"Are you joking?" Dahlia blinked her eyes, gesturing with her slender fingers, confused. "How could someone survive with a palm-sized wound on their stomach?"
"You don't believe me?" The soldier captain glanced at Dahlia.
"No, I don't believe it!" Dahlia shook her head. No one with common sense would believe it; only a fool would.
"Well, that's that then." The soldier captain turned away, clearly uninterested in convincing her. There were plenty of people who would believe it.
"Huh?" Dahlia was stunned. What was going on? I don't believe it, but shouldn't you try to prove it to me or something? Just letting it go like that?
What puzzled Dahlia even more was the look of disdain in the captain's eyes. She, one of the five most remarkable women in the capital, was being looked down upon.
Now, let's take a look at what was going through the soldier captain's mind: This woman looks so thin. Clearly, she isn't cut out for hard work. Her mind isn't even sharp—how could she not believe in our lord?
I! I'll definitely marry a sturdy, strong woman someday. That way, she'll have the strength to work and won't lose in a fight. I really don't get why those noble lords marry these skinny women. They can't even carry a sack of wheat.
In this era, common folk preferred women who were sturdy and robust, believing they could help around the house, while delicate, slender women were not as favored. Appearance, in this case, was secondary.
Just as Dahlia was about to ask another question, Aiden arrived with his men, striding into the small house. His eyes scanned the room, and his pupils slightly constricted as he noticed the unusual clothing of these people.
These people were no ordinary folk. Aiden quickly had the thought, turning to look at the stretcher. Was someone sick?
"Greetings, Deputy Director Aiden!" The soldier captain respectfully saluted.
"What's the situation?" Aiden asked, his voice firm.
"They wish to go to Sedona City to find a healer. They claim that the sick person is the Duke's daughter," The soldier captain reported briefly.
"What? The Duke's daughter?" Aiden's eyes widened, and he turned to look at the stretcher. Could this be the Duke's daughter?
"Lord Aiden, could you let us go to Sedona City as soon as possible? Catherine can't hold on much longer." Dahlia quickly interjected.
"You are?" Aiden frowned, realizing the situation was becoming tricky. If anything happened to the Duke's daughter in Sedona City, they would face the wrath of the Duke.
"I'm Dahlia, a merchant. My father is Joe, and he's in Sedona City now." Dahlia said anxiously.
"Joe? So you're Mr. Joe's daughter," Aiden relaxed. As long as they weren't here to cause trouble on purpose, it was fine.
"Yes!" Dahlia also felt relieved. As long as someone recognized her father, everything would be okay.
"I'll escort you to Sedona City." Aiden said seriously. The Duke's daughter absolutely could not have anything happen to her in Sedona City.
"Thank you!" Dahlia quickly expressed her gratitude.
Aiden immediately sent someone back to the castle to report and then began escorting the group towards Sedona City. To ensure Catherine's safety, they did not travel quickly.
"Thud thud thud..."
As they were halfway through their journey, a carriage appeared in the distance. Aiden recognized it as Lucas's vehicle.
"Has the Young Master come in person?" Aiden raised an eyebrow and quickly approached. Seeing Freya control the carriage to stop in front of everyone, he hurriedly asked, "Miss Freya, is Young Master here?"
"No, Sir is still at the castle," Freya shook her head, lowered the wooden ladder from the carriage, and said lightly, "Hurry up and lift the patient inside."
"Okay, be careful," Aiden replied, a little surprised. The lord of Sedona City had quite the presence. The Duke's daughter was ill and came to his territory, yet he didn't come to meet her personally? Instead, he just sent a carriage?
After Catherine was lifted into the carriage, Dahlia quickly climbed in as well. Upon entering, she was stunned. The warmth inside was incredible. She noticed a stove in the corner of the carriage, with a pipe leading outside.
"This blanket is so soft." Dahlia remarked, feeling the plush softness of the blanket inside the carriage. As she looked around, the decorations were pleasing and calming, and the curtains were exquisite.
"Thud thud thud..."
As the carriage started moving, Dahlia felt a strong initial jolt but was soon amazed to experience only the slightest vibrations during the ride. She was truly surprised by the smoothness and comfort of the carriage.
Catherine often rode in the Duke's carriage to visit her, and Dahlia had accompanied her a few times. Comparing this carriage to the Duke's, Dahlia could say without a doubt that it was far more comfortable.
"Cough cough cough..."
The sudden sound of coughing brought Dahlia back to her senses. She quickly moved to Catherine's side, gently soothing her, "Catherine, we are on our way to Sedona City. Your illness will be cured soon."
"Cough cough... huff... huff..."
After coughing, Catherine began to breathe heavily, her eyelashes trembling as she tried to open her eyes, weakly whispering, "D-Dahlia... I... I don't want to die..."
"Don't worry, you won't die. How could you possibly die? You definitely won't," Dahlia quickly took Catherine's hand, speaking urgently. "Didn't you want to sell your perfume and buy that lute? The four-string lute! You have to hang on, otherwise someone else will buy it."
"Cough cough... no, no... that's... mine..." Catherine struggled to open her eyes, her lips trembling. The four-string lute was hers.
"..." Dahlia's brow twitched. This girl was so seriously ill, and she was still thinking about that four-string lute.
"Catherine... Please, don't leave me..." Dahlia's voice quivered with worry as she tightened her grip on Catherine's hand. She had barely regained consciousness before slipping into unconsciousness again. The fact that her friend was still thinking about her fantasies of a white knight proposing to her even in the midst of such a serious illness made Dahlia feel a mix of exasperation and concern.
"Catherine, don't you dare leave me," Dahlia muttered softly, her heart heavy with anxiety. "You can't die. You have so much more to do, so much more to live for."
As the carriage continued speeding through Sedona City, Dahlia glanced outside briefly, noticing that they were leaving behind those who had been following them. Inside, she could feel the tension growing, aware that time was running out for Catherine.
Freya, who had been listening to the conversation, frowned. It was clear that the Duke's daughter was in serious danger, and if anything were to happen to her, the consequences would be catastrophic for Sedona City. The beastkins would be displaced, and the Duke's wrath would be far beyond anything anyone in the city could handle.
Although Freya believed that Lucas possessed many mysterious and powerful means, she also understood that no one could stand against the fury of a duke, especially one as formidable as the one they were dealing with now. The stakes had just gotten much higher.
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