### Chapter Eighteen: The Duke and the Lady
The war chariot rolled along at a breakneck speed while I sat in the cabin, composed and serious, taking out a piece of cake and sniffing it at my nose like it was some fine wine. I turned to Carlos with utmost seriousness, “Carlos, this cake smells amazing.”
Carlos shot me a glaring side-eye.
“Just because it smells good doesn’t mean you can eat it.”
“… Just one piece.”
I looked at him with a hopeful expression.
“Please, if you eat anymore, you’ll finish it all! That’s a whole Valen Gold, my young lady. What, are you trying to go for a record in stuffing yourself?”
“But it’s so delicious!”
This cake is stunningly good, far surpassing any dessert I’ve ever tasted. It practically screamed, “Eat me all at once!” No wonder throngs of people rushed to buy it.
“Duke Skarlij specifically sent a letter saying we should dine with him and the lady tonight. If you can’t eat then, you’ll embarrass us, you know?”
“Just one piece!”
“Nope, hand over the cake.”
As I tried to shove the cake into my mouth without shame, Carlos immediately lunged for the bag. Realizing what was happening, I clutched it to my chest like it was passing my final exam.
“I’m not sharing! No stealing!”
“If you take another bite, I’ll make sure you never hear about the good food again.”
Carlos threatened me, and I looked mournfully at the diminishing cake. I wanted to assure him that it wouldn’t interfere with my performance later, but I feared he might actually stop sharing any goodies with me in the future. After a moment of hesitation, I obediently hid it away.
“That’s the spirit.” Carlos ruffled my hair, and I shot him a glare.
This guy has been getting way too full of himself lately. I’ll need to pull a prank on him sometime to show him the tiger’s backside shouldn’t be touched.
Though I felt quite displeased with Carlos’s behavior, I held back from swatting his hand away as I usually did.
For some reason, I couldn’t shake off that girl the shopkeeper mentioned. I recalled the goofy-looking bearded swordsman next to me had been hanging around the Valen Empire for quite a while. Maybe he knew something.
“Carlos, who’s Peilo?”
“Peilo? Oh, that’s the girl the shopkeeper mentioned, who looks like you, right?” Carlos finally withdrew his grubby hand, stroking his beard in thought. “Dunno… I’m just a wandering swordsman. I’ve indeed been staying in the Valen Empire for the last few years, but I really don’t pay attention to noble affairs. I think I remember a girl with that name… oh! I got it!”
Carlos snapped his fingers like he had just had an epiphany, then promptly frowned deeply.
“What’s wrong?” I raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve heard that name before. Peilo, I think there’s a cute girl in Winter City with that name. She used to be pretty popular; you’d hear people talking about her in taverns all the time, but that was ages ago. I haven’t actually seen her myself, nor did I care to pay attention to those rumors. But thinking about it, I really haven’t heard anything about her recently. That must be why it slipped my mind.”
“She left this place, didn’t she?”
“How am I supposed to know?” Carlos said, shrugging innocently. “I told you I don’t keep up with these things. She may have married off to some faraway place by now?”
Great, this guy really is an isolated nerd. Based on our interactions, he doesn’t seem married or tied down at all. I can’t imagine what he does alone in his spare time.
Whatever, I thought, moving on. The girl named Peilo probably has no relation to me; they might just have similar looks.
Why bother caring about a stranger?
Casting aside those trivial thoughts, I turned to look outside the carriage.
The sky was starting to get a bit yellow.
The war chariot thundered through one street after another, and just when I thought the crowds were starting to thin, the dense rows of houses suddenly came to a halt. My vision expanded to reveal vast, snowy land as far as the eye could see.
In front of us stood a grand, towering snow-capped mountain.
Staring at the imposing black fortress nestled at the foot of the mountain, I suddenly widened my eyes and grabbed Carlos by the shoulder, shaking him awake from his near slumber.
“Carlos! Look! That’s it!”
Carlos rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked out, slightly dazed.
“What? Oh, we’re here.”
“No, not that! I saw it—the castle! It’s that one!”
Yes! The standing bell tower, the dark tower walls, and that long bridge. Everything looked just like the castle I saw in my recent vision.
At that moment, even I began to doubt myself. Could it be that I really have the power of foresight?
“Oh, you mean the vision from before? So, did anything else come up after that?”
“Nope.”
“Next time it happens, let me know, alright?”
