Side Story 2.3

By the time they returned to their room, exhaustion hit them like a wave. Barely managing to undress, the two fell asleep in each other’s arms, leaving the attendants flustered the next morning. Annemarie, laughing, ordered them to pretend they hadn’t noticed anything.

The nightly outings continued. On the second night, they emerged into the rear garden of the Ingram fortress, awkwardly pretending to take a stroll to avoid being caught. On the third night, they ended up in a warehouse near a small ferry dock, shuddering at the eerie memories it evoked from the previous autumn. Neither investigation yielded results, turning their unexpected Ingram tour into a rather thorough one.

The fourth day marked the official start of the festival. Annemarie finally accompanied the envoy outside the fortress. The gifts for Allegra had been prepared the day before, and the plan was to enjoy the festival for a few days before departing with the accompanying merchant caravan.

Seated atop an ox as large as a horse, Annemarie led a procession to the altar, looking more excited than ever. The ritual, reminiscent of ancient royal ceremonies, caused Cyril to frown, though Marcelan only smiled cheerfully.

“They say it’s a ritual to pray for a bountiful harvest. Ingram is the Kingdom’s granary, so if this really helps increase the yield, it’s worth it a hundred times over.”

“Ingram tried to buy the Royal Knights with money just six months ago.”

“You know as well as I do that Lady Ingram isn’t that kind of person.”

However, Annemarie Ingram had been secretly meeting someone in the dead of night. Cyril, unsure of how deeply Prince Marcelan was involved in this matter, chose to remain silent. The Commander of the Knights, dressed as if she were an ancient goddess from a relief, glanced at Annemarie and Danielle Odillon with a subtle smile.

“You two look like sisters. I can see why you specifically requested Miss Odillon as your lady-in-waiting. You probably wanted to make a loud statement in the capital that she supports you.”

“Sisters?”

“That’s how it looks from this distance.”

Indeed, Annemarie in her yellow attire and Danielle in her white dress seemed to complement each other as if they were cast for their respective roles. 

‘What am I even doing here right now…?’ 

Danielle’s eyes, filled with irritation, appeared poised and dignified to the casual observer. Cyril decided that tonight, he would set aside the excuse of work and genuinely enjoy some sightseeing.

“It’s tonight.”

Danielle, throwing off her elegant white dress, was ablaze with determination. Cyril was momentarily taken aback but quickly understood. Leaving an unpleasant matter unresolved and then doing something else went against not only Danielle’s nature but also his own. To be honest, they had been quite idle over the past few days. After all the leisure and even being dragged to one of Ingram’s official events, Danielle had concluded that she could waste no more time.

Danielle unfolded a map. She set aside the Ingram tourist guide and focused on the map of secret passages drawn on tough parchment, tracing a line at its center.

“After the big event, Annemarie has no schedule tonight. Later, at a late hour, I’ll ask to have a conversation with her. It might seem a little rude, but considering how I’ve been treated so far, people will just think we’re close.”

“You’re trying to separate her from the intruder.”

“Exactly. I won’t give the intruder time to adjust to the schedule change. To ensure I don’t cross paths with that person, they’ll likely summon me to either the office or the bedroom—whichever doesn’t overlap.”

Danielle’s simple plan was to confirm the location where Annemarie would be summoned and guard the other direction through the secret passages.

Cyril examined the map of secret passages again. There were still two entrances they hadn’t confirmed yet, but they didn’t seem as promising as the previous three. While the original plan was to capture Annemarie outside the castle to avoid detection, if she could be confined to one place, dealing with her inside the mansion would also work. Cyril nodded briefly and pointed to two locations among the lines Danielle had drawn.

“If it’s the office, wait here. If it’s the bedroom, wait there. You won’t be too conspicuous in either spot.”

“Good. It would be best if you could corner and capture her before she leaves the passage. I’m counting on you.”

Cyril grabbed his sword and rope while Danielle tied her hair back again.

***

Danielle’s plan, which seemed so simple that it appeared foolproof, hit a slight snag right from the start.

“She wants Cyril to come with me?”

“She said she regretted not having enough time to converse with both of you.”

The messenger girl answered politely, clasping her hands together. Danielle shifted her eyes in frustration. Cyril, sitting on the sofa across the room, cleared his throat softly. It was almost time to enter the secret passage.

Hmm, what should I do? 

After a brief moment of deliberation, Danielle quickly made a decision. She leaned down and whispered softly into the girl’s ear.

“Well, you see… there are some things we women need to talk about privately.”

“…Oh, I see.”

The girl glanced at Cyril and nodded knowingly. Standing up, Danielle waved cheerfully at Cyril.

“Well, that’s how it is. See you tomorrow.”

