Chapter 4: Jealousy?
“He…”
Huh? Huh?
She seems a bit angry… Why? What’s going on?!
I looked at Victoria’s somewhat frosty expression, my brain a bit scrambled. I waved my hands a few times in front of my chest but didn’t know what to say.
“Isn’t he going to the Eastern Continent soon?”
Victoria furrowed her brows when I remained silent for a while.
She was keeping her emotions in check; that fleeting hint of… dissatisfaction? Just a touch of anger had quickly been concealed as she turned and casually sat on the couch, rubbing her temples and closing her eyes.
“Do you not know?”
“I don’t know…”
The Eastern Continent?
What does Carlos want to do there…
Could it be he came to tell me about this today?
“He’s going to the Eastern Continent to find our teacher, the Sword Saint Old Man… he’ll probably leave the day after tomorrow.”
The day after tomorrow?
“What’s the rush…?”
“Let him tell you himself,” Victoria replied nonchalantly.
Wait…
Did she just say “our teacher”?
I crossed my legs and sat down not far from her, leaning against the soft couch and tilting my head to think. I scooted a bit closer to her and said, “Viki, you just said… the Sword Saint Old Man is also your teacher, right?”
“When I was young, he taught me swordsmanship for a few years.”
“Oh…”
So, she and Carlos are technically from the same school?
“Let’s not talk about that. I came to tell you something else.”
Victoria sat gracefully, her arms crossed in front of her, her posture straight as a rod. A hint of fatigue showed on her face, and even with her eyes closed, it was hard to miss.
A cool breeze from the window played with her hair, brushing against my face and making it feel a bit itchy.
“This afternoon, I went to the dungeon to meet Lex. He told me that the bl**d Pearl is very likely hidden in Flerske Castle.”
…Huh?
The bl**d Pearl? Why would it be there…
Her abrupt comments left me dazed for a couple of seconds, my little brain spinning until it hit me.
“Could it be…?”
“Mm.”
Victoria nodded slightly, her bright golden eyes opening a sliver.
“The heretics from the Gate of Truth were lured into the city by him. Their goal is to k*ll me and destroy the church. The church has confirmed this. So it’s quite normal for the bl**d Pearl to end up in his hands.”
Ah…
But that cunning Duke might be lying or secretly plotting something. Thinking of this, I frowned and looked at Victoria’s profile, asking, “Viki, do you believe him?”
Victoria gently shook her head.
“I don’t rule out the possibility of lying, but I think it’s unlikely. His mental state has deteriorated, and he’s a bit delusional, like he’s gone insane… You might not know, but during the Iron Guard’s siege of the royal city, his son betrayed him and killed everyone loyal to him. I think that was quite a blow; he must be terribly disappointed in the castle he once took pride in… He told me the bl**d Pearl’s whereabouts because he wants me to lead troops to attack Flerske Castle, and he even willingly provided the layout of the castle’s underground passages and waterways.”
“Oh…”
Duke Lox… has he gone mad?
Suddenly, I felt a twinge of sympathy.
“A few days ago, we finalized the armor and weapons. Shanter Castle sent me a reply saying your father approved, and the envoy has already set out with the first batch of supplies via the church’s special entry channels. They should arrive soon… you know about this, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
I mumbled an acknowledgment, not wanting Victoria to know I hadn’t actually seen the contents of that letter.
Then a thought struck me, and I felt a jolt.
“Viki, are you planning—”
“I’ve discussed it with the Pope; the Church Knights Order will soon arrive in the royal city. They will join the restructured royal city garrison in attacking Flerske Castle to eradicate the source of the rebellion and find the bl**d Pearl.”
She turned her head to look out the window at the night scenery, lost in thought.
“I’ve realized something, Pepé. Sometimes… being overly cautious isn’t a good thing. When it’s time to strike, you must go for the k*ll…”
After that, the atmosphere became as still as a lake.
Not long after, Carlos returned.
