Chapter 72
Chapter 72: Goat Cheese
***
Flap flap——
Large wings beat overhead, bringing a gentle breeze.
Then my right shoulder sank slightly, and I turned my head to see the raven tilting its head looking at me, before opening its beak: “Peipei——”
Sure enough, it’s you again, you dead bird.
I impatiently pointed towards where Edward was lying.
“Go away. Your master is over there.”
Then I violently shook my shoulder, trying to drive it off my body, but the raven hurriedly spread its wings to maintain balance, its sharp claws firmly gripping my collar, showing no intention of leaving at all.
“Ah, you’re hurting me, stupid bird.”
I frowned, glaring at it with my dark eyes.
The raven certainly wouldn’t listen to me, it just turned its head to look where I pointed, and then said such a thing: “Edward, washed?”
…Huh?!
I was startled, this bird even understands this, how clever!
My curiosity immediately peaked, and I began trying to communicate with it: “Can you, understand what, I’m saying?”
Hearing my voice, the raven turned its head back again, stared at me blankly for a while, and opened its large beak again: “Fool! Washed!”
“Can you understand or not?”
“Washed!”
“…Fool.”
“Fool——!”
I widened my eyes and pointed my finger at it: “You’re the fool!”
The raven, whose wing was poked, stretched its head to peck at my forehead: “Peipei, fool——!”
“Fool fool fool——!”
After this kind of dialogue continued several times, I suddenly felt I was indeed acting like a fool, actually getting into an argument with a bird…
At this moment, in my peripheral vision, the black horned carriage passed through the crowd and stopped not far away. The curtain was lifted, and I turned my head to see those exquisite red silk boots.
Madam was the first to walk out of the carriage compartment, and before her feet touched the ground, she began looking around, her gaze swept past Lafayette and looked straight at me, her expression showing a moment of emotion.
Suddenly I heard Bella say beside me: “I’ll go check on the prisoners’ situation.”
Then without waiting for an answer, she turned and left. Her silhouette was tall and slender, in the reflection of the sparking starlight around, emanating a soul-stirring charm.
A strange feeling rose in my heart.
Obviously, she had seen Madam, and Madam was already lifting her skirt and taking small steps towards this direction. Shouldn’t she at least say hello under normal circumstances?
Why does it feel like she’s avoiding Madam?
Her personality seems a bit strange… well, why think so much about it.
In my view, Madam’s graceful figure had already hurriedly rushed over.
“Mother.”
Lafayette greeted her, but Madam didn’t pay any attention to him at all, just casually waved her hand and brushed past him without stopping.
Lafayette awkwardly rubbed his nose, then shrugged at me.
The next moment, a heart-penetrating fragrance wafted over.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
While still several steps away, Madam had already anxiously opened her mouth, and I slightly parted my small lips, just about to tell her I was fine, but was embraced by her.
“Caw——”
The raven on my shoulder was startled into flying up into the air.
“How are you? Did those people hurt you?”
My head was pressed tightly against her chest, a warm and soft sensation transmitted from my cheek, the same lavender fragrance as mine, but more rich, surged from my nose to my heart, melting it.
Gently shook my head in her embrace.
“…I’m dirty.”
I still had blood on me. Although due to the frost, not much could splash onto me, but the battlefield was covered with raised dust and soil, and mixed with the wet snow, without looking in a mirror I knew I must be covered in dirt and grime.
“Silly child…” Madam released her hands, then held my shoulders, her star-bright pupils roaming over me, her beautiful eyes full of worry, “Still saying you’re not hurt, your face is all messed up.”
I was immediately shocked.
My face is messed up!? No way! Impossible!
Both hands hurriedly felt my face.
No pain or itching… seems like no obvious wounds…
Opening my palms in front of my eyes, seeing the dark red bloodstain on them, I was stunned for a moment.
Then I realized: “This isn’t, my blood.”
It must be the enemy’s blood that splashed up… when? I have no idea.
But Madam didn’t care about these things, and started muttering complaints.
“Who told you to come over here… girl, what are you trying to prove? Think you’re great because you’re capable?”
“Couldn’t you have told us? Wouldn’t it have been better to let your father bring people over than coming alone… making people worry…”
“But, the situation was urgent…”
“What’s so urgent that you couldn’t even take time to come upstairs? Hoover felt something was wrong shortly after you left and immediately told me…”
“I didn’t know what happened… thought the events from 3 years ago were going to repeat…”
“How did your hair get curled like this… look, the ends are singed…”
“There was fire…”
Madam sighed. She raised her head and gazed towards the direction of the battlefield.
The hunters Bella brought were still trudging through the blood, running back and forth on the barren land. Almost none of the city guards could escape this hell, they had already laid down their swords and knelt in the mud surrendering.
The slaughter had ended, but she still appeared deeply worried.
I knew I was in the wrong but wanted to comfort her, yet didn’t know how for a while, and after hesitating for a good while, could only say: “I’m sorry, next time, won’t happen again.”
She stared at me for a while, and when she spoke again, there was resentment in her words.
“Where’s Edward.”
I pointed: “Over there.”
“…Dead?”
“Mm.”
“…Sigh, at least it’s clean.”
A soft sigh, couldn’t make out the emotions within.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Duke who had followed Madam out of the carriage compartment didn’t immediately come over, just seeing me and Madam’s situation, slightly pulled up the corners of his mouth, gently nodded at me, turned and walked towards Lafayette.
Madam suddenly stroked my head.
“Peipei, you’ve grown up.”
“Caw——”
The raven’s hoarse cry rang out beside my ear again, this time landing on Madam’s shoulder.
I raised my hand again wanting to drive it away, but found that Madam showed no rejection towards it at all, and even reached out to groom its feathers. The raven appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it, closing its eyes and rubbing its head vigorously against Madam’s palm, clearly acting like it was being pampered.
This scene made me puzzled.
“…That raven…”
But I saw Madam say to the raven: “Goat cheese, very good~”
Huh?! Goat cheese…
This excellent name… it is… well, no need to say more.
I think I probably understand?
Sure enough, Madam’s next sentence verified my guess.
“It’s the raven you used to raise. It disappeared with you 3 years ago, and suddenly appeared outside the study window early this morning, kept knocking on the window, even gave me a fright. Later when we knew something had happened, I guessed its meaning… this area has been abandoned for too long, the roads are gone, not easy to find.”