Chapter 199

Chapter 199

* * *

After parting ways with Pandora, Jeremy climbed into his carriage, which had been sitting at the ready. His plan was to rendezvous with Roxana since things had finally seemed to have settled down at the castle. Ever since she had set out the previous day, he knew that his destination would be in a different region of the neutral territory. That was where she’d be waiting for him.

However, his expression as he stared out of the carriage window while his face rested on his hand was that of discontent rather than excitement at the prospect of reuniting with his sister soon.

“I knew things would’ve been better if they had both just died...” the young leader muttered to himself as he cupped his cheek in his palm. Of course, he could have never voiced such an opinion had Roxana been next to him. Despite having gone out of his way to rush to her aid a mere five days prior, he suddenly felt a wave of frustration as he considered their current circumstances.

Of course, he had no intention of taking matters into his own hands either lest he further upset her. The deeply-rooted desire to rid the world of everyone from their insolent brother Deon to that worthless Achille impostor to the Blue Bastard flared up yet again in his heart as he thought how much he would prefer to be left alone in peace with his sister.

“Damn it! If anything, I’m too nice.” He leaned over to his side as he stamped out the grim, malicious thoughts that were intensifying by the day in his mind. I should just get some sleep. It’s been days since I last slept properly...

He closed his eyes while hoping to be reunited with Roxana as quickly as possible.

* * *

The urban area of the neutral zone was quiet.

So much had happened at Yggdrasil castle—and to the five clans that had taken residence within its walls—but as it had always had been, the lives of the affluent commoners had little to no interaction with those of the ruling class even during such catastrophes. Hence, none of the common folk were aware of the very real danger they could have faced a mere few days prior due to the escaped puppets.

“Beth.”

Within the still obliviously peaceful region were two people who remained blissfully unaware of the thin sheet of ice masking the peaceful earth they stood upon. Maria had been sitting at the dinner table and using her fork to pick at her food menacingly.

“Why is it that the meals are becoming less and less appetizing with each passing day?”

At first, the remark could be mistaken as yet another one of her childish tantrums, but the small woman’s rebuke was not for the sake of satiating her own hunger.

“What if Sierra’s health worsens? Are you going to take responsibility for that?”

Maria’s chilling gaze shot across the table and directly into the maid sitting at the other end and busy folding their laundry. Back in Agrece, Beth had always felt as though she would suffocate after receiving so much as a glance from Maria, but she had grown rather accustomed to it as of late.

Beth replied in a voice that even she found to be solemn. “I prepare each meal with proper nutritional balance. You praised me for that when you first came here.”

Maria’s brow twitched. A significant amount of time had passed since she had arrived at Sierra’s dwelling. After wandering about fruitlessly due to her son’s cruel trick, she had finally managed to find her objective’s residence.

Ever since then, Maria stayed with the other three as though she owned the place. She did, however, come to think highly of Emily and Beth since they had taken care of the blond beauty in her absence, but that was only until recently. For the past few days, her temperament had worsened and she seemed all too sensitive over every act they completed. Thus, she scolded the maid every day since then.

“Well, stop worrying about nutrition and start thinking about the taste! Are you even certain that Sierra enjoys your cooking? I see her pass up on her meals at least once a day.”

“That isn’t true. You know better than anyone that Lady Sierra has been eating all her meals properly up until recently. She always compliments my dishes too,” Beth said calmly. “Her appetite hasn’t been the same lately, so I’ve been preparing snacks for her separately. So there is no need for you to worry, Lady Maria. Oh, and please don’t force Lady Sierra to eat either. Last time you did, she was struck with an incredibly upset stomach.”

Since Beth had almost been executed once before after making a mistake during one of Maria’s tea parties at the Black mansion, she owed her life to Sierra for coming to her aid. However, her fear of the little, spritely woman was already deeply etched into her mind. Of course, the maid had been well aware of how terribly frightening of a master Maria was all along. Hence, when Maria first showed up at their doorstep, Beth couldn’t help but shudder as if a ghost were standing in front of her.

For the first few nights, she could hardly sleep as the thought of having to live with Maria under the same roof plagued her. But after having gone through so much, the maid had become more bold and less fearful of her former master. Perhaps it was because they were no longer inside the dreadful Agrece compound. Or perhaps because she was living a simple life with the woman whom she used to serve, a life she could have never dreamed of back in Agrece.

“Also the bath water. Are you sure you prepared it with those herbs I planted?”

In that small house, even Maria seemed like an ordinary person.

“Yes, my lady. I prepared it per your instructions.”

“No, because if you had prepared it the way I taught you to, Sierra’s skin wouldn’t be so coarse. Are you certain you used the correct ratio of 2.4 parts herbs to 7.6 parts water, and not something like 2 to 8 or 3 to 7?”

