Chapter 44
Chapter 44: The Defeated Parsifal
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“Guest?” Madam Catherine’s expression darkened, “Is it Sir Carlos?”
The maid outside spoke anxiously: “Yes, Sir Carlos seems to have something to discuss with the Duke, but the young master is blocking him from entering. They’re both at the main gate now, madam, please go take a look! I’m afraid they might start fighting…”
“Fighting?” Upon hearing this, the madam became furious, her eyebrows standing straight up. She abruptly stood up, “This is absurd! What matter needs to escalate to fighting?! What is that little troublemaker thinking? Has he forgotten the etiquette of the Wintermoon family?! Simply disgraceful.”
The madam’s anger carried quite the intimidating force. After shouting these words through the door, the maid outside fell silent for a moment, obviously frightened. After a while, she mumbled: “Madam, none of us can stop the young master… and the hunters are all cheering them on…”
“Such a headache…”
I watched as the madam pinched her brow with her thumb and index finger, understanding her frustration.
Carlos was a Pontifical Knight, and his private relationship with the Duke was quite friendly. If this small matter were to damage his relationship with Shanter Castle, Parsifal would face consequences far worse than just a beating.
The madam hadn’t spoken for a while, but at least her attention was no longer on me. I quickly took advantage of this opportunity to grab the robe beside the bed and put it back on.
Then I smelled the earthy scent on it.
Due to sweating quite a bit, the clove fragrance on the robe was very strong, creating an indescribably strange mixture with the smell of soil. I hadn’t noticed anything before taking it off, but now that I was suddenly aware of it, I started feeling uncomfortable all over.
…I should go back to my room for a bath.
“Alright, I understand, you may go about your business.”
When she spoke again, the madam’s voice sounded somewhat tired.
“Yes, madam.”
As the maid’s footsteps gradually faded away, the madam took a deep breath and turned to fix my hair.
“Miss Sylvia, do you know what this is about?”
“I don’t know!” I quickly shook my head.
You must be joking, how could I possibly admit to anything at a time like this? I’m not stupid.
Originally, the madam was already holding back her anger from the morning’s events, the Duke had slipped away seeing the situation wasn’t good, and I was putting on such an obedient appearance that she had nowhere to direct her anger. Now Parsifal just happened to jump out and cause trouble…
I silently mourned for him for three seconds.
But sympathy aside, there was absolutely no way I would share the blame with him. I knew nothing, I was just a hungry little sweetheart.
Thinking of this, I gently rubbed my little belly, then quickly rubbed my cheeks while the madam was putting the gauze bandages back in the cabinet.
“Madam, please go, take a look. I’ll go back, take a bath, change clothes.”
As I said this, I blinked my eyes twice, my voice as sweet as honey.
I naturally took steps toward the door.
“Mm, go ahead.”
The madam responded somewhat absent-mindedly, but after I had taken two steps, she suddenly reached out to stop me again: “Wait.”
The hair on my body stood on end, and I stood straight as a board: “Wh-what?”
The madam gave me a strange look.
“I just wanted you to take the medicine with you, why are you so nervous?” She shook the medicine bottle in her hand, then tossed it to me, “Here, this is sap from the Aiku tree, it’s very effective for bruises, remember to apply it again tonight.”
I caught it clumsily.
I actually don’t need this… but now isn’t the time to discuss such things, I need to leave quickly. As long as I walk out of this room and away from the madam’s sight, whatever happens next has nothing to do with me.
“Thank you.” I forced a smile at her and walked toward the door again.
Suddenly, the madam seemed to think of something, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“Wait again.”
My feet stopped, and after being stunned for two seconds.
I turned my head sideways in one smooth motion.
“Wh-what is it, madam.”
Ah! I accidentally bit my tongue, it hurts.
The madam’s eyes narrowed even more: “Come with me.”
“Uh, I’d rather, not… I want, to take a bath…”
As I spoke, I secretly took two more steps toward the door while standing sideways, glancing with my peripheral vision, there were about 5 steps left to get out.
If I used Order Power, I could jump to the door in an instant, then open it and run before the madam could catch me…
I can make it!
But the madam had already seen through my little scheme.
She quickly walked in front of me, grabbed my hand, then smiled at me.
“I’ve been thinking. You’re most familiar with Sir Carlos, so your words might be more effective than mine. You heard what the maid said, if they really start fighting, with your Duke uncle not here, you might be the only one who can stop Sir Carlos. So please, let’s go together.”
The madam spoke while pulling me along as she opened the door and walked out. I didn’t react in time, and after following her for two steps, my heart suddenly jumped in alarm.
Then my knees bent, and I instinctively stopped, my bottom sinking down hard, trying to prevent the madam from pulling me along.
“Madam, I, I haven’t, changed clothes yet, I’m, dirty!”
“Nonsense, how could you be dirty? This is your achievement, weren’t you fighting happily this morning?”
