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Chapter 68 Part 4 – Side Story: The Blood-Sucking Madam of the Abandoned Castle (Part 1)

Anyway, this child’s wounds are somewhat strange.

The scars that distort the face is proof that a terrible amount of force was applied to her face. It might have been an accident caused by a horse or some other heavy object. It couldn’t have been caused by the strength of a human. And it happened quite a long time ago.

But there are a lot of shallow new scratches on top of it. These are the wounds that a weak woman makes when she wields a horse-riding whip.

「Were you punished by the mistress or someone else?」

The girl looked downward at my question.

「…… The madam whips me when I move slowly …… But I can’t oppose her …… When I was still a child, my family was pushed in front of a nobleman’s carriage for the sheer fun of it. My father and mother were both hit and killed. I was left all alone and my face became like a monster. Everyone in the village treated me like a monster and I almost died many times from hunger. But the madam took me in as a human being. I owe her a lot. That’s why ……」

「But still, that doesn’t make it okay for her to whip a girl’s face!!」

The girl was stunned by my indignation.

「…… A person like me …… Someone who was treated like a monster by everyone …… You would call me a girl ……? A beautiful woman like you.」

I nodded.

Regardless of whether or not I’m beautiful, this child is a girl no matter how I look at her. Anyone who doesn’t recognize an apple as an apple just because it’s slightly damaged is an idiot. She looks a lot younger than me, but her breasts are much bigger than mine.

Ugh, I’m starting to feel sad ……

「…… You would even cry for me.」

No, this is just self-pity ……

The girl suddenly grabbed my shoulders.

「Please run away from this place!! I beg you!! Run away right now!! If the madam sees you, you will be killed by the madam!! I don’t want a kind person like you to die like a livestock!!」

I was flustered by the girl’s desperate plea.

I couldn’t help but notice that she was saying some pretty disturbing things.

「I’ve been ordered by the …… madam to kidnap the noble ladies!! The madam performs a ritual of rejuvenation by bathing in the blood of the young ladies and pasting their skin on hers ……!! But …… the girls from the village aren’t effective enough anymore …… she wants the blood of nobles …… but, but …… I can’t do it ……!!」

It was an unbelievable confession.
I exchanged glances with Alisa.

You must be kidding. That sounds like ……

Even Alisa had a serious expression on her face.

「Hmm, Scarlet-sama is only popular with women, so she’s definitely still a virgin. Alisa has already graduated from maidenhood a long time ago.」

This brainless girl!!
That’s what you’re concerned about!!
Sorry for being so distant from men!!　
But more than half of it is your fault!!

Haaa, calm down, calm down. Now’s not the time to be fixated on Alisa’s stupidity. There are more serious problems than that ……!!

「That madam sounds just like the legendary Elisabeth Sylvania. It’s not a funny joke ……」

My mouth was tense and stiff.
Come on, please just laugh it off ……
But the next moment, my entire face scrunched up splendidly.

「…… Ohh, I’m impressed, you’re such a young girl and yet you know my name.」

All of a sudden, I heard a haughty, pompous voice.
A tall, middle-aged woman stepped out of the fog.
I didn’t even hear a footstep.
I can’t believe it.
How could I, with my keen intuition, not notice her approach?
It was as if a giant snake appeared out of nowhere.

「…… That’s quite an eccentric dress. But the quality is excellent. Are the two of you noble ladies from another kingdom?」

As if she was trying to appraise us, the tall, middle-aged woman that suddenly appeared observed me and Alisa from head to toe.
Her gaze was like that of a coldhearted snake looking down on its prey.
It was as if she was a snake looking at us while sticking out the tip of its forked tongue and I shuddered.

Besides, she was the one wearing a strange dress.

It was a bit similar to the dress of the girl who had tried to let us run away, but much more luxurious, with a very deep cut at the side of the outer garment that nearly reached the ground. The upper half of her body is too distinctive. The décolleté is so wide that when viewed from the front, it looks as if she is wearing a T-shape outfit. There is nearly no fabric on the sides of the outer garment. The fabric of the inner dress is exposed below the waist to show off the body line. The long back hem was trailing like a cloak. The skirt was not inflated with a crinoline either.

Isn’t that a cotehardie and a surcoat ……!!
That was the cutting-edge fashion style 200 years ago.

