Chapter 26: A Baron’s Plea and a Royal Invitation

Xina smiled radiantly, her gaze falling upon Alice. “Alice, you must have misheard. How could Baron Olga Bryan do such a thing?”

Alice’s expression darkened. She retorted coldly, “What makes you say that?”

“Baron Olga Bryan possesses a strong sense of justice,” Xina insisted. “He would never indiscriminately kill innocents!”

Chloe was also startled. If Sir Rurik had committed such an act, she wouldn’t have been surprised in the least.

However, for the seemingly upright Baron Olga Bryan to do something like this truly proved that appearances could be deceiving.

Still, to be absolutely sure, she pressed Alice, “Are you certain it was Olga?”

“What, even you doubt my hearing?” Alice sighed dramatically. “Alas, Robert, the sole witness, has already passed away. The truth, whether fact or fiction, will only be revealed once we locate Olga.”

Suddenly, the doors burst open. Numerous knights and servants stormed into the council chambers.

Chloe frowned, her gaze fixed on the central figure, Baron Mosin Bruen, who was surrounded by the newcomers.

Xiao Nuoqi, accompanied by several guards, attempted to block his path. Yet, his small frame was effortlessly pushed aside by a knight.

“It seems a new witness has arrived,” Alice remarked.

Alice snapped her fingers, transforming once more into Bishop Alexei.

However, she was still clad in her silk nightgown, making Chloe wonder what Alice’s appearance must look like from the perspective of others.

Baron Bruen, still dressed in blue, was now covered in numerous stains.

He advanced menacingly towards the throne, a throng of knights trailing behind him.

“Baron Bruen, what is the meaning of this?” Xina asked.

Xina’s brows were tightly furrowed as she watched her vassal with a sense of unease.

The Baron abruptly halted. With a flick of his hand, the knights behind him also stopped.

Then, he dropped to his knees, and his knights followed suit, kneeling alongside their liege lord.

“I beg you, dispense justice for me!” the Baron wailed.

Tears streamed down Baron Bruen’s face as he repeatedly kowtowed, his head hitting the floor with resounding thuds.

Seeing this, his knights began to kowtow as well, their foreheads striking the ground with a rhythmic thumping.

Chloe’s face was a mask of exasperation. ‘What in the world is he doing?’ she thought.

“Baron Bruen, what has happened?” Alice asked, a strange curve to her lips, clearly struggling to suppress a laugh.

“Lady Chloe, Lady Xina, and Bishop Alexei!” Baron Bruen cried out. “That black beast Olga, along with a band of his worthless scum, has plundered my territory!

“They have made off with everything and fled to the Principality of Saint Fros!”

“Wait, Pearbrook Village is…” Xina began, a sudden realization dawning on her.

“It is my territory!” the Baron exclaimed. “Your humble servant relies on the pears submitted from Pearbrook Village for a living.

“Now, Olga has burned it to the ground and murdered all its people! This is truly an assault on my very life!”

“How did you come to know of this?” Chloe inquired. She recalled that Robert, the sole survivor of Pearbrook Village, had only managed to report to Sirena Castle.

Could there possibly be other survivors? Her thoughts drifted to Xina’s childhood friends.

“This morning, I was inspecting my pears—my people, as is my custom,” Baron Bruen explained.

“But all that remained were charred ashes and human bones. Nothing else was left!”

“Lady Chloe means, how did you know it was Olga who committed these acts?” Alice interjected, glancing sideways at Baron Bruen.

Baron Bruen’s gaze flickered evasively, but he quickly responded, “Th-there are still survivors!

“I rode to the mill and discovered the miller’s siblings were alive. It was from their own mouths that I learned this scoundrel Olga was responsible.”

“The miller’s siblings!” Xina’s eyes gleamed with hope. Disregarding her status as a Lady, she eagerly pressed, “Are they Miko and Jack?”

“Yes, they are,” Baron Bruen replied, his gaze lowered submissively.

“They were clever enough to hide in the charred granary, which led those bastards to believe they had perished.”

“Where are they now? Are their injuries severe?” Xina stood up, asking with urgent concern.

Baron Bruen clearly hadn’t anticipated Xina’s deep concern for the matter.

He continued, “I have settled them in my castle. They sustained no physical injuries; they were merely frightened.”

Xina sank back into her chair, a visible wave of relief washing over her.

Chloe then asked, “And how did you know they were headed for Saint Fros?”

“I deduced it from the direction of the hoof prints,” Baron Bruen explained.

“They rode west, and to the west lies the Principality of Saint Fros. That scoundrel Cliff must have offered him significant incentives, which is why he betrayed us.”

Xina nodded, evidently convinced by Baron Bruen’s account. “I will personally inquire with Prince Cliff about the truth of this matter.

“Baron Bruen, I commend your actions in protecting your people. Since Pearbrook Village has been destroyed, I shall grant you Sycamore Village, Olga’s former territory, as compensation.”

“Thank you, Lady Xina,” Baron Bruen said, his voice brimming with satisfaction. “Your humble servant pledges even greater loyalty to you from this day forward.”

