Chapter 123 : Chapter 123
Chapter 123. Flirting Through Quarrels?
The guard standing outside the holding cell had his ear practically pressed against the door.
From inside the dark little room came the sounds of heavy breathing, bodies colliding, and broken, suppressed growls and rebukes—
"Let go of me!"
"That hurts... you bastard!"
"Get out first! Do not force me to get serious!"
"Ugh... let go!"
Those vague, easily misunderstood words made the guard's expression turn extremely strange, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
He could only lament inwardly that the morals of the age were declining and people's hearts were no longer what they once were.
These two were distinguished barons, no less, and they had only just been enemies on the verge of coming to blows.
How had they ended up like... this after being locked in one little dark room together?
Lord William really was getting muddled with age. How could he lock a young man and woman, both in the very bloom of youth, alone together in a place like this?
This was dry tinder meeting open flame. One spark and it all went up at once!
If this ended with someone dead, how was anyone supposed to clean it up?!
Outside, the guard let his mind run wild, scratching at his ears and cheeks in agitation. Yet he did not dare interrupt them and could only grit his teeth and continue standing watch.
...
At last, the violent commotion inside gradually died down, leaving only faint rustling sounds and somewhat hurried breathing.
The guard let out a long breath of relief and wiped away cold sweat that did not actually exist on his forehead.
At last... it is over. Those two really do have impressive stamina.
Inside the dim holding cell, Eli and Camilla had already separated and now occupied opposite corners.
Eli bared his teeth and rubbed his shoulder near the collarbone, where a faint trace of blood was seeping through.
He had not expected this woman to fight like a lunatic. In the end, she had actually used her teeth.
Camilla, meanwhile, sat on the edge of the hard wooden cot with a livid expression.
She silently massaged her reddened thigh and ankle.
Eli's strength had made her suffer quite a bit as well.
"Beast. Pervert." Sensing Eli's gaze, Camilla lifted her head.
Her ice-blue eyes slashed at him viciously as she cursed in a low voice.
Eli immediately shot back, equally annoyed, "Were you born in the Year of the Dog? You actually bite people!"
The two glared at each other, then turned their heads away at the same time and said nothing more.
The room once again fell into an awkward, taut silence.
Each lay down on his or her own hard cot with his or her back to the other.
It seemed both were forcing themselves to fall asleep as quickly as possible.
After some unknown length of time, in the midst of that silence, Eli's ear twitched slightly.
He seemed to hear something extremely faint and desperately suppressed...
Sobbing?
Eli let out a soundless sigh. In the end, she was still a woman. Beneath even the hardest exterior, perhaps there were still moments of grievance and weakness.
He shifted slightly and turned toward Camilla's side before speaking.
"Chris Russell... you know that name, do you not?"
The figure with her back to him visibly stiffened, and the soft sobbing stopped at once.
Several seconds passed before Camilla's cold voice finally came.
"Why should I tell you?"
Eli was just about to say something, but after a brief pause, she unexpectedly continued.
"...He is my father's elder brother. My uncle.
"Many years ago, he... he gave up his place as heir to the ducal title...
"and chose instead to become a wandering bard.
"Where did you hear that name?"
So she is a tsundere type, Eli thought to himself.
At the same time, his admiration for Chris Russell deepened even further.
He had actually relinquished his claim to succeed as Duke of the Eastern Frontier and handed it over to his younger brother.
All for the sake of pursuing freedom and becoming a bard?
What kind of courage, and what kind of disdain for worldly power, did that require?
That was not some minor title. It was the dukedom of an entire frontier, one of the highest peaks of power and status in the Kingdom of Orlando.
No wonder he had dared to risk his life traveling through the federated city-states, and had still been able to write such a detailed work. He truly was a remarkable man.
Eli answered, "I saw the name on the title page of a book. He was one of its authors."
The moment Camilla heard that answer, she immediately followed up,
"Very well. I answered your question.
"Now it is your turn. Why exactly did Sir Lucius summon us? Do you know some inside information?"
Hearing that, Eli fell silent for a moment, as though he found her line of thought rather strange.
"Oh? When did I ever agree to exchange information with you?
"I merely happened to see a Russell and grew curious enough to ask.
"As for your question? Why should I tell you?"
