Chapter 36
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
Chapter 36
"Huh? Oh."
"Then that's 45 points."
After checking the doll's score, Rachel threw another dart.
'Another 10 points!'
The Dart Game Vendor, who had been watching Rachel, seemed to sense either danger or intrigue, and made him a proposal.
"Kid, you're clearly no amateur at this. How about you make a wager with me?"
"...A wager?"
"These dolls come as a set of three—mother, father, and baby."
The Dart Game Vendor lined up three adorable dolls in front of Rachel and me, speaking persuasively.
"If you throw the remaining two darts at this spinning board and score points, I'll give you all three dolls. Of course, if you fail, you get nothing. What do you say?"
Hearing this, I furrowed my brow and interjected.
"Come on, mister. Isn't it a bit much to be trying to squeeze money out of children like that?"
"Ah, how much are these dolls worth anyway? Your friend was throwing darts so well that I got curious about how far he could go."
Still, it wasn't fair—he'd built up such a good score, and one failure would wipe it all away!
I was about to refuse the proposal on Rachel's behalf when Rachel spoke first.
"I'll do it. ...The wager."
"Huh? Rachel, I'm fine with just one doll."
I whispered to Rachel, but he'd already made up his mind and nodded at the Dart Game Vendor.
"Bold as you are skilled!"
The vendor smiled with satisfaction and prepared the spinning dartboard.
Unlike the fixed board, the center of this one had no scoring zone. Instead, the 10-point section was extremely narrow, while the low-scoring sections below 5 points were quite wide.
Soon the dartboard began to spin.
Rachel's face remained expressionless as always, but his eyes were intensely focused.
"Rachel, I don't need the dolls, so don't feel pressured."
But despite my words, Rachel seemed to have caught the competitive fire.
'I thought he'd hate something so childish.'
At moments like this, he was unmistakably just a ten-year-old kid.
'Well, as long as Rachel's having fun, that's what matters.'
As I watched Rachel, he quietly fixed his gaze on the dartboard and threw the fourth dart.
The dart landed precisely in the 10-point zone!
And without a moment to breathe, the final dart that followed struck the 5-point section.
Exactly 45 points.
The score needed to win the dolls.
"Wow! That's amazing!"
I, who had been anxiously holding my breath, couldn't help but gasp and clap my hands.
But at that very moment...
Growwwl—
My stomach sent a signal.
'This tactless body of mine...!'
Rachel, standing right beside me, stared at me, as did the Nanny watching from a step behind.
I touched my stomach with an embarrassed smile, trying to play it off.
"Ah, I suppose I've been having too much fun and worked up quite an appetite...?"
The Nanny then made a suggestion as if she'd been waiting for this moment.
"Shall we pick up some refreshments? It seems Miss and the knights could use a bite as well."
"Then I'll show you a delicious place."
As I readily followed the Nanny, Rachel, who had been holding my hand, naturally fell into step beside me.
However, the Nanny gently stopped Rachel.
"Miss should wait here. I couldn't possibly ask Miss to run errands."
"It's fine, I'll come along."
"No, Miss. The Nanny and I will go quickly and return, so please enjoy looking around while you wait for the food!"
The delicious restaurant was crowded, with long lines.
I couldn't burden Rachel, who already disliked being jostled by crowds, with such an ordeal.
When I also discouraged him, Rachel conceded with a nod.
"Then let's hurry, Nanny."
I headed toward the restaurant I knew with the Nanny.
I didn't see what expression the Nanny made as she glanced back toward where Rachel stood.
* * *
Rachel quickly disappeared from view, hidden by the Festival crowds.
Margaret, who had been watching the direction where Rachel stood with anxious eyes, swallowed hard and recalled today's plan.
[The deed will be done on Festival day.]
The Inspector who had approached her not long ago had chosen the Festival day itself as the day to dispose of Rachel.
It wouldn't be strange for a single child to suddenly vanish on such a day.
Though Margaret couldn't claim she'd raised Rachel with any particular affection, she found it distasteful to kill him with her own hands, yet she ultimately took the Inspector's hand.