He entered carrying a bunch of brown paper bags, and upon seeing the two women on the couch, a big one and a little one, his expression froze momentarily. He looked around Victoria’s calm face, then broke into a smile.
“Hey, we have a guest!”
…Huh?
This guy didn’t call Victoria “Her Majesty the Queen” and is being so casual about it!
I raised my eyebrows, surprised.
“Guest?”
I heard Victoria’s voice beside me throw back a retort, as if it was casual. Though her tone was still cold, devoid of any emotion, I could subtly sense a bit of tension in the air.
“Mr. Carlos, this is the royal city.”
While speaking, she pointed with her long fingers at the tea table, a hint of impatience in her expression as if reminding Carlos who the real boss was.
“Alright, alright. This is the royal city; you have the final say…”
Carlos didn’t seem to mind much, perhaps he just uttered it without thinking. With a relaxed smile, he approached me, holding up one of the bags and saying, “Here, I bought what you wanted.”
I stared at the biggest brown paper bag in his hand, my gaze skimming over the grease stains, then I couldn’t help but sniff.
Sniff, sniff…
… Smells so good!
It’s Ophelia Almond Cake! This guy actually got it!
Suddenly, I felt my mouth water, and with a “slurp,” I sucked back the saliva that was about to drip down, and “whoosh,” I jumped up from the couch, my eyes gleaming with joy, eager to snatch the bag from Carlos’s hands, only to catch a glimpse of Victoria’s glare out of the corner of my eye.
My heart skipped a beat.
I can’t quite explain the peculiar look in her eyes. In those bright golden pupils meeting mine, besides the usual indifference, I faintly discerned a touch of… disdain and grievance, reminiscent of a little girl.
I had never seen Victoria like this.
Is she… jealous?
No, no, no, that’s just ridiculous…
“Why, aren’t you going to eat it?”
“Uh…”
Victoria only met my gaze for a brief moment before turning her head away, resuming her contemplation of the garden outside the window.
“I’ll just wait… slurp! I’ll eat later…”
I reluctantly lowered my hand, casting a lingering glance at the bag, over and over, until Carlos dumped the bags on the tea table.
He didn’t feel awkward at all, casually shrugged at Victoria and then casually settled back in the couch beside me, flicking his pristine collar before propping his leg up.
“Looks like Her Majesty has other dinner plans… Would it be possible for a lost soul like me to be graced with the chance to dine with these two beautiful ladies?”
“Carlos, what are you doing here?” Victoria said in a flat tone.
“Oh, it’s nothing major…” Carlos interlocked his hands behind his head, boredly clicking his tongue, “Just wanted to have a chat with Little Shay… hope you don’t mind me sticking around?”
“Be my guest.”
The atmosphere fell into a long silence.
The clock’s hands ticked away, with Victoria to my left gathering her hair and staring off into space outside the window. Meanwhile, Carlos leaned back against the couch, starting to doze off.
No one said anything.
Sandwiched between these two, I felt immensely awkward, my heart was a whirlwind of embarrassment…
Say something, quick…
But what should I say?
“Ah, right, Little Shay. I almost forgot this…”
Suddenly, Carlos broke the silence.
He reached into his coat, rummaging around, and pulled out a letter before handing it to me.
This is…
I instinctively reached out: “For me?”
The seal on it bore a magnificent lion head… Ah, this is a letter from the Royal Academy.
“I went to the Academy this morning, talked about things, mentioned I’d come looking for you later, and Lady Pasha asked me to give this to you.”
The Academy…
“How are things over there?”
I hadn’t been to the Academy even once in recent days. I had no idea how Sarah and Daisy were, nor about Sophia…
She saw me the last time.
That is exactly why I’ve been avoiding it.
I was a bit scared she might say or do something to me.
But why did Carlos go there…
“It’s fine, really. Just that Lady Pasha fell ill… but it’s nothing serious.”
“Oh…”
I struggled to open the letter in my hands.
After hesitating for a moment, I couldn’t resist asking him, “Carlos, are you going to the Eastern Continent?”
