Wreath of Lilies, Cauldron of Poison

Chapter 60

Regret Comes Too Late

The next morning, after saying goodbye to Sen, Bertus, Ethel, and a very sullen Nick, Connie and her party arrived on their wagon at Henrietta’s family house. There, the Church Knights were already hard at work, tying a number of luggages to the top of the carriages, making audible grunts as they move the sturdy and heavy trunks.

“Good…mooorning…Connie.”

“Morning,” Connie yawned, stretching her arms at the front seat of the wagon. She did not need a lot of sleep, but if she could sleep, she would rather sleep in. unlike Illumca and Martel who were very much up and aware in the mornings.

“Nooot…enough sleep?” Allenca asked while sipping on her tea. She was sitting on a chair while watching the carriages being loaded. Most of her belongings were destroyed in the ambush and whatever had survived were things that she left with Babblebrook because she did not have enough space in her carriage.

Connie groaned inwardly. Having to deal with her annoying speech pattern in the morning was not her idea of a pleasant beginning to the day. Nevertheless, she jumped off the wagon and lazily greeted her.

“Is that all you are bringing?” Henrietta asked, trying to take the initiative to mend the bridge between her and her old friend.

Connie glanced at the two trunks visible from the opening of the wagon.

A noble, especially ladies, always need their personal items with them at all time. Dresses, gowns, jewelries, make ups and other baubles. This usually amounted to quite the collection and oftentimes would need more than 5 trunks.

On the carriage next to their horses, for example. Most of the items there were Henrietta’s, judging by the crest of her family on the trunks.

Connie turned to her and nonchalantly answered. “That is all.”

“I…I see,” The girl did not know what to say. She had heard about her friend’s estrangement with her current family. She did not expect her to be so impoverished that she could not use their carriage.

And yet she could not avoid wondering about the clothes they wore. They were very distinctive. especially Connie’s robe, which design was foreign to her eyes. It made her look more like a dashing young gentleman rather than a young girl at the peak of her youth.

She looked extremely handsome in that beautiful robe. If she was a man, she would have no competition in the Capital. N-no. What am I thinking?

“Good…mooorning. Miss…Illumca,” Allenca greeted the dark elf that had just stepped forth. “And…theee…little…warrior. I…don’t knooow…your name.”

“It is Martell, Your Eminence,” The boy bowed perfectly. Left hand behind his back while his left foot scraped towards the back, showing the skills he obtained from serving Nobles.

“Mmm,” Illumca acknowledged her, but unlike Martell, she did not respond properly. Her eyes fell onto the girl who berated her yesterday and she saw that her expression was stiff.

“When will we depart?” she asked, ignoring the awkward look from Henrietta.

“Sooon…We…aaare almost finished…loooading the…carriage.”

Just as she said that, the fat Cardinal Deacon appeared from inside the house. The centuries old wooden stairs leading into the house creaked beneath his weight. Henrietta could not help but wince at seeing the step of her birth home bending from the stress.

“Ah, just in time. At least you are punctual,” Babblebrook snorted as he made the rude remark. Behind him was the lanky Deacon Peterson, bringing an exquisite wooden box between his arms and a robe.

“Hm. Is that your transport?” The fat man asked with a mocking smile. “Looks a bit shabby for a Noble’s, doesn’t it?”

“We use it to transport dead bodies of monsters from a quest. No need for a fancy carriage,” Martell answered wittily. He could have used another, more polite words to say this, but he did not. His first impression of him was that this fat man would just throw around his authority if let be. A bit of a twat. “Would you like a ride? I am sure it would fit you.”

“H-hmh, maybe next time,” Cardinal Deacon Babblebrook felt unbalanced from the unexpected retort.

“I’ve finished loading the carriage, milady. We are ready to leave anytime,” Barnaby appeared from behind the front carriage in his usual attire, panting slightly.

“Thank you, Barnaby,” Henrietta replied softly.

“How’s the arm?” Connie asked the loyal servant. “Any pain or discomfort?”

“Your pill did wonders, Lady Cornelia,” the servant rotated his arms to show his condition. “Thought it still feels a bit stiff.”

“It’s normal then,” Connie said. “But you still shouldn’t be lifting heavy stuff.”

“Understood, milady,” Barnaby bowed slightly to show his gratitude. Connie accepted with a nod.

