Chapter 76 - Beneath the Blizzard
Quick, Henry, it's the man right next to you! He slept with your fiancée! Hurry up and take him out!
Seeing Henry and Andre standing together, Charlotte screamed internally.
Outwardly, however, Charlotte maintained her grace, performing a curtsey. "It's an honor to see you again, Your Highness Henry."
Henry Holovin dipped his chin slightly, a minimal acknowledgment in return. "Miss Charlotte departed Platinum City so abruptly last time. I thought you wouldn't return for my wedding."
"How could that be?" Charlotte replied with a smile. "His Majesty specifically invited my Mellerfield family to attend your wedding. How could I possibly disrespect His Majesty's wishes?"
Henry Holovin's expression stiffened. He had personally written an invitation to Charlotte, yet she only mentioned Emperor Leopold's invitation, completely ignoring his own. Henry wasn't a fool; he knew very well that Charlotte despised him. Her words clearly meant: "If it weren't for His Majesty Leopold's invitation, I wouldn't bother coming to your wedding."
Andre sensed that the atmosphere between his sister and Henry seemed somewhat strained, certainly not as harmonious as the friendship Henry had described.
"Ah, well, with such heavy snow outside, let's not stand here in the cold wind. Why don't we head to the reception room to sit and chat? Your Highness Henry can sample the desserts prepared by our Green Plains Duchy chefs," Andre attempted to smooth things over, gesturing invitingly.
However, Henry Holovin didn't humor Andre. He raised his black-gold cane, blocking Andre's path, and continued speaking to Charlotte, "In two days, Anne will marry me. In the future, she will be the Empress of the Empire."
Henry Holovin's words seemed to come out of nowhere. It took Charlotte a moment to grasp what he was trying to convey—that the position of Empress was originally meant for her, had she accepted Henry's pursuit back then.
Charlotte couldn't fathom the twisted logic that led Henry to say such a thing. Did he really think she would envy Anne for becoming Empress?
No, she only pitied Anne for marrying… well, a dolt?
Extreme in personality, self-important, petty, and incredibly vengeful—Charlotte momentarily struggled to find the right word to encapsulate all these traits to describe someone like Henry.
Perhaps Henry thought parading Anne's impending marriage in front of Charlotte would wound her fragile heart. But in reality, the person truly struck by Henry's words was Andre, standing right beside him.
Andre's face fell instantly upon hearing Henry's statement. Only then did the stark reality hit him: his beloved Anne was about to marry the man before him.
I'm the one Anne truly loves, so why can't lovers end up together? Andre lamented inwardly, a wave of sadness washing over him.
If Charlotte knew Andre's thoughts, she would undoubtedly mock him—You have far too many 'lovers'. In this monogamous country, trying to make them all your 'family' is a bit ambitious. Continuing as lovers seems more reliable.
Still, Andre had his limits. He knew the affair between him and Anne couldn't be spoken of openly, leaving him to grieve silently in his heart.
Ignoring her brother suddenly enveloped in gloom, Charlotte looked at the still arrogant Henry. Her eyes flickered, and a plan began to form.
"Eh?" Charlotte feigned surprise. "Did Count Lucheni say Anne would become the Empress?"
"What does this have to do with my father?" Henry asked, confused.
"Oh," Charlotte quickly covered her mouth as if she had misspoken. "I thought Count Lucheni wasn't very fond of Anne."
"What nonsense are you spouting? Why wouldn't my father like Anne?" Henry frowned.
"Anne's home, Duke Bonan's mansion, is still surrounded by the City Guard. Those guards were sent by Count Lucheni," Charlotte added, her tone tinged with uncertainty. "It seems Count Lucheni really dislikes us vassal families. Has he truly agreed to let Duke Bonan's daughter become the Empress...?"
Henry's previously haughty expression darkened slightly. He had naturally heard about his father, Lucheni Holovin, sending troops to surround the residences of two Dukes and two Royal Dukes, infuriating Emperor Leopold. It did seem Lucheni disliked these powerful vassals.
Nevertheless, he retorted, "I am the one who will inherit the throne. Naturally, I decide who becomes Empress. It has nothing to do with my father."
"Is that so?" Charlotte stared into Henry's eyes, her voice suddenly taking on a bewitching quality. "I thought that after you inherit the throne, Lord Count Lucheni would act as regent."
"I am already an adult! Why would my father need to be regent?" Henry snapped angrily.
