Chapter 181: Reputation
When Emily set her foot on the ground, her gaze was drawn to the stones lining the road. They were arranged in a geometric pattern that extended all the way to the outskirts of the town, and she followed the design with her eyes as far as her sight allowed her.
And while Emily observed the unfamiliar surroundings with fascination, the townspeople stared at her with curiosity.
"Who is that woman standing with King Raylen?" One of the onlookers whispered to another woman beside her, "I don’t think I have ever seen her around here before."
"Her clothes look strange," the other woman murmured behind her handkerchief. "Do you think he brought her from a different land?"
"It seems like the king’s tastes span the entire spectrum of the rainbow," remarked the first woman while scanning the young lady beside their king. "What on earth is she wearing?"
"It is said that blood encompasses a wide spectrum of flavours," Raylen’s blue eyes shifted to the women, who stiffened at his words. He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he watched the women bow.
"Good morning, King Raylen. Good health to you!" greeted one of them, before they hurriedly scurried away.
Emily had been engrossed in admiring the town’s architecture and hadn’t caught the conversation between the women or the hushed exchanges among the other onlookers. It was only when she heard Raylen threatening the women that she asked, "Why are you scaring them? Did they say something?" She watched the two women glancing back at them as they walked, only to hasten their footsteps, swiftly disappearing into the crowd.
"I enjoy scaring people; it’s akin to shooing away crows," Raylen responded nonchalantly. Extending his hand forward, he inquired, "Shall we?"
The coachman steered the carriage away from the road to park it elsewhere while Emily and Raylen began walking, with their servants, Westley and Julia, trailing behind them. And as they walked, it took Emily seconds to notice that people’s eyes were fixed on them.
"It is a pleasure to see you here, King Raylen! A good morning to you!" a courageous man greeted Raylen, and soon the others chimed in with their own greetings. Yet, the exchanges didn’t end there, as people’s gazes shifted towards Emily, curiosity evident in their eyes as they wondered who she was and what she was doing beside Raylen.