TDADP chapter 238: Poor Woman

  「What the hell is going on!!」


  A hysterical voice echoes in a room on the top floor of a luxury inn reserved by Pauline. When you looked around the room, dishes such as tea cups and plates brought from the royal city were scattered. Pauline, who made a tantrum, knocked off the table. Even if you take one tea cup, it is an amount that ordinary people cant afford. The maids who take care of the surroundings quickly clear the room where Pauline scattered everything so that the damage doesn’t come to themselves even a little.

  The reason why Pauline was so emotionally exposed was that her servants and guards who set out for the assassin guild didn’t return to the inn after the sunset. Those who were sent out to look for them did not return as well.

  「Please explain!」


  Even if it is said to explain, there is no way that the attendants and guards who have been on Pauline’s side can explain and the rebuke and whip of the annoying Pauline pours down mercilessly.

  「Guaa. Fo, Forgive me」


  「You guys! Because of incompetence! Do you know!? If you care about it, it’s easy to go to the Papal family, such as killing all your relatives!!」


  As the breath-throbbing Pauline threw her whip, the sound of the heartless whip stopped.

  「It may be the work of Count Muss」


  An male guard advises Pauline.

  「What do you mean?」


  Pauline listens, sitting on a luxurious chair brought from the royal city, as well as tableware.

  「In retrospect, the attitude of Count Muss was unusual, as it wasnt an attitude fitting to the Papal family’s daughter, who is the messenger of Finance Minister Balue」


  「Continue」


  Pauline receives a massage from a maid and urges the male guard to continue.

  「Originally, it was impossible for Count Muss to refuse the invitation from Finance Minister Balue. It may be that he has been reluctant to respond until now to raise his position in the faction. However, even though the daughter of Papal family, a famous family, was the other party, he shall visit the royal castle as said by the woman. Then――」


  「Have you humiliated me?」


  Pauline had a grumpy expression on the word woman said by the male guard, but now she has more hatred against Count Muss and Yuu.

  「Yes, I can explain all the rudeness that the maids took to us at Satou´s mansion and the fact that those who headed for the assassin guild didn’t return. Perhaps Count Muss had his hands in it. Otherwise, one adventurer who is not a noble cannot take such an attitude when it is not the person himself but a demi-human maid」


  「Hu――huhu. That’s what a country aristocrat thinks. I wonder if he’s misunderstanding me as a child of a noble who flutters if being pushed a little bit. It’s good. I’ll teach him that this unscrupulous idea is a mistake」


  「Then――」


  「It’s okay today. It’s not a wise idea to move around in a town you don’t know in the dark and you’ll be wary of that. That butler――what’s his name?」


  「It’s Nung. He seems to be a butler who has served Count Muss since childhood」


  「I don’t care about that, call Nung tomorrow morning, because the business is good for a good reason. Yes, you can say that there is talk about Satou. And this inn may be watched by Muss´s servants. Be careful not to be noticed by Count Muss when you call. I’ll leave it to you where to call」


  「Understood」


  Speaking so far, Pauline is not interested anymore and includes in her mouth the wine prepared by a maid. The guard leader moves to a separate room, leaving a maid and a female guard to look after Pauline. It will be tomorrow’s meeting without sleeping——

  「Do you want to call Satou-sama?」


  Unusual for mild Nung, wrinkles appear between his eyebrows. If Nung looks around, Pauline’s guards are taking a position as if they were besieged.

  「That’s right. It’s going to be easy, isn’t it? I know from the investigation that you’re friendly with Satou」


  Pauline’s servant, who had been waiting for Nung outside of the site of Muss’s mansion, had urgent business and forcibly brought Nung to the woods. This place is the forest where Agafon´s group and those belonging to 『Dragon Fang』 fought recently.

