ROSES HAVE THORNS-Chapter 63 - Rich & Famous

"Ms. Valentine! You’re finally back! Mia told me what happened, I’ve been worried sick! We all were!" Wendy held the skirt of her maid uniform as she trotted down the red carpet steps of Diana’s mansion.

Diana finely combed back the loose hair that was stuck to Wendy’s forehead and calmly said, "Wendy. I apologise if I scared you and the other workers but just know that everything is alright now."

"Alright? Ms. Valentine, according to witnesses you’ve been teleporting all around Eldoria while screaming to ’make it stop’! You even showed up in front of the royal guardsman that were stationed at the grand gate of King Dorothy’s castle. You’ve been missing for almost an entire 2 days! How can things be al–"

"Wendy!" Diana gently pinched her two cheeks in order to get her to stop talking. "Look at me Wendy. Do you see anything wrong?"

"N-Nyo but–"

"Then all is well. Again, I apologise for scaring you. I’ll even personally apologise to those royal guardsmen since I’d imagine they must’ve made quite the fuss to the king" She released her.

"Y-Yes... Please do so. *Sniff* *Sniff* What is that stench coming from you? *Sniff* Is that... fish? It’s very subtle but it’s there."

"Haha, how embarrassing. You there!" She snapped her fingers at a maid passing by. "Have my bath prepared in five minutes please. I need to leave soon. Oh, and make sure it’s rose scented."

"Y-Yes Ms. Valentine! Also, welcome back!" She bowed and quickly jotted up the stairs.

Once she was out of sight, Wendy let out a sigh of relief and visibly relaxed back to her composed self. "So where were you, ma’am? Your mother has also received word of your disappearance and is extremely worried. And the adventurers guild..."

"The adventurers guild? Why are you mentioning them?"

"They... They are forming a worldwide search party of its best explorers in order to look for you."

"Oh my great heavens..." Diana rubbed the stop between her eyes. "I see. I shall make my appearance over there as well to soothe whatever chaos is going on. Is there anything else I should know about?"

"No, Ms. Valentine. Other than a few obsessive fans of yours who came here to check whether or not what they heard about your disappearance is true, everything else is fine. And you don’t have to worry about those fans. Our personal security safely escorted them away before things could escalate."

"Haaaaa, sometimes it’s hard being this beautiful and loved by many~ But alas my love could only be given one person, and that person has finally entered my life~"

"Wait–"

"Your bath is ready, Ms. Valentine!"

"Thank you, darling. Wendy, let’s chat again later, okay? Ta-ta~" Diana walked up the stairs with a light skip in her step.

".... Oh my goodness... Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Wait until Madam Valentine hears about this!"

.

..

...

"Five hundred gold coins!? You’re drowning in money, lad!"

Kurt and Willy stood at the counter of the bureau that handles business related to appraisal and exchange.

"Willy, you gotta stop screaming out like that! Let’s keep it hush hush."

"S-Sorry laddy... So it’s true what they say about the rich getting richer..."

"Mr. Rossana. Would you like me to exchange these items for coins or would you like to keep them?" The receptionist asked.

"Exchange them for coins. I don’t want to be walking around with a giant sack all day."

"Right away, sir. Just give me one moment."

"Laddy, are you sure you don’t want to take anything? A lot of these things look valuable."

Kurt flicked open his blazer and showed Willy what he was carrying. "I already took this steel sword and two daggers. That’s more than enough for me. Besides, if I need anything else I’ll just buy it. I’m rich now after all."

"Heh! What a showoff. We should go for drinks after this, ay lad? Call it a celebration."

"Oh, sorry but I don’t drink..." Kurt subtly touched his eyepatch. "But we can go out to eat instead. I’m really starving~ And let’s get the good food. I’m talking about the real expensive ones that people could only dream of affording."

"Oho~" Willy stroked his gray beard. "Then I know the perfect place. We can bring Sherry too. Being cooped up behind that desk all day must’ve made her forget about the wonders of life, and good food, heh heh."

"I guess we could add another person. Hey Mr. Receptionist, how long are you going to take?"

"O-Oh! H-Here you go sir." He handed back Kurt’s tag.

"Jeez if you were done then why didn’t you say so..." He tried taking back his tag, but the receptionist, for some reason, wouldn’t let go.

"What are you doing? Give it back."

"U-Uhm... I... uhm..." Despite being asked firmly, he still wouldn’t let go.

