The Maid and The Usurper - Chapter 49
Time always passed quickly. Winter had swiftly come and gone, and after a brief spring, summer was just around the corner. The days quickly grew warmer.
“The heretics are still causing a ruckus.”
Even in the small and quiet Rhineland, the disturbances from the surrounding territories reached their ears. It was said that the situation was excessive and harsh, and the cities were no exception. Rhineland alone felt eerily calm, as if a greater storm was about to hit.
“Hey, you there. Pull from that side. The carriage is completely wrecked.”
Voices of people could be heard from down the slope. Layla peeked her head out. Those living nearby were well aware that the road was treacherous and accidents often occurred.
“Are you okay? Is there anything I can help with?”
When Layla shouted, two workers looked up. They were about to wave her off, but after a moment of thought, they began to murmur among themselves. It seemed they had made a decision, as one of them shouted loudly.
“Sorry, but could you help us a little? We need someone small.”
“Yes, I’ll be right down.”
Layla slowly slid down the slope. One of the workers climbed halfway back up to support her. The sight that greeted her was gruesome—the carriage was an unrecognizable wreck. The blood of the horses, whose necks had broken in the crash, stained the ground a deep crimson.
“Miss, don’t look over there.”
A middle-aged worker hurriedly covered Layla’s eyes. She was about the same age as his own daughter, and while he felt guilty about involving her in such a task, saving lives took precedence.
“See that gap over there? It looks like someone might be trapped inside the carriage, but we can’t tell how badly they’re injured. Since you’re small, could you try to get inside and check?”
“Yes, of course,”
Layla rolled up her sleeves. There was a narrow gap between the misaligned doors of the carriage, barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through. She carefully slid into the carriage. Bloodstains covered the interior. It wasn’t much of a space, but she could make out a person. She had shiny silver hair like Layla’s. Duller silver hair, with more of a grayish tinge, soaked in blood.
‘Oh, my God!’
Layla swallowed a scream. A large splinter of wood had pierced through the girl’s unnaturally twisted neck. The lifeless, glassy violet eyes clearly conveyed that there was no hope. She looked to be about the same age as Layla. The eerie resemblance instantly frightened Layla and she felt as if she were staring at her own corpse.
“How is it, young miss?”
A young worker helped Layla out of the carriage. Her body trembled as the horrifying scene replayed in her mind.
“She… she’s dead,” Layla reported in a shaky voice. She quickly described what she had seen. The workers sighed in sympathy.
“We had a bad feeling when we knocked on the carriage and got no response.”
“There’s no way anyone could survive a crash like this.”
They shook their heads. Among them, a devout believer clasped his hands together, offering a prayer for the deceased. Layla numbly watched as they prepared to carry the body away. Life was so fragile, so easily shattered and lost.
“Young miss, you should head back now. It looks like you work as a maid, and if you’re late returning…”
“Wait, young miss!”
The middle-aged worker called out to Layla as she began to leave.
“Do you happen to know that girl who died? Maybe a lost twin sister or a relative?”
“No, I don’t have any family.”
“Really? The resemblance is uncanny. I thought maybe you knew each other.”
Layla studied the body out of the corner of her eye. The resemblance was eerie. She had no knowledge of her mother’s relatives, and her father, whom she had never seen, was even more of a mystery.
“You’re bound to run into someone who looks like you at least once in your life, I suppose.”
“That’s probably true. Be careful on your way back, and thank you for your help.”
Layla cast a fleeting glance at the nameless girl. Though she didn’t believe in God, if there were one, she hoped that God would take pity on that poor soul.
