NOVEL WEB Chapter 35: Crash course… Literally
The first thing that Naru felt was the wind whistling on her face, and then the sudden realization that she…
Missed.
It was like the woman had teleported from underneath her. No, it wasn’t like that.
Naru knew she was in an empty alley. She sniffed the ground to smell floral perfume, the same kind that Delta used.
[She tricked me!] Naru thought.
As soon as the thought came to, she felt herself being struck on the head by a parasol.
Naru could only let out a groan as she lay on the ground and rubbed her head. This hit from Delta was particularly vicious and Naru wasn’t expecting it at all.
“So easily baited, are you truly an animal wearing the skin of man? I expected better out of you.”
Naru felt herself frowning in response to that statement. She wondered if Delta was aware of her identity of being a magical deer or if she simply saw everything that wasn’t her as an animal. Based on her tone, Naru was beginning to think it was both.
Naru sat cross-legged and looked at the woman in front of her. Delta was covering her face with a fan while also using her signature parasol as a sun cover.
“Mou, you truly are hopeless as etiquette, are you? Perhaps a change of education is needed?” Delta said as she gave a devilish grin.
Naru suddenly felt a cold shiver down her back as she heard the words of the woman. Delta rarely smiled, and when she did it was usually not a good sign for Naru.
Delta flicked her fan close and pointed it at Naru.
“Tomorrow you will be meeting me at my residence, we will be carrying out an operation of sorts.”
“Operation?” Naru said, she felt like Delta was being intentionally vague with her words like she was hiding the nature of what she was going to have Naru do.
“A very important operation, which you will be attending with me. Come to the manor on the third day of the week at sunrise. No later, no sooner. Hakuya will relay the details”
With another flick of her fan, the woman walked away cutting their training session short.
Naru felt herself furrowing her brow
[Operation? Just what are we doing?]
** ** **
The building that Naru was standing in front of was opulent beyond her imagination. It was something that reminded her of western palaces like Versailles. In front of her was a vast immaculate kept garden filled with fountains and behind it was a hulking manor with all sorts of marble pillars and stain glass window accent.
Naru checked the small slip of paper Hakuya gave her to confirm she was at the right address. Although she had mostly learned the writing system of this world by now sometimes she made mistakes and she wanted to confirm she didn’t just make one.
Looking at the paper once more she was sure she was in the right place.
She walked over to the gate and rang the bell, as soon as she rang it a wall dress doorman walk up to the gate to greet her.
“Hello, may I ask why you are here?” The man was polite despite Naru’s commoner appearance.
“The wind rises, when the song of grey birds stops”
Hakuya had told Naru to use this code phrase when she approached the gate. Apparently, it was a line from a rather famous poem in the kingdom.
The man gave a nod at Naru’s words.
“I see, in that case, you may enter.”
He took a pair of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door allowing Naru to enter the premise. As she walked through the garden Naru began to realize that something wasn’t quite right about it. As she began to walk deeper inside her garden she began to realize why she felt uneasy inside it.
[That’s a whole bush of hemlock no? And wait! Isn’t that just nightshade!]
Naru had an excellent understanding of herbology after her time in the forest and looking at the flowers and plants all around her she realized that every single one of them was poisonous!
[Just what kind of garden does this woman prefer!]
Hurrying through the garden Naru knocked on the door and was met with a butler.
Just as she did with the doorman she repeat the same code phrase and the butler allowed her to enter the residence.
She was brought to well decorate parlor room where she was served tea before being told that Delta would meet her shortly.
Still, Naru had the suspicion that something wasn’t right. From the way the nearby maids were eyeing her she has a feeling that she had walked into a tiger's dens without realizing it.
It was after the butler came into the room and told her Delta would take a little bit longer to get ready that alarm bells began to ring in her head.
She suddenly felt both her arms being grabbed by the maids beside her and she began to panic.
“What are you doing to me?” She roared.
The maids backed away in shock
“Eh? The lady told us to prepare you for the ball, we’re bringing you to take a bath.”
It was then that Naru lost all sense of suspicion which was now replaced with surprise.
“I’m sorry? I’m going to a ball?”