"What’s wrong with ye? We’re done here so leave it be. Want me to call ye boss. Huh!"

"S-Sorry!" He finally let go and Kurt put the tag back on the chain and around his neck.

But this time he grabbed Kurt by the arm and started sweating nervously.

"What the hell’s wrong with you?! Let go of me!"

"S-S-Sir!..... I-It’s very nice outside today, wouldn’t you say?"

"What? You’re acting weird and I don’t like it. Let go of me before I make you."

"But s-sir! T-The weather! I-It’s nice, wouldn’t you say?!"

"Jesus, would you knock it off! Holy shit!" Kurt forcefully removed the receptionist’s hand by swatting it away. "Go outside yourself if you’re so freakin’ obsessed with the weather, you creep."

Suddenly the front doors barged open and entered five men who were all heavily armed in prestigious armor.

"R-Right here, royal guardsman!" The receptionist screamed. "This is the man you were looking for! Kurt Rossana!"

The five royal guardsmen marched through the crowd, which fearfully gave way for them, and surrounded Kurt and Willy.

"Why are the royal guardsmen looking for ye, lad?" Willy whispered.

"How should I know? I don’t remember doing anything that warrants this level of attention."

The leader of the five stepped forward first and looked between a piece of paper and Kurt.

"I see. This person does indeed match the reports and descriptions we’ve received. Good work citizen." He pulled out a pouch of coins and handed it to the receptionist. "This is your reward, 50 silver coins."

"T-Thank you very much!" He gratefully took the pouch and scurried back behind his desk. "I was afraid things would’ve gotten violent had you showed up any later."

"Is that so? Should we add that too on your list of offenses, Mr. Rossana?"

"List of offenses? What did I do? Why’re you here? Is this why you kept on talking about the weather?" Kurt glared at the receptionist. "You were stalling for time? Classic. Yet I fell for it..."

"Kurt Rossana." The leader stepped in front of him. "You are hereby being detained by the royal guardsmen of Eldoria on three accounts of offenses. Number 1: On the offense of endangering and kidnapping the principal of Future Academy, Diana Valentine."

GASP!

The whole room audibly gasped together when they heard what he had done.

"Kidnap? I didn’t kidnap–"

"Number 2: On the offense of attempting to murder a priest of the church."

"But that’s already been cleared u–"

"And finally. Number 3: On the offense of assaulting the first prince of Eldoria, Prince Maxwell Dorothy, Jr."

"... Assaulting royalty..."

"... Has he gone mad?..."

"... He dares to try and kill a priest?"

"... Shame on him..."

The whispers got louder and louder as they began to rain judgement on him.

"Excuse me, royal guardsmen. Surely there must’ve been some sort of mistake?" Willy tried to help Kurt out but everyone knows that once a royal guardsman has personally comes for you, it’s over for that person.

"Patrol officer Willy." The leader spoke.

"A-Aye? Ye knows my name?"

"Yes I do. You’re quite famous around these docks."

"O-Oh! Why I’d never thought I’d be–"

"Patrol officer Willy, do you have any proof that what I am listing as his offenses are not true?"

"Why, no but–"

"Then you are to standby and not interfere with our work or you’ll be detained on the suspicion of colluding with the criminal. Men, cuff Mr. Rossana here and take him to the magic teleport circle. Don’t forget to confiscate any weaponry he has."

’Dammit! Why is all this happening?! I can understand the third offense but c’mon I didn’t even know who the hell that kid was. The first offense was just a misunderstanding even if it didn’t look good and the second offense has already been proven to be false.’

The four other guardsmen began to search and take anything that would be considered dangerous. After which they cuff him with mana blockers and proceeded to take him away.

"I-I’m sorry lad. But this is the royal guardsmen..."

"It’s fine, Willy. I know better than to resist an arrest and besides, I’m sure I can clear this all up when I’m given the chance."

"Keep it moving! We don’t have all day!" One of them pushed Kurt forward.

"Alright already, jeez..."

Once they were outside, flashes of light could be seen all across the street as people began to capture this moment with their recording tags.

"Haaa. And so my reputation grows..." Kurt mumbled to himself.

’Something about this whole ordeal stinks.’ Willy thought to himself as he ran in the opposite direction. ’I best warn Dominik about this. Hopefully I can still catch up to him on horseback at full speed.’