Chapter 86
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“Yes… Miss Tisha has been unexpectedly kind to me… Anyway! I want to see it.”
“So be it.”
“Why won’t you let me… Huh?”
She had expected him to refuse, but Kazan readily gave his permission. Her mouth, ready to argue, froze in surprise. He had already turned his attention back to the scrolls and granted it once more.
“If Perry accompanies you, you may do as you please within the kingdom.”
“Really?”
“…”
“No take-backs! I’m going to see the oasis with Perry, so don’t change your mind later.”
The tension melted away, and a hint of excitement slipped into her voice, though she was unaware of it. Having secured his firm agreement, Edith practically bounced out of the office, happy to have gained a small measure of freedom.
Behind her, Kazan was pressing his fingers to his brow again, but she was already gone and didn’t see it.
“Would you arrange a meeting with Miss Tisha for me?”
Walking back with Perry, who had been waiting outside, she made the request in a cheerful voice. Relieved, perhaps, to see her leave in good spirits, Perry gave a small, amused laugh and agreed.
* * *
The next day, with the permission readily given, Edith visited Tisha in the harem palace.
“I finished reading the book you recommended, Miss Tisha.”
“How was it?”
Her heart pounded, afraid Perry might overhear their secretive conversation, but Tisha, for her part, elegantly sipped her traditional tea, looking utterly unperturbed.
“It made me want to see the oasis for myself. Is your offer to invite me to the villa you mentioned still open?”
“Hehe, of course. We could even go now for a light stroll. It’s closer than you think.”
The woman who always wore such a haughty expression offered Edith a small smile for the first time.
‘Wow…’
Her face, beautiful enough to be considered stunning even without expression, now graced with a smile and an added touch of elegance, left Edith staring slack-jawed without realizing it.
“What is it?”
‘Huh? Is she… embarrassed?’
At Edith’s stare, Tisha’s smile vanished, and she reverted to her haughty expression, but the tips of her ears were faintly flushed.
“Nothing. Well then, it’s still early, so maybe we could go today… Ah! Is that alright with your schedule, Miss Tisha?”
“It’s fine.”
“Miss Edie, I’ll prepare for the outing right away. Just a moment, please.”
Perry, who had been listening to their conversation from beside them, seemingly unaware of any hidden meaning, ordered a servant to make preparations.
* * *
The sight of the vast, sky-blue lake—so clear and larger than anything she had ever seen—spread out in the heart of the kingdom made Edith gasp in wonder.
“Wow, this really is a renowned spot in the kingdom.”
A commercial district had sprung up around the lake, and many kingdom citizens were out enjoying the view.
As they walked along the oasis, Perry held a parasol over Edith to shield her from the sun.
“That building you see on the left is our villa.”
Not far away stood a white palace with a rounded roof, as magnificent as the royal palace itself, in a location that promised an incredible view.
“What a stunning villa! And the water of the oasis, shimmering like the sky in the sunlight, is so beautiful.”
“Would you like to dip your hand in? There’s a superstition among the kingdom’s people that doing so brings prosperity.”
Edith flinched at the word ‘prosperity,’ but looking at the calm water, she felt the urge to touch it.
“Should I?”
She approached the shallow water and bent down to dip her hand in.
But then, Tisha quietly approached from behind and shoved her hard in the back, towards the water.
“Huh…?”
Splash―!
The situation happened so fast that even Perry couldn’t react. Edith stumbled and then fell into the oasis with a splash.
Fortunately, it was the shallows. The water was shallow enough that when she fell, only about half of her body was submerged.
“Edie, are you alright?!”
Edith froze, a dazed expression on her face as she tried to process what had just happened. Perry quickly waded into the water and helped her up.
The water wasn’t deep; it was just that her foreign-style dress was now soaking wet and incredibly heavy.
“I’m sorry, a bug suddenly flew at me and I got startled.”
Edith hadn’t realized it was Tisha who pushed her, and she was taken aback by the woman’s face, which was far too expressionless for someone who had just been startled.
“Your clothes are wet. What shall we do? I happen to have spare clothes at the villa. Why don’t you stop by for a moment?”
At Tisha’s suggestion to go to the villa, which was like a palace, Edith finally caught on.
Just as the letter had said, the person from the Empire who was waiting for her must be staying at the villa now. Tisha must have pushed her into the water to create an excuse for her to go there.
‘Still, from the note to this, your methods are so consistent, Miss Tisha…’
Tired of Tisha’s approach—creating an opportunity by getting her clothes wet, just like last time—Edith told herself to endure this trouble just a little longer.
“Just let me know when you’re done changing, Edie.”
Leaving Perry, who would wait as always until she finished changing, Edith and Tisha entered the room with a servant carrying the clothes.
She entered, filled with curiosity about who might be waiting for her, but the room was empty.
“There’s no one…”
Afraid of being overheard outside, Edith was about to ask Tisha in a low voice who exactly was supposed to be waiting, when—
“My lady.”
A voice rang out. It sounded kindly, like an angel’s, but held a mischievousness, like the pure cruelty of a child.
Someone emerged from the inner bedchamber and approached, calling her ‘my lady.’ Edith’s heart began to pound violently with fear.
Feeling it beat so loudly she could hear it in her ears, Edith couldn’t even turn her head. She just stared blankly at the puddle of water forming at her feet from her wet clothes.
“Aren’t you rather late, considering you agreed to make time to talk with me?”
The person from the Empire who had been waiting for her was none other than the Young Duke, Mikael Blackford.
[Mikael Favorability: 45%]
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