  「May I ask you why?」


  「Rude――I’d normally cut you in two and throw you away, but I’ll teach you with your position in mind. The maids who serve Satou drove us back at the gate instead of letting us go through yesterday. Despite the arrival of Pauline Bona Papal here, there is no need to visit the aristocrat Pauline Bona Papal. In the first place, the daughter of the prestigious Papal family is visiting Comer City and it should be natural that Satou, a lowly adventurer, should come to greet her by himself! Far from saying hello, he worked rudely to chase us back without even showing his figure!! Don’t you think there’s a lot of disrespect? I won’t bother you. All you have to do is bring Satou here」


  It was an male guard who said that, but Nung did not respond with a thoughtful face. It was Pauline who was more frustrated than anyone. Every day, she was frustrated by visiting the countryside and stupid Comer City, albeit state affairs. There, it is this attitude of butler Nung who looks down on her. Pauline’s fan trembled in frustration with unbearable anger.

  「Insolent, I think of Satou-sama as a grandchild」


  Nung put his left hand on his chest and lowers his head. Although he was soft-mannered, he showed rejection.

  「What’s wrong with that? I didn’t ask you what you think of Satou! Aah, annoying! Why should I, with noble blood, go to such a dirty place!!」


  「Th, That’s from the surveillance of Count Muss――」


  「Shut up! Who are you speaking to!!」


  Pauline beats the male guard’s face with a fan. The man who can’t resist or rebel turns his anger toward Nung.

  「Because I don’t hear what you say!」


  The male guard hits Nung’s cheek with full force. It doesn’t heal at once and he keeps hitting again and again. While watching, Nung’s cheeks swell and the mouth is covered with blood.

  「Hohohoo. Forgive him for such a matter」


  「Haa! Thank you for your kindness」


  Pauline’s mood improves when Nung feels gratified. The attendants and guards around her were relieved inwardly.

  「I’ll give you a chance, once more, stupid you. Bring Satou here」


  Nung’s reply is silent. He had his left hand on his chest since a while ago, with his head down and his posture was unchanged. It is transmitted because nothing is said.

  「Rude fellow!!!」


  Those in this place felt a strong refusal from Nung who was silent. One of the guards strikes Nung again before Pauline’s mood is spoiled, but Nung keeps his head down, rather than trembling.

  「Apologize to our lady now and say you’ll bring Satou here!!」


  Blood dripping from Nung’s face is dyed red on the butler clothes by the fist being shaken many times.

  「Haahaa…… This guy!! Still――」


  「Stop it」


  When Pauline stops calling, the man falls down, breathing heavily.

  「Don’t you know? Do you think I’m afraid of Count Muss and can’t get rid of you? Don’t get me wrong. Even without the help of Finance Minister Balue in the first place, with the power of the renowned noble Papal family, it will be a childsplay to erase a countryside noble family like the Buff family without a trace」


  Nung’s hands, who did not respond at all, gain strength. The guards are not unaware of it. If Nung makes any strange movement, they will cut and throw him away.

  「It’s noisy」


  「Who is it!」


  The guards pull their swords out of their sheaths and form a formation to protect Pauline. When they turned their eyes to the voice, there was an easy-going Muss standing as usual.

  「Muss-sama……」


  「Count Muss! Why are you here!?」


  Pauline concealed her mouth with her fan, but her bruxism was apparent from her slightly visible eyes and wrinkles between her eyebrows.

  「It doesn’t matter. It’s a big problem trying to kill another noble´s butler who isn’t your own vassal. The name of the prestigious Papal family weeps. Above all, it could develop into a liability issue for Finance Minister Balue that sent you as his messenger」


  「Shameless. Count Muss, you’ve probably set it up」


  「Oya? It looks like you’re not so stupid than I thought」


  「As expected! The purpose is to humiliate the young lady!」


  「You!」


  Pauline´s frenzing guards turn their swords toward Muss.

  「Lady, there’s only Count Muss now」


  「.……That’s right that might be……good too. The Papal family, at worst, would ask Finance Minister Balue for it」


  「I heard that. You want to kill Muss!!」


  「Ahaha. Nung, did you hear that? It looks like they’re going to kill me」


  Unexpectedly, Nung was beside Muss.

  「It’s ridiculous! What’s the use of such a senile old fool!! We’re going to cut them all together and throw them away――what?」


  One of the guards raises his sword, but notices something abnormal. In front of him, he sees a friend who should be behind him.

  「Y, You, neck!?」


  「Hagaa……what about……」


  The head of the man whose neck was twisted by Nung turned 180 degrees.