He rose, intending to depart. However, Alice called out to him.

“Baron Bruen,” Alice inquired, “when do you wish to hold the trial by combat between you and Sir Rurik?”

Sweat beaded on Baron Bruen’s forehead. “The pressing matter now is Olga’s defection,” he stated. “Other matters can be discussed later.”

“Later?” Alice chuckled. “The gods do not favor those who break their promises.”

Ignoring Alice’s sarcasm, Baron Bruen hurried away with his retinue of knights.

Xina let out a sigh of relief. “Miko and Jack are indeed alive!” she exclaimed with delight.

“Baron Bruen even went out of his way to protect them. What a truly loyal vassal!”

‘No, this isn’t so simple,’ Chloe thought, a headache beginning to throb.

She had a chilling premonition that they were all caught in a vast, inescapable net.

“If he qualifies as a loyal vassal, then Caesar was the most loyal man in the entire empire,” Alice scoffed dismissively.

‘Caesar?’ Chloe heard the familiar name after so long. Why would anyone suddenly mention that great general who crossed the Rubicon?

However, Chloe quickly realized that this individual might be a figure from this world’s history.

“Alice, what do you mean?” Xina asked.

“They’ve conspired together to deceive you completely,” Alice declared.

“I regret to inform you that not a single person in your esteemed cabinet is truly loyal to you.”

“But Alice, you are also part of my cabinet,” Xina pointed out.

“Except for me,” Alice coughed awkwardly.

After hearing Alice’s words, Chloe’s mind had already formed a rough outline of the situation.

However, more evidence was needed. It seemed she would have to visit Bruen Castle to see Miko and Jack.

****

“My Ladies,” Xiao Nuoqi’s voice boomed from the council chamber entrance, “Prince Cliff’s envoy requests an audience.”

“Let them enter,” Chloe commanded.

‘Strange, speak of the devil,’ Chloe mused.

No sooner had the words left her lips than a dark figure darted through the doorway.

The agile movements struck Chloe as somewhat familiar.

The individual covered ground quickly, taking two steps for every three, swiftly approaching the throne.

Their entire body was concealed by a cloak, and a hood obscured their head, making it impossible to discern their gender.

Xina’s eyes widened as she watched the cloaked figure. “Could Your Excellency be the royal guard who accompanied us a few days ago?” she asked.

“Indeed,” the cloaked figure replied, their voice unmistakably female.

Chloe stared in disbelief. The figure removed their hood, revealing a beautiful young woman before everyone’s eyes. It might have been Chloe’s imagination, but the woman bore a slight resemblance to Norria.

“I am Dorota Normanthine, and my true identity is the biological daughter of the previous Prince.”

“I now represent Prince Cliff in formally inviting Elder Chloe, Elder Alice, and Lady Xina to attend my wedding with Prince Cliff.”

“What?!” Xina exclaimed in astonishment.

Chloe didn’t blame Xina for her sudden outburst; the statement was so packed with information that even she needed a long moment to fully process it.

“The bride herself has come to invite us to the wedding?” Chloe asked.

“To show respect for the two Elders,” Dorota replied calmly.

“Or rather, to flatter them,” Alice muttered.

“And you are, Your Excellency?” Dorota tilted her head, looking at Alice.

Only then did Alice recall that she was still in the guise of Alexei.

“She is our territorial bishop, Alexei,” Xina interjected, coming to Alice’s rescue.

Dorota scrutinized Alice. “Your church’s attire is certainly peculiar,” she commented.

Indeed, a tall, handsome territorial bishop wearing an undersized silk nightgown was quite an amusing image to ponder.

It was a pity Chloe couldn’t witness it herself.

“So, esteemed guests, will you accept our invitation?” Dorota asked.

Xina winked at Chloe, who then looked to Alice. Alice merely shrugged, indicating they should handle it themselves.

“As it happens, we also have matters we wish to discuss directly with Prince Cliff,” Chloe replied. “We accept.”

“Thank you immensely. The wedding will take place in Jeannagos a month from now. My fiancé and I eagerly anticipate your arrival.”

“Will anyone else be attending this wedding?” Xina asked excitedly.

She loved participating in such joyous events.

“Besides yourselves, the most notable guest will be His Majesty Emperor Carloman of the Eledis Empire.”

‘Carloman?’ Chloe’s keen mind seized upon the name. This meant Xina’s illness could finally be addressed!

She needed to find an opportunity to speak with Lucia about this.

“We will certainly be there,” Chloe stated. “And we thank Prince Cliff for his invitation.”

Though she couldn’t fathom Prince Cliff’s true intentions, he had certainly orchestrated a brilliant move this time.

“Oh, Dorota,” Xina interjected, “I have a question. My attendant—my former attendant, Norria—how is he faring?”

Dorota raised an eyebrow slightly, appearing somewhat surprised. Nevertheless, she decided to answer the question.

“He is doing exceptionally well,” Dorota replied. “In fact, his treatment is no different from that of a prince.”