Chapter 517: Chapter 517

517 Feeling like a frog at the bottom of the well

“Is it that bad, mother Karta? I would like to see how powerful mother Karta is because you never let me see.” Said Tiffi, changing the awkward, anxious, and dangerous mood.

Karta stopped teasing Vincent as he knew quite well Vincent didn’t mind her origins as many nobles do. She knew how Vincent accepted any race or kind in his home without showing dissatisfaction.

“Looking at my stats without my permission is one thing, young Lord Vincent, but acting as if you saw me naked is another thing.” Karta slyly smirked and joked, “I wonder what my husband would say if I tell him a man stared passionately at me.”

[This woman is going to kill me from anxiety...]

-You and me both...-

Aceon wiped his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief. “Please don’t think badly of Lord Vincent because I am at fault too.”

“I was the one who introduced Duchess Karta as the strongest mage in the kingdom.” Aceon wiped his forehead again and continued, “As duchess Karta knows, only the duke and a few marquis noble ranks know about all of the royal guards protecting the royal family and their subjects.”

[That’s why Lilith didn’t know about Karta. Some of the royal guards are like superheroes, with their identities only known by a few people in power.]

[Royal Guard by day and duchess in social events by night. This is getting exciting all of a sudden, hehe. This feel like a novel setting you would love to read.]

.....

-...-

“Valid point, Aceon. I will stop talking about this subject before little Tiffi complains that I am bullying her father by making him profusely sweat.” Karta said in a sarcastic tone.

Karta looked at Vincent and asked, “Did you like what you saw?”

“Duchess Karta, I have learned a lot because of your graceful presence. Today I learned how strong the top of the food chain is. I feel like a frog at the bottom of the well now. I have more to improve to protect my family from harm.”

Karta nodded at Vincent’s response as if she liked being praised while perceiving how Vincent learned his place after meeting a force he can not overcome. At the same time, Vincent strived to improve instead of becoming submissive.

Vincent showed how he wasn’t looking to cause trouble by acting out of his noble limitations. This made Karta understand how Vincent was able to make a couple of people interested in him.

“Duch... duchess Karta. I never thought one of the royal guards protecting everyone could be so inspiring. Duchess Karta is both beautiful and powerful. I would like to become like you one day.” Lilith said with a gaze of admiration.

“Like me? This is a new one.” Karta uttered out from the unexpected praise.

“Yes.”

Karta faintly blushed at Lilith’s response. “I am aging, yet you want to look like me? Is this old woman that attractive to you?”

“You will always look pretty in my eyes, mother Karta.”

*Sigh* “Why do I feel the two of you have planned to tease me?” Karta said while gently pinching Tiffi’s cheek.

Karta looked at Vincent and joked, “Why don’t you tell your wife she is pretty? Because she now wants to look like an old woman.”

Vincent looked at Lilith.

“I don’t need to say it every day or every hour because you know my love will never change even if the appearance changes.” Vincent smiled warmly and continued, “Once, my woman. Always my woman.”

“Flirting at any occasion I see. No wonder young Lord Vincent captured the heart of many. You bring my perverted colleague to shame, haha.” Karta joked.

[Karta mentioned a perverted person again. If there aren’t too many royal guards, then I might know who he is.]

-Who is it, detective Kazumi?- Vincent asked curiously.

[I heard Ester say how Feng Mengli mentioned a man he nicknamed Hawkeye because he moved his eyes like a hawk at any moving female to catch a glimpse.]

[If the nickname was created because his surname is Hawkins, then it might be Biro’s father. However, I wonder how old is Biro’s father.]

“Can I meet with Duke Biro’s father? Is he the pervert you mentioned, correct? He must be the Hawkeye, my savior Feng Mengli calls.” Vincent requested after believing Kazumi’s assumption might be on the mark.

Karta raised her brows as if she wasn’t expecting to hear such words.

“I didn’t think you could figure out who he is after hinting his identity twice. Now I can understand why the duke is keeping an eye on you and protecting you from the shadows.” *Tsk* “Unlike today.”

Vincent frowned. “Unlike today?” He questioned.

“Does it mean there were more assassination attempts? “Lilith asked with a worried expression. “This is the second attempt we suffered thus far.”

Karta nodded. “Today was going to be an emergency meeting about a powerful demonic beast sighting. I decided to skip the meeting since the king wasn’t going to attend. I was going to later hear from my colleagues but...”

