Chapter 73 – The Cold Wind Rises
Charlotte returned the Collar Amplifier to Robert Kaye.
With its spine-piercing, neck-exploding properties, Charlotte didn't dare bring the device back for her Eagle Eye-capable Three-Winged Knights to test. If Renn Nathaz or Jarod Garcia ended up dead because of it, the loss would be far too great.
Robert Kaye went back to pack his belongings. According to him, he had a lot of experimental equipment and data to take with him, and he also needed to bid farewell to his family and friends.
Heidi Steffen's situation was much simpler. With no family and few personal possessions, she merely packed some clothes and a few books before accompanying Charlotte back to Count Philips' manor.
Seated in the carriage, Charlotte stared intently at Heidi opposite her – barely 1.6 meters tall, a cute face with a touch of baby fat, and a soft, gentle voice. Yes, she seemed suitable in every aspect...
Heidi felt unnerved under Charlotte's gaze; it felt like a cat watching a little fish.
"Miss Heidi," Charlotte suddenly spoke from across, "can you turn your hair white?"
Heidi breathed a sigh of relief; it wasn't a difficult request.
"I can." Heidi nodded, then closed her eyes and began holding her breath.
Charlotte wondered if holding one's breath was an inherent "pre-casting motion" of the Thousand Faces Faction or just Heidi's personal "operating habit." If Heidi needed to hold her breath for so long just to change her hair color, wouldn't transforming from a burly man into a dwarf carry the risk of suffocating oneself?
After a long moment, Heidi finally managed to produce a head of pale white hair.
Charlotte looked at the result, frowned slightly, and shook her head. "That's not the kind of white I meant. I'm talking about a lustrous white, longer, more supple…"
Following Charlotte's detailed instructions, Heidi continuously fine-tuned her hair. Charlotte discovered that Heidi's ability wasn't limited to just changing the color; she could also alter the texture, length, curliness, and other characteristics.
However, these frequent and complex micro-adjustments were quite draining for Heidi, whose aptitude was average. By the time Charlotte finally nodded in satisfaction, Heidi was already sweating from exhaustion.
Charlotte gazed at Heidi's hair—silky smooth, crystalline, cascading like a waterfall of white—and nodded contentedly.
Now, she had a white-haired subordinate too!
Even if it was temporary white hair, the quality was still quite good.
As they talked, the carriage passed by a theater somewhat familiar to Charlotte. It was where Cecilia's father used to work as a scribe. It was precisely because of this relatively respectable job among commoners that Cecilia's parents could dream of raising their younger son to become a Transcendent.
On a sudden whim, Charlotte asked Renee to go and send greetings to Cecilia's parents on her behalf.
Renee rolled her eyes at her young miss. She knew perfectly well that her miss caring about Cecilia's parents was highly unlikely; Charlotte was only interested in Cecilia's older sister.
Cecilia's sister, Adela, also worked at the theater, usually doing cleaning jobs and occasionally playing minor roles on stage.
Though inwardly scornful of her mistress's disingenuousness, Renee followed Charlotte's instructions and went to the theater to visit Cecilia's family. Upon returning, however, Renee informed Charlotte that Cecilia's parents and sister were no longer working there.
Puzzled, Charlotte had the coachman take a detour to Cecilia's home.
Charlotte had never been to Cecilia's house before, only knowing vaguely that it was near a marketplace in the southeast corner of Platinum City. She initially thought finding it might be difficult, but as soon as they neared the market area, Charlotte spotted a young woman bearing a strong resemblance to Cecilia, dressed in a maid's outfit, struggling along the roadside carrying a large bundle of clothes piled up to her chin.
That was undoubtedly Cecilia's sister, Adela.
Renee got down and called Adela over to the carriage.
"Miss Adela, it's been a while," Miss Charlotte said.
"M-Miss Mellerfield." Seeing Charlotte again, Adela appeared very reserved, or rather, she had always been reserved in Charlotte's presence.
Heidi was curious why Charlotte had summoned this commoner girl, who clearly looked like a mere laundress, into the carriage. But Charlotte showed no intention of explaining, and Heidi didn't feel it was her place to ask, so she could only watch from the side.
