Chapter 206 - 201: Meeting Lilia
Velin arrived in the Old Quarter of the Royal Capital and booked a private room on the second floor of the Silver Spoon Teahouse.
Below was a street paved with bluestone slabs. The lettering on most of the signs was faded and illegible, replaced by various symbols representing each trade.
Velin pushed open the window of his private room, and a complex mix of scents wafted in.
The malty aroma of baking bread, the foul stench of silt from the canals, and the raw, pungent smell of draft horses all mingled together, forming the unique scent of the Royal Capital’s Old Quarter.
He leaned against the window, looking down.
In front of the side gate of an imposing manor, a group of people in tattered clothes squatted, as still as statues.
’What’s going on here?’ Velin wondered, studying the scene.
Just then, the manor’s side gate opened, and two servants emerged, carrying a large wooden barrel between them.
Together, they tipped the barrel, dumping its contents into the drainage gutter in front of the gate.
A slurry of leftovers—chunks of meat, vegetable leaves, and soupy broth—poured into the filthy gutter.
Those huddled figures instantly came to life.
They threw themselves at the gutter as if possessed, using broken bowls and pottery shards hidden in their clothes—or even just their bare hands—to scramble for the food floating in the filthy water.
Anyone who managed to snatch a large piece of meat was instantly overcome with ecstasy. They would clutch their bowl protectively, retreat to a corner, and wolf down their prize.
Those who were too slow could only scoop up some watery broth mixed with grit, their faces etched with regret and despair.
The two servants who had dumped the scraps watched this scene from above, undisguised contempt curling their lips.
One of them even spat at the feet of the slowest of the starving wretches.
Just then, a harsh rebuke echoed from behind the gate, as if hurrying them along.
The contempt on the servants’ faces vanished instantly, replaced by looks of subservient fear. They bowed, quickly carried the empty barrel back inside, and the side gate slammed shut.
Velin withdrew his gaze.
’This is the Royal Capital.’
’Beneath all the splendor lie rotting roots. Behind all the nobility, endless layers of degradation.’
The door to the private room opened softly, and Lilia stepped inside.
She wore a well-fitted, dark blue lady-in-waiting’s uniform. The hem and cuffs were embroidered with a simple scroll pattern in silver thread.
Her hair was pulled back into a neat bun, shedding the girlish immaturity she had when she was at home.
Her posture, her gait—both carried the quiet, disciplined air of the court. All traces of the girl she had been at home were gone.
Only when she saw Velin did the deep-seated wariness melt from her features, replaced by a relieved smile.
"Brother."
Lilia closed the door and walked to the table. She lifted the copper teapot and poured Velin a cup of steaming black tea.
The aroma of the tea quickly filled the small private room.
Velin set aside his recent thoughts and took the cup.
"Are you settling in well with Marchioness Audrey?"
"`The Marchioness is very strict, but I’m learning a lot,` Lilia said, sitting down across from Velin. `And you? Any progress on your affairs in the Royal Capital?`"
"`Seeing you is the best progress I could ask for,` Velin said, taking a sip of tea. `You’re maturing faster than I imagined.`"
The siblings’ conversation lent the unfamiliar room some of the warmth of home.
After a brief moment of catching up, Velin placed his cup back on the table.
"Lilia, I’ve run into trouble."
He explained his political predicament to Lilia.
His petition to develop the southern archipelago had been shelved by a subcommittee of the Noble Council, with the Empire and the Sea Serpent Commerce Association pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
His foundations in the Royal Capital were too shallow; he couldn’t hope to challenge those deeply entrenched interest groups.
"`Conventional methods are no longer working. I need a tool to break this stalemate.`"
Lilia listened quietly, without interrupting.
Velin gazed at her, his tone growing serious. "`The conventional political channels are closed to me. I need a lever—a fulcrum to break this deadlock from the inside.`"
"`I need you to use your position as a lady-in-waiting to find me a target at the noble ladies’ tea parties and salons.`"
He paused, ensuring Lilia fully understood what he was asking.
"`This target must have a sufficiently high status, yet also possess some kind of intractable ’dilemma’ or ’desire.’`"
"`And it must be a problem that I am capable of solving.`"
"`I need an equal partner, not a patronizing benefactor.`"
Lilia nodded earnestly, her clear eyes reflecting Velin’s image.
"`I understand, Brother. You need an ally for a ’value exchange,’ not someone offering a one-time act of charity.`"
Her understanding of politics was already perfectly in sync with his own.
Just then, a waiter knocked and entered with refreshments.
On a white porcelain plate were several slices of bread spread with red jam, a few pieces of cake dusted with powdered sugar, and a small dish of purple dried fruit from the south.
In Newly Town, such food would be a luxury reserved for festivals. Here, it was merely a common refreshment.
The vast difference in living standards between the Royal Capital and the remote fiefdoms was laid bare on this small porcelain plate.
After the waiter withdrew, Lilia spoke up.
"`I might... already have a lead.`"
She lifted her teacup, gently pushing at the tea’s surface with its lid.
"`Lately, some cryptic rumors have been circulating at the ladies’ tea parties. They never speak of it directly, hinting at it instead through the language of flowers and card games.`"
"`What rumors?`" Velin asked, leaning forward slightly.
"`It’s about a ’cuckoo in the magpie’s nest’ story,` Lilia whispered. `They’re talking about an inheritance issue in a major noble house. They never dare mention the family by name.`"
"`But I can try to find out more,` Lilia answered cautiously. `For a major house, this is a scandal that must be kept out of the public eye. If handled poorly, it could affect the inheritance of both title and fortune.`"
Velin quickly processed the information.
’Bloodline, inheritance, family scandal.’
’For old noble families who valued honor and legacy above all else, these things were indeed a fatal vulnerability.’
’The next step is to find out the specifics. Then, I’ll have to see if I have anything to use as a bargaining chip.’
"`Very good. Investigate that angle,` Velin decided. `But be careful. Don’t expose yourself.`"
"`Don’t you worry, Brother,` Lilia said, picking up a small cake and offering it to Velin. `At the Marquis’s estate, the first lesson I learned was how to probe for secrets with a smile on my face.`"
The thought of the little stories she’d heard about the noble ladies’ private lives made her blush.
Velin left the teahouse.
He had another matter to attend to: Ryo’s admission to the Mage Academy.
’The board is set. Now I need to get all my pieces moving.’
Meanwhile, Lilia sat quietly in the room for a few moments, composing her expression and adjusting her clothes before preparing to return to the Marquis’s estate.
An important banquet awaited her.