🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 26
Dorothy had escaped the Rolo Count family as if fleeing, but she couldn’t escape the traffic jam. She had already thought the roads were unusually crowded when she went to the Count family, and indeed, it seemed like the road had no intention of letting her through.
Dorothy’s carriage was praised for its stable comfort, but that didn’t mean she intended to just kill time in it. Dorothy considered herself fairly calm compared to Lexa, but in reality, she wasn’t much better; she still found it hard to remain still.
When Dorothy asked the coachman if there was any problem, he said he would check and left his seat. Not long after, he returned with a troubled expression.
“Miss, it seems there’s been a serious accident ahead.”
“An accident?”
“A young noble reportedly rode his horse at full speed on the main road. I think he might have been drinking during the day and caused trouble.”
What a crazy fool, drinking and riding in broad daylight.
The coachman shook his head in disapproval and continued:
“Ah… I think it’s someone from the Adams family, or Adams—something like that.”
Dorothy was shocked and asked:
“The Adams family? Then is it Johnny who got into the accident?”
If it was Johnny Adams of the Adams family, Dorothy knew him well. Johnny had been one of Dorothy’s most devoted fans. He had even run away from home to come see her in the capital from the provinces. If Dorothy’s harem had built a country, Johnny would have been considered a founding supporter at the very least.
After running away and meeting Dorothy, Johnny had been persuaded by Dorothy’s tearful speech to return home but was determined to meet her again and started studying diligently. He even scored second place in the Academy entrance exam.
Even now, he worked in the capital and openly proclaimed that he would be Dorothy’s proud fan. Quoting lines from the “Hero” series in daily conversation was a bit embarrassing, but Dorothy admired Johnny’s dedication to pursuing his dreams.
Compared to an ungrateful fool who stole his mother’s jewels, Johnny, who wanted to live earnestly and be a fan he wouldn’t be ashamed of, seemed angelic. Robs also secretly liked Johnny for this reason, as he tirelessly promoted Dorothy’s masterpieces to the world even while focusing on his studies.
“It was something like Johnny!”
The coachman’s words left Dorothy somewhat stunned.
“Really Johnny?”
That wasn’t like him. Drinking in broad daylight. He should be living diligently at this hour.
“Was he badly hurt?”
“His carriage collided directly with another, so he’s probably seriously injured.”
Oh no.
Before Dorothy could close her mouth, the coachman continued, scolding:
“There must have been a lot of blood. Why on earth would someone drink in broad daylight? What wouldn’t they do if they wanted to die? But the people in the carriage seemed unharmed. At first, it looked like blood, but it turns out the carriage was originally a deep pink color. Truly, the world has all kinds of absurd carriages.”
“Wait here for a moment. I’ll check if it’s Johnny!”
“Miss! He must have already been taken to the hospital!”
As Dorothy got out of the carriage, the accident site came into view. The crowd made it obvious that it had been a serious accident. Dorothy couldn’t believe it; Johnny wouldn’t do something like this. She pushed her way through the crowd.
Panting, she finally made it forward—and was shocked once more.
“Mr. Vitus!”
“?”
Vitus was just as surprised to hear Dorothy’s voice.
“Miss Dorothy?”
Vitus, dusting himself off, was wearing the same cheerful pink outfit as yesterday. Dorothy had come thinking Johnny had been in a carriage accident—but it turned out Vitus had been the one involved.
Beside a toppled carriage, the horses barely upright, and the guards trying to manage the scene, Vitus frowned.
A small pool of blood lay in front of him. Dorothy flinched at the sight and looked around to see if anyone was injured.
The victims had apparently been taken to the hospital already—Johnny was nowhere to be seen. Please, not Johnny, she thought. As Dorothy scanned the area, Vitus called her.
“What brings you here, Miss Dorothy?”
Vitus’s voice sounded far too composed for someone involved in an accident.
“I came out for some business, and then heard about the accident. But Vitus, what were you doing here…?”
Dorothy was taken aback, and then noticed someone behind Vitus. A person in a black mask and hood, hidden, yet Dorothy immediately recognized him.
“Mr. Lyle?”
