206 Present from the White Tower (1/2)
Tilly nodded at Luna's sleepy comment. Right now, they were having tea in the balcony of their room in Dine\u0026Dream. Although their room had a balcony, the view they had was the wall of the building next to it.
And right now, in the dark and sketchy alley, Roarke was busy beating the three men who tried to enter her room to a pulp.
”Don't burn them to ashes, Roarke,” Tilly reminded the Keeper. ”We don't want you to waste your energy on small fries.”
Roarke looked up at her, then he bowed politely. ”As you wish, Lady Nystrom.”
Since they were in the Royal Capital, the Keeper couldn't call her 'Supreme.'
”I still believe that your idea of spreading the sketchy disappearance of the Duchess of Oakes is a brilliant one,” Luna continued. ”But since you showed your jet-black hair for everyone to see, you attracted scumbags. I'm pretty sure that those men who tried to enter our room are here to abduct and sell you since your hair color is pretty rare in the empire.”
”The more I attract people, the faster the news about the ”woman with the jet-black hair” will spread,” she said. ”I'm not only doing this for my ”comeback.” I also want the news about my return to reach our allies. I'm sure that Captain Denver and the rest wouldn't stay in the North for too long. I have a feeling that they have also visited the Royal Capital from time to time.”
The witch nodded in agreement. ”Lord Solaris was strict when it comes to creating a connection to people outside the island. He made it clear that he doesn't want us to contact the ”outsiders” when we were in Solarium.”
”And that's understandable,” she said. ”He protected the island for so long because of that strictness.”
”You're right, Tilly.”
She sipped her tea before she spoke again. ”So, how was your trip with your ”son?””
Luna glared at her, and she even lightly kicked her leg under the table that made her laugh. ”You really find my situation amusing, don't you? You also often tease me about being Lord Solaris's ”stepmother.””
She laughed at her light complain. ”Well, I'd like to think that our ”past selves” are no different from our ancestors. Just like how I treat Soleil Rosenberg as a different person from me. I don't have the memories of the Moon Priestess so I don't see her in you. That's why I can tease you like this. But if you think I'm crossing the line, you can call me out anytime.”
”Well, you never teased me about it in front of Lord Solaris or Roarke so I'm fine with it,” the witch said, then she changed the topic. ”Anyway, what's our agenda today?”
”I'm glad you asked,” she said excitedly, then she put her teacup down on the table. ”Let's go shopping, Luna. I have a fashion show to own.”
””Fashion show?”” Luna asked with furrowed brows. ”What are you talking about this time, Tilly?”
***
”I'M SO sorry, Winter,” Kiho said to his son while he was carefully putting him inside a huge box.
Right now, they were inside the carriage. He knelt in front of the box where he put Winter. To make sure he wouldn't get hurt, he put a soft blanket inside it.
It pained him to do that but that was the only way he could sneak his son in the mansion without getting caught. After all, it would be too suspicious if he went straight to the annex building instead of the main mansion.
”Please bear it for a while,” he pleaded his son.
”It's okay, Dad,” Winter assured him– again. ”A gang leader won't be hurt by this.”
He laughed softly at his son's joke.
Winter is trying to console me.
”Thank you, son,” he said while ruffling his hair. Then, he looked up at Amilo who sat on the couch across from him. ”Amilo, take care of Winter.”
Amilo bowed politely. ”As you wish, my lord.”
”Don't worry too much, Daddy,” Winter assured him once again. Then, he cupped his face between his cold, tiny hands. ”But I have a request. Can you have at least one meal with me every day, Dad?”
He felt like he was punch in the chest when he heard his son's earnest request when he didn't have to.
”Of course, my little rascal. I'll do that even if you didn't wish for it,” Kiho said, then he closed his eyes and gently bumped his son's forehead with his. ”I will work hard so we can have meals together all the time.”
***
”HAVE you heard about the alleged attack on the Duchess of Oakes five years ago?”
”Yes. I heard from our maids that apparently, the duchess was abducted by a high-ranking household in the past.”
”There are also pieces of evidence going around backing it up.”
”Ah, I also heard that Duke Nystrom has lost his memories because he was attacked when he was trying to save the duchess back then.”
”We didn't notice because His Graces has always been quiet and stoic.”
”What will happen to Lady Huxley now?”
”Well, I just found out that her engagement with Lord Nystrom was just a misunderstanding that Lady Huxley apparently didn't clear on purpose…”
Lucina covered her ears with her hands as she shut her eyes tight.
She was seething inside but she couldn't move from her spot.
Right now, she was standing in front of the team room in Countess Cornwell.
She was invited to her tea party and since she was one of the most successful businesswomen in the empire, she happily attended the party. She had waited a long time to have a chance to enter the circle of high-ranking noblewomen. It wasn't easy to do that even though she was already adopted by House Huxley.
She thought she could finally be a part of the high society now.
But she didn't expect to hear the ladies talk behind her back that way.
They're talking about Lady Nystrom, aren't they? Lucina thought to herself while marching away from the tea room. That wench is back!
***
JULIAN was excited to finally see his father again after two days.
Right now, he was waiting for him in front of the main entrance of the mansion along with the servants.
I can't wait to have a meal with Father again.
As a duke and a businessman, his father was always busy. The most quality time that he could spend with him was during meal times. That was why he was always looking forward to it even though their taste in food was quite different from each other.
Father loves seafood while I love steak.
But that wasn't important anymore.
”Father,” Julian whispered to himself when his father's carriage finally arrived. A few moments later, his father stepped out of the carriage. ”Welcome back…”
He trailed off when his father turned his back on them to carefully pick-up a giant box from inside the carriage. After that, Amilo (the family's jewel maker) stepped out and his father handed over the big box to him. In a span of a minute, he heard his father tell Amilo to be careful with the box five times.
That's strange.
He concentrated hard enough until he felt a strange energy from inside the box. To be honest, he could tell that the energy was sealed properly. If he wasn't a skilled Mana-user, he wouldn't have felt it. But since he was blessed with strong powers, he could easily tell what was inside that giant box.
It was Mana.