C27
"Little miss!"
"Do you have stiff legs?"
"...!"
The gatekeeper belatedly knelt down.
"May I enter now that my identity has been confirmed?"
His head dropped to the ground.
"I committed a mortal sin because I had no idea that I would return in a rickety carriage without any notice... By the way, where is the little duke?"
Faced with the cold look in her eyes, the gatekeeper raised his face slightly and put it back on the ground.
"Do I have to inform you of all that? Am I not Ethel 'Cassius'?"
"Act unreasonably!"
"Then stop talking nonsense and just open the door."
"I will open it right now!"
Without even having time to wipe away the dirt that had stained his forehead and the bridge of his nose, he quickly jumped and manipulated the door.
Ethel asked as she looked inside the open door.
"Where is everyone? I don't see a single ant."
"They are at Percy's birthday banquet in the grand banquet hall."
Tsk.
"They're having a damn birthday party after Laura?"
Perhaps due to my mood, I often cursed, but the gatekeeper who had committed the crime was terrified.
"Is the grand banquet hall far from here?"
It was a masked question.
"No. It's right in front of here because it's a place where many outsiders come and go."
"I don't think I need directions. I will enter."
Finally, the man and the woman got into the carriage, and the gatekeeper fell to the ground.
"Forgive me again!"
He worried about who that strange man was and whether he could be allowed to enter the castle without permission, but he didn't dare to speak.
As he was at the lowest level of the lower class, he didn't see her often, but this was the first time he had seen the little lady so angry. Even within the family, he thought she was just a person without presence because she didn't do many notable activities.
"Phew."
While he continued to maintain a servile posture until the carriage drove away, he could faintly hear the driver laughing.
---------------------------------
Meanwhile, the grand banquet hall of Cassius Mansion.
"Percy, happy birthday!"
"Congratulations!"
Percy's birthday party, Liena's pet dog, was in full swing.
After the birthday song, it was the much-awaited moment when the servants were about to have Liena's pet dog, Percy, blow out the candles on the birthday cake.
Bam!
Suddenly, the banquet hall door was violently pushed open, and the candles were blown out by the wind blowing in from outside.
"What was that?!"
The employees' faces turned to see if some inconsiderate newcomer had ruined the most important part, and their faces filled with amazement.
"Little miss!"
"Ma'am, how?"
"It's clear that the Little Duke will stay in the capital longer..."
I was convinced by their reaction, which seemed as if they had no idea.
I guess the news of our divorce hasn't reached Cassius Castle yet. In fact, given Leandro's personality of putting importance on his image, he wouldn't have bothered spreading the word among the employees who were far away.
It's impossible for the people here to read third-rate gossip magazines from the capital, and rumors spread by word of mouth were limited to the upper class of the capital due to the Cassius family's control.
I looked at the people in the main banquet hall.
Among the confused employees, a dog wagged its tail while looking at me, and a servant with an awkward posture holding a small box stood next to it.
"It's just as I expected."
I have the supplies needed for the plan I had in mind on my way here.
I turned my head and asked behind me.
"Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine. I begged her to follow her!"
Laura appeared behind me.
Originally, I was going to leave Laura in the city. It was only a few days ago that Cassius had treated her harshly, so I didn't want to drag her along because she was weak. But when Laura found out that I was heading to Cassius, she said she would follow me.
"I can't just stand still when the mistress thinks so much of me. And I don't want to just suffer because of those people!"
I did my best to block her, but a faint fire ignited in Laura's eyes, who, consciously or unconsciously, had been harassed by Cassius's servants. It wasn't typical of someone who held back for fear of causing discord.
It was a good mindset. Just as I had decided to get a divorce, Laura was also changing.
I asked Laura, raising my eyebrows and looking at the employees gathered around the long table.
"So, who's the person who ratted you out to the head maid after arbitrarily hanging a portrait in my room?"