“If everything’s ready, then we shouldn’t delay. Your Eminence. Shall we depart?” the Cardinal Deacon gestured to the largest carriage with his hand. A Church Knight immediately opened the door of the carriage and another placed a wooden step to aid her entry.

“I’ll…take the back…carriage. You can use…the big ooone.”

“But, Your Eminence?!”

“Dooo…you eeexpect…me to sit for mooore…than a day…without room…fooor…my legs?” She said, nodding at his belly. Babblebrook was instantly crestfallen.

“I will…uuuse…the smaller…one. Will…you joooin…me, Henrietta…and…Connie?”

“Eh, I’ll ride on my wagon,” the girl in centipede robe rejected softly. “I want to be able to lay down. Catch up on some sleep.”

Without waiting for an answer, she turned towards her wagon, followed by Illumca and Martell.

“C-Connie,” the girl hesitated a bit when she called her.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Will you…will you join us?” her lips trembled. “it’s not becoming for a noble to ride on such a…rickety old thing.”

Hearing her words, Illumca’s face soured. Martell’s was a simple smile, knowing the hidden meaning behind her words.

“Only if my companion can join us,” the blonde girl answered simply. She really wanted to avoid sitting with the two girls.

Before Henrietta managed to answer her, Illumca spoke out.

“I’ll be riding on the wagon. You can go with them, Connie.”

Connie mouthed a no at Illumca while softly shaking her head, just enough not to be noticed by the others. Seeing her not reacting to her silent plea, she whispered to Martell. Save me!

Martell’s answer was a brief glance at the dark elf and a helpless shrug.

“You should catch up with your friend.” the dark elf said as she climbed on the wagon with Martell following behind.

“W-wait.”

The dark elf smiled, but there is no warmth in it. “You were too rash last night.”

Connie might not understand much about female minds, but she knew that look. That was the look Fei gave her when she went home too late in the morning without telling her beforehand. By then she knew that she could not say anything else.

Connie’s shoulders slumped as she now had to ride with the Maiden of Water and Henrietta.

“…Alright,” Connie smiled with a resigned sigh. “I suppose I will have to accept that invitation then.”

The green-haired girl smiled brightly at her answer. “Excellent. Then shall we depart?”

About an hour later, they were already well out of the forest and began to enter the mountainside roads. Though the carriage was small, it was comfortable. The seats were lined with down cushions and the backrest was soft enough to hamper the occasional bumps.

Connie sat on the middle of the seat facing the front with one leg crossed over the other, while Henrietta and Allenca sat on the other side.

Henrietta had been wanting to say something to her dear friend, but as soon as she wanted to utter a word, courage left her, and she only managed to let out one syllables at a time. After what seemed to be ages, she finally managed to start something.

“T-that is a beautiful robe you are wearing. W-where did you buy it?”

“I had it custom made by the old man in Planthorne’s Fineries based on my design.”

“B-but isn’t he already booked full for the year?” Sensing that Connie did not seem to mind the question, she took a deep breath and began to relax.

Connie remembered the old man’s passionate look every time she placed an order. “Really? I haven’t noticed.”

“That’s…good then. Planthorne’s work is something praised even by the King himself,” she added. “Did you prepare a dress for the ball?”

“The dress? I didn't. I have no plans to go anyway.”

“But you are a Noble, Connie. You are supposed to go. Especially when it happens at the eve of the Maiden of Water’s Coming of Age Ceremony!” the girl said a bit awkwardly, almost screaming. She had now started to sense that something was off yet she could not stop her mouth from running. “I-I mean, I understand. Seeing as Prince Mikael and the Gladstone Heiress will be in it. B-but not a month ago you said that you were very much looking forward to it!”

Connie raised an eyebrow? “I did? Maybe. But right now, I’m here simply because she employed me. Nothing else.”

“Huh?”

Allenca played coy. “Diiid I teeell…you? I think…III forgot. It’s…just aaa party…after all.”

“Well,” Connie directed her question at the Maiden with a sardonic smile. “Do you want me to come to the party for your honor, Maiden?”

“That…wooould be…wonderful,” the blue haired girl said. Her words seemed to be implying something.

“Just kidding,” she raised her hands as if in surrender. “I don’t think I fit in that…stiff event. I’d rather enjoy a night out with Illumca. Get some training in.”

Connie steepled her hands and rested them on her knees.

“…You’ve changed, Connie,” Henrietta smiled weakly. “The former you would have insisted on wearing armor and a sword by your side. And you would not be friends with one of the impure race….”

