Chapter Eighty-Two: The Queen’s Summons
When I woke up from the spacious, soft bed, pulling aside the light yet warm and fragrant goose-down silk blanket, my messy hair and droopy eyelids were met with the bright sun streaming in through the window. I glanced around my room, which still felt strangely empty even after a night passed, just me and my thoughts lingering over the surprise that Viki didn’t pull one of her typical tricks on me last night.
You know, with her usual style, if she’s gone through the effort of setting up the “preliminary framework,” she’s definitely waiting to spring a trap on me. When Rect seriously claimed he was too busy to come back, I just couldn’t buy it.
I barely slept a wink all night.
Although sleep no longer seemed so critical for me, the feeling of being snug in a cozy bed on a chilly morning still had its charm. There’s just something comforting about properly wrapping yourself in blankets when the place is nice and warm.
But if sleep isn’t coming, it can be downright maddening.
Last night, lying in bed, I mentally rehearsed at least a dozen possible tricks she might pull next, like showing up at the door all tipsy and attacking out of nowhere, or finding out during my shower that I forgot to bring clean underwear, only for her to show up instead of the maid bringing them—oh, the possibilities were endless!
Half-asleep, my mind was spinning, contemplating ways to counter her—after all the times I’ve been duped, I figured I had her tactics all figured out. I planned to flip the script this time and show her I’m not someone she can toy with anymore—I’m a changed man, you know!
As the night deepened, my thoughts morphed from “She must strike soon” to “What’s she up to?” to “If I fall asleep now, I’m going to be pissed,” to “Weird, why isn’t she back yet?” to “What if she’s got a new trick up her sleeve?” and finally, “She can’t really be ditching me, right?”
“Seriously, did she just leave me here all alone?”
So when morning arrived, and I found out I had actually spent the entire night alone, my feelings were a whirlwind of confusion and subtle irritation.
This indescribable sense of subtlety clung to me like a shadow as I got out of bed.
It finally evaporated a little when I brewed some restorative soup for Grandma Claire, and we chatted while eating breakfast. However, that delicately mysterious feeling returned when the Head Maid rushed in to inform me that Her Majesty the Queen summoned me to the palace.
Maybe she really was too busy to think about me, huh…
With that thought, after breakfast, I let grandma know and hopped into the war chariot with Rect, escorted by a bunch of guards zipping us toward the lavishly golden palace.
On the way, Forgiveness Head, sitting beside me, suddenly perked up and, with a raised brow, asked, “Hey, did you do your makeup?”
“What makeup?”
I rolled my eyes and gazed out the carriage window at the thawing streets, maintaining my best uninterested demeanor.
“Well, you at least put on some lip powder, dabbed on some face cream… maybe some blush? There’s some light make-up going on, although it’s subtle enough that you’d have to squint a bit to notice. But it’s really flattering on you.”
Rect gave my chest a playful pat, like he was genuinely complimenting me. “That court dress of yours combined with the purple-black lace hat… wow! You radiate mystery and elegance. Bet you spent a good amount of time this morning getting ready, didn’t you? I’ve never seen Miss Silvya like this before!”
“Shut it, will you?”
I didn’t want him rambling on. These flowery praises weren’t making me feel good—just headache-inducing.
“Her Majesty is sure to love you today.”
But Rect, now fired up with curiosity, leaned in with a hint of teasing in his voice. “You know, she always likes to make you look more mature. I bet this outfit is straight from her curated wardrobe for you, right?”
“How’d last night’s interrogation go? Find any leads, or are you just here blabbering?” I snapped, forcibly changing the subject.
At that moment, Rect lost his playful mood, looking out the window as he sighed somewhat helplessly.
“Kids are tougher to handle than women, especially a bunch of brainwashed fanatical heretics. They’re scared, but they’d rather d*e than spill anything. From what I can tell, they probably don’t know anything at all.”
“Know nothing but still come here to throw their lives away?” I frowned.
“Maybe it just takes a few stirring words to get them on board,” Rect shrugged. “You know how kids are—filled with passion and easily swayed by those low-life scumbags, sometimes it doesn’t even take cash, just convincing them they’re fighting for justice—that’s more than enough.”
…
As the war chariot rolled into the palace, Wetherlis the steward graciously helped me out of the carriage while Rect hopped down from the other side, adjusting his cuffs.
I looked up at the grand palace—still just as magnificent and ornate as I remembered—and immediately felt the heat of the gazes from the noblemen milling about the square. With a pout, I let the steward head in first to announce our arrival.
“Mr. Rect, it’s been a while!”
Soon enough, someone stepped forward to exchange pleasantries with Forgiveness Head.
“Oh, my dear Rect, I heard some trouble went down at Vilo Garden last night on Longdoll Street! You weren’t hurt, were you? Those despicable council leeches are getting desperate; you’d best be cautious now…”
“But that just shows they’re at their wits’ end! I’ll toast to your victory against Duke Rectmont in advance… By the way, how is Her Majesty doing these days?”
The crowd gathering seemed quite influential—some younger, and an older lord among them. The square always buzzed with these idle nobles, all lowering their heads when talking to Rect, even though their statuses gave them no reason to.
“Uh, may I ask who this esteemed young lady is—?”
Suddenly, they shifted their attention to me, their gazes inevitably drawn to my black hair. Yet, the lace netting on my little hat covered most of my face, so they couldn’t quite see who I was—even if they could, how many would genuinely recognize me?
And so, they waited expectantly for Rect’s introduction.
However, Rect didn’t play along and merely said, “Her Majesty’s honored guest,” and then, using meeting Her Majesty as an excuse, he slipped away with me.
Not long after, more people approached to chat.
From the square to the palace hall, every noble we passed greeted Rect warmly, many with a bit of flattery in their tone—some even bending over backward in their politeness. He might be a captain of the Sword of Kanli, yet he was this royal celebrity now!
Yep, a celebrity… with green-haired vibes.
Clearly, aligning oneself with the right leadership makes all the difference!
The “celebrity” led me to the rear garden of the hall, where two smart-looking maids seemed to have been waiting for ages. As we approached, they immediately came forward. “Your Highness, Captain Rect, please follow me to the Wind Chime Pavilion. Her Majesty is waiting for you both there.”