"The City Guard belongs to the Imperial Council, and the Imperial Council listens to Count Lucheni. So, who listens to you?" Charlotte smiled, lowering her voice.
Her words acted like a splash of cold water, instantly extinguishing the anger that had just flared within Henry.
Yes, if the Imperial Council obeys Count Lucheni, then who obeys me? The Duke of Green Plains, Duke Bonan, King Kexin—these "lords"? He couldn't even fully trust his future father-in-law, Duke Fernandes Bonan, let alone others.
More importantly, Henry knew deep down that his father was indeed not a simple man. The instinctual possessiveness of power, inherent in a future emperor, forced him onto high alert.
"Nonsense!" Henry cursed irritably, flicked his hand dismissively, and stormed off. His entourage hurried after him.
"What kind of person is that?" Andre rubbed his wrist, which stung slightly where Henry's cane had touched it. He watched Henry's retreating back and complained, "Absolutely no noble bearing at all."
"If he had noble bearing, would you still want to be buddy-buddy with him?"
Charlotte rolled her eyes at her brother.
"Sorry..." Andre gave a sheepish smile. He had already realized that Henry and his sister were definitely not friends; their relationship might even be considered extremely poor. Bringing Henry in uninvited was indeed his mistake.
Charlotte waved dismissively, no longer bothering with her foolish brother, and boarded her carriage, heading towards the residence of King Gatu, Ethel Holloway.
Charlotte's maternal grandfather was one of the few great nobles who resided within Platinum City. He even owned a palace there—though not large, far smaller than Leopold's Imperial Palace, its interiors were nonetheless lavishly decorated.
Ethel Holloway's choice to live so conspicuously within the city seemed somewhat reckless. If Emperor Leopold ever decided, risking the collapse of imperial order, to completely resolve the "historical leftover" issue of the Gatu Kingdom before his death, Ethel Holloway's situation within the city would become perilous.
However, Charlotte understood her grandfather's choice.
The current imperial situation was highly unfavorable for the Gatu Kingdom. The Green Plains Duchy was hostile towards Gatu, Leopold's Empress was a princess from the Kexin Kingdom, and now the Bonan Duchy was aligning with the heir to the throne through marriage. That left the Marquis of Blackrock Castle, but little needed to be said about him; the Marquis had always been a trusted confidant of Emperor Leopold and his father.
Almost completely isolated, the Gatu Kingdom had to maintain a strong external posture to reassure its supporters. Therefore, Ethel Holloway chose to reside in Platinum City and even dealt lethally with all the City Guards who attempted to surround his residence.
When Charlotte arrived at Ethel's residence, she saw several corpses dressed in City Guard uniforms hanging by the roadside outside the gate, clearly left there intentionally.
Many of the Gatu royal household servants recognized Charlotte. As soon as she entered, a servant immediately went to announce her arrival.
Following the servant inside, Charlotte passed through garden corridors, intending to head to the reception room first, when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"Miss Charlotte?"
Charlotte turned to see a pretty maid.
"Amy," Charlotte waved the guiding servant away, then walked over and playfully pinched the maid's cheek. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a smile.
"Princess Laina is here, so of course, I'm here too," the maid named Amy replied with a smile, not minding Charlotte's familiar gesture.
"Eh? Laina came too?" Charlotte said in surprise.
Laina Holloway was Ethel Holloway's youngest daughter, technically Charlotte's aunt, but she was only a year older than Charlotte. Thus, Charlotte always preferred calling Laina by her first name.
Amy nodded. "Yes, the Princess said staying in Farbeck all the time was too boring, so she wanted to come to Platinum City for a change of scenery."
"Then take me to Laina. I haven't seen her in ages," Charlotte said, taking Amy's hand without any reservation.
"Uh..." Amy remained rooted to the spot. "Her Highness is currently meeting with a guest. Miss Charlotte should probably wait a little while."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Charlotte fixed her gaze on Amy's eyes. Amy looked away guiltily.
Seeing this, Charlotte nodded, indicating she understood. "Fine then. I'll go see Grandfather first, and then find Laina to hang out later."
"What do you mean, 'see me first for now'? When you come to my place, shouldn't you see me first anyway?" A booming voice, slightly hard on the ears, interrupted Charlotte and Amy's conversation.
It turned out Ethel Holloway happened to be passing through the garden and spotted his long-unseen granddaughter. He had intended to approach and greet her but overheard words that greatly displeased him.
