Chương 21: Dinner with the Family

Vanessa Diary log #14. 5 Excerpt 2 I never thought I would see such a sight. Caroline was escorted out in a crying mess of trailing makeup, and I stared, trying to capture this scene forever. I am not one for insults, but a bit of me wished Tarion had gone harder on her. It wasn't entirely a waste of a day. We ended up buying more clothes than I have ever worn in my life thanks to Jen commandeering the trip and choosing what she thought looked best. Sad, really.

I liked the dresses she threw away, calling them 'eccentric'. But I learnt through the year that it was Jeneses for horrible. After His Grace and I stopped holding hands, I felt a change in the duke. His eyes followed me less, as if he were making a conscious effort to ignore me. It makes sense; why care for a wife you wanted to divorce? Despite his wonderful words, I am just a burden who will be abandoned sooner or later. What happened earlier was getting back at the nuisance that was annoying him.

I am sure that's all it was. But you can't blame a woman for being confused when the Duke treats me like this. No one other than Jen has defended me this much. No one has shown this much concern. Maybe seeing Caroline discombobulated my mind, but... I wished his rough hand did not leave my face. Tarion finally came back, descending from the sky like a valiant hero from the tales. Feeling guilt for leaving us, he took both of us on a small walk around Sovan Street, a bustling, tourist-friendly area.

Although the stares were a bit distracting, it was wonderful seeing the sights from the street rather than in a carriage. The bustle of the markets, the intricately designed fountains, the statues of warriors long past. How could a city with such history and culture be suffering like this? With homeless people by shops, people wearing rotten clothing, and vendors selling rotting food. I watched his Grace.

Son of the storied house, he is partly responsible for the state of the city, and by his face he knows that well. Tarion's face twisted and turned as he saw it all. I understand his anger because I share it as well. Murmurs went around the castle saying that Tarion killed the mayor who helped throw Osberg City into disarray. I had learnt of his reputation as a madman who walked the streets bloody and as a tyrant. I have no problem with him getting rid of problems swiftly. But violence begets violence.

The only way to fix it is by destroying the real cause of the problem. The system. On the way back, his large hand in mine, all I thought of till my feet touched the castle steps and I saw a massive bear head with red eyes that sparkled like my husband's. He proudly said it was his 'catch'. It was great to see him smile again. This is what Tarion looks like at this moment. Tarion"Finally, it came. Good work. I completely forgot about it," I said to two officers.

They leave sweating like pigs from lifting the taxidermied head inside.

"Vanessa, Jen. I hope to see you for dinner tonight. I have news to announce to the family."

"Yes, Your Grace. We would be happy to attend." Jen said as she bowed. Vanessa nodded with her gaze on me as she went upstairs to her room.

"Grace," Bratrice surprised me while my attention was elsewhere.

"As you had predicted, she went 'wild'. Destroyed the room we gave her. And yes, we made sure to hide paintings, especially your family portrait, from her."

"Good foresight… I wasn't thinking far when I put her in the room I suffered years in." Beatrice always looked a little ashamed at the mention of my life as the sick man in the corner of the castle.

"Don't worry, it was character-building, so I hope it's the same for her. And my brother? What of him?"

"He got word of your 'work'. Came back after a night at the red-light district to console his mother." Haha. So he also heard me.

"Comforting his mother after her lover passes away. What a wonderful son. And Davis?"

"In the wind, Susan still follows. Weak as he was, he was the best of use in espionage."

"Shit. Umbra knows Umbra."

"However, if he passes a checkpoint, it will be possible to track him from there."

"And know where his true master lies," I continued. Although I already had an inkling of who they are. I grabbed onto the black hair of the deceased cursed bear with a single hand. It would look good in the office, I think.

"Call my brother and mother to dinner. Their Duke commands them." Silver cutlery tapped on pewter plates as the awkward dinner continued. A mixture of venison and vegetables, I started on my third plate. A growing boy needs energy to grow strong, and I feel that even after my poison was ejected from my body, it still has not reached its limits. My four guests, still finishing their first plates, anxiously focused on their food in silence.

"This meat is gorgeous! Who, may I ask, procured this venison?" I asked Charles.

"That would be the new stable hand. Quite the hunter. Caught it in 5 minutes. Wish I had seen how he did it. And also butcher to rival my old teacher. At such a young age too!" He said smiling like a proud parent. Never seen Charles that impressed by someone. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. Speaking of parents. I felt like one when this boy was around.

"Joshua, I haven't seen you all day," I say with a mouth full of meat.

"Yeah… I was preoccupied." Joshua played with a piece of broccoli. My speech must have got him rattled. The brother he remembers is no more.

"You mustn't go to that area of the city too much, or dear Mother will have to worry about bastards knocking on the front door, hahaha!" I feel my stepmother's eyes stare daggers into my meek brother. Joshua dropped his knife.

"Haha…you jest, brother, I would never worry my mother like that." Joshua gave me a pleading look.

"Of course, I jest." I said, letting him off.

"But I also suggest you stay away from the area. With your mother mourning, I wouldn't want another reason for her to mourn longer."

"I will take your advice to heart, Your Grace," Joshua said without a hint of sincerity, and he went back to playing with his food. Cheeky rascal. I watched Vanessa from across the table; her manners were neat. Training had been drilled into her, unlike her sister. I smiled, noticing her wearing a new dark green dress, square open of the chest area with a bodice.

