Chapter 195 48. Lady’s Dinner
A competent official will first place his own people in important positions.
Annan is not that competent, but he knows how to keep his companions busy. For example, the bard, as a former prisoner, will be familiar with the dungeon guards.
The knight girls and others were also led by the bard, including Joan and the aphasic boy. The former one running business back and forth between Breeze City and Betar City shows that he is not that fragile, while the latter is a joint request of Astolfo and Gray Wolf.
Annan has a good sense of him. For some reason, Annan can always recall the days he lived with Martin when he stands next to him.
And the sycophant, Daniel Goldberg. Having a surname means you are not a refugee or poor person. As a local who took the initiative to seek refuge, Annan promoted Daniel to an assistant, but left the investigation of the dungeon to the bard.
Daniel needed time to observe. He would flatter Annan and other nobles.
And after solving the problem in Bethal City in the future, he will declare his identity as the King of the North and bring back several trustworthy men.
The deputy warden's treatment is nothing but an official residence and a weekly salary of one guinea, but the nobles only have fiefdoms and industries, but it never hinders them from living in a dream - Olme is just right, this lady who is affected by the cold winter Appreciating it with the deputy city lord, the upstart with a strange name has been circulated in a small area.
Countless nobles came to visit and give gifts, and those gifts alone were worth at least dozens of gold coins.
The bard's investigation would take some time, so Annan asked the knight girl to secretly sell some of them, exchange them for clothing and food, and send them to an orphanage with Joan.
This time the children not only surrounded Joan, but also Annan.
Mia gently asked the children to play aside and stood next to Annan: "Is this the turning point you said?"
"Not yet."
"Do you know Mrs. Winter?"
Annan still felt that the identity of the deputy warden was too coincidental.
"I have never seen her."
"Then thank the God of Justice and Bravery..."
Annan imitated the prayer gesture and was corrected by Mia, holding His hands wrapped his little fingers into his palms. Mia's hands are not as soft as the aristocratic lady, nor are they full of rough calluses like Joan's.
“I have another commission.”
The food and clothes are more than enough to support the orphanage until spring, and Annan hopes the orphanage can take in some more homeless children.
On the way here, Annan saw some frozen corpses...
"I thank you for your kindness for the children."
Leaved the orphan with a cheerful Joan. On the way back to the orphanage, she suddenly said: "I grew up in an orphanage... We hate winter, because many children will die in winter... and we like winter, because in winter, ladies will appear, like mothers. Take care of us all the same."
"Why does Ms. Mia only appear in winter?"
"I asked her, she said danger makes us grow..."
"It's always been like this?"
"Well, as long as I can remember..."
Annan Surprised and said: "Her Royal Highness Princess Joan Ecosela Anfinson Behdad Claremont grew up in an orphanage?"
Annoyed Joan He jumped off the carriage, grabbed the snow on the roadside and threw it at Annan.
Back at the mansion, Annan called Daniel: "Will Mrs. Winter come to Bethal City every winter?"
The answer was that Mrs. Winter would neither come every year nor in winter. This is Ms. Winter came to Bethal City for the second time after many years.
In the afternoon, the bard brought back the investigation results: there are five floors in the Bethal City dungeon. Starting from the third floor, it is divided into lower floors, which are used to imprison special criminals, such as those who intend to subvert the kingdom, plunder the city-state, rebel, and offend the nobles. guy.
The dungeon guards on the upper level cannot get close, but the third level is under the jurisdiction of Annan, the deputy warden.
As soon as An Nang was about to go to the third floor in person, an invitation letter was sent to the deputy warden's official residence. [Invitation letter from the Street family: We sincerely invite His Excellency Deputy Warden Olme to attend tonight’s dinner. 】
Annan asked the Daniel Chastret family to discover that the initiator was the lady sitting next to Mrs. Winter in the auditorium the night before, and Mrs. Winter was also on the invitation list.
At the same time, he also sent greetings from the warden, expressing his welcome to Annan as a member of the dungeon and his high hopes.
As night approached, Annan, the bard who served as escort, Alstorfo and the gray wolf got into the carriage, and Joan shouted, "Don't be fooled by the bad women outside!" and set off.
……
The bard waited until Annan walked into the manor and looked back to him.
"You can fool that fool, but you can't fool me..." He distanced himself from Astolfo and the others, "Who are you?"
"We are about to find you. Opportunity to tell you. I am Francois, you should have heard Annan say about me." Francois returned to his original voice and mouthed to Gray Wolf: "She is Lorna Gilman, a member of Xingyue Bay."
“That boy who can’t speak is Martin?”
“He insists on following...”
Francois sighed, luckily Martin didn't get into trouble - it wasn't too late.
“Who is Joan?”
“A person from Olmedo.”
The bard’s vigilance dissipated and he relaxed a little: “I thought you were really Don’t worry and let Annan go out on his own to take risks.”
“Actually, Annan doesn’t really need our protection...”
...
As Annan entered the banquet, he realized what the warden's "high hopes" meant——
The guests at the banquet were all ladies and handsome men...
Wherever the eyes glanced, the noble ladies puffed up their proud breasts. This is different from Breeze City... The King of the North has a high status, and even the greediest ladies and girls dare not approach him.
And here, the servants are whispering about where this good-looking boy came from.
Annan's arrival aroused coveted and hostile eyes. The icy black warden's costume could withstand the cold wind and the sight of civilians, but it could not resist the enthusiasm of the ladies - or in other words, they were more excited.
Annan tactfully said that Mrs. Winter was waiting for him and declined the ladies' attempts to chat with her. However, Ms. Winter actually invited him over. Come to Mrs. Winter.
From the wine lady to the countess, and then to Mrs. Winter, their status is getting higher and higher, their appearance is getting more and more beautiful, and none of them have husbands...
Follow Mrs. Winter here On the terrace. The cold wind blew her long rose-red hair, and Annan asked hesitantly: "Aren't you cold?"
A slightly hoarse magnetic voice sounded: "Why do you think I am Mrs. Winter?"
"You have a husband?"
Mrs. Winter avoided such offensive words and looked back at the excitement in the banquet hall: "Do you like these?"
"Just like a sweet dream will eventually wake up, I I know these don't belong to me." Annan shook his head.
"As long as you nod, they will belong to you."
Annan still declined. Although these aristocratic ladies were beautiful, they lacked the character that he admired.
Mrs. Winter said nothing more, and Annan also remained silent. Returning to the banquet, Mrs. Winter returned to her seat while Annan stayed in the corner. From then until the end of the banquet, Mrs. Winter didn't look for Annan again. It seemed that she just wanted to say a few words to him and appear in front of the ladies.
(End of this chapter)