*Sigh* “Some of the non-secret royal guards attended the meeting while many royal soldiers had to be stationed near the council meeting. Because of this fact, the assassins saw this as an unmissable opportunity to try again.”

“Royal guard Duke Hawkins stopped one or two assassination attempts before in the past. However, because of today’s event, we will add this area as an important patrol location twenty-four seven.”

Karta looked at both Vincent and Lilith with a serious yet reassuring gaze while continuing, “Additionally, soldiers from our side of the faction will assist anyone with the emerald lion’s head insignia on their clothes and even provide an escort. If requested.”

“Thank you.” Both Vincent and Lilith respectfully said.

Both felt safer with the assistance of soldiers and felt as if the king’s faction was looking over them, yet it also felt as if they were being used as an excuse to start disputes between both factions.

“With that out of the way, I will tell my husband to arrange a meeting in our home with the man you know as Hawkeye.” Karta chuckled while continuing, “My husband manages our territories, and he can be silly sometimes, but he will host a meeting while I protect the king and the kingdom.”

“Thank you.” Vincent and Lilith repeated.

“Ahem. Let’s talk about what happened now before I am showered with thank you.”

Vincent nodded and started repeating a version of the story not too different from Russo’s report of what happened. Aceon followed Vincent’s example, and with a shower of sweat, he lied and continued with Vincent’s altered story.

However, there were two problems with the story. Karta had already received the report of how the assassin died, and secondly, Karta knew how the more difficult the lie, the more Aceon sweats.

“It matches with Captain Russo’s report, yet why were most of the assassins killed by the Lionheart family. More specifically.” Karta looked at Vincent with a frown and continued, “By Vincent Lionheart, Ester Lionheart, who to be honest is quite the violent girl, and Lupa Lionheart with deaths similar to a vicious animal.”

Lilith shook her hands and exclaimed, “Not all of us are dangerous!”

“Ho Ho. Does it the smooth man in front of me who is building a personal force of wives have a lot of dangerous women?”

“Please stop interrogating my savior and my future teacher. She was graceful and not violent...” Tiffi faintly blushed and continued lowering her eyes, “When my eyes were open, that is.”

“Saviour, I understand, but a teacher?”

“My wife, Ester Lionheart, is a Sigil Mage and a dancer. She will teach Lady Tiffi to control her power...”

“I would like to see little Tiffi dance, hehe.” Karta interrupted with a joke.

“Sure.” Vincent unhesitantly agreed. He felt this was a blessing in disguise as Ester might feel proud to learn how difficult it is for people to do was Ester’s body can easily do.

Karta stood up. “It looks like I got what I needed. The report is as Captain Russo said. That way, only weak assassins should appear from time to time. It would be like swatting flies and taking care of contracted murderers simultaneously.”

“...” Vincent felt he was being used as bait now while Kazumi giggled at the dumbfounded Vincent.

“As for the teacher part, bring all of your wives so that my husband can tell me what he thinks about your harem army...”

“Ahem.” Tiffi interrupted.

“Sorry, little Tiffi, if I am talking about so much adult stuff.”

*Cough* “I will be quite busy in the next weeks because the demonic beast has the wondering instinct.” *Sigh* “Those demonic beasts are the worst. They do not know how to remain in one place and remain to be killed.”

Karta hugged Tiffi and kissed her cheeks like a loving mother. She stepped away from the wood gazebo and winked at everyone.

A long staff appeared in her hand, and the wind picked up without chanting a spell. “Wind Wall.” Was all she said before; a gust of wind that increased in potency four times in total allowed Karta to speed through the air.

[No wonder Karta has a Perfect Mana Tempered Body. She only needs to say the spell’s name once and let Quadra Cast cast the same spell four times with a fraction of a delay.]

Vincent was too amazed to speak. He had seen Darwin fly at the same speed as jogging, but not almost at the speed of an arrow.

Vincent felt he had just met a superhero. One who was both humble, cunning, and a jokester simultaneously.

“Lord Vincent, Please do not take what Duchess Karta said to heart. ” Aceon expressed.

“Is there a reason why Lord Aceon?” Asked Lilith.

“Duchess Karta has a lot of enemies. She is very perceptive, and the greeting is a test to read the intentions of the people she meets, yet that is how she ended up marrying my friend.” Aceon explained.