Eileenburg (20)
Visitors
After the first snow, a distinguished guest arrived at Eileenburg: Grand Duke Sway, the youngest brother of the current King Derek. Grand Duke Sway neglected all state affairs, spending his days riding, hunting, and traveling. King Derek had two brothers: Grand Duke Delga, who held a position in the Council of State. Years ago, Derek was in poor health and lacked ability, and his position as crown prince was repeatedly threatened by Delga. Even after Derek became king, he was completely incapable of governing, relying entirely on Queen Agnes for state affairs. At this time, Derek remembered that Delga was his brother and placed him in the Council of State, hoping to create a conflict between Queen Agnes and Delga, which he would then mediate.
"Miss, a visiting card from Grand Duke Sway." Xiao Wei brought over a visiting card from the royal family. Grand Duke Sway had given Eileen Castle ample time before his visit, and Fried, once again acting as his go-between, gathered all the information about Grand Duke Sway in Sun City. However, all the information indicated that Grand Duke Sway was a dissolute playboy with no interest in state affairs; he only enjoyed horseback riding and hunting, and the only person who could get close to him was his guard captain. Grand Duke Sway visited Eileen Castle on a sunny winter afternoon.
"Good day, Miss Elaine." Grand Duke Swei was an excessively handsome man; his features were so striking that he looked more like a woman. He was overly thin and had a slender frame. Legend has it that Grand Duke Swei's mother, Queen Bella, was once the most beautiful woman in the Flower Kingdom, as radiant as the red sun and as luminous as the blue moon.
"Good day, Grand Duke Swei." After curtsying, Ailian offered her right hand for Grand Duke Swei to kiss the back of her right hand.
Grand Duke Swei chuckled, brushing aside Ailian's hand, and sat down to the side. "Where's your little darling? We all know who you're protecting. But that's not something a long-lived being should do, you know that?" Grand Duke Swei then turned to Xiaowei and said, "Why can't my captain of the guard come in?"
Xiao Wei turned around and went out to invite the captain of Duke Swei's guard in. The captain of the guard was a retired soldier from the border post. He only had one eye left. He was very fierce. He wore a golden eyepatch over one eye. He was two meters tall, imposing and strong. He looked like two Dukes Swei.
"Come, let me introduce you—this is my lover!" Grand Duke Swei said without any hesitation. The captain of the guard glared at Grand Duke Swei and stood behind him.
"Please have a seat." Mi entered from the side and sat down opposite Grand Duke Swei. Ailian, seated at the head of the table, glanced at Grand Duke Swei, then at the uninvited Mi, and quietly shrank back in her chair. The captain of the guard frowned at the overly petite Mi and sat down next to Grand Duke Swei.
Mi picked up the teapot and poured a glass of water for Grand Duke Swei, then went to the captain of the guard and poured the same glass for him. The captain reached out to take it, but Mi held on tightly, and the two of them struggled for the same glass until the water overflowed. The glass shattered in their hands, turning to dust. Grand Duke Swei, his face grim, thought for a moment and then handed his own glass to the captain of the guard: "Drink mine. I told you that wherever we go, even if I don't have anything to eat or drink, you won't be shortchanged."
“Grand Duke Swei has a good temper,” Mi smiled and sat back down. “The Grand Duke did not come to show off your captain of the guard. After all, no outsider has ever seen your captain of the guard, and besides, you said he is your lover.”
"Straightforward! I like it when you talk like that. I won't beat around the bush either. I'm here to propose to Miss Ellen. Don't rush me—" Grand Duke Sway quickly composed himself and burst into laughter. He saw Ellen's face change drastically: "Listen to my sincerity. I have a lover and have no interest in women. You don't have to live with me if you marry me. Of course, I will allocate a separate castle for you. After all, you can't live in Ellen Castle permanently after marriage, even if you still have a title. The guards of Ellen Castle won't do it, and the royal family's reputation won't allow you to do so."
Why should I agree to such an unreasonable request?
“Miss Ellen, you know that the review process for titles is becoming increasingly strict, and a year is far from enough. I've calculated that Miss Ellen has already turned thirty-nine. If you haven't secured a marriage yet, you can't have a wedding at forty. But if Miss Ellen's marriage application isn't submitted by forty, your title, and everything you currently possess, will be revoked.” Grand Duke Sway slung his arms and legs back in his chair, and the captain of the guard brought over a cushion from behind his chair and placed it behind Grand Duke Sway. Grand Duke Sway nuzzled the captain of the guard's arm and smiled at him before turning to Ellen, or more precisely, to Mi: “I don't know what you rely on, but you've already attracted the attention of more than just the King. The Adventurers' Guild has agreed to launch an investigation into you, and once the investigation begins, the little long-lived Ellen can't protect you.”
"Why?"
“Because Mrs. Aldridge said you can conjure life out of thin air and have weapons at your side,” Grand Duke Sway looked at Mi and stroked his chin. “You know, those in power always like to completely eliminate the unknown and potential threats.”
“As far as I know, the King has long since stopped interfering in politics.” Mi leaned back, looking directly at Grand Duke Sway, trying to recall her several meetings with Mrs. Aldrich. Yes, that night Mrs. Aldrich witnessed her killing someone; she saw not only her dagger but also her sword.
“The Queen has been unwell lately,” Grand Duke Sway leaned forward slightly. “My brother may not have many other skills, but he’s first-rate at taking advantage of someone’s illness. I think Miss Mi must know that the pinnacle of power can only be occupied by one person.”
