Kill the Author, Then to Hell - Chapter 17.1

The atmosphere already seemed willing to accommodate my request, but still wanting to drive the point home, I even invoked the [Affection of One’s Blood and Flesh] buff.

‘Please, please, please.’

“Yes, as your Father, I’m actually pleased! Let’s spend time together as a family until the wedding!”

Sure enough, Simon readily agreed.

But I couldn’t stop there.

“Could we leave… as soon as possible?”

I tried to steady my quivering voice.

If a week passes while preparing, it would all be for naught.

We must arrive at the domain as soon as possible, every minute and second counts.

“Of course! Isn’t it obvious! Did you hear that, Samuel? Start packing the carriage tomorrow to bring Edith.”

“Tomorrow… sir?”

Standing by the threshold, the butler Samuel seemed somewhat troubled.

“There is a a schedule to discuss the wedding ceremony with the palace’s chief steward tomorrow… But never mind. As you have ordered, sir, I shall start preparations for departure before evening.”

‘He really can pull it off when asked.’

Having once been part of the service industry, I felt sorry for Samuel, but there was no helping it. One must prioritize their life.

However, Simon seemed displeased.

“What? You mean to drive the carriage all night? I’m not such a cruel employer. No, definitely not.”

Since when he cared so much about employee welfare was anyone’s guess.

After pondering for a moment, Simon offered a compromise.

“How about the day after tomorrow, then? If we leave in the morning, we could have a late lunch at the estate.”

“Yes, if it’s the day after tomorrow, I can pack more thoroughly and bring everything needed. Thank you for your consideration.”

Samuel bowed deeply.

“And you’re alright with this, Edith?”

“Yes, of course.”

I replied cheerfully, without much choice.

‘It’s going to be okay. It has to be.’

I forcibly calmed my racing heart.

‘Could anything happen at that time?’

Even if it was the day after tomorrow, a full week from the incident still remained.

And until then, there had been no particular threats.

At least, as far as I could remember.

* * *

‘So it goes.’

This story never seemed to flow as I wanted it to.

The next day, Samuel went to the palace in the morning and returned home to instruct on packing and preparing the carriage, busy all day.

‘How nice it would be to leave all on my own.’

I felt bad for causing him trouble unnecessarily.

But it’s not like I could help much anyway.

“Miss, surely you’re not thinking of using this as an excuse to skip your studies? How much of the imperial family tree have you memorized?”

Jane seemed determined to cram knowledge into my head until the very end, as if the world was ending tomorrow.

To make matters worse, as the night deepened, the rain outside became heavier.

‘Ah, it did rain around this time.’

I hadn’t paid much attention, having stayed indoors.

I barely remembered if the rain had stopped by the morning we planned to leave.

‘Can we make it through this rain?’

With the imperial family tree refusing to stick in my head, I kept peeking outside.

“Miss! Looking that way won’t make the rain stop! Please, focus!”

Jane scolded me for perhaps the millionth time today.

From the entrance, the sound of Samuel shaking off water from his raincoat could be heard.

“Miss, it seems we’re all set to leave.”

Approaching, Samuel bowed and reported to me.

“Samuel! With all this rain, can we still depart tomorrow?”

Though he was undoubtedly my father’s loyal henchman, at this moment, I almost wanted to cling to Samuel’s coattails.

“Do not worry. The new carriage is perfectly waterproofed, and designed to run smoothly even on muddy roads. It’s been well-maintained, too. There shouldn’t be any problems.”

Relieved from the day’s worries, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Then I’ll be off and see you tomorrow morning.”

Samuel made a formal bow and was about to turn away when,

“Wa, wait, you’re, you’re leaving?”

“Is there a problem? I need to stop by my lodging to pack my personal belongings…”

It was, of course, the obvious thing to do.

Samuel had been commuting to and from his lodging morning and evening while in the capital.

And it was certain he hadn’t had the chance to pack his own things since he’d been busy packing mine since morning.

But to be left alone in the mansion with Jane after all the other employees had gone home?

I shivered at the thought, reminded of my past life.

‘But then again… nothing originally happened on this date.’

“Ah, no, it’s okay. Then I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

But I should not have let him go.

In that lapse of safety awareness, I made the mistake of letting Samuel leave.

At an hour when most would be asleep,

“Teacher, it’s already late, maybe we should just continue tomorrow…”

“Don’t even start with that! Tomorrow we’ll be moving and won’t be able to do it, we need to finish this much today before you can sleep.”

Hum— Whoom—

Under Jane’s watchful eye, as I wrestled with the royal family tree, that low buzzing sound caught my ear again.

‘This is…!’

<Wait, Jane, haven’t you been hearing some noise since earlier?>

<What noise? Miss, are you just trying to waste time because you don’t want to study?>

The white noise I caught right before the assassin appeared last time.

Most people might not notice it, but having experienced it once, I recognized it instantly.

Perhaps even quicker than in my previous life.

And this time, I didn’t hold back trying to persuade Jane.

‘Chekhov’s Gun.’

Before I knew it, a silver pistol fit snugly in my hand.

I immediately aimed the muzzle at Jane.

“My goodness! Miss! Where did you get such a toy!”

I was about to shoot.

Just like when I had practiced endlessly to get rid of Simon before, all I had to do was pull the trigger.