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Chapter 3: I found a suspicious person
A group from the Evurāru margrave, arrived in a small town five hours after leaving the church school.
The accommodation that we had arranged was also small, the building was remodeled as a private house where it’s only advantage is it’s brick construction. The room set for the noble male, Allan, is so narrow that you can put your hands on the wall as soon as you take two steps.
The meal is just simple cooked processed meat with bread and vegetable soup.
Still it seems that there is no problem from the boy of the margrave family, coming from a family of knights, there is a lot of fortitude.
Allan is accustomed to rough food and camping training assuming a battlefield from a young age, so he will not complain. The companions never asked Allan whether he should change meals as a matter of course.
After the meal, Allan was walking outside the inn with an attendant of similar age to him.
Having met again after a long absence, there were many things that they wanted to talk about.
With the attendant alone, the two go forward while talking with each other.
But it would have been strange if there were people listening to the contents of their conversation.
「To be honest, it was stifling to ride in the horse-drawn carriage」
「Same for me too. Even if my legs get a little painful, I would have felt better on a running horse」
「In other words, you can get on anything other than a carriage」
「You should have got up behind Wentworth」
「You’re kidding. I am fifteen and it is not possible for two men to ride together」
「Isn’t it just because there were not enough horses?」
Allan has a disgusting look, and the boy next to him is laughing with a “kukuku”. It is almost like an equal relationship.
The two people were walking while joking lightly for a while, but near the stable where the carriage was parked, the attendant of the boy stopped.
「……What’s wrong Reji?」
「Allan, try to listen carefully」
The attendant called Reji urged him and closed his blue eyes, and Allan also closes his mouth and concentrates on his ear. Eventually Allan’s ears also picked up what Reji had heard.
「… sausage …… cream … I can not eat any more」
A faint voice.
The source is from the carriages next to the stable. Currently the only carriages stopped here are Allan’s.
Allan makes a stiff face.
The voice that can be heard is a girl, but he cannot let his guard down. For a human being to sneak into a horse-drawn carriage of a margrave family. It may be for assassination purposes or thieves.
「Sleeping and sleep talking? If its thieves or assassins, we must capture them before it’s too late」
Unlike Allan who called for some guards, Reji had a puzzled expression.
「But, would a person trying to assassinate or steal things fall asleep while riding a horse-drawn carriage? Even if there are guards they are currently at the inn, and they can just wait till the guards go to sleep.」
「Reji sure is easygoing」
Allan who was amazed, but agreed with Reji’s questioning on the person’s behavior.
Allan orders the guards approaching from behind.
「Somebody seems to be inside the carriage」
「I will investigate immediately, please stay away」
A high-ranked knight without changing his expression beckons the other knights that were hiding behind and orders them to stay beside Allan, and then goes into the carriage.
When checking the source of the voice, it seems that the person lurking about was not on the carriage Allan had got on, but was inside the hooded carriage loaded with luggage.
The knight who got into the carriage wonders whether he can get further inside due to his size, and starts moving the boxes.
「Wait Wentworth」
Reji who was watching suddenly rushed over to the knight.
「Oi Rejiー!」
Trying to avoid calling out loudly, Allan who tried to keep his voice down, but in the meantime Reji got into the loading platform from the front of the carriage.
The knight Wentworth who was in the rear also came hurriedly to try and stop him, but it was already too late. While being stunned, all the members let out a sigh of relief, when Reji appeared again at the front side of the hood.
「Oi Rejiー Do not be selfish. Think about your position stupid」
「It’s okay. … see」
Reji who had exited out of the hood said so while holding a girl, with brown hair and wearing a familiar black uniform. She looks a little younger than me.
「She was sleeping inside」
Reji grinned and said with a smile.
「Although her identity is unclear, she is wearing the same school uniform as Allan?」
As if Reji was saying that there was no particular danger, Allan still stays wary with a dull face.
「It is possible the school uniform she is wearing was “borrowed” from someone for all we know. …….Ma~a, I guess she certainly does not look like a commoner woman though. However, to still be able to sleep soundly even while being held; what kind of mental nerve……」
「Even when I raised her out of the box, she did not wake up at all」
It was abnormal.
Normally, even if you are asleep when you are lifted, you would wake up if you are not a child.
「Reji-sama, please leave that girl’s side. It is necessary to investigate her」
Knight Wentworth says, Reji holds out the girl in his arms.
Wentworth takes the girl into his arms and returns to the inn. Allan and everyone else also followed.
When they entered a room of the inn, they lied the girl down on the bed.
Still she did not wake up, under the light of the room it became even more obvious that she was a noble girl.
Even if it is a bit disarrayed, you could tell the the brown tea-colored hair with a gentle hue was combed and cared for everyday. White skin that was not exposed too much to the sunlight. Flawless hands and fingers without a trace of water wear. The removed boots were also not borrowed from anyone. It fits perfectly with her legs, so it was most likely specifically tailored for her.
As is expected, Wentworth seemed to think that the possibility that a noble daughter accidentally crawled into the carriage by chance became high too.
「If you really are a person from noble backgrounds, then please allow an apology from Allan-sama」
While saying that, checked the pocket of the clothes.
In the pocket was a soft cotton handkerchief. And a purse. The purse’s contents are also there, and the doubt of being a commoner goes further and farther.
And a white letter paper was found from the hiding of the jacket.
「Letter?」
「So it is most likely she is a student from the school. Take a look」
Wentworth gives Allan the letter. Receiving it, the letter had short contents, and I read it with Reji who looked beside me.
The sender is Earl Patorishiel The girl seems to be his daughter.
In that case, the content is rather violent, it is like giving an order to servants, and the marriage partner is decided. She was to quit school and her studies because of an “urgent” marriage and was to be picked up.
「And furthermore, it is Viscount Credias……」
「I am indeed sorry」
Allan also knew the rumors, not caring about the vast different in age and having multiple mistresses in the house for lustful purposes. Moreover, the girl she is even younger than Allan. Given the situation, it can be said to be miserable.
So according to this letter, this girl is named Kiara, is she refusing to get married and running away?
Even so, she did not wake up yet.
Even after checking the clothes, it is so surprising that I could jump in wonder. Beside Allan who is titling his head in question, Reji smiled as if noticing something.
「Ah, this is the cause, Alan」
「What is? 」
「Letter. Sleeping medicine is painted on the stationery」
「Wha-!?」
Allan almost dropped the letter unintentionally. Using his index finger and middle finger, Reji lightly pinched up the letter.
「Because it smells, I suppose it is inhaled while reading the contents, so that the effect will come out. As time goes on, the effect will likely diminish, but at the moment when it comes out from the envelope it will not diffuse yet and I think that this child inhaled a considerable 」
Then Reji overlooks the girl named Kiara with a serious expression.
「The Earl was trying to put her to sleep to prevent her from escaping and then take her」
「……To his own daughter, isn’t that horrible?」
Allan also felt his own expression turning sour.
What kind of unreasonable act is it to use a sleeping drug to force a political marriage?
Even Wentworth, who was usually expressionless, was also looking at her with sorry eyes.
「Hating and despairing over the situation, and then when she wakes up……even then, to be not able to escape from the marriage」
Reji further speculates the events that should have happened to her.
「Anyways, it seems that it is not an assassin aimed at us」