I don't know if he understood what I told him to be obedient or not, but the chick rubbed his head and remained silent. Truly a smart chick.
I put my hand in my pocket, scratched the little chick's beak, then slowly left the palace. At this time, the guarding White Rose Cross Knights were still standing scattered and chatting.
Avoiding their gaze and getting to the back door of the Emerald Palace was easy. According to the scene I just saw during my daytime sleepwalking, there is a way out here, and it is real.
It was a door that servants often used to enter and exit, but because the garden of the Emerald Palace was abandoned and untended, it was obscured by vines.
I looked around once more, then without hesitation opened that door and left the palace.
Elda was originally a makeup maid at the Moonstone Palace. Of course, she didn't earn that position in the first place. It's all thanks to her constant efforts, sometimes having to bribe her superiors.
Compared to other odd jobs, makeup maids have a pretty good salary and the work is also lighter. Elda has a good appearance and is sharp, so she quickly stabilized her position.
Doing this makeup job, money naturally accumulates. For example, one of the ways is to collect insignificant gold and silver items that ladies have forgotten about and then sell them.
After all, noble people had countless assets, so she thought that letting her subordinates steal a little was like scooping a bucket of water from the ocean.
However, Elda is wiser than other servants her age. She knows that if she does such dangerous things, her long tail will inevitably be stepped on.
Therefore, she did not do dangerous things herself, but ordered the servants who were in a weaker position than her, turning them into accomplices.
However, the stubborn Delfina is the problem. Delfina is a new recruit to the Moonstone Palace, so of course she has a weaker position than Elda.
When Elda ordered them to steal things, Delfina did not dare to do so, refused her and even made a fuss as if she was about to tell her superiors, and even dared to advise otherwise. It's extremely annoying. Because of that, Delfina became Elda's sworn enemy.
If the branch is stiff, it will definitely break. Elda never forgave her and wanted to take her down.
At that moment, she was assigned to the new Prince Concubine's Emerald Palace, and has now attained the position of Head Maid. The prince concubine Irenea that she saw on her wedding day looked like a stupid, clueless woman.
At the right time, Elda intended to falsely accuse Delfina of disaster to get rid of her. The best crime is theft. Through that, she will teach Delfina a lesson. At the same time, she also intends to please the Prince's wife...
‘Do you still want to make a fuss? I don't want to see any more ridiculous scenes. Get out of here now, don't let me see you again.'
However, it turns out that this Prince Concubine is unnecessarily sharp, and someone who clearly understands power relationships. Thanks to that, she was almost accused of stealing along with that stupid girl Sara.
Fortunately, she was able to prove her innocence, but she was considered someone who had touched her superior's valuables, so it was difficult to find a job elsewhere. In the end, she lost her job at both the Emerald Palace and other palaces.
“It's all because of that woman.”
Elda gritted her teeth. She hates the Princess, that woman. Even though she looked beautiful, she was not much older than her, and she was crippled and her body was not healthy.
It is said that she was the illegitimate daughter of the Duke family, and used to wander the streets, begging for days.
“The nature is inferior, so there is inferiority.”
That's why her personality is so twisted. When Lady Aronzo gave the money and gave orders, she even felt happy.
For her, even without that money, she still wants revenge at any cost.
“Anyway, I can't work in the Royal Palace anymore.”
Reputation is important in the Royal Palace. Once her reputation is ruined, she can no longer work. Not only that, she was also hated by Countess Elda. She couldn't get a letter of recommendation to work elsewhere, and her life was cut short.
She clenched her fists. For several days now, she has been watching that woman from afar. With the intention of causing trouble whenever the opportunity arises.
However, something unexpected suddenly happened.
“Where did that woman go alone?”
The image of the Imperial Concubine sneaking out of the Emerald Palace like a mouse entered her sight.
I continued to limp. The illusion before my eyes seemed to become clearer as I got closer to the lake.
How strange. This scene is completely different from the nightmare I have every night. In that dream, the thing that made me feel most helpless was feeling the existence of the person who caused and orchestrated this incident, but couldn't find out what was going on.
Furthermore, the vision in the dream was often blurry as if covered by black mist, or the pain of the dead girls was so great that I couldn't feel anything clearly.
But the closer I got to the lake, the clearer the scene I saw became.
The lake is located in a deserted place. Furthermore, because someone had died here, fewer people dared to come.
I could reach that place quickly even with my limp legs, because it was located not far from the Emerald Palace.
As soon as I reached the lake shore, I smelled a strong smell of water. As soon as I felt this smell, I saw something before my eyes. This time it was a hand pushing my back towards the lake.
Is it just my hallucination, but that hand seems very familiar. The hand with those rough joints. It was as if if I just moved a little further, I would know who the owner of this hand was.
“Just a little more…”
I urged my slow legs to step up. I couldn't see my surroundings clearly. Because the looming illusion before my eyes obscured my vision.
Right at that moment. I felt a strong force pushing against my back.
"EH?"
My body lost balance. And at that moment, something became clear.
‘Stop struggling, you bastard!’
It was the face of a woman, with an expression like that of a Yaksha demon. Her hair, which was usually neatly combed, was now disheveled, and her eyes were tinged with madness, losing all reason. The scene where she screams is truly terrifying.
‘You bastard!’
An explosion occurred in my head. A sharp voice rang out. Too sharp, sounds like broken glass.
Choang
, the sound of glass lanterns shattering. It was as if broken pieces were rolling around under my feet.
“Uh…”
It feels like being struck by lightning or electrocuted. My insides curled up. But now, those things are inevitable.
Many thoughts intersect one after another. Image of skull being dented, blood flowing profusely; image of swallowing poison so hot that internal organs melt, constantly vomiting blood; image of falling from a high place.
And above all, the image of sinking into the cold lake, the head being continuously submerged while struggling.
On the pale neck, veins appeared and red spots appeared. On her neck there is a small mole. It was so small that she herself might not know it, but others could see it. That red spot appears when she's excited.
“Mer… ce… des…!”
It's her. The culprit behind this dark curtain is none other than Lady Mercedes Aronzo.
As soon as I realized that fact, a sound
plop
rang out. Cold water poured over me. No, it's not water pouring on it. I fell into the lake. That sound meant I was sinking into the water.
“Ouch!”
I instinctively moved my body. But no matter how much I struggled, water kept pouring into my nose and mouth. The cold lake water invaded through my parted lips.
Chaotic thoughts are now just survival instincts. I was suffocating and struggling. Try your best to open your mouth.
“Die!”
However, the rough hand pressing my head down prevented me from breathing.
Who, who is dragging me down like this?
"Die! It's your fault!"
I struggled again, making a sound
plop
big, but my body doesn't float. Water enters the trachea, sticks like mucus and cannot escape.
I tried to breathe, but water poured in again.
“Uh… cough!”
“It's because of you that I'm the one!”
I have to hold on to something. I reached out and grabbed anything I could touch. At that moment, a scream rang out.
“Chip!”
Suddenly, the yellow chick jumped out. No way, Ave. Danger, run away! I reached out desperately, scratching my nails.
"Evil! What!"
It felt like something was being ripped apart, and the resistance that was pressing my head down disappeared. I was freed from that rough hand for a moment.
That moment, I saw the attacker's face. This woman was apparently the maid I had kicked out of the Emerald Palace before. What is her name...
But I can't remember that anymore. Wrong. Now it's too late. My vision gradually blurred. The feeling of time begins to stretch. Why is my hand moving so slow? I feel my body gradually stiffening.