"Tell us," Barbara urged, getting him an old cloth to wipe his wet head.
Hans started wiping and stated, "I heard from the maids' gossip that a woman will come to care for the sick lady tomorrow morning."
Barbara frowned, listening to him. 'The sick lady Hans mentioned should be her!' the thought brought dread to her, pondering what could have happened to her for being sick for so many days that she needed someone to care for her.
"Did you not know what kind of sickness the lady has?" she asked. Her heart thumped from anticipation and anxiety, but it turned to disappointment as Hans shook his head.
"I could not infiltrate inside the house. I was hiding between the stable and the knights' quarter. That's all that I could hear."
Barbara's disappointment grew deeper. "What to do now?" she asked after thinking that once they entered the Marquis' manor, she would find out what happened to her actual body.
"I heard the knights will depart at dawn to receive her from the capital's east borders. We have to get there before that woman, so when the knights arrive, you will pretend to be her and we will go directly to the Marquis' house," Hans explained.
Barbara weighed the pros and cons of what the boy told her. Pondering for a while, she bombarded him with questions to which she didn't find any answers. "But how can we replace her? We don't know what that woman will look like. What is her age? And what if she came after us to the Marquis' house? Aren't we putting ourselves on fire?"
"The only thing that mattered was going inside, so we have to take risks. I will send someone to prevent her from arriving at the Marquis' house. The looks matter—" he stopped for a while, rubbing his chin. "Why don't you let Greta prepare you?"
Barbara wondered if it was Hans who was making everything easy, or if the whole matter was easy for real.
***
Barbara gazed out of the carriage window, lost in profound contemplation. The actions she had taken the day before had shaken her to the very core. The garments she adorned, the precious jewellery she wore, and even the carriage she sat in were all acquired through illicit means.
The word "stolen" struck a chord in her heart, bringing tears to her eyes. Although she had played a part in taking those things from her shop, thus not technically considered theft, she couldn't deny that she had done something morally wrong. However, it was then that Hans arrived with the carriage, so she had no idea where he got it.
She could hear Hans's voice ringing inside when she reprimanded him. 'Now we have one mission to accomplish, so let your integrity rest until we finish this task.'
Barbara sighed and took a deep breath, convincing herself to continue in this play to return to her house. When she would return to her normal body, she would compensate everyone she took something from him.
She gazed at Greta, who slept over her tight, caressing her hair gently. The two kids had outstanding talents. While Hans was a little genius, Greta was an artist. She made her youthful face appear like a woman in her mid-thirties with a stroke of her hands, which were like magic.
Barbara's thoughts came to a cutoff when the carriage halted. Her body shook inside, causing Greta to wake up. The door was opened and before she could ask, Hans had ridden with them. "The crazy man is here!" he said, hiding beneath the opposite seat.
"Why is he here?" she murmured, hugging Greta tightly.
'What a crazy man! Did he have a dog's nose? Why is he staking us?' she thought angrily. How much she wanted to go to that man and slap him hard for the misery he had brought into her life! She hadn't rested for a few days because of him and his continuous acts of running behind her. When she would meet the woman who took her body, she would ask what she did to that man to look for her persistently.
Barbara waited for the carriage's attack with raised anxiousness, however she heard Conner's voice from outside. She opened the carriage's window and confirmed it was her knight who was there in his horse.
"Milady, are you alright?" Conner asked, and she sighed in relief.
"Yes, Co—Sir Knight," she coughed when nearly calling Conner by his name. "I was heading to the Marquis' manor, but encountered some bandits, so the carriage was stopped."
"Marquis Reylson had sent us to escort the lady safely to the house. Don't worry, milady, we will protect you," he said, reassuring her, then ordered the knights to tighten their guard.
"It was good that the knights have arrived," she complimented. After assuring that they were safe, Barbara signalled for Hans to come out.
The journey to their destination was smooth and without disturbances. As they entered the manor, a mix of expectation and happiness rushed over. When the carriage stopped, Barbara was the first to leave. With her brown leather bag and black coat in hand, she confidently stepped out, prepared for whatever the day had in store.
She was wearing a tight-fitting brown jacket, along with a long skirt and a pair of boots. Her hair was combed in an updo. The kids followed after. Greta wore a pink dress which made her look like a little princess while Hans's black suit transformed him into a little gentleman.
They went inside, led by the steward. "Master and Lady Reylson will be here in a moment," he said, then left.
The kids exclaimed when the steward left, awed by the house's luxury. Their eyes shone seeing the golden furniture. Barbara laughed dryly, looking at them. 'Why did she have a bad feeling?'
Hearing footsteps, the two kids sat beside her obediently. After a moment, her parent came inside. Barbara's eyes swelled with tears when she saw them. She wanted to go and hug them, but she controlled herself.
"Marquis Reylson, Madam Reylson. It was an honour meeting you," she greeted, showing her perfect mannerisms.
"Lady Hughes, I hope your journey was comfortable," her father said, like he always did when talking with the traders.
She worked alongside her father for a long time and she knew his every facial expression what he meant.
"I encounter some misshape but thanks to your knights I am here," she responded elegantly.
"Good to hear that. I will let you rest in your room, then I will show you my daughter, Lady Hughes, shall know what to do," he said, raising a brow.
"Of course I know," she responded neutrally.
Her father was checking her, so she must be up to his standard. Although the reality was opposite to what she said.
"Hanna, lead Lady Hughes to her chamber," her father called the maid.
Barbara and the others stood up. The maid walked forward while she and the kids followed after.
"Lady Hughes, who are they?" her mother, who was silent previously stated, pointing at the kids.
Barbara stopped midway. "They are my kids," she answered.
"But Lady Hughes did not have children."