“Uh, um, y-yes…….”
In a slightly dazed voice, Beatrice patted around her eyes.
It was to check whether her glasses had fallen off due to the explosion.
Fortunately, the glasses were sitting securely on the bridge of her nose.
Clearing her throat lightly, Beatrice subtly pushed against his chest.
“Um, thank you for helping me.”
“…Sure.”
…What the. Why is this guy speaking informally? And what is with that subtle hesitation, too?
‘Ah, no way, right?’
She had admitted to herself that it felt like playing peek-a-boo, but that didn’t mean she expected Clyde to see right through everything.
‘It was supposed to stay at the level of, Ah, so that person isn’t an ordinary maid after all. She has a hidden identity. Just that much.’
That was only natural, as Beatrice had never done anything to reveal herself in front of Clyde.
‘I mean, sure, I snuck out to investigate and acted un-maidlike. But jumping from that to concluding she’s me is too huge a leap.’
While Beatrice stole glances at Clyde, who was brushing glass shards and dust from his clothes, with an uneasy gaze…
“You smashed it quite refreshingly!”
The Marquis, who had watched the entire scene unfold without blinking once, clicked his tongue lightly.
Glaring at the large window, which had been pulverized beyond all recognition, he finally nodded his chin toward the guard standing by his side.
“Gallotin, go tell the kids to collect the dolls.”
“But Lord Bernard. Shouldn’t we go through a verification process at least once…”
“Enough.”
Cutting him off as if there was no need to hear another word, the Marquis waved his hand.
“My house is looking like it’s going to blow up like fireworks, so where do we have the leisure to go through such meaningless procedures again? Besides, if a fellow my age cannot even realize whether a thumb-sized youngster is speaking the truth, I ought to go out and die. Isn’t that right, Your Highness the Archduke?”
“Lord Bernard!”
“Ah, it’s quite all right. Though the wording was rough, I also agree with the Marquis. Excessive suspicion is hardly desirable.”
“See there! Don’t make a racket and just get your damn heavy asses moving!”
With those parting words, the Marquis chased the guard out as if it were a chore. Then, leaping up from his seat, he strode forward with broad steps.
The Marquis’s destination was Beatrice.
Beatrice’s eyes grew round as the Marquis drew close in an instant.
Not only had she not expected the Marquis to approach so suddenly, but seeing him up close, he was far more colossal than she had imagined.
‘Whoa, he’s like a mountain.’
It was right at the moment Beatrice admired his physical frame inwardly with pure wonder.
A hand the size of a frying pan mercilessly pounded Beatrice’s shoulder, brimful of friendliness.
“Ouch!”
“Did you say Ria Kruger? You’re the very first person to shatter my windows with nothing but a brief ‘pardon me’! A runt no bigger than an unripe carrot, yet with guts like iron! I like you.”
“Thank—urgh—thank you?”
“Yes, yes. Feel free to be as thankful as you like! At any rate, since I sent people just as you said, tell me now. What are we supposed to do after collecting them?”
At the Marquis’s sudden question, Beatrice blinked for a moment, then scratched her chin with a finger.
“Uh, well, it’s a bit difficult to explain everything right here….”
“Mhm! Right! Well, what need is there for me to hear it all? Tell the details to my son! He takes after me, so he’s very handsome, polite, and dashing. Looking at you now, I reckon you two might make a fine match! I’ll even overlook it if you fall for him at first sight!”
“Ah, yes.”
“Kwahahaha! Good! Let us head out for now. I shall introduce you to the place where you will stay.”
“A place to stay…?”
At Beatrice’s blank repetition, the Marquis scanned her up and down as if asking what kind of foolish thing she was spouting.
“Why, did you think the dolls that took an age to install would vanish overnight just like that?”
“Ah, that’s not it, but……”
“Indeed! If you saw the robust soldiers of our Marquisate, it is understandable you might think so! Commendably, you have an eye for things.”
Roughing up Beatrice’s hair as if satisfied, the Marquis burst into a hearty laugh.
It was an attitude so friendly that one couldn’t think of him as the person who had been terrifyingly cornering her until a moment ago.
