Rose Empire

Chapter 19: Blood Feast

The living room on the first floor of the castle had been set with tables, and oil lamps and candles were lit. A banquet would soon be held there.

Jack Moore, following orders, guided the guests into the living room and seated them before going to report to Charlotte.

On his way, a figure darted out from the direction of the temporary kitchen, leaving only a blur in Jack Moore's vision before disappearing.

Jack Moore found the figure somewhat familiar, likely a family member of one of the guests. If it had been the younger Jack Moore, he would have chased after and caught the person to question them. But now, as an older man, he could only watch the direction where the figure had vanished and mutter:

"Huh, that young one..."

Jack Moore passed through the bustling stoves and arrived at the food preparation area, where he immediately spotted Renee helping Charlotte wipe her mouth.

The young lady was sneaking food in the kitchen!

Old Jack had uncovered the "truth."

However, having been a knight for most of his life, he was well-versed in the wisdom of "turning a blind eye and a deaf ear" in the workplace.

Thus, Old Jack completely ignored the several dishes on the table that had clearly been sampled and said, "Miss, all the guests have been seated. The banquet can begin.

Also, Miss, I just saw a stranger come out of the kitchen. Should we investigate to ensure no one has tampered with anything?"

"No need. These dishes are meant for the guests first. Even if they were poisoned, it wouldn't be us who die first."

Charlotte knew that the person Old Jack had seen was likely the tomboy who had come to sneak food. She wiped her hands, not intending to pursue the matter, and asked, "How many guests have arrived?"

"Fifty-four representatives from the southern knight territories have arrived, with five being stewards or nephews standing in for their knight lords. Fifty-nine representatives from the northern knights have arrived, with twelve being stewards or nephews standing in for their lords," Old Jack reported.

Charlotte nodded. The Ripple Bay Viscountcy had twenty-five knight territories. According to imperial law, each knight territory should have at least five knights, meaning there should be a total of one hundred and twenty-five knights. However, only one hundred and thirteen representatives from both the south and north had arrived.

The shortfall didn't surprise Charlotte. Basilisk had neglected his territory for decades. How could Ripple Bay Viscountcy function normally under such circumstances? A shortfall was to be expected.

On the contrary, the fact that the entire viscountcy was only short by twelve knights was suspiciously low. Something felt off to Charlotte.

"Summon Knight Rayne and Knight Jarod," Charlotte ordered.

"Yes," replied Jack Moore, who quickly brought the two three-winged knights to her.

"Later, each of you will take five trustworthy knights and attend the banquet as my attendants," Charlotte instructed.

"Yes," Rayne Nazares responded without hesitation.

Charlotte was slightly surprised by Rayne's obedience. Was this three-winged knight always so compliant? To be stationed in such a remote and harsh place and still perform his duties so diligently?

What Charlotte didn't know was that Rayne Nazares' grandmother was a member of the Mellefield family, albeit a distant branch. Rayne took great pride in this and felt a strong sense of loyalty to the Mellefield family.

Thus, Rayne had no qualms about serving Charlotte, who was highly regarded within the Mellefield family. Charlotte's years of cultivating a good reputation were finally paying off.

"Yes," Jarod Garcia responded second.

He was truly at a loss. Earlier that afternoon, he had discovered that Harvey Sherwin, a trusted agent sent by Lady Rosie, had disappeared!

Jarod had been frantic, fearing that Harvey had been murdered. He had imagined countless dramatic scenarios of noble infighting and bloodshed.

However, upon inquiring, he learned from a stablehand that Harvey Sherwin had found Ripple Bay Viscountcy too poor and boring, with nowhere to entertain himself. So, he had gone with a dissolute knight named Robin Mancini to Ambrado to visit brothels and find women.

Ambrado was a city-state on the Sokya Peninsula. From Ripple Bay Viscountcy, one could reach Ambrado by crossing the isthmus connecting the Sokya Peninsula to the mainland.

That damned fat man! Why had Lady Rosie sent such a fool to handle this matter?

And Miss Charlotte, too.

Your knight has run off!

To visit brothels!

Haven't you noticed?

However, Jarod's thoughts went unheard, and he dared not voice them aloud.

With his actual superior, Harvey Sherwin, gone, Jarod now had no choice but to follow the orders of his nominal superior, Charlotte Mellefield.

After sneaking food in the kitchen, Celine quietly slipped back to her father's side.

"Father, there's so much food prepared for tonight's banquet, all meat!" Celine happily shared the news she had gathered.

"Did you sneak into the kitchen again?" Ed Adkins directly pointed out the truth.

"How can you call it sneaking?" Facing her father's sharp gaze, Celine shrunk her neck and defended herself, "I just wanted to taste it for everyone first."

