Chapter 83: Viki’s Attitude (Part One)
So, there I was, strolling through the long corridor of the Royal Palace’s back garden, with Mr. Rect and two maids leading the way, venturing deeper into the snow-covered expanse ahead.
During the thawing season, the air grew increasingly cold, and even Mr. Rect couldn’t suppress the white puffs of breath as he rubbed his hands together, his nose turning the shade of a chilled tomato.
The garden was devoid of fragrant blooms, lacking the vibrant colors one might expect. Instead, the layer of pure white snow seemed to wrap the entire world in a fluffy cloud. The evergreen trees that were supposed to provide aesthetic appeal were completely buried under the weight of winter snow, and instead, they sprouted bizarre purple-red flowers that, honestly, looked quite hideous.
These blossoms were a sight to behold! With just two petals that resembled frozen, purplish hams dangling between the dense leaves, typically hidden by the lush green foliage. Occasionally, when one of these less-than-attractive petals peeked out, the lines on it looked like the scales of an old lizard, while the stamen seemed more like a leftover fruit pit… seriously, it was a bit of an eyesore.
However, the accompanying leaves were a vibrant green, glistening like emeralds, taking on the shape of butterfly wings poised to take flight. They were so breathtakingly beautiful that one couldn’t help but wonder why such superbly lovely foliage would be paired with the ugly and unnecessary flowers.
Why, oh why, would someone plant such oddball landscape trees in a royal garden built to be splendid?
“Princess, Captain Rect, we’ve arrived at the Wind Pavilion!”
Once we navigated through the corridor and reached a small clearing, the scenery opened up beautifully.
The snow-blanketed ground was flanked by fountains and artistically shaped flowerbeds, which, surprise surprise, had no flowers either. The earth was covered with snow, with those weird flower trees sparsely arranged, whereas the grand stone pavilion proudly stood at the center.
Beneath the light green dome that screamed “royalty,” a large round stone table overflowed with sumptuous tea snacks. Pouring the tea was a slender blonde lady, while the crowned Queen Victoria sat at the table, dressed in a striking scarlet gown and draped in an intricately fluffy shawl, her neck adorned with a shimmering ruby necklace that sparkled from afar.
She sat there, not trying too hard, yet her back was straight as an arrow, engaging in conversation. Her voice was soft, her face as frosty as a frozen lake, and paired with her outfit today made her command an formidable presence, oozing regal vibes.
Surrounding her were several elder nobles, all distinguished and intimidating, despite their humble listening postures. They gazed at Her Majesty, some pensive, others nodding and chuckling in return.
As Rect and I approached, the chatter quickly fizzled out. Everyone directed their attention towards us, following the Queen’s gaze.
“Look who’s here!”
One of the middle-aged nobles cheerfully exclaimed, “Our dear Mr. Rect, you look splendid! Did last night’s operation go smoothly?”
“Lord Count Antor,” Rect nodded in acknowledgment, grinning, “Thanks to you, we caught them all.”
“Well, that’s splendid news!”
“I told you so, with Mr. Rect on the case, there’s no need to worry.”
“And what about that old fox from the Rossius family?”
“He’s still being interrogated.”
“With the evidence we have, there’s no way he’s getting away…”
After a few pleasantries, those eyes began to dart my way, and nobody took the initiative to ask anything.
Before long, Her Majesty tapped the table to signal it was time to wrap it up. The nobles quickly stood to leave, and the maid brought us fresh plates and teacups. Rect and I settled at the round table, where someone poured me a steaming cup of tea. I looked up to discover that the tea pourer was none other than Viki’s wacky sister… what was her name again? She even had the audacity to wink at me while pouring tea, but I ignored her completely.
“Have you had breakfast?”
As she cut into her food, Queen Elizabeth casually remarked, “If not, you should eat something.”
She didn’t bother to look up at me, had been avoiding eye contact since we arrived. So, I just sat there, not saying a word, feeling rather indifferent to the healthy vegan spread on the stone table, lacking any appetite.
Rect, however, wasted no time. Without skipping a beat, he grabbed the fork and kn*fe, digging in with relish.
After a moment, Her Majesty probably sensed the awkward tension. She chewed slowly, wiped her mouth with a napkin the servant had handed over, and finally mustered the courage to direct her gaze at me.
I suspected she had something to say, but upon meeting my eyes, her brows furrowed slightly, and whatever was on her lips—poof!—it vanished.
Hmm.
So, she finally noticed I cleaned myself up…
But after waiting, the anticipated praise didn’t come.
Viki, as if nothing had happened, placed down her utensils and redirected her attention outside the pavilion, towards the snow-covered flowerbeds and the peculiar trees planted nearby.
“Do you remember that tree?” she suddenly asked.
Before I could respond, she continued, “The Winter Orchid! I thought it would never bloom here, but look, it’s flowering now!”
Winter… oh!
I recalled!
It was the tree that only bloomed during a snowstorm.
Viki had mentioned it, saying its flowers were ugly and unremarkable, so people wished it would never bloom. It was the ideal ornamental tree for the climate in Ethanbel.
And now it was flowering…
Yep, still ugly.
“…”
Wait, hold on a second, I wasn’t concerned about that!
I thought to myself, but what slipped out was, “I thought you’d plant a Honey Fruit Tree.”
I remembered when she took me to see the palace garden last time from the third-floor private garden view; those trees weren’t there then.
“These aren’t the trees I wished to plant,” Viki replied, giving me a sidelong glance. “I don’t care what trees are planted here, especially not Honey Fruit Trees.”
What does that even mean?
It hadn’t been that long since I last saw her, why was she getting all cryptic on me?
Not once had she commented on how good I looked today!
“The Honey Fruit Trees in the estate yielded their first batch last year,” the Queen interjected, “Those fruits are just sitting in storage. No one ate them, and some went bad, so I had the servants divide the rest.”
As she spoke, her expression was as usual—emotionless.
“She’s mad at you for not coming back to see her,” at that moment, her quirky sister chimed in out of the blue, and before I could respond, she quickly looked down, pretending nothing had happened.
“Aiyarela.”
“Yes!”
“Go to your room and face the wall, don’t come out until noon.”
“… Tsk.”
The tea-pouring girl clicked her tongue, set down her cup, and made a quiet exit.
“I couldn’t come back at that time.”
Watching the instigator’s retreating back, I hesitated for a moment but couldn’t resist explaining myself.
Even knowing it wasn’t really necessary.
“Viki.”
For some reason, I sensed that Victoria was a bit chilly towards me. Even though her speaking tone was always the same—aloof and standoffish—the difference was palpable; I could clearly feel it.
So the complex and subtle feelings I had this morning bubbled back to the surface, and it didn’t feel good. I was getting a bit annoyed and decided not to keep dragging out this nonsensical exchange. I took off the lace hat that I’d fiddled with for ages and tossed it on the table: “The Holy City has been sealed off, did you know?”
