a mesh on my head, let my hair down, and put on a burning, fiery dress.
This dress was a bustier cut and boldly open at the front of the skirt. Red lipstick as bright as the dress, enough blusher on both cheeks to look like a drunk person.
Finally, I drew dots with an ink pen under my mouth, and eyes. I didn’t even care. I added a little bit more. The more noticeable the better.
After dressing up, Anakin was called. Coming into the room at my command, Anakin even rubbed his eyes hard to believe the sight in front of him.
“Look and tell me I looked like I lived in the back alley Did I imitate them well?”
Well, that was surprising. I’m a typical courtesan of this era now. Anakin saw me like that and asked me.
“It’s hard to understand from my short insight. Do you have to do this?”
“This is why people will fall for it. Have you ever imagined that Lady Misérian would pose as a courtesan?”
You have to convince others that this isn’t Eris at all. In that sense, covering the face or wearing shabby clothes looked suspicious enough.
I was too big to dress up as a boy, and I wasn’t good enough to dress up as an old woman, so I had no other choice. I put my index finger in front of my lips, signaling him to stop speaking.
“Does it matter what I look like or how I talk? I’m your master, Eris Misérian doesn’t change. Let them be deceived, misunderstood, deluded. People only see and believe what they want anyway.”
I asked Anakin closely. Look at me.
“Who am I in front of you?”
Anakin immediately knelt down.
“The person who gave me my name, my sword and my life, Eris Misérian.”
“Yes…. Now rise. Let’s move–the prey will be trapped and waiting for me.”
I told you, I meant to screw three people at the same time with this plan. The marquis, the imperial family, and High Priest Hubris.
Hubris was staying in the first compartment, which was the second-class compartment. That meant I had to cross a distance of almost eight spaces.
And I’m sure the guy the marquis planted to keep an eye on me is also there. Unlike Bonitao, we still had a few more hours to go to reach Randol, so he probably felt it’s safe.
I’m going to pretend I’m the whore who followed Hubris and put my arms on him to get pushed away. It was a plan that I came up with after hearing that it was unexpectedly common for the priests here to play with women.
Fortunately, after lunch time, the restaurant and bar adjacent to my room were empty. Thanks to this, was able to safely enter the first-class cabin.
This was actually great luck. The special class I originally used was a private room, so if I came out of there wearing this outfit, no matter how much disguised myself, I would have raised their suspicions
But if I’m found coming out of this compartment, it was easy to mistake that I would have come with a first-class ‘guest’.
Anakin was now following me on the roof. No matter how hard his impression was, I was wearing a disguise and he thought we would stand out if we crossed the hall together, so he said he can walk on the roof.
I knew it was dangerous, but is it okay because the train is slow? I couldn’t dissuade him from going up to the roof even though he said it was okay.