Chapter 73
The transformation was nothing short of miraculous. The household staff marveled at the disguise, noting that she could likely stroll past anyone without a hint of suspicion. However, hearing them remark that she looked entirely feminine stirred a complex, wordless tangle of feelings within Adi.
“Surely even those familiar with your face wouldn’t recognize you now,” Bert remarked.
Roy gave a firm nod of agreement. The change was total; not only had her gender been visually swapped, but the new hair color had completely shifted her presence. She appeared as a striking, unfamiliar beauty, bearing no resemblance to the figure known as the Dog of Pallesa Palace.
In truth, despite her notoriety, very few people actually knew what she looked like. Roy recalled his own shock upon meeting her for the first time; he had struggled to reconcile her delicate features with the ruthless reputation of that infamous bastard. It was a thought he had wisely kept to himself. If the palace guards were seeing this version of her for the first time, they wouldn’t have the slightest reason to doubt her.
“If you’d dressed like this for the festival, you would have been the center of everyone’s adoration,” Roy joked.
“Be quiet,” she snapped.
Her abrasive temperament, at least, remained perfectly intact.
Roy moved quickly, finalizing the packing. Bert had arrived with very little and had even less to take back. Adi was in a similar position. It felt wrong to claim the weapons or belongings of a person who was officially deceased. She decided to leave behind her mother’s correspondence and her small collection of books. While she had used swords from both the palace and her family estate, she felt no sentimental bond to either.
She only reached for one item: the twin portrait of Adrian and herself. It was the only piece of her past she required.
A soft rap sounded at the ajar door. Adi looked up to see Bert leaning against the frame, arms folded. He cast a quick glance toward the adjacent room where Roy was bustling about before asking for permission to enter. Adi signaled her consent.
Bert stepped inside, his gaze lingering on her until a heavy sigh escaped him. He rubbed his weary eyes. “So, the Count succeeded in ending your life after all,” he noted.
“Twice,” Adi replied.
First, her father had buried the identity of Adrina to create a grave for her brother; now, he had framed her for murder to erase Adrian and spirit her away.
“He certainly did,” she said, a small smile playing on her lips. There was no bitterness in the expression; if anything, she seemed to find the absurdity of it all entertaining. Bert found her reaction utterly baffling.
“He likely assumed this would keep me under his thumb. He never imagined I would seize the chance to vanish.”
The Grimaldi bloodline was clearly unhinged. Then again, survival in their world probably demanded a certain level of madness.
To be honest, Bert would have preferred to leave her behind if not for the Duke’s insistence. Regardless of Yuls’s personal interest, Bert had initially thought it wiser to wash his hands of her—provided she was Adrian.
“Sir Bert,” she said, breaking his train of thought.
Things changed the moment she became Adrina. If the rumors were true and the curse’s resolution was tied to the fate of the Grimaldi twins, then Adrina was the missing piece of the puzzle. If Adrian was the one truly dead and the woman before him was the real Adrina, she was the essential key the Duke needed. He couldn’t let her go.
“I am grateful,” Adi said.
Bert paused, caught off guard by the sincerity.
“I understand the Woodpecker family has their own motives for this rescue,” she continued.
Bert’s posture stiffened. She wasn’t naive; she knew this protection was a transaction based on her ability to break the Duke’s curse.
“Even so,” she added softly, “it has been a very long time since anyone bothered to look out for me.”
Despite himself, Bert felt a surge of genuine pity for her. He wondered if he was overstepping, but the tragedy of her life was hard to ignore.
“It’s a strange feeling,” she murmured.
He wondered what crime Adrina Grimaldi had actually committed to deserve this. If there was a sin at the root of this curse, its origins were buried in the past. It was said to be the result of a Witch’s rage—not a mere whim, but a raw explosion of emotion. A human had likely lit the fuse, even if by accident. But where the knot began and how it might be untied was beyond Bert’s knowledge. He was a relic of an older era; his part of the story was ending. It was time for the youth to navigate the mess their predecessors had left behind.
Even if the situation was becoming more convoluted than he liked, Bert knew his role was to protect their path. That was the burden of the older generation.
“Adi.”
“Yes, Sir Bert?”
“You will find safety in Woodpecker. No harm will come to you there.”
She looked at him with clear skepticism. Bert didn’t blame her; trust wasn’t something she had been given many reasons to cultivate.
“Regardless, we should move. Departure is imminent.”
“This truly feels like a flight into the night,” she remarked.
“Because it is,” Bert replied. He reached out to pat her shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie, but he flinched and withdrew his hand. He had spent so long viewing her as a fellow soldier that the sudden realization of her womanhood made casual touch feel inappropriate.
