After secretly agreeing to join the annual charity event held by Azriel, Len and I decided that his party would be coming to pick me up at the gate of the duchy. Escaping by the usual route, over the wall would be impossible. So, I had no choice but to disguise myself as a maid to freely walk the manor.
I walked the hallways with my head down, the bangs of my wig covering half of my face. After 5 minutes or so, I reached outside with no one recognizing me.
"Phew, that's good." I strolled through the garden of the duchy.
It's so well-kept! So neat! So Archen!
The pathway is made with embedded rocks of varying colors and sizes and is bordered by neatly trimmed bright green bushes. The sphere-shaped trees are sprawled throughout the garden in an organized manner. They said that an aristocrat's garden reflects their disposition and just like Archen, his garden exudes a simple elegance.
I alternated my hands in holding the heavy briefcase, which was filled with clothes, snacks, hygiene necessities, a bag of coins, and a gold bar that I took from Blondie as capital for my boutique.
Len said we were going to Miyerko and according to 'Fascinations of Rosenlite', Miyerko is known for their jaw-dropping beaches that have pearl-like sand and transparent, sky-colored water. The main supplier of seafood in all of Rosenlite, it is also the land where 'Firabimp' and many other exceptional dishes originated from. They also have textiles that are made from the fibers of their local tree-Wusari.
That's what I plan to buy with the gold. Since the second male lead refused to provide me with fabrics from the kingdom of Hassi, I'll just use local products instead.
After walking for 30 minutes or so, I finally arrived at the gate.
That felt endless!
I wiped my red, sweaty face and neck with a handkerchief.
Upon realizing my presence, a knight acknowledges me with a "What for?"
"The lady has sent me for an errand." I shook the briefcase.
The knight raised his eyebrows at my words.
What does that mean?!
Another knight, a little older this time, spoke, "Ellinor's daughter."
...? Who the hell is Ellinor?
"Ahhh..." The younger one looked as if he just had an epiphany. "The one that got our Elliot fired." He looked at me with squinted eyes and his chin held up high as though he wanted to reach the skies.
Okay, so they're bastard number 2's friend. Bastard 3 and Bastard 4.
I flashed them a smile out of spite. "Mhm, his grace's sister, my lady tasked me for an errand."
Bastard 3 and Bastard 4 gave each other a look and snorted as if I just said the joke of the century. Well, they probably thought Raina was.
Bastard 3 wiped his tears after laughing too much and bent over, his ugly face tauntingly close. "That one will never, ever be his grace's sister-OW!"
I purposely dropped the briefcase on his feet which apparently was so heavy that Bastard 3, high and mighty, bounced back and screamed in pain. He squatted and examined his foot.
Heh. I fought the urge to smile and instead gasped, wide-eyed. "Oh no! Are you okay, sir?" I ran to him but instead tripped- intentionally -on the briefcase. I stumbled backwards, trying to balance myself which allowed me to stomp on Bastard 4's feet.
He winced in pain and quickly pulled his feet back, the suddenness causing both of us to lose balance. I pushed him to regain my footing, making him crash on the squatting Bastard 3 and they both kissed the floor.
I grabbed the briefcase, "I wish I could help but I'm running out of time, bye~" I jumped over their shocked, in pain, and dumbfounded bodies.
"Wh-What..."
"You! Come back here!"
"Hey, stand up and chase after her!"
I fastened my pace, and their screams quickly turned into distant noises.
And that's a 2 to 0 of Sienna versus the Rielta Knights.
So annoying, I wonder if they can defend the duchy if they cannot even handle a bit of force in their feet. They got defeated by a girl 15 centimeters shorter and about 18 kilograms lighter than they were. Well, it's rightfully deserved. Maybe next time, don't hate on a girl whose face you don't recognize.
...
When I arrived at the meeting place, Len and his party were already there. Three men along with Len were conversing, leaning on trees or sitting on logs and the women were chatting as they pet the horses.
