Surviving As A Cannon Fodder

CHAPTER 53

'I'm so embarrassed that I want to find a hole and bury myself in it' 

I was currently in the dining hall of the Frost estate waiting to have my breakfast while reliving the nightmare of an incident that happened a few minutes before.

Just when I was racking my brain to think of something to say, I could not help but notice the change in the butler's aura.

What's up with him? Why are there flowers floating everywhere?

I looked at the butler who had not spoken to me after the incident in the bedroom.

Why does he look... happy?

"Madam"

"!" 

I unconsciously jolted when he called out to me.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to sound as normal as possible.

'Go on, tell me I was being a creep preying on a defenseless comatose person' I bit my lip in embarrassment waiting to hear the words of disgust come out of his mouth.

"Your things have arrived"

"What things?" I tilted my head, confused.

"The things from your family were held at the customs office for verification. But now they have arrived safely"

He held out a small envelope. It had an eagle emblem stamped on it which was the official emblem of the Ashford household.

I got the envelope from him and opened it. There was a small card with only two words written on it and no name.

'I'm sorry'

"Heh..heh..heh" I let out a bitter laugh, crumbling the card in my hand.

It was obvious who it was from.

Clive, the soon-to-be-dead aristocrat, and my dear brother. 

'There can't be two idiots out in the world who would write short letters like this anyway' I pictured Clive's face in my mind with a noose around his neck.

"Will you be looking at the items madam?"

"No. I'd like to go on a stroll" I replied, hiding the crumbled card within my clothes.

I needed to cool off.  And a change of scenery was a crucial factor for that.

Because Operation 'Escape from death' is officially on the go!

'Finally out in the open' I took a deep breath and looked around my surroundings.

The garden I was walking through had a yellow pathway that reminded me of the fairy tales I read as a kid. The back garden had different varieties of flowers that I have only ever seen in books. 

The shade of the trees and the fresh air were just the things I needed. 

I had been walking through the garden for a while now. But the path just kept on going as if there was no end to it.

'Isn't this residence in the capital? Why is it so unnaturally big? That aside...' I cast a glance behind me.

Even though I was well within the walls of the Frost estate, I was being escorted by an army of Knights and attendants who were following me every step of the way.

'I'm just taking a stroll. Why is there an army of knights behind me? Are they making sure that I won't run away?'

In that case, they did not have anything to worry about. 

I was not going to run away. Not yet.

I walked for some time trying to scout out the layers of security. And from the looks of it, it won't be an easy feat to break out. The place was literally crawling with guards in every nook and corner. Not to mention the number of mages I have yet to encounter.

According to the book, my carriage will be attacked when I leave the estate. Which means, I could not go out rashly just because I felt like it. I have to wait until an event pops out naturally.

"Hahhh.." I let out a deep sigh.

After some time of walking, I asked the guards to lead me to the library to make use of my idle time. Hopefully, I could find something useful there.

"Damnnn" I covered my mouth.

I could not remember the number of times I have exclaimed since I got to the Frost estate. But I was positive that the library I was in was way bigger than the national library itself. It was so big that even an adult person would easily get lost.

Books about the A-Z of this world were stored here. It was paradise for bookworms.

But not for me of course. I don't like using my brain until the situation demands it.

I told the guards I would like some time alone since I would be only reading in the library. They hesitated for a bit before finally relenting to my wish.

'Ok. Any information is useful information. But the problem is where to start' I encouraged myself at the sight of the infinite number of bookshelves in front of me.

"The theory of everything, The nature of mana disperse, One hundred easy recipes to cook pumpkins, The........."

Why is there a book about cooking pumpkins? I hate pumpkins.

I walked aimlessly while surfing through the shelves and reading out the books that caught my eye.

"The various types of poisonous mushrooms, Child care for dummies,....."

I kept walking till I reached the farthest corner of the library.

"Taming a wild animal, The debaucherous night of the Emperor and his male consort, Species of birds in Velven ........"

Wait a sec.....

I stopped and took a step back. I stood in front of the shelf that I just passed.

"The debaucherous night of the Emperor and his male consort" I read out the title in a whispery voice. I looked around to see if there was anyone else in the vicinity. I couldn't sense anyone, so I went back to the shelf.

"The prince and his mischievous one, Him and his unruly pet, Taming the tyrant lord........"

I pulled out a book at random and started reading through a few pages.

'The young master caught the servant who tried to escape from his embrace and locked him between his arms.

"You are not getting away tonight Eden"

He gently lifted Eden's face as he trembled from the touch.....' and it got R18 after that.

'Holy sh*t. I didn't know BL existed in this world too' I flipped through the book unable to believe my eyes.

As if a light bulb turned on inside my eyes, I scanned my eyes through the rest of the books.

The book in my hand was not the only one. The entire shelf was full of BL  and smut books.

'Who in the world is reading this stuff in this residence?'

Certainly, it was not Edward since he would be busy chasing after Helen. Then was it the baby-faced sadist butler Nathaniel or the meek attendant Herbie?

'Who is it? Who is my comrade in forbidden knowledge?!' I wanted to find out.

After making sure I was the only one in the vicinity, I took a seat on the window sill and continued reading. It had been ages since I had read books of the genre and it had me intrigued. 

"Meowwww" It keeps getting better and better. 

I continued reading without a care in the world and before I knew it the sun was already down.