Chapter 135
“Lady Veronica suddenly changed at some point, you say?”
“…Yes.”
Erika looked at the maid in front of her with wide eyes.
This maid, who had followed from the Eckhardt estate, was originally supposed to be working as a close maid just like Erika was now.
Though she was here only as an assistant for the moment.
Erika had to make a great deal of effort to get close enough to her to hear this story.
The servants of high-ranking nobles were so tight-lipped that even now, while speaking, the maid was anxiously glancing around and hesitating.
“How did she change?”
“Well, it wasn’t exactly a bad change. If anything, it actually became easier to work with her.”
She had become a little more relaxed, and seemed to be enjoying life.
There was a period when she had been seriously ill, but when she awoke again, her body had grown healthy. It was as if she were a different person.
Once the dam broke, the maid continued to speak eagerly.
Having been right at her side, she had sensed Veronica’s changes more keenly than anyone else.
“More than anything, she doesn’t remember things from before very well. She even asked me my name again, as if she’d forgotten it.”
It seemed this was the part that had truly hurt.
After saying so, the maid drooped her eyebrows.
As the daughter of a wet nurse who had served the young lady from a very young age, her feelings and attachment must have been special.
And yet that young lady had failed to recognize her and eventually appointed someone else as her closest maid. Of course she would feel hurt.
That was why, at first, she had deeply resented Erika, who had taken the position in her place.
But seeing Erika do her best in everything and even look out for her, she eventually opened her heart.
Despite everything, she too felt lonely and anxious in this unfamiliar place.
Listening to her, Erika let out a small hum through her nose.
What she had brushed off as just the result of a long separation now seemed much more dramatic to someone who had stayed by Veronica’s side all along.
After speaking with people over the past few days, Erika had found that this maid was not the only one who felt estranged from the current Veronica.
“What on earth could have happened to Lady Veronica?”
As Erika said that, the two maids let out a sigh at the same time.
While there might be exceptions, at least these two missed the Veronica of the past.
The path to the address written on the note wasn’t all that complicated.
Roina had worried she might get lost, but surprisingly, she found her way without Yoseph’s help.
It was because the location was in the same commercial district as his mansion.
At times, the bustling capital felt like nothing more than a quaint street in old Europe.
The difference in sewage systems and street cleanliness made the smell considerably worse, of course.
Still, since it was a place frequently visited by nobles and capitalists, it was cleaner than other areas.
Roina, who had never walked these streets before, looked around with unfamiliar eyes.
People passed them by, each with their own purpose.
Being among them made her feel like an ordinary person too, and Roina felt a little happier.
“Here it is.”
Yoseph pointed to a shop.
It was a modest inn frequented by wandering merchants, with a tavern on the first floor and rooms on the second.
It didn’t seem like the kind of place where an envoy from a foreign nation would be staying.
Indeed, as a state guest, she must have been provided accommodations by the royal family, so it was unlikely that she was actually staying here.
“Let’s go.”
At her words, Yoseph nodded without a word. He seemed to be checking his magical device, likely preparing for any emergencies.
Ding-
As the two entered, the bell hanging above the door rang. The innkeeper, looking indifferent, glanced at the two of them and asked,
“Would you like a room?”
Judging by their build, he must have assumed they were a couple out for a secret rendezvous.
It was an awkward time—not lunchtime, nor the dim evening when one might stop for a drink after work. At such times, customers were few, making it more of a nuisance than anything.
“It’s fine. We have business with one of your guests. Please, go on and rest. It won’t be noisy.”
Yoseph gave a slight nod and flicked his fingers, passing a silver coin to the innkeeper. The innkeeper, who had been idly resting his thick-set jaw, received the coin with a smile.
A single silver coin was half the price of a room at this inn for a night. It was more than enough to allow him to pretend he didn’t notice a guest.
The two of them walked steadily past the dining area on the first floor and ascended the wooden stairs. The loose wood creaked with every step they took.
Yoseph took out a magical tool, and seeing this, Roina also gathered her energy, ready to form a barrier at any moment. The second floor of the inn seemed to be deserted, and a sense of silence lingered.
Upon reaching the second room on the left on the second floor, the one indicated on the note, Roina swallowed nervously. Yoseph stepped forward first, seeming to collect his thoughts briefly, then creaked the door open.
The door opened smoothly without resistance. Inside was just an ordinary bedroom, but there was a sweet, fragrant scent in the air.
Upon closer inspection, there was a burner on the bedside table, and on the bed, the lanky man they had seen earlier was lying back, a long Eastern-style cigarette in his mouth, drawing in smoke.
“Oh, you arrived sooner than expected.”
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