"Milady! No matter what you wear, you still look perfect!" A lower maid said as they helped me change into a commoner's clothes.
"Really? Thank you, I guess?" I replied as I look at myself from the huge mirror, in front of me.
The maid was right. I'm indeed perfect, at least on the outside. If they only knew my future, they won't regard me as perfect!
That's why I shouldn't waste any more time! I have to get moving! "Maria, let's go!" I said as I run at the hallways but I stopped when the head butler and some other maids blocked the way. Oh, come on! What now?
"Milady, it was required for you to bring along at least two of the Ducal's knights," Devoine said as he fixed his spectacles. "I'll be fine with just, Maria." I insisted. "We can't allow that, Milady. Even a baron's daughter was required to have a knight by her side, what's more, a ducal daughter?" He asked.
I guessed I won't have any other choice but to bring knights with me. "Fine. But make sure that they are not wearing their uniforms. I will be observing the marketplace undercover." I said as I gave up. "Understandable. Sir Falcon and Dame Elise are already waiting outside the manor." He said.
Wow, so they already inferred that I will bring them?
I expect nothing less from the most trusted Butler of the Chancellor.
Maria and I resumed walking until we arrived at the front door and met with the knights, assigned to guard me.
"Greetings, Third Lady Frieda. Your loyal knights are here to serve you." Both of them bowed before me as we met. "Hello." I just said as I smiled at them. "Let's get going!" I said excitedly as I run towards the carriage. We will be using a rentable carriage as part of the disguise.
I stepped my foot at the steps of the carriage. "Milady." I turned to my right when someone cleared their throat. Oh, it was Sir Falcon.
He was offering his hands. "Oh, thank you," I said as I held on to his hands to get inside the carriage easier. "You're welcome, Milady." He said with a smile on his face. Wow, he's handsome too.
Maria accompanied me inside the carriage while the two knights were outside on their horses.
"Why do you look so excited about going out, milady?" Maria asked curiously at me as I grinned widely.
"Nothing," I said as I glanced from the window of the carriage.
"There are a lot of farmlands around here, huh?" I asked Maria.
"Yes, that's because Beleriadcrest was originally an agricultural kingdom," Maria said. I nodded.
I mostly see grapevines. Well, that's understandable since we are in a setting with a middle ages theme. Instead of any other beverages, wine was the most preferred drink of the citizens of this era.
Like jeez, do they even know water? That's why the life expectancy of the people of the middle ages are as brief as 30 years old! Setting aside the threat of wars, of course. I couldn't blame them though, the water in this era was closed to being undrinkable. Most people resorted to liquor without any other choice.
Sighs, they should mind what they eat and drink. Especially, in this time where the medical advancement isn't that great yet.
"We are here, Milady." Dame Elise knocked on the door before opening it. I smiled widely before jumping off from the carriage. "Milady!" Maria exclaimed in concern, I smiled at her as I gave her a peace sign.
I noticed the surprise, even from the two knights with me. "Hey guys, don't call me milady here. I'm undercover, remember?" I told them, they just nodded even if they are anxious about what happened now.
"Woah," I mouthed as I looked around. This just likes how I expected this. The standard marketplace of the middle ages. This is so cool!
"Mister, can we cut it down to 4 coppers?" I glanced at a stall where a customer was bargaining with a store owner. "A kilo of carrot raised to 50 coppers! What about our profit? We barely make a living here, you know!"
"Fine!"
"Alms... Alms..."
"Spare us some coins please."
Oh, of course. there's still poverty here. Maybe that's a problem that cannot be mended no matter what era.
A gust of wind suddenly blew towards this way, because of that, I smelled something really disgusting to the point where I can't help but to cover my nose. "What's that smell?" I asked as I covered my nose with the handkerchief that I brought with me.
"It was because the human wastes in the river were untreated, and it caused the smell."
"Why was it in the river? Was there no sewer system here?" I asked.
"We are afraid that we only threw the wastes in cesspools and threw it to the river when the holes got filled. We can not dig underground since the ground around here was really hard and it would be difficult to grill some holes." Dame Elise said.
"Is that so?" This was the same situation as the Great Stink in London in 1858.
If it wasn't treated as soon as possible, this will certainly lead to plagues just like the Sweat plague and any other diseases.
But if it was hard to drill holes around this area, it's either thinks of alternative four underground sewer system or create drills that are strong enough to drill holes.
But in this kind of advancement, it was near impossible for us to built that on time because an epidemic might occur if it stayed like this longer.
"Thief! Catch that thief!"
"Kyaa!" I almost tripped when a man bumped into me. It looked like he was running from something. "That man was a thief! Someone, help!" Suddenly, a lady shouted.
"Sir Falcon! After him!" I ordered my knight, he immediately chased after the thief. Maria, Dame Elise and, I, on the other hand, went to help the lady who was kneeling on the ground in weariness.
"Are you hurt, somewhere, ma'am?" I asked as I helped her stood up. "N-no... I'm alright. But that thief took my week-long of salary!" She cried.
The lady doesn't look like she's from a wealthy family though. "Don't worry, Ma'am. our companion has already gone after him." Dame Elise said. "That's not an uncommon thing to happen around this area." Dame Elise added.
"If that's the case, what are the knights assigned here, have been doing?" I asked as. "Ha! Those guys are useless! Our taxes kept on fattening them for nothing! All they know to do was to spend the kingdom's treasury to buy wine and keep themselves drunk! Pathetically useless idiots!" A bystander said bitterly.
Not long after, Sir Falcon returned, dragging the thief by his collar. He has already tied in his hands. Wow, Sir Falcon was so cool! "Thank you very much!" The lady cried as Sir Falcon handed her a loot-filled with coins.
"We better hand this imbecile to the knights----"
"No! Please! Just send me somewhere else but there!" The thief looked terrified as the knights were mentioned. "Why not? You did something wrong, you must be punished for it." I told him as I glared at him.
"They are monsters! They will kill me!" He said.
"You should have thought about that, before committing a crime," I said.
"I-I had no choice! I haven't eaten anything for two days!"
"You should have just look for a more legal job. I'm sure you can look for that here." Sir Falcon said.
"No! You don't understand! No one will take me since I already have a criminal record!" He cried.
"Then it's better to bring you to the knight's custody. For sure they will have food for you---"
"They will abuse me there!" I stopped for a moment.
He looked terrified whenever the knight's custody was being mentioned.
"What's going on, in the knight's custody anyway? Why are you so scared of it?" I glanced at Sir Falcon and Dame Elise but they only looked away. "Hey, you guys. I'm asking." I told them as I frowned. "I think it would be better if you don't know m--- miss." Maria was looking down as she answered me.
So what's the matter with that?
"So what are we going to do with this thief?" I asked them. "We will just send him to the penal servitude in the mine, Miss." Sir Falcon said with an awkward smile. The guy smiled in gratitude as Sir Falcon dragged him towards the knights in duty and instructed them to bring the thief to the mine.
"Are those knights, corrupt?" I asked my companions as we continued our observation. Although no one answered me.
When I turned to them, they even did their best not to meet with my gaze. "You're not even going to answer me?"
"Hey miss, look at that! You should try that! It's delicious!" Maria said as she pointed to a sweets shop.
They just diverted the topic.
There must be something wrong with the Knight's custody.
#