…
The war chariot crossed the bridge and stopped at the castle gate.
The moment I got out of the carriage, the relief I felt was indescribable.
Looking back, since leaving the little village, I had been following Carlos on a never-ending journey, spending most of my time in the carriage. Just thinking about finally being able to say goodbye to that annoying war chariot made me want to bounce for joy.
The guards at the castle gate were still those workshop hunters, along with a man dressed like a butler who immediately came over to greet us.
“Honored Pope Knights, please, this way. The lord and lady are already waiting for you.”
At this moment, both Carlos and I wore lush Iris cloaks, and with the church’s carriage arriving, our identities were quite clear. The butler didn’t even need to confirm; he led us right in.
This castle was astonishing in size; it took us ten minutes to traverse a garden filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers to finally reach the internal structure.
Once inside, the layout was like a labyrinth. Aside from the exquisite floor-to-ceiling windows, nearly everything was pitch black, adding a hint of mystery in the dim light. It reminded me of those vampire lords’ castles in movies.
It seems the royal family of the Valen Empire has a penchant for black. Is it because of their black hair and eyes?
I felt there was a strong vibe of Gothic style everywhere, which I found oddly appealing.
The butler led us through winding passages until we finally stood before a door on the top floor.
“Please, my lords, go inside.”
Carlos nodded to the butler, then opened the door. Instantly, a fragrant smell of books engulfed us.
It looked like a study, filled with shelves brimming with all sorts of books. In the center stood an old yet grand wooden desk, behind which sat a man in his late fifties, looking sprightly. Beside him stood an elegant lady.
“Ah, Duke Skarlij! Long time no see, and Lady Catherine is also here!” Carlos greeted them casually.
“Ha! Carlos! You finally showed up; I was beginning to think I’d be waiting until dinner was served!” Duke Skarlij, who had been engrossed in paperwork, set down his quill when he heard Carlos’s voice. He chuckled, clearly pleased.
“Wouldn’t dare keep the Duke waiting! Just got caught up with a few things on the road.”
“Sure, when have you ever been punctual?”
The Duke, with a head of black hair streaked with a bit of white, styled back neatly, teased Carlos with a smile before turning his gaze toward me, who was awkwardly fidgeting.
“You must be Miss Silvya, mentioned in the letter?”
I nodded in response.
“Good day, Duke and Lady.”
As I spoke, I realized I still had my hood on, which felt rather impolite, so I hurried to take it off.
As my long black hair tumbled down like a waterfall, Duke Skarlij’s pupils widened dramatically, and his fingers trembled slightly as if he were battling some hidden emotion.
“Hello, um, Miss Silvya. You’re really young, haha. May I ask how old you are this year?”
“Sixteen.”
I looked at the Duke, who was forcing himself to keep calm, suddenly feeling odd. Why was he so interested in my age when he didn’t even show the same excitement at meeting Carlos? What was he up to with me, a stranger?
… Surely, he didn’t find me attractive and harbor some unsavory thoughts, did he?
A chill crept up my spine, and I instinctively took a couple of steps back.
“It’s impressive that you’ve become a Pope Knight at such a young age!” the Duke continued as if he didn’t notice my discomfort, “I heard from the Pope that you don’t have parents?”
Hmm? What did Angel tell them about me?
I glanced at Carlos, who immediately understood what I needed.
“Ah, yes, she doesn’t remember anything from before. We found her in a small village in Silgaya, where she had just fought off a monster from the Abyss and was on the brink of d*ath. The church saved her.”
“Oh, I see. I heard… your talent in the Frost Order is quite high?”
“Uh, I guess?”
Honestly, I had no idea how high my talent was, but I still answered obediently.
From what I could tell, my full-powered frost magic could hold its own against the Abyss, and Angel said I had plenty of potential left to tap into. That couldn’t be too bad, right?
“Could you…”
Seeing the Duke seemed to want to ask endlessly, even Carlos sensed his unease. Lady Catherine immediately interjected, “Let the two of them rest in the guest room for now. After such a long journey, you must be quite tired.”
“Indeed! Haha, I was too careless!” The Duke realized, calling for the butler, “Take them to the guest room to rest, and I’ll be there shortly.”
“I’ll brew some tea for you,” Lady Catherine smiled sweetly at me as she walked out, her demeanor radiating warmth.
As I turned back, I caught a glimpse of her discreetly wiping her eyes at that moment.
