bullyxtreme Chapter 494 What to do if strange noises keep coming from next door? Someone's dead!
Chapter 494 What to do if strange noises keep coming from next door? Someone's dead!
The two maids also heard it.
A woman holding a copper basin stood frozen at the doorway, unaware that water had splashed out and soaked her skirt.
Another person was making a bed, their hand frozen in mid-air, unaware that the corner of the blanket had slipped off.
Their faces flushed red at the same time, as red as if they had been smeared with rouge.
Three women, their faces flushed, sat in the quiet room, listening to the commotion next door, exchanging bewildered glances.
The woman in the veil slowly clenched her fingers inside her sleeve, biting her lip, leaving a faint teeth mark on it.
The woman hesitated for a moment, initially wanting to change rooms, but then she thought it would be too much trouble. It would bother the guards to rearrange things and disturb the people next door. It was better to avoid trouble.
She sighed, with a deep-seated weariness and resignation.
Forget it, so be it.
She sat back on the edge of the bed, her face burning hot, her hands clenching and unclenching in her sleeves.
However, given her current condition, it might be difficult for her to rest.
The woman thought for a moment and decided to go out for a walk to get some fresh air, which was better than sitting there eavesdropping.
She picked up the veil again and put it on her head; the light veil fell down, covering her flushed face.
She stood up, straightened her clothes, and walked towards the door.
Two maids quickly followed, one on the left and one on the right, their steps light and graceful, like two startled fawns.
Pushing open the door, the sunlight in the corridor was somewhat dazzling.
She squinted slightly, stood at the doorway, and took a deep breath.
The middle-aged guard stood at the end of the corridor, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning every corner of the courtyard warily.
Hearing the door open, he turned around and saw the woman come out. He quickly walked over, clasped his hands in greeting, and bowed.
"Miss, where are you going?"
The veil of her hat swayed slightly, and a woman's voice came from behind it, soft yet tinged with a hint of awkwardness.
"It's a bit stuffy in the room, I'd like to go for a walk."
The middle-aged guard frowned slightly, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.
"Miss, it's best not to go. This area isn't safe. Another group of people just arrived; they seem to be from some martial arts sect, but none of the brothers recognize them. It's safer for you to stay in your room."
The woman paused slightly, her gaze from beneath her veil falling on the courtyard.
Several brand-new carriages were parked at the gate of the courtyard. They were more luxurious than the carriages of their caravan, and there were no markings on the carriages, so it was impossible to tell whose they belonged.
Several men dressed in tight-fitting clothes were standing beside the carriage, talking in hushed tones. They had long swords hanging at their waists and exuded a calm and collected aura, clearly not ordinary people.
Her brow furrowed slightly, her gaze shifting from the group to the direction of the dining hall, before she lowered her voice. "Is there anything unusual about this group?"
The middle-aged guard shook his head, his expression grave. "I can't tell yet. They didn't speak to us or ask anything; they were just hurrying along, arriving here shortly after us. But I think it's always good to be cautious."
The woman nodded, the veil of her hat swaying slightly.
"Then I'll trouble you to guard the carriage tonight, Commander. This shipment is very important to the Chamber of Commerce, and we cannot afford any mishaps."
The middle-aged guard straightened his back, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed, his voice steady and firm. "Don't worry, Miss, leave it to me; there will absolutely be no problems."
The woman nodded slightly, her gaze from beneath her veil falling on the middle-aged guard's face, her voice tinged with gratitude.
"Okay. When we get back, I'll definitely ask my dad to promote you."
The middle-aged guard's face lit up with joy, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He quickly bowed even deeper. "Thank you, Miss!"
The woman waved her hand, turned around, pushed open the door, and went back inside. Two maids followed behind her, and the door slowly closed behind them.
Time slowly slipped away amidst the torment.
The sounds from next door came and went, like the tide, coming and going, then receding and coming back again.
The woman's face remained red, the redness spreading from her ears to her neck, and from her neck to the depths of her collar.
The two maids, one standing by the window and the other sitting on the edge of the bed, both kept their heads down, not daring to look at each other or at the woman, and even suppressed their breathing to a minimum.
The noise from next door gradually subsided and finally stopped around dinnertime.
The two maids looked at each other, their eyes filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.
The woman also felt exhausted, as if she had personally experienced it; her whole body ached and she didn't even want to move her fingers.
She leaned against the bedpost, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them, her voice hoarse. "Go get some food."
The two maids, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly stood up and walked towards the door.
"Wait a moment." The woman's voice came from behind. The two maids stopped in their tracks, turned around, and looked at her.
"Don't go to others for food, eat our own dry rations," the woman instructed.
The two maids were taken aback for a moment. A hint of curiosity flashed in the eyes of the maid in green, and she couldn't help but ask:
"Miss, why? The food at the post station may be rough, but it's still better than dry rations, isn't it?"
The woman shook her head; her face was obscured by her veil, but her voice carried a calmness born of experience.
"It's nothing, better safe than sorry. This place isn't safe, so we'd better be cautious."
The maid in green nodded as if she understood, while the maid in blue tugged at her sleeve. The two of them pushed open the door and went out.
The woman leaned against the bedpost and closed her eyes.
This time!
"what!"
She heard a scream.
The sound came from the courtyard, sharp and piercing, like a knife cutting through the silence of dusk.
The woman sprang up from the edge of the bed, her pupils under the veil contracted sharply, her hand pressed to her chest, and her heart pounded.
There was only one thought in her mind.
Something's happened outside!
The thought had barely formed when hurried footsteps sounded at the door.
The two maids who had just left rushed in in a panic. The maid in green was pale and her lips were trembling; the maid in blue had red eyes and her hands were still shaking.
The woman stood up abruptly, her brows furrowed tightly beneath her veil, and her voice urgent.
"What happened?"
The maid in green was breathless, clutching her chest, each word seeming to be forced out of her throat.
"Miss, something terrible has happened! Someone has died outside!"
The woman's brows furrowed even more, forming a deep knot between them.
"Who died? Was it one of ours?"
The maid in green shook her head frantically, her braid swaying behind her.
"No, it's that one of the new arrivals has died! They're questioning the courier, seemingly suspecting him of the murder. That scream just now was from the courier!"
The woman shook her head, the veil of her hat swaying slightly, her voice calm.
"Impossible. How could a mere courier, a lowly official, possibly kill someone? He didn't know those people, had no grudge against them, why would he kill them?"
The maid in blue grabbed the sleeve of the maid in green, her voice trembling and on the verge of tears.
"Miss, perhaps we should leave now, in case those people suspect us..."
The woman shook her head, interrupting her, her voice calm and collected.
"No. We can't leave. They're looking for the murderer right now. If we leave now, wouldn't that prove we have a guilty conscience?"
The maid in green was stunned for a moment, blinked, and the panic on her face subsided somewhat.
"It seems...it seems to make sense."
The maid in blue nodded, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly, and said, "So what should we do now?"
The woman pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Don't worry about it, let them handle it themselves."
As soon as he finished speaking, another burst of noise came from the courtyard.
The middle-aged guard's voice rose a few decibels, filled with barely suppressed anger, as he argued with another unfamiliar, cold voice.
The woman's expression changed instantly, and her hand under the veil slowly clenched, her nails digging into her palm.
She sighed softly to herself.
It seems that it will be a bit difficult to remain unscathed today.