Chapter 145 – Winter's Chaotic Dance (2)

Indeed, she thought herself as intelligent. But it was already the sixth month of the year. Winter has come and outside the ship, snow was falling. She was wading through documents still waiting for anything to happen. The ‘assailant’ that she was waiting to make a move vanished.

Where was the bastard? She thought. She thought that the assailant would act fast. Yet most of the people around her have concluded that the assailant has escaped. She refuses to believe that kind of conclusion. Why would someone do so much killing and just go away without completing it?

It doesn’t make sense. And if the killer was hiding, then he or she was doing a good job. She has placed spies around the borders to watch for anyone trying to escape. She made them search for any weapon or object that might reveal the assailant.

But yet there was nothing at all. She thought that the assailant was a ghost that disappeared without any trace. If anything she praises the assailant for his or her’s paranoia. Only a paranoid fool wouldn’t leave a single trace. She finds her enemy worthy in every aspect.

If I catch that person, she thought. It would be great. There was an obsession in her eyes. Although she has done everything she can and has periodically updated the Princess. She reported blandly and the Princess would regularly tell her to keep watch.

She wondered who the person that she was looking for. It couldn’t be an agent of the Demesne, knowing how fragile the alliance was. She recently attended a meeting and it was horrendous. The icy stares and the bland monotone voices of the attendees made her thought that the Princess or the demesne wouldn’t be stupid enough to send someone that would cull the officials of the Holy Midland.

Of course, she told the Princess of the assailant. The Princess was surprised by this assailant and told her to capture the assailant who is using the demesne’s weapons for his or her benefit. It was obvious that she would be going to go after the assailant.

She has spent time and energy to track the assailant down. She was someone that wouldn’t give up on what she started. So there was no way she was going to let the assailant go. Besides, she rather spends her time tracking the assailant than socialize with the pompous fools who would like to get acquainted with her. Her new honored title brought nothing but opportunistic nobles trying to hit it off with her. At first, she tried chatting with them. But they were too pompous that she promised herself to never behave like that again. She then told Henry and Elesia to keep them away and reject them. Elesia and Henry were good at doing and thus she was able to wade through piles of documents and not deal with anyone who smelled of perfume and face powder that makes her nose itch.

The dung swung opened. She looked up and saw Elesia carrying over a silver tray. She softly walked towards the table and put the tea. “I thought you might need the tea, milady.” She said. Dolce looked at the tea. She grabbed it and took a sip. “I really did need it. Is it time yet?”

“It is, milady.” Elesia nodded. “Should I bring your formal dress? The Lord Officiator wanted you to be formal.”

“Oh to hell with him,” She snarled. “Just bring me my shirt and coat and my pants. Don’t forget my jacket. I am in no mood to wear a frilly dress after that horrible day.”

Elesia looked at her lady from head to toe. “Indeed, it would take hours to groom you, milady. And we could use some makeup and powder.”

“No way,” She said sternly. “Powders make my nose itch. And who knows what makeup will do to my skin? Forget it. I am still beautiful without them anyway.”

“As you wish,” Elesia said.

She left the room to get Dolce’s dress. Dolce sipped on her tea and placed her legs on the table. She looked at the ceiling and her thoughts wandered. She really hated talking to the Lord Officiator.

...

Dolce dressed up and went to the Lord Officiator’s building. Henry drove them there and after going out of the car. She looked at the snow-ridden streets of the City before entering. To her irritation, the lobby was filled with people who thought they are in here for some kind of party.

Their eyes turned towards her. At first, they have the look of surprise. They probably didn’t think that she would be wearing something for someone as famous as her. There was a look of disappointment in their eyes. Dolce can’t be bothered to care about them and went up the lift.

Henry pushed the button. The lift slowly ascended and as it does Henry was holding to the bar on the side. Dolce glances at Henry. Indeed, the lift was rather crude and worrying. She was about to make fun of him but then it happened.

A loud explosion rang out. Dolce looked up and saw that blast of fire fry the upper levers. If the lift was made of soft materials then Dolce, Elesia, and Henry would have plummeted down. The explosion shook the whole building and see that staying on the lift was going to be dangerous. Dolce reached for her sidearm and blasted the hatch above them opened. She climbed the hatch while Henry and Elesia followed. Dolce looked around and saw a doorway where she could climb. She dashed and grabs the edge. She pulled herself while Henry followed. Elesia leaped and was caught by Henry.

“What’s happening?” Henry asked.

“What do you think is happening?” Dolce scoffed. “It seemed like we got lucky. The remaining bastard has finally started making a move! Wonderful!”

Henry and Elesia wanted to retort the Dolce but found no strength to do so. There was no need to stay still so the three tried to get up the lever where the explosion came. The paths were cut off. Dolce thought that the enemy must have rigged the entire building with explosives.

Knowing this, she carefully soldiered on and used a stairway to ascend up. Luckily, there was no bomb that went off and she was able to ascend upstairs.

She was about to move forward when an explosion rang again. This it was close and it hurled them into the walls. She felt her vision blur and when it cleared. She was Elesia holding her stomach, bleeding. Her heart sank cold.