Chapter 76 - 24. There Are Aspects That Don't Fit the Times (3)

It was two minutes ago.

“Greetings!”

“!”

A large build that stands out even among well-fed nobles. Physical strength that stood out even when wrapped tightly in a uniform. There, a man with bright red hair that attracted attention called a woman passing by.

“Are you Lady Fanora’s godmother?”

“…”

Did he just spit out the word ‘godmother’ while calling Fanora so highly? It was an action that made people doubt his basic level of education. So she tried to ignore him, but the man’s family was the problem.

“Yes. I’m Fanora’s godmother. Judging by your appearance, you must be the youngest son of the marquis.”

“Nice to meet you! Madam Iva, I heard about you from Lady Fanora.”

When Iva Maquil greeted him gracefully, Carl also bowed his head. Of course, the knight’s greeting looked messed up in her eyes. But he made an effort, which made her smile in the end.

“Sir said that you’re acquainted with my goddaughter. Please keep a good relationship in the future.”

“Of course. Even if you don’t say so—”

Was he happy that Countess Maquil recognized him as Fanora’s friend? Carl answered brightly, away from the wall of the door he was leaning on, but he stopped abruptly and changed the subject.

“Ah! By the way, could you please wait here for a moment?”

“…”

“Just a few minutes.”

Spare some time wasn’t a big deal. Countess Maquil raised her gaze and glanced at the door behind Carl.

“Here?”

It was none other than a bathroom for nobles. She wondered if it was necessary to talk in front of the bathroom.

“Ah! Yes, there.”

Fortunately, Carl explained the reason right away. “Earlier, Lady Fanora said she had something to say to Madam Iva. By the way, the kingdom is very wide, right? There are a lot of people today.”

As he said, today, this place was crowded with nobles. Their place was in front of the bathroom, so no people gathered nearby.

“She was wondering what to do if she can’t find Madam Iva later… So, if Madam waits here, Lady Fanora will be delighted!”

“Oh, is she inside now?”

“Yes, yes.”

It was not until he revealed that it was Fanora, who was currently in the bathroom, that Iva understood the situation. Then why can’t she wait?

“It happened that I was looking for her too, so that’s good. I will wait.”

Countess Maquil unfolded her fan and decided to wait for Fanora. But about a minute later, as Fanora didn’t come out, she asked a light question. “How long has Lady Fanora been in?”

Carl replied with his distinctive kind face. “Just right before I met Madam Iva.”

It wasn’t the truth.

Maybe I’ll have to wait a little longer. It was time for people to use the bathroom because of drinking too much. The countess thought so and tried to chat with Carl.

But it was then.

“Huh?”

Someone strode across between them with a stride of urgency. In addition, the person who appeared suddenly reached out and grabbed the doorknob first.

“Wait, wait. There’s a person inside.”

“Yes? Someone is using it?”

Even Carl, who wasn’t interested in society, recognized that person. One of the people Lady Fanora told me about.

Amore Shaintrix. If he hadn’t found Countess Maquil, she was the other person he would have had to hold.

“Another bathroom is too far from here…”

Rattle, rattle, rattle. Amore kept turning the doorknob that was locked and wouldn’t open. Carl, taken aback by that, approached Amroe and told her not to do so because the door was locked.

“But… Ah, Countess Maquil! G-greetings. Please forgive me. I should have said hello first…”

“And, um… Sir Carl. It’s my first time seeing you. My name is Amore, the second daughter of the Shaintrix family.”

Amore, who appeared, was restless as if she was in a hurry. Countess Maquil tactfully didn’t mention the problem Amore was experiencing, but Carl wasn’t a person like her.

“Do you want to pee right now?”

“Pardon?!”

She thought he looked fine. But his vulgar choice of words made her wonder if Carl was really noble. Amore hadn’t even exchanged a few words with him, but she was already sick of him. However, Carl couldn’t help it. It wasn’t done with an evil heart. It was just because of his lack of vocabulary.

I can’t walk anymore! She shouldn’t have been gulping down her drink! At this moment, Amore was screaming in her mind.

The situation was critical for Carl as well. How many minutes have passed? If I leave it like this, they will call her in the bathroom on their own. If Lady Fanora doesn’t answer…

There were two things Fanora entrusted to Carl today. One, if anyone tried to use this bathroom, kick them out. Two, if he found someone familiar with her, make an excuse and hold them. However, Carl had difficulty accomplishing the first, which sounded so simple.

Amore quickly said as if she couldn’t wait for his brief consideration. “Let me ask them how long it will take!”

At that moment, Carl quickly turned his gaze to check the clock hanging in the hall. It was the time Fanora promised him to return.

“Alright. I will tell her to come out quickly. Don’t waste your energy shouting for nothing.”

It would be difficult if there was any more fuss. Eventually, Carl took the lead and knocked on the bathroom door, carefully opening his mouth. “…Lady Fanora.”

How luxurious and spacious was the royal castle’s bathroom for this small voice reached in? The noble behind him looked at him with a disgruntled look, which made Carl reluctantly raise his voice.

