Chapter 2: A Looming Sacrifice

“Then let’s send Lulona to him as a mistress!”

A sharp female voice pierced through the dining room. It was the Lady of the Manor.

My heart suddenly trembled.

Before I could fully process it, the dining room door was pushed open from within. A dignified-looking middle-aged man emerged.

I politely stepped aside, making way for him. The man, in turn, gave me a courteous nod.

A quick observation revealed that his attire appeared to be crafted from the finest materials. Coupled with his elegant demeanor, I surmised he was likely the esteemed guest from Moon Isle.

But why was he leaving?

‘It was far too early…’

‘Had the talks not gone well?’

As if sensing my confusion, the distinguished guest offered a slight smile.

“It seems the Lady of the Manor is not in the best of moods today. Please forgive my early departure. Perhaps on my next visit, we will be able to reach an agreement.”

Having offered this brief explanation, the guest departed gracefully.

‘Was the problem with the Lady?’

Carrying this speculation, I carefully entered the dining room, bearing a fruit platter.

The moment I stepped into the Lord’s dining room, I felt as though I had entered an ancient and mystical world.

The restaurant was spacious and grand, with arched stone walls supporting a high ceiling. The stone walls were adorned with massive tapestries depicting scenes of war and hunting, alongside numerous precious candles.

The tapestries were so lifelike, they seemed to narrate the family’s glorious history and endless honor.

In the center of the dining room stood a massive long table, crafted from dark oak, heavy and sturdy.

The tabletop was covered with a linen tablecloth embroidered with the family crest. Golden threads shimmered on the pristine fabric, radiating a warm glow.

High-backed chairs lined both sides of the long table, each intricately carved with complex serpent patterns.

The long table was laden with a lavish spread of delicacies: roasted goose, wild boar legs, candied fruits, cheeses, and freshly baked bread. The rich aromas wafted through the air, utterly mouth-watering.

Following the length of the table to its end, a distinct high-backed chair occupied the head position.

Its backrest soared, resembling both a mountain and a throne.

Upon it sat Lord Coldwind, my master, Axas the Viper.

Surprisingly, the naming convention of this world — surname first, given name second — aligned with my previous habits.

My gaze involuntarily fell upon him, upon the lord who bore the surname ‘Viper.’

‘Viper’ was not merely his surname; it was the moniker bestowed upon him by other lords.

True to his name, Lord Axas possessed a remarkably gaunt, elongated face, sharply angular as if sculpted by a blade. Above his prominent aquiline nose, a pair of narrow, chilling green eyes glinted with cunning and shrewdness, like a venomous serpent lying in wait to strike.

The gaze emanating from those eyes was terrifying, so much so that hardly anyone dared to meet his gaze, except for…

“I absolutely do not agree to this marriage! Let me repeat, I do not agree!”

The Lady of the Manor’s authoritative voice thundered in my ears.

The fruit platter in my hands trembled from the shock, and I quickly placed it on their table. Then, I clasped my hands behind my back, awaiting their needs.

The Lady of the Manor, Rhian Kachel, sat at the secondary position, seemingly engrossed in an argument with the Lord.

The fiery-tempered Lady was privately known among us as a ‘lioness.’ She possessed a mane of fiery red hair that swayed like a lion’s mane when she was enraged.

Furthermore, the Lady came from a noble background, a collateral branch of a prestigious family from the Western Continent.

Her noble lineage and the family’s deep-seated influence were her capital, allowing her to challenge the Lord.

Anyone else, I mused, would have long since been…

‘Wait, they’re discussing a marriage alliance?’

‘What alliance?’

“This marriage alliance is of paramount importance, crucial to our territory’s grand plan for revival.”

Lord Axas’s face was grim, his arm, gripping the armrest, seemed to be trembling.

“Sending the Lord of Moon Isle a mere mistress is insufficient to convince him of my sincerity in forming an alliance. Only by sending Cassina, my eldest daughter, can his doubts be dispelled!”

“Cassina is my daughter! And yours!” Lady Kachel cried, pointing at him indignantly. “How can you be so heartless as to sacrifice her happiness for your own ambition?”

Lord Axas spoke with a cold edge, “This is her destiny! The destiny of the family’s eldest daughter! She was bound to reach this point sooner or later! What value does a woman possess beyond her own body?”

