Chapter 53: Threat!
The Old Duke’s slow and steady words echoed in my ears with astonishing clarity.
The entire banquet hall gradually fell silent. Apart from the suppressed cries of the mother and daughter duo, no one dared to speak, not even a whisper could be heard.
“Make way.”
“Let me through!”
I maneuvered around the long table, weaving through the impeccably dressed crowd until I swiftly reached Victoria’s side and came to a halt.
I leaned forward to peek into the box on the table.
Inside lay a badge stained with dark red bl**d spots, emblazoned with a blooming rose. I recognized the shape of this flower; it was just like the ones on the walls of Mansion No. 3—same breed, no doubt.
This was the very rose that Victoria had nurtured with care, imbued with her thoughts and warmth.
And now, the petals were tainted with an ugly dark red.
But it seemed like Victoria was blind to the crimson. She sat poised at the table, her stunning face remaining unfazed, her cold eyes only focused on the Old Duke’s face. It wasn’t until she heard my voice that she slightly turned her head.
“Did you finish the cake?”
She casually asked a trivial question.
“Yeah.”
I answered with a frown. My gaze shifted around the few people opposite me, finally landing on the Old Duke’s squinting eyes, resting upon his wrinkle-laden face.
In that moment, I saw the Old Duke’s usual smile vanish, his pupils constricted, only to be replaced by another smile as if nothing had happened: “Let me guess. This lovely lady must be the honored guest from Shanter Castle: dear Miss Peilo?”
…Who are you calling dear?
I wore an annoyed expression, just about to retort when the Old Knight beside me jumped in first.
“Lord Lex, your eyes are as sharp as ever, immediately recognizing our most charming guest tonight.”
The Old Knight’s expression switched faster than a light bulb flicking on, his previously gloomy demeanor now beaming with joy like a kid in a candy store—completely unpredictable.
He nudged aside, deliberately leaving space next to Victoria for me: “Miss Peilo, come, come, please take a seat!”
I patted my skirts and sat down without hesitation. Then I turned my head and flashed a bright smile at Victoria.
“The cake was super delicious!”
“Really?”
Victoria reached over to brush my bangs back and gave my head a gentle rub.
“Then eat more!”
I shook my head immediately: “No way.”
“What? Why not?”
“I want roast goose! When’s that gonna be ready?”
I looked at her with eager anticipation.
Victoria, while tidying my braid like a doting mother, replied, “I’ve already instructed the kitchen. Just be patient. It will be ready soon.”
Her tone was reminiscent of a mother comforting a child, and I noticed a glimmer in her gaze that I found oddly familiar—almost like how a mother would look at their child.
“Oh…”
I instinctively nodded.
As I opened my mouth to say more—
“I never thought I’d see the Little Princess from Shanter Castle here. What a splendid occasion tonight.”
The Old Duke, who had been mulling over something with flickering eyes, finally spoke up.
“Miss Peilo, do you remember me? Probably not. The last time I saw you, you were just a little girl. Your father and I are long-time partners, old friends, you might say.”
He looked at me with a warm and kind smile.
“I have great admiration for him. Duke Skarlick has so many admirable qualities worth emulating, especially when it comes to raising his children. I wonder—how does he manage to nurture such excellent kids like you and Count Lafael? Next time we meet, I must ask him for some pointers.”
The Old Duke spoke warmly, attempting to bond with me.
Well…
His greatest support was, after all, the Iron Guard. And the Iron Guard’s power, besides sheer numbers, relied heavily on their sophisticated weaponry from the Central Workshop. If the Old Duke wished to retain his edge in the future, he needed to maintain good relations with Shanter Castle and keep those funds flowing to my family.
But here’s the kicker: Victoria had just cut off his funds, and here I was, the “partner’s” daughter, attending the rival’s birthday bash.
The Old Duke must be…
Feeling pretty panicked inside, huh?
At least, he wasn’t as calm as he appeared…
To him, I was not someone he could afford to offend. So… a bad attitude here and there wouldn’t hurt, right?
My mind spun into overdrive, thoughts zipping back and forth.
I turned and blinked at the Old Duke’s weathered face.
“Hey. But I haven’t really heard my father mention you.”
The Old Duke blinked in surprise.
He looked a tad irritated… or maybe not. It was hard to tell since his smile didn’t falter in the slightest.
