### Chapter Sixty-Seven: Vilo Garden’s Long-Awaited Return
Once again, I was met with the grand sight of the magnificent bluestone city, a dazzling landscape akin to a magical world. No matter how many times I gazed upon this city, the craftsmanship of the Ethanbel artisans always left me in awe. As I saw the weathered walls and massive gates, I thought to myself that even without the “eggshell” protection, for the human army to conquer this place would be about as easy as climbing a mountain in stilettos.
Back in the day when the Iron Guards were at the city’s gates, the oil fireball launchers had been hurling stones for what felt like eons, and yet they hadn’t even dented this iron-clad defense. If it hadn’t been for an internal hiccup, the war’s outcome would have been as predictable as a bad rom-com.
Hmm, if it were the Shanter Army, once the hot air balloon technique was fully developed, they probably would have a plethora of ways to break through the castle walls from the inside…
Lost in my thoughts, I wrapped myself in my cloak and put on my hood, strolling up to the city gates where a gaggle of rather serious-looking guards immediately surrounded me, demanding I take off my hood and explain my intentions. I casually tossed them a token; my Royal City pass had been misplaced ages ago, and I hadn’t gotten around to replacing it. This token was one Viki had handed me back in Chielis City, gold-plated and exquisitely crafted with a beautiful sword pattern that symbolized a distinguished guest of the kingdom.
With this token in hand, I even had the temporary authority to mobilize the Sword of Kanli in Her Majesty the Queen’s absence—so waltzing through the gates was a piece of cake. Upon seeing the sword emblem, the guards promptly pounded their chests and bowed deeply; it seemed they’d already been briefed on the situation. A man that looked like the head of the guards called out “Open the gates!” and with a courteous gesture, he ushered me inside. “Most esteemed Miss, your horned horse chariot is ready. Please follow me; Tralas is honored to guide you.”
I didn’t ask too many questions, just nodded along, following the head guard to the barracks inside the city. Lo and behold, there parked a shiny horned horse chariot—glorious gold in color, standing out remarkably against the more mundane silver carriages around.
The head guard led me to the chariot, nodded to some warriors clad in fancier armor, and then greeted a nearby man in butler attire with a slick, oiled hairstyle. The man rushed up with a bow and said, “I am Wetheris, one of the palace stewards. Her Majesty has instructed me to await you for quite some time; please, step aboard, your esteemed Highness.”
It seemed Viki had everything arranged for me in advance, so I hopped into the horned horse chariot. Once the steward was seated at the driver’s position, the well-equipped guards mounted their beasts and formed a line behind the chariot. Upon noticing their badges, I realized they were from the Royal Guards.
Some of them caught my gaze and smiled warmly, prompting me to return their smiles. However, as I turned away, my brow slightly furrowed.
Why make this so complicated? Do they really need an escort…?
Is the situation in the Royal City lately that tense?
A thought flitted through my mind as I lowered the carriage curtain, whispering to the front, “To Longdoll Street.”
“Of course, your Highness. The road is bumpy, so please hold on tight.”
“Go—”
At the steward’s command, the carriage began to move, accelerating smoothly.
The wheels rumbled over the flower-white marble city road, while the gray-white horned horse snorted ahead, puffing and blowing like an old man out of breath.
It looked as if a heavy snow had recently fallen; peering out through the carriage ventilation, I noticed thick layers of snow piled on the rooftops on either side. Icicles hung like crystal daggers from the eaves, and the city’s main roads seemed to have been only hastily cleared, snow amassed on the sides, with most shops shuttered and residential buildings tightly shut. Rarely did I spot a pedestrian, save for a few arbiters in berets hurrying past, all looking like they were late for something important.
The snowfall was intense…
Though it had stopped for now, the sheer volume of snow must be a shock for the residents of Ethanbel, considering it’s quite the rarity here…
Or are the troubles in the Royal City genuinely afoot?
The council’s efforts to secularize the church—surely Viki has everything sorted out by now…
I contemplated asking the steward driving the carriage, but thought better of it. It’s not like he could give me much trustworthy information, and even if he could, his position likely meant he was as clueless as a cat in a dog park. So I dropped the idea; I’d soon meet Viki and could get the full scoop then.
As I observed the ambiance of the entire city, I noted that even many markets were closed, and a number of streets were blocked by snow drifts. The horned horse chariot had to stop several times as we navigated through the northern part of the city, which felt rather deserted.
It wasn’t until we reached the bustling South City that matters brightened. Nearly all the shops were open, and the streets swarmed with people; I saw guards organizing efforts to clear the accumulating snow. Strangely, the number of guards seemed to have increased; as our chariot traversed a short stretch leading to the palace, in less than ten minutes, we encountered two checkpoints with barricades set up. The guards guarding the checkpoints appeared to be palace guards but were clearly not part of the same unit as those riding behind me. The driving steward had to get down each time to explain ourselves before the horned horse chariot could pass freely.
All in all, I didn’t run into any particular hiccups. Before long, the chariot rolled into familiar yet strange Longdoll Street. The guards here seemed even stricter, with more patrols, yet no one attempted to stop my royal chariot. As we finally arrived before the grand iron gates of Vilo Garden, the chariot came to a gentle stop, and the steward hopped down to kindly pull open the carriage curtain while extending an arm, “Your Highness, your residence has arrived; kindly step down.”
I symbolically held onto his arm as I stepped off the carriage onto the slippery, muddy bluestone road. Taking a deep breath of the chilly air, I lifted my head and gazed at the long-absent estate, only to freeze in disbelief.
“…Wow.”
For a moment, I almost wondered if I had taken a wrong turn somewhere.
Is this… still the home I used to live in?
Looking closely, aside from the courtyard walls covered in roses (which, alas, had withered away, leaving behind only a somewhat desiccated vine), not much seemed to have changed. However, peering through the heavy iron gates into the estate revealed that even compared to the last time the two floors had been joined, this place looked like it had undergone a major renovation.
What used to be a mere sky garden connecting the two floors was now replaced with an enormous four-story bluish-white villa, clearly the new main building of the entire estate. Its grand and beautiful design filled with classical elements made the original left and right houses look like mere appendages.
I even noticed the room structure behind the large terrace window on the fourth floor of the “main building.” No doubt, it was a rather large bedroom. Since the curtains were pulled back, I could see a corner of the bedroom’s bed from outside. I vaguely guessed it was at least one and a half times the size of an ordinary double bed, or perhaps even more…
…I suddenly found myself reluctant to actually enter the estate.
“Who—who is it?”
Just as I debated whether to fetch Grandma Claire and the others now, a rough yet somewhat anxious voice interrupted from the entrance. I turned to see a familiar middle-aged man poking his head out the door, holding a large broom meant for clearing snow and continually glancing nervously towards the horned horse chariot and royal guards.
“…Uncle Doug.”
Recognition hit me like a heatwave.
Is Ryan’s father… here as well?
I stepped closer, took off my hood, revealing a cheerful smiling face, and softly said, “It’s me, I’m back.”
