Chapter 235
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
Kartho was confident. Seeing his expression, Boestin nodded in agreement.
After all, no one would want to show themselves getting disguised as a corpse.
Soon, she spotted Dahlia standing at the entrance.
“What? Why is Dahlia standing over there?”
“…Huh! Lady Boestin?”
The woman she had thought was Dahlia turned out to be Dell, Emilia’s cherished maid.
It seemed there was no need to worry about the corpse disguise after all. Boestin and Dell looked enough like Emilia and Dahlia to pass.
❖ ❖ ❖
Emilia blinked as she looked at the hay covering her.
“The scent is really strong, Sister.”
“Hold it in. I told you not to breathe. When the signal’s given, you have to hold your breath.”
“…Do you really think we can fool them?”
“The story’s already told, so there shouldn’t be any problem. The real challenge is fooling the king’s shadows.”
Emilia and Dahlia whispered in the dark space.
“Ah!”
The cart they were riding jolted as if it might break apart. Dahlia groaned from the sudden pain. Emilia felt uncomfortable too.
“What if we get caught… what do we do?”
“Don’t worry, miss. I’ll step in then.”
Emilia recalled the sword she had hidden beneath her.
‘Just fool the king’s shadows.’
If they could do that, there was a good chance of success. Many inside the palace had already agreed to help— from the gatekeepers to the prison guards.
Since they started early that morning, they should arrive soon.
“Stop right there.”
The man’s sudden command halted the cart.
Clatter. The cart tilted. Both struggled to keep from falling.
“Hold on. If you fall, it’s over.”
Emilia whispered quietly. Dahlia nodded, clenching her teeth.
They leaned against each other, pushing the cart’s side with their hands and feet to keep from sliding down.
Their whole bodies tensed. Emilia felt Dahlia trembling but gritted her teeth and endured it.
If they failed to hold on, they’d be discovered and taken.
“What’s with you? I heard someone died, so I came to collect the body.”
The man pulling the cart spoke casually.
“I haven’t heard anything about that.”
The knight’s tone sharpened.
Emilia tensed. Haven’t they already been informed?
Turning her head, Emilia saw Dahlia’s anxious expression mirroring her own.
Emilia pushed herself to keep holding on with Dahlia. If the cart tilted any further, they would have fallen.
‘It’s okay. We’ll be fine. We have to hold on.’
Her mouth felt dry and parched. She was anxious about the conversation dragging on.
“Who told you to come? Today’s not the day for corpse collection carts to enter.”
The man pressed persistently.
It was disadvantageous to be stuck at the palace gate and waste time.
If necessary, Emilia might have to fight with her sword. She didn’t know if that was possible, but being caught and handed over to Adrian was unacceptable.
“I’m… fine.”
Dahlia said quietly, her voice trembling.
‘We’re at the limit. We’re almost out of strength.’
Emilia bit her lip hard.
“Step aside.”
The man seemed to approach the front of the cart. Emilia and Dahlia inhaled deeply, holding their breath.
Thump, thump.
Their hearts pounded. If the cover was lifted now, only the hay would hide them.
No matter how long they held their breath, if the hay shifted with their exhale, anyone sharp enough would notice immediately.
There was plenty of hay piled on top, but it wasn’t enough to stop their trembling.
The cart’s cover was finally lifted.
‘Huff.’
Emilia and Dahlia once again held their breath and tried to control their trembling bodies.
“Basron!”
“Hesse? Finished your meal already?”
“My stomach’s upset, so I couldn’t eat much. Is there a problem?”
“Today’s not the day for corpse collection carts, but one came in.”
“Oh! I forgot to tell you. Two suspects arrested when His Majesty ordered to capture suspicious people two months ago died.”
“What? You should’ve told us sooner.”
With a soft slip, the hand holding the cover withdrew.
‘Haah. Ha.’
Emilia and Dahlia gasped. Cold sweat trickled down their backs.
“The palace’s been chaotic lately, so I forgot. Hurry inside. There’s a lot of complaints about the stench of rotting corpses.”
The man called Hesse seemed to be someone Mikhail had arranged.
“Yes, I’ll clean it up quickly.”
The cart, which had been tilted, leveled again.
The stopped cart began moving once more. Emilia let out a relieved breath.
Her tense hands relaxed completely. Emilia and Dahlia exchanged a faint smile.
‘They said it was safe!’
They both must have thought the same thing.
❖ ❖ ❖
“Dell, are we doing well?”
“I’m really worried about Madam. I hope she got inside safely. If we’d been discovered…”
“There would’ve already been a huge fuss.”
Boestin glanced at the catalog and glanced around.
“Anyone following us?”
“Not yet, but they’re probably watching.”
Byne lowered his voice to answer.
“Then shall we get started with the operation?”
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