The Female Knight of Doom - TFKOD 64: Heading to Royal Capital

Without hesitation, Alice proceeded directly to the dungeon. The jailer stationed there appeared visibly shaken, his face pale with fear.

Frowning thoughtfully, she inquired, “How could he have taken his own life in front of so many witnesses?”

The jailers, all eager to appease her, remained silent, their eyes cast downward in deference. Without a word, they led her to the scene of the tragic event.

Already present was a group of investigators—referred to as the crow—examining the circumstances surrounding the assassin’s death. It appeared he had been slain by a blade plunged into his throat, a violent spray of blood marking the grim tableau.

Based on the crow’s meticulous examination, it was deduced that the assassin had ingeniously concealed the weapon in the sole of his shoe—an oversight that had gone unnoticed until now.

Alice’s expression darkened with disappointment. According to established protocol, prisoners were to be subjected to a thorough search prior to confinement—an essential safeguard.

The jailers—seasoned and vigilant—should have recognized the possibility of such a concealment. Yet, despite their experience, the trick had succeeded, leaving her to ponder how such a failure could have occurred.

The reasons behind this outcome are difficult to determine with certainty. Perhaps the guards were negligent, neglecting to inspect the prisoner’s footwear, or perhaps they had been compromised and turned a blind eye to his concealed blades. Regardless, the man was beyond help, and no information could be gleaned from him.

Alice spent the entire night within the dungeon’s depths, yet she found nothing suspicious; these guards were seasoned, and even if they had accepted bribes, their experience would have prevented a novice like her from uncovering their secrets.

Recognizing her fruitless efforts, she was compelled to retreat in disappointment. Upon returning to the mansion, darkness still cloaked the estate. She retired to her chambers, attempting to rest, but sleep eluded her.

Reluctantly, she arose early and took to the open garden to practice her swordsmanship. She trained diligently until daylight, then she sheathed her blade and prepared for breakfast.

At that moment, a servant arrived with a message: the duchess had requested her presence.

Alice sheathed her sword, wiped the perspiration from her brow, and quietly followed the servant back toward the mansion.

Instead of leading her to the duchess’ study, the servant guided her into the sitting room.

Though Alice was familiar with the layout of mansion, this was her first time entering the duchess’ personal parlor.

The servant gently knocked on the door, received a reply, and then opened it to invite Alice inside.

The room exuded a warm, inviting atmosphere; the duchess sat comfortably at a small, round table, enjoying her breakfast in a delicate white morning gown.

Alice was somewhat taken aback to see her in such an informal, familiar setting.

The duchess, seated on a three-legged stool in the center of the room, beckoned, “Please, sit down.”

Having been exercising swordsmanship, she felt a touch of shyness, perhaps because she was still a little damp from exertion. Yet, the duchess appeared unbothered by her appearance.

“Don’t be shy,” she said kindly. “Come, sit with me and share a little breakfast.”

Heeding her gentle invitation, Alice took a seat.

The duchess’ breakfast table was laden with delicacies: fruit-filled pancakes, three kinds of sausage, two kinds of ham, fried and poached eggs, a basket of bread, various spreads and cheeses, and halved croissants filled with ham, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Alice was somewhat overwhelmed by the sight of so much food.

The duchess asked a servant to pour Alice some tea and added milk to her own black tea, “I heard you were down in the dungeon last night?”

“Yes,” Alice felt a little ashamed. “I really didn’t find any useful information. I’m really useless.”

“Actually, there’s nothing to investigate,” the duchess cut open the poached egg and watched as the golden yolk flowed onto the bread beneath. “The only ones who could do something like that are the Marquis of Krosh and the Earl of Felix. And as for the others… they probably have neither the courage nor the desire.”

Alice found herself somewhat perplexed by the duchess’ composed and self-assured tone.

“Are you truly going to let them go so easily, Your Grace?” she asked.

“What choice do I have?” the duchess replied, taking a delicate bite of her egg and glancing up at her. “Let’s set aside the question of whether we even have concrete evidence that they attempted my life. Even if we did, do you genuinely believe they would willingly come to Ferren to stand trial if I sent a bailiff to summon them at their castle? These two are regional lords; to address their crimes, we would need to wage war. And what would follow? Even if we manage to eliminate them, we would merely replace them with others equally inclined to plot against me. Here, try this croissant sandwich—I find it quite delightful.”

Though still somewhat hesitant, Alice’s hand was gently pushed forward as the duchess offered the sandwich. Without overthinking, she took a bite.

The croissant was delightfully tender, complemented by slices of fresh, succulent ham. Juicy, invigorating tomatoes added a refreshing note, while fragrant cheese nestled within completed the ensemble, making the breakfast truly exquisite.

As she savored the meal, the duchess’ gentle voice gently resonated in her ears, “Don’t dwell on these worries. You’ve successfully thwarted the assassination attempt, and I believe they will not risk acting hastily for some time. Tomorrow, we will depart for the royal capital. Though some there harbor ill feelings towards me, no one would dare attempt to harm me there. You’ve truly worked hard this year. Consider this journey simply as a pleasant vacation.”

Her soothing words eased Alice’s mind, awakening her hunger anew. She indulged in a hearty portion of breakfast, while the duchess watched with a kind smile.

“Would you like some fried bacon?”