「I’ll make an exception and overlook the fact that you didn’t call me with honorifics. After all, I’m in a very good mood today.」

It’s even more eerie to hear that you’re in a good mood.
She might sound generous, but that’s because she doesn’t even consider us as humans.
No one would get offended by ingredients.
Accustomed to power and being served, her way of speaking shows that she fully believes that she is the center of the world.

The 「red nobles」 sometimes have such nobles. The type I absolutely loathe.

But I immediately forgot my repulsion because I was so shocked.

The woman has well-defined facial features, but her skin is morbidly white. Her high nose and sharp gaze reminded me of the intensity of her temper. The appearance of that woman was exactly the same as the Elisabeth Sylvania I had seen in the portrait.

A chill ran down my spine.
It was too big a play if it’s meant to set me up.
No one would do that to me anyway and there was no need for it.
And above all, warning sounds were ringing loudly inside my mind.
It’s hard to believe, but this is ……!!

「Hannah, that was a good performance coming from a dullard like you. Fufufu, with this I can become young and beautiful again ……」

The middle-aged woman who claimed that her name is Elisabeth closed her eyes in rapture.
The scarred girl named Hannah groveled to her and pleaded.

「M-Madam!! Although it is not my place to say this, please don’t do this ……!! Madam is already beautiful enough.」

「Shut up!! How dare someone like you talk about beauty to me, a high-ranking noblewoman!!」

Elisabeth was enraged and took out her riding whip and smashed Hannah’s face with it multiple times.

What is this woman!? Is she an instantaneous water heater!?
Blood splashed from Hannah’s body.

「…… I’m sorry!! I’m sorry!! I’m sorry ……!!」

Hannah’s neck jerked and shook as she endured the situation while apologizing incessantly. The blood coming out from her mouth made her words unclear. There was no mercy at all.

「Oh no!! Scarlet-sama!! Will that girl be killed!?」

It was enough to make the thoughtless, carefree Alisa change her complexion.

There was no need for Alisa to tell me that.
No matter whether she’s a high-ranking noble or a ghost, there’s no way I’m going to overlook such a heinous act ……!!

I rushed out.
Pulling out my favorite iron-ribbed fan from my pocket, I circled to the right side of Elisabeth as she wielded the riding whip.
In the blink of an eye, I closed the distance.

Elisabeth furrowed her brows.
Due to the structure of the human body, it is easy for even an amateur to swing her arm inward. However, it takes some training to swing outward at a moment’s notice.

Furthermore, I have mastered the art of opening and closing my iron-ribbed fan to throw off my opponent’s sense of distance. It is a mere child’s play for me to dodge Elisabeth’s whip since she is not a warrior.

I dashed toward her and with a brandish of my open iron-ribbed fan, I easily sliced the riding whip in two with the edge of the blade.
Hannah, whose face was swollen, was released and collapsed on the ground. She wasn’t dead, but she had fainted.

I was so angry that my hair stood on end.
I struggled to restrain myself and pull away the blade that I had pressed against Elisabeth’s neck.

「…… You’re the worst type of person. That child …… Hannah said that she was grateful to you. How dare you ……!!」

I get betrayed a lot. I’m used to it.
That’s why I know how valuable a person’s loyalty is.
I can’t forgive her for trampling on it ……!!

「Apologize to that child ……!!」

But Elisabeth didn’t care about my indignation.

「Apologize? For what? I seek beauty, so it’s only natural for everyone else to be sacrificed for it. The same goes for you too. You strong-willed girl. I’m sure your blood tastes delicious. …… My servants!! Throw your spears at Hannah!!」

In a flash, countless spears shot out of the fog and rained down on the unconscious Hannah.

「…… Tch ……!?」

I gritted my teeth, pushed Elisabeth away, and jumped toward Hannah.

As expected of the legendary blood-sucking noble.
She will do outrageous acts of violence ……!!
She calmly used a loyal retainer as bait!!

Holding Hannah in my arms, I rolled over and narrowly avoided the spears.
When the human body is unconscious and limp, it is frighteningly heavy.
It was ten times harder than dodging it alone.

That’s a close call!! The spears severed several strands of my hair.

But I didn’t even have time to catch my breath.