Crimson Lily: The Book of Adventures [EDITING SOON]

011. A Desperate Attempt.

ACT 4, CHAPTER 11.

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"There were children with the same features that has been seen in Pavor City and Velician City. As the report said, the child seems to be with a lady."

Laurent tapped his chin as he listens to Jeremiah's report. Two days have passed already since they've sent the request to the guild. The knight was reading the report sent by the information guild called Crimson Lily. Somehow, the General could feel a heavy weight being lifted from the burdens of this mission. It was a good thing that they relied on other resources after all.

"Pay the guild a handsome fee. It's a token of thanks for the valuable information they gave."

That day, the General Commanding Knight Laurent assemble the top knights under his division. He couldn't waste anymore time to complete the mission. Surely, he and his knights would definitely receive a generous reward from the King once they've completed the mission.

Fifty knights were successfully gathered in the first division training grounds. Laurent divided them into two groups with twenty-five knights each. The first group was lead by Laurent himself. They will search the City of Pavor in the border of the Avarician Empire with the support of his connections in that city. The second group will be lead by Jeremiah and they will be the ones to search the City of Velician.

Both parties are tasked to search not just the prince, but also the lady whose helping him. And the only clue of her was her distinctive eye patch.

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They only arrived at the estate two days ago, but Roan seemed to adapt to his new surrounding perfectly. He had been bugging Lily to go outside and visit the marketplace, but Lily kept on rejecting him. She wanted to get some rest that day. She even asked Levi to watch over the child, and surprisingly, the two looked as if they've became closer in an instant.

Levi was carrying Roan on his arms as they bothered Lily in her room. It only took the strawberries and those red flowers Roan gathered outside for him to like the little child.

"He looked like he'll be a great child someday," was what he said.

A frustrated grunt escaped her lips as Lily tried to bury herself more on her blanket. She haven't rested well enough throughout her journey outside and yet... 'And yet they're here to bother me so much!'

"Master, you might miss a great play outside today."

Lily flinched. Levi's words reminded her of their discussion the other day. With a heavy sigh escaping her lips, she pulled herself up. She glared at Levi, who was watching her with a smile on his sly face.

"Just give me a moment to get dressed," she uttered.

Iris and Celosia went inside her room after Levi and Roan left. Corvus took the job in looking after the toy shop, so the three little witches could do their jobs as Lily's personal maids. Luca, on the other hand, took Madame Revain's job as the dress shop's manager while the Madame was out on a business trip. Nothing unusual was happening, except for that sly look on Levi's perfect face.

Lily wore a red dress today and a red leather eye patch as well. Her hair, as usual, were left untouched. Because of her small height and beautiful appearance, she might even be mistaken as a young lady instead of an adult. She was already on her 20s yet she still looks like on her teenage days. It was annoying for the servants because of the annoying men looking at her whenever they go outside, but it was entertainingly useful for her.

A black carriage with the Riddleman flower crest was already prepared outside of the mansion. Levi and Roan were waiting for their master outside. Levi and the Blackwood sisters will be the ones in charge to take care of the house in the absence of their master, while Iris will be today's coachman.

The two weren't wearing any cloaks since they're newly ordered cloaks haven't arrived yet. They only wore the matching red clothes that Madame Revain prepared for them beforehand. Levi helped Lily and Roan to climb inside the carriage. She only glared at her butler and Levi winked at her in response. With Levi's signal, Iris started driving. It was a sunny day that day, a day before the storm.

"What do you want to do outside?" Lily asked as she crossed her legs. She leaned her back, pressing it against her seat. She folded her arms sideways and pressed her elbow against the side of her seat. Then she leaned her body a little to the side and rested her cheek against her closed fist.

Roan was sitting across her. On the contrary, the child was too excited that he couldn't help but look outside the window. "Anything! I missed the meat food we ate outside!" He exclaimed.

A smile formed on her lips as she watched him. She was somehow relieved that the child didn't look nervous today. She remembered the other day, when she first informed him of the things they've discussed in the meeting room, his color almost left him. He was just looking and blinking at her with a pale complexion. It was funny and at the same time alarming.

'I wonder what I will do if things fail.'

They soon reached the marketplace. There weren't much people outside, unlike the Pavor City where almost every corner of the marketplace looked crowded. Iris parked in front of a toy store then she climbed down and went to open the door for her master.

"Don't go anywhere without me, understand?" Lily reminded him.

Roan nodded his head then he held her hand as they went out of the carriage. Aside from the lesser crowd, the Velician City looked peaceful than the other cities she had visited before.

Iris was left on the carriage, like what she was ordered to do, and the two went off to venture the marketplace. They first went to the street stalls where various of street foods where being sold. The things and food being sold outside were for commoner's consumption, but it was no less tastier than the nobility food, which made it even attracting to Roan and Lily.

The two were in the middle of having an enjoyable day when a knight approached them.

"Excuse me, milady, but you need to come with us," a brown haired knight said.

Lily looked at them with a frown. She quickly pulled Roan behind her. "Why do we need to follow you?"

The brown haired knight sighed. He glanced at the child once again. He was sure that it was the prince they were looking for. His General never mention that they weren't allowed to hurt any of them.

He moved his head sideways, motioning for the guards to move. Two of the guards pulled the young child away from Lily while the other two held Lily's arms. The two were both struggling from their grip. But with one swift kick on the child's stomach, Roan fainted.

There was a weird grin on Lily's face that they didn't notice before she met the same end as the little child.