"We just passed the theater, and I wanted to pay a visit to Cecilia's family on her behalf, but I found no one there," Charlotte said with a smile. "Why are you no longer working at the theater?"
"Something… happened…"
Adela lowered her head and explained the events that had befallen her small family in recent months.
After Cecilia left Platinum City, her parents remained unwilling to give up hope. They still wanted their younger son to undergo the Spiritual Awakening Ceremony one more time. To achieve this, they took on multiple jobs simultaneously and borrowed money from everywhere. The immense pressure finally caused Cecilia's father to fall ill from overwork. He dragged his sick body to work but kept making mistakes, eventually leading to his dismissal by the theater owner.
Now, Cecilia and Adela's father could only make ends meet by doing bookkeeping for a few shops in the market.
Adela had originally secured her odd-job position at the theater thanks to her father's connection. After he was fired, Adela lost her job too. Now, she could only work as a laundress for wealthy families. With the weather turning cold, Adela's hands were covered in chilblains. However, there was little resentment towards her parents in her words, only a hint of regret when she mentioned not being able to perform on stage anymore.
It seemed that even if only playing insignificant minor roles, Adela quite enjoyed acting.
After listening, Charlotte nodded and then asked, "Cecilia is currently working for me and doing very well. It's just that she's a bit lonely living by herself in the Lanwan Viscountcy. You could go keep her company."
"Hm? Perhaps it's better not to," Adela shook her head apologetically. "I don't have Cecilia's knowledge; I can't really help her with anything. Going there would probably just cause her trouble."
"What if I also want you to go and live with Cecilia?" Charlotte tilted her head, winked her right eye, and smiled.
Adela paused slightly, then her cheeks gradually flushed red. She clearly remembered some ambiguous past events.
"Th-this… I still need to ask Mama and Papa…" Adela said, blushing.
Wasting no time, Charlotte had the carriage turn towards Adela and Cecilia's home, where she met the girls' parents and their younger brother.
Adela and Cecilia's parents were indeed living frugally, dressed in plain clothes with sallow complexions. Their younger brother, however, was plump and fair-skinned, looking as though he had never done a day of hard labor.
When Charlotte told Adela and Cecilia's parents that she wanted to buy Adela, the couple showed little reluctance, instead seeming rather excited. They asked for twenty Fuso, a price typically reserved for a skilled adult male slave; ordinary maids simply didn't fetch such a high price. However, Charlotte couldn't be bothered to haggle and had Renee pay the money.
Adela and Cecilia's parents gleefully accepted the payment, thanking Charlotte profusely and hinting that Adela was still pure; since serving Charlotte alongside her sister, she hadn't engaged in intimate relations with anyone else.
In truth, Adela and Cecilia's parents had previously considered having Adela use her body to earn more money. It was only because Cecilia, before leaving Platinum City, had told a small lie to make life easier for her sister. She claimed that Charlotte had greatly enjoyed Adela's service and might very well return to take her away someday; if the great noble discovered Adela was no longer pure upon her return, she would surely be angered.
Because of this, the couple hadn't dared to pressure Adela too much.
Now, this served as their justification for asking Charlotte for a high price.
As she followed Charlotte away, Adela's spirits were low. Compared to her sister, Adela had less resistance to the idea of serving Charlotte; in the eyes of a commoner girl like her, becoming a noble's mistress was already considered a good fate. However, her parents' eagerness to trade her for Fuso still left a bitter ache in her heart.
When Charlotte returned to the manor, the sun was just beginning to set in the west. Jose Mellerfield had not yet returned from the Imperial Palace. Charlotte had thought her trip would conclude perfectly, but unexpectedly, she encountered an obstacle right at her "own doorstep."
Just as they were about to enter the manor grounds, Charlotte's carriage was unexpectedly stopped.
"What's going on?"
Charlotte poked her head out of the carriage window, surprised to find Count Philips' manor surrounded by a troop of armored soldiers.
The soldiers' faces and attire were unfamiliar, but from the crown emblem on their armor, Charlotte could deduce they were likely soldiers of the Oran Royal Family.
"Halt!"
An armored soldier, looking like a squad leader, raised his hand, blocking Charlotte's carriage and guards.
"Who are you?" the squad leader asked loudly.
