Why The Hell is Fate Trying to Kill Me?

Chapter 73 Silk for The South, Iron for The North

The morning sun filtered through the heavy curtains, painting pale stripes across the floor of my room.

My morning routine had become a ritual of silence. I washed my face with cold water, the chill biting into my skin, waking up the parts of me that wanted to stay buried in sleep.

"My Lady," Adel said, tightening the laces of my dress. Her voice was calm. She didn't ask what the plan was. She already knew. She had packed the daggers wrapped in velvet the night before.

I sat at my desk, intending to review the supply lists.

CLANG.

The sharp, ringing sound of steel striking steel cut through the silence.

I paused. It was close. Right below my balcony.

I stood up and walked to the glass doors, staying behind the sheer drapes. Below, the morning mist was still clinging to the cobblestones, but three figures were cutting through it with vibrant energy.

Aurelio. Felix. Alecia.

My brother was in the center, holding a training longsword, sweat soaking his shirt. Opposite him, Alecia—the Red Ribbon triplet—wielded a blunted training axe.

"Too stiff!" Alecia shouted. "You're fighting like a statue, Aurelio! Move your feet!"

"I am moving!" Aurelio yelled back. He lunged, a textbook strike.

Alecia didn't respect the textbook. She stepped inside his guard, used her shoulder to check him, and swept his leg with the handle of her axe. Aurelio hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Felix, perched on a planter while peeling an apple, called out, "She's right. Just hit her."

"Easy for you to say!" Aurelio groaned, but as he took Alecia's hand to stand up, he was grinning.

I watched them for a long moment. They looked like a painting of a childhood I never had. Aurelio wasn't the "Heir" down there. He was just a boy.

"My Lady," Adel's voice came from the door.

I turned away. Adel stood stiffly by the entrance.

"What is it?"

"Your mother has summoned you to the Main Dining Hall," Adel said.

I frowned. "Is there any matter for summoning me?"

"She has summoned Cassius and Valerie. They are already being escorted there. From that, you can guess it, My Lady."

My blood ran cold. Mother was conducting a final inspection.

...

The Main Dining Hall felt massive when it was empty. The long table was bare.

Cassius stood near the window, eyes analyzing exits. Valerie stood in the center, looking smaller than I had ever seen her. She wore her leather armor, but in this grand hall, she looked like a wild animal trapped in a cage.

Sitting at the head of the table, sipping tea from a single porcelain cup, was my mother. My father stood behind her, leaning against the unlit fireplace.

"You are late, Aurelia," Mother said without looking up.

"I was fascinated by Aurelio's training; my apology," I replied, taking my seat.

Mother set the cup down. The sound echoed like a gavel. She turned to Valerie.

"So. This is the girl who intends to steal a Duchy."

Valerie stiffened. "I have no interest in stealing anything, Your Grace."

"No?" Mother laughed softly. "My daughter claims we are marching into the snow to put you on the claim. And yet, you say you don't want it?"