Just as I was thinking that. There was a commotion in the palace.
“Didn’t you see the woman in the blue dress?”
‘Hmph, I’d been spotted.’
That was weird. Surely nothing I had planned would be discovered now.
Duke Fay had just finished testing the herbs in the examination hall.
The test would be brief, as the Duke was convinced that if the fragrance was off, the medicinal properties would be lost.
It was thought that a brief test would not capture the essence of the ‘healing weed’.
When it came to the actual inspection, Barton couldn’t tell the difference between herbs and weeds.
Before Morgana could figure out why, she realized that it was a no-go.
Unfortunately, the garden was an open space, so there weren’t many places to hide.
‘I should have planned for more time.’
I thought I had built up my stamina by running back and forth between the cabin and the south building at Fay House, but I was wrong.
No matter how spacious the ducal residence was, it was nothing compared to the royal palace.
Sprinting through the gardens would quickly exhaust her.
Huffing and puffing, she bent down to her waist and crawled toward the wall where the carriage was waiting.
Behind her, someone shouted.
“Doesn’t that woman look like the one who came with Duke Fay earlier?”
“I think so, my lady, wait…”
Such good eyesight. A little late for this sort of thing.
Morgana jumped back to a sprint.
They say a person’s superhuman abilities come out in times of crisis, and this felt like that to Morgana.
She couldn’t feel her legs anymore.
‘Why was this dress so heavy, and why was the damn gold thread and diamond lace or whatever it was so cumbersome?’
Morgana’s legs felt like they were going to give out.
But just before she fell. Someone wrapped an arm around Morgana’s waist.
In an instant, large arms dragged her into the bushes.
Sprawled, face down, Morgana’s eyes glazed over.
‘Is this kidnapping? Guards? Duke Fay?’
A million thoughts raced through her mind, but she didn’t have the strength to scream.
Then a low, small voice whispered in her ear.
“Shhh. It’s me, my lady.”
A voice he recognized. Somewhere in her hazy memory, she recognized a face with a slight smirk.
“Ah, not your cup of…”
Before Morgana could speak. Several footsteps were heard.
There was a chaotic, confused commotion and shouting.
Soon, a voice she remembered vividly called out.
“Split up. Blue dress, silver hair. She has purple eyes. You’ll recognize her when you see her!”
“Yes!”
Apparently, the fake herbs had been discovered sooner than expected.
Afterward, the Duke immediately released them, and a few people were looking for her.
‘How did he know? There’s no one else who could have known.’
But today was the succession ceremony.
The castle grounds are spacious, and there are enough nobles to fill the palace.
Many of them are wearing blue dresses.
He shielded Morgana with his body as her eyes darted around, trying to figure out where to hide.
“Lady, please excuse me.”
Unfolding his robe, he lightly wrapped it around Morgana’s back.
His arms were wider than expected, covering her entire body.
When Morgana lifted her head from his embrace, startled, his gaze flickered to the surrounding movements.
“From the way you’re breathing, you look like you need help.”
He wasn’t wrong, but I was in too much distress to see.
Morgana nodded vaguely, ears pricked up for any sign of movement out there.
And then a moment. After a while, the footsteps that had been prowling around slowly faded away.
In the meantime, Morgana’s ragged breathing slowly ceased.
Finally, I could see his face.
He was dressed in full regalia, his black hair slicked back neatly and his golden eyes clear even in the moonlit night.
As our eyes locked, he smiled faintly and asked, “Where are you going? The banquet hall is the other way.
“Oh, the way, I was lost!”
Morgana blurted out shamelessly.
If he was in the palace, he must have come to attend the succession ceremony.
Confucius tilted his head and leaned even closer to Morgana.
Morgana gulped in and out of breath as the distance closed.
Her breathing was ragged from running, and she thought she might be misunderstood.
Sure enough, the man pinched it first.
“I see you’re here for the succession ceremony.”
“No? No, I was just on my way back from escorting him, the lady!”
He knew what her setting was when he came to Fay.
For starters, living in a cabin near the mountain behind the annex, with no parents.
Morgana quickly recalled her conversation with him.
At least it wasn’t the feeling of noble family favoritism.
If he was attending the succession ceremony, he would most likely meet others.
Perhaps if he came to the Duke of Fay’s house, he’d be familiar enough to mention her.
Morgana gritted her teeth and turned to crawl out of his arms.
He stared at her in disbelief. When she scrambled to her feet, he held out his hand.
When she took it and stood up, he seemed to keep reaching for her shoulder for some reason.
Was it an illusion?
Morgana was too busy keeping an eye on the surroundings to steal a peek at his clothes.
But the man was persistent.
“Lady, how would you like to see my attire for tonight’s banquet?”
“Um. Yes. Very nice.”
She replied dryly, and when she was sure no one was watching, she grabbed his arm.
“Now, Confucius, my lord, listen carefully. I’m about to head on my way, but I have a favor to ask.”
“Tell me.”
“Wherever you go, you can’t tell anyone you’ve seen me.”
Morgana squeezed her eyes shut and held her index finger upright to the corner of her lips.
His golden eyes squinted for a moment, watching the extent of her actions.
“That’s too impressive for me to forget what I have just seen.”
Aww. Well, nothing in this world was free.
Morgana grunted and lifted her dress.
Suddenly, as she lifted the dress, he quickly grabbed her hand.
“Lady. I’m sorry, but this is not the way.”
“What way? Oh, please, let go of me, why are you being so clingy?”
Morgana threw up his hands and pulled out the small sack she kept strapped to her thigh.
From it, she pulled out a vial of herbs she kept for emergencies.
Morgana shoved it into his hand.
“This will dry out in Avalon in about a month.”
For some reason, the man’s gaze was elsewhere during the explanation.
She wasn’t sure where, but at least he didn’t seem to be looking at her.
The man took a deep breath, then paused, smiled, and said, “Lady.”
“I don’t have much time, so take it.”
Morgana said, seizing his hand and yanking it away.
“Just have your maid take care of it as tea when your head hurts and when you’re tired, and you’re not sure if you have a cold or not.”
Morgana squeezed his hand again, scanning the area frantically for other guards.
‘Well, if he’s coming to a succession ceremony, he’s sure to have a maid to make him tea.’
If she had more time, she would have added a few more threats to keep him quiet, but Morgana decided to leave it at that.
She tapped him on the shoulder with her hand and replied with a grunt.
“So we’re accomplices now, Confucius and me, if you will.”
Morgana jabbed a thumb at her own throat.
That should have been enough explanation.
Morgana didn’t bother to thank him, just picked up her dress and ran.
Thankfully, the carriage waited for her without swindling her out of payment.
After checking her luggage carefully, she headed straight for Britain.
🍃
Kellive stared at the small vial in his hand.
The gardens of the Royal Palace of Avalon were famous for their colorful flowers.
It was also famously fragrant, with many people claiming that they could smell the scent of flowers as they walked through the gardens.
But the bitterness that lingered on the tip of his nose was different from those sweet scents.
He lifted the jar and held it up to the moonlight.
The herbs inside shimmered and shook in the glass.
“Morgana Le Fay…”
The illegitimate child of the Duke of Fay.
Reliable Gawain grumbled, apparently having done his research.
The bastard has power.
A more favorable condition to bring to the palace than to leave in the Duke of Fay’s household.
The corners of his mouth twitched slowly.
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