Chapter 648: The Young Girl Named Shiel
In the castle, the former attendants and maids could still be seen, but they all wore worried expressions, clearly not unaware of what was happening outside.
In the Count’s court, most of the pampered court officials had already fled, and not a single minister from the cabinet remained.
Following the Silver Moon Elf into the castle hall, Irene apologized to them and, leading the young girl with torn attire and a dejected expression, went into a room ahead, asking Ig and the young girls to wait for a moment.
The castle hall was paved with gold-plated floor tiles, and crystal chandeliers cast their brilliance.
Although maids soon served them hot black tea and pastries, the feeling brought was still like the biting wind that had already arrived outside the castle, oppressive.
The young girl had no intention of eating pastries at this moment. Even the naturally airheaded Ophi understood that something was amiss. After taking a small bite of a cookie, she sat to the side.
Verafia gently sat her delicate body on the sofa, her jade hand supporting her snow-white cheek, her slender eyebrows furrowed, unable to help but ponder.
She thought of the calamity created by the Frost Calamity cultists, the judgment troops and church knights who entered Vinash City under that pretext, and the unfamiliar knights surrounding Count Sirius’s castle.
If her imagination was correct, and this was a conspiracy involving the Frost Calamity cultists and even the deity after the Frost Calamity, then what roles were Sir Trist Horn, the church bishop, and Cardinal Bro, who came from afar holding Mistetinn’s Staff, playing respectively?
Her slender fingertips brushed a strand of delicate golden hair, and Verafia couldn’t help but tilt her head. Her slender eyelashes gently veiled her brilliant, dawn-golden eyes. For a moment, she didn’t even notice the room door opening again and the Silver Moon Elf leading the young girl out by the hand.
The pink-haired girl hid behind Irene, her face still lowered.
“Miss Verafia, I apologize for keeping you waiting…”
Before the Silver Moon Elf’s voice had finished, hurried footsteps sounded. Verafia looked up, the hall door was forcefully pushed open, revealing a middle-aged knight clad in sturdy armor, a look of anxiety on his face.
“Lord Barthel, is there something wrong?” the Silver Moon Elf asked with a frown, her voice as cold as usual.
Verafia was also familiar with this knight named “Barthel.” He was the captain of the castle guard under Count Sirius, a loyal knight, and a seasoned swordsman with crystal-level strength.
“I’m sorry, Miss Irene. I heard from a maid that you were here—do you know where the Count is? I have an important matter to report to Lord Sirius!”
The knight’s words caused the pink-haired girl’s lowered face to tremble. Irene spoke for her, “The Count is currently unwell and cannot see anyone. If it’s something urgent, you can tell me… I will convey it to him.”
Count Sirius had a close relationship with the head maid Irene, and there were other friends of Count Sirius in the hall. The knight hesitated only slightly and did not question further.
“Miss Irene, did you notice anything when you returned to the castle… there are a hundred knights surrounding the Count’s castle. My subordinates clashed with them, but I also learned their identities. These knights are from the guards of Count Hyde and Count Albert from the neighboring city-states.”
“Hyde and Albert? How did they get here?”
The one who spoke was not Irene or Verafia. Behind the Silver Moon Elf, the pink-haired girl raised her face in alarm, her delicate cheeks filled with disbelief.
The knight looked slightly surprised by the suddenly vocal beautiful girl but did not ask further. He said:
“It is said that Count Hyde and Count Albert’s knights had already arrived around Vinash, and today they were brought into the city by Lord Trist. Furthermore, during the conflict, some high-ranking church priests appeared to mediate for them.”
Verafia’s slender fingertips hooked slightly, and she turned her face.
Trist was not only the Knight Commander of the Judgment Army but also Count Sirius’s military minister. Moreover, when acting as regent for the Count, he held the military and political power of the entire Vinash City. It was not unexpected that he would bring the armies of the two Counts into Vinash City.
However, behind these knights were high-ranking church priests endorsing them.
“Then, what reason did they give for surrounding me… this castle?” the pink-haired girl asked urgently.
“This… their reason is that Frost Calamity cultists have infiltrated the city, and to ensure the Count’s safety, they are guarding around the castle at Lord Trist’s request,” the knight hesitated for a moment, then raised his head and spoke truthfully.
The pink-haired girl fell silent. Her fair fingers clutched tightly, revealing slender knuckles.
