Chapter 82
A tiny lizard, no longer than a finger, darted across the polished marble. Adi watched its progress and shifted her footing, ensuring she didn’t crush the creature. The wildlife within these walls seemed remarkably fearless, as if they understood they were under a blanket of absolute protection.
Within the lush, green sanctuary of the Orangerie, Yuls Woodpecker sat at a table. A trio of chamberlains stood at attention behind him. The one positioned in the center was Dimitri; he appeared to be the equivalent of Gavin, though Adi had never encountered the estate’s head chamberlain before. She assumed they were likely occupied with the complex administrative demands of the duchy.
When Bert let out a yawn at her side, Dimitri’s eyes snapped toward him, filled with visible irritation. The sharp look was a silent reprimand, demanding that the knight maintain a level of decorum befitting the Duke’s presence.
Yuls remained focused on a letter Dimitri had unsealed for him. Surrounded by the vibrant emerald of the conservatory, his shock of crimson hair looked like a solitary, striking blossom. It offered Adi a strange, quiet sense of peace.
Among the various things she had discovered about Yuls, one of the most intriguing was his natural affinity for the wild.
She had initially dismissed the butterfly that trailed him in Pallesa as a fluke, but it was clear now that animals were drawn to him with startling consistency. If he sat still, even without offering them attention, small birds and woodland creatures would gravitate toward his orbit.
The scene today followed that same pattern. Adi watched in silence as a pristine white bird perched upon Yuls’ shoulder, while a pair of kittens curled up by his boots.
She wondered if he had always possessed this magnetic quality. If so, it must have been a charming sight when he was younger.
“It appears Marchioness Connolly is preparing to act,” Yuls remarked.
One of the attendants behind him tightened his posture. It was impossible to read the man’s intent; the chamberlains were masters of the inscrutable mask.
“She is requesting that her ward be permitted to stay at the Ionad estate.”
Yuls tossed the letter onto the table with a derisive smirk, clearly finding the proposal transparent.
“Now that Luigi is gone, is she shifting her focus here? Does she find Claude too difficult to handle?”
Claude was certainly a challenge, though not an impossible one. The real hurdle was the mutual animosity between the two men. They had been on decent terms once, but the origin of their falling out remained a mystery.
“Supporting the Princess would be a more logical move for her than approaching me,” Yuls mused.
“Attending Her Highness is a grueling path,” Dimitri countered. “Besides, her claim to the throne is tenuous at best.”
“True. But even then, there are other options. I fail to see why she is so intent on an alliance with me specifically. She must have an ulterior motive.”
There was always a hidden agenda. The question was whether her schemes would stay within manageable bounds. Yuls pulled a small portrait from the envelope.
“What is her name?”
He recognized the features—he had seen the girl a few times—but he couldn’t place her identity beyond her lineage. She was definitely a Lintu.
“Lea Lintu, the family’s second daughter. She is to be renamed Lea Connolly. While the Palace hasn’t officially sanctioned the adoption, I’ve been informed the Lintus already transferred a deed to the Connolly house.”
“A deed for what?”
“A mining property. It supposedly yields rare ores.”
Yuls’ brow furrowed. “The Lintus gave up a mine? Where is it located?”
“In the Southwest, Your Excellency.”
The Duke’s expression darkened. That was Woodpecker soil. It was one thing for local lords to trade assets, but Marchioness Connolly’s primary holdings were near the Capital. A transaction involving his land happening outside his influence was a problem.
“The Connollys don’t pay taxes to this duchy, do they?”
“They do not.”
“Then they must realize that holding territory within Woodpecker borders is a slight against us. Did the Lintu family truly believe this was a wise trade?”
“Perhaps they assumed the Marchioness’s ties to your house would smooth over any friction,” Dimitri suggested.
“That is their assumption. Do you have the data?”
Dimitri immediately produced the latest mining reports and transaction logs. Yuls scanned the documents with a weary sigh. The mine was a significant asset; it had represented a major portion of the Lintu family’s tax contributions. Now, those revenues and property taxes would flow directly to the Connollys.
“This is an annoyance. I’ll need to reclaim it.”
“The Marchioness will likely take offense, Your Excellency.”
“Should that concern me?”
“We may still require her political influence,” Dimitri noted cautiously.
