Chapter 160: The Varkas Family Reunion
The movement surrounding Elara’s imminent official ascension to the throne was remarkable.
From carriages of nobles from well-known houses such as the Beaumonts, the Montroses, and the Lothes, to delegations from ducal houses and envoys from other kingdoms; everyone was arriving to stay for a few days, distributed across the various wings of the palace assigned to each guest.
The Varkas family was no exception.
Alexandro had traveled from the county and had summoned them all to be present.
When all the family members finally gathered, the awkward glances and the noticeable dissonance between them foreshadowed an interesting encounter.
Between an Elric lost in his cloud of arrogance, Eleanor and Rosalind—who seemed to avoid the head of the house’s gaze with a slight hint of guilt—, a Cassian who ignored everything, and little Bethany, the atmosphere was tense.
For the youngest, who stayed glued to her brother, this was the first time she was attending an event of such magnitude. She was scared of the crowd, but also excited.
She knew that the friends she had met at the academy would be there and that, like her, they didn’t have much experience in these kinds of places.
Additionally, her gaze kept drifting sideways toward her brother with a slight blush. Seeing Cassian dressed in formal attire was always exciting—something her friends would definitely agree with.
Inside the palace, the magnitude of the commotion caused by Elara’s rise to power was even more evident.
"Bethany," Alexandro’s serious voice rang out, "this is an important occasion. Behave properly."
The little girl looked at him, confused and a bit downcast. She hadn’t done anything to deserve a scolding.
Elric, for his part, only looked at his younger sister with disgust. He still remembered with resentment that she had refused to hand over that maid of hers. The worst part was that he had clearly offered to find her a replacement, and yet the girl hadn’t given in.
He then shifted his gaze toward Cassian, thinking with an annoyed grimace that if that bastard had asked her, she would surely have accepted without hesitation.
However, a malicious smile began to form on his face.
He turned to his father and approached him.
Alexandro noticed and looked at him, wondering what was going on.
"Father, Margery already left for Pradiles on the emperor’s orders not long ago. Shouldn’t Cassian be following that same order soon?"
The man frowned. A trace of anguish crossed his face as he remembered that one of his "daughters" had left Demor, but there was something in his eyes that didn’t quite convey real sorrow—at least not like the grief he had shown when he explained the whole matter about their true mother.
It seemed almost fake.
"Mmm... Even though the emperor will no longer be the same, an order from him must be respected," Alexandro decreed. "Cassian, you should already be aware of this. If you need it, I can prepare a carriage for you once the coronation banquet is over."
Bethany clutched Cassian’s trousers with worry upon hearing he would have to leave.
Rosalind frowned, but she knew there was no point in intervening. She thought with confidence that he knew perfectly well how to handle these situations.
Eleanor, on the other hand, seemed to have mixed feelings. The news had clearly caught her by surprise, and an anguish or annoyance she resisted feeling showed in the constant, restless movement of her hands and body.
"There’s no need. I’ve already prepared everything," Cassian replied calmly. "Two days after the coronation banquet, I’ll leave to meet up with Margery."
Alexandro nodded, hesitating for a moment.
"If the Empress of Pradiles is truly a relative of yours... I hope you remember this humble father," he added, letting his interest show on his face.
Cassian merely nodded, giving it no importance.
In terms of pure liquidity, the wealth he possessed probably far exceeded what an empress or anyone in a low-level world could boast.
But of course, that was something Count Varkas didn’t know.
On the other hand, spotting a friend among the guests and noticing that no one was paying attention to her, Bethany ran toward her.
Cassian separated from the group shortly afterward.
Rosalind, who didn’t seem happy about staying there, followed him immediately.
The palace was imposing, and the wing they had been assigned was particularly luxurious for the family of a mere count...
As they walked through the garden of that section, Rosalind finally caught up with Cassian.
"You really did it."
He glanced at her sideways. "Did you doubt me?"
She narrowed her eyes. "I don’t know. I don’t know too many things about you despite how close we are. Maybe I should start asking you even more questions."
"Believe me, of all the women I’ve met, you’re the one who asks the most questions... or at least the most complicated ones," he whispered softly, though she heard him perfectly.
Rosalind smiled gently, pleased.
She looked around and, confirming they were completely alone, took the opportunity to grab Cassian’s shirt, pulling him close with enough force to shorten the distance and kiss him.
He responded instantly, wrapping an arm around her waist to press her breasts against his chest, turning a small prank into a lascivious kiss that began to heat them both up.
After a while, they separated.
"I was sent a promotion letter recently," she said.
"Did you accept?"
She shook her head. She felt he had something to do with it.
He frowned. "I didn’t tell them anything, Rosalind, and it’s not like you don’t deserve it. I know how much your work as minister matters to you and how hard you strive."
She looked down, a bit lost. "It feels insignificant, incomparable... How did you even get Leonardo’s mother on your side?"
A sly smile appeared on Cassian’s face.
In response, Rosalind’s face turned red. She punched his chest in protest and exclaimed:
"The Empress?! Oh my God! I don’t know whether to be surprised, jealous, or curious about how the hell you ended up in her bed... Wait, don’t tell me that’s how you managed to free me!" Her face began to show concern. "I thought you had used force."
"Technically, I haven’t had to fight or do that kind of thing myself in this matter, Rosalind."
"How was it then? Come on, tell me. You owe me. I never know anything beyond that weird name of yours that I can’t pronounce."
"You can, you’re just not allowed to."
She frowned. "More riddles..."
"The people who were assigned to the church were really trained by Adela, Rosalind. With my help, of course. And Leonardo wasn’t exactly a hard stone in the path, so to speak."
"So Lisbeth Vitalis now works for you?"
"Something like that."
"And Caelia Lothe too?"
"Mmm."
"And Elara?"
"You already knew that."
"The Vanes? Sylvia?! The Valois?!"
"You don’t need to name them all. Besides, Elara is going to be empress. Is it really necessary to say it like that?"
Rosalind bit her lip uncomfortably, but it didn’t seem so impressive when she thought about the princess who hadn’t stood out particularly before...
Suddenly, she poked Cassian’s arm in annoyance. "HOW MANY WOMEN HAVE YOU TRICKED, YOU BASTARD?!"