Chapter 266

Chapter 53 Threat!

The words of the old Duke reached my ears with unusual clarity, slow yet distinct.

The entire banquet hall gradually fell silent. Apart from the stifled sobs of the mother and daughter, no one else spoke. Even whispers were nearly inaudible.

“Move aside.”

“Let me through!”

I maneuvered around the long table, weaving through the elegantly dressed crowd, and quickly arrived behind Victoria, halting.

I peered into the box on the table first.

Inside lay a badge stained with dark red blood spots, a rose blooming fiercely engraved upon it. I recognized the shape of this flower, identical to those on the walls of the No. 3 mansion, suggesting they were the same variety.

These were flowers that Victoria had nurtured with care, embodying her thoughts and warmth.

Now, however, the petals of the rose were tainted with an ugly dark red hue.

Yet, Victoria seemed oblivious to the dark red. She sat upright, her exquisite face calm, her cold eyes unflinching as she stared at the old Duke. Only after hearing my voice did she turn her head slightly.

“The cake is finished?”

She spoke of trivial matters.

“Mm.”

I responded softly, frowning. My gaze swept across the others before meeting the narrowed eyes of the old Duke, fixed on his wrinkled face.

In that instant, the old Duke’s once cheerful expression abruptly vanished, his pupils constricted, then he forced a smile as if nothing had happened: “Let me guess. Is this beautiful lady, perhaps, a distinguished guest from Schantelburg, dear Miss Peyello?”

…Whom did he call ‘dear’?

I was visibly displeased, ready to retort, but the old knight beside me spoke first.

“Lord Lexus, your insight remains as sharp as ever, immediately recognizing our most charming and delightful guest tonight.”

The old knight’s mood shifted rapidly; his previously uncertain expression turned joyfully expectant in the next second, making him inscrutable.

Beside Victoria, he deliberately moved aside, leaving space for me: “Miss Peyello, please, do sit!”

I patted down my skirt and sat down without hesitation. Then, turning my head, I gave Victoria a radiant smile.

“The cake is especially delicious!”

“Is that so?”

Victoria smoothed my bangs and gently rubbed my head.

“Eat more then.”

I shook my head immediately: “No thanks.”

“Why not?”

“I want to eat roast goose! When will it be ready?”

I looked at her with eager anticipation.

While tidying up my braids, Victoria replied: “I’ve already instructed the kitchen. Just wait a little longer, it’ll be ready soon.”

Her tone was like soothing a child. Her eyes held a certain tenderness, which reminded me somewhat of my mother.

“Oh…”

I nodded obediently without thinking.

Just as I was about to say more—

“Never thought I’d see the little princess of Schantelburg here tonight. What a wonderful moment.”

The old Duke, who had been pondering and whose eyes kept flickering, finally spoke.

“Miss Peyello, do you remember me? You probably don’t, since you were very young when we last met. Your father and I have been long-term partners, old friends indeed.”

He looked at me with a kind and amiable smile.

“I hold him in high regard. There are many admirable qualities about Duke Scalliger, especially in how he educates his children. Tell me, how does he manage to raise such exceptional offspring like yourself and Count La Fayette? Next time we meet, I must seek his advice.”

The old Duke spoke enthusiastically, attempting to ingratiate himself.

Indeed…

His greatest reliance was undoubtedly the Iron Guard. The strength of the Iron Guard, apart from numerical superiority, also stemmed from the formidable weaponry provided by the Central Workshop, a crucial factor. To maintain his previous advantages, the old Duke needed to sustain a cooperative relationship with Schantelburg, ensuring a steady flow of funds.

However, the situation before him was dire: Victoria had severed his financial lifeline, and as the daughter of ‘partner’ Scalliger, I appeared at the enemy’s birthday celebration.

The old Duke…

must be quite anxious, right?

At least he wouldn’t appear as calm as he seemed…

To him, I was someone not to be trifled with. So… a slight change in attitude wouldn’t matter, would it?

My mind raced, thoughts swirling.

I turned to look at the old Duke’s weathered face and blinked.

“Hmm. But I haven’t heard much about you from my father.”

The old Duke paused slightly.

He seemed a bit annoyed… or perhaps not. It was hard to tell because his smile remained unchanged.

