Translator: Nox

Chapter 60

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My discussion with Lisian had reached its conclusion.

I intended to simply retreat to my quarters and wait for the grand conference to commence, but a sudden report from the Assistant Butler forced a change in plans.

“My Lady, you must wear your cloak.”

Adel intercepted me, quickly draping a fur-lined wrap around my shoulders before I could protest.

“There isn’t even a breeze in these halls,” I noted.

“Regardless.”

Her behavior bordered on overprotective, yet the depth of her concern warmed me. I watched as she fussed over the garment, searching for any other way to shield me from the phantom cold.

“Adel,” I said, catching her attention.

“Yes, My Lady?”

“In all your time serving within the Main Castle, have you ever witnessed a scene like this?”

Adel turned her head toward the direction I was indicating. Her response was immediate and filled with absolute conviction.

“No, Lady Tulia. Never in my entire life have I seen such a spectacle.”

“I thought as much.”

Even Adel, whose temperament was usually the definition of serene grace, wore an expression of pure revulsion as she looked ahead. I felt one of my eyebrows arch. It was hard to believe such a chaotic disturbance was unfolding within the heart of the Grand Ducal House. Never did I imagine I would be a spectator to such a mess.

I started to cross my arms out of habit, but a sharp reminder of my unhealed injuries stopped me. I let them drop back to my sides, yielding to the physical reality of my condition.

“You look quite pale, My Lady,” Adel observed.

She reached out to steady me, then flagged down a passing servant. She demanded a chair be brought immediately.

“Please, take a seat.”

“Right here in the middle of the hallway?”

“Your comfort is the only priority.”

“Well,” I conceded with a small smile, “my health is indeed the most vital thing.”

Adel shared a soft laugh with me. “Precisely.”

As I settled in, my attention returned to the unfolding drama. It felt as though I were watching a scene from a film, though instead of a cinema screen, the stage was the entrance to a private suite.

The sheer scale of the Main Castle was breathtaking. The corridors were wide enough to navigate a massive dining table without even tilting it. Thick, dark carpeting lined the floor, lending the space a sense of warmth and understated opulence. At a glance, it resembled the interior of a premier luxury hotel.

This specific stretch of the hallway, however, sat directly outside Leon Frazier’s bedroom.

“The noise is incredible,” I whispered.

Such a racket was unheard of in a place like this. The staff of high-ranking noble houses were trained from their first day to move like shadows. Their steps were supposed to be silent, their movements swift but never hurried, and their demeanor always dignified.

Reflecting on it, their discipline mirrored the refined movements taught to the nobility. The upper class believed their environment had to be as noble as their bloodline. Vulgarity among the servants was seen as a sign of a family lacking true prestige. Because of this, the Main Castle’s staff were usually the pinnacle of professionalism—polite, efficient, and nearly invisible. Normally, this wing was so tranquil you could see the sunbeams dancing in the still air.

“How could you leave my boy a cripple!”

“Being a Marquis’s son doesn’t give you the right to do this!”

“Our child is crippled and losing his mind!”

It was a total circus. A common marketplace couldn’t have been louder. I realized then that Leon must have truly devastated those boys during the confrontation. At the time, with arrows lodged in my own flesh and pain clouding my vision, I hadn’t been in a state to care whether Leon’s targets survived his wrath.

From their parents’ perspective, however, this was a catastrophe that had upended their world.

“My Lady, it isn’t wise for you to linger here,” Adel whispered.

“I agree.”

Adel, the Assistant Butler, and the Personal Physician formed a protective ring around me. The shouting nobles were currently preoccupied with demanding an audience and an apology from Leon Frazier. However, if they spotted me, they would undoubtedly redirect their fury in my direction.

The situation was spiraling into madness, and I had no desire to be caught in the crossfire. Still, since Leon had ended up in this state while defending me, I had hoped to check on him personally. I looked at the protesting nobles with sheer disdain. Their accusations of Leon being ‘violent’ were laughable.

I wondered if they were truly ignorant or simply pretending not to know that their sons had initiated the violence by using me for target practice. Whether they knew the truth or not was irrelevant; I had no intention of letting this go. But first, I had to survive the coming conference.

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My resolve was quickly tested by my own entourage.

“My Lady, before you step into that meeting, you must finish another dose of this medicine. Actually, make it two.”

Before I could face the council, I had to face my Personal Physician. As soon as we were back in my rooms, he was hovering over me with an anxious expression.

“The dizziness has passed,” I tried to argue. “And we’re short on time.”

“Everything is already prepared…”

I looked at the dark liquid and sighed. It was incredibly bitter, but as I forced it down, the Physician finally looked relieved. I had nearly collapsed from a dizzy spell just minutes earlier outside my door. I hadn’t realized how ghastly I looked, but the three of them were clearly shaken.

“It is a blessing that the ingredients you possess are of such high quality,” the Physician noted. “Even the Imperial Palace would struggle to find herbs this potent.”

“I thought you sold your entire stock to Master Leon that day?” I asked.

“I kept a small reserve hidden for emergencies,” he admitted.

I felt my brow twitch at his confession, but Adel and the Assistant Butler were too busy praising his foresight to notice my irritation.

“Can you stand, My Lady?” Adel asked.

“I’m fine now. It was just a momentary lapse.”

“Even so, you gave us quite a scare.” Adel’s face was grave as she wiped the cold sweat from my skin. “Though compared to Master Leon, you are doing well. He is still unconscious and unable to leave his bed.”

“The young master’s constitution is naturally more robust than yours,” the Assistant Butler added.

“Indeed,” Adel agreed. “Your stamina levels are not the same. Since you are more fragile, we must be twice as careful. And since the young master has those medicinal herbs, he will be back on his feet in a day or two.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at their blatant favoritism. They were so transparent in their devotion to me.

Clink!
Clink!
Clink!

I wondered if I was imagining things. The sound of coins being acquired seemed much more frequent than it had been during my last illness. Perhaps the severity of Tulia’s injuries accelerated the rate of gain during recovery. I considered opening my status window to check, but seeing the three of them watching me with such intensity made me reconsider.

I decided to check it later. My limbs felt as heavy as leaden weights regardless of the coins. Adel began to painstakingly feed me a porridge made of ground nuts and grains, one spoonful at a time. I had barely managed to finish half of it when a knock sounded at the door.

“Lady Tulia? I am here to escort you.”

It was one of Lisian’s personal knights.

“To the Grand Conference Room?” I asked.

“Yes, My Lady.”

I pushed myself up immediately. Adel and the Assistant Butler rushed to my sides to support my weight, while the Physician pressed one last vial into my hand—a tonic intended to provide a final burst of energy. I had no desire for more medicine, but I knew I was about to enter a metaphorical war zone. I closed my eyes and swallowed it in one go.

“Excellent,” I said. “Let’s go.”

Lisian’s decision to send a knight for me was a thoughtful gesture, and as we approached our destination, I realized why.

“This is an outrage!”

“Viscount Lilius, our son has been permanently maimed!”

“His wrist is ruined! The doctors say he will never hold a blade or a bow again. Our son’s future is gone!”

“Count Nigela Frazier! This is a disgusting abuse of power!”

The air was thick with screams and fury. If the hallway outside Leon’s room had been a circus, this was a riot. The noise in front of the Grand Conference Room was a hundred times worse.