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Chapter 69 Part 3 – Side Story: The Blood-Sucking Madam of the Abandoned Castle (Part 2)

I could guess what Elisabeth had done to the girls with this statue. No wonder Hannah clammed up. Even though I am used to seeing torture devices due to the bloody struggle for the throne, I have not seen such a terrible thing.

The madam of this castle is a true lunatic.

I couldn’t find Alisa in the bedroom.

I couldn’t stand still. Elisabeth has no hesitation in killing and her morals are even more nonexistent. Even though Alisa is an extremely lucky girl, she could be killed at any moment in a gruesome manner.

I was so nervous that my heart nearly jumped out at the reverberating sound of a horn. Worried because I hadn’t come out of the bedroom, Hannah entered the room with trepidation and her complexion instantly worsened.

「…… This sound is …… the fanfare for the dinner party ……!! …… Maybe Alisa-sama is ……!!」

We looked at each other with pale complexions.

「I-it’s over here. I’ll show you the way there. We have to hurry ……!!」

Hannah took my hand and we quickly rushed down the dark stairs.

Hannah was impatient.
I bit my lip as I realized the reason.
Alisa was too good a catch.

「The madam is probably planning to cook Alisa-sama in front of everyone as she boasts about it ……!!」

According to what Hannah told me, Elisabeth sometimes holds dinner parties in the banquet hall with like-minded worshippers of the devil. At that time, they will be feasting on black pudding made from the blood of maidens and other dishes that are hard to put into words. Elisabeth intends to serve Alisa as the main dish there.

We burst into the kitchen.

The chefs were all wide-eyed because of our sudden intrusion and yelled at us, but we didn’t pay any attention to them and rushed inside. Over the furnace, there were suspended pots being simmered and whole birds impaled on skewers dripping with oil.

…… Even though it is a large kitchen, there is no oven with black luster that is essential to cooking. There are no women standing and working. The variety of cooking utensils are also awfully little. Several essential kitchen items are missing.

A huge long cooking table was lined with ingredients and piles of herbs. On the other hand, the quantity and variety of herbs is far greater than what I have seen in any other kitchen. This is one of the characteristics of old-time cooking.

In the days when spices were hard to come by and salt was scarce, it was the default to use easily available herbs. They also loved herbal teas and used herbs as a substitute for medicine. Herbal baths were recommended, and even fragrances were made from herbs. They even used herbs on the floors where noble people sat. Just how much did they love herbs? …… In the Middle Ages, they truly consumed herbs as if they were bathing in them.

The amount was enough to stuff Alisa with herbs, but fortunately, she doesn’t seem to be here.

I pressed my hand against my chest in relief.

Taking advantage of that opportunity, a well-built chef grabbed my wrist and tried to twist it. He was so furious at the strangers that suddenly trespassed into his sacred kitchen that he shouted, 「Get out of here right now」. He even told us to 「Get the hell out of this castle and never come near it again」.

He was being faithful to his duties, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to engage in a conversation with him. I was also upset by Elisabeth’s cruel acts.

Without any hesitation, I struck him on the lower jaw with my iron-ribbed fan in a hooking motion. His face shook. When a person is hit on the face at a certain angle, he tends to get a concussion. This is especially true if the other person is screaming and opening his mouth.

It’s one of the 33 self-defense techniques taught to me by my father. It’s a secret known only to a few warriors. And the chef’s jaw and neck were not as strong as those of the best warriors.

The chef flipped backwards in a showy way and sprawled over the ingredients on the table.

「…… Don’t underestimate me. Answer my question honestly if you don’t want to die. Was there a blond girl brought in here as an ingredient?」

I held a cleaver to his throat and threatened him.
I acted like a female pirate.

「I have a short temper. If you don’t answer, everyone here will die.」

I glared at him. In addition, I shredded the vegetables next to the chef as an appeal to my blade-crazed nature.

It’s a good way to bluff.
I don’t have that kind of fighting ability.
If all of them were to team up on me at once, it would be the end.

Despite the ruthless, cold-hearted expression on my face, I was sweating profusely on the inside.

However, they seem to think that I’m a superb combat expert because I easily overpowered a large man with my slender arms, and as I had suspected, this chef was the head of this place. He was still in a daze, but everyone around us rushed to answer my question when I gave a deliberately cruel laugh 「Ihihihi」 and gestured with a slice on the neck.

They probably thought that I’m the same type of person as Elisabeth.
I’m a little bit hurt.

It appears that Alisa was not brought here.

「…… 『Special dishes』 don’t go through this kitchen.」

Said a serious-looking young man with disgust.
He sounded like he abhorred it.
Several people nodded in sympathy.
Apparently, this was still a decent workplace.

「There’s a hidden room dedicated to that. We’re ordered to bring in new knives and plates from time to time.」

It’s certainly true that this kitchen doesn’t have the sad, gloomy atmosphere of Elisabeth’s bedroom.

「I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. This is a small apology.」

They told me the hidden room where the『special dishes』would be brought to, then I took out several gold coins from my pocket and put it on the table. I placed three of them on the face of the chef I had stunned with a grand gesture. On both eyelids and on his nose. The unexpected expense made me weep. If Ethelreed finds out, my only snack will be biscuits for a while. I wonder if these gold coins will work here.

「…… Are you going to go save your friend?」

I nodded at the young man who asked the question with a small voice.

「…… Good luck.」

To my surprise, the young man encouraged me.
Even more surprisingly, not only him, but everyone else looked at me fondly as they saw me off.
It was worth even more than the gold coins I had given them.

「During the repulsive banquet, the soldiers would be driven away from the vicinity of the banquet hall.」

He even gave me some more useful information.
I guess they don’t want to be seen when worshiping the devil.
Now we wouldn’t have to deal with a professional armed group.

It seems like there are a lot of people inside the castle who don’t like Elisabeth’s atrocious deeds.

When I pinched my skirt and slightly bent my knees to show my gratitude, all of them were surprised. It was obvious from their expression that they thought, ‘what a strange greeting way’.

「Uhh, my manners are perfect though.」

It looks like I’m far too ahead of the time period here.
I couldn’t help but feel indignant.
I felt downhearted.
Seeing my reaction, Hannah got worried and flustered.

Oops, now’s not the time to get hung up on such things.

Hannah and I ran out of the kitchen and rushed to the hidden room they told us about.

On a plain wall, there was a spot with a goat decoration, which indicated that that area was the entrance to the hidden room. I put my fingers over the slight indentation, lifted it slightly, and pushed it in, then the entire wall slid open sideways.

「…… I didn’t know there was a room like this ……」

Hannah’s eyes widened in surprise.

Even Hannah, who worked at the castle, didn’t know about this gimmick.

If the people in the kitchen hadn’t told me about it, I would have never made it here. I don’t have great luck like Alisa, but I am blessed with lucky encounters.