HPDBC Chapter 45
Chapter 45
What kind of food will be set up at the banquet? There must be a lot of delicious things.
I wonder what Arthur and Maria are doing right now. They're probably having their hearts race somewhere at the bottom of a cliff.
Ha ha ha ha.
Ha ha...
‘Even when I think about something else, I can't forget!’
My face is burning.
Why did I look at Tristan’s face and cause this trouble?
‘Well, it was a face worth looking at!’
It was handsome, I muttered to myself as I headed toward the Earl’s tent. But the maids who saw me were flustered.
"Lady Doris? Are... are you alright? Your arm... your hair... your dress..."
Their confused eyes flickered between the bandage on my arm, the messy hair, and the dirty hem of my dress.
"It’s a long story."
Really long.
"I'm fine. I'll explain to my family. Could you please help me get ready to go to the banquet?"
The maids looked at me with the same defeated expression someone would have after hearing, "Check my emails and prepare the materials for Monday's meeting," from their boss at 5:40 p.m. on a Friday. Still, they moved quickly without hesitation.
"Please wear the dress prepared for tomorrow's lunch."
There was another dress? Aristocrats!
Natalie’s maid quickly fixed my hair. Though it looked simpler than before due to the lack of accessories, it suited me better this way—more like Doris Redfield.
After I regained a lady’s appearance, I was about to leave the tent when a sudden thought made me ask the maids.
"Have you all eaten?"
"Yes?"
"I was wondering how you all eat during the banquet. You’re not going without a meal, are you?"
One maid waved her hands.
"Oh, don’t worry! We’ll be eating the bread and cheese we brought from the estate."
"Aha. Well, enjoy your meal then."
I said my goodbyes quickly.
I knew that if I wasn't there, the maids could relax and have their meal.
But one maid’s voice stopped me.
"Lady, is there anything we can help with? We were worried you went through something unpleasant after seeing you get hurt earlier..."
"Ah..."
"Of course, Natalie is the one you trust the most, but we might be able to quietly handle things you don't want to deal with."
The maid’s voice was clear and gentle, almost like the way a younger sibling would help.
"Thank you, but I can handle this myself."
"Sorry for asking such an inappropriate question. Please go on and take care, Lady."
The maids bowed their heads. With a bit of a flutter in my heart, I left the tent.
Wow, what the maid said just now felt like a line from a thriller movie. It almost sounded like "We'll dirty our hands for you."
Of course, she probably meant she’d help as much as possible.
‘Thank you.’
What did I even do to deserve that?
‘I’ll bring some snacks for the maids later.’
Of course, there’s someone I need to take care of first.
Before entering the banquet hall, I asked a maid carrying food to deliver some finger food to the royal infirmary.
"What's wrong? Do you have a prior engagement with Arthur or something?"
"No. I’m not interested in Arthur."
"Tch."
"Maria is my friend, and I want her to get what she wants."
"So, it’s a good thing they’re spending time together. What’s the problem?"
"Problem... no. Not really."
If this were a novel, it would be a problem.
This isn’t a romance story where the male and female leads have cute moments. The scene where they end up in a dangerous, tense situation is a key turning point in the genre! The emotional tension in that moment is like the climax!
But this is reality, not a novel, so maybe their romance will develop normally.
Still, I can’t just leave it alone. It’s unsettling.
I need to see it with my own eyes!
Before I moved, I grabbed some food from a nearby table to fill my stomach, and my sister laughed.
"The bakery food here is delicious. It seems like the organizers put a lot of effort into it. Make sure to eat plenty."
"Yes."
"Just don’t get fat."
"......I’ll come say goodbye again later."
"When the band’s playing, dance a little."
After my sister returned to her group of followers, I quickly made my way to the place she mentioned.
Why would the most exciting event slip away like this? What’s the cause?
‘Actually, the problem started earlier.’
The original story. The noble scoundrel tries to make a move on Maria, but gets grabbed by Rick and thrown off. Maria, unaware, heads to the banquet hall.
Reality. Rick didn’t show up, and I stepped in. Maria, the rest is irrelevant.
‘But even then, the ending should have been the same...’
In the original, Maria, who couldn’t fit into the exclusive atmosphere of the banquet hall, gets tricked by a minor character and ends up lost in the game of tag, slipping into a valley. Arthur, hearing from the servants that someone had fallen, goes down and finds Maria. They go back up together, and after hearing Maria’s confession about how scary the social world is, they have an honest conversation.
But in reality... they're probably just dating normally.
‘Where’s the issue... no.’
A clue flashed through my mind.
‘The path.’
Due to the rain these past few days, the hunting ground was a mess. If the author had just had someone slip and fall off the cliff, it would’ve been totally plausible.
But right now...
‘Tristan had the workers clear the path!’
That’s why Maria wasn’t hurt when she should have slipped during the game of tag, right?
What really makes me sigh is that the reason for all the hard work might just be because of me.
Tristan said it himself.
"Paths where people walk are still being cleared. If you want to make unnecessary worries out of people reminding you to be careful on the path, that’s your choice."
Who knew a simple word of caution would cause such a butterfly effect?!
While silently screaming in my head, the maze garden came into view. The soft light of lanterns scattered around created the perfect atmosphere for lovers to meet in secret.
It would be so depressing to go in alone... just as I thought that.
‘Huh?’
In an open area slightly away from the garden.
Between the bushes, I spotted a familiar silhouette.
It was Rick Ray, sitting alone on a bench.