“Must be true, haha! Winter Moon definitely has a royal connotation… Oh, I suppose that’s what you call a family name? It’s all the same. With Duke Skarlick being of such high noble bl**d, it’s completely normal for him to look down on a poor fellow like me, scrapping it out in the slums. But that doesn’t stop me from admiring his skills. I must ask him for a drink next time I see him.”
The Old Duke lowered himself a bit, putting on an air of nonchalance, magically dissolving the awkwardness in the air.
“But Miss Peilo, you really are quite the straightforward character! Unlike those yanks in Royal City, you don’t have a single drop of that infuriating sweet talk. You say what you mean! I must say, you don’t disappoint as Duke Skarlick’s daughter! I like it!”
Wait a minute…
Is he buttering me up while subtly throwing shade at Victoria and the others? Trying to set me apart to foster rivalry?
Sneaky, sneaky.
I rolled my eyes at him: “You, sir, puff up with compliments while your eyes scream insincerity. And here you are, talking about liking a sixteen-year-old girl—how shameless!”
The Old Duke’s smile froze at my words.
“Hahaha!”
The Old Knight beside me erupted into booming laughter.
“Lord Lex, what’s going on with you? After all these years buried in fame and fortune and all that violence, have you forgotten how to charm young ladies? Hahaha—”
His laughter escalated uncontrollably, and as nobles around started to disperse sensing the tension, they could not help but sneak glances our way.
I could see the Old Duke losing a bit of his composure.
“It’s no wonder Alex that rascal is such a joke. Miss Peilo completely ignores him, and he thinks brawling will get her attention… Seriously, who came up with that brilliant idea? Lord Lex, before you ask Duke Skarlick for advice, shouldn’t you reflect on yourself? Figure out if the problem lies with the kids or with you?”
Uh oh…
How could the Old Knight say that without a hint of shame? As if his grandson was the poster child of likability.
My mind was full of sarcasm.
The Old Duke’s face turned a bit red, his cheeks puffing up but quickly returned to normal.
“Lord Reikmon, that’s a bit excessive, don’t you think? I could have sworn no one liked you more. But you just said—”
He quickly adjusted his mood in record time, dodging the Old Knight’s ridicule and instead turning to me, scrutinizing me for a moment before chuckling: “So that girl is Miss Peilo? This is… odd. I was wondering how come the Clive family kids could want any woman when Alex is usually so well-behaved; how did he suddenly come to these impulsive actions… Now that I see the main character, I kind of get it.”
The Old Duke continued, warmly shaking the Old Knight’s hand.
“Lord Reikmon, you’ve had the pleasure of seeing Miss Peilo’s beauty before I have; shouldn’t that give you a better understanding? Young boys, when they hit that age and meet a woman they fancy, can we really stop them from competing? Don’t pretend you weren’t jealous over some girl back in your day either! Let’s not take things so seriously.”
“Hmph.”
The Old Knight huffed sarcastically, clearly not amused.
“Not taking it seriously? If it’s your kid lying in bed, you’d say that too.”
“I get it, I get it. Let’s do this: in sight of Miss Peilo tonight, let’s all lighten up a bit. When I catch Alex, I’ll bring him to you to apologize. You can tell him whether he should lie there for a month or three; it’s all up to you. How does that sound?”
The Old Knight looked at him for a moment with a smile, but said nothing, slowly pulling his hand away.
I noticed the Old Duke squinting once more.
“You all chat away. I’ve had a bit too much to eat; I need to take a leak.”
The Old Knight stood up, stretched lazily, and gradually walked away from the long table. Just before departing, he threw a seemingly casual glance at Victoria.
The Old Duke watched him go, lost in thought.
Suddenly, I noticed the plump captain standing behind him signaling to two others, who promptly followed the Old Knight out.
…Something’s off.
What are they up to?
I immediately glanced at Victoria, opening my mouth to speak when she unexpectedly squeezed my hand under the table, gently giving it two little squeezes.
?
What… does Victoria know something?
Or has she had certain thoughts in mind all along?
“Miss Peilo, that rascal Alex has been pampered by his mother and might sometimes come off as disrespectful. If he has offended you, do let me know, and I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson.”
The Old Duke refocused his gaze on me, his expression even, yet sincere.
“I heard you telling Her Majesty that you want goose? What a coincidence! Our Clive family excels at hunting. Those honking wild geese out there? I could sh**t them through the heart with just two arrows, and they’re deliciously tender. When would you like to come visit Fliesk Castle for a taste?”
I offered him a slight smile: “Not interested.”
“Oh? Why not?”
“Don’t like you guys.”