Left alone in the closed room, Cyril blinked momentarily before reluctantly getting up. He should have been glad the plan was going smoothly, but the maid’s expression as she looked at him left him uneasy. 

What on earth had Danielle said to her for her to back down so easily? And what was with that look? 

As he memorized the map, a dark thought lingered in the back of his mind.

Meanwhile, Danielle walked slowly down the corridor, following the messenger girl, pondering how to buy more time. Truthfully, she had nothing particular to say to Annemarie. It had been ages since she’d exhausted all the gossip about the capital’s social circles and the sad stories about poor Felix.

‘A private conversation between women?’ That was just an excuse to keep Cyril away. What, was she going to ask Annemarie for dating advice or something? Talking to her about Cyril was now strictly off-limits. Cyril mistaking the masked woman for Annemarie and trying to court her had been a black mark on both their histories — though probably not for Annemarie — which made it even worse.

Sending the maid ahead to announce her arrival, Danielle sighed deeply. The wide hallway and high ceiling seemed to dissipate her nervousness.

“You’re here, Miss Odillon?”

Unlike Danielle, who was dressed formally and armed, Annemarie was in an extremely casual outfit. Without even asking her to put away her weapon, Annemarie invited her guest to sit.

She was planning to meet Cyril dressed like that? 

Danielle thought, feeling annoyed as she leaned back against the grape-patterned sofa. Grapes were a popular traditional motif in the South but also happened to be the emblem of the Frey Viscount family. Suppressing her urge to nitpick even the smallest details, Danielle forced an awkward smile.

“There isn’t much time left to spend in Ingram now, is there?”

“Why? Are you feeling regretful now that it’s almost over?”

Annemarie responded with her signature playful smile. Her eyes narrowed slightly in a teasing manner, but there was no malice. Both Danielle and Annemarie knew that was just how she was.

“Maybe you should have been nicer to me.”

“Well, I think I’ve done everything I was supposed to.”

“Everything you were supposed to… What exactly were you supposed to do in Ingram, Miss Odillon?”

“I played the role of the Spring Festival Goddess’s attendant willingly… And you had plenty of fun teasing Sir Cyril after bringing him here.”

“Oh, no, you’re mistaken.”

Mistaken? 

The pretty young lady, feigning innocence as she lowered her eyebrows, was infuriating. Faced with the capital’s troublemaker, the queen of the southern social circle made a rare candid remark.

“I wanted to tease you, Miss Odillon.”

“…Oh, I see.”

“I’m joking.”

“I know you’re not.”

Oops. 

Annemarie offered a half-hearted apology, her expression not showing the slightest hint of remorse. Still smiling brightly, Danielle found herself unable to retort and simply nodded begrudgingly.

Her eyes kept darting to the wall, beyond which no sound could be heard. 

Where was Cyril now? 

No sound meant the plan was proceeding as intended, but it made her inexplicably anxious. Whether Annemarie noticed or not, she continued to chatter in her sweet voice.

“Anyway, I want to thank you. I’ve really enjoyed myself.”

“Yes, yes. I’ve enjoyed it too.”

“You even helped me maintain my dignity during the festival parade.”

“And gave you a ride on the bull…”

“Aren’t you curious about the real reason I specifically requested you as my attendant?”

“Well, of course, I am… Wait, what?”

The real reason? 

Danielle, who had been mechanically agreeing with everything Annemarie said, suddenly snapped to attention. She straightened her posture. If there was another reason beyond using her for the festival and teasing Cyril, she couldn’t just let it slide. Annemarie, noticing her reaction, deliberately lowered her voice.

What followed was somewhat unexpected.

“Actually, I have something I need to consult you about…”

“Consult me? About what?”

Bang! Crash! Creak!

It was at that moment when an unusual sound came from beyond the wall. The two of them instinctively sprang to their feet. Danielle clutched the hilt of her sword tightly. 

Why did they come here instead of the office? Could this be a reverse trap? How many people are in there? Is Cyril okay? Cyril?

Annemarie whipped her head around and glared at Danielle. Her green eyes, so different from Danielle’s, burned with a completely different intensity than before. Danielle had never lost a staring contest, but that wasn’t the issue now. Annemarie growled at her, no longer bothering to hide her intentions, as Danielle drew her sword.

“So, you were plotting something after all?”

“That’s what I should be saying, Lady Ingram.”

“If anything happens to him, you’ll have to take responsibility.”

“That’s also what I should be saying.”

Danielle was well aware of where the secret passage in this room was. She strode past the room’s owner, pushing open a door. Annemarie fearlessly shoved her aside and opened the door herself, her urgency evident in her movements.

With a heavy creak, the massive hidden wall of the Ingram residence’s office began to slide to the left.

“Oh my God, Antonio!”

Annemarie screamed as Cyril emerged from the darkness, dragging a limp man by the scruff of his neck.