At this time, the ship arrived at the northern shore. For the past five days, they had been searching for the box. Rosa frowned and continued to help identify it. Although she knew that Anastasia had taken the box when she left that day, she did not dare to say so.
She was relieved that her lady had not been among those who boarded the ship that day. After all, one of the attackers had been trying to kill "Anastasia," which led to her falling into the water and disappearing.
Each time Rosa thought of the scene, a shiver ran down her spine.
"Do you know if the princess was holding the box during the attack?" Miss Magdalene asked. After five days, every inch of the two ships had been searched.
"I don’t know. Her Highness was preparing to take a short nap when we heard the shot. I tried my best to protect her and cannot be sure she took the box. If she did, it is probably at the bottom of the sea," Rosa said. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel⚑fire.net
Miss Magdalene frowned. She had asked Rosa this question in different ways over the past few days, yet the answer remained the same. She kept asking because she suspected Rosa was lying, even though she had no evidence.
Rosa was a maid loyal to Anastasia. Apart from crying on the first day ’Anastasia’ fell into the water, she had not shed a single tear. She ate and slept without looking downcast. For someone who had lost her mistress, this behavior was strange. But then, there was no reason to accuse Rosa. After all, she was only a maid who had just joined the royal family. There was no way she could betray Anastasia or the group.
If she had stolen the box, it would have been found, given how carefully every inch of the ships had been searched.
Dorothy, on the other hand, blamed Anastasia for being careless. She was convinced that if the box had been in her hands, she would have taken proper care of it.
"Are we heading straight north?" one soldier asked.
The commander shook his head. Lowe Village was the northern shore, and he had agreed to meet the princess there. The plan was that, if there were no accidents, Elfrida would pretend to be sick and be cared for only by Rosa.
The ship had arrived at Lowe shores two days earlier than planned. So the commander was supposed to find a way to delay for a day before heading north.
"I intend to divide the supplies into four groups. Since the north has many spies, it would be safer to move in smaller groups to protect the supplies," the commander said.
The soldiers found his reasoning sound and began dividing the supplies into four groups.
Half of the guards then followed the first batch to the front lines, where the soldiers were camped. The other half remained to guard the remaining supplies. The commander reasoned that if the first group arrived first, the soldiers at the front would not lack food. The journey from Lowe Village to the front lines would take a day and a half due to the heavy loads. If they traveled on fast horses, it would take less than a day.
"After delivering the first batch of supplies, rest for the remaining half a day and return quickly," the commander instructed as the guards prepared to leave. He ordered the deputy commander to lead the men while he stayed behind with the rest of the group.
He hoped that by staggering the deliveries in small batches, he could buy six more days for the princess to arrive.
Although he was uncertain about her plans upon arrival, he dared not make any decisions on his own. He still remembered that Anastasia had threatened to accuse him of treason if he revealed their agreement to anyone. So, although he felt anxious, he had not reported the truth to the queen at first. Later, when the royal family became concerned, he became even more afraid of speaking up. What if he was accused of deceiving the king?
Fortunately, the guards he had sent with Anastasia were his most trusted and loyal men. He had instructed them to send a message if they encountered any difficult situations they could not resolve. Additionally, they carried a small bottle. If broken, it would release a messenger bird to deliver a distress signal to him.
So, despite hearing nothing for several days, he remained calm. Neither had he received a message from the guards, nor had the bottle been used. This led him to conclude that their group was safe for the time being.
"Can I accompany the first batch of supplies?" Dorothy asked, seeing that the goods were about to be transported. She could not wait to see the crown prince.
Although the princess was missing, and no one knew whether she was dead or alive, Dorothy still wanted to see the prince and continue winning his heart.
"Physician Dorothy, I am afraid that is not possible. The princess is still missing, and we are all searching for her. She is definitely not at the front lines, so you cannot leave," Miss Magdalene said. She knew the queen would not want the relationship between the crown prince and Dorothy to continue.
Moreover, it was a war front. What if her presence distracted the prince? She could not allow that.
"Well, the princess has not been found, and no one knows where or when she will be. I just thought that as a physician, my skills might be useful at the front lines," Dorothy said.
"You cannot go. The first trip will definitely be dangerous. Our guards have not traveled this route in a long time. They need to ensure there are no traps along the way. That is why I am allowing them to carry so few supplies," the commander said.
He felt that the princess might be injured or sick after traveling for so long. Though he could not openly discuss Anastasia’s whereabouts, he still found a way to prevent Dorothy from leaving.
Hearing that there might be hidden dangers along the way, Dorothy decided not to insist. She had no desire to die. Anyway, with the princess missing, there was no urgency. Besides, she was confident that her medical skills would be enough to win the prince’s favor and the soldiers’ respect when she treated them.