Chapter 84: The Banquet (Part 2)
A deep and powerful voice emerged from her lips, and I was taken aback, abruptly halting in my tracks.
This woman seems to recognize me… and judging by the softness in her gaze that contrasts sharply with her appearance, our connection is likely more than mere acquaintances; we might have been quite familiar once upon a time.
But I can’t remember who she is! What to do?
A tad awkward, to say the least.
“Uh…”
Suddenly, I found myself at a loss for words.
“…Long time no see?”
For some reason, it came out with a questioning tone. The woman, who had been smiling lightly, seemed momentarily stunned before her smile widened even more.
“Little Pepé, I’ve heard all about you from Lady Catherine. You probably don’t recognize me anymore, do you?”
Ah, she knows!
Well, that makes things easier, so I nodded, “Yeah, sorry about that.”
“What on earth are you apologizing for? Honestly.” She stepped forward, towering over me by almost a head, and gave me a hug with her heavy yet somewhat chilly armor. “Coming back is what matters most.”
Her plain tone belied the heartfelt emotions simmering beneath.
“Annie, you’re here!” Pasifal’s voice chimed in from behind us. “Long time no see!”
The woman named Annie turned her gaze to Pasifal.
“Long time no see, Pasifal. You’ve beefed up quite a bit!”
“Not really…” Pasifal looked down, a bit embarrassed. “Annie, let Pepé show you inside, okay?”
“Sure.” Annie nodded and turned to the guards beside the war chariot. “You all just wait out here.”
Suddenly, my hand was grabbed, and Annie pulled me through the gates of the inner fortress.
“Where’s the Duke? In the biggest reception room, right?”
“Yep.”
She seemed quite familiar with Shanter Castle. After getting my confirmation, she didn’t need my guidance at all, dragging me toward the staircase, evidently knowing where the reception hall was.
“My name’s Annie, Annie Erin. I’m the next heir to Erin Castle.” As we walked, she chatted with me, “Erin Castle… You probably don’t remember it, right? You and Lady Catherine used to visit several times every year.”
I gently shook my head.
“Don’t remember.”
Annie let out a sigh.
“Your mother, Lady Catherine, and my mother’s family have been close friends for generations.” She turned her head, her brown eyes sparkling. “Our Erin family has been loyal to Shanter Castle since my grandfather’s time.”
“Back… nearly a hundred years ago, before we were born, there was a lot of turmoil in the royal family, and the entire Valen Empire was in chaos… At that time, the empire was quite poor—most people couldn’t even afford to eat, let alone wear clothes, and dead bodies from the cold were everywhere.”
As we climbed the stairs, I felt the warmth of her hand in mine, quietly listening to her tales while glancing at her profile.
“Back then, my grandfather was still young. He was the captain of your great-grandfather Duke Alsace’s guard, and the central workshop had just been established… Did you know? Back then, the blacksmiths in the workshop were jokingly referred to by the people as ‘a bunch of butchers profiting from war.’ The workshop was meant to help soldiers k*ll enemies more effectively…”
Annie paused for two seconds, lowering her gaze.
“Or those brave civilians who tried to resist. My grandfather, along with Duke Alsace, was one of those who set up the workshop.”
“They thought they were working towards ending the war quickly… but who would’ve guessed it would drag on for ten years? According to my father, too many people died… there were really a lot of them. Duke Alsace finally couldn’t bear the weight of his conscience and voluntarily withdrew from the conflict. He handed the throne to his brother and signed a truce, retreating north with his people. After that came what is now Winter City.”
At this point, I couldn’t help but recall that sculpture in the little square and the inscription carved on its pedestal.
At the time, I merely took it as a joke because of the name. But now, reflecting back on the icy sculpture and the calligraphic brush strokes, the energy contained within might remain beyond my grasp forever.
“If Duke Alsace had been the one to ascend to the throne, the empire might be more prosperous now… his talent for governing is quite apparent; after all, of the four major royal cities, only Winter City isn’t the capital.”
“Time flies. All these years later, the Valen Empire has finally gotten back on track, moving toward a better direction, and everyone is starting to live comfortably.”
As she reached this point, she paused for a moment.
By now, we had made it to the second floor.
Walking through the long corridor, we could faintly hear laughter and chatter from the reception room, making things somewhat noisy, so Annie unconsciously raised her voice.
“Your first visit to Erin Castle was when you were seven, right? The first time we met, you were skinny and small, but your eyes seemed to speak. I remember it very clearly.”
“Back then, when you saw the farmers at Erin Castle, all muddy while working the fields, their faces were filthy too. You looked a bit sad and then told me you wanted to grow up to be a female knight, to slay those nasty bandits and protect the hardworking people… But you didn’t know, knights’ swords sometimes swing against these very people.”
She stopped in front of the reception room door, then called my name.
“Pepé.”
“Annie, I’m listening.”
She hesitated for a moment, and then as if recalling something, chuckled softly and shook her head.
“It’s nothing… Edward is dead, right?”
“He’s dead.”
“Is that so… I heard from Lady Catherine that you’ve become a Pope Knight now. Impressive!”
Impressive?
Not an impressive thing at all.
“I’d rather not have that title.”
“…Did something happen?”
“Bad things.”
“Well, let’s chat about it later.”
“Okay.”
She lifted her arm but hesitated again before opening the door.
I looked at her back, puzzled, and after a while she spoke.
“Looks like this battle is unavoidable?”
…I didn’t know how to answer.
No one wants a war. The Duke doesn’t want it, Lady Catherine doesn’t want it, and I certainly don’t want it.
But things have progressed to this point; there’s probably no turning back.
I just hope the Duke can resolve the problem as swiftly as he promised.
“Annie. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Annie waved her hand behind her and then opened the door to the reception room.
“…Oh, look who’s here!”
“Hahaha! The Countess of Erin Castle! Firebird Annie!”
I exchanged a glance with the Duke, who was sitting right in the middle of the room, sharing a smile.
Lifting my skirt, I turned to head down the stairs.
After this, more and more people started streaming into Shanter Castle.
Noble robes and crowns, old gentlemen with canes, fierce leaders exuding an aura of slaughter, slick merchants dripping in jewels.
There seemed to be many more than we’d anticipated; Pasifal and I were already overwhelmed. Soon, Lady Catherine dispatched ten butlers and maids to stand on the first floor to guide others while we focused on the important guests.
The busy morning passed quickly, and before long, the banquet began.
