"Stay still!"
I shouted, and the butler clamped his mouth shut, glaring at me.
"If you don't want Andre to die, grant our demands."
"What are the conditions...!"
The butler clenched his fists tightly, trembling.
"The safety of the women in the basement, and a carriage. Those are the two."
"..."
When the butler didn't answer, Lotos held a dagger to Andre's throat.
"Stop!!!"
The butler stopped Lotos with a desperate voice.
"I'll agree... so please, return my master."
"Our demands come first."
"I'll have a carriage prepared. In return, guarantee my master's safety."
"Fine, I accept."
The butler ordered someone else to prepare the carriage.
"Lotos, keep things under control up there."
"Leave it to me."
I left Lotos above and went down to the basement. Some of the women trapped in the basement had regained consciousness and were talking with Aramis and Laurent.
"They seem alright."
"Thank you! Thank you!"
The women all thanked me at my appearance.
"We heard everything from those two. You're the adopted daughter of Cardinal Roang-nim, and for someone like you to save us... Thank you so much."
The women repeatedly bowed their heads in gratitude.
"Marie!!! The carriage is ready!!!"
At Lotos's shout, we woke the women one by one, and they all came to their senses and got up, but the Lady Lazuran showed no signs of waking up.
"It seems we'll have to escort this Young Lady home ourselves."
"I'll carry her."
As I tried to pick up the Lady Lazuran, Aramis stopped me and stood up with her on his back.
"Let Grimo drive the carriage so these people can return to their respective homes, and we'll escort the Lady Lazuran."
"Alright, let's do that."
"Marie!!! Hurry up!!"
Suddenly, Lotos shouted urgently from above.
"I'll go up first."
I cocked the pistol back and quickly ascended to the ground via the stone steps.
"Ugh! Uwaaagh!"
Andre, held by Lotos, was convulsing, trying to break free, and Andre's soldiers were confronting Lotos in front of the basement entrance. Lotos, armed with a saber, was facing dozens of men, and only a tense atmosphere circulated between them.
"Lotos!"
"Marie, please deal with Andre's soldiers first!"
"Understood."
I drew my saber with my right hand and aimed the pistol in my left hand at Andre's soldiers.
"A... a gun?!"
The soldiers began to stir at the sight of my gun.
"Step back."
Andre's soldiers hesitated for a moment at my words but stood silently in place, pointing their swords at us.
Keolkeok.
I aimed the gun at Andre's head.
"Heok!"
"Unless you want a hole blown through Andre's head, step back quietly."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
At the soldiers' shouts, I smiled coldly and placed my index finger on the trigger.
"Stop! I said stop!!!"
The butler screamed and jumped forward.
"Why are you breaking your promise and threatening my master!"
"Then is it alright for you to bring these soldiers?"
"Th-that's!"
Ppaak!
"Ugh."
I slammed the butt of the pistol hard against Andre's head, who was thrashing about, and Andre groaned and fainted again.
"I don't know how strong your soldiers are, but..."
I enveloped the saber in Aura.
"Hieuk! An... Aura user!"
The soldiers, seeing me use Aura, cowered. Soon after, Lotos also enveloped his sword in Aura, showing them that he was an Aura user.
"I can kill everyone in this mansion alone and remain without a scratch."
At my chilling threat, the soldiers lowered their weapons.
"Move."
At my command, the soldiers slowly moved aside.
"Aramis! Laurent! Come up now!"
At my shout, Aramis and Laurent came up to the ground with the women.
"The carriage?"
"It's prepared outside the gate."
The butler answered my question with a resentful expression.
"Move them quickly."
While Aramis and Laurent safely boarded the women onto the carriage, Lotos and I confronted Andre's soldiers with our swords.
"Everything's ready."
"Release him."
Since Aramis said that preparations to leave Andre's mansion were complete, it was now okay to release Andre.
Cheolpeodeok.
"Master!"
The unconscious Andre fell to the ground, and the butler was startled, catching Andre and helping him up.
"I don't know if you know what your master has been up to, but Andre has committed quite a heavy crime..."
"You bitch!!!"
The butler roared at me, making the mansion shake. He enveloped his fist in Aura and swung it at me.
"Not so fast!"
Before I could block the butler's fist, Laurent suddenly jumped forward and blocked him.
Kuang!
The collision of their Auras made a loud noise.
"Not bad for a young one!"
"Not bad for an old geezer!"
"You bastard!!!"
Whether he was angry at being called old, the butler shouted again at the top of his lungs. My ears hurt from his shouting, so I covered my ears. I wondered if he had the ability to attack with his voice.
Kwang! Tugwang! Peoeong!
As their fists exchanged blows, explosions occurred due to the collision of Auras.
"Oh..."
I didn't know Laurent could handle Aura, so it was unexpected to see him handling it.
Kwaang!
Before long, a conclusion was reached.
"Keoheok!"
The old man was struck in the abdomen by Laurent's fist and collapsed.
"Hoo...!"
Laurent shook his hand and took a long breath.
"It's settled."
I ignored the fallen old man and approached Laurent.
"Laurent, I didn't know you could use Aura."
"It wasn't really something to brag about, so I didn't mention it."
Well... if you get shot, Aura or whatever, you die in one hit, so there's a trend of not bothering to learn Aura.
"It doesn't matter, we all know how to use it too."
At my words, Lotos and Aramis shrugged.
"Anyway, thanks for saving me."
"It was nothing."
Laurent scratched his head, looking embarrassed.
"I don't know if there will be a next time, but try to prevent your young master from committing such heinous acts."
I kicked the butler, who was clutching his stomach and collapsed, once with my foot. After that, we left Andre's mansion unhurriedly, leaving behind the soldiers running towards Andre and the butler.
