I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday due to illness. I'll make up for it by posting an extra chapter today!
After dinner, everyone retired to their respective rooms, the evening winding down into a quiet, peaceful night. Miranda, exhausted from the day's travels and engagements, sought some much-needed rest. She slipped out of her day clothes and into a pale white nightgown, the soft fabric cool against her skin. The bath had soothed her tired muscles, and she felt a weight lift from her shoulders as she climbed into bed. The gentle rustling of the night wind through the curtains was the only sound as she settled beneath the covers, her body sinking into the mattress. Miranda quickly succumbed to the overwhelming tiredness that had been building throughout the day. Within moments, she drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep, unaware of the world around her.She didn't know how much time had passed when, through the fog of her slumber, Miranda vaguely felt someone shaking her. "Miss, wake up! Something’s happened!" A voice cut through the remnants of her sleep."Something happened?" she repeat
The incident began on the east side of the estate where Martha and the others were staying. At the time, she and Nina were sound asleep, but they were abruptly awakened by a rapid knocking at the door. Outside stood a guard, his tone urgent, informing them that bandits had invaded the estate, and the guards were doing their best to hold them off. He urged them to flee for their lives. When they saw the guard covered in blood, although filled with doubts, they didn’t hesitate. They immediately got up and hurriedly dressed. Just as they finished, a man dressed in black broke through the door, knocking down the guard without a word, with other guards in varying degrees of injury trailing behind him.The guards fought valiantly, suffering heavy casualties, but they managed to severely wound the man in black. At that moment, the guards from Croyso's side arrived just in time to rescue Martha and her maid."The guard captain is interrogating the man in black outside. Although he's gravely i
"Miss Miranda is absolutely right!" The head guard nodded in full agreement, though his expression remained hesitant. "But now, my concern is that we haven’t extracted any useful information from the man in black, and we still don’t know where his accomplices are hiding. Could they be at the mountaintop or the foot of the mountain? If we get it wrong, even if we manage to escape the manor, we might just walk right into their trap."This was indeed a crucial problem. If they could pinpoint the location of the man in black, their chances of survival would improve significantly."Regardless, send someone suitable down the mountain to call for help," Miranda instructed. After a moment's thought, she asked, "Did the guards thoroughly inspect the man's attire?"The commander nodded. "We did a careful search, but found nothing.""No, that's not what I meant. I’m asking if there were any other things on his body, like dirt, leaves, or grass. The temperature differs between the top and bottom
About half an hour later, a group of black-clad figures silently infiltrated the manor, only to find it brightly lit yet eerily empty. They searched the rooms thoroughly but found no one. Frustrated, they noticed a line of writing on the white wall in the main hall: "I appreciate your kindness in visiting so late, but as propriety dictates, men and women should avoid contact, so it’s best we don’t meet."Just then, another figure leapt in, throwing a corpse dressed in black onto the ground."This damn fool ruined everything!" one of the black-clad men snarled, raising his blade and hacking at the body. "Because of this fool's blunder, our presence has been exposed, and even the servants have fled. But the only path down the mountain is the one we came up, and we didn’t notice any movement along the way. They must have fled towards the summit.""Good, then we’ll continue the pursuit," another replied.The leader nodded. "Everyone, spread out and surround the area. If you spot the targe
"Eh? There's a little maid here!" A voice of surprise came from the side, followed by the appearance of a shadowy figure clad in black.Under the dappled moonlight, the girl before him had an ethereal beauty, as if she were a fairy. Her exposed skin shimmered faintly, almost translucent, while her tear-streaked face, delicate as white jade, exuded a sorrowful yet enchanting allure. A lewd glint flickered in the man's eyes as he licked his dry lips and chuckled, "I didn't expect to be this lucky, catching such a pretty little maid. Hmph, since the credit never goes to me, I might as well have a little fun with this maid!"He swaggered towards her.Miranda, dressed in a maid's uniform borrowed from Molly, was mistaken for a servant. She was in a daze until the black-clad man appeared in front of her, snapping her back to reality. She took two steps back, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear, "What do you think you're doing?" Her watery eyes flashed with three parts anger and
As the mountain wind blew, the man's fur cloak billowed behind him like wings. Standing there with his clothes fluttering in the air, his strikingly handsome features appeared out of nowhere, eerily silent, like a bewitching demon. Even though the bright moonlight illuminated his form, casting a long shadow, he seemed less human—an unsettling chill settled in one’s heart, yet it was hard to ignore his excessively captivating appearance."You... Duke of Veylar?!" The scarred man swallowed nervously."Oh? You recognize me?" Reginald smiled slightly, casually plucking a leaf and slowly walking forward. "That makes things easier. Since you know who I am, you should be aware of my methods. Will you confess willingly, or must I force it out of you? Who sent you to tail Ma—"Suddenly, something felt wrong. The night obscured his view of the woman hidden by the trees, but as he approached, his heart skipped a beat.The woman’s long hair was disheveled, fluttering wildly in the mountain breeze.
Miranda weakly waved her hand, taking in deep breaths of fresh air, hoping to dispel the strong scent of blood in her nose.Reginald was about to speak when he suddenly noticed Miranda's delicate hands were covered with large scratches, mixed with dirt and grass, making her look quite pitiful. His expression immediately changed as he grabbed her hand to examine it. Then, upon looking closer, he saw several scratches on her face, and her clothes around her knees appeared torn, revealing numerous bruises and scrapes. Seeing these obvious injuries, Reginald's face grew darker and darker. "What happened?""Huh?" Miranda looked back in confusion. Following his gaze to her own injuries, she said, "I tripped."Before she finished speaking, Miranda suddenly remembered Molly, who had gotten separated from her. Thinking back to what she had just gone through, she realized that the men in black must have caught up.Miranda dared not dwell on the thought any further.Her sudden anxiety surprised R
The underlying meaning was clear: you want me to save someone? Sure! Just entertain me, and I'll go rescue them!Miranda frowned slightly, staring at Reginald’s devilishly handsome face, feeling even more agitated. She had urgent matters to deal with, and she herself couldn’t even manage to be in a good mood—how was she supposed to amuse him? Moreover, this man had a strange, unpredictable nature, and figuring out what would please him was as hard as making the sun rise in the west. On top of that, who refuses to save lives for such a reason? It was obviously just an excuse!She had the distinct feeling that Reginald was once again toying with her, using this situation for his own amusement.“Reginald, if you want to make fun of me, can we do that after you’ve saved everyone? You can tease me all you want, and I won’t get mad, okay?” Miranda, suppressing her irritation, tried to calm her tone, forcing herself to remain composed. “But right now, I—” she stammered, her frustration mount