Flustered by the sudden collapse of distance, Beatrice reflexively looked at Clyde.
It was her own silent SOS for him to do something, but Clyde merely nodded nonchalantly and gave her a thumbs-up.
‘That b*stard?’
If that was his reaction as the leader of the escort party, it was appalling; and if, by some one-in-a-million chance, he had realized who she was…….
‘Then I’ll be adding the word ‘despicable’ to his name.’
Fortunately, there was no occasion for Beatrice to be dragged along by the Marquis to personally tour the Marquis’s House.
Because before the Marquis shifted his steps from the meeting hall, Clyde naturally called out to halt him.
“Marquis, while I am delighted that the misunderstanding regarding Lady Kruger has been cleared, could you spare a moment of your time?”
“Mmh? Is it an important matter?”
“Yes. Thanks to Lady Kruger, a catastrophe befalling the Marquisate has been averted, but the root cause still remains.”
“That is…. true enough.”
“Even so, thanks to the perseverance with which you have fought until now, Marquis, and thanks to Lady Kruger, we have a clue.”
“If it’s those bastards we’ve been sick and tired of fighting, don’t tell me….”
“Yes. Monsters. If the miasma has grown intense enough to cause Orharcon to detonate, it seems we must now target the Dark Mountain Range itself.”
Clyde smoothly and leisurely conveyed his thoughts to the Marquis.
The main point was that while dispatching troops to the Dark Mountain Range to grasp the reason behind the abnormally increased attacks, they should build a line of defense between the Marquisate and the Dark Mountain Range, gradually widening the distance from the Marquisate.
And in the meantime, together with healers and experts versed in miasma, treat patients and extensively document all information regarding the disease of unknown cause.
“The Downer Marquisate is protecting the Empire from both the Dark Mountain Range and neighboring countries with limited troops. I have no words to express other than respect for the resolve that led you to choose even a blockade. However…”
“You mean this matter has grown too large for our hands alone! No need to butter me up. The night the Archduke extended a helping hand, I even said a prayer of thanks to God! I have only one question to ask.”
Looking at Clyde with eyes gleaming like a wild beast’s, the Marquis continued in a low voice.
“Is His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince truly prepared to come to a place where safety is in no way guaranteed?”
“Naturally. His Highness has already completed all preparations.”
Clyde, having answered the Marquis with serious eyes, added with a gentle smile as if to soften the atmosphere.
“Furthermore, is not Archduke Alec, His Highness’s dependable family, present right here? Surely Your Imperial Highness will lend a hand as well. Is that not so, Your Highness?”
This was a trap from which there was no escape.
Beatrice naturally shifted her gaze to look at Archduke Alec.
Archduke Alec chuckled softly as if pleased by Clyde’s wit, before ultimately nodding with jovial composure.
“Of course. If there is anything I can do to help, I shall gladly lend my strength.”
Gold and blue.
Two pairs of eyes of contrasting colors looked upon each other, gleaming with tender amiability.
Adding handsome to handsome ought to make it shine twice as brightly, but…….
‘Ugh, why am I getting such goosebumps?’
Brushing away the goosebumps rising on her arms, Beatrice shook her head.
As expected, things like this were far from her area of expertise.
* * *
The matters after that were organized quickly.
For once the decision was made to accept Clyde’s proposal, all that remained was preparing to receive reinforcements and coordinating the finer details.
“Right! Let us all disperse then! People worked hard getting all the way here, so they deserve time to rest.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Right, the guest rooms have been prepared, so I’ll see you later.”
With the Marquis’s words, the gathering began to disperse.
Beatrice took the opportunity to turn around quietly as well.
Her intention was to follow the maid alongside Aide Sharon and not budge an inch from her room for the time being.
She meant to stall for time until Crown Prince Crowell and her reliable ally, Head Maid Nao, arrived, but….
“Lady Ria Kruger?”
“Urgh… Yes?”
“Could you spare a moment? It seems we have quite a bit to talk about.”
As expected.
There was no way things would be resolved that easily.
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