If she didn't, the Inspector would expose to Kaltz that she had revealed Rachel's secret to Sally.
If that happened, Kaltz would not spare her either.
Kaltz was already a rotten rope she needed to let go of.
[There will be escorts accompanying her, won't there?]
[...Yes, usually two are assigned.]
[Let them enjoy the Festival and lower the guards' and the Princess's vigilance. Then at nine o'clock, a play will begin in the Town Square.]
[Nine o'clock....]
[At that moment, take the commoner child away. The child must believe that the Princess met with an unfortunate accident.]
Kaltz would certainly notice that the Emperor, who had been eyeing Rachel all along, was behind this, but that hardly mattered.
What mattered was how it appeared to others.
Publicly, Rachel was to have gone to the forbidden Western Forest for some inexplicable reason on Festival day and been killed by monsters along with the knights.
That way, Kaltz would have no grounds to rage over Rachel's death.
'If I buy about three snacks and return, there should be enough time.'
First, quickly dispose of the two escort knights hiding in a nearby Alley, then approach Rachel and abduct him.
That was the Inspector's plan.
In truth, time was not an issue.
It all depends on how swiftly they move on their end.
[The young lady has concealed her magical prowess until now, but in a dire situation, she will resort to magic. Therefore, we must subdue her in a single swift strike to capture her without causing a commotion.]
[We mustn't underestimate her.]
[Should we fail, His Excellency will only strengthen his guard further... and we may never have another opportunity like this.]
I had already cautioned the Inspector thoroughly—the rest was their responsibility.
Margaret turned her gaze from the worried glance she'd cast backward to face forward.
"Hmm."
I could see Vivian leading the way, humming contentedly.
Rage welled up at the sight of her innocent obliviousness to what was about to unfold.
'All of this—the young lady's predicament—stems from that reckless girl.'
Had Vivian not become Rachel's playmate, Sally would never have grown spiteful enough to reveal everything before the Inspector.
In the end, it was all that girl's fault.
The plan to raise Rachel and install Sally as the mistress of the House of Edelwein.
The guilt of having killed Rachel with my own hands after raising him so carefully—all of it.
"Oh!"
Just then, Vivian, who had been skipping ahead, suddenly let out an exclamation.
Startled, Margaret looked over to see the child pointing at a street vendor with a dejected expression.
"It looks like they've already sold out of ingredients. No wonder there were so many people today!"
Just as Vivian said, the vendor appeared to have exhausted his stock and was already closing up.
The two of them made their way to another nearby vendor.
But that vendor too had already shuttered early.
As a fellow villager with a passing acquaintance with the merchant, Vivian hurried over to the vendor who was tidying up and asked.
"Uncle, did you sell everything already?"
"Ah, Vivian? If you came for grilled chicken skewers, you're a step too late. We had so many customers today... I need to go procure more stock right away if I'm to do business tomorrow."
Yet the merchant's lips curved into a smile as he caught his breath.
"Aw, what a shame. I wanted to let the Princess taste it too."
As Vivian pouted and expressed her disappointment, the vendor tidying up his stall perked up with interest.
"The Princess came with you?"
"Oh, the Princess is over there watching a play while she waits."
Upon hearing this, the merchant suddenly produced a skewer of grilled chicken from somewhere.
"Take this and eat it."
"Huh? Why didn't you sell this one?"
"I was saving it for my own dinner, but I'll give it to you. It's cooled down a bit, but go ahead and let the Princess taste it too. And tell her about our shop. Understood?"
Only then did Vivian catch on to the merchant's grand scheme and gave him a thumbs up.
"Uncle, you're quite the shrewd merchant."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Of course it is! When you call a merchant a shrewd merchant, that's praise! I'll make sure the Princess gets to taste it."
Vivian parted ways with the merchant on good terms.
The next food item was cheese-topped potatoes, and fortunately the vendor was open, though the line was long.
Vivian quickly dashed over and got in line, then spoke to Margaret, who arrived moments later.
"Nanny, I'm going to take this to Princess Isella and be right back. She must be hungry by now."
At that, Margaret hesitated.
'I still don't know if the abduction succeeded or not.'
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org