A Wish to Grab Happiness - Book 13: Chapter 348

Chapter 348: The Lookout Guard and the Heraldic Messenger

At the top of the prison’s watchtower. Vestaline Geluah was in front of a specific room. Even so, she didn’t enter the room, and she didn’t seem to knock on the door either.

On the contrary, she silently put her ear on the door in order to hear some sounds. Vestaline slowly hid the loud noise coming from her breath.

She even avoided swallowing her saliva so that she wouldn’t make a single noise. If she put even a little weight of her body on it, the door would make a creaking sound. She tried to be careful, at the same time as she tried to get closer.

After eavesdropping for a moment, Vestaline was able to pick up some sounds from the room.

At this stage, Vestaline asked herself what she was doing. Her sharp eyes became thinner and thinner.

She was raised as the daughter of someone with a certain status and was called the Steel Princess, and yet she was now eavesdropping. Such behavior was not allowed for a person like her.

It was a matter of pride. Vestaline kept her ear on the door and searched for words with her uncomfortably swaying eyes.

No, this behavior was misleading. She was not eavesdropping. This was a strategic and an intelligent action. After lightly stroking her chin, Vestaline turned her thoughts around.

After all, beyond this door, the magical beast Doha Surah, who had been guarding this prison like its roots, and Lugis, the hero of the Heraldic Order, were having a crucial meeting. Such scene should’ve never been possible.

Lugis had more than enough escorts, but surveillance was still necessary. It was important to always collect information, because if something happened, she could always rush towards the problem on time. It was obviously natural to behave this way. It was not strange.

Moreover, she felt little concern from those who were protecting Lugis.

Three escorts. Caria Burdnick, who was treated like a war maiden by the Heraldics, and Filaret La Volgograd, who made a name for herself in the Battle of Sanyo after using Battlefield Magic. Not to forget Fin Eldith, the Queen of Ghazalia.

Although that protection had such an impressive lineup, that didn’t mean Vestaline could feel at ease.

Why? Because Vestaline felt something strange since they came. It was a trivial thing, but it was something that couldn’t be easily discarded.

After they arrived at the prison, Lugis stopped appearing in public. For some reason, the escorts hid him in a room.

Even Vestaline, the head of the mercenaries, had little memory of having recently exchanged words with him. Of course, considering his serious injury, medical treatment was necessary. Still, the measures were too strict.

“…I wonder if something has happened.”

Vestaline asserted that it was only natural to have such doubts. Fear that something serious happened to the hero Lugis.

Therefore, this collection of information was legitimate. Then, there was nothing to be ashamed of. Vestaline explained to herself since her heart felt a slight murmur.

It was not like she was eavesdropping because she was interested in him.

Well, it would be a lie if she said she wasn’t interested in him at all. Still, it wasn’t easy for Vestaline to expose all her feelings like her sister once did.

Moreover, the feelings her sister had for him and the feelings she had for him were quite different. Her feelings were closer to a familial love. Yes, what a daughter felt for a father.

Therefore, this was nothing more than worrying about his health. She was just gathering information for that purpose.

The voice of Doha Surah and Lugis’ voice had been echoing from the room for some time. As expected, Vestaline couldn’t hear the content, but she certainly heard his voice.

In any case, her heart was now filled with a nostalgic feeling. Vestaline hadn’t heard him for a long time, and for that reason she now felt a strange sense of security in her heart. Apparently Lugis was safe.

At the same time as Vestaline stroked her chest in relief, another sound reached her ears.

「…Hmm, excuse me…what are you doing, Lady Vestaline? 」

Largud Ann, who was someone pivotal for the Heraldic Order’s administration and was Saint Matia’s right-handed person, stood right here. She was staring at Vestaline while standing still on the connecting corridor.

Vestaline wanted to praise herself for not screaming.

Her heart was roaring like never before, and cold sweat ran down from her spine. Still, only her expression tightened firmly. Luckily for her, she was originally a person who didn’t express her emotions.

If by any chance she revealed her emotions to Largud Ann, it would seem as if she were confessing that she was eavesdropping. It would lead to an action filled with odd feelings. She had to remain extremely calm.

She remembered that Ann was scheduled to visit this prison today. Ann was both an inspector and a messenger. However, she was to arrive in the evening, but seemed to have arrived quite early.

Actually, the role of a messenger was not important, especially for a person like Largud Ann. There was so much to be done rather than preoccupying with other people’s letters.

However, Vestaline had heard somewhere that Largud Ann was the most reliable person when dealing with Lugis. It seemed that a relationship of trust was built between them.

While trying to stay calm, Vestaline let out a small sigh from her throat while taking her ear away from the door. Her thoughts were engulfing with shame, but her voice twisted as much as possible in order to sound normal.

「…Actually, Lord Lugis is having a meeting with the magical beast. I was asked to be on the lookout.」

It was not a mistake or a lie. She was the one who brought Doha Surah to this point, and it was the most perfect idea to keep watch in case of emergency. However, Vestaline turned her gaze away from Ann for a moment.

Did Ann sense something? Or did she think Vestaline shouldn’t be on the lookout? Ann nodded and said with a stiff expression.

「Saint Matia has entrusted me with words that must be conveyed to the Lord Hero. I have to talk to him as soon as possible, no matter what.」

Vestaline slightly raised her eyes upon hearing those words. No matter what. If Ann, the one who ruled the administration of the Heraldic Order, said so, then it was definitely not a light one. There must be a difference in the content that she carried than that of a regular message. It carried heavy weight for sure.

Vestaline realized why Largud Ann came to this prison on her own without taking an escort with her. Thinking about that, the moment when Vestaline was about to knock on the door…

…Hold down, Caria. I’ll sew it on. It’s okay Lugis, it doesn’t feel any pain. It just can’t move anymore.

It was Filaret’s voice that echoed from the room. Its contents were strangely clear. At the same time, voices resembling those of Caria and Eldith echoed, and above all, Lugis’ loud voice leaked immediately from the room. There was no longer any need to eavesdrop.

Vestaline wondered what was happening inside.

Vestaline’s finger, which was about to knock on the door, naturally stopped. She asked herself if it was okay for her to knock on the door now. It felt like they were involved in something terrible.

Did Ann hear what Vestaline had heard? While twitching her cheeks, Vestaline let out a heavy sigh.

After a few moments, the sound stopped. Then, the door slowly creaked as it opened its mouth. Lugis showed his face while entwining his arm on someone else’s shoulder.

Then, after distorting his eyes, he looked fixedly at Vestaline and Ann.

Vestaline wondered if it was just her worried mind that made her look so exhausted. Hearing his voice right in front of her eyes for the first time in a long time made a strange impression on her heart.

「Don’t look at me like you’d look at a dead man…What trouble has happened again, Ann?」

Lugis stared at Ann with narrowed eyes as he asked her that question. He continued, jokingly, saying that every time she came to see him, trouble usually followed her steps.

Ann smiled wryly at those words and spoke.

「I didn’t expect the Lord Hero to tell me those words. It’s your role to attract such things. But…That’s right, this time it’s me who carry a very troublesome thing.」

Holding her lips with her finger for a moment, Ann finally told what she came to say.

…This is an urgent matter. A messenger has come to the Heraldic Order from the Gharast Kingdom.