Charlotte alighted from the carriage, gave the squad leader a curtsy, and spoke gently, "I am Charlotte Mellerfield, daughter of the Duke of Green Plains. Who might you be? And what are you doing here?"
"We are the Platinum City Guard, under orders to protect the Duke of Green Plains and his family," the squad leader replied.
"Then why are you preventing me from returning home?" Charlotte countered.
The squad leader lifted his chin. "We cannot confirm that you are indeed Miss Mellerfield. We must report to the Commander and verify your identity first."
Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "I need to report to your Commander just to go home?"
"Of course," the squad leader answered without hesitation.
"Ridiculous. I'm going in just like this. What can you possibly do to me?" Charlotte stared directly into his eyes.
The squad leader slowly drew the longsword from his waist, pointing it at Charlotte, his eyes glinting fiercely. The armored soldiers behind him also drew their swords one by one.
Shing! Shing!
The guards behind Charlotte drew their swords as well, glaring angrily at the City Guard soldiers.
The two sides faced off, the atmosphere growing heavy with tension. A fight seemed imminent.
For a moment, only the whistling wind and the nervous snorting of the horses could be heard.
After an unknown period, a soft chuckle broke the heart-pounding silence. The person laughing was Charlotte. She took a step towards the sharp sword held by the squad leader.
"Do you intend to kill me?"
Charlotte asked with a smile, staring into the squad leader's eyes, then took another step.
"Do you dare to kill me?"
Charlotte took another step.
"Why is your sword trembling?"
By now, the sharp tip of the sword was almost touching Charlotte's throat, yet she seemed utterly unfazed, taking yet another step forward.
The City Guard squad leader holding the sword quickly stepped back, swallowing involuntarily. "P-Please don't come any closer! Otherwise, I cannot guarantee you won't be harmed!"
"No, I intend to keep walking forward."
Charlotte took another step forward; the squad leader took another step back.
"What can you do?"
Charlotte advanced again; the squad leader retreated again.
"What do you dare to do?"
Charlotte quickened her pace slightly. The squad leader retreated hastily, nearly stumbling over the uneven ground, looking as flustered as if Charlotte were the one holding the sword.
"Why are you blocking the entrance?"
A tall general, clad in magnificent silver armor with silver plumes on his helmet, hurried over from within the manor grounds with his retinue.
Seeing the general, the squad leader seemed immensely relieved. He quickly lowered his sword and explained the situation, as if the sword had been pointed at his own neck.
After hearing his subordinate's explanation, the general frowned and addressed Charlotte, "Miss, we are merely following orders. Even if you truly are a member of the Mellerfield family, you shouldn't take your anger out on these soldiers."
"Are you their Commander?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes." The general nodded.
He seemed about to say more, but Charlotte cut him off directly, "Whose orders are you following?"
"His Majesty the Emperor's, naturally!" the general replied without thinking.
"Where is the proof?" Charlotte held out her hand.
The general looked somewhat reluctant but still produced a written order, showing it to Charlotte. "Here is the proof."
Upon seeing the order, Charlotte laughed again. "An order from the Emperor, yet it bears Marco Lyman's seal?"
Marco Lyman was the Privy Minister of the Oran Empire, one of the seven ministers forming the Emperor's Privy Council, responsible for handling paperwork for the Emperor.
"Isn't the Privy Minister's seal sufficient?" the general said in a low voice.
Charlotte didn't answer. Instead, she turned and snatched the horsewhip from her coachman's hand. "The Privy Minister counts for shit!"
As she spoke, she brought the whip down hard on the general.
Although the general towered over Charlotte by a head, he could only cover his face and dodge the lashing whip, warning Charlotte not to defy the Emperor's command while clearly not daring to actually apprehend her.
The surrounding City Guard soldiers, who had gradually gathered closer, similarly stood by. Clad in armor and holding sharp swords, they could only watch helplessly as Charlotte whipped their commander into a state of disarray.
Charlotte entered the manor, raised the whip, and pointed towards a flag of the Green Plains Duchy flying within the grounds. Her voice softened again as she said, "Gentlemen, do you see? This is the residence of a Duke. You lack the qualifications to guard the Duke's gate. Let Marco Lyman come himself. With his title of Count, he should be just about qualified to watch the Mellerfield family's door."
With that, Charlotte dropped the whip and turned to leave.