The Old Duke scratched his nose in defeat: “Miss Peilo, we are not enemies, are we? What’s the deal with such a deep-seated prejudice against this old man?”
I tilted my head to the right, pondering for a moment.
“Alex bullied me.”
At that, the Old Duke raised an eyebrow.
“Haha, Miss, you must be joking! Alex doesn’t have the skills for that.” His gaze held a deeper meaning.
Oh…
If Victoria’s mother knew, then the Old Duke probably knew my other name too.
That’s fine; it’s even better.
So, I didn’t reply to his remark, instead, I reached out my slender finger, gently pointing at the chubby captain behind the Old Duke, who was wiping the sweat off his face.
“That fat guy. He crashed into my family’s door.”
“Eh?”
The Old Duke glanced back.
“I didn’t mean to…” the chubby captain hurried to explain, “I’ve already paid for the damages!”
Oh? He covered the repair costs? I had forgotten…
Forget it. I only remembered he broke the door; who fixed it was of no concern to me.
“The Clive family is quite detestable.”
The Old Duke shook his head lightly, a helpless smile on his face: “Well, Miss Peilo, I’m not justifying them. Perhaps you happened to catch them on a bad day; I deeply apologize for that. But let’s be real; even if they angered you, I’m just an innocent old man, aren’t I?”
I shook my head: “You like killing.”
“Now that’s quite the statement…”
The Old Duke broke into laughter.
“No one likes killing. Miss Peilo, are you displeased with me because of today’s incident?”
He pointed to the still-placed gift box on the table.
“I k*ll them because they are traitors and enemies. It’s something that must be done; great people can’t be bothered by minor inconveniences. Sometimes, those who reason lose to those who throw punches. This is the world we live in… haven’t you seen the Shanter Army k*ll?”
“I have.”
“Then do you hate them?”
“No.”
I murmured.
“Then can you not hate me?”
He nearly adopted a tone like that of a parent trying to coax a child, treating me like a naïve little girl unaware of the world.
“I can’t.”
I looked at the Old Duke with a slight smirk.
“They k*ll for protection. You k*ll for plunder. That’s a different matter… but really, none of those are valid reasons.”
My smile slowly vanished, my gaze becoming serious.
“Old man, I’m quite powerful… maybe you know that. No matter who comes with hundreds or thousands of men, if they dare to harm Victoria, I guarantee I’ll take them down and turn them into popsicles.”
I raised my tiny fist and waved it in front of him.
“And that’s the reason.”
Hmph, dare to threaten Victoria! Well, I’ll threaten you right back!
I knew I was just making big claims. Taking the enemy’s general’s head was far more complex than it sounded. If it were just a few hundred, I might feel confident, but if it really were thousands or even tens of thousands, I’d probably be exhausted before I even found him.
But…
It wouldn’t be entirely a bluff.
With enough of that terrifying, chilling power, I could k*ll everyone before the church folk arrived and turn them all into—
…Uh-oh.
What am I thinking?
“Peilo.”
After a moment of silence, Victoria softly called my name.
“If you’re hungry, go eat some cake. No need to say all this.”
Forget the cake; what about the roast goose?
I snapped back to reality.
I saw the Old Duke’s face wobbling between uncertainty and clarity.
“It seems Miss Peilo and Her Majesty are quite close… That’s splendid. But just in case, I feel the need to confirm something. Miss Peilo, did you misunderstand something? This old man is Her Majesty’s loyal subject, not her enemy.”
He continued trying to explain himself.
But after making my stance clear, I lost interest in chatting more.
“Duke Lex.” Victoria spoke softly.
“Huh? Your Majesty, have you been deep in thought regarding earlier matters?”
“Not quite.”
“Not quite?”
“I’m waiting for you to make a move.”
“…What?”
In that instant, the Old Duke couldn’t conceal his shaken emotions, his face swiftly changing colors.
“Heh.”
Victoria caught the shift in his expression, letting out a light chuckle.
“How long has it been since we last met, Duke Lex? Why do you seem particularly weak on this visit?”
“Is it because your mother has passed and your uncle is locked away, leaving you without your usual comprehensive intelligence? Or could it be that problems have begun to surface within the Iron Guard? Have you come all the way here to babble nonsense instead of bringing me the Rose family’s badge?”
“Or perhaps… shall we sit here for two hours arguing about the Iron Guard, thinking that would resolve anything? We’re not fools—we know that wouldn’t help. So, I’ve been waiting for your move… but you haven’t made one. What are you waiting for?”
