“I am truly sorry. Our family’s little ancestor has caused trouble for the two of you… Uh, this is Lady Idledra, the Saintess of the Holy See, and the lady next to her… Might I ask how I should address you?”
Looking at the little girl next to him, who was sobbing quietly while nursing a bump on her head, the old man — or more formally, Marquis Carter — apologized with a face full of regret.
‘How did this little ancestor manage to run into these two…?’
‘My old bones are really suffering.’
“Just call me Lillia. I am the Saintess’s personal maid and bed-warmer — mph!”
“Bodyguard! She is my bodyguard!! Haha… She might have eaten something poisonous recently, so please don’t mind her.”
Hailey quickly covered the mouth of the girl who would say anything.
Marquis Carter smiled, expressing his understanding.
Soon, a servant brought several cups of black tea and snacks.
Before anyone else could react, the little girl took the initiative and snatched one.
“Tracy, mind your manners. My apologies for the lack of grace. This is… my granddaughter, Tracy. She has been staying at the mansion lately, ostensibly here for… a vacation and to escape her studies. She is quite naughty.”
“What? Grandpa, how can you take the side of outsiders? Am I not your smart, cute, well-behaved, obedient, and sensible darling granddaughter?”
Tracy grumbled unhappily and secretly punched Marquis Carter’s arm.
The Marquis, who should have been high and mighty, could only smile like a helpless old man coaxing a child.
It seemed the other party recognized their identities.
Since he had a close relationship with the Imperial Family, there was no need to worry too much.
Hailey breathed a short sigh of relief and leaned back on the sofa.
“In that case, the Marquis should also know that we are attending the banquet hosted by the Imperial Family, right?”
“Naturally. I just did not expect you two to end up in my humble place and happen to run into this failure of a girl. I suppose it’s fate.”
Having seen the greedy and fawning smiles of wealthy merchants and the arrogant, flamboyant Knight Commander, Hailey did not have a great impression of nobles.
Even the nobles she had read about in books… well, she wasn’t here to fall in love with a noble, so why talk about pride and prejudice?
But at least the old man before her gave her enough respect.
His eyes lacked the pride and disdain of most nobles, instead containing the calmness and steadiness of an elder, along with a bit of scrutiny.
Of course, this did not stop the goodwill he radiated.
It was because of this that Idledra allowed this person to chat so awkwardly before them.
If there had been any hidden malice, she would have sensed it long ago; there would have been no need to wait until they were invited into the mansion.
“Since the two of you do not have a means of transport, why not attend with my granddaughter? Consider it helping this old man keep an eye on this naughty child. What do you think?”
Marquis Carter rubbed Tracy’s head and made the suggestion with a smile.
Hailey was naturally happy to have a free ride, but her heightened sense of risk made her wait quietly for Idledra next to her.
“I can, but I want to know this girl’s background. I do not want to bring a bomb with me and get surrounded.”
Idledra’s words were not without reason.
If the girl they accompanied was a liability, they might become fish in a jar, falling into whatever trap had been planned.
“This old man guarantees with my honor and my life that Tracy will not affect your journey. In fact, she might even help you resolve some issues.”
Listening to the elder’s overly sincere words and seeing Tracy’s mischievous appearance, Idledra eventually nodded.
Then, as if in revenge, she snatched the last piece of snack the girl was eyeing.
While the girl’s eyes turned red with anger, Idledra mockingly stuffed it into the mouth of the oblivious Hailey.
*Munch, munch, munch…*
What exactly did it mean for Idledra to use ‘aggro redirection’?
“Give! Me! Back! My! Snack!!”
—
After resting for a while, Marquis Carter ordered his men to prepare a spacious and magnificent carriage, which stopped before the mansion’s main gate.
At the very least, its scale was much better than anything from the stingy Holy See.
Finally, Marquis Carter half-pushed and half-coaxed the reluctant Tracy into the carriage.
Even inside the compartment, she still glared fiercely at the innocent-looking Hailey.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
The culprit of the prank, Idledra, looked out the window with a guilty conscience.
At least this time, they were truly on the road to the Imperial Palace.
She wondered how those people from the Holy See would react when they realized their plan had failed…
—
“You mean the Saintess and the girl next to her knocked you out and ran away?”
Near the territory of the Carter family, several Temple Knights surrounded the carriage driver.
He nodded frantically, trembling, for fear that he would be punished by a high official of the Holy See for negligence.
He had clearly followed the orders of the Pope to drive the carriage here.
Why were these knights looking at him with such cold eyes?
“I intended to use this opportunity to put pressure on the Carter family…”
“His Holiness the Pope said that if something truly happens to the Saintess, you — including all of us — will not escape. You better pray the Saintess is fine.”
The Holy See’s original plan was to have the Saintess “have an accident” here, be rescued in time by the Temple Knights, and then deal with the “ill-intentioned” driver.
Finally, they would hold the Carter family, who were responsible for this area, accountable.
Now that the Saintess was nowhere to be found, they could not demand her from the Carter family.
They probably would not even be allowed to enter the area. It was truly one setback after another.
The leading knight looked at the good-for-nothing waste speechlessly.
He led the rest of the Temple Knights in a rush toward the Imperial Palace, leaving the driver behind to question his life.
Speaking of which, if Hailey and Idledra hadn’t knocked him out, he would likely have been left in this territory as a scapegoat according to the original plan…
—
“Hey, kid, wake up. We’re almost at the Imperial Palace. But why are there so many people blocking the way outside…?”
Hailey patted Tracy, who had unknowingly fallen asleep, and looked warily at the heavily guarded soldiers at the Imperial gates.
They did not look like simple guards; they seemed to be searching for or blocking someone.
Idledra’s eyes were sharper.
She saw the aggressive Second Prince Moriah behind the soldiers, coldly searching every carriage.
He would then order them to proceed with a disappointed expression.
She suddenly felt something was wrong.
It seemed this guy still held a grudge.
This grand operation was likely aimed specifically at them.
“Stop the carriage in front! By order of His Highness the Second Prince, even the Marquis’s carriage must be inspected.”
Seeing the soldiers leading the Second Prince closer, Hailey took out a veil she carried with her, attempting to sneak through.
Idledra lowered the brim of her hat, but she was also ready with magic gathering in her palm.
Only the lazy Tracy poked her head directly out.
She looked at the stunned group with an impatient expression.
“What is it, Second Brother? Are you even going to stop my carriage?”
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