Chapter 38: Princess Sibylla
Chapter 38: Princess Sibylla
After bidding farewell to Baron Godfrey, the sky had already grown dark. The four prepared to return to the manor.
In the sky, countless stars twinkled. The heavens seemed very close to the ground, and the stars felt almost within reach. No wonder people said this was the place closest to God.
Even in the evening, the temperature in the Holy Land remained high. The ground, having absorbed a large amount of heat during the day, was like a scorching griddle, baking the soles of their feet.
A troop of cavalry galloped past from ahead. The squire at the very front of the troop carried a banner with the red Jerusalem cross emblem and held an oval shield, loudly ordering pedestrians to make way. They surrounded a noblewoman riding a white horse, wearing an Arab-style headscarf and a black veil, as they galloped onward.
"It’s Princess Sibylla!" Knowledgeable people on the road recognized the insignia. Princess Sibylla was not just a princess; she was also a duchess with her own fiefs. The port of Jaffa, which they had passed through on arrival, was one of her territories.
’So she is Baldwin IV’s sister! She seemed to have so little presence in the great hall earlier.’ The thought had just crossed Lothar’s mind when her veil suddenly billowed away with the wind. Lothar instinctively reached out and caught it. In that stunningly beautiful fleeting glimpse, he saw Princess Sibylla’s lovely eyebrows, eyes, and features. She, however, did not stop, continuing to gallop away, leaving only a gust of fragrant wind.
"Tsk, such a deliberate move." Fringilla hummed lightly. "Lothar, she seems interested in you. Did you see this princess in the palace today?"
"I did, but I didn’t pay much attention." Lothar handed the veil to Hans, who was beside him. "Keep this safe for the lady. Return it to her when you see her next."
"How did it feel?" Fringilla’s face was wreathed in smiles, but Lothar knew very well that her eyes already betrayed intense displeasure. Given her temperament, she was probably already thinking about how to suck Princess Sibylla dry into a desiccated corpse.
Banu’s eyes remained as calm as still water. She merely glanced at him briefly before continuing to ride forward, looking straight ahead.