"Don't you still want the Viscount to knight you? If the Viscount sees you sneaking food, you'll never become a knight."

Ed warned again.

But Celine remained unbothered: "What are the odds? I've sneaked food at home so many times, and you've never caught me."

Ed Adkins' temple veins were throbbing. His daughter, who was more mischievous than any boy, sometimes truly made him grit his teeth in frustration. At times like this, he felt like giving Celine a few knocks on the head to teach her a lesson.

But now, in front of so many people, with southern knights sitting across from them, Ed didn't want to give the southerners a show. So, he clenched and unclenched his fingers three or four times.

The northern knights all knew Celine and watched the father-daughter interaction with amused smiles.

Suddenly, the sound of clanking armor echoed from outside the hall, drawing everyone's attention.

Two groups of knights escorted a girl in a cherry-red dress into the hall. A delicate short sword hung at her waist, symbolizing her status as a Viscountess.

Costa's eyes lit up. Although Uncle Christopher had mentioned that the Viscountess was beautiful, Costa hadn't expected her to be this stunning.

"She's beautiful, isn't she, Costa? I'll be competing with you for the Viscountess's favor. This time, I'm serious."

Adams leaned over and whispered into Costa's ear. He, too, was struck by Charlotte's beauty. In a poor place like Ripple Bay, such a level of beauty was rare.

"Don't even think about it, Brother Adams. The Viscountess is mine."

Costa refused to back down.

Meanwhile, Celine suddenly twisted her body, trying to hide behind her father.

"What are you doing now? Sit properly!" Ed held Celine down, thinking his daughter was just being restless and trying to act up again.

But Celine was on the verge of tears. She never expected that her casual snack would lead to her running into the Viscountess herself, and even handing her a meatball!

It's over!

Celine felt that meatball might have ruined everything.

Charlotte walked to the high-backed chair at the head of the living room, facing the main door, and stood still.

All the knights in the room rose from their seats.

Charlotte scanned the crowd. When her gaze met Celine's, the girl quickly lowered her head. Charlotte noticed the girl trying to hide and smiled faintly, not bothering to expose her.

The knights in the room were clearly divided into two groups, one on the left and one on the right. Without needing an introduction, Charlotte could tell that the right side was likely the southern knights, while the left was the northern knights.

The southern knights were mostly dressed in elegant attire, some even in expensive silk, while the northern knights wore leather or chainmail, their armor showing signs of repair and clearly not new. Such attire was hardly appropriate for a noble banquet.

"Welcome, everyone, to the banquet I have prepared for you."

Charlotte began her opening remarks.

The guests uniformly knelt on one knee: "It is our honor, Viscountess."

Charlotte bowed slightly in return and gestured for them to rise. With a smile, she continued, "I presume you all know by now that I am Charlotte Mellefield, daughter of the Duke of Greenfield, recently appointed by His Majesty the Emperor as the Viscountess of Ripple Bay.

From now on, I am the ruler of this land, and I hope you will pledge your loyalty to me."

"I would be delighted to pledge my loyalty to you!"

As soon as Charlotte finished speaking, a voice responded.

Charlotte turned to see a young man in a silk suit bowing to her, hand over his heart, and adding, "Beautiful Viscountess."

"And you are?" Charlotte asked, looking at the young man.

"My name is Adams Bell, a knight who has fallen at your feet."

The young man replied.

"Very well, you certainly know how to charm a lady."

Charlotte covered her mouth and chuckled lightly.

The southerners joined in the laughter.

Only Costa gritted his teeth in frustration. Damn it! Adams had made the first move!

The northerners were also worried. The Viscountess seemed to enjoy the flattery of pretty boys. If she were truly swayed by the southerners, it would be troublesome.

"It's getting late. Please take your seats, knights. The banquet shall begin."

Charlotte announced.

The guests returned to their seats as they had been before Charlotte's arrival.

Charlotte also sat in the high-backed chair and picked up the crystal goblet in front of her. Her eyes swept over the guests as Renee poured some red wine into her glass.

"That gentleman," Charlotte suddenly pointed her glass at a pale, frail-looking man in ornate clothing, "are you a knight?"

The man was momentarily stunned before realizing Charlotte was referring to him. Though surprised, he calmly stood and bowed to Charlotte. "I am not a knight, but the steward of Knight Ron Richards. Knight Ron Richards is too old to travel, so he entrusted me to attend the lord's banquet on his behalf."

Stewards held a special position in noble households. Though technically servants, they were often regarded as part of the family.

It was common for stewards to attend banquets on behalf of their masters when the latter were unavailable.

"Didn't I say that only knights should be seated? Sir, since you are not a knight, why did you sit down?"

Charlotte's smile remained, but her words instantly tensed the atmosphere in the hall.