A final curiosity nagged at him. The Duke had been remarkably physical with her, even demanding a kiss at one point. He hadn’t known the extent of their intimacy, but Yuls had shown no hesitation in touching the person everyone assumed was a man. Bert had initially chalked it up to the Duke’s eccentric tastes, but now he realized there was more to it.
“Adi, one thing,” he said.
“What is it?”
“Exactly how long has His Excellency known the truth?” Bert gestured vaguely toward her. He wanted to know if the Duke had been playing a game with them all, acting out his affections while everyone else fretted over the scandal of his interest in a young man.
Adi considered the question. Yuls had addressed her as ‘Adrina’ recently, certainly before the others found out.
“I can’t say for certain when he first suspected,” she admitted, “but it has been some time.”
The royal court was in a state of chaotic transition. The festival’s joy had been extinguished by a shocking murder.
The news was everywhere: Adi Grimaldi had supposedly assassinated Marquis Francopan. The man, a high-ranking heir to the throne fresh from Thuringen, was dead within a day of his arrival. The primary witness was Lev Zid, a man from Adi’s own house.
The atmosphere was thick with fear and gossip. Some nobles barricaded themselves in their rooms, while others, like the Woodpecker delegation, prepared for an immediate exit.
The Duke’s extensive luggage was packed into two large carriages. Adi’s single portrait was hidden among Bert’s crates. One carriage was stuffed entirely with the various gifts the Duke had accumulated during his stay.
Billy handed Adi a delicate fan, instructing her to keep her features obscured. She stood quietly by the transport, using the accessory to shield her face from prying eyes.
Patrols of knights and guards moved through the grounds, torches flickering as they searched every corner. Eventually, a group approached the Duke’s carriage.
“Departing so soon?” a guard asked.
Roy waved a hand in recognition. “It’s time to go.”
“Leaving early this year?”
“The palace has become far too grim for our liking,” Roy replied.
“A tragedy regarding the Marquis,” the guard agreed. “Would you mind if we performed a brief inspection of the vehicles?”
The group went still. Noticing the tension, the guard added, “It’s a formality. Since Adi Grimaldi was the Duke’s personal guard, we’re checking all departing parties to ensure the fugitive hasn’t hitched a ride.”
“By all means,” Bert said smoothly.
As the staff continued loading, another guard spoke up. “We also need to verify the identities of all servants.”
There wasn’t much to find. The Duke’s retinue was well-known, and none of them possessed the signature blonde hair of the suspect.
“We appreciate the cooperation. And who is the lady?” the guard asked, pointing toward Adi.
She lowered her fan slightly, revealing a flash of brown hair and feminine features. She looked nothing like the knight Adrian Grimaldi.
“Is there an issue?” Bert asked.
“No, sir. Just confirming everyone leaving the grounds.”
“You’ve seen them all. This is our entire party. If you’re still worried, feel free to tear the carriage apart.”
The guard hesitated. Roy stepped in, leaning toward him. “Look, it’s not like we were ever friends with Adrian Grimaldi.”
“Roy,” Bert cautioned.
“No, it’s true. Everyone knows what he was like—the Dog of the Palace. You really think we’d risk our necks to smuggle that guy out?”
“There was that request for his transfer…”
“Because he was a capable blade, nothing more. And he turned us down anyway. If he hadn’t committed murder, he’d probably be packing for Ionad with the Crown Prince right now. Have you checked the Prince’s quarters?”
“Prince Claude wouldn’t associate with a criminal,” the guard muttered.
“Exactly.”
“And the young lady’s name?”
“She is my niece,” Bert interjected. The surrounding staff managed to keep their faces neutral despite their shock.
“Your niece?”
“Yes. Ad… rina Dean.”
“The name isn’t on the official guest list.”
“She was registered as a maid, but she spent her time exploring the city rather than the palace. I brought her along and I’m taking her home. I secured a one-time entry permit for her. Since she’s leaving, surely there’s no need for more paperwork?”
“I suppose that’s fine. I’ll issue the travel clearance.”
The guard handed over a parchment deed, which Gavin accepted.
“Safe travels,” the guard said.
“Until next year,” Bert replied with a polite smile.
The carriages began to roll, flanked by the Duke’s knights on horseback. They gathered speed as they transitioned from the palace grounds to the paved city streets.
Adi watched the city lights blur past. Aside from her brief arrival and her secret excursion with Yuls, she had never seen the capital like this. Despite living within the palace walls for years, the view felt entirely alien. As the gates receded, a profound sense of freedom began to settle over her. She was finally leaving it all behind.
