Chương 466: Chapter 461 - Transit

The foyer of the Elystead mansion was already a knot of activity as morning drew to an end. Scarlett stood near the stairs, watching as Evelyne instructed the servants and conferred with Whiteley—their Elystead butler—about last-minute preparations while one of the maids fastened her neck-length auburn hair into a neat, pinned knot. She managed to make the whole juggling act look deceptively easy.

It was the day of the celebration for the raising of the Empyreal Barrier, and even leaving aside the nobles preparing to attend the gathering at Dawnlight Palace, the entire city was revving up to be in full motion. Elystead was never truly calm these days. Too many refugees had gathered within and around the city for that. But today carried a different sort of weight for the people most affected by the monster attacks that had battered the empire's settlements over the past months.

Scarlett had heard that the attacks had lessened recently, especially as imperial forces had grown better at gathering the population around defensible centres, but the damage done to cities like Ambercrest and Autumnwell still sat heavy in the public consciousness, and the crown had put considerable effort into presenting the Barrier as the answer to those fears. As for Scarlett, she didn't know what to expect from the celebration itself. So she had prepared for everything.

About three-quarters of the previous day had gone towards setting up countermeasures and contingencies that could prove useful when dealing with Mistress, but the rest had been spent entirely on making sure she had a few aces tucked away in case the celebration went awry. When you had the kind of wealth she currently sat on, along with the late-game knowledge she possessed, there were a good number of small advantages the capital could offer if you knew where to look. Together, they added up.

Much of that included potions, of course. The kind Allyssa didn't have the time or means to create on short notice. But Scarlett had also picked up several enchanted items and artifacts that supplemented her own kit well enough, since she wouldn't be able to bring any of her own party members along today. As Scarlett watched Evelyne finish with Whiteley and thank the maid who had helped with her hair, Lady Withersworth came to stand beside her.

The older noblewoman wore a dark green dress with pale silver embroidery at the sleeves and neckline, tasteful enough that it didn't need to fight for attention, and her hair was arranged in a knot similar to Evelyne's. Lady Withersworth looked Scarlett over with a pleased smile, then nodded to herself. Scarlett was wearing a deep crimson gown, fitted closely at the waist and shoulders, with a line of subtle gold stitching that caught the light whenever she moved.

It was just a touch more eye-catching than what most baronial nobles wore to events like this, without quite reaching the point where people would think she was deliberately trying to compete with the highest nobility. It had been chosen on Lady Withersworth's recommendation.

"You look splendid, dear. Now all we need is to do something about that expression of yours. You look as if you are preparing to march onto a battlefield." Scarlett glanced at her, then returned her focus to Evelyne, who was dressed in a tailored charcoal jacket and matching trousers, with a pale blouse underneath.

"I am not entirely convinced there is a difference," Scarlett said. Even though all the interactions she'd had with other nobles over the last few days had been relatively cordial, she still couldn't shake that sense of not really fitting into these parts of high society. From her perspective, she had been 'Scarlett Hartford' for well over a year by now and had grown used to most aspects of it, but that part hadn't changed.

At most, she'd become more familiar with noble customs and learned not to completely shy away from the smugger part of her that enjoyed having all eyes on her. But that part had grown weaker ever since the system's traits stopped pressing so firmly on her mind. Lady Withersworth chuckled softly.

"There are those who view it that way. I always thought that was rather dreary. I preferred to teach my children to see it as a dance floor instead."

"And why is that?"

"Because on a dance floor, if you step on a few feet, a smile and a few sweet words in the right ear will usually smooth it over. On a battlefield, stepping wrong earns you a blade between the ribs."

"I suppose you are not wrong."

"Also, on the dance floor, as long as you know the steps, you can usually lead people where you want them to go. Diligence will take you far, and I would say you have done your due diligence for today, dear."

"Are you certain?"

"Mostly. And if I am wrong, I will be here to help you."

"For that, you have my thanks."

"Oh, don't mention it. It's been a treat for this old lady to stretch her muscles again. I never realised until this past year how terribly dull retired life with my dear lump of a husband had grown. And since he insists on involving himself in all those power plays among the Diet and their quarrels with the crown, I might as well show him how to properly shake the empire." Scarlett smiled faintly.

"I was under the impression that he had offered his aid with the ongoing proceedings." Lady Withersworth snorted and waved a dismissive hand.

"He doesn't get any credit for that. I hardly gave him a choice."

"I am sure he would be pleased to hear that."

"I imagine he very much would not, but it is the lot of a husband to bear the weight of uncomfortable truths. You should take note of that if you ever marry that knight of yours." Scarlett's smile thinned slightly.

