Chapter 17

It took two hours to leave the capital. Duke and Duchess Etkinson, soon moved to another carriage for the rest, after making sure everything is alright, leaving the children to play among themselves. Even thought they did not look, but they were tired due to constantly pilling work of past two days.

Alice, Stella and Daniel talked a lot and about various things and enjoyed their time. Without realizing, Alice was getting close to them, that she even started to let her guards down.

After eating their lunch, they decided to rest. Alice moved to another carriage, exclusively made for her. She sat down on the soft sofa as she ate her medicines. Even thought it was just a carriage, it was much luxurious than the room in her previous life.

There is a bed, big enough to fit only one person, with a cozy quilt and chubby pillow, making her body to lie on it fast, and go into an eternal sleep. There is even a small sofa for her to sit and a dressing table, with various make up things for her to get ready easily.

According to Emma, all of her dresses are present in another carriage. Doubtful, she asked Emma about the number of carriages following them.

When she walked into the carriage in the capital, she found only ten carriages behind them, but when she walked out while shifting to another carriage, she found an array of carriages lined behind, that her eyes couldn't even count.

"More than forty, milady" her maid said.

Alice was startled. All of the carriages were as big as her carriage. And not all would be as luxurious as hers. And most of them must be stuffed with luggage. And there were nearly hundreds of knights and servants following them. Looking at the amount of the luggage and the size of the labor, it really felt that it is not just a family, but rather an entire town shifting places.

No wonder they are most powerful aristocratic family!

She can only comment on them like this.

That night they stopped at the nearest village due to the sudden rain. Since the village was small, they can inly stay in a small inn, for the sake of their servants and knights, who are already tired from travelling, and cannot be afforded to be soaked in the rain.

As Alice stepped into her small room, which thought looked normal, but felt shabby for eyes that has only seen luxurious things since few days, rested on her bed after taking her medicines. The closed widows' panes were banged by the heavy rain and the sound of leaking tap that echoed all over the room, made her uncomfortable to sleep.

As she rolled on her bed, begging the sleep to conquer her mind, she heard the rain being gradually calm down. She has slept too well in the afternoon, and now she is irritated, that she no longer wanted to sleep.

She got up and looked out of the window. She found that the there only few light drops falling from the sky. She immediately grabbed her shawl and umbrella, and opened the door. The guards outside her door, who were already half-sleep, suddenly woke up from the creaking door.

They were alerted to find the young lady standing in front of her.

"What can we do for you milady" one of the guards asked.

"I am planning for a light stroll as I am unable to sleep" Alice said.

The two guards looked at each other and nodded.

"You cannot go far milady" one of than said.

"Don't worry, I will only walk around the inn" Alice said.

She walked out with the two guards following her. As she walked on the uncomfortable path, filled with mud and water, her dress got dirty, but she did not care. She slippers, which are already muddy, stepped carefully, so that they won't slip.

The grass was wet and the air was moist. There was no sound except for their shoes squeezing the mud, in the dead if the night. When Alice decided to go inside again, after she felt her weak body is already tired, she heard a whimpering sound.

Alerted, she inspected the sound along with her guards. As they checked, they discovered a small abandoned puppy, crying in pain because of its injured foot.

Alice touches the little puppy, which may be only days old, filled with mud and blood. The little puppy, first resisting in fear but then looked at her with a little hope. His black eyes started to sparkle as he felt gentle touch on his body.

Unable to see his pain, she picked him up, making her dress dirtier.

"Milady" the guards called.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt me" their master said.

In her past life, she had a pet dog, her only friend. It played with her, stayed with her, waited for her, even though she was mostly busy throughout the day. It didn't expect anything from her, like other people, but only wished to stay with her.

Her heart used to feel truly blessed for having someone wait for her.

And it broke the most when she heard her only friend died as it got old.