“L-Lady Fanora! Can you come out now? There’s an urgent guest in front of the bathroom right now!”

From Amore’s point of view, she didn’t even care who he was calling because she really couldn’t hold it any longer. The only thing that lingered in her head was, ‘I shouldn’t have come here.’ If she had gone to the west, there would have been more bathrooms, but she had to find this bathroom because it was close to the hall.

“…”

Of course, there was no answer inside. Soon there was a deep silence between them.

…I will pretend to hear a small answer and kick them out. Carl soon pretended to listen to the colorful door. And it was just before he made a fake answer to chase away Amore.

“Ah!”

Carl stepped back with a surprised look when he felt someone pushing the door. Then who appeared…

“!”

“Gasp, Lady Celsius…!”

Neatly trimmed jet-black hair. A navy dress that shone softly like the stars in the sky. Even smooth silk gloves with no single thread coming out. An elegantly dressed noble lady opened the door and came out.

“Oh, was there anyone waiting?”

It was exactly ten minutes after she went over this door. Amore immediately entered the door behind her back. Fanora turned her gaze calmly and greeted her godmother.

“Does Godmother want to use the room too?”

“I’ve been waiting for my goddaughter. I heard you have something to say to me.”

“Ah, did Carl say that? It wasn’t that urgent… I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Fanora, as always, showed the appearance of a perfect noble. But Carl, who was looking at her from the far side, noticed. That her breath wasn’t quite even yet.

It was a while after that. Around the time, Lady Shaintrix left the bathroom.

“I’m surprised every time I come. How did the royal family put gold around this place?”

“Haha, Amore. I thought the same thing when I first came here.”

“I can feel the national power of Kasius.”

Fanora stabilized her breathing by talking to people. But a chill ran down her spine when she looked back on what had just happened.

I thought it would be simple if I had superpowers. Like an idiot, I couldn’t even see where the window was. After her hand slipped off the window sill, she was fortunately saved from falling by holding a brick sticking out nearby. Since this castle was originally built in a flat shape that made it impossible to climb, how lucky she was to grab the uneven brick in that place.

“…”

Once there was a place to catch it, it was simple afterward. Since she was the owner of a holy relic, she returned to the window with the help of the Mother Goddess. How many times did she draw on the power she couldn’t have with this body for her revenge this time?

I won’t be able to get up tomorrow. Fanora was a little afraid of the cost of the holy relic.

“Excuse me, Lady Celsius.”

But before Fanora had time to immerse herself in thoughts, Amore approached and held out something to her.

“Did you leave this inside?”

It was a glass with traces of red fruit juice. Fanora smiled at her question and shook her head. “No? I guess someone took it and forgot it.”

“Haha. Well, it was too far in the corner.”

Amore handed the glass to the servant without thinking. This ended the destruction of all evidence.

A few seconds later, the clock would point to 11 PM. If the midnight novel didn’t betray her, news of it would come soon. Fanora continued the meaningless conversations, surrounded by Carl, Amore, and Madam Iva.

It was a few minutes later. Finally, an alarm sounded in Fanora’s ears, telling her everything was over.

Kyaaa! A faint scream flowed from the second floor, and the nobles who were close to the stairs stopped talking one by one. Then,  a young lady came down from the second floor in contemplation.

“What’s going on?”

“Isn’t that Princess Vasago?”

While all the attention of nobles gathered in one place, Vasago, who came down from the direction of the terrace, urgently explained something to the knight who was guarding the banquet hall.

“I’m very sorry that this unsavory thing happened at a banquet hosted by the royal family….”

The knight delivered the news to the king’s servant in a low voice, and the surprised servant ran to his master and whispered again. What’s the matter with such hesitation?

“What?”

When King Balmong heard of the incident, he was rather pleased. Until now, he had looked like he was dying of boredom at this place, but something interesting had happened, reaching his standards.

“Hmm.”

However, this place wasn’t just a gathering of his own citizens, so it cannot be easily conveyed. The king was troubled.

At that moment, Fanora, who was walking toward the center of the venue, put all her efforts into managing her expression. It fit exactly.

Now, the future would be determined by the king’s judgment. Thinking like that, she finally realized what she had done, and her hands began to break into a cold sweat. Announce it as an accident. Please!

She was glad she wore gloves today. If it hadn’t been for these silk gloves, she wouldn’t have been able to hide the wounds she suffered from hanging on the wall and the current tension.

“Stop the music!”

King Balmong gave an answer after much consideration. He jumped up from his seat, gave the order, and the hall became quiet instantly. Soon, the king’s solemn voice resounded. “Someone has just been found dead! I don’t want to doubt you, but that’s the law of the kingdom, so from now on, everyone will respond to the investigation according to Kasius’s procedure!”

“Dead? Someone is dead?”

“Who is dead?”

No one dared to rebel in the royal castle, so everyone seemed to comply with the order for now. But only one person. The 17-year-old Fanora, who was holding her godmother’s hand, narrowed her brows.

A public investigation… Her luck, which followed her all day today, seemed to be bottoming out.