Chapter 92
“That’s amazing, Kestian. I had no idea you were such a great guy. To think you called me all the way out here just to worry about your sister.”
Bellieta shook her head in disbelief.
Kestian frowned, thinking she was mocking him.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I really mean it. You’re worried about your sister… what a wonderful big brother you are, telling me not to pick on her.”
A giggle slipped out from Bellieta’s lips.
“I’m kind of jealous. It’s nice having a brother like you.”
“I’m not in the mood for jokes right now.”
“Jokes? What a harsh thing to say. I was being sincere, of course.”
Bellieta straightened her rumpled clothes and composed herself.
Once she returned to her calm demeanor, she faced Kestian with a soft smile.
“Yes, dear brother Kestian. What is it you want to say? Don’t bully my sister? or Don’t act childish? But what can I say? I’m not planning on listening to either of those.”
She gestured for a knight to hand her some documents and spread them out on the table.
“I’m not obligated to do what you ask just because you’re a noble, and we’re not exactly close, are we? Plus, this isn’t really the time to be worrying about that.”
The documents Bellieta handed over were ownership lawsuit papers regarding businesses held by Palieva.
With a family that had existed for centuries, many past contracts and ownership issues had been handled in a somewhat informal manner due to a lack of legal clarity.
“You’ve got hundreds of urgent matters to deal with, yet you have the time to worry about your sister’s whining?”
“…”
“You look pretty surprised. Didn’t see that coming, did you?”
Bellieta smiled at Kestian’s tense face before standing up.
Her gaze, like the cold, blue waters of a winter lake, was icy and unyielding as she looked down at Kestian.
Wiping the smile from her face, she spoke again in a frigid tone.
“If you mess with Bozbourne and then come at me, you should’ve been prepared for something like this. What? Don’t act childish?”
With a smirk, Bellieta leaned forward, resting her hands on the table and narrowing her eyes.
“I can do it all. I can act childish, stupid, or even cruel and brutal. Your sister cried over something childish? Then she should be grateful; at least she didn’t cry over something brutal.”
Crash!
Bellieta’s collar was suddenly gripped tightly in Kestian’s hand, and at the same time, the knights drew their swords, aiming them at Kestian’s throat.
They were so close that even a heavy breath could mean a fatal wound.
Despite being in a precarious situation, Bellieta laughed casually.
“What a kind big brother you are, getting angry and worrying for your little sister. Family really is something.”
With a smile, Bellieta pushed Kestian’s hand away.
His grip fell away helplessly.
She straightened up, tidying her disheveled clothes.
The knights lowered their swords, and the previously tense atmosphere returned to calm.
In this softened environment, Bellieta’s voice flowed gently.
“Kestian, you will never save Palieva or your sister. Palieva will gradually crumble and eventually walk the path to ruin.”
She pushed the scattered documents across the table toward Kestian.
The documents rolled up and dropped to the floor, tumbling around.
“But it’s not an unavoidable path. It’s simple and easy—nothing too complicated. So if you want to save your family and your house, come find me.”
Bellieta signaled for the knights to leave.
As the heavy sounds of their departure faded, Bellieta turned to Kestian, her final smile lingering as she spoke.
“With what I want, of course.”
Kestian quietly watched Bellieta walk away with the knights.
Those small, fragile shoulders held a power that could topple giants.
Palieva was strong and great, but it lacked the strength to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Bozbourne.
“Lady Bellieta.”
At his low call, Bellieta stopped and turned her waist.
Looking at her calm face, Kestian slowly approached.
Bellieta held back the knights who were trying to return as Kestian moved closer without interruption, gazing down into her blue eyes.
“Usually, wanting something means you feel lacking in some way. And not being able to get it is often because it’s too much for you.”
“Are you saying that Sierra is too much for me?”
Who knows?
“That’s something only you would know.”
Kestian slipped past the tense Bellieta.
She remained stiff as he pushed past the knights and exited the teahouse.
The previous conversation had long been forgotten.
Only one thing remained in Bellieta’s mind.