"Neither Sir Leon nor I have any intention of getting married." Though they were technically still betrothed, that was mostly because Scarlett had kept the arrangement as leverage against the man's family in case they decided to bother her. She had evidence of their wrongdoings, after all, and it was harder for them to move against her while there was still a formal connection between their houses. But she had long since worked with Evelyne to prepare everything needed to annul the betrothal.

The Delmons had already sent over documents to the same effect, hoping she would agree to them, so it was only a matter of when Scarlett chose to end it. She did feel slightly bad for Leon, who was stuck between them with no real say over the state of his own marriage prospects. But clearly, as upright as the man could be, he was remarkably bad at pushing back against his own family when they tried to use him.

"That is a shame," Lady Withersworth said.

"I rather liked Sir Leon. But it is true that the two of you never quite seemed to move to the same tune. It's good that you know what you want, at the very least, and that you won't let the expectations of us older fools steer your heart for you. I hope you one day find someone who understands you well enough to help you be happy with who you are." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Scarlett only nodded absently.

"Mm." Evelyne came walking over then, stopping in front of them as she looked between the two.

"Are you ready to leave?"

"We are," Scarlett said.

"Are you finished with your preparations?"

"Yes." Evelyne lifted a hand to the side of her head, seeming faintly uncomfortable now that her hair wasn't falling around her face the way it usually did. Apparently, though, tying it up sent a message. Something about an old tradition among the women of noble houses when a new head formally stepped into their role. That wasn't quite what would be happening today, but Lady Withersworth had assured them it would catch the right eyes without inviting anyone to stand up and make a fuss about it. Which was the point.

"Then let us take our leave." Scarlett headed for the exit, stopping only briefly as one of the servants opened the door for her. Before stepping out, she glanced back over her shoulder, spotting Rosa and the others standing at the top of the stairs to the second floor, watching her. She gave them a small nod, then left. Their carriage waited outside the gates of the estate. Scarlett climbed in first, followed by Lady Withersworth, who took the seat beside her, and Evelyne, who sat opposite them.

As the carriage started moving, Scarlett turned her attention to the window, watching the mansions, walled gardens, and polished townhouses of the Eastgate District pass by.

"How are you holding up, Evelyne, dear?" Lady Withersworth asked from Scarlett's left.

"Have you taken any breaks since we arrived in Elystead?" Evelyne let out a quiet laugh.

"Breaks… No, unfortunately, I haven't had the time. But I'm okay. I've at least been careful to make sure I get enough sleep."

"That's good. It won't do to have you collapsing in the middle of the palace, now would it?"

"That won't happen."

"I believe you. But if it does start feeling like too much at any point, don't hesitate to find me. I will have my own children to look in on today, of course, but if you would like, you may consider me your chaperone for the event." A brief silence followed.

"Do you mean that?" Evelyne asked.

"Why, of course." Lady Withersworth's tone softened.

"You are the very same young lady who saved the lives of my husband and me. And while it is somewhat late, I am aware that you never had the chance to be chaperoned by your own mother. I cannot replace that, but I can at least offer what help I can."

"…Thank you."

"Don't mention it, dear. I would have offered the same to your sister, but I suspect she would find being chaperoned at her age just a touch too embarrassing." Scarlett frowned slightly, turning to look at Lady Withersworth. The woman smiled at her.

"Am I wrong?" Scarlett studied her for a moment, then turned back to the window.

"You are not." A few seconds passed before her gaze drifted to Evelyne in front of her. The younger woman met her eyes, faintly puzzled.

"Is there something wrong, Scarlett?"

"…When did you attend your first social gathering after coming of age?" Evelyne blinked. Then something quieter crossed her face as she lowered her gaze.

"I'm not sure, actually. I attended my first gathering alone four years ago, five months after Father and Mother died. I thought I wouldn't get a proper debut, so I started trying to make contacts early. Somewhere along the way, I lost track." Her mouth twitched into a small, awkward smile.

"I made a lot of mistakes." Scarlett's gaze lingered on her.

"I am sorry," she said. The original Scarlett had been the head of the house at that point. It should have been her responsibility to arrange Evelyne's proper debut into high society. Instead, Evelyne had been left to learn by herself while also carrying parts of the barony that shouldn't have been placed on her shoulders that early. Evelyne looked up at her with a flicker of surprise, then her expression mellowed.

"I don't blame you for that, Scarlett."

"You should."

"Should I?" Evelyne met her gaze steadily. After a while, Scarlett turned back to the window.

"Yes. The mistakes made then are my responsibility," she said, ending the conversation there.

"I can't speak for how things used to be," Lady Withersworth's voice came after some time, "but it seems to me that you are rather fortunate to have such a responsible sister now, Evelyne. Or is that too presumptuous of me to say?" Scarlett felt Evelyne's gaze remain on her, and from the corner of her eye, she saw a warmer smile touch the woman's mouth.

"No," Evelyne said.