"Vannesa, dear, how is the food?" I spoke, attempting to break up the silence.

"Oh! It's delicious—""MURDERER!!!!" I flicked away a fork aimed at my nose with a finger. It fell to the table, crumpled.

"YOU SIT IN YOUR FATHER'S SEAT, PRETENDING EVERYTHING IS WELL! YOU EAT FINE AFTER MURDERING YOUR FATHER'S TRUSTED FRIEND." I put down my fork.

"Trusted." I linked my fingers with my elbows on the dining table.

"My father must have been a very bad judge of character. Actually…if he married you, he definitely was." In a black farthingale dress, Edith ran around the table at me. Anger made her even uglier, and wrinkles became more defined. Dinner knife in hand, she came to stab me, only to be held back by her precious son. Vanessa and her friend glanced at me, looking like they would rather run away from the quarrel. I shrugged at them. It is how it is. The world of nobles. I looked for Vanessa's eyes. Still want this?

"Mother! Calm down! I know you are grieving and you are angry at him. But he must have had good reason." Joshua turned to me.

"Don't you, brother?" I picked up a fork with meat and finished the last of my plate.

"Of course I did. Charles." My butler picked up the empty plates for washing.

"Because a blight on our city mustn't be allowed to live. Thousands upon thousands of people have died this winter. My people required food; he didn't give it to them. My people needed coal for warmth, so he increased prices. My people need protection, and he closed his eyes for gangs to steal from my people. He is fortunate that his death was quick." I drank my wine in a silver cup.

"Are those reasons enough?" Joshua gawped at me, terrified. And I sighed.

"I knew it wouldn't be enough for you. Fucking aristocrats... Then how about being a culprit in the attempted assassination of a Duke?"

"What?! What are you saying, Tarion? Can you believe what he is saying moth- Mother?"

"I wonder. Where might Davis be? I heard Davis used to ride you to your rendezvouses with the count. He should be helping her. Tsk, tsk, loyalty is fickle nowadays." The dowager duchess stared at the floor.

"Mother…" Joshua held his mother with a dejected face. You dare look at me, brother, like I betrayed our 'own', but eventually you will learn the truth and wish to be the ignorant fool again.

"I will have a full investigation into every one of Count Trak's associations, and I mean everyone." I pointedly looked at the Dowager. Joshua's lips pursed together as he gently took the knife from her feeble hand and guided my stepmother around to her seat. Her countenance was weak as she shook, taking small steps.

"Oh! Speaking of the mayor, I have something to announce." I looked at Vanessa, who sat tensed at the table. Sorry again.

"Since the position is vacant as of now, there has been no one worthy enough to fill the seat. Until now. From her willingness to help those in need to her curious, intelligent mind, these qualities are needed in a leader at times like this. And so, Duchess Vanessa Greystone, I award thee the title of Mayor of Osberg City!" Jen spat out her food. Joshua let his mother fall, staring back at me with his jaw dropped. Vanessa's eyes bounced around at everyone, watching the reactions. Her hand went to grab mine.

"Husband, I think my ears might have misheard."

"You. Are. The. Mayor. Okay?" I pat her hand.

"At nine am tomorrow, you will meet the treasurer, who will show you the ropes. And you there, what's your name, flame hair?"

"J-Jen, your grace."

"I know. Jennifer, just fucking with you. I like you, but you can't be living here for free, you know. So how about this? You will be her assistant."

"Huuuh… As you order, Your Grace..."" I noticed Charles was back with another plate.

"Thank you! I was starving." What a nice dinner! Tarion I swung my blade across a man's chest to another's knee. An attack was blocked from above, and a mana-armoured kick burst through the body of an older first-circle. I slashed down on my right, splitting a head. I pulled my great sword, and a neck gushed blood to the left. I dodged a second's glowing spear coming for my stomach, then again at my head. Leaning to the right, I slipped through, thrusting into their iron-armoured chest.

I crouched under a glowing sword. Feet pivoting to the right, my blade cut under an arm through intestines. I heard the air cut to my right and backstepped. Blue mana flew past, crashing into the cavern wall. One left. A third circle. Two axes. Bald with a glorious brown beard. Mine has been growing, but it cannot be compared to his masterpiece.

"Great beard – woah!" The stubby warrior launched himself at me. Both axes slammed down on my greatsword; the clash echoes in the cave. My feet fractured the cavern floor as I held back against his incredible strength. Not enough. I pushed his weapon twenty degrees to the left and dragged down my very long sword at his head. He evaded leaving his nice beard on the ground, and he pursued me harder. Slashing right, left, left and right, I felt the wind of his attacks. I chose one to block, and our weapons connected.

I shifted his right weapon twenty degrees to the right. The circles inside me revved. Immense mana rushed through my body to my mighty sword. My sword of Osberg hummed a great tune of devestating destruction. I lunged. A body dropped. Headless, the neck smoulders with smoke wisping out. A hole in the stone melts into magma. One officer of three circles walked up to me and stopped at attention while I caught my breath.

"Your Grace. Gamma has cleared their area of the mine. All sectors have been reclaimed."

"Good." Plonk.

"Let's go home, boys. I have got a party to prepare for." 44 days later.