Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 70

The appointed day arrived. Miesa, after playing in the garden with Gella, naturally made her way to the library.

“You have four hours. Twenty minutes at the confectionery, three hours for looking at clothes, and forty minutes for travel,” Eirik instructed, handing over the clothes and veil, and giving Gella strict warnings.

Then he added, “The biggest problem if the veil slips will be your hair color. Of course, your distinctive features too, but…” He sighed, handing over a long piece of cloth. “No matter what happens, your identity must remain hidden.”

Gella, though still clumsy at tying up Miesa’s hair, quickly took the cloth and wrapped it around Miesa’s head. As her platinum blonde hair was completely hidden beneath the bandages, Eirik nodded in satisfaction at her appearance.

“This will do. Honestly, I’d prefer to send you out with your face painted black.”

“…Good heavens,” Gella muttered, though Eirik was quite serious.

“Yes, we should apply something to your face.”

“Alright,” Miesa agreed readily, which alarmed Gella.

“No, no. You really don’t need to go that far. We’re just going to buy some pastries and visit a dressmaker’s shop. And if we paint your face black, it might show through the veil.”

“Would it be better to wear a mask under the veil then?”

“Young master, that would be even more suspicious. A mask under the veil would create a noticeable bulge.”

Despite Gella’s desperate objections, Eirik continued to ponder. “Should we change the veil then? I could bring a thicker one.”

“Thank you,” Miesa said, seemingly willing to comply with any absurd suggestion.

“No, a thicker veil would be impractical. You wouldn’t be able to see. What would you do, cut eye holes in it? That would look even stranger.”

Gella considered herself fairly sensible, but the couple’s level of paranoia was beyond belief. Just as she was about to regret encouraging the outing, Eirik reluctantly handed something over.

“Here’s some spending money.”

When Miesa took the pouch, it clinked heavily. Curious, she opened it to find a substantial amount of shiny coins. She couldn’t help but gasp softly.

“If it’s not enough, ask Cullen for more.”

“Wow! Young madam, how much is this? Thirty, forty, fifty jere… This is more than my salary, and it’s just pocket money?”

Gella, too, was excited. As Miesa admired the shiny coins, she found herself wondering if she really had to spend them on things.

The secret passage through the library’s fireplace led to a small log cabin just beyond the gentle slope past the mansion’s rear garden.

In that secluded spot, hidden by dense trees, Cullen waited with a carriage. Although there had been a slight delay from the appointed time, soon the cabin door opened, and Gella emerged with a veiled woman. Cullen raised his hand to call out to Gella.

“Gella, over here.”

The commander hadn’t specified who the person they were escorting was, but Cullen immediately guessed that the veiled woman was the young madam. Gella wouldn’t leave her alone in the mansion to accompany anyone else.

Even as he saw the slender figure from a distance, Cullen didn’t doubt his assumption. However, his eyes narrowed when he noticed the woman walking straight towards the carriage without any hesitation.

As he watched her walking confidently instead of clinging to the trees, a doubt crept into his mind, which soon solidified into certainty that this wasn’t the young madam. Unlike her, who had a limp, this woman walked with grace and poise on both legs.

Her elegant movements, the way she held onto her veil delicately as a breeze blew, and even her slightly taller stature than the young madam made Cullen wonder who she could be.

While Cullen pondered, Gella approached and pointed at the carriage. “What family’s crest is that on the carriage?” she asked.

“I made it up. There are about fourteen different fake crests like this.”

“Oh, miss, let me help you,” Gella said, not waiting for a response. She hurried over and assisted the veiled woman into the carriage.

The woman lightly placed her gloved hand on Gella’s as she gracefully climbed into the carriage. Despite his usual indifference, Cullen found his attention drawn to her. Who on earth is she?

“Sir Cullen, you’ll ride next to the driver, right?” Gella asked, then slipped into the carriage herself and firmly closed the curtains.

The carriage stopped in front of the pastry shop where prior arrangements had been made.

Cullen strode over to the carriage and opened the door. Gella was the first to step out, assisting the veiled woman carefully. The woman who stepped out stood with a straight, dignified posture. Observing her up close, Cullen was now completely certain that this woman was not the young madam.

“I’m sorry, but the veiled lady cannot come inside,” said the shop attendant as they approached the entrance, blocking their way.

Gella stepped forward protectively. “Why not? Why can’t she come in?”

“Several years ago, leprosy spread in the south. Other customers might feel uncomfortable.”

“No, our lady had a childhood illness that left her face scarred, but she’s perfectly healthy now—”

Before Gella could finish her protest, the veiled woman quickly tugged at her elbow to stop her. Then she skillfully and discreetly hand-signaled, [Return], [Base].

Cullen’s eyes widened at the sight. The way the woman switched her left hand to hold the veil with her right hand while signaling was so seamless that even he, who was attentive to her actions, barely noticed. Such dexterity in using both hands for signaling would take knights at least three to four years to master.

“Huh? No, lady. Hold on. I forgot…”

Cullen didn’t think Gella’s comment about forgetting was genuine. Meanwhile, the woman continued signaling. [Noise], [No].

Gella, looking confused by the rapid hand movements, hesitated. Seeing this, Cullen stepped in, fearing they might have to return to the mansion without accomplishing anything.

“Our lady does not wish to cause a scene. Please just tell us the types of pastries you have. We will order from outside.”

“Thank you for understanding,” the shop attendant said, relieved, and began to explain the options. Meanwhile, the veiled woman moved slowly to the corner.

Cullen watched her closely. Was she trained as a knight? After seeing her hand signals, even her cautious movements to keep her back to the wall and observe her surroundings seemed calculated. Such readiness was unusual in someone who moved with the grace of a noble lady.

“Two of the second one, and…”

Gella relayed the woman’s orders as she pointed. The shop attendant, flustered by the large order, went back inside, while Gella approached the woman and whispered something.

“Are you okay? We are customers too. What’s the harm in blocking the entrance a bit?”

However, the woman subtly shook her head, seemingly checking the alley across and the passing carriages. She was definitely not an ordinary person.

The hand signaling was exclusive to the knight order and strictly confidential. It was even forbidden to document it, which meant this woman had undergone several years of training within their ranks. A female knight in the Cladnier order with such training…

Cullen briefly considered the female knights he knew but shook his head. None of them were as frail as this woman. Perhaps she was one of the covert operatives Margravine Cladnier employed, known for using assassins in place of her strict husband. Cullen had seen the margravine use hand signals before.

Wait, come to think of it…

The day after visiting Grand Duke Hagail, the commander had muttered in his office.

“There isn’t anyone who resembles Grand Duke Hagail, is there?”

Then this woman could be a stand-in for the young madam. It’s not uncommon for members of the assassin guild to alter their appearances.

It seems the commander decided to use this stand-in only after confirming that Grand Duke Hagail was a lost cause.

What a meticulous man… Cullen marveled at the commander’s thoroughness. Today was likely a test for the impostor. Not informing Cullen of the details made perfect sense now.

Realizing the veiled woman’s true identity, Cullen felt an immediate sense of relief. Just being free from the confusing thoughts was a relief.

“Miss, it might take some time for the pastries to be ready. Would you like to look around the street in the meantime?”

Such spontaneity was out of the question, but the woman promptly rejected Gella’s suggestion, making Cullen’s worries seem unnecessary.

[Talk], [Box], [Inside], [Wait]

“Oh, alright. Let’s go back to the carriage. You can wait there, and I’ll get the pastries,” Gella said.

Satisfied with the veiled woman’s caution and prudence, Cullen nodded subtly in approval.