“You old fool!”

Lady Kachel’s hair bristled with rage, yet she seemed to understand that a direct confrontation was futile. She took a deep breath, then coaxed, “According to your logic, a woman’s body holds the greatest value. Well, then, aren’t there plenty of women in our manor? Isn’t the prettiest one precisely the Lulona I just mentioned? She might be a bit young, but for you men, aren’t they all the same?”

My pupils abruptly constricted!

‘So that’s what that earlier remark meant…’

‘But Lord Axas surely wouldn’t agree.’

The foundation of a marriage alliance was sincerity. Sending one’s eldest daughter into such an alliance was, in itself, placing a crucial leverage in another’s hands. Should conflicts arise and negotiations ensue, one would inevitably be constrained.

However, a woman with no blood relation was different. The death of one or a hundred would make no difference.

‘Lord Axas seems to have a plan, and this alliance is a critical part of it.’

“This is completely different!”

As expected, Lord Axas still did not relent.

He articulated the reasoning I had considered, then concluded, “Necessary sacrifices are worthwhile. The rewards after success will be tenfold, even a hundredfold!”

“If this matter succeeds, the gains will bring glory to our territory! And…”

Lord Axas leaned forward, his voice a hiss, much like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, “our family.”

The word ‘family’ seemed to strike a chord with Lady Kachel. Her previously resolute expression became somewhat hesitant.

“Family, you say…”

The Lady pondered for a moment. When she spoke again, her tone had softened considerably.

“It sounds like… you are absolutely confident in the outcome of ‘that’?”

“Heh heh…”

Lord Axas let out a cold laugh. “Just give me a few years, or even about a year, and it will be enough.”

Lady Kachel’s gaze flickered, devoid of her earlier belligerence. She merely maintained a stern face, seemingly weighing and deliberating.

Silence descended upon the dining room for a time. The aroma of the feast wafted from the table, yet neither of them made any move.

“Then do you promise that Cassina will return safely afterward?”

Lady Kachel spoke again. At this, my gaze was entirely fixed on Lord Axas, curious about his answer.

“Of course, I have planned everything.”

Lord Axas revealed a chilling smile. “Our daughter will carry the family’s glory and endure in that land.”

Lady Kachel nodded slightly. Her conversation with the Lord was imbued with a mysterious air.

I could not grasp the deeper meaning of their words, but thankfully, a great weight had been lifted from my heart.

‘They must have agreed to send their daughter.’

‘A false alarm!’

Regardless, as long as Lulona wasn’t sacrificed, that was all that mattered.

‘Though thinking this way is rather selfish, given that Miss Cassina’s happiness is being sacrificed.’

‘But I am a very selfish person, after all.’

‘Haha, I’ll celebrate with the little one a bit tonight when I get back.’

‘While I can’t tell her what happened, still…’

“However, I believe there is some truth to what you said.”

Lord Axas suddenly spoke again. “Cassina is still quite young. While the marriage alliance itself is fine, serving a man might be a bit much for her. Perhaps she should bring a few maids along—first, to attend to her daily needs, and second, to help ‘deal with things’ before her formal marriage.”

“You are certainly thorough in your considerations,” Lady Kachel said with exasperation. “But that fellow from Moon Isle hails from the imperial capital of the Western Continent; his standards are not low.”

“The one thing our manor doesn’t lack is women, beautiful women. We’ve kept so many precisely for situations like this.”

I felt that something was amiss, though I couldn’t quite articulate it.

Following this, the Lord and Lady slowly began to discuss some of the finer details.

Ordinarily, it would be inappropriate for a butler to be present during such private discussions.

However, due to my unique position, they almost treated me as if I were invisible.

Just as I was contemplating whether to excuse myself and return to the kitchen for another inspection, Lord Axas suddenly called out to me:

“My butler, tonight, bring the following individuals to my wife’s room.”

I respectfully bowed, listening intently to the names he uttered.

“Bena.”

She was the diligent, meticulous middle-aged maid.

“Mia.”

She was the young maid who excelled at tailoring and laundry.

“Aisha.”

She was the overly flirtatious, brazen, and calculating maid.

“Lulona.”

It was…

I froze.

‘Her?’