### Chapter 52 – Threat?
Who’s that…?
Strutting in like the world’s most important VIP, looking like he’s got a wind machine blowing behind him.
The old gentleman appeared to be the epitome of a dapper gentleman.
From his light grey waistcoat and crisply tailored trousers, plus his entourage trailing behind, he had to be someone of high status in Ethanbel. I may not have known him, but let’s be real—there were hardly any familiar faces at this dinner. So, who shows up late or early? Not my concern.
The cake is still unfinished…
But I found myself instinctively standing up from my seat.
Why, you ask? Just a whiff of something peculiar from the nobles around me had me on alert.
Looks like trouble’s brewing…
And then, just to confirm my suspicions, I spotted a familiar face among the bunch following the old man.
A middle-aged guy, donning a belly that sways with each step. He was previously introduced to my nose by Victoria’s fist, and later tossed out by Rect.
What was his name again? The commander of the Iron Guard…
Er, I forgot.
Today, he’s not in that gaudy, gold-embroidered chainmail that looks ready to burst, but a refined, beige suit that nearly made me miss him—thank goodness for the bandages wrapped around his nose…
Clearly, Victoria had a much better track record in the ‘breaking noses’ department. She’s the true ‘Nosebreaker’ around here.
Hold on, if he’s here…
I glanced at the old gentleman leading the charge and started to suspect who he was.
“That’s Duke Lex…” Sophia muttered.
Just as I thought.
He was the fat commander’s earlier mention and the subject Victoria’s mother dared not speak of, the current head of the Clive Family, having swathes of territory in Ethanbel, a staunch supporter of the Iron Guard, and the mastermind behind emptying the royal treasury.
The formidable foe Victoria was about to face.
My brows knitted together in concern.
The old gentleman strode through the hall, and the nobles in front quickly parted like the Red Sea. He maneuvered through the crowd until reaching the long table where Victoria sat, flashing a bright smile.
“Your Majesty, I trust you bear no ill will towards me?”
The old man reiterated his earlier question with gusto.
“No,” Victoria replied, her tone as warm as an ice cube, sounding like he was just another uninvolved guest.
“The Duke Lex is very busy, just being able to make time is already a courtesy.”
“Ah, I was worried you’d be upset. I didn’t even dare catch my breath upon entering the Royal City—rushed all the way here, even the horned horses were panting. Hearing you say that, I can finally relax!”
The old gentleman’s words dripped with charm. Yet, he stood tall and proud, offering Victoria no bow. In fact, neither did the folks behind him; they just loomed over her, looking down with a rather condescending air.
“Lord Lex, in the presence of Her Majesty, is it proper to stand this tall?”
The old knight sitting next to Victoria couldn’t help but comment, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“Lord Rect, is that you back again?” Duke Lex feigned surprise at seeing the old knight, his wrinkled cheeks morphing into an even friendlier smile.
“You’re right, I shouldn’t be standing so rigidly,” he pretended not to grasp the knight’s words and plopped down directly across from Victoria.
“After a long day’s travel… I’m all sore!”
“Hmph.”
The old knight snorted, amusement and irritation battling on his face.
“My grandson was bullied like that; how could I not return?”
“Really! I just heard about it; I didn’t expect that little rascal Alex… What a trivial matter! A letter would suffice. Don’t worry, once I track that little scamp down—”
“Wasn’t it you hiding him away?”
“Absolutely not! Just kidding a bit too far there. Your Majesty, won’t you lend me an unbiased ear? Kids will be kids!”
“Duke Lex, have you come all this way just to discuss these matters?” Victoria’s chilly response cut through the tension.
“Not at all! I specifically came for your birthday, full of heartfelt intentions—”
The Duke signaled to his entourage, and the fat commander stepped forth, gingerly placing a small box on the table, held securely against the grip of another attendant.
While doing so, the Duke continued, “I do come lovingly, but upon entering the city, I was met with some troubling news. I’d intended to surprise your Majesty, but you’ve outdone me with your own surprise. Tell me… why must I face accusations of being a heretic’s accomplice?”
“Duke Lex, are you asking me?”
“Who else?”
“You should be asking the Holy Church. If you’re not in a hurry, the Saint will return in a few days.”
“So, you don’t actually know much about this?”
“Only that I’m aware.”
“Your Majesty, those are merely rumors stemming from who-knows-where; you needn’t pay them any heed, nor should you be concerned.” The old knight squinted, leaning on the table, his body a bit forward, “After all, truth needs no fear of shadows, right?”
Hearing this, Duke Lex burst into laughter, pointing at the old knight.