"I... I apologize, Viscountess. I must have misheard."

The man bowed his head in apology.

Charlotte's smile faded. She gestured to Jarod behind her and said, "Kill him."

The sudden shift caught even Jarod off guard. He hesitated for a few seconds before drawing his sword and approaching the man.

The man stared at Charlotte in shock. He hadn't expected such a minor, almost trivial mistake to warrant death.

"Viscountess, Viscountess..." At the critical moment, Adams stood up again, blocking Jarod and smiling at Charlotte. "Viscountess, this old steward may be ignorant, but he has served the Richards family for many years and is deeply trusted by Knight Ron Richards. At his age, he's still traveling for his master. Please, for the sake of loyalty, spare him this once."

"Ah, the virtue of loyalty," Charlotte smiled again. "Is there anyone else here who is not a knight but has taken a seat? Could those individuals please stand up and let me see your loyalty?"

One by one, the stewards and nephews who had come in place of their knight lords slowly rose to their feet. Including the man already standing, there were exactly seventeen.

Someone next to Celine stood up. She was about to rise as well, but Ed Adkins held her head down.

"Those standing," Charlotte looked at her glass, "I would like to ask, where are the knight lords you serve?"

For a moment, the only sound in the hall was that of breathing.

Charlotte turned to Adams. "Knight Adams, where is Knight Ron Richards now?"

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Adams had no answer.

"Knight Adams, why don't you go and fetch Knight Ron Richards now? And you, you, and you!" Charlotte pointed at each of the standing individuals, her voice rising in anger. "Go and bring your gravely ill knight lords here! I want to see them today, dead or alive!"

The standing individuals avoided Charlotte's gaze, including Adams.

Where was Knight Ron Richards?

He was right in front of Charlotte.

The man claiming to be Knight Ron Richards' steward was, in fact, Ron Richards himself—a completely ordinary man with no supernatural abilities, appearing somewhat frail.

Ron Richards' father had been a genuine knight, a swordmaster.

After his father's death, Ron Richards inherited the knight title.

According to imperial law, ordinary people could not become knights.

But the Richards family had failed to produce anyone who could awaken their spiritual powers and become a supernatural being. To preserve the family's noble title, Ron Richards had to pose as a supernatural being and inherit the title, becoming an illegal knight.

The previous Viscount of Ripple Bay, Basilisk, had paid no attention to such matters, especially in his later years when he rarely returned to the viscountcy. Thus, there was no fear of the lie being exposed.

Today, Charlotte's sudden summons of all knights to the banquet had caught them off guard.

Ron Richards had no time to hire a supernatural being to impersonate him at the banquet, leading to the current situation.

The other eleven individuals were in similar positions. Some might indeed be stewards or nephews of their lords, but their knight lords were also "illegal knights" who had no right to inherit the title. Bringing them here would only reveal ordinary people.

"Is this your loyalty? To deceive me at our first meeting?" Charlotte's gaze fell on Jarod. "Jarod, what are you doing? What were my orders?"

Facing Charlotte's sharp gaze, Jarod found himself unable to meet her eyes. He quickly composed himself and barked at Adams, "Step aside!"

Adams tried to block him, but Jarod punched him in the stomach. Even as a supernatural being, Adams was doubled over in pain.

Jarod unleashed his supernatural power, and three wings materialized behind him.

A three-winged swordmaster!

Adams was stunned. There wasn't a single three-winged swordmaster in all of Ripple Bay Viscountcy.

"No, don't kill me..."

Swish!

Ron Richards, posing as his own steward, tried to flee but was beheaded by Jarod's sword.

"Kill the other eleven as well."

Charlotte swirled the wine in her glass, her tone calm and indifferent.

At her words, the room erupted into chaos.

Some wanted to plead for mercy, others tried to intervene, and a few looked around, hoping to escape in the confusion.

Clang!

Rayne Nazares also drew his sword, releasing his full aura.

Another three-winged swordmaster!

Those who wanted to plead or intervene involuntarily lowered their heads.

Those who tried to flee were caught and beheaded by the ten knights Charlotte had brought.

Pleas, screams, and the sounds of slaughter echoed continuously, reverberating off the stone walls of the hall.

Both southern and northern knights felt as if they were sitting on pins and needles, as though they were in hell. But under the pressure of the two three-winged swordmasters, they dared not move.

The smell of blood grew stronger.

The cries grew fainter.

When the sound of the last head rolling to the ground echoed, the slaughter finally ended.

Servants brought out plates of exquisite meats, their footsteps splashing in the warm pools of blood.

"That's enough. The deceitful pretenders have been dealt with.

Knights, let us begin our banquet."

Charlotte raised her glass, the wine inside as red as blood.

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