Chapter 178 - 2-60
When I answered the knock, a familiar face peered through the door. I hurriedly stood up and rushed over, and she broke into a happy smile.
“Ojou-sama!”
“Sarah, thank you for coming all this way.”
Sarah, my most trusted maid, had not accompanied us to the Kingdom of Orta this time. At the Marquis’s estate, it was natural for Sarah to always be with me. That was why our reunion after so long lifted my spirits, and just seeing her face made me feel at ease.
“But I wonder what Father was thinking, sending you all the way to a neighboring country... I’m just glad nothing happened on the way.”
“No, it wasn't the Master’s idea; I was the one who requested it. When the Master received the letter from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince about the extended stay in the Kingdom of Orta and decided to send a few people along with the investigation team for your sake, I was the first to volunteer.”
Sarah smiled gently, holding my hands in both of hers.
“Please let me take care of you by your side so that you can spend your time in peace.”
“Sarah... thank you so much. It’s reassuring to have you here. But you must have been lonely coming all this way without knowing anyone.”
“I’m fine! Cyril-sama was with the investigation team, and there were several other women as well. I also became close with Lady Queen’s ladies-in-waiting.”
“I see. I’m glad to hear that.”
Shortly before Sarah entered the room, Cyril had come by to give his greetings. Cyril usually remains in the Kingdom of Dutoit in Louis-sama’s stead when Louis-sama is on official business abroad.
Still, the fact that Louis-sama had called for Cyril meant he considered the Queen’s arrival to be that dangerous. To Louis-sama, who couldn't move from this room, Cyril was his most trusted ally. He was also a means for Louis-sama to act through someone else.
As Sarah and I rejoiced in our reunion, the back door opened, and Louis-sama and Cyril stepped out.
“Sarah, thank you for taking on such a difficult task.”
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince... I am glad you are safe.”
After bowing, Sarah tried to step back, but Louis-sama stopped her with a hand.
Watching their interaction, I tilted my head at Louis-sama’s earlier words.
“What do you mean by a difficult task?”
“Actually, I had asked Marquis Marcel to include one trusted servant as Rachel’s maid in the investigation team. It would be very natural for Marquis Marcel, worried about his beloved daughter, to send his own knights and Rachel’s maid along with the investigation team... it seems... plausible, doesn't it?”
Louis-sama, knowing my father’s overprotectiveness, gave a sheepish, wry smile. Even so, the nuance was clear enough, and I nodded tentatively.
“I did think Father might send our family’s knights, doubting whether your accident was truly an accident, Louis-sama...”
“...Even I didn't expect Marquis Marcel to actually appoint Sarah, your own maid, for that role. But thinking about it, everyone close to you knows that Sarah is your most trusted maid. That’s why she’s the most suitable person for it.”
“Suitable? For what... first of all, why was it necessary to have my maid in the investigation team?”
I placed both hands on Sarah’s shoulders as I questioned Louis-sama. But Sarah was the one who responded first.
“His Royal Highness’s instructions were to monitor Lady Queen’s behavior during the journey from the Kingdom of Dutoit to the Kingdom of Orta and report back.”
“Monitoring Lady Queen...”
I murmured, stunned, as I looked at Sarah’s face. Sarah nodded with a tense expression.
“And... how was Lady Queen...?”
“There was nothing special to report.”
Sarah shook her head with a dejected look, but Louis-sama seemed to have expected that answer.
“That’s fine.”
Louis-sama replied, placing his hand on his chin as he looked down to the right with a sharp, thoughtful gaze.
“If there were no suspicious movements, that’s fine in its own way. But I don’t understand why my mother would go all the way to the Kingdom of Orta. Not knowing the reason is what feels most unsettling. How was my mother’s demeanor during the journey?”
“I didn't have many chances to see Lady Queen. She was always accompanied by a single lady-in-waiting who seemed to take care of her personal needs, and that person was always with her in the carriage...”
“Ah, that would be Madam Joanna Banks. she’s the lady-in-waiting my mother brought with her from the Kingdom of Orta when she married. Rachel, you know her face, don’t you?”
A woman’s face came to mind at Louis-sama’s words.
“Yes, she would attend to me in Lady Queen’s stead on days when Lady Queen wasn't feeling well or when we had appointments for tea parties or my bridal training. she’s a very elegant and kind person. I believe... she lost her husband early on.”
“That’s right. After becoming a widow, Madam Banks apparently had a falling out with both her husband’s family and her own. My mother had apparently looked up to Madam Banks, her childhood friend, like an older sister, so she came to the Kingdom of Dutoit as a lady-in-waiting. ...She’s that trusted. I’m sure she has a lot of information we don’t know.”
“Then...”
When I looked up as I realized what Louis-sama was getting at, he nodded as if to say I was right.
“Yeah. Rather than approaching my mother, it might be better to draw out information about the reasons for this visit to the Kingdom of Orta from Madam Banks.”
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