Slam, thud, thud, thud.
I was being rocked. In a carriage, of course.
Soon after that, I was put on a carriage, and was being escorted by a polite escort.
I thought, “How over-the-top,” but they had already prepared a carriage and an escort, just in case. How well prepared.
And now, here I am, rocked by the vibrations of the carriage, writhing in shame and holding my head in my hands.
Eh? What is it that makes me writhe in shame so much?
No, no, no, I was exposed to Douglas-sama earlier, wasn’t I? In front of Ryniel-sama, Noah-sama, and the knights and maids of 2nd Unit, I buried my face in Meari’s stomach and cried, and of course I told them about it!!!!! What’s more, I also calmly affirmed that she was full!? Noooooo, my image of a calm and collected first lady-in-waiting is crumbling with a loud noise, aaaaghhhhh!!!
No, wait a second. I mean, he just told me to『go get healed,』but they didn’t even know I was crying, did they? What kind of situation is it to be healed by her belly? What do they imagine when they hear that, right!? …Ah, no good. No matter how positive I think about it, it’s impossible, this. Definitely ruined my image… Uwah, I’m dreading going to work tomorrow…
「……Douglas-sama is an idiot…」
I couldn’t help but swear at Douglas-sama in the carriage. He couldn’t hear me outside anyway. The curtains of the small windows were politely closed, just in case. If I could, I would not only swear, but I would stomp my foot as hard as I could. I would like to be forgiven at least for swearing.
Besides, you know.
「I guess he thought he was cool and he wasn’t…」
Talking to myself.
I really didn’t know when I was being told to go home. It was only when I was alone like this that I realized I was not calm.
If it was only Douglas-sama and Ryniel-sama, but even Noah-sama was saying the same thing, it must have been something visibly wrong with me.
Really, I can’t bear to wonder even now that I’ve cooled off why I was so upset. It was only because I witnessed Raul’s rare display of sincerity. Maybe it was that. Maybe it was just too rare and I stuttered too much. That’s right, that’s right. It must be.
Ah, no, I can’t take that anymore. He’s really swinging me around, right, that man. He had caused me unnecessary trouble. I can’t believe I’m upset over something like that.
「Besides that, Darryl Brace…」
I knew he hated me.
He was ready to retaliate for the harassment on behalf of the Princess and Raul. Even if it was in retaliation for a harassment that never happened, it was debunked by me to pieces of wood, and it was a disgrace not only to Raul but also to the face of the Princess. And since I had destroyed his future as a knight, it’s not difficult to imagine that Brace’s resentment toward me was considerable, even if it was only a grudge.
But I had no idea that he would go so far as to rob my room. That alone is a crime, but my room is in the Queen’s Palace. Even though he’s still young in years, I had no idea that he was so low-brow that he couldn’t see what this action would lead to. However, he never admits any blame for what he has done, and he’s always saying that I’m the cause of the problem, and he has no awareness of what he has done. Even that earring, even a child can understand that no one would believe it if Brace alone called out that he found it in my room.
Even I, the victim, think that if they want to trick me, they should be smarter than this. I wouldn’t break in and cause a ruckus myself, as Brace did, but would sneak in, place the earrings, and have someone unrelated to me find them and raise suspicions with or without me. Wouldn’t it be the height of stupidity to leave a trace of yourself?
Besides, Brace said it was part of the Princess’s stolen jewelry, but Raul said there was no item on the stolen list that corresponded. But he seems to recognize it. It doesn’t make sense. After all, is it correct to say that the earrings belonged to the Princess, but they are not lost?
If so, where did Brace get those earrings from?
Ah, come to think of it, it occurred to me that Raul’s behavior had changed since then. But I put it out of my mind, saying it didn’t matter.
「Or from whom, right?」
I thought that the『person of status』was behind Brace and Countess Bauer and that he thought I was in his way. The most suspicious person is the Princess. However, it’s hard to imagine her acting in such an overtly suspicious manner. The Princess is certainly a woman with a flower garden in her brain like Raul, but she’s not an idiot. A fool cannot serve as the Princess if she’s not capable.
To be honest, I have many enemies. But I have surprisingly little to gain by letting the『enemy』I can think of get the better of me.
What I do have is my position as the Queen’s first lady-in-waiting and the nanny to the future king, who is expected to visit in the near future.
I’m sure that’s attractive enough, but I’m not so sure that eliminating me will change anything. The next head is Marie, and my position as nanny is absolutely contingent on me having a child. My plan is to get married and have children, but there are too many uncertainties now that I don’t have a partner. It’s not absolutely necessary that the first lady-in-waiting or nanny be me. Their Majesties are surrounded by people who are better qualified than I am. And I don’t think those people would want the position to the exclusion of me.
Another possibility is that they are trying to shake Myra-sama’s position by eliminating me.
If this is the intention behind this incident, I can only say that I am sorry.
If I were gone, Myra-sama would certainly mourn and regret my absence. But Queen Gran will not be swayed by anything. I have taught her that kind of mindset for many years, and it has been more than proven by the good relationships she has built with other countries that no one but Myra-sama can serve as Queen of the Gran Kingdom. It is an undeniable achievement that Myra-sama has achieved with her power, which was unthinkable until a few years ago. Above all, Myra-sama’s abilities as the Queen will not allow others to follow her lead.
「…The creepiest thing in the world, is when I can’t see the purpose…」
I am sure that the line of harassment against me personally is no longer possible. The situation has become too big.
The loss of jewelry from the palace of the Princess and the attack on me. The poor behavior of Brace and Countess Bauer. There must definitely be some hidden agenda.
Just as I was recalling the events in my mind, from the first to the last, my thoughts were interrupted by the sudden and loud shaking of the carriage.
「What?」
I peeked through the curtains of the small window and felt my blood boil, wondering how a carriage could sway so much on the well-maintained streets of the aristocratic district.
「…Oh no…」
The scenery I saw through the small window was not the familiar one I had seen at home. No matter how lost in thought I was, the scene of rustic houses was unmistakably that of a commoner’s town.
There must have been an escort, I thought, and that’s when I realized my blunder.
I had been provided with a carriage and escort just in case, and I was so well prepared that I got in with or without them, but that must’ve been a mistake.
Who, in that situation, would have provided a carriage and escort? Neither Douglas-sana, Ryniel-sama, nor Noah-sama left the scene. I didn’t see them giving such instructions.
No matter how out of the ordinary the situation was, how dumb was this brain of mine to fall for such a simple trap!?
I know it is useless to call out to them to stop. Even if I jumped down, I would be immediately caught by the kidnappers disguised as guards, and since we were running along a road with few people, it would be extremely difficult for me to ask for help.
I am trying to figure out what to do in my head, but alas, time is running out. With a clank, the carriage stopped.
The carriage door slowly opens with a squeak, a sound I normally don’t mind.
「Yo, nice to meet you, lady-in-waiting.」
A man with an eye patch and stubble appeared with a smiling face, carrying a sword.
「Now, shall I ask you to step down?」
The man said this in a voice that was mousy and tangled in my ears.
