Watashi wa Teki ni Narimasen! - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The reason that we had visited the Margrave’s branch family was that we had received a report of a suspicious person . This was thanks to the increased security measures that had been set in place on the Margrave’s lands .

As this person had already been apprehended, we were to examine and then take the man back with us to the castle .

Madame Beatrice would be accompanied by Alan, who was now helping with matters pertaining to the territory, Sir Wentworth, I and the other handmaidens, two knights and five soldiers who would act as our guards .

To be very honest, I was the only one in the whole group who could not fight .

So why then, had I been asked to come? It was entirely due to Madame Beatrice .

“Thank you, Kiara . You are very skilled with this . ”

It was during one morning after a light breakfast .

Madame Beatrice smiled and thanked me after I had finished arranging her hair .

As Madame Beatrice would be making this visit as the Margravine, she had to keep her hair properly made . This was also a matter of status . There would be a necessity for her to wear something that was a rank above whatever the madame of the branch family would wear .

It would be my job to consult the ladies or daughters of the branch family and make plans for the day’s attire, in order to dress Madame Beatrice beautifully .

There would not have been a problem if this job had been done by Maia or the others, as their sensibilities were no worse than mine . But since our hosts were nobles, it would be proper for the handmaiden to be at the very least, related to nobles . It would avoid any possible trouble that could arise from them being of common origin .

And so it became my task .

I would ask gently, yet push with some force, just like one of high birth . After all, I had been raised as a Count’s daughter, so speaking as a noble was not difficult for me . The handmaidens of the branch family were all of extended families or daughters from other branch families, and seemed a little put off by this ‘child of noble birth who had come!’

But I am sorry . This was little more than a high and mighty disguise .

If someone thought to poke me, I would likely topple over and my cover would be blown .

And yet, while I walked in the branch family’s mansion, even Alan would ask ‘Are you really Kiara?’

That was rude . I had socialized with the daughters of viscounts and marquis in Sunday school .

When I reminded him of this, he said, ‘That is right . You escaped from that school didn’t you…’ as if he had really forgotten that all of that happened .

But what was the most annoying, was that even Sir Wentworth, who was with Alan, looked at me suspiciously .

In any case, I was quite happy to be given this role in maintaining Madame Beatrice’s reputation .

And one of my responsibilities as her handmaid was to dress her hair .

As makeup was hardly used in this world, the face is beautified by just a light covering of something similar to foundation, dressing the hair up and adding jewelry .

I braided her silvery hair before joining them together and fixing it with a hairpin . Madame Beatrice was very fond of the way I did her hair . There were no elastic bands in this world, so braiding the hair and setting it was quite…difficult . But doing this resulted in a hairstyle not seen anywhere else, which is why I had thought she would like it .

She was turning her head to the side to try and see the back in the mirror as she smiled .

“But your hair seems much more manageable . I wish I could have something similar . ”

“Surely my hair would not be appropriate for a Margravine of your dignity…”

My brown hair had been simply braided and hung over my neck with green ribbon . The rest of my hair flowed down my back . It was a hairstyle somewhere between childish and adult, but it was also neatly kept and rarely got in the way .

At Everal castle, Madame Beatrice would usually have a simple bun for when she went riding, or she would leave it completely untied . So, while a more intricate hairstyle was pretty, she still did envy my simplicity .

“I’m sure it will be fine to have this kind of hair once we return . ”

“That is true . But Kiara, are you not almost seventeen years old? I think that next time we are in such a place, we should have matching hair . You are an adult now, after all . ”

I was fourteen when I had first come to Everal castle . And I turned fifteen during the winter that immediately followed . And a year had passed since then, so I was already sixteen . Thankfully, everyone had celebrated with me .

Back then, Madame Beatrice had said, ‘You know, handmaidens are closer to comrades rather than servants to their employers . That is why they are often chosen from good families . Is it not normal for us to celebrate your birthday then? It will only be with a close few, but I think it would be good for you to have some fun . ’ Just a close few… I had thought, but it turned out to have a broad definition to her . It wasn’t just Alan and the Margraves, but everyone employed at the castle . It was much too many to consider a close few . The whole castle did enjoy the banquet, though .

By the way, Alan had his sixteenth birthday quite earlier than me . It was a very extravagant affair, which was only natural since he was the heir .

Citizens who lived in the nearby town were all invited, drinks and food were served as if a festival was being held .

During this event, I had heard there were not enough hands in the kitchen, so I had offered my help by peeling potatoes in the corner . Alan was most surprised when he later came to find me .

After that, he seemed to be excessively sympathetic that I was capable of peeling potatoes .

But actually, it was just something that I had learned through helping my mother cook in my past life .

But in any case, I cannot be leisurely talking on like this .