‘You can’t beat Sierra.’
Bellieta was still trapped in the specter she had created for herself, unable to break free.
* * *
The Redboron Mountains have been famous for their monstrous creatures since ancient times.
Of course, it couldn’t compare to Rippleton, but like the legends of dragons that inhabited the area 2,000 years ago, many monsters swarmed there.
“Now that a mine has been established and regular hunts are conducted, the number of monsters has decreased, but even so, there are still reports of damage caused by them every year.”
Especially in Rippleton, there were numerous higher-level monsters, not just low-level ones.
If high-level monsters attacked, only a knight-level hunting squad would stand a chance, so protective measures were necessary.
“And unlike the Redboron Mountains, Rippleton… Aden, are you listening to me?”
In the middle of the conversation, Aden seemed distracted, looking somewhere else.
What’s he looking at?
Sierra threw a glance in the direction Aden was staring but saw nothing.
“Is there a bandit or something?”
Aden shook his head briefly and called the knights on horseback, pointing in one direction.
The knight, following his command, moved, and Aden’s gaze returned to me.
“It looks like we’ve got a ranger on our tail.”
“A ranger… from Bozbourne?”
“I’m not sure exactly where, but they’ve been following us since yesterday.”
I scanned the direction Aden had pointed out.
I couldn’t see anything, but was there a stalker behind us?
How did Aden know that?
Can he feel something even when there’s nothing in sight?
Stealing a glance at Aden, I returned to my spot.
When Aden told me it was okay to speak again, I started explaining when the knights returned.
Aden shook his head, looking like he hadn’t gotten the results he wanted.
He frowned slightly, too.
As the knights moved away, Aden rode up beside me.
“What happened?”
“I think we should take a break. The situation isn’t good. There’s no need to move recklessly when we’re not sure if it’s Bozbourne or someone else sending them.”
The sky was starting to turn a rosy hue.
Soon it would be dark, and we’d be camping in the middle of the mountains.
With Aden and the knights around, I felt safe, but it could also bring about dangerous situations.
After a brief nod, I looked ahead.
If we kept going along this road, we’d hit the capital, but there was no need to go there.
The capital was heavily influenced by Bozbourne, and especially since the downfall of Marquis Mormond, the Edphilibar family, known as Bozbourne’s right hand, had taken that place.
No need to take unnecessary risks.
“Let’s head to Palieva.”
“Let’s send a letter in advance.”
It might take a bit longer, but it was better than facing danger.
As Aden ordered his lieutenant to send the letter, he adjusted our route.
I stuck my head out the window to feel the chilly wind and looked back.
It was a peaceful mountain, but knowing someone was chasing us back there wasn’t a comforting thought.
“Don’t worry.”
As I turned my head, Aden approached with a relaxed expression.
He looked like everything would be fine, glancing back briefly before quietly smiling.
“It’ll be fine.”
* * *
We arrived at Palieva a bit after dinner time, late at night.
As the carriage and dozens of knights rolled in, the servants watching with wide eyes hurriedly disappeared into the mansion. Shortly after, the butler appeared.
While getting off the carriage, the butler, leading the servants, bowed respectfully.
“I am Richdagra, the head butler of Palieva. It’s an honor to serve the Duke of Rippleton and the Lady of Brilloxen.”
“There’s no need to be so formal; we’re the ones who intruded late at night.”
Palieva was not just some nobility; it was an ancient family with a history tied to the Empire.
This wasn’t a place just anyone could come to.
“The nobleman said to serve you both with the utmost sincerity.”
“Kestian, right?”
The butler smiled and nodded.
He instructed the servants to start arranging things and turned back to us.
“Dinner is being prepared. May I show you to your rooms first and tell you later?”
“Please do that.”
“Understood. This way, please.”
As expected of Palieva’s butler, everything was neatly organized, with no signs of disorder.
I followed him as he turned to lead us to our rooms.
Now that I think about it, was this my first time visiting Palieva?
I didn’t have any memories of it since there hadn’t been much interaction before.