“Of course, haha! The name Winter Moon is among the noblest… Oh, you call it surname, right? Same meaning. Given Duke Scalliger’s noble background, it’s normal for him to look down on a poor boy like me who grew up in the slums. But that doesn’t stop me from admiring his talents. I hope to have the chance to taste his wine someday.”

The old Duke lowered his stance, appearing nonchalant, thus easing the awkwardness instantly.

“But Miss Peyello, you’re truly straightforward. Unlike those people in the capital, you lack the oily flattery, speaking your mind directly. Should I say it’s no wonder you’re Duke Scalliger’s daughter? I like that, old man!”

Was he praising me while belittling Victoria and others? Trying to separate me from them to facilitate opposition?

Clever move.

I rolled my eyes at him: “You talk nicely, but your eyes reveal insincerity. And you dare to say you like a sixteen-year-old girl. How shameless!”

Upon hearing this, the smile on the old Duke’s lips froze.

“Hahahaha!”

The old knight on my right burst into laughter.

“Lord Lexus, what’s gotten into you? After all these years, buried in power struggles and battles, have you forgotten how to win over a young lady’s heart? Hahaha—”

His laughter was uncontrollable, amplified by his loud voice. The nobles around us, sensing the tension, had begun to disperse, but now they couldn’t help but look our way.

I felt the old Duke was truly losing his composure.

“It’s no wonder Alex is so ridiculous. Ignoring him, he actually thought fighting would catch your attention… Who came up with such a foolish idea? Lord Lexus, I suggest you reflect on yourself before seeking advice from Duke Scalliger. Consider whether the problem lies with your child or with you.”

Hmm…

How could this old knight speak so freely? As if his grandson was so lovable.

I was filled with sarcasm.

On the other side, the old Duke’s face flushed slightly, his cheeks rigid, but he quickly regained composure.

“Lord Reckmont, that was rather harsh. Didn’t you always seem less popular? But you just said—”

In an incredibly short time, he adjusted his emotions, ignoring the old knight’s jibe, and then scrutinized me from head to toe before smiling: “So that girl is Miss Peyello? That explains… I was wondering why our Klove family would want such a woman. Alex is usually so well-behaved, so why would he suddenly act so impulsively… Now that I see her, I can understand him better.”

Sir Knight kindly held the old man’s hand.

“Lord Rekmon, you were the first to see Miss Peylo’s beauty; shouldn’t you have understood sooner? Boys, when they reach a certain age and meet a girl they fancy, can we really stop them from competing? Dare you say you didn’t fight for any girl when you were young? Don’t be so serious.”

“Hmph.”

The old knight coldly snorted, his smile not reaching his eyes.

“Don’t be so serious? It’s not your son lying in bed, so of course you can say that.”

“I understand, I understand. How about this, tonight in front of Miss Peylo, let’s all relax a bit. Once I catch that boy Alex, I’ll bring him to apologize to you. By then, you can decide whether he should lie in bed for a month or three months. What do you think?”

The old knight smiled at him for a moment, said nothing, and slowly pulled his hand away.

I saw the Duke’s eyes narrow again.

“You two chat. I ate too much, I need to go relieve myself.”

The old knight stood up, stretched lazily, and slowly left the long table. Just before leaving, he glanced at Victoria as if by chance.

The old duke looked at his departing figure, lost in thought.

Suddenly, I noticed that the fat commander standing behind him gave a signal to the other two, and they quickly followed the old knight out.

… Something was off.

What did they want to do?

I immediately looked at Victoria, about to speak, but she grabbed my hand under the table and squeezed it gently.

?

How…

Does Victoria know something?

Or has she had some thoughts on her own?

“Miss Peylo, little Alex has been spoiled by his mother since he was young, sometimes he might seem a bit rude. If he offends you, tell me, and I will discipline him.”

The old duke brought his gaze back from afar, looking at me with an unchanged face but a sincere tone.

“I heard you say to Her Majesty just now that you wanted to eat goose meat? How coincidental, our family, the Clive, may not be good at many things, but hunting is something we excel at. Those wild geese screaming on the mountain plains, two arrows can pierce their hearts, the meat is very tender. When do you have time? You’re welcome to come to Flesk Castle to taste it.”

I gave him a slight smile: “No.”

“Oh? Why?”

“I don’t like you.”

The old duke helplessly rubbed his nose: “Miss Peylo, we’re not enemies, right? Why do you have such deep prejudice against this old man?”

I tilted my head to the right, thinking of a reason.