Dorothy moved past Vitus and approached Lyle.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
How unlucky. Dorothy approached Lyle, and Vitus asked with a hesitant expression:
“You… recognize him?”
“Of course.”
My eyes are sharp, after all, Dorothy said confidently.
“What happened here?”
As Dorothy tried to comprehend the scene, the guards approached Vitus. Vitus scowled at them, and the guards spoke politely, seemingly agreeing with Vitus’s assessment as they discussed handling the situation.
Then Lyle quietly spoke to Dorothy:
“Let’s move somewhere else.”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
It wasn’t emotionally healthy to stay at the accident site. Even if he seemed fine, trauma can linger. She hadn’t planned to ask about Johnny here; it didn’t have to be in front of the scene. Whoever it was, Dorothy silently hoped the person covered in blood hadn’t been seriously hurt.
“Shall we… go to my carriage for now?”
Considering Lyle’s outfit, Dorothy suggested this, and he agreed immediately.
“Vitus too…?”
“Vitus must stay with the guards to handle the incident.”
“Oh, right.”
That made sense, though it left just the two of them alone. Dorothy tilted her head but, following Lyle’s silent urging, left Vitus behind. He seemed busy anyway.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
Dorothy led the way. Not far from the accident site, the coachman stood anxiously.
“That’s my carriage!”
Dorothy pointed, and the coachman saw her.
“Miss!”
Dorothy waved and hurried to the carriage. The coachman, seeing her, finally relaxed.
“You went out so suddenly—I was worried…”
He seemed ready to scold her, but noticing Lyle with her, his eyes darted nervously. Lyle’s disguise was a bit grim.
“That’s…?”
“Oh, this is… a friend. He had an accident.”
“But the person you know caused the accident.”
The coachman looked confused, and Lyle glanced at Dorothy.
“I’ll explain in detail at home. Let’s get on, Lyle.”
Lyle naturally opened the carriage door and offered his hand to Dorothy.
Is he maintaining manners even in my carriage? Dorothy thought, but took his hand naturally.
Just like in the Serin province, they once again rode in Dorothy’s carriage.
Of course, this one was far better than before. A high-class, state-of-the-art carriage like Dorothy’s was rare even in the capital. She felt a small sense of pride comparing it to the cramped carriage of before.
“This is the carriage Miss Dorothy mentioned?”
“Yes. Comfortable, right?”
“With a carriage like this, I don’t think anyone would get motion sickness.”
He reminded her of an embarrassing past incident she had nearly forgotten. Dorothy felt slightly annoyed, but remembered Lyle had just been in an accident and decided to let it slide.
“So, what exactly happened? How did the accident occur?”
“I was inside and didn’t see outside, but I heard the other party ran into us. The exact outcome will need investigation, but it’s suspected they might have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
“The other party is Johnny Adams?”
“You know him?”
“He’s… my fan. But he’s really not the type to do this.”
“?”
“Johnny really likes me.”
Lyle’s voice turned cold:
“I acknowledge that many people like Miss Dorothy. But that doesn’t necessarily disprove Johnny Adams’ responsibility.”
“I mean, Johnny likes me so much that he strives to live correctly and diligently—not ashamed of himself. Love, sometimes, makes a person better. Johnny is exactly like that. There must have been some reason… He shouldn’t be seriously hurt.”
Lyle looked at Dorothy silently. Only then did she remember Lyle had been the victim. He looked so fine she had almost forgotten. He shouldn’t have been fine on the surface.
“Oh, I’m sorry. It must be rude to talk like this to someone who just had an accident.”
Lyle shifted the topic:
“It’s fine. Were you on your way somewhere?”
“Yes, just a brief visit to the Rolo Count family.”
Dorothy frowned slightly, thinking of Countess Rolo.
“Did something bad happen? Did the Countess threaten you?”
“Something like that. It was an unofficial, strategic gathering to hide her own weaknesses—definitely threatening.”
“…”
“Mr. Lyle?”
“You went to… a gathering, I see.”
A strange chill ran through her. Dorothy’s high-tech carriage always kept a pleasant temperature… what was this?
She tilted her head.
