“Damn, lets finish up checking the others.”
Thud! The door was closed and they disappeared down the stairs. Since the doorknob was broken, the door opened up, slightly squeaking.
Henrietta separated herself from his lips… but, even though the soldiers were already outside the hotel, she still kept on watching Saito with moist eyes.
Saito was completely surprised by Henrietta’s behavior at that moment. When the time comes, she could sacrifice her own body, like tonight, just to keep the secret. She was really strong.
With flushing cheeks, Henrietta kept quietly watching Saito.
“…Princess.”
Henrietta said in a strained voice.
“I already told you to call me Ann.”
“But…”
Not waiting for him to finish, she pressed her lips against his again. This time, it was a gentle… emotional kiss. In the dingy lamplight… he could see Henrietta’s white shoulders that he held just a while ago.
With Saito strongly confused, Henrietta’s lips started to trace the shape of his face.
“Do you have… a lover?”
In a hot voice Henrietta whispered into his ear. He felt like melting from that sound. Then, Louise’s face popped up in Saito’s head. Louise was not his lover. But…
“I don’t, however…”
Henrietta started to nibble Saito’s earlobe.
“Then, treat me as your lover.”
“W-what?!”
“It’s all right, only for tonight. I am not telling you to be my lover. But, please, hug me… and kiss me.”
That moment - time stopped… this way, a few minutes passed.
Moisture filled the room thanks to the rain. The mixed smell of futon and bodies drifted in the air.
Saito watched Henrietta's eyes. Even in such a dirty room… Henrietta’s beautiful face was dazzling. No, maybe it dazzled because of this dirty room.
He was almost inadvertently drowned in these charms. But… he could not go beyond Henrietta’s kiss… Louise would never forgive Saito. Not only would she never forgive him but also she would be saddened, because Louise respected Henrietta the most.
He could not do such a thing.
He could not pretend to be lovers and kiss with a person… that his important person held important. Henrietta was just lonely. There must be another way to comfort her.
Therefore, Saito lightly patted Henrietta's chestnut hair.
“I cannot become a prince.”
“I’m not asking to do such thing.”
“Remember? I am not a person from this world, I am from a different world. I can't… substitute someone.”
Henrietta closed her eyes and drew her cheek to Saito's chest.
After that… when the heat gradually vanished… Henrietta muttered, embarrassed.
“…You must think I am a shameless woman. Even though I am called a queen… I am still a woman. And at night I still miss someone’s warmth.”
For a while…, Henrietta didn't say a word and just laid there, pressing her cheek against Saito's chest. Inside a cheap lodging house, that might be the cheapest in town, the noblest woman of the country trembled like a child in his arms. Saito smiled wryly at this somewhat absurd situation.
And… felt uneasy.
“Princess.”
“What?”
“Please explain to me slowly. What on earth are we doing here? Secrets… everyone looking hard for you. And… you are trying so hard to hide yourself. It cannot be just one of those capricious things, right?”
“…Oh well. I guess I need to tell the full story.”
Henrietta voice regained her usual dignity.
“It’s a fox hunt.”
“Fox hunt?”
“Yes, you know that clever animal, the fox? Even with dogs at it, even with beaters, it is not easy to capture one’s tail. Therefore… I set a trap.”
“Trap?”
“Yes, and the bait is me. Come tomorrow… the fox will leave its nesting hole.”
Saito looked at her.
“And who is the fox?”
“Albion’s spy.”
Agnes and Louise were riding the horse down the alley leading to Richmon’s mansion. Though the rain eventually turned into drizzle… it was still cold. Agnes gave Louise her own mantle to wear.
“W-what are the circumstances?”
“Rat hunt.”
“Rat hunt?”
“Yeah, they not only damage a kingdom's granary… but also try to betray the master in the middle of the hunt.”
Uncomprehending, Louise stared at her
“Explain it in full detail.”
“There is no time to explain it any further now. Nha! We arrived.”
The gate of Richmon's residence opened and a young page appeared before Agnes’s horse. It was a 12 or 13 year old boy with red cheeks. Holding a torch, he looked around restlessly before starting to lead his horse again. The page started to gallop while holding a torch. Agnes smiled thinly and began to chase after the horse, following the light of the torch.
“…What’s going on?”
“It has started.”
Agnes answered briefly.
In the night air, the page continued galloping the horse at full speed. Seems he was told beforehand by his master to hurry. The boy was surveying his surroundings while desperately clinging to the horse's back.
Agnes, keeping a distance between them, followed him.
The page's horse passed the upscale residential area and stopped at a suspicious district. In the surroundings of the night, one could hear the Queen's search party drinking and having fun.
Omitting going through Chicton Street, the horse disappeared into a secluded alley.
When he disappeared at the entrance of the alley, Agnes descended the horse and looked into the alley.
Leaving the horse at the stables, Agnes turned to the hotel once she made sure that the page entered there. Jumping off the horse, Louise asked while running after her.
“What, what is happening?”
Agnes did not answer any more.
She entered the hotel and elbowed her way through the mass of people at the bar in the front till she saw the page going up to the second floor. She followed.
From the staircase, Agnes confirmed the door through which the page had entered.
Two people had expected visitors for a while there.
Agnes whispered to Louise.
“Take off the mantle. Start leaning over me in a bar woman's way.”
Not understanding, Louise did as Agnes said and took off her mantle. Then she pretended to be a fizgig flirting with the knight. She saw such scenes often during the hustle at the bar and had them imprinted in her mind.
“Good.”
Agnes said to Louise without averting her glance from the second floor. Though her voice was still womanly, when keeping silent she left an impression of an honorable knight, probably because of her short hair. Louise’s cheeks started to blush inadvertently.
The page walked out of the room at once.
Then Agnes drew Louise to her. Ah, and snatched a kiss.
Though Louise tried to wriggle out in rage, Agnes suppressed her with strong power, and she could not move...
The page gave a short glance at Agnes and Louise kissing, and turned his eyes away at once.
A kiss between a knight and a bar woman. Just like in the painting that hangs on the wall of the residence, an ordinary spectacle.
Then the page went out through the exit, straddled a horse just like the time he came here, and disappeared into the town of the night.
Agnes finally let Louise free.
“W-what are you doing?!”
Louise shouted, blushing. If her partner were a man, she would have pulled out her wand and blown up this place already.
“Relax. I do not have such a hobby. This is duty.”
“Neither do I!”