As she was about to speak, Connie growled. “I know of your apprehension towards Dark Elves, Henrietta. And I know why. I would expect that from that unsavory fellow sitting at the front carriage. But you…” her voice dripped with poison. “…will not speak of Illumca that way.”

Henrietta drew back with a small yelp, but she then pressed on. “I’d be afraid of that…if you are Connie.”

“What?” Connie was so dumbstruck by her words that the anger evaporated from her mind.

“Connie…” her tone grew serious. “Your strength. We have been friends for a long time, Connie. And forgive me for saying this…you were not strong. Not like this. To be able to crush our kidnappers who could defeat both Knights of the Church and Calendia and also kill a Named Demon was no easy feat.”

The girl paused, the eyebrows above the green-haired girl’s eyes that had been staring at her all this time narrowed slightly.

“Are you really…Connie? Or are you some apparition using her body?” Her doubts were reasonable. There were tales of apparitions taking over the bodies of dead people to do evil, which all believers of Junnaveil were well informed of.

“Very to the point, aren’t you?” Connie replied after a brief silence. She had prepared an answer for one such question. She knew that sooner or later, those who knew the unsociable little thing that was Cornelia would ask it. You had at least one person who loved you, Cornelia, you poor thing. Sadly, you did not have a chance to understand this.

“I am Connie,” she began. “I still have memories of our sharing stories of princes and princesses when we were little, how your eyes gleamed when you spoke of the prince’s name. But I indeed have changed.” Connie smiled warmly. “And you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because I started to question. My fate. My predicament. What I have done. Why the world is the way it is. So, I question. And I was enlightened.”

“En…lightened?” the Maiden of Water seemed very interested in this.

“There was no angel. No sudden burst of light like in the fairytales. I was simply…enlightened. I got up. And did what I had to do. And at the end of it, I decided.”

Connie leaned forward with a smile that eerily seemed to cause the back of their necks shiver.

“I have decided to dream no more.”

After saying that, she leaned back and left the two to mull her words in silence.

Henrietta and Allenca could not utter any response to those simple words.

Indeed, the Connie before them was not as Henrietta remembered. She had an air of mystery and danger, far different to the awkward and honest friend she knew. Her speech was dripping with quiet arrogance and self-confidence. She exuded dignity even while sitting. Her every movement was graceful with subdued elegance.

“I…haaave…decided…too…dream…no more,” the Maiden tasted the words in her mouth and found it agreeable. “It…is aaa heavy…thing…to let go…of dreams. Just liiike…Heroes.”

“What do you mean?”

“Henrietta. Can…yooou tell…us about…the Seven Faiths?”

“Why?” Henrietta asked. When she saw the Maiden’s look, she questioned no further and explained.

“Each Country has a central faith based on the Seven Gods. Just as Calendia believe in Junnaveil, others believe in the respective gods. But they came to call the seven religions, The Seven Faiths,” As if reading from a book, Henrietta explained. “Seven Faiths, each with different tenets, different views, different practices, and even different races.”

"A recipe for disaster,” the blonde-haired girl commented.

“It…iiis. Especially…with my…Coming of Age Ceremony…there will beee…some guests…”

“Uninvited?” Connie caught the implied meaning in her words.

“…it would beee…better iiif they…are,” Allenca said. “Unfortunately…they are…veeery much invited.”

“You mean? They are really coming?” Henrietta could not hide her happiness. A stark contrast to the Maiden’s expression.

“What are you both talking about?”

Henrietta excitedly explained. “You know that Calendia are allied with 2 other countries right? I’m talking about Vorzenny and Al-khemiya.”

"Yes. Vaguely."

“Great. Then as you know to our West is Vorzenny, the Kingdom blessed by Olnadyn,” she said. “And to the East, Al-Khemiya, the Sultanate blessed by Udurr.”

“And they aaare…very troublesome. Politically…aaand…otherwise."

“Princes and Princesses or that sort? I seem to remember Al-Khemiya having both.”

“Worse. Theeey are…what dreams are…made of…” the girl answered with a touch of disdain. “…Heroes.”

“Yes! The Heroes from both countries are coming! That means that for the Coming of Age Ceremony of the Maiden of Water, we’ll have 3 Heroes in our Kingdom! It is such an honor!!”

Connie looked at the beaming Henrietta, then at the sullen-faced Allenca.

She took a deep breath. And she said, with all her heart.

"SHIT!"