Chapter 93: An Emerald Pit Viper
"GOT IT!"
An ecstatic shout burst from deep within the manicured shrubs, the sudden noise rustling the leaves violently. Instinctively, Vincent stepped in front of Penelope, shielding her with his body, whilst Penelope peeked over his broad shoulder, looking far more curious than alarmed.
The bushes parted with a loud thwack, and out tumbled a young woman.
She was covered in bits of dirt, her rich silk gown caught on stray thorns, and her hair was a glorious disaster of wild curls, twigs, and crushed leaves. Despite the look of her current state, her face was beaming with pure, unadulterated triumph.
She proudly held a thick, squirming green snake by the neck, its tail wrapping around her forearm.
"Gloria?" Vincent stared, freezing in his spot as he tried to process the scene in front of him.
The young woman snapped her head up, and her bright eyes sparked with even more delight the second she spotted him.
"Lord Vincent!" She hollered, bounding toward him with zero regards for his personal space or decorum. "Oh, it is so fantastic to see you!"
"Keep that creature away," Vincent reprimanded her, taking a firm step back and keeping Penelope safely behind him. He pinched the bridge of his nose before letting out a long-suffering sigh, like the sight of Gloria already gave him a headache. "Gloria... Why on earth are you holding a live snake in the middle of the imperial gardens?"
"Why else? It’s because I caught it!" she exclaimed proudly, completely ignoring his reprimand as she held the wriggling green reptile out a little further, as if presenting a prized trophy. "It was sneaking around the Emperor’s medicinal herbs garden, and I just happened to have seen it! Do you have any idea how valuable the venom of an Emerald Pit Viper is? I’ve been tracking this little fellow through the bushes for an hour."
Penelope listened to the lady yap endlessly, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and pure fascination.
"This little demon shouldn’t even be in this part of the palace," Gloria continued. "One nip from those fangs and a person’s blood turns to jelly in minutes! It could have literally bitten someone, or worse, the Emperor himself. But look at it!" she shook the snake slightly, causing the creature to thrash, though her grip remained ironclad. "This particular one is a bad boy! But good news for me! I can extract the venom from its venom sac and refine it into a universal anti-venom! Isn’t that wonderful?"
Penelope blinked, entirely captivated, and slightly terrified, by the sheer speed of Gloria’s tangent. Vincent simply closed his eyes, looking as though he were suddenly regretting every decision that had brought him to the garden that morning.
"Gloria," he said, his tone dangerously low and measured. "Put the viper in a pouch before it bites you, or worse, you let it loose again. Right now."
"Fine, fine, no need to be so dramatic," she hummed. With practiced, effortless speed, she pulled a small leather pouch from her belt, slipped the snake inside, and pulled the drawstring tight.
Once her hands were free, she brushed off the crushed leaves stuck to her skirt and gave her wild, tangled hair a quick pat, completely failing to notice the twig still poking out from behind her ear.
Smoothing her skirts, she dropped into a sweeping, surprisingly crisp curtsy.
"Lady Gloria, at your service," she introduced herself with a bright, fearless grin. "My brother, Laurent, has told me all about you, Lady Penelope. I mean, I already know Lord Vincent, but it is so lovely to finally meet you in person! Seeing as we encountered each other so early, I’m more than certain we’re bound to be good friends!"
After hearing that she was the sister of the Marquis of Valois, everything immediately clicked for Penelope.
It ran in the blood.
Coming from one of the most prominent noble families in the empire, Gloria possessed all the status in the world, yet possessed none of the delicate, soft-spoken grace expected of a highborn lady. She was surprisingly loud, fiercely adventurous, and an absolute whirlwind of chaos.
Penelope couldn’t stop the warm, amused smile breaking across her face. Unlike most of the capital’s socialites, Gloria didn’t irk Penelope in the slightest. If anything, her unvarnished enthusiasm was a breath of fresh air.
"It is certainly memorable meeting you as well, Lady Gloria," Penelope replied smoothly, stepping up beside Vincent.
"I’m glad you think so!" Gloria chimed, taking a quick step closer and leaning in to drop her voice into a conspiratorial whisper. "I only arrived at the imperial palace this morning, and I swear it has been dreadfully boring. Everyone here is so stiff! There is no fun!"
"We arrived only yesterday," Penelope whispered back, a gleam of mischief in her eyes, "and I am inclined to agree with you."
Gloria let out a delighted giggle before her eyes snapped back to Vincent, her energetic focus shifting in an instant.
"Speaking of the palace chatter... I overheard rumors swirling among the court servants on my way to the gardens," she looked between the two of them, bouncing slightly on her heels. "Is it true? That His Lordship is going to be named the Duke of Vandalia tonight?"
Penelope parted her lips to respond, only to close it back. She was more stunned to know that words had gotten out already. She glanced up at Vincent, whose face had returned to its default setting of unreadable stoicism.
"It’s not a rumor," he answered coolly, crossing his arms. "The Emperor will make the official proclamation at tonight’s gathering."
"Ha! I knew those old gossips in the eastern wing weren’t completely useless!" Gloria clapped her hands together, letting out a triumphant laugh that probably startled the peacocks three terraces away. "Oh, my brother is going to be positively green with envy. He spends hours perfecting his hair just to get a nod from the imperial council. I will certainly be there for the official proclamation."
She then leaned in closer to Penelope, winking playfully. "If that arrogant man beside you becomes a Duke, that makes you a Duchess-to-be! How terribly exciting! Honestly, it’s a good thing I caught the little green demon before either of you stumbled over it, or else tonight’s grand ceremony would have turned into a funeral. Could you imagine that?"
Though Gloria said it offhandedly, as if it were nothing more than a stroke of silly luck, her words lingered in the air. Penelope’s smile faltered slightly as a chill settled over her.
"Gloria," Vincent cut in, his flat tone snapping Penelope out of her sudden spiral as he pointed toward her head. "Before you run off to spread court gossip, remove the tree growing out of your ear."
Gloria blinked, reaching up to feel around her tousled hair until her fingers caught the small leafy twig. She pulled it out with a dramatic snap.
"Oh! So that’s where that went!" She grinned unabashedly, tossing the twig over her shoulder. "Anyway, this was lovely! But I really must dash. I will definitely be seeing you two at the banquet tonight! Have a wonderful day, my friends!"
With a cheerful wave, she turned and sprinted off down the gravel path, her silk skirts fluttering wildly behind her as she bounded toward the palace quarters.
Vincent watched her disappear around the hedge and shook his head. "She gets more unhinged than her brother every time I see her."
Penelope stared at the disturbed patch of hydrangeas for a beat longer, a flicker of unease settling in her chest. Still, she didn’t want to spiral into paranoia just yet, nor did she want to sour the moment.
She managed a small, reassuring smile and stepped closer, hooking her arm securely around Vincent’s.
"Let’s leave the garden for now, and have the imperial head gardener cross-check the grounds," she said, casting a quick glance around the thick foliage. "Who knows if there are more of those lurking around here. I certainly can’t have you getting bitten right before your big night. We can always take a walk another time."
Vincent looked down at her, his expression instantly softening as he covered her hand with his own. He couldn’t help but agree.
His wife’s safety mattered far more to him than indulging in a morning stroll anyway.
Gloria might be completely out of her senses, but the wild girl had quite literally just saved them from a nasty bite... or worse.