“Yes!” She replied eagerly, her appetite insatiable.

She devoured the fried bacon, then returned for a second serving of omelet, along with extra peas and mushrooms. When all the dishes had been cleared, a servant brought in a small slice of sweet carrot cake, in keeping with the duchess’ customary hospitality.

It was such a delightful breakfast that Alice felt a touch of regret at having to leave.

She now found herself seated on the bank alongside the duchess, gently nibbling at a piece of cake, when she overheard the duchess say, “A niece of the late Duke of Felix has recently come of age, and her mother has entrusted me with her guardianship to help broaden her horizons in the royal capital. If circumstances permit, I hope to also assist her in finding a suitable marriage match there. She is expected to arrive this afternoon, so you may go to the door to meet her then.”

Alice simply nodded in acknowledgment.

“Very well,” she responded. The duchess continued, “I don’t have many young girls here, and I feel uneasy about her spending all her time with the servants. Since she’s around your age, I kindly ask you to spend a bit more time with her.”

Alice was momentarily taken aback. She was never particularly confident in her interactions with girls of her own age, especially those of the “duchess’ niece” sort. Yet, how could she decline the duchess’ request? With no alternative, she could only accept graciously.

That day, after completing her work, she went to the door to wait for the noble niece, as the duchess had requested.

For Alice, this task was even more difficult than facing a murderer, yet she could not resist the duchess’ request.

She turned sadly until she saw the carriage stop in front of the door and forced a smile. But when she saw the young lady get out, she knew it wouldn’t be so difficult to get along with her.

The noble niece was one of those she had seen before.

She was surprised to see her there and called her name, “Lady Miranda?”

The girl who had once run into Alice’s room during the martial arts tournament and loudly proclaimed that she wanted to become a knight now seemed gentle and calm.

She pretended to see Alice for the first time, bowed her head, smiled, and curtsied like a lady, “Good day, Knight Quint.”

It was indeed surprising to discover that Miranda, who harbored ambitions of becoming a knight, was in fact the niece of the late Duke of Felix.

According to the duchess’ revelations, her mother was Duke of Felix’s sister, who had married into a noble family residing in a relatively distant and secluded territory. The noble lady believed that finding a suitable match for her daughter within such an isolated region would be challenging, and therefore, she entrusted her sister-in-law with the task of bringing Miranda to the royal capital.

While Miranda herself showed little interest in securing a marriage partner, the prospect of visiting the royal capital was undeniably enticing for a young girl of her age. With eager anticipation, she packed her belongings and boarded the carriage bound for the royal capital.

Her friendly demeanor quickly put Alice at ease; however, this was her first journey beyond her familiar surroundings, and her excitement was palpable. Though she strove to maintain composure, she couldn’t help but hover nearby Alice, incessantly inquiring about the splendors and happenings within the royal capital.

“Is the royal capital big? How does it compare to Ferren? Is Her Grace’s ball fun? Can you teach me swordsmanship?”

Alice did her best to answer the first few questions, but when it came to the last, she said very seriously, “If Lady Miranda wants to learn swordsmanship, you must first obtain Her Grace’s permission.”

This answer seemed to affect Miranda a little, so she fell silent. Instead, she hurried back to her room and remained sullen throughout the afternoon.

Alice felt a bit relieved; she was very busy today and didn’t have much time to answer the noblewoman’s hundred questions about the royal capital.

“You won’t have to work so hard when you get to the royal capital,” Arnold, who had accompanied the duchess as a guard many times, was very experienced. “The royal capital is Her Grace’s main camp. Many old friends of the Earl of Quint, and others, are there. In addition, Her Grace’s own identity is there. Even if someone wanted to harm Her Grace, they wouldn’t dare do so. Too much is involved. If Her Grace had an accident in the royal capital, the whole country would be in big trouble.”

“That’s wonderful!” Alice said very cheerfully.

That night she packed her bags and the next day she and the duchess set off for the royal capital.

A considerable entourage accompanied the duchess on her journey to the royal capital. Beyond herself and her three loyal knights, her retinue included essential guards, dedicated servants, trusted followers, and coachmen, alongside a secretary, a butler, an accountant, and her esteemed personal mage, Lady Meredith, as well as Miranda.

This distinguished group, numbering approximately thirty individuals, set forth from Ferren and traveled eastward, eventually reaching the royal capital after eight days of diligent travel.

Within the royal capital, the duchess possessed two residences: an antiquated estate once belonging to the Earl of Quint, and a charming villa she had personally acquired in the outskirts.

Upon arriving, she first took residence at Earl of Quint’s former estate.

Without delay, her initial act was to submit a formal request to the royal palace to be granted an audience with His Majesty the King—a gesture rooted in courtesy and essential protocol.

The royal palace quickly replied, inviting the duchess to visit the next day.

The duchess read the reply and began giving instructions, “Shirley, go and iron the dress I prepared earlier to make sure it’s wrinkle-free. Amy, go pack Lady Miranda’s trunk and make sure she finds an outfit suitable for an audience with His Majesty. As for you, Alice—”

Alice looked around, somewhat surprised by the duchess’ concern for her. Then she remembered that she had heard that the duchess was very good at finding the moral in things.

The duchess looked at her and continued, “You should also think about what to wear tomorrow, because His Majesty has specifically requested to see you.”