I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

“Why?”

Bein answered my question with a low smile.

“He said he couldn’t trust me.”

“So what did you do?”

I was immersed in Bein’s story.

“I tried to make Teil trust me. In a whopping three years.”

That made me laugh. “That brat, Teil. He must be quite stubborn.”

Bein replied with a smile. “Yes. Only after I had been by his side for three full years did he acknowledge me. In fact, it’s been a while since we’ve been living together. I ended up staying with Heili as an excuse that I didn’t want to take care of him until the end. After all, it’s dangerous for a girl to live on the streets.”

I nodded. “That’s right. I’ve been kidnapped too.”

This made Bein surprised, and he looked at me. “You were kidnapped?”

“Have you forgotten whose daughter I am? Perhaps more than half of the capital would grit their teeth at Bornes?”

Bein nodded as if he understood. If there were people who met their parents well and fed them with good food, there were also people who met the wrong parents and suffered hardships.

“Then I met Baroness not long ago. Really, I thought I was dead at the time.”

I replied. “I’m not like my father. I just want to live like a human being.”

Like a human being… It sounds high and mighty. After all, nobles can’t help it. Bein didn’t know how Arianne had lived, so he took her words only as a complaint from a noble.

“Can I ask Baroness to tell me your story this time?”

She must have lived the life of a noble, but in an atmosphere where he seemed to have to ask, Bein took courage and asked her.

I smirked at that. “I’ve had a really boring life, but are you still curious?”

Bein nodded. “Everybody has their own life. I wonder what the noble’s life is like.”

My face became grim at Bein’s words.

“I… what is that?”

Bein, who turned his head and followed my gaze, caught something. “That’s… no matter how I look at it, they’re spies.”

“Is that so?”

Arianne, who said that, had the face of a mischievous person who had found something interesting to play with. Uneasy feelings crept over Bein.

“No way… is Baroness going to follow them?”

“What do you ask? Of course. Let’s go,” said Arianne as she stood up from her seat.

Bein looked around urgently, but no soldiers were seen patrolling. If they went to inform the camp, there would be a high probability that those spies would disappear in the meantime.

Bein let out a low sigh. His boss was a person who wouldn’t listen to him anyway, so he had to put the minimum conditions.

“Instead, we only take a peek at them and come back. If we get caught, I can’t guarantee Baroness’s life.”

Whether or not he knew Bein’s concern, Arianne was already far away.

“Come quickly. We’ll miss them at this rate.”

Bein had no choice but to run after Arianne. A group of people that Arianne saw were heading towards the canyon.

“They’re going towards the canyon.”

“I suppose so. They won’t be able to communicate on such an open plain.”

The canyon was like a natural fortress, but it was never perfect. The steep cliffs prevented the enemy from approaching, but there was room for a small number of people to hide if they wanted to. That’s why Charter instructed Viscount Bening to keep a close eye on the canyon. Obviously, it was anticipated that Duke Krow would move.

“First of all, let’s follow as much as we can. It would be perfect if somehow we could find evidence that Duke Krow was involved.”

“It would be a great achievement to find out where they come and go and who they meet.”

“Shh. They’re gone.”

“This.”

They had disappeared from sight until a while ago. Bein and I held our breath for a moment, just in case we had been caught, and finally approached the place where they were standing without movement for a long time before disappearing.”

“There are traces of footprints erased here.”

A rather unnatural trace was left in front of the thorn bushes at the bottom of the cliff. Confirming that the footprints were cut off here, I crouched down and looked over the thorn bushes.

“Yes, it is. It’s a secret passage.”

“Then this place…”

“Right. Now that we’ve figured out the location let’s go back.”

“Yes.”

When I got up from my seat to return to the camp, a group of masked people suddenly appeared from somewhere.

“This, I was wondering who was chasing us, but it turned out to be Baroness Devit.”

As the masked man approached and said, I replied. “You’re wrong. I’m Madrenne.”

“…”

The man lost his words for a moment as if embarrassed. But only for a moment, and he immediately regained his composure.

“Stop playing around. Please follow me quietly, Baroness Devit.”

I whispered to Bein. “They aren’t fooled.”

