#Chapter 24. Ariel’s Rage

The coachman’s whipping was harsh.

The flag of House Zenova hanging on top of the carriage fluttered roughly, and the horses’ hoofbeats rang out loudly.

People passing by on the roadside opened their eyes wide and stared, but the coachman didn’t care about such things.

How quickly they arrived could determine the lady’s life or death.

Ariel sat without any movement inside the carriage that rattled unusually, stared endlessly out the window and gripped her dress hem tightly.

Her face, filled with anger, was locked in thought.

Because of the trading ships, countless nobles had come to the ducal residence to discuss with Damian.

There were imperialists among them, but there were also nobles from the aristocratic faction. Even if they were politically hostile to Damian, business was another story.

If there was someone who bribed the tutor, someone might have visited the mansion. Then where was the starting point that commanded the tutor?

……But Ariel’s thoughts kept focusing on one person.

Bruno had come home most recently regarding the Eastern Continent envoy matter.

She couldn’t be certain, but knowing Bruno’s dark intentions, she had no choice but to suspect him.

Of course, she wanted to believe it wasn’t to that extent. They were still Zenovas under the same family name. No matter how much he coveted the ducal title! This was……!

Ariel clenched her molars tightly and wrinkled her face while scrunching her nose.

“Madam, we’ve arrived!”

As soon as the maid urgently opened the carriage door, Ariel began climbing the hill.

Ariel had never lost her duchess-like gait no matter how urgent the matter, but was different this time.

Ariel’s eyes moved vigorously as she slightly lifted her dress hem to walk easier.

“Phy, physician!”

The maid climbed the hill first, flinched and shouted. The physician started a bit late because he was carrying his bag and began climbing the hill urgently at the maid’s cry.

“Teacher Daniel has collapsed here!!”

“This area! The lady disappeared in this area. Find her quickly!”

While the servants scattered in all directions, Ariel somehow slowly approached Daniel.

Ariel arrived on the hill before the physician and looked down at Daniel.

“Du, Duchess, I’m sorry…… The lady……”

Daniel raised his upper body while offering words of apology. However, as soon as he met Ariel’s eyes, Daniel’s head quickly bowed.

It was a face that made it hard to dare utter a word. Daniel realized that if he made the slightest mistake, he would die here.

“Oh my. The wound is severe……”

The physician who arrived on the hill was startled upon seeing Daniel’s condition without looking at Ariel’s face. The physician quickly opened his bag.

Only the rattling sound echoed on the hill, and even when the physician’s noise stopped, silence descended.

The moment the physician approached Daniel and opened his mouth, his touch stopped.

“First……”

It was because he realized something was strange about the madam.

Normally, she would be surprised seeing Daniel’s wound, but somehow the madam’s reaction was unusual.

Moreover, neither Daniel nor the madam opened their mouths to say a word.

The physician who slowly turned his head back quickly withdrew his body. He also quickly hid the medicine he was bringing out behind him.

The madam…… was angry.

“Daniel.”

When Daniel swallowed his saliva and answered quietly at Ariel’s voice, Ariel approached him further.

Bending her knees, she made eye level with Damian.

“Why would…… my daughter’s scarf be on your shoulder?”

Ariel’s trembling hands and eyes fixed on one spot.

One fact that no one who arrived there realized.

Something even Lucy hadn’t thought of in the changed situation. That was…… Lucy’s scarf.

Lucy’s scarf was tied around Daniel’s shoulder.

As soon as she saw that small scarf stained with blood, Ariel clenched both fists and trembled on the spot.

If Lucy had really been kidnapped suddenly, there wouldn’t have been time to tie that scarf.

“Ah……”

Daniel flinched his shoulders at those words, tilted his head to the side and looked at his own shoulder.

Daniel was panting with tension and couldn’t continue his answer.

Fear could be felt in Daniel’s gaze that slowly rose. He met Ariel’s gaze with a trembling face, but that only served to provoke Ariel’s anger.

Not being able to give a proper answer was itself like telling Ariel the answer.

Smack—!

Ariel slapped Daniel’s cheek with her hand and asked quietly.

“Our daughter, our…… daughter, was she…… really kidnapped?”

Tears fell from Ariel’s eyes.

“Th, th, that……”

Daniel recalled his promise with Lucy, but he couldn’t keep that promise in front of Ariel’s anger.