I walked in a hurry, almost in sprint. They all turned their heads towards me, Len was already walking in my direction. I gave them a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry, did I keep you all waiting?"
"No, we just arrived." Len stated, taking the briefcase from me. "Besides, a rest wouldn't hurt."
"That's true!" A girl with apple hair suddenly popped up, her smile bright. She put a hand on her chest, "I'm Amara, nice to meet you."
Aw, she's cute.
Affected by her positiveness, my smile became more genuine. I returned her gesture, "Sienna, nice to meet you too."
The other people soon came over and introduced themselves.
Trix, Anna, Cameron, Rence, Asher.
They all seemed exceptionally kind and very welcoming.
Rence, the second tallest among the group, stretched his arms. "Since the last member of the group is here, let's get going!"
Anna tsked.
"You act as if you're the one who's riding the horses." Cameron teased and pinched Anna's cheek.
"Shut up."
She's a tsundere...
Amara took my arm, dragged me to the carriage, and urged Len to carry my briefcase.
All four of us girls sat in the carriage which was more of a wagon with a roof. The wooden boxes which I assume are the stuff they will be handing out are placed in front. Our seats are like laundry stools in bench form with cushions.
Len, Rence, and Asher rode their own horses while Asher got into the wagon's driver seat.
While the wagon was still stationary, Len took his horse to my side.
The girls chatted and I turned around to face Len. The horse is the same one he rode when we went to the Iriko mountain top. I always thought of it, but his horse was beautiful. The horse stood tall and proud, with a long, flowy, and soft mane that seemed to resemble the night sky or to be more precise, the inside of their owner's hood.
The horse neighed at my touch and nuzzled his muzzle on my hands. I chuckled and petted him more.
"Jaya."
"Mhm?" I looked up at him and then back to Jaya. "You have such a cool name! You should appreciate your owner for giving you a nice name." Jaya neighed in response, making me so amused I continued to pet him.
"Sienna." Len called my name, his tone dispirited unlike usual.
My head immediately shot back up and my hand momentarily forgot it was supposed to be petting the horse. Jaya didn't forget, however, the petting-addicted horse swung his head to make me pet him again.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong... I'm just sorry."
I blinked, my head tilted. Sorry?! What for?! If anyone needs to say sorry it's Bastard 3 and Bastard 4! Not you!
"I was sure you'd be bringing Leila. If I had known I would have ordered people to get a proper, comfortable carriage, but also, even if you brought Leila, I should still have gotten a proper one. You aren't even familiar with the central market, so, how could you be used to long distance travel...? It's a miscalculation on my part. I'm sorry."
...
Oh my gosh...This is the first time he talked so much!
He's panic rambling!
It's kinda funny and very cute?
I laughed, amused. "Len it's fine. I'm not uncomfortable or anything. In fact, I feel like it'll be fun. Oh, and Leila is with my brother, so I couldn't ask for her."
To be honest, I would love to go horseback riding for this trip, but no matter how much of a cold person I am, I'm still human. I have a guilty conscience. While he may be annoying, Blondie never did anything wrong to me to get knocked out. I already drugged the guy, I can't possibly horsenap his horse again.
"Still, I invited you. I should be ensuring your comfort."
"I am comfortable, Len." I said with a smile, my heart feeling particularly warm. "Was this not a volunteering trip? Next time... if you really want me to ride a fancy carriage you speak of, invite me to luxurious vacation!" I joked but even after a long time, he didn't respond.
Huh...?
Did I say something wrong...?
"Are you all seated properly?" Asher yelled from the driver's seat. "We'll be going now!"
"Uh..." I stopped petting Jaya and smiled awkwardly at Len before sitting properly.
"Yeah, we are!" Anna replied in a loud voice.
The next second, the wagon began to move, and three men followed beside us on their horses, but I was left overthinking if I had said or done anything wrong.
To be continued.