“Alex bullied me.”

The old duke raised an eyebrow.

“Haha, Miss, you jest. Alex doesn’t have that ability,” he said, looking at me meaningfully.

Oh…

Since Victoria’s mother knows, perhaps the old duke also knows my other name.

It doesn’t matter, it’s better this way.

So I didn’t respond to him and stretched out my delicate fingers, gently pointing at the fat commander who was constantly wiping the sweat off his face behind the old duke.

“That fat man. He broke… our gate.”

“What?”

The old duke turned to look behind him.

“I didn’t know at the time…” the fat commander hurriedly explained, “I’ve already paid compensation!”

Hmm?

Was he the one who paid for the repairs? I forgot…

Forget it. I only remember he broke the gate, but who fixed it in the end, that’s none of my business.

“The Clive family, I dislike them all.”

The old duke shook his head lightly, his smile somewhat helpless: “Alright, Miss Peylo. I’m not defending them, perhaps you happened to see their ugly side, for which I am truly sorry. But speaking frankly, even if they make you angry, this old man is innocent, right?”

I shook my head: “You like killing.”

“That’s…”

The old duke laughed immediately.

“No one likes killing. Miss Peylo, are you dissatisfied because of today?”

He pointed at the gift box still on the table.

“I kill them because they are rebels, enemies. It’s a necessary evil, a great cause should not be bogged down by trivial matters. Sometimes, those who speak logically will always lose to those who use force. Such is the world… Have you never seen Shanter’s army kill?”

“Yes.”

“Do you hate them?”

“No,” I said softly.

“Then can you not hate me?”

He almost used a tone to coax a child, probably truly treating me as an innocent and foolish girl.

“No.”

I looked at the old duke, a faint smile on my lips.

“They kill to protect, while you kill to plunder. That’s different… but actually, that’s not the reason.”

The smile slowly faded, and my eyes became serious.

“Old man, I’m very powerful… maybe you know that. Even if someone brings hundreds or thousands of people, as long as they dare to hurt Victoria, I promise, I will kill them and freeze them into ice pops.”

I raised my little fist and waved it in front of him.

“That’s the reason.”

Hmph, daring to threaten Victoria! Then I’ll threaten you!

I knew I was exaggerating. Taking the enemy general’s head in battle is far more complicated than it sounds. If there were only a few hundred people, I might have some confidence, but if there were really thousands or even tens of thousands, I might be exhausted before I found him.

But…

It wasn’t entirely an exaggeration.

As long as I used that terrifying, bone-chilling power, I could kill everyone before the church’s people arrived and turn them into food—

… Bad.

What am I thinking?

“Peylo.”

Victoria, who hadn’t spoken much, called my name softly.

“If you’re hungry, just go eat cake. No need to talk about this.”

Cake? Geese meat?

I came back to my senses.

Looking at the old duke’s unpredictable expression.

“It seems Miss Peylo has a very close relationship with Her Majesty… that’s good. But just in case, I still need to confirm. Miss Peylo, have you misunderstood anything? This old man is Her Majesty’s subject, not an enemy.”

He was still trying to explain to me.

But after showing my attitude, I didn’t feel like talking to him anymore.

“Duke Lex,” Victoria said calmly.

“Hmm? Her Majesty, you’ve been silent since just now, were you thinking about the previous question?”

“No.”

“No?”

“I was waiting for you to act.”

“… What?”

In this instant, the old duke couldn’t hide his inner shock, and his face changed abruptly.

“Heh.”

Victoria, who had witnessed his facial changes, suddenly chuckled.

“How long has it been since we last met, Duke Lex? Why does it feel like you’re particularly weak this time?”

“Is it because your mother passed away and your uncle is still in prison, so you lack the comprehensive intelligence information you used to have? Or is it because problems have started within the Iron Guard? You came all the way here, babbling nonsense, is it really just to give me the Rose family emblem?”

“Or do you think that sitting here for two hours discussing the Iron Guard would solve the problem? Neither of us are fools, we know that won’t work. So I didn’t speak, I was waiting for your action… but you haven’t acted. What are you waiting for?”

The old duke’s face trembled, about to speak, but saw Victoria wave her hand.

“Let me guess.”

“Are you waiting for the assassin to arrive at the palace, or for the inside man to open the city gates for your army? Or… are you waiting for the poison to take effect?”