"You just blurted this out like that?" Mi also leaned forward slightly and asked in a low voice, "Are you planning to use me to surrender to the king?"
“No, no, I’ve come to pledge my allegiance to the Queen.” Grand Duke Sway laughed. “I just want to continue being a Grand Duke in peace. Miss Ellen, you know that marrying me is the best choice. The Adventurer’s Duke won’t let you leave, and even if you want to give up your title, you can’t move Ellen Castle.”
Mi looked at the thin young man in front of her: "How old are you?"
"Me? I'm twenty-eight." Grand Duke Sway smiled nonchalantly. "Age is not a problem for us. Miss Ellen, I'm here to help you. Perhaps you would be willing to offer a seed of longevity to His Majesty the King."
“His Majesty has already eaten one longevity seed; if he eats another, he will die.” Ai Lian didn’t care about the longevity seed.
“No, no, no, my king brother has gathered a large group of doctors to research a miraculous medicine. He needs longevity seeds to cut into small enough portions to achieve the desired therapeutic effect without any fatal risks.” Grand Duke Swei smiled mysteriously. “You know His Majesty the King cherishes his health above all else; he would give up the entire Flower Kingdom for him. Miss Ailian, you’ve always been on his list. His Majesty couldn’t do anything about you in the past, but these past few years you’ve brought this lady to and from the palace quite often. Even a fool knows who this lady is to you, yet you haven’t given her any longevity seeds. Why is that?”
"Why do you think I haven't eaten the longevity seed?" Mi asked, somewhat puzzled. This Grand Duke Swei sometimes seemed like an enemy, and sometimes like an ally.
"How about we have a fight?" Grand Duke Sway drew his sword from his waist. "I've always been curious about what kind of divine weapon he carries."
“My weapon needs to drink blood.” Mi tried to extend her witch’s silk threads, but as soon as she made a move, the captain of the guard stared at her intently, forcing her to give up.
“I’ll spar with Miss Mi for a bit.” The captain of the guard stood up and walked out first. Ailian grabbed Mi nervously: “You two shouldn’t fight.”
“Miss Ellen, let’s have a talk.” Grand Duke Sway stopped Ellen.
Mi followed the captain of the guard to the edge of Lotus Lake: "Who are you?"
"You don't need to know who I am." The captain of the guard's only remaining eye was a clear, sea-blue color. "There have been changes in the Adventurers' Guild, so you'd better not go there anymore. This marriage was suggested by the Queen, and it won't do you or Lady Ellen any harm. You'd better persuade Lady Ellen to accept it."
“Whether Ailian wants to get married or not is her own business,” Mi shook her head. “I’ll be leaving here soon.” Mi felt a surge of anger; now she understood that they were using her to threaten Ailian.
“Don’t underestimate adventurers. If they want to hunt someone down, you can’t escape no matter where you go,” the captain of the guard said, looking at her. “At least for Eleanor, marrying into the royal family will be a safeguard for her. At that time, it will be easier for you to do whatever you want.”
"What do I want to do?" Mi asked, somewhat puzzled. "I don't want to do anything, I just want to leave here."
“Let me test your skills.” The guard captain wielded a black, soft whip. Mi drew her dagger, then, after a moment’s thought, switched to a longsword. As the whip lashed out, Mi met it with her sword, simultaneously drawing her dagger and severing the whip in two. The black whip broke in two, then quickly and automatically closed again. Mi shut down all her senses, creating a vacuum in front of her, and vanished before the guard captain’s eyes. The guard captain, his whip now aimless, let out a soft “Huh?” and put away his whip.
"So you have something to rely on." The captain of the guard couldn't help but say, "My skills are only above average among adventurers, far from the level of those elders."
Mi also put away her sword and dagger. She thought of Elder Seg, the skull-headed elder, and the cold old woman, and nodded, saying, "I know."
“You know that Ellen is determined to get married. The Adventurers’ Guild upholds the law, not the king,” the captain of the guard said. “Grand Duke Sway is your best choice.”
“I won’t make this decision for Ailian.” Mi didn’t know why they insisted on involving her in this matter, and she was very annoyed.
“I have a piece of advice for Miss Mi: it’s best not to leave Eileen Castle.” The captain of the guard interrupted her. “His Majesty the King intends to capture you to threaten Miss Eileen and force her to hand over the Longevity Seed. I think Miss Mi should know more about the characteristics of the Longevity Seed than I do.”
Grand Duke Sway left with his captain of the guard, and Aileen followed quietly behind Mi, like a moving shadow. Mi didn't want to hear what she had to say; she was acting very strangely. Mi had always thought she was experiencing Aileen's emotions. Aileen's unreserved praise and dependence satisfied her. Sometimes she felt like an arrogant old man, content with Aileen's complete dependence and adoration. At this moment, she was like the men the Second Elder had described, and Aileen had become the Second Elder. Mi had always known that long-lived people were to enter into marriage at forty, but these days had been too comfortable and happy. She had completely forgotten Aileen's age, and she had always thought it was Aileen's one-sided, unreserved devotion. All she could do was amplify Aileen's emotions, giving her double the satisfaction. Mi always felt that what she was doing was what a witch could do—building a channel for Aileen.
"Are you getting married?" Mi asked again, suppressing her frustration.
"I'll listen to you." Ailian carefully observed Mi's expression and asked again, "Are you leaving?"
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