While it was said to be protection, who wouldn’t know that it was another way of saying “surveillance” and “imprisonment”?
Irene finally raised her face and looked at the knight, saying, “I understand. Lord Barthel, I will personally relay your words to the Count.”
The knight placed his gauntlets on his chest, bowed, and then turned to leave.
Not only Irene and the pink-haired girl but the entire hall fell into a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. From the knight’s words, even Ophi could smell the scent of conspiracy.
“I apologize, Miss Verafia, Ig, and Miss Ophi.”
It was only after a long while that Irene’s voice broke the silence.
On the Elf girl’s cold and elegant face, a slight smile appeared. While graceful, it showed apology. She gently bowed:
“Originally, the Count wanted to help you, but I didn’t expect you, Miss Verafia, to be drawn into such trouble. However, you can rest assured, I can help you leave Vinash…”
“Miss Irene, you don’t need to say that.”
Ig’s voice interrupted the Silver Moon Elf’s words. He stood up from the sofa, walked closer to the two young girls, and said earnestly:
“Besides, Lord Sirius has given me and the Young Lady a lot of help, and treated us as friends. If we were to run away just because we encountered some difficulty after being treated so sincerely, I would feel uneasy.”
Although Ig had worried before that they might encounter difficulties and wanted to take Verafia and run, if he still thought that way in this situation, Ig would despise himself for life.
Moreover, when he had just gotten up, he had also noticed Verafia nodding at him… Clearly, his Young Lady would never agree to abandon Sirius and Irene and flee.
Behind Ig, Ophi quickly nodded her little head in support of his words.
The two young girls in front of them looked at him. Ig raised his head, his gaze falling on the beautiful girl whose pink hair was slightly tinged with soft blue.
She had already changed out of her torn dress and put on an exquisite silk long dress. Furthermore, her beautiful little face was even adorned with some makeup, seemingly to hide her emotions.
However, the girl’s face still appeared slightly pale and haggard, her light golden eyes were red, as if she had been crying for a while.
“However, Miss Irene, I wonder… where is the Count?”
“Ig, Miss Verafia, you should already know…”
After a moment of hesitation, the pink-haired girl behind the Silver Moon Elf spoke slowly, but with a firmness as if she had rehearsed it many times. She gathered her courage and forcefully raised her face:
“I’m sorry for hiding it from you all this time… I am Sirius.”
Beside them, Verafia crossed her arms, her youthful cherry lips curling slightly. The identity of this pink-haired noble lady had actually been revealed to them many times.
Speaking of which, when she first met Sirius, she was very curious how a boy could be so gentle, pure, and clear.
“Then, Lord Sirius…”
“No.”
As if having made a decision, the girl gently but firmly raised her face and said, “Mr. Ig, from now on, call me Shiel.”
Ig was slightly stunned, and then his azure blue eyes fell on the girl again.
The girl, or Shiel, appeared slender and tall when disguised as a male, but now, wearing a girl’s dress, it further accentuated her delicate and exquisite curves, her beautiful lines making people unable to help but be moved.
Shiel raised her face, her snow-white cheeks appearing even smaller and more delicate. Her golden eyes, like autumn water, shimmered with rippling light, giving Ig the feeling of a feigned fragility.
“They are the same person, but with a different identity, there’s such a contrast? The difference between a girl and a man…”
Ig thought to himself, and subconsciously turned his eyes to the girl behind him.
Yes, especially his Young Lady. In the past, when she was the “Hero” Lothel, even though half of the information passed down was slander, her image in both poems and records was that of a brave and decisive hero swordsman.
But now, as his Young Lady, Ig felt her image had become that of a cute girl who liked to pretend to be tsundere and willful, always acting spoiled towards him.
Verafia raised her eyes and noticed Ig looking at her. A hint of shyness appeared on her snow-white little face.
Of course, she wouldn’t tolerate this hateful guy. She immediately jumped off the sofa, landed on the ground, and ran to their side. Her jade hand pulled Shiel’s slender hand, which was wrapped in silk gloves, and pulled her into her embrace.
Shiel’s golden eyes showed a hint of panic. Although she was taller than Verafia, she leaned towards her as if seeking comfort.
Verafia slightly puffed out her youthful chest, her delicate body appearing soft and moving in the falling light. She forcefully lifted her face, her big golden eyes glaring at Ig with mild annoyance:
“What are you looking at in this chaos! Shiel, just like me, is a genuine girl!”