“Ha! Lord Rect is right! It’s my misjudgment. But being called a heretic’s accomplice… such a heavy label! I don’t feel secure. Still, the innocent shall clarify; I trust the church will deliver the needed justice…”
As he spoke, the Duke began to open the box on the table.
“Let’s put the embarrassing stuff aside. Your Majesty, allow me to present the small gift I prepared for your birthday…”
He propped the box up before Victoria with both hands, grinning widely—a rather creepy, exaggerated curve.
“Just a small token of my esteem.”
Woosh—
The crowd began to stir yet again.
Many people covered their mouths, displaying looks of utter disbelief.
“What’s going on…?”
Sophia beside me asked, her confusion palpable as I shook my head.
“Not sure.”
From my distance, I couldn’t see what was inside the box, but the expressions of those nearby screamed it was nothing anyone desired.
“…Duke Lex, what’s your point with this?”
The old knight’s tone shifted, losing its previous lightness and taking on a firmer note.
“What do you mean? Lord Rect, this is a gift for Her Majesty—the result of my hard work… Why’s everyone looking at me like this? Is it not to your liking?”
“Liking?”
The old knight shot another glance at what was inside the box, his expression growing darker.
“I meant to ask, what’s your intention behind this gift?”
Duke Lex replied quickly, “The very one you’re thinking of.”
The air in the hall grew tense, and the crowd had gone silent, some standing or seated, waiting for the drama to unfold.
But Victoria wasn’t saying a word…
What’s in that box?
Worry surged inside me, and I took another bite of cake, the rich cream losing its earlier sweet charm.
Duke Lex, meanwhile, kept rattling on.
“I received word in Flesque that the Empress conspired with heretics, openly slandering Her Majesty during the sacred funeral rites. While I regret her passing… I always thought the late King’s d*ath was suspicious; just lacked evidence until now… I suspect the Empress is still colluding with the Northern rebels, plotting to shift the royal bloodline.”
“Your Majesty! I’m here to bestow good news! The Northern rebel families have been utterly annihilated by my army of over ten thousand Iron Guards, just in time for your birthday! Here’s the insignia of the Rose family. No more survivors from the Rose family in the North; their heads are already rotting on the city walls, and their bodies left to bake in the wilderness—crows nearly cleaned them out—”
“Auntie! Grandma!”
Suddenly, a little girl dashed out from the crowd, crying as she lunged toward the old gentleman.
“What have you done to them—!”
In the next moment, a woman, full of rage and biting her lip, tightly hugged the little girl, stopping her in her tracks. Her eyes bore into the Duke with venom.
They shared the same beautiful satin-like golden hair and sun-bright eyes as Victoria.
“Your Majesty! The Rose family isn’t a rebel family! We had a truce! They are your family! The Clive family are butchers! Beasts! Beasts!”
The woman’s desperate screams, mixed with the little girl’s soft sobs, filled the air.
“Mommy…”
I didn’t know if they were royal members, but I knew they were at least bl**d relatives of Victoria and the Empress.
The old Duke had slaughtered Victoria’s mother’s family.
He buried the Empress’s dying wish to take Victoria to safety in the North.
How long has it been since the Empress passed? How long does it take to commit m*rder in the North and return to the Royal City? This grand narrative sounds noble, yet I heard the Empress’s last words; I know that old man is talking nonsense! What news of the Empress colluding with heretics? You likely wiped them all out even before any of this had a chance to unfold!
The old Duke never intended for Victoria and her mother to live.
What a b*stard…
I can’t eat this cake anymore.
I tossed my fork aside, turned to Sophia, and said, “I’m going to check it out,” before sprinting toward the chaos.
“Have I startled you all?”
Duke Lex maintained his composure, still flashing his trademark grin amidst the crowd’s scrutiny.
“I don’t quite grasp your complicated rules; sometimes, I might not be entirely proper…”
“Duke Lex.”
Finally, Victoria spoke, her voice as cold as frost without a trace of warmth.
“Are you threatening me?”
“Threatening? No, no, you are Her Majesty, and I am your loyal subject. How could there be a threat? I’m merely trying to share your burdens.”
“So I should be thanking the Duke for his kind intentions?”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far. Just so you know, the Iron Guard stationed in the North fought rebels for three days straight. There were many casualties among the brothers, and equipment needs repair—adding up to quite a sum of expenses… Your Majesty, might you revoke the decree regarding Iron Guards’ salaries?”
The Duke raised his hands in a ‘what-can-I-do’ gesture, looking slightly helpless.
“The Iron Guard is the mightiest army in Ethanbel. If left to starve, it could lead to some undesirable events. Once morale breaks, those young lads could take matters into their own hands, and I’m not spry enough to deal with them myself… You understand, right, Your Majesty?”