"The women? Have they departed?"
"I told Grimo in advance. They've already left."
"What about the Lady Lazuran?"
"She's lying down in the carriage now, Laurent is guarding her."
"In that case, Lotos and I will ride in the driver's seat, so please take care of the Young Lady."
Lotos and I rode in the driver's seat, and Laurent and Aramis boarded the carriage to watch over the Lady Lazuran.
"Let's hurry and go."
"Alright, hyah!"
Hiiiing!
At Lotos's whip, the horse neighed loudly and set off towards the Lazuran Count's residence at a fast pace.
#
Arriving at the Lazuran Count's mansion, we knocked on the front gate.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
We knocked so hard that the gate seemed like it would break, and soldiers rushed towards us, armed.
"Who goes there!"
"We've brought the Lazuran Count's second Young Lady. Open the gate!"
"Wait a moment."
At my shout, the one who appeared to be the captain sheathed the soldiers' swords.
"Where is the Young Lady?"
The one who appeared to be the knight commander stepped forward.
"She's sleeping in that carriage right now."
"You men, stand by."
He had the soldiers stand by inside and came out of the front gate. I opened the carriage door and showed him the Lady Lazuran sleeping inside the carriage.
"It's indeed the Young Lady. I will escort the Young Lady inside."
He picked up the Lady Lazuran.
"Hmm... shall we return?"
Seeing her safely carried into the mansion, it seemed like we could return now.
"Stop!"
As I turned to get on the carriage, the soldiers approached me with their weapons. I tilted my head, looking at the soldiers surrounding me and the carriage.
"Don't move!"
The soldiers pointed their swords at me, looking very tense, but it didn't matter even if a hundred of those guys came at me.
"Those guys are desperate to die."
Lotos, sitting in the driver's seat, chuckled quietly.
"Euhheueung... euheut...!"
Regardless of whether they were pointing swords at me, I stretched out once. Because I stretched my arms straight up, my large breasts powerfully asserted themselves, jutting forward.
The soldiers' gazes all focused on my chest, and I opened one eye and looked at them.
"Averting your eyes?"
"Euheum!"
At my words, the soldiers cleared their throats and turned their heads.
"Would it be alright if I waited in the driver's seat over there?"
"Do so."
When I pointed to the driver's seat and asked, the soldiers nodded. "You're quite something."
"What do you mean?"
As I climbed into the driver's seat, Lotos suddenly said something out of the blue.
"Never mind, it's nothing if you don't know."
"..."
I sat on the driver's seat and waited for someone to come from the Count's residence.
Gulp gulp.
I was staring blankly ahead when I heard a sound of someone drinking next to me.
"What are you drinking?" When I turned to the side, Lotos was drinking a liquid from a small metal bottle.
"I prepared it to drink when it's boring like this. It seems to be coming in handy."
"Hoo... the smell of alcohol. Why are you drinking alone?"
"I can't. I can't give it to you."
As I reached out my hand to ask for some alcohol, Lotos emptied the bottle in an instant.
"Ah~ that's good! Keueuk!"
Lotos, who emptied the bottle in one go, burped briefly.
"Drinking alcohol alone, you're a very bad person."
I felt bad for not being able to drink alcohol, so I turned my body to the side.
"Just because I didn't let you drink alcohol, are you going to sulk so easily like a girl?"
"I'm already a girl. And I'm not angry because of the alcohol, so just don't talk to me."
"Ah... ah..."
Lotos, seeing me sulking so much, opened the window behind him.
"Hey, Marie is sulking, what should I do?"
While Lotos was sticking his head into the carriage and talking, I swiped another bottle of alcohol from his pocket.
Gulp gulp.
I was bored anyway, but with the alcohol, the boredom seemed to lessen a bit.
"Sulking because I didn't let her drink alcohol alone... Hey, Marie. What are you drinking now!"
He was complaining to Aramis when his eyes widened as he saw me stealing the bottle of alcohol from his pocket and drinking it.
"Keuheuhe... can't you tell? It's alcohol, alcohol."
"Hey?! My alcohol!"
"Ihihi..."
I smiled bashfully and showed Lotos the empty bottle.
"Hey, man. What are you doing drinking it all by yourself."
Lotos grabbed my shoulders and shook me wildly.
"Ihihit, well, who told you to drink alcohol alone?"
"Ugh...! But I can't hit you because you're a woman."
Lotos raised his fist, unable to do anything, and eventually hit his own forehead and lamented.
"Marie, look over there at Lotos."
Aramis, who had his head out the window, pointed to the front gate. A middle-aged man with silver hair that looked like it was made of silver threads was approaching us with soldiers. The four of us got out of the carriage and approached Count Lazuran.
"Are you the ones who brought my daughter back?"
Count Lazuran's sharp gaze swept over us in an instant.
"Yes, that's right."
When I answered, Count Lazuran looked at me.
"You are...?"
"I am Marie de Roang."
I slightly lifted the hem of my dress, bent my knees slightly, and bowed to him.
"Ah, I heard that Cardinal Roang-nim had taken in a new adopted daughter, so that was you. Well then, is the Cardinal doing well?"
When I revealed my name, Count Lazuran suddenly became friendly.
"Yes, I met him yesterday as well."
"I see, he's still hale and hearty. Isn't he the linchpin of our royalist faction? It's an honor to see his adopted daughter in person."
"You flatter me."
"But how did you rescue my daughter and return?"
"Well... it's a long story to explain in detail."
"Yes, it's not something to talk about outside. Let's go inside and talk about the details."
We went inside the mansion with Count Lazuran.