If he didn’t tell the truth, he would surely die on this spot.

The green pupils dilated with anger looked down at Daniel as if to devour him.

*

Charles had just arrived behind the cathedral and slowly approached while being wary of his surroundings.

Then one black figure quietly revealed itself from the bushes.

He was wearing a hood so it couldn’t be determined exactly, but seeing Lucy trembling in Charles’s arms, he nodded slightly.

“Success. …… Hand her over.”

The hooded figure told him to hand over Lucy, but Charles stood still.

This was certainly the place the tutor had told them about. If they had planned to betray the tutor from the beginning, the meeting place couldn’t be the same.

Charles’s eyes inside the helmet narrowed.

Although he didn’t immediately follow the figure’s command, they made no move.

Sensing something unusual, Charles prepared himself, ready to draw his sword from his waist at any moment.

The opponent was certainly not an ordinary person either.

A knight, mercenary, or assassin.

“……”

Even though he read Charles’s vigilant stance, the hood still stood quietly without saying anything.

“……Who are you?”

Charles held the lady tightly in his arms and instantly drew his sword from his waist.

He had an uneasy feeling.

He sensed this was definitely not a normal situation and tensely scanned the surroundings with his eyes.

……Just one guy?

The moment Charles thought that, he could sense the guy chuckling despite the hood.

As the guy silently raised his hand, more than ten men emerged from the bushes, surrounding Charles and Lucy.

Even if he got stabbed by a sword, he had to fight while protecting the lady, but ten people……

—Clang!

Several guys rushed at him. Charles quickly enclosed the lady in his arms and blocked several swords.

Even if he had to step back, he had to protect the lady.

—Clang! —Clang!

“……Ugh.”

When a blade grazed his side, Charles’s strength unconsciously weakened and he let out a groan.

“……My lady!”

Suddenly the lady squirmed and moved in his hands, then jumped out of Charles’s arms.

When Charles shouted and grabbed Lucy’s wrist, she smiled at him and moved her head left and right.

“I thought it was strange. If you were going to kill me, it would be better to use the traitorous knight to aim by surprise. No matter how stupid, you wouldn’t waste that opportunity……”

Lucy took a step toward the guys and smiled at them.

“So my life isn’t the target. But that’s not the only strange thing.”

Lucy tilted her head and stared intently at the guy who came out first.

“The meeting place should have changed, if the purpose was to eliminate the tutor from the beginning. Then was all this a trap to call out my father? Hmm……”

While saying that, Lucy began pointing at the hooded guys one by one with her finger.

“For that, the number of people is…… ambiguous. By the time Father comes, even the guard will come. Moreover, assassinating Father with the big play of a kidnapping? That’s too stupid a method.”

Lucy moved her finger tap— tap— and spun around in place.

Whether the enemy was also confused or not, they stopped attacking and watched Lucy closely.

As her dress hem fluttered down, Lucy had been smiling throughout but hardened her expression.

“You…… wanted the ducal residence to be empty.”

*

Ariel heard the whole story of all events starting from Lizzy’s story to Daniel and closed her eyes.

The tears flowing down represented her feelings.

“……Send people to that place behind the cathedral immediately.”

At Ariel’s words, the maid nodded and began conveying that story.

So according to Daniel’s words, Bruno had orchestrated this, there was someone behind it, and somehow Lucy knew all of it…… that…… was the story.

The reason Lucy deliberately chose the tutor, and why it was Daniel……

“Ah……”

Unable to hold back the flowing tears, Ariel buried her face in her palms.

Surely it was a well-intentioned lie……

That, surely…..

After choosing the tutor, you deliberately asked, didn’t you, my child.

“……Madam! Madam!!”

Ariel collapsed sideways like that and fell while shedding tears.

“This won’t do! Madam!”

“……Madam!!”

The servants and physician nearby called to Ariel, but even in the moment of losing consciousness, Ariel was tormented by how stupid and pathetic she was.

Because I couldn’t read the meaning of what the child was saying……

I surely could have stopped it before it happened…… That, I……

Only the moment when her daughter sat on her lap and hugged her passed through her memory.

My child smiled brightly and hugged me.

This mother is lacking…… I’m sorry.

“The madam has collapsed!”

“Quickly move the madam!!”