The madam’s grip was quite strong, as she forcefully dragged me forward, showing no intention of letting go.
I immediately became anxious: “I, they’ll, laugh at me! I’m, a girl, it’s, embarrassing…”
“Don’t worry, they wouldn’t dare laugh at you with me around.” The madam’s smile remained unchanged, and after thinking for a moment, she added, “At most they’ll just laugh in their hearts.”
“But I, anyway, I don’t want to go over there, ah!”
“Miss Sylvia, you’re supposed to be humanity’s great hero, this behavior isn’t very becoming. Or could it be that you’re hiding some ulterior motive?”
“I’m not!”
I immediately protested loudly.
“Then come with me to take a look.”
The madam’s attitude was very firm, clearly not treating me as a Pontifical Knight she had known for less than two days, with no hint of courtesy in her tone.
Of course, I could forcefully break free, but that would not only make the madam certain that I was the instigator, but might also hurt her… yet I really didn’t want to go over there, feeling very conflicted.
And so, maintaining a posture with my eyes tightly closed and my bottom sticking out backwards, I was forcibly dragged by the madam all the way to the castle gate.
Even from far away, we could hear the hunters’ cheering shouts.
“Parsifal!”
“Parsifal!”
The shouts grew louder and louder, and with each shout, the madam’s face darkened a shade.
“Move aside.”
The madam pulled me through the circle of hunters, and immediately saw the scruffy bearded swordsman in the middle, wearing a lazy expression.
Carlos held the hilt of his long sword, his eyes drooping as he looked at the somewhat nervous Parsifal across from him. When we entered the crowd, we just happened to see Parsifal raising his person-height great sword, taking large strides as he charged toward Carlos.
“Ah——!!”
“Stop! You fool!”
But the great sword had already swept toward Carlos with the sound of thunder and wind.
Carlos’s eyes flashed, and his right hand moved as his body slightly tilted.
Clang——
The sheathed long sword easily blocked the great sword’s attack, and Parsifal’s full-force heavy strike couldn’t make Carlos move even half a step.
Then the long sword reversed, parrying the great sword before the scabbard struck Parsifal’s chest.
“Ugh!”
Parsifal let out a groan and fell down limply. At the same time, Carlos’s gaze happened to look over in our direction.
“Ah, Madam Catherine, Little Syl, you’ve come at just the right time. Is the Duke in the castle?”
He asked this quite naturally, as if Parsifal, who was now lying at his feet holding his chest and groaning continuously, didn’t exist at all.
The madam frowned: “Sir Carlos, what is going on here?”
“What do you mean what’s going on?”
Carlos asked back first, then as if suddenly remembering something, showed an expression of enlightenment.
He poked Parsifal with his scabbard and scratched his head in frustration.
“Oh, you mean him? I’m not very clear either. This fellow was quite bizarre, he suddenly rushed over to attack me when I walked here, gave me quite a fright, so I reflexively…”
After speaking, he spread his hands to show his innocence to the madam.
“You’re lying! cough cough” Parsifal struggled to get up from the ground, “Am I the kind of unreasonable person who would do that? Suddenly rush over? Who suddenly rushed over? If you keep slandering me like this, I’ll fight you to the death!”
“Didn’t you already try that?” Carlos shrugged.
“I… I have so many brothers behind me!”
Parsifal looked back proudly, only to find that the hunters had collectively taken a step back.
“Young Master Parsifal, please don’t include us.”
“Yeah, we’re not as brave as you are.”
“Young master, your courage is admirable!”
“Hahaha!”
The unrestrained laughter immediately angered Parsifal.
“You, you bunch of guys! Last night you were all saying you’d help me, what happened, now that the person is here you’re all scared?”
“You said to help you deal with a swordsman, but you didn’t say that person was Sir Carlos.”
“Yeah, fighting him would be unwise.”
“Enough, all of you be quiet!”
With one angry shout from the madam, the scene immediately fell silent.
“Parsifal, what’s going on, what are you doing?! Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?!”
“Mom, I…”
“What did you call me?”
“…Mother dear, I, I was just having a duel with Sir Carlos.”
“A duel?”
The madam looked questioningly at Carlos, who had already tied his long sword back to his waist. After meeting the madam’s gaze, he spread his hands again, looking completely innocent.
So the madam turned her attention back to Parsifal.
“Don’t you have anything better to do? This is completely unreasonable!”
Parsifal immediately widened his eyes.
“Unreasonable? I’m not being unreasonable!” He pointed at Carlos, “Mother, this guy bullied Peipei!”
The madam furrowed her brows.
I saw her glance at me from the corner of her eye, and my heart tensed.
“Bullied Peipei? Who told you that, how could Sir Carlos possibly do such a thing?”
“It’s true, if you don’t believe me, ask her——”
Only then did the madam unhurriedly turn to look at me.
“What’s this about?”