Chapter 412
Chapter 412
Alfred pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not p>
Athena sighed. It was to be expected. It is unlikely for a case as big as this to leave any traces.
Just as Athena was sinking into disappointment, Alfred suddenly spoke up again. “Actually, there is one thing that strikes me as rather suspicious. ”
“What is it Uncle Alfred?” Athena asked.
“After this case, the former Chief of the Federal Bureau, Erwin Rogers, retired and returned to his hometown. But on his journey back, he was ambushed and killed by bandits,” Alfred shared.
Athena arched an eyebrow as she thought, ‘This is too much of a coincidence. As far as I know, Erwin was only in his early fifties and was nowhere near the age of retirement. Why would he suddenly resign from office? Could he be connected to Grandfather’s case p>
Athena was so lost in thought that Alfred had to call her three times before she snapped back to attention. “Uncle Alfred,” Athena said urgently, “you mustn’t breathe a word of this to anyone p>
Alfred nodded. “After all these years, I know how to keep my guard up. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have waited until today to tell you p>
Alfred then looked at Athena with concern and said, “Athena, you’re just a young woman. You have limited power and strength. How can you possibly stand up to those people? Promise me you’ll be careful in everything you do p>
“I will,” Athena assured.
Seeing that it was getting late, Athena rose to take her leave.
After leaving the Minister’s Manor, Athena climbed into her carriage and headed home.
On the road, the carriage suddenly lurched to a stop.
Athena’s gaze sharpened as she looked warily outside. “What happened?” she asked.
“Lady Athena…there’s someone…in the middle of the road…” the coachman stammered, his voice trembling with panic.
Athena pulled back the carriage curtain and saw a badly injured girl lying in the middle of the road.
With no one else around, she stepped down from the carriage and approached, gently calling out, “Wake up, wake up p>
The girl was covered in lacerations, her lips were parched and peeling. She was exhibiting clear signs that she had collapsed by the roadside after days without food.
Athena hesitated. She knew nothing about this girl and was unsure if she should help her.
Just then, the girl slowly regained consciousness.
She reached out and clutched Athena’s sleeve, her eyes filled with desperate pleading. “Help…help me…” the girl begged, her voice barely audible.
Seeing the girl’s wretched state, Athena’s heart softened with compassion. She instructed the coachman, “Help her into the carriage p>
1/2
Chapter 417
The coachman stepped forward, carefully supporting the girl by her arms and assisting her inside.
Athena brought the rescued girl back to the manor, leaving Trina and Marquita astonished.
Together, they helped settle the girl in a side room. Athena took her pulse, and just as she had suspected, the girl had fainted from hunger.
As they stepped outside, Marquita fretted, “Lady Athena, we know nothing about this girl’s background. How could you just bring her home like this? ”
Marquita looked at the girl. She looked no older than seventeen and was dressed in coarse fabric. It was likely that she was from a poor family.
However, one’s appearance can be easily manipulated. There was no way to know what the girl was truly up to. It was also a huge coincidence that the girl just happened to collapse in front of Athena’s carriage.
Athena smiled nonchalantly and said, “If she really meant me harm, she would have done something by now p>
Marquita and Trina were shocked at hearing these words from Athena.
Athena examined the callused web between the girl’s thumb and forefinger.
‘She’s a trained fighter,’ Athena observed to herself.
But since Athena did not know the purpose of the girl being brought to her, she felt that it made more sense to keep the girl where Athena could see her than to let her lurk in the shadows.
“Prepare some food for her,” Athena instructed. “Once she wakes up, let her eat until she’s full, give her a hot bath, and get her settled in for the night p>
Marquita’s eyes widened in alarm. “Lady Athena,” she protested, “We’re not running a charity here. We can’t just take in freeloaders. What if she decides to stay for good p>
Athena pondered for a moment. “There’s no shortage of work in the manor. There are laundry or kitchen chores. There must be something she can do. If she can’t, we’ll simply send her on her way p>
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.