The Villainess

CHAPTER 29

ROWAN LOOKED up to the sky. The darkened clouds showed an impending storm in the capital. He did not know why, but something eerie was surrounding the estate since Tori arrived. He did not see her wandering around the knights' training ground like usually did every time she came home from Trifecta Academy. Rowan felt the uneasiness within him. He called it an instinct as a knight serving Tori.

"This will be one hell of a rain." Setting aside his sword to its sheath, drenched in sweat, Rowan made way to the knight's shed to rest since the rain would come soon.

Woah! I almost got drenched by the rain! 

The moment he stepped into the shed, the rain came pouring in. since he was the only knight who trained very early, he was the only one on the training grounds.

The harsh downfall of every raindrop muted everything around him. The rain's heavy fall made the surroundings vague and foggy. But the vague area was not enough for Rowan to not recognize the running silhouette of Lillian, Tori's trusted handmaiden.

"Lillian, what happened?" Rowan's worried voice snapped the frantic Lillian from being hysterical. "Lillian, answer me! Did something happen to Lady Tori?" He grasped her shaking and wet shoulders.

Her tears overridden the rain, and her worried eyes were unfocused. Lillian was out of her element, and that worried Rowan.

"It's Lady Sabina. She was poisoned and—and they found the evidence in Lady Tori's room. I can't- we can't let them take her—please, we can't let them take her!" Lillian slumped to the ground before him as he momentarily lost his grip on her shoulders.

"Let's go!"

Lillian stopped his arm. "W-Wait! The Duke—Duke of Castaña is interrogating her inside the Duke's office. I feel something is off. After yesterday w-when Lady Tori stormed out of the Duke's office. I heard from Lady Sabina's handmaiden, Shena, that Lady Sabina alone would inherit the Duchy and Lady Tori would act as her support. They said—they said that she poisoned Lady Sabina because of what happened yesterday. But I know her, I know her Rowan!"

Calming Lillian, Rowan patted her drenched hair. "I know. She would not do something as obvious as that. If anything, her sister or worse, the Duke might corner her."

Running under the heavy rain, Tori's two of the most loyal aides marched like men on a mission to the Rozenreff main house where their beloved master was being interrogated. Rowan knew that there was barely anything they could do against the nobles, but he would gladly lay down his life to save Tori, the very first person who encouraged him to live in this unfair world.

Clad in their soaked clothes, Rowan and Lillian entered the main house through the servants' door. Not wasting any second, the two of them run like being chased by the devil, but the Duke came prepared. Knights were being stationed in every nook and cranny of the Rozenreff mansion.

"Now, I am a hundred percent sure that something is going on." Sharp eyes and steeled eyes, Rowan was seething from imagining what Tori was enduring right now.

Stifling her sob, Lillian covered her mouth from sobbing out. "They are treating her like a criminal."

Two knights immediately spotted them. Their eyes met, and they were about to take the other longer route when Teresa and Johanes came.

Fuck

Teresa and Johanes had blank faces that made the two of them. "You can't stop us." Lillian walked in their direction, which astounded Rowan. He did not expect that the shivering Lillian would be so determined.

But I agree with Lillian. Only death can stop us now.

Marching just behind Lillian, they went straight to Teresa and Johanes. They steeled themselves for the incoming onslaught, but it did not come. Instead, Johanes and Teresa made their way and faced the incoming knights who were following them.