"Heehee, Grandfather! I came especially to see you!"
Charlotte turned to see her grandfather, feeling no awkwardness. She giggled and hugged Ethel Holloway's arm, swaying back and forth.
Charlotte wasn't sure of Ethel Holloway's exact age, estimating him to be in his eighties or nineties. However, judging by his appearance, Ethel was vigorous and robust, looking like a man in his sixties at most.
"We have a guest here. Show some lady-like decorum."
Ethel patted Charlotte's head. Though his words were reprimanding, the smile on his face betrayed his true feelings.
Only then did Charlotte notice the other guest beside Ethel. It was difficult not to overlook him, standing next to the tall and sturdy Ethel; this "petite" guest was rather inconspicuous.
However, this guest was also an acquaintance of Charlotte's.
"Greetings, Your Lordship Marquis Roy Beckett."
Charlotte released her grandfather's arm and performed a curtsey for the guest.
"Long time no see, Miss Charlotte."
The other party removed his soft silk hat and bowed gracefully to Charlotte.
Marquis Roy Beckett of Niuyin stood about 1.6 meters tall, with delicate features, soft facial lines, and a head of naturally curly, soft blond hair. Combined with his clear voice, anyone meeting him for the first time would likely mistake him for a mature, intelligent, beautiful woman.
Yet, he was undeniably male.
Although the Marquis of Niuyin wasn't among the "Two Kings, Two Dukes, One Marquis," he was quite famous in Orlan's noble circles. However, his fame stemmed not from his feminine beauty, but from his sexual orientation—Roy Beckett was homosexual.
Homosexuality wasn't rare in the Orlan Empire; otherwise, why would the Church raise so many beautiful young boys? Many Orlan nobles privately kept a few catamites. However, these were matters not discussed openly, as the doctrines in the Codex clearly stated that homosexuality violated God's teachings.
Only one noble in the Orlan Empire openly declared his preference for strong men: Roy Beckett. Not only did he speak of it publicly, but he also maintained a special private guard unit composed entirely of male warriors who were lovers with each other. Roy Beckett named this force the "Pure Ones."
Due to the anti-homosexual "political correctness," most Orlan nobles avoided Roy Beckett like the plague. Ethel Holloway was one of the few top imperial nobles willing to accept him, making Roy Beckett a steadfast supporter of Ethel Holloway.
Seeing Charlotte's arrival, Roy Beckett decided not to interrupt the grandfather-granddaughter reunion any longer. "The Marquis of Blackrock is arriving in Platinum City at noon. I intend to go welcome him, so I shall take my leave now."
"Since when did you become acquainted with the Marquis of Blackrock, Roy?" Ethel asked, somewhat surprised.
"That's not it," Roy Beckett shook his head, a look of yearning appearing on his face. "I heard that the Marquis of Blackrock's son, Arthur Lekman, also favors men. I plan to meet him; perhaps we can have a meeting of minds."
Hearing this reply, Ethel looked resigned.
The corner of Charlotte's mouth twitched slightly. She suddenly had a strange premonition.
Meanwhile, in the western border region of the Bonan Duchy.
This was also the westernmost border of the entire Orlan Empire. Further west lay the vast expanse of the Kanpei Mountains.
Swirling heavy snow obscured everything in sight. Travelers, horses, birds, and beasts were nowhere to be seen. Between the fields, only the howling wind remained.
The solitary wooden watchtower stood empty. In such a frigid season, the sentries had no desire to stand atop it, enduring the biting wind and icy snow.
Only a little more than a day remained until the Feast of Holy Grace. At this late time of year, the legendary tribesmen supposedly wouldn't descend from the mountains anymore... or so the sentries forced to guard the border probably thought.
Creeeaaak—snap!
Suddenly, the grating sound of a branch breaking echoed.
A massive bare foot snapped a tree trunk as thick as a bowl. A "giant" nearly three meters tall emerged from the Kanpei Mountains. His clothes were filthy, and he carried a crude stone weapon, but nothing could conceal the fierce aura emanating from his crimson eyes, sharp fangs, and thick limbs.
Creak, creak, swish swish swish...
Following the giant, more figures emerged from the forest. Some were tall, others had green faces and fangs, some were covered in scales, but they all shared the same crimson eyes and ferocious, brutal aura.
"Baxia!"
Suddenly, one giant raised his bloodstained weapon and roared.
"Baxia!"
The entire forest roared back in response!