CH 3

Chapter 3: On the morning after a bad dream

I noticed that I was placed in an iron cage.

I was dressed in a grey tunic with a hemp collar. I don’t know what the situation is, but I was put in a cage and that cage was put on a rough carriage and headed down the road.

I know that it was a main street in the capital because I recognized the appearance of the buildings.

Many commoners were crowded along the road and looked at me with hateful or curious eyes.

…It’s like I’m the villain in a play.

…Did I try to kill the damsel in distress?

I, who was placed in a cage, was told that by the people gathered on the street.

(I haven’t done anything. I haven’t done anything like that!)

Even if I shout, no one tries to listen to my story.

…Oh, my God, the devilish woman is saying something.

…Disappear, villain!

Instead, they throw stones at me.

Stones that rain down like hail fall and hit me from the gaps in the cage.

It hurts, why do I have to go through this?!

No, blood is coming out. It hurts.

Help!

“Aaahhh!”

“Kyaa!”

The maid, who was making preparations without making a sound after waking up surprised by my sudden shout, called out.

My eyes met with those of the maid, who had auburn hair with freckles on her cheeks. She has been my chambermaid for several years and is supposed to be 17 this year. Her name was Katie, if I remember correctly.

As we stared at each other for a while, the maid suddenly prostrated herself on the spot.

“I-I’m sorry, My Lady! I made a disturbance!”

“N-No, it’s okay…”

It seems that she misunderstood that I woke up because of the noise she made.

I wanted to tell her in detail that it wasn’t her fault that I woke up, but that would just take more time and stop Katie from doing her work.

Then Katie’s breakfast would be delayed and the housekeeper would get angry at her for being late with her work.

…Katie has also been skipped for breakfast for similar reasons in the past.

Even if I try to plead with the housekeeper, she just says “as you wish, My Lady” and ignores me anyway.

I suppose she is dismissing me, who is ignored by my father.

In any case, I decided to just get through this situation as if nothing had happened. Katie curtsied again and began to prepare for the morning.

“My Lady, which outfit will you be wearing today?”

“Well… there was a dark wine-colored one, right? Could you get that for me?”

At my words, Katie’s expression became troubled.

It’s not unreasonable. A 16-year-old noble lady saying she wants to wear dark-colored clothes in the morning.

That dress was originally made to order so that I could wear something not too showy when visiting a house in mourning after a suitable amount of time had passed.

But this house doesn’t have any mourning right now.

Besides, it’s my birthday.

I know that, but after having such a terrible dream, I couldn’t bring myself to wear a bright-colored dress.

Katie brought out the dress I requested from the dressing room and helped me change.

In the meantime, I was thinking about the dream.

It was a very unpleasant dream.

Maybe I had the dream because I went through a terrible experience yesterday… I thought, and then remembered another potential factor.

——The sacred flower.

The sacred flower sweets that Joachim-oji-sama gave me.

It was supposed to show me a good dream… but it was an awful nightmare.

(Maybe because it was a dark colored flower?)

I have heard that black sacred flowers are used as intermediaries for dark magic. So it might have affected my dream too.

(But it’s a shame…)

I was tired yesterday, so I ate and went to sleep right away and accidentally dreamed. But I’m going to leave school earlier today, so I think it will be fine if I have a snack for lunch.

Even for the Count’s daughter, sacred flower sweets are not something that can be eaten carelessly.

It was the only birthday treat I received every year from Joachim-oji-sama. I can’t think of throwing it away.

Thinking about that, I had breakfast by myself and went to school at the Academy.

The Academy is a large building like a palace.

It was originally one of the king’s palaces.

There are three large halls where balls can be held.

The former palace was surrounded by a vast expanse of lush greenery, and the grounds were patrolled by the king’s guards, who kept an eye on anyone suspicious.

This Academy was established by the king of the time in the first place.

The king can’t trust noblemen who are subservient to him, so he made the Academy specifically to keep an eye on their children…or rather, as hostages.

That’s why this is an Academy that only nobles attend.

Furthermore, because of these circumstances surrounding its founding, the nobles are forced to attend the Academy, and now that the meaning of “hostage” has become weakened, it has become one of their status symbols.

Even though I’m aware that I’m hated by those around me, I’ve put up with attending the Academy for the past six months.

On the other hand, there was one enjoyment in attending the Academy.

The Academy has horses and stables, and people to manage and maintain them so that students can enjoy horseback riding. Since I can’t ride horses very often when I’m back in my territory, I enjoyed it after school at the Academy.

These past few days, I’ve been returning home immediately after school, so I haven’t had time to enjoy it. That’s a shame.

I want to live a little more peacefully. As I think that, a carriage stops at the front entrance of the Academy, and I get off and go inside.