Today was the day that we were to take the prisoner back to the castle . Even if the tied up criminal was to be put in the wagon, the trip would still take the entire day, so it was necessary to leave early .

I, Maia and the others followed Madame Beatrice as she went to the entrance of the mansion .

The whole branch family had come to see us off as we entered the carriage .

It was I, Maia and the others, and Madame Beatrice who would ride inside .

Alan and the knights would ride horseback, while the soldiers would either ride the covered wagon with the criminals or the driver’s seat of our carriage . The remaining three would ride their own horses .

I felt a sense of relief as soon as the carriage began to move . It had been a very long time since had I last stayed a night at in a different location .

As for the reason that Madame Beatrice came all the way out here . It was because the person that the guards had apprehended had seemed to be in a strange state .

At first glance, the man seemed like he might have been a hunter who had accidentally crossed the border .

His hair was disheveled, he was covered in animal skins to possibly disguise his human scent, he was even carrying a blowdart and a bow when he was discovered . Exactly what you would expect from a hunter .

However, when the border guards had approached him, the man had pulled out his hunting knife and attacked them . And so he was captured .

They soon realized that there were strangely a number of dead wolves around where the man was . The wolves looked to have vomited a liquid that was too thin to be blood .

And this man had several empty bottles, that when inspected, showed the remains of thin red liquid stuck to the bottom .

The branch house had considered him quite suspicious for ‘bringing this poison’ into the land and had contacted the Margrave . They had also related the color of this poison when they contacted him, and so he had remembered .

About the failed magicians .

However, the Margrave had already been scheduled to pay a visit to a different noble’s house . And so Madame Beatrice and Alan had gone instead .

Both Madame Beatrice and Alan were cautious of this possibility of the man being a failed magician, but nothing of note had happened .

The apprehended man was quiet… Or perhaps he was stunned . While we could not get a word from him, he did not become violent either . Though, we were still sure to have him bound tightly .

We also received the bottles that we had heard of, as there would be a need to inspect them carefully once we returned .

The job was mostly complete now .

As I sat in the swaying carriage, my mind started to wander towards the tasks I would do once we arrived at the castle, which ones were the most important and–

“Woah . ”

“…What happened!?”

The carriage had come to a sudden halt, resulting in my head bashing against the wall of the carriage . It hurt .

“Oh, Madame Beatrice!”

While I was moaning and holding my head, Madame Beatrice had rushed out of the carriage .

“Maia, you protect Kiara! Clara, it’s wind wolves! It should end quickly with our help, if there are no more than five!”

“As you say, Madame . ”

“What!?”

As I said in shock, even Clara had jumped out of the carriage .

If anything, it seemed incredibly wrong for the Margravine to be considered part of the combat personnel . Was it not much more important to protect her instead of me?

Though, I suppose it was because she had always been patrolling or hunting monsters like a knight, her participation in battle had become the norm, not just in her own mind but for the others as well .

“But, why are there wind wolves here?”

We were on the main road, which wind wolves tended to avoid due to the scent of humans regularly passing through . They would usually only attack people who had encroached on their territory .

The wind rushed through every time the wolves would run, which would make it difficult to fight them with all the wind and dust hindering your vision .

I had encountered them often as a sort of obstacle in the game, so I knew their characteristics .

The only way to deal with the wind wolves was to slash at their feet so they could not run .

“But, this wind seems much too strong!?”

The carriage was shaking loudly as if it was being hit by an incredible wind .

“Indeed, this is…”

Maia was holding her sword ready, but her eyebrows narrowed .

The wind during the wind wolves’ attack was supposed to be little more than a smokescreen . If the hit was effective, your character would go blind for three turns . And so you would usually use a hit-and-run tactic, quickly bringing back any characters who could not see .

Or at least, that was the strategy to use in the game .

Now the carriage was starting to rock, almost like a small boat rocking in the sea .

“Hhhhhheee!”

I wanted to know what was happening outside, but I had no opening to even look out of the window . It was all I could do to hold onto my seat .

On top of that, I was certain that some creature had just jumped and crashed into the carriage .

“Aaahhh!”

“Kiara!”

The carriage had nearly turned on its side .

I frantically leaned all of my weight on the opposite side and hit the door .

It was a narrow escape . I was able to return the carriage to its proper position and avoid having it fall on its side .

However, I had thrown myself a little too hard and ended up rolling right out of the carriage myself .

“Ouch . ”

At least the doors opened from the outside . And while I had committed such a blunder as to fall and roll out in front of other people, now was not the time to feel embarrassed . I made sure that my skirt hadn’t turned up and decided to fall back as to not get in anyone’s way .

I thought this as I was pulling myself up— but then I saw it .

“Madame Beatrice!”

A short distance away from the carriage, Madame Beatrice’s leg was being bitten by a wind wolf as she fell to the ground .