Above all, Beth and Maria shared one indisputable commonality—they both couldn’t resist the urge to fawn over Sierra. Beth put aside her work for a moment after hearing Maria’s criticism and spoke in an even more solemn manner.

“Of course not. I mixed it exactly as you told me. For every 7.6 parts of water, I soaked 2.4 batches of herbs. I even added five drops of perona honey, which works rather well with Lady Sierra’s skin. The nuava honey that you first suggested had no effect on her.”

It was a statement full of pride and confidence that only a servant who had observed and served the beautiful woman so tirelessly at the Black mansion could hold. Maria’s brows crinkled even more than before.

“Then why has her beautiful, porcelain-like skin become so damaged?!”

Maria argued to the point that her belligerent mood bubbled up to the surface. But Beth’s rebuttal only soured her mood that much more.

“Lady Sierra’s insomnia has been keeping her awake recently, but there’s no way you would have known that since you fall asleep the moment your head touches your pillow.” The maid spoke in her usual calm and polite tone, which only made her former master that much more irate.

Shrk. Shrk.

Emily, who had been sitting by the wall, stared at them dryly as the two women argued childishly. She had chosen to pass the time by sharpening the dagger that she always kept on her person.

“Sierra’s been suffering from insomnia? Well, that’s no surprise considering how uncomfortable the beds are here.” Yet again, the little woman found another way to insult the maid even further. “Did I not tell you to spare no expenses for her? I’ve told you time and again that I came here with plenty of money, so go and change her bed and all the furniture immediately. Or better yet... Why don’t we just build her a new house?!”

From a certain point in time, Beth had chosen to simply allow Maria’s words to fall on deaf ears. Of course, the lively woman was the sort of person to always take immediate action once an idea took root in her mind. Unfortunately for her, the proposition had already been rejected by her beloved friend, so it was merely an empty fantasy she refused to let go of.

Sierra had also gotten rather bold by refusing to allow the sometimes eerie woman to push around as she used to back at the Black mansion. Surprisingly, Maria only developed an even greater soft spot for the change in her doll-like friend. Hence, she didn’t go against anything that Sierra had firmly opposed. Beth already knew why Maria had continued to complain incessantly. And so she couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.

“You know very well why Lady Sierra hasn’t been feeling well.”

Maria quickly sealed her lips shut at the maid’s cutting words, then glared at her with even colder eyes before proceeding to drop her fork on the table. “I’ve lost my appetite thanks to you.” Of course, she made sure not to get up from her seat in a courteous manner.

Shatter!

The plate Maria had pushed away with her arm fell to the floor, then scattered to pieces. Beth had been expecting her to throw a tantrum at some point, but her former master’s cold eyes still incited a small bit of fear in the young maid.

“My apologies, Lady Maria.”

Beth was quick to apologize after recognizing that she had behaved rather brashly herself. Unlike her fear that the former Madame Agrece might pick her fork up only to stab it into the servant’s throat, The smaller woman merely glared at her once more before leaving with her dress fluttering behind her due to her abrupt exit.

* * *

Maria headed toward the room located in the most secluded part of the house, then opened its door without even bothering to knock. As soon as she was inside, she proceeded to glare menacingly at the person laying in the bed before her. That person, however, remained still as though he was unaware of her presence. However, she hadn’t expected any sort of response since he was unconscious. She frowned before taking a few steps toward the bed out of frustration.

“Honestly, of all the times for this to happen to you.”

Without expecting any sort of rebuttal, she scolded the unconscious figure of her son Deon. Roxana had brought the blood-drenched body of the man to Sierra’s door a few days prior, which left all the women residing there speechless. Then without much of an explanation, the golden-haired young woman disappeared into the night almost as abruptly as she had arrived. When Maria caught sight of the missing hand on her son’s left arm, she actually felt a pang of sorrow for her child. Even so, the greater emotion she felt in that moment was displeasure.

“You’re being here is making Sierra quite uncomfortable, you know?”

Of course, I can’t just throw him out into the streets. Despite not feeling any particular attachment toward him, Deon Agrece remained to be Maria’s son. Thus, she had made do by shoving him into the most remote corner of the home where her beautiful friend wouldn’t have to see him.

She also felt bitter whenever she recalled all the trouble he had put her through with his tricks during her initially unsuccessful search for his stepmother. Even so, as his mother, the least she thought she could do was wait until he woke up from his comatose state.

The brat better wake up as soon as possible.

Without warning, Maria reached out to him under the suspicion that he may just be playing another trick on her by pretending to still be unconscious. She even went as far as to grip his throat with murderous intent to emphasize just how much she detested his presence. However, even as his mother tightened her stranglehold on him, Deon did not move. It made Maria somewhat uneasy to see her son in such a defenseless state. Before long, she reluctantly loosened her grip, then backed away.

“Deon... Please wake up. You need to disappear from sight so that Sierra can be at peace.”

She muttered the words in hopes that they may or may not reach him, then left the room.