  「This senile old fool!!!」


  Next, the man who attacks is pierced through the organs of the heart by Nung´s spear hand and dies.

  「Ri, Ridiculous!! He pierced the armor with his bare hands!?」


  It was a nightmare for the guards. The old man who had been hurt so far had terrible fighting power. Even now, friends were being slaughtered one after another by Nung without any weapon. Some of them died on the spot without any trauma just by having their chests touched by his palm, others had their throat cut off and suffocated and some of them went on the offensive and slashed toward Nung, but the sword passed through Nung’s body as if they had slashed an illusion. They couldn’t even put a slight wound on Nung.

  「During its heyday, Nung was as strong as the diners. Even though he was old, it would be difficult for you guys to hurt him」


  「Hii. Wa, Wait! I’m hired――guhoo!?」


  The man’s head falls to the ground. The cut surface of the neck was as smooth as a sharp knife.

  「I can’t let a person who tried to kill Muss-sama alive」


  Unexcited, Nung sentences the guards to death.

  「Pauline-dono, the accuracy of the information gathering is good and the level of the escort is good. It may be extra care, but it is a bit poor」


  Pauline´s nearly twenty guards were wiped out in a matter of minutes against just one Nung.

  「Shut up, I said you shouldn’t call my name!」


  Despite having slaughtered all of her guards, Pauline’s arrogant attitude seemed to change little.

  「If you touch me, Finance Minister Balue――」


  「Don’t you wonder?」


  「――what is it……」


  「You´re arrogant and selfish because of your prideful family. No matter how you think about it, I don’t think you´re suitable for being a messenger who is send to a city ruled by other nobles. Are you really aware of that? You’re counting on how much you make a fuss and annoy me」


  「That is……」


  Pauline retreats a few steps, as if shaken by Muss´s rocking. Power is put into the hand holding the fan.

  「Ah, yes. By the way, even though you are the daughter of the Papal family, you are the daughter of the youngest of the fourth wife and there is no title. It’s like saying, please kill me. It’s a limit to finance minister´s harassment, as if you’re the finance minister――」


  Pauline pulls out the handle of the fan when Muss closes the distance, threateningly. Then, a nostalgic sword set in the fan appeared. Nung goes out to protect Muss. In the back of the woods, one of the house guests, Mardari, has already set his sights on Pauline.

  「Just kidding. Even if it looks like this, I’m one of the noblests in the Udon Kingdom. There’s no way I can be a gentleman when I kill a lady」


  Muss shrugged his shoulders as if he is joking. There’s no win at all, but Pauline doesn’t seem to drop her sword.

  「That’s……I’m in trouble」


  Saying so, Pauline thrust her sword into her chest. Muss rushes to Pauline, shaking off Nung who tries stop him as it may be a trap. The potion taken out of the item pouch was held in the hand.

  「Us……Useless…… Th, The sword……is po, poisoned……」


  「Why are you doing such a stupid thing?」


  「This……y, yo, you……to the royal capital, directly……setsuo, heavy……useless……cough……」


  「Nung!」


  「It has a slight lying mud smell and red liquid. Perhaps it was the one that extracted the poison of the Juushi frog. It is a deadly poison that is said to die before walking if a cow is scratched」


  Nung shakes his head. That meant Pauline couldn’t be saved.

  「Why. I knew that there was no training in the guards and I knew all the clever attempts to gather insufficient information…… Pauline, you were willing to die from the beginning」


  By the poison, Pauline’s transparent skin had turned pale and her whole body had begun to cramp.

  「Balue is not enough for you to risk your life! Why do you need to die!!"

  「.……Yo, You……don’t……know……cough, cough. ……Pa, pa……l family……e……move……a……nee……」


  Pauline’s end was not about himself, but about the future of the Papal family.

  「Nung, how stupid a aristocrat is!」


  Muss mutters as he looks down at the lying Pauline. It is not the first time for Nung to see such a heartbreaking master. When Wyatt, the predecessor, went to the royal capital, Muss had the same heartbreaking expression as he does now.

  「To throw away your own life and make it a piece. Is it so important to have a house? It’s hard for me to understand」


  Overlapping Pauline with the deceased Wyatt, Muss muttered again.