Yuls let out a short, mocking laugh. It was she who needed his power, not the other way around. He gave Dimitri a look that questioned his judgment before waving the matter away. There was no point in arguing with someone whose mind was already made up against the idea. He had plenty of other subordinates who could handle the logistics.
“We need to set the date for the knighting ceremony before we depart for Ionad.”
“Sir, we leave in a fortnight,” Dimitri protested. “That is far too little time for such an event.”
“It’s an annual tradition. Since the Ionad trip was moved up, the preparations should already be largely complete. Moving it forward by a week is hardly an impossible task.”
The Duke’s logic was sound. Summer investitures were major milestones, planned years in advance. Shifting the date by a few days shouldn’t have caused such a stir. Dimitri’s real issue wasn’t the schedule; it was the person being included.
Adrina Dean. The woman claimed to be Bert’s niece, yet she bore no resemblance to him or his spouse. Her martial prowess was also unnervingly high.
Dimitri had heard the whispers. Regardless of who had trained her, she possessed a lethal, polished style with a blade.
However, she was a woman. To a man like Dimitri, who held rigid views on gender roles, Adrina Dean was an unacceptable anomaly.
“Isn’t that right?” Yuls asked.
Dimitri looked at his master, noting with growing concern how the Duke seemed captivated by the girl.
He couldn’t fathom the attraction. Dimitri had been genuinely moved by Yuls’ maturity upon his return, but his stress levels spiked every time he saw this mysterious woman at the Duke’s side. Even putting aside her gender, she carried the Dean name, marking her as a commoner. A commoner who fought like a demon. There was only one logical explanation in his mind.
She had to be a mercenary.
He knew that sellswords were bred for violence. While he hadn’t seen her in action personally, the reports were enough to form a grim picture.
There was a place for such people, but not as an escort. That role required navigating the delicate egos of the high nobility. No matter how much the Duke favored her, she didn’t belong.
“Come here, Adrina,” Yuls called out.
Dimitri watched her, convinced she was nothing but a liability to his master.
Adi walked toward the Duke. She stopped well within his personal space—a breach of etiquette that no one dared to point out.
Yuls reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. Dimitri made a mental note to have the Head Maid provide hair ties for her quarters, then checked his watch. They were due to leave in five minutes.
“The other blades are finished, but yours is still in progress,” Yuls told her.
Ceremonial swords were commissioned a year ahead of time. Because Adi had been added to the roster so late, there was no custom weapon waiting for her. She had expected as much.
“Tell me what style you prefer, and I will see it given to you.”
The air in the room seemed to flash-freeze. To offer her a sword already in existence meant he intended to give her a blade from the Woodpecker collection—a weapon of significant prestige, far beyond what a standard knight would receive.
Adi felt the weight of the moment. Accepting such a gift would surely incite the jealousy of the other vassals. Yet, she was in no position to decline the Duke’s generosity.
“I would be honored by any blade you choose,” she replied.
The chamberlains’ stares became daggers. When Yuls finally withdrew his hand from her face, Dimitri stepped forward.
“Your Excellency, it is time for your next appointment.”
Another attendant began briefing Yuls on the upcoming schedule. Adi caught only fragments; despite her role in the Escort Knight Division, her status as a page meant she was excluded from high-level briefings. Yuls nodded in acknowledgment, then looked at Adi as he rose.
“Visit me tonight. Eight o’clock.”
“I will be there, Your Excellency.”
Yuls gave her a satisfied look before turning to leave. The entourage followed, with Bert lingering just long enough to signal that Adi should head back inside.
Adi and Dimitri stood in silence until the Duke and his train had vanished from sight. Only then did the chamberlain speak.
“A creature of unknown origin,” he spat, his eyes fixed on her.
Adi met his gaze. Dimitri had the rugged, cold look of a man from the North—the height, the coloring, the stern features. She imagined he had a history of his own, but she didn’t care.
“Whatever your goals are, you should remember your station,” he warned.
“Dimitri,” Adi said, her voice calm.
She had no interest in playing nice with those who treated her with contempt. She let him stew in his scowl for a moment before flashing him a brilliant, artificial smile.
“The feeling is mutual. I don’t like you either.”
She didn’t wait for a response. “I’ll be taking my leave now.”
Adi turned on her heel and strode out of the Orangerie, never looking back at the stunned expression on Dimitri’s face.