Camilla: "..."
Her chest rose sharply once.
Clearly, Eli's shamelessness had angered her badly.
Since arriving in the Western Frontier to pioneer new territory, she had relied on her status and abilities to overcome nearly everything in her path. When had she ever suffered such grievance and mockery?
Other than those times, long ago, when she had been humiliated within her own family...
She stopped paying Eli any attention, forcibly suppressing the anger in her heart, along with that strange trace of grievance.
She turned over and presented him with her back as firmly as possible.
Then she forced her eyes closed, refusing to give that detestable man even the slightest opening.
Eli had unexpectedly confirmed Chris Russell's identity, which counted as a modest gain.
Satisfied, he closed his eyes and began to rest as well.
...
No one knew how long they had lain on those hard cots when the sound of a key turning in the lock and a creaking door woke them both from their shallow sleep.
Blinding sunlight poured in through the suddenly opened doorway.
Having already grown accustomed to the darkness, both of them instinctively raised a hand to shield their eyes and needed quite some time to adjust.
From the doorway came the respectful yet slightly strange voice of the guard.
"Your Excellencies, the time has come. You... may leave now."
Camilla adjusted to the light first.
She sprang upright from the cot, straightened her somewhat disordered clothes and hair, and glanced at Eli, who was still rubbing his eyes.
A flash of resentment passed through her gray eyes.
Then she abruptly stood, strode over, lifted her foot, and kicked Eli hard in the shin.
"Hmph!"
After landing the kick, she did not even look at the result. It was as though she had done it solely to vent her anger.
Then she strode quickly out of the holding cell, and her figure soon vanished at the end of the corridor.
"You...!" Pain shot through Eli's shin. He had not expected this woman to sneak in one last attack even as she left.
Yet Camilla's disheveled hair and clothes, combined with that seemingly retaliatory kick, looked to the guard at the door—whose imagination was perhaps a little too active—exactly like playful lovers' quarrelling.
The guard looked at Eli with an ambiguous smile on his face. He even secretly winked at him, his eyes brimming with... admiration.
Eli was left baffled by the guard's expression, utterly confused.
He stretched his body, which had grown somewhat stiff from sleeping, then walked out of the unpleasant little dark room as well.
"Baron, this way, please." The guard bowed respectfully.
Eli nodded to him, said nothing, and left the constabulary office.
The moment he returned to the vicinity of the Golden Cup and Antlers Inn, he saw Wolfgang standing at the entrance like an iron tower, faithfully waiting for him.
The instant Wolfgang saw him return, he strode forward at once.
"My lord! Are you all right?" Wolfgang's voice carried obvious concern.
He had clearly already heard about last night's conflict and Eli being taken away.
Eli waved a hand. "I am fine. There was only a small misunderstanding, and it has already been resolved. I was merely invited away for a cup of tea and a little conversation."
Wolfgang let out a breath of relief, then reported,
"My lord, a Western Frontier official came by just now to make an announcement.
"Sir Lucius has already given the order that, at noon three days from now, a full meeting of all Frontier Lords will be held at Thorne Cathedral.
"All lords are required to attend on time."
"Three days from now?" Eli murmured thoughtfully. "Very well. Understood."
...
At the same time, inside the inn where the Eastern Frontier lords were staying,
Camilla Russell had already changed into a fresh, crisp outfit. The coldness on her face remained exactly the same.
Yet on closer inspection, there seemed to be a trace more irritation in her eyes than usual.
A maid dressed in simple, efficient attire was respectfully reporting the same news to her.
"My lady, Sir Lucius, Governor of the Western Frontier, has ordered that a meeting be held at Thorne Cathedral three days from now. All Frontier Lords must attend."
Camilla gave a small nod, her voice betraying no emotion.
"I understand."
She paused, as though remembering something, then added,
"By the way, Amber, go and investigate that Baron of Lucerne, Eli Pendragon.
"I want every scrap of information on him. From the time he was born in the Royal Domain until now, everything that can be found. The more detailed, the better."
The maid named Amber keenly sensed the suppressed anger in her mistress's tone.
But she was clever enough not to ask a single unnecessary question. She merely bowed deeply and accepted the order.
"Yes, my lady. I will see to it at once."