Bein touched his forehead. Now this situation was also a problem, but the most problematic thing was Arianne. I guess my luck ends here. He gave up. He just hoped that he wouldn’t be subjected to harsh torture.

Two masked men put sacks on Bein and my heads. And we were taken somewhere through a secret passage beyond the thorn bushes.

Bein and I, who were sitting somewhere, were able to look around only after the sacks were removed. When the man who had removed his mask disappeared somewhere, and only the two of us were left, I opened my mouth.

“This looks like a cave.”

“Really, Baroness looks so relaxed,” shriek Bein.

“Do you think we will die? They don’t seem to have any plans to do anything to us right now.”

“How can you be so sure?”

I said, “If they were going to kill me, they would have killed me immediately. They will keep us alive until they receive instructions.”

“I think so too, but we must not be careless.”

“I know about it, so stop nagging me,” grumbled me as I glanced at Bein.

Then, a man appeared. The man wasn’t wearing a mask. He was a strange person with no presence you wouldn’t recognize if you met him again. He opened his mouth.

“Baroness Devit, I’m sorry to see you like this.”

His voice has no distinction at all. What a strange person. I felt like I had seen someone like him before, but I couldn’t remember.

“I know. You’re sorry, so wouldn’t you reveal yourself or say your full name?”

At my words, he replied with a smile. “I’m a non-existent person.”

I repeated. “You’re a non existent-person… I see. You seem to be in charge here, so tell me. I will listen to you for now.”

The man’s eyes were twisted. “As expected, you’re not an ordinary person. Even most people who say they have a lot of nerve can’t hide their fear in this situation.”

“That’s enough of a compliment. Just get to the point.”

The man then said, “He said. He said that if you cooperate now, there will be a big reward later.”

I spilled poisonous words. I knew who the man was talking about, even without asking. I thought it was surprising that Duke Krow had given instructions to capture me.

“I don’t know… No matter how much I calculate, that’s not the case. A deal with the Kelteman Empire. It’s like avoiding a fox and walking into the bear’s mouth. I know that so why should I stick with it?”

The man’s face hardened. He expected Arianne to refuse, but he didn’t expect her to see through the current situation so accurately. He was going to appease her in moderation and lock her up until the end of the war, but if she was this smart, the story would change. I’ll have to get rid of her at least to eliminate the aftereffects.

“…I think that’s your answer. Unfortunately, this is the end of our relationship. I hope you’re not in pain on your way.” The man who finished talking disappeared without looking back.

I wriggled. “I can’t reach it. I can’t take it off.”

Both my hands and feet were tied behind me, so I couldn’t take out the pocket knife hidden in my boots. As I couldn’t help it, I instructed Bein. “Bein, take off my boots.”

Bein’s face crumpled. “Why is Baroness taking off your boots? Are you really going to keep acting carefree like this?”

Bein couldn’t resist and shouted at her, and I scolded him with an annoyed tone. “Can you be quiet? I really don’t have time now. There is a pocket knife in my boot, but the boot won’t come off, so you take it off.”

Bein hurriedly shut his mouth and looked in the direction the man had disappeared. With no sign of anyone showing up, he went toward Arianne’s feet.

“What on earth Did Baroness think of putting a knife in your boot?” said Bein, taking off Arianne’s boot.

“Not that one, the other one. I told you. I had been kidnapped before. This kind of trick is essential.”

Ben took off my boot, and the pocket knife fell on the floor.

“Is that so? Ah, here! I found it.”

Immediately, the sign of someone coming could be felt.

“Give me the knife quickly.”

Taking the knife from Bein, I said, slamming my foot into my boots. “Bein, take off your glasses.”

“What?”

When Bein asked embarrassedly, I talked urgently. “While I’m cutting this rope, you have to seduce them. You said your eyes are seductive. And you say they didn’t discriminate between men and women. Just try it. Only then will I believe you.”

Bein clenched his teeth. His eyes were lively, whether it was because of his resentment toward Arianne for not believing his words or the fact that he had to do what he didn’t want to do even if he died. Anyway, he was angry.

“Believe in me and do it. I will believe you then.”

Bein shook his head vigorously as if he had made up his mind. A man came in as soon as his glasses fell to the floor.