The next morning. Lina, back to her usual self, was on her way to the mansion. People were buzzing around a bulletin board set up in one corner of the square.
‘What’s going on?’
While Lina was looking around in confusion, two men began to attach unknown papers to the wall.
They were guards belonging to the Fermarnis Castle, people she had seen a few times before while running errands for Collin.
‘Did something happen at the mansion?’
Unable to contain her curiosity, Lina approached to read the contents of the paper. She then muttered as she read the announcement affixed to the wooden board.
“Travel ban order…?”
Along with the notice that the castle gates would be closed for a while, there was a command that no one could leave the territory until the travel ban was lifted.
Soon, another guard arrived and began to affix a new poster. On the paper, which looked like a wanted order, there was a portrait of a woman.
“Who is this woman?”
“The bounty on her must mean she’s a criminal, right?”
“No, what did she do to deserve this?”
Dark grey hair, brown eyes, and even a short stature.
“What on earth is this…?”
Lina, who had examined the wanted order closely, backed away with a thoughtful expression.
20 gold coins will be paid to the person who finds her.
The paper contained Lina’s portrait along with her physical characteristics, and a not insignificant bounty.
“Look at this! The bounty isn’t a joke!”
“If we catch this woman, we won’t have to worry about living for a while!”
“That’s right! The bounty is a whopping 20 gold coins!”
A single gold coin was enough for a family of four to live comfortably for a month. But 20 gold coins!
People started to chatter excitedly at the high bounty placed on a young girl, as if they had seen a lottery.
But the more the surroundings became noisy, the more Lina’s expression hardened.
‘This man must be crazy.’
No matter how she looked at the wanted order, it was unmistakably Lina’s face. If she hadn’t worn her robe hood down while standing there, everyone would undoubtedly be eager to catch her.
‘He put a bounty on me? Why on earth?!’
Lina stood still on the spot, only her mouth agape. It had been less than two days since she had slipped out of the mansion. Yet, a wanted order had been issued in that short time.
20 gold coins for a criminal who seemed a bit too mild to be called as such. People speculated about various crimes, looking at the portrait.
And Lina, with a dazed expression, looked at them, denying reality.
She hadn’t stolen anything from the mansion; just a maid had disappeared for a while.
But they were looking for her with such a massive bounty. It was an unbelievable sight, even to her eyes.
Could it be that the travel ban was also caused by her? Her mind was confused by the reality that had escalated into the worst situation.
“Can I go back…?”
She thought a few words of apology would end it. But Lina, growing anxious, bit her nails and muttered. Then she retraced the path she had come.
It seemed she couldn’t return to the mansion right now.
[This is the time separator]Inside Fermarnis Mansion.
In the kitchen, the maids were huddled together, preparing the meal.
“Hasn’t the Duke been acting strangely?”
“Yeah. His room is a mess, and more than anything, he’s become really scary.”
And others also nodded their heads as if to agree with their words.
“Ah, I’m really so anxious I could die. It’s like walking on thin ice, isn’t it?”
“Me too, me too! I can’t even wander around freely in case I run into the Duke!”
It had been several days since Lina disappeared. However, her whereabouts remained mysterious, and, for some reason, the atmosphere of the mansion was getting darker.
The maids in charge of cleaning the main building were grumbling with discontented faces.
“Is it because of Lina? The Duke is in such a bad mood.”
As Latte, who was trimming the ingredients, asked, everyone nodded and sighed.
“Yes. Lina stole the brooch and ran away. Have you seen the wanted poster? The bounty is a whopping 20 gold! 20 gold!”
“20 gold? The item Lina stole must have been incredibly important!”
The maids counted on their fingers how much 20 gold was and gasped.
“We don’t know. Anyway, there’s no doubt the Duke is upset because of that.”
“But didn’t Lina say she was the Duke’s maid? If she wanted it so badly, why didn’t she just ask for it? Why steal and run away?”
“Maybe she flattered him, and he still didn’t give it to her.”
Everyone burst into laughter at Latte’s seemingly sarcastic comment about Lina.
“I hope Lina is caught soon, so this atmosphere ends quickly. The mansion has been too noisy these past few days.”
“Indeed. On top of that, the Prince came, so we have to be extra careful.”
They each added a comment as they helped trim the ingredients. But among the women, Loen was unusually silent, only trimming onions.
“But why are you so quiet, Loen?”
Latte asked, not understanding why Loen, who should have been leading the ridicule of Lina, wasn’t saying anything.
“Whwhat? What, what?”
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
