paranoianovel Chapter 209: I can’t say I’m surprised, but still, I’m quite disappointed
Chapter 209: I can’t say I’m surprised, but still, I’m quite disappointed
"I'm here to discuss the terms of your surrender."
An independent observer wouldn't need any of the background information about what was happening to understand just how ridiculous my welcoming line was. Just a single look at the difference between my group and the princess's entourage was enough to paint an accurate picture of just how ludicrous I was.
But, at the very least, my seemingly idiotic suggestion caused the princess' beautiful, golden eyes to twitch a little.
"I'm Etaria, daughter of the golden lineage, lord of two Emperor's banners," the princess spoke with just the slightest look of amusement mixing with an overwhelming sense of confidence in her eyes.
'I guess that explains those dandy banners,' I thought, stealing a glance at the two massive flags flying in the air just behind the golden princess' back.
"I'm here with the minister of war, minister of battle, and a minister of emperor's will," the princess continued the introductions, summoning three of the gold-laced knights with her words.
"And we are here not to offer our surrender, but to demand yours."
All the amusement and curiosity vanished from Etaria's eyes, replaced with the cold shine of her golden irises.
"Well, I guess that's it, then," I casually summed up with a shake of my shoulders before turning on my heel. "Fay, Claudy, we are done here."
Caring not for what was going on, Fay happily turned around and wrapped her hands around my arm, ready to escort me back to the relative safety of the camp.
Thankfully, though, I didn't have to rely on the princess to react to my abrupt decision to leave.
After all that happened so far, I was more than just confident doing something like this would be the drop that would spill over the chalice of Claudy's patience.
"Wait, what?"
For the first time, the polite and calm mask dropped from the androgynously handsome noble's face, revealing... slight surprise.
Claudy's voice turned back to its usual, tempered form. And yet, even I, despite not knowing the man all that well, could hear the spite in his words when he referred back to the princess.
Still...
Even if they were both hot as hell, there was little to no resemblance between the two, making it hard to believe they were actually related as closely as their words implied.
'Maybe they are actually more distant relatives, and their way of referring to each other is just a thing of formal manners?'
"I didn't quite expect you would lay down your arms so..." the princess took a look over Claudy's shoulder, at the bloody battlefield hidden behind my group's back, "quickly and easily."
This time, I didn't even need to try to search for the hints of enmity in Etaria's voice. They were out for everyone to hear.
"Still," Claudy's polite smile once again took over his face. This time, however, deep in the very corner of his eyes, I could sense some hints of satisfaction.
Of a hunter who watched his prey walk into the carefully prepared trap.
"Still, the losses we took are a mere fraction of how many you lost during the first clash at the Lunagar Fortress."
The princess's face tensed up. Bit by bit, the profound air of nobility was giving way to the outright hostility the parties exhibited towards each other.
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'Great, now I have a court faction war to deal with on top of everything,' I whined in my soul while rolling my eyes. Ultimately, though, this situation was far from being resolved... And far from being anywhere on the agenda.
"You call me crass, yet here you are, ready to tear each other into pieces," I muttered while shaking my head. "Eh, I can't say I'm surprised, but after that mildly impressive entrance..." I took a short pause just to keep shaking my head.
"I can't say I'm surprised, but still, I'm quite disappointed."