Chapter 183

Chapter 155 – Mother and Daughter

“Who are you?” I asked, frowning.

This was obviously a rhetorical question. The moment she saw me, this woman had arrogantly stated what she had just said, clearly treating me as an adversary. She merely glanced at me indifferently before turning her head away and no longer looking at me… If you had spoken to me politely, I might have been courteous in return, but your attitude displeases me.

Why should I treat you normally…

Victoria’s mother seemed surprised. She turned her head and looked at me again, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Oh? You don’t know me?”

“I don’t know why I should know you,” I said as I walked toward Victoria, casually adding, “Are you tasty?”

Victoria, who was sitting on the sofa, immediately stood up and said to me, “Let’s go upstairs to talk.”

“Okay.”

I responded softly, about to turn around when the woman noticed that we were leaving and quickly stood up too.

She blocked my path, smiling faintly as she sized me up, then spoke, “Can’t we say what needs to be said here? Or do you have something to hide from me, the Empress Dowager of the Imperial City?”

I stared coldly at her beautiful eyes, deeply dissatisfied with her actions as the Empress Dowager. But she wasn’t someone insignificant; she was Victoria’s mother, and with her here, I couldn’t vent my anger. So I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, “We have important matters to discuss. They don’t concern you.”

“Miss Hilviga, I’ll say the same to you,” the Empress Dowager laughed after hearing my words, “You intrude uninvited, disrupting our important conversation… This is the Imperial City, not your Shantelle Castle. Don’t meddle in our family affairs.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly, “Scared me. Empress Dowager, you’re really quite uncultured.”

The Empress Dowager’s face turned cold instantly, “You—!”

“Mother. Miss Hilviga is a distinguished guest of the Imperial City. Please refrain from saying unnecessary things,” Victoria said calmly.

“…A distinguished guest of the Imperial City? I think she’s just your guest,” the Empress Dowager’s sneer grew more pronounced, “When did Miss Hilviga arrive in the Imperial City? Such an important matter, even the servants in the palace know, yet you didn’t inform me. If not for the incident two days ago, I would still be in the dark… Victoria, do you still respect me?”

“Mother spends all day admiring flowers and the moon. How could she care about such trivial matters?”

“You’re mocking me for being idle?”

“I’m stating facts.”

“…Fine! It’s been a while, and you’ve learned some new tricks!”

“It’s been a while, and these are all you can say to me?”

“You’ve pushed the royal family into a predicament! What else is there to say—!”

“Then let’s not say anything.”

The mother and daughter argued rapidly, one raging, the other remaining calm. The large living room was suffocating, and Reckert, standing not far away, kept his head down, silent. His face was hidden in shadow, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

Victoria no longer wanted to deal with her mother. She calmly said to me, “Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

But just as I took a step forward, the Empress Dowager moved sideways again, blocking our path once more.

“My words aren’t finished. Please respect me and sit back down.”

She glared at me fiercely… Why does she insist on looking at me!

I was very annoyed.

I looked at the Empress Dowager in front of me, my gaze falling on her exquisite figure, which seemed fragile enough to be shattered by a slap.

Willow-like waist… She took a deep breath.

“Respect is something you earn…”

Lifting my head to stare at her again, I asked word by word, “Then, Your Majesty. May I ask where the equipment of those Iron Guard comes from?”

The expression on the Empress Dowager’s face froze.

Her eyes widened even more, her lips slightly open, and after a moment of hesitation, she asked in a solemn voice, “What do you mean?”

“Just curious, asking,” I chuckled lightly.

I had noticed this before. Whether it was the armor they wore or the swords hanging at their waists, all of them bore the mark of the Central Foundry—this was only natural. Those people who embezzled from the royal treasury and held vast wealth would arm themselves with the best.

And the Empress Dowager clearly knew about this; in fact, she played no small part behind the scenes. But if the foundry were to cut off their supplies… The so-called Iron Guard would no longer be able to sustain any battle.

Or they could seek out other foundries. But in that case, the advantage of being “well-equipped” that the Iron Guard was known for would cease to exist.

“My mother said I have to write letters home every month,” I tapped my chin with my index finger, tilting my head, “and also, the Council. If I represent Sante堡, would I then… have the right to attend?”

After saying this, I blinked my eyes.

“…”

The Empress Dowager was speechless. Her originally beautiful face turned dark, and one couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

After a while, she sneered again, “Even if you can represent the Central Foundry, so what? The Council is Ethanbel’s affair, and you, at your young age—”

“But!” I immediately interrupted her, “It seems I can also represent the Church.”

Victoria, due to her position, could only speak from the perspective of Ethanbel’s ruler in the royal city, but I was different. I could stand solely for the Church and reach numerous agreements with Victoria, both within and beyond her imagination. And if I were to be a bit more capricious, I could…

“I can mobilize Church Knights.”

“You dare—!”

Of course, I dared not. This would provoke a war, and Angel would never agree to it; I was just trying to scare her.

Didn’t you say I was young? Then let me show you how young I am. I won’t argue with you.

“I’m young, so I’m quite mischievous, Auntie—”

The Empress Dowager’s lips trembled with anger, “Are you threatening me?!”

“I don’t want to threaten anyone,” I wagged my finger at her, putting on a serious and earnest expression, “I’m not interested in these matters. I just hope you don’t pique my interest.”

Having said that, I gave Victoria a smile beside me, “Let’s go.”

“…Yeah.”

Taking large strides forward.

This time, the Empress Dowager did not try to stop us. However, halfway up the stairs, we heard her exhausted and hoarse roar from behind, “What are you doing! Do you want to start a war—!”

“They have tens of thousands of elite troops! Tens of thousands of people! What do you have! A Cankiri Sword that can’t even gather a hundred people? The Valen Empire won’t help you! They’re going to fight too! What can you do yourself! Can you kill a thousand people, ten thousand people? Can you wipe them all out? Is your killing speed faster than theirs—!”

“Victoria—! You won’t take everything away from me! Don’t think you can drag the entire royal family down with you as well!”

“How could I give birth to you, an ignorant scoundrel—!”

Victoria suddenly stopped in her tracks.