In the dining hall, food was served quickly.
Steaming hot fried blood sausage, baked potatoes, wine, fine white bread, and a roasted heron.
The heron had been a farmer's catch that morning; now, it served as a restorative meal for Leech, who was "recovering from a serious illness."
'The cooking is nothing special.' After making this mental assessment of the kitchen's fare, Leech didn't pause. He ate everything, elegantly yet quickly... though perhaps eating with his hands wasn't so elegant. But this world had yet to develop the concept of "cutlery."
A busy night of moving corpses and chanting Spells had drained his stamina. Only now, with a full stomach, did he feel some of his strength return.
"Where are the lady and Leo?" he asked.
"They..." The butler hesitated. But when he met Leech's calm gaze, he flinched. "The lady and Lord Leo have gone to welcome guests from Roaring Castle, my lord."
"Roaring Castle?"
That was the castle of Duke Leopold, the Lord of the East Gorge.
Guests from Roaring Castle could only be members of House Leopold, to whom Leech was a vassal.
Duke Leopold swore fealty to the King, while Barons swore fealty to House Leopold.
'Those guests were here just four days ago. At the time, they followed the kingdom's laws and invested me as Baron Porcupine. For my stepmother to convince them to return to this godforsaken backwater, there could only be one reason... the succession. The death of the new Baron is tragic, yes, but the territory can't be left without a master.'
'And if they're arriving today, it means she must have contacted them yesterday.'
A faint smile touched his lips. He'd been racking his brain about how to deal with his vicious stepmother. Killing her would be satisfying, but it would be disastrous for his reputation. He had no desire to earn the title of "Mother-Slayer." In the original Leech's memory, a noble house could be wiped out in duels, but they couldn't allow their name to be dragged through the mud. Reputation was more important than life itself.
'As for her knight of a father, I don't even consider him a threat. Even if I offered him my own neck, he wouldn't dare to swing.'
'But look at this. Things just got a whole lot easier.'
The manservant, Hammer, acting as a temporary messenger, announced, "My lord, they have returned."
Leech stood up, and a manservant immediately pulled out his chair for him.
"Let's go. As the lord of Porcupine Territory, how could I not go out to receive such distinguished guests?"
In that moment, the butler and the manservant could almost smell the coming storm of blood and violence. Yet Leech himself was unnaturally calm. Was this the quiet before the tempest? Or would he, true to his old, submissive self, choose to smooth things over? From what they knew of the Baron, they expected the latter.
Leech walked out of the castle's main gate. On the muddy mountain path, a magnificent carriage pulled by two horses with coats as dazzling as gold was slowly approaching, followed by Soldiers in splendid armor.
Those were Golden Horses, a special breed cultivated by House Leopold, who claimed they were a noble species of magical beast with a pure bloodline. These horses had pure golden coats without a single speck of another color. As they trotted under the sun, it was as if gold itself was charging toward Leech.
Rumor had it that the Golden Horses ate grass and defecated gold. Some overly curious people had once snuck into the Leopold estate to steal their dung, only to be knocked unconscious by the stench. They weren't discovered until a Groom came to feed the animals the next day.
However, as far as Leech knew, Golden Horses could not reproduce, and their appearance was very much like... a mule's.
'It's not surprising for a donkey and a horse to produce a mule. But I am genuinely curious how House Leopold manages to breed Golden Mules. Perhaps it can all be chalked up to "Magic." Magic isn't widespread in this world, but it definitely exists.'
The curious tales and anecdotes Baron Leech knew were all from his teacher, Jamie Duke. The well-traveled Warg Slayer was a man of wide experience; otherwise, his Swordsmanship alone wouldn't have been enough for him to become Leech's tutor.
'He was a very witty teacher,' Leech mused.
'A pity he made the wrong choice.'
The carriage had already stopped. Its door opened, and a lovely young lady stepped out. Upon seeing Leech, she gasped in surprise.
"Miss, look! It's the Baron!"
The young lady being helped from the carriage had long, slightly curled hair the color of a "red sun" and an elfin nose so perfectly formed it immediately drew one's attention. She said, "Don't be so easily startled, Xiaona. If my father saw that, he would surely scold you."
She gathered her skirts and stepped down from the carriage. Upon seeing Leech, she covered her mouth in astonishment. "Baron Clarence! It is wonderful to see you unharmed. Mrs. Ellesmere said you were gravely injured and might..." She trailed off, hesitating, then gave a charming smile. A pair of dimples at the corners of her mouth made it all the sweeter. "The Four Gods be blessed, you are safe."
This was Evangelina Leopold, the "Red Rose." Four days ago, she had accompanied her brother here for Leech's investiture as Baron.
There were plenty of rumors about her. She could turn on the charm for anyone, but anyone who thought they could simply pluck this gorgeous red rose had to beware its thorns, lest they get pricked.
"It is a great pleasure to see you again, Miss Leopold," Leech said.
"You can call me Evangelina. I thought our meeting a few days ago had made us friends," the red-haired young lady said, a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice, though she never stopped smiling. "I often hear my father speak of your father, the former Baron Porcupine. He was a heroic Knight. They fought shoulder-to-shoulder, the closest of comrades. My father always said he was like a true porcupine—any enemy who dared provoke him would get a handful of spines for their trouble."
"'Covered in Spines,'" Leech replied. "It's the motto of House Clarence. And you may call me Leech."
"Very well, Sir Leech," she said with a smile. If a smile could close the distance between two people, then Evangelina's could instantly draw Leech in until they were practically face to face.
He sighed theatrically. "I must thank the Four Gods for keeping me alive, if only so I could see your beautiful smile once more."
"You're even more... than you were before," Evangelina said, pausing.
"'Honest,'" Leech supplied immediately.
She swallowed the word "glib" that was on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she replied, "You are indeed an honest gentleman."
The carriage swayed, and a middle-aged woman in a long dress got out. Behind her followed a boy who bore some resemblance to Leech.
She had already heard the conversation from inside the carriage. But upon seeing Leech with her own eyes, her expression flickered through several visible changes. Finally, she covered her face and let out two dry wails. To Leech, she sounded a bit like the porcupine on his family's crest.
"That you've awoken is a miracle! Oh, my brave, pitiable lord! I stayed up all night praying to the Four Gods, sleepless, begging them to bring you back to us! I was willing to pay any price... *sob*..."
Leech smiled. "Rest assured, my lady. I'm alive and kicking."
Young Leo also bowed to Leech. "Brother, it's so good that you're safe."
"It was the Four Gods who brought me back," Leech replied. "I suppose they must have heard the sincere prayers of Mrs. Ellesmere."
The stepmother's dry wailing faltered.
The red-haired noblewoman smiled at Leech, having caught the sarcasm in his words.
"It's rude to keep our guests standing at the gate," Leech said, turning. "Please, come inside, Miss Evangelina."