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Barbara’s Trap
“Your Majesty, we have arrived. Please watch your steps.”
Mia’s carriage got to Foret-Jaune, the capital of Yellowmoon, without much trouble. Even though guards stopped them for a regular check, they had no other problems getting to the town center, where Duke Yellowmoon’s manor was.
“I thought there would be some resistance or At least one or two problems,” Sion said.
“Yeah, it’s kind of weird how easy this trip was. Smells even more like a trap,” agreed Abel.
Mia started to feel a little uneasy after hearing what the princes said.
They are right… I guess I feel like something bad is going to happen. But where is ‘Mr. I’ll Go Where There’s Danger?’
She took a quick look around.
Ludwig said, almost telepathically, “If it’s Sir Dion you’re looking for, he’s on a different mission right now.”
“Is he now?” I see. Hm…” She was really worried about breaking into Duke Yellowmoon’s front door without Dion.
“Ha ha ha, I’m sure Your Highness would rather have Captain Dion with you, but don’t worry. No one will be able to touch you. Give us a little credit, would you?”
Vanos, who was now captain of the Princess Guard, smiled at her to make her feel better.
“…Obviously, you’re right. I’ll depend on you to keep me safe then.”
She gave him a nod, but quickly added, “But not by throwing your own lives away, okay? Even if it’s for me. I want you to treat your lives like they are important, because they are.”
The comment was made because she thought of another duke’s daughter who had red hair.
Ruby will be very upset with me if this man dies for me… I’d rather not have to worry about that.
“Yes, Your Majesty, we know. You don’t have a single man under your command who will ‘throw his life away,’” Vanos laughed. Mia didn’t feel completely at ease. Vanos seems like the kind of person who would jump into danger. I’m sure he would take a sword for me. Oh stars, I wish Dion were here when things are like this. He would charge into an army and then whistle his way back.
She let out a sigh and looked toward the house. At that very moment, someone came to the front door.
“Wha—”She looked at the figure with wide-open eyes.
“Welcome Your Majesty. Inside, Milord and Milady are waiting for you.” Barbara, a Yellowmoon maid , stood there with her head bowed too low to be polite.
The two princes grabbed their swords right away.
“You have a lot of guts to just walk out here like that.”
With a smile, Barbara brushed off the open hatred. “Prince Sion, if you want Lady Citrina to be returned to you unharmed, you should be careful about what you do from now on.”
“Does that mean you want us to put down our weapons?” Sion gave her a sharp look, but she didn’t seem to be bothered by it.
She shook her head and said, “I would never do something like that. That would be a violation of a royal right. Please come in with your arms out. The ruler’s sign is the sword. He has the right to wear it. After all, it’s a sign of power to be able to use the sword however he wants and kill those who stand in their way, right?”
Her comment and the laugh that followed it were met with a cool, quiet answer.
“A king should only use his sword to fight evil. Evil people like you.”
“Oh, my goodness! Is that how it works? Prince Sion, you spoke like a true defender of right and justice. Well, if that’s the case, I guess I should be your villain.”
She laughed and kept talking in a condescending way.
“Then, think twice before drawing that sword if you want to get Milady back without hurting her.”
Her eyes moved from Sion to Abel and Keithwood, then back to Sion again. Then she said, “Now, please do come in. But as guests of Duke Yellowmoon, I want to remind you to act properly.”
Except for her sarcastic smile, she kept a polite attitude. She told them to come in and showed them the way.
Mia and her friends didn’t like how easy it was to get into the house, so they had to be careful as they stepped into their enemy’s lair.
—
Inside, the decor was simple, which was different from the pomp and extravagance that strong nobles are often known for. A long hallway stretched out in front of them. It seemed like there were portraits of unknown people on every wall.
Is it just me, or do a lot of these pictures show boring old men? There is nothing at all that stands out about any of them.
Barbara stopped Mia’s thinking when she saw her looking at the pictures.
“The heads of the House of Yellowmoon are shown on these walls. They and their cursed family have done the Tearmoon Empire’s dirty work for many generations.”
“I see. Hm…” Mia gave an interested nod. She looked at the pictures again and thought that a lot of them did look pretty heartless. Mia, as you can see, was easy to persuade.
The hallway led to a big garden with a lot of plants. Across it was…
“Th-That’s…”
Three men in masks stood over a man on his knees with their swords pointed at his neck. The man who was being held at swordpoint looked very proper. Beside him sat a young girl.
“Rina!” Bel yelled when she saw her friend.
Citrina slowly turned her head to look at Bel. She had a nice smile, but it didn’t last long.
“…Bel.” Her nice front fell apart, showing a girl who was about to cry.
Barbara took careful steps to get to her and then turned around to face the guests.
“All right, let’s start, shall we? Now is the time for judgement. The sins of the House of Yellowmoon must be tried.”