Chapter 166: Baton Pass
Eunice had been working hard to rebuild the village by purifying the dead land with the temple’s help. The delegates were clearly interested in her efforts. I could see it firsthand, like watching politicians on the news visiting welfare facilities while reporters snapped photos. She was treated almost like public property. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Naturally, I didn’t want to be left behind.
“Lady Fiona, you don’t seem interested in me these days.”
These were the words of Sigren who became crooked these days.
I glanced at Eunice. “Uh… that’s not true, Your Highness.”
“What’s bothering you?”
“Nothing, nothing…” But the truth was, I couldn’t stop worrying about Eunice’s possible kidnapping. It would be my fault if it happened.
“Fiona.”
“Hm?”
I turned to find Sigren smiling at me. It was a beautiful smile, but it had a slightly unsettling edge to it.
“Let’s talk for a moment,” he said, pulling me to a quieter corner. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Oh no, Eunice was getting farther away.
“What’s wrong, Sigren?”
He pressed his forehead against mine. “I should be asking you that. What’s going on, Fiona?”
Something was definitely about to happen. I had to pick up the trash I threw away. I glared at him, knowing I couldn’t explain it to anyone—not without sounding insane. I didn’t have any solid evidence. Still, I remembered what Sigren once told me: he’d trust me even if I killed him.
“Sigren, keep an eye on the empress’s movements.”
“What? Did you uncover something?”
“No, not exactly… nothing concrete yet,” I said with a laugh. “But if we look closely, we might find a way to corner her, don’t you think?”
Sigren’s eyes narrowed. “Is this something you can’t explain without getting into trouble?”
He had gotten used to my cryptic suspicions.
“Pretty much.”
“Alright, I’ll keep watch.”
I was grateful he didn’t ask more questions. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
When we returned to the ballroom, the envoys’ attention unexpectedly shifted to me.
“We’ve heard that Lady Fiona is a great mage who can stop the Darkness,” one of them said.
“Oh no, not that powerful,” I replied. “It was only for a very short time, and I barely survived. Without the saintess’s help, I don’t think I’d even be here.”
There was light laughter.
“My lady, you’re too modest.”
I wasn’t lying. Eunice was the only one with the true power to dispel the Darkness. I could only delay it for a while.
“It’s true. Without the saintess, things would’ve been much more difficult for me.”
The conversation continued in a friendly tone, with curious questions directed at me.
“Wow, so does that mean magical restraints wouldn’t work on you, Lady Fiona?”
“No, I’m definitely not at that level.”
As the heir of the Heilon family, interactions with the envoys were important, so I was relieved the day ended on a positive note. But the real problem was still ahead: I had no idea when Eunice would be kidnapped. It could happen at any moment, day or night, which meant I had to stay close to her. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
So, I did something I never thought I’d say to my lover, Sigren.
“Can I sleep in Lady Eunice’s room tonight?”
It was a so-called close bodyguard.
“Yes?”
I put on my best innocent act. “I heard that when young girls are close, they stay up all night talking and sleep together. I want to try that.”
I could feel the weight of Sigren’s stare on my back, but I ignored it.
Eunice clapped her hands, thrilled. “Oh! I’ve always wanted to do something like that!”
“I was worried about asking since you’ve been so busy, but I’m glad you’re up for it.”
“No way! I’m happy to anytime!”
I felt a pang of guilt. If I’d known she’d be this excited, I would have invited her sooner. Still, Eunice eagerly accepted my invitation, so I informed Abel. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“For this reason, I’ll be staying out tonight,” I said.
Abel raised an eyebrow. “What are you up to now?”
I gave him a sweet smile. “You shouldn’t doubt your cute daughter, Father.”
He ruffled my hair, grumbling. “Oh, so I’m ‘Father’ now, just because you need permission to stay out, huh?”
“Ah! My hair!” I protested.
Of course, I had my reasons. I was hedging my bets. Who knew? Maybe I’d end up getting kidnapped too. Abel, fortunately, accepted my request.
“Alright, go ahead and have fun.”
I grinned. “Thanks.”
Sadly, Abel’s wish didn’t come true. What followed was not fun for me at all. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
***
“–Lady Fiona!”
My eyes shot open. I blinked slowly, seeing Eunice in front of me, tears streaming down her face.
“Lady Fiona, are you okay?”
“Uh, I think I’m fine.”
“I’m so sorry! Because of me, even you…”
It had finally happened.
A few hours earlier, while we were having fun in Eunice’s bedroom, we were kidnapped by intruders. They took Eunice hostage, which left me unable to use my magic properly, and I ended up captured as well.
“I’m fine,” I reassured her.
I had kind of expected this. As I tried to move, I felt the weight on my wrists and ankles—they were bound with magical restraint devices. These were designed to prevent magicians from using their powers for long periods of time, unlike the temporary effect of the previous restraints. This, too, was something I had anticipated.
I felt guilty seeing Eunice cry. There had been plenty of ways to prevent this, but I didn’t take them. The reason was simple: this was the best chance to get rid of the empress. In the original plot, this was how she was ousted. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Don’t cry, Lady Eunice. As you can see, I’m not injured.”
Still, I hadn’t expected them to kidnap both Eunice and me.
“But because of me, you’re now wearing these restraints…”
“Don’t worry, I can handle this.”
Her tear-filled eyes blinked in confusion.
“What? But didn’t you say before that you were powerless against those restraints?”
Well, I had said that because the envoy from Ranulf Kingdom was present.
Too bad for them, I’m not one to let things slide—especially after what happened with Paul.
I grinned. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“That was, of course, a lie.”
***
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