004: Preface ~ The Retired Wizard Picks up a Villainous Girl ③

January 9, 2021 - 3 minutes read - 617 words

“Well, I guess I’ll wait for you to wake up?” Allen

Allen’s living room is a disaster area. Moldy bread and dried herbs compete for space, junk and not-junk pile up so badly that most of the floor can’t be seen. The only open space was the area around a leather sofa, which was barely walkable. Allen spends most of his day around the sofa, reading or taking naps.

Now, the girl is sleeping on the sofa. Allen stares at her sleeping face, he strokes her face while murmuring his thoughts.

“A felon who moved a country’s forces? I can’t see it. It just doesn’t make sense?” Allen

Allen won’t be able to dig into her situation until she wakes up, so he opens up his morning newspaper. The front page story is a drama about a conspiracy surrounding the second prince in the neighboring kingdom of Niels.

Supposedly his fiancée was some ridiculously villainous woman. Apparently she embezzled tax funds to gamble, fraternized with multiple other men, and attempted to assassinate the king. The prince claims he uncovered these deeds and saved the country. It seems there’s a lot of fuss in that country after the fiancée disappeared and a thorough search is being undertaken. There’s a portrait of the accused with a sizable reward offered for information.

“How…” Girl

“Oh, are you awake now?” Allen

The girl finally woke up, she looks around and find Allen. She looks somewhat frightened.

“Who are you?” Girl

“Huh? The one who saved you.” Allen

After his arrogant statement, Allen search for tea equipment and supplies in the mess then starts to brew some tea. He hands over a cup to the girl, and she drinks a bit of the hurriedly brewed tea and sighs. It seems like some color is coming back to her face, but only a little. She talks as if she’s still in a dream.

“I was lost in the woods… I saw a mansion between the trees… I started to move in that direction…” Girl

“It seems you lost consciousness before you could get there, but I was able to find you and bring you there. You’re in the mansion you saw.” Allen

The mansion is only visited by three types of people, postmen (or women), children during a test of courage, and lost souls. She seems to be of the lost soul variety. Allen didn’t mention anything about the soldiers for the moment, she would likely get scared and try to run further. Allen hands the newspaper over to the girl who has yet to introduce herself.

“Welcome to my home, Miss Charlotte Evans?” Allen

The girl, Charlotte turns red as she sharply intakes a breath. Allen was able to identify her from the portrait in the newspaper. The former fiancée of the second prince from the Neils kingdom. Supposedly a poisonous villainess who hoodwinked a country. Charlotte Evans, the oldest daughter of the Duke of Evans.

“Oh, don’t be so worried. You don’t need to worry about me.” Allen

Allen approaches Charlotte so he can look into her eyes, she’s somewhat wary about the approach.

“I was recently betrayed by people who I thought to be companions. Since then, I’ve gotten pretty good at telling whether a person is lying.” Allen

Allen looks into Charlotte’s eyes, and sees no villainy.

“You look to be innocent, has to be true.” Allen

Charlotte can’t speak for a second, she starts to cry. Allen gets worried about her condition.

“Hey, what’s wrong. Are you hurt?” Allen

“first…” Charlotte

Charlotte is crying on the leather sofa. She wipes her face in between sobs, trying to say something.

“For the first time, someone actually believed me!” Charlotte