"You're right. Despite it all, I am happy that she is my older sister." Scarlett's breath slowed for just a moment. She didn't look away from the window. Eventually, Evelyne's gaze left her, and the younger woman soon slipped into lighter conversation with Lady Withersworth about the upcoming celebration. Scarlett listened, but she didn't join in. The carriage rolled through the Eastgate District, weaving along broad, well-kept streets until it reached the Coins.

From there, they turned onto the Sunset Walk, the wide avenue that cut through much of Elystead and led straight towards Rellaria Lake and the island where Dawnlight Palace stood. Even though it was still several hours before noon, the Sunset Walk was already packed with carriages, wagons, riders, and people moving on foot alongside it. Banners hung from the fronts of buildings and stretched between the trees lining the street, their bright colours catching the morning light as they stirred in the breeze.

Scarlett recognised many of them as the same decorations that had been used for the Light Fest the previous year, likely brought out again because it was easier than preparing everything from scratch. Still, they did liven up the city. She hadn't seen as much of Elystead these past few days as Rosa had, but she had seen enough to know that, for all the people here trying to live as they usually did, there was a constant tension hanging over the city.

It was worse in the Westgate District and the Foreign Quarter, where most of the refugees had gathered. People moved, spoke, bought food, argued, prayed, and worked, but too many did it with the look of someone waiting for the next bad thing to arrive. Scarlett wasn't sure her feelings went as far as true empathy for their plight, but she did genuinely hope today's celebration would help make their lives easier, at least for the foreseeable future.

The carriage continued down the Sunset Walk for well over half an hour, edging closer to a full hour thanks to the traffic clogging the avenue. It only grew worse once they neared the water, where a long procession of noble carriages had formed a slow-moving line towards the bridge that connected the city proper to Dawnlight Palace. The palace itself rose like a bastion of bronze-red stone, set high on pale cliffs and guarded on all sides by tall walls.

Its towers and terraces caught the sun's rays, glowing warmly above Rellaria Lake, while the light reflected off the water below in wavering ribbons of almost-gold. Scarlett had seen the sight several times by now, but it still managed to stir some faint sense of awe in her. Even if she was no longer bound by the original's personality, it seemed she couldn't entirely escape sharing some of the woman's tastes.

It took another half-hour for their carriage to reach the Dawnset Bridge—as it was called—and cross over to the palace side. They were stopped at the outer gates beneath a great hanging banner bearing the imperial crest. Knights in polished plate and red capes searched the carriage and confirmed their identities, the whole process taking noticeably longer than it had during Scarlett's previous visits.

She assumed they were performing deeper checks because of the current situation, likely with the help of magical tools. The attention of one of the knights lingered on Scarlett's hand, where the [Charm of Expeditious Change (Unique)] currently rested on one of her fingers as a thin silver ring set with a bright blue crystal and lined with gold. After a moment, though, he moved on, and they were waved through.

Scarlett wasn't sure whether he'd been told guests were allowed to bring some enchanted items, or whether the ring simply hadn't registered as anything worth worrying about. The usual practice when visiting Dawnlight Palace was that one didn't arrive covered in half a dozen magical items, but there wasn't a strict ban as long as nothing was overtly dangerous. In Scarlett's case, she was almost always walking around with a small arsenal of powerful artifacts.

Right now, though, they just happened to be stored inside the [Charm of Expeditious Change], which made them difficult to detect. The ring had been forged by one of the empire's most accomplished wizards from the last century, after all, and it didn't function like most spatial items. When Scarlett had once asked Dean Godwin about it in the hopes of replicating the ring—at Rosa's request, naturally—she had been told it likely used some kind of sympathetic anchoring through the Wandering Realm.

Which apparently meant it was truly unique, for all practical purposes. The carriage continued on after that, passing beneath the gates and into the broad square beyond. Rows of royal oleanders lined the expansive courtyard at neat intervals, their gold-red leaves hanging in bloom. It wasn't quite the same as the Loci's garden, but this place had a charm of its own. A significantly shorter line of carriages waited ahead of them in a slow procession towards the wide stairs leading up to the palace entrance.

Servants in bronze-gold uniforms stood waiting in orderly rows, receiving guests one carriage at a time while knights watched from the sides. The whole thing was moving a lot faster than it had before the gates, and soon enough, their turn came. The carriage stopped. A servant stepped forward and opened the door, bowing low as Scarlett exited first, the hem of her gown brushing over polished stone.

Lady Withersworth followed with practised ease, then Evelyne, who paused only a moment before straightening her shoulders.

"His Imperial Majesty, the gilded sun of the Empire and the light who shines upon us all, bids you welcome, Baroness Hartford," the servant said. Scarlett gave a simple nod. Then she looked up at Dawnlight Palace, at its bronze-red walls, its bright banners, its towering doors. The celebration was about to begin.