The castle up close was more majestic and intimidating from downhill. The castle was not built as a residence but rather a large assembly hall. Elfie mentioned that the blacksmiths and mechanics of the old built this on the basis of a massive auditorium. And the castle was later built in the interior of the outer auditorium.
Thus, one could see different styles of designs on the inside and outside of the castle. Many of the things built in the interior were not made of metals but kiln bricks instead. There were inscriptions and frescos designed beautifully, enhancing the palace's grandeur.
After entering the castle, we were brought to the top floor. There, we entered the chamber of the Duke. Four fierce guards were standing guard near the door. They tried to intimidate and stop us from entering the room at first, but after much persuasion by the Luna sisters, they allowed us siblings to visit the Duke after giving a death glare as a warning.
A frail-looking man was sleeping on a large bed. His beard and hair still had a shiny lustre to their brown colour, but on closer inspection, one could notice that there were a few fringes of greyed-out hair. Although his vitals were working efficiently, there was no reaction from the man to our presence. This man was the Duke of the North, Edward Luna.
A medical apprentice was sitting near the bedside who was tasked with taking notes of changes in the health and consciousness of the patient. I asked him about the state of the Duke. Their treatment using the Tetraspine plant essence showed that the damaged meridians were completely healed.
The body then subconsciously absorbed the energy in the surroundings and tried to heal the internal injuries. During the treatment which had taken place for a whole week, most of the internal injuries were healed from his own metabolism. Now, the only thing remaining is for the Duke to regain consciousness.
And according to the apprentice, it could happen anytime, so he should always remain alert so as to inform the doctor about it as soon as possible.
It was a piece of good news that the Tetraspine plant was able to heal the damaged meridians even in his comatose state. Thus, with the direct involvement of mother, there would be a high chance that she could also heal her injuries even more efficiently and without much hassle.
Although the Duke had not regained consciousness, his injuries had healed, so his chances of waking up from a coma were also high. So we decided to stay a few more days with the Lunas with the hope that the Duke would wake up once again within the upcoming few days.
After visiting the Duke, we left along with the Luna sisters to get a tour of the castle. We came across a vast library, a large dining hall, a sparkling and steamy bathhouse, and a small pond in the castle's interior.
This pond was the prominent spot for attraction as it was heated through the thermal inlays to prevent the freezing of water throughout the year. Many beautiful fishes were swimming in the pond. There was a small pavilion by the pond where one could sit and relax.
The Luna sisters invited Alice to sit near the pavilion's edge and dip their feet in the pond. Small fishes would nibble away at the dead skin and make the skin smooth and soft. Naturally, cultivators would not need this service as they continuously filter out the impurities from their bodies.
But still, Alice enjoyed the feeling of the small fish nibbling and tickling at her feet. The girls giggled and chatted happily for quite some time, and I sat near them, basking in their laughter. It made my mind feel light and relaxed.
We spent a couple of hours leisurely at the pavilion when a commotion from the entrance disturbed our peace. The girls stopped chatting and stood up in their position. I looked at the Luna sisters and found them also confused about the situation as they also didn't know the reason for such commotion.
We four left the pond and walked in the direction of the source of the ruckus. On the way, we found that many servants were moving to and fro, carrying out some sort of orders. Elfie stopped one servant and asked about the reason for such commotion.
The servant stopped in his tracks was first angry at being interrupted by someone but later turned weak after seeing the 'culprit' as the young miss. He apologised profusely for his mistake and explained.
"I am sorry! Please forgive me, young miss! I was just carrying out the orders of the first master. His Royal Highness, the crown prince, has visited unannounced with his entourage. Now all the servants are on the errands for the same."
The announcement surprised the Luna sisters. Even we siblings were surprised to come across him for the third time during our travel. Although I thought that the bastard was persistent in his chase even after not winning in our past two interactions, there might be a different reason for his presence in the Duke's residence.
The servant also told the sisters that the first master was also looking for the Luna sisters to greet and welcome the crown prince. We got to know that the crown prince and his entourage were now meeting with the elders in the meeting hall. After getting the information, the sisters separated from us and moved towards the meeting hall.
I was not interested in the dealings between the Lunas and the crown prince and thus rejected the Luna sisters' invitation to go with them. I returned to retrace the steps to the pavilion near the pond, but someone grabbed my hand and tugged me. I turned around and saw my sister looking at me pleadingly. She wanted us to also go to the meeting hall.
The Luna family was pretty big. The grandfather of the Luna sisters had only one son, their father. Their father was the one next in line to inherit the family.
The gramps also had an older brother who died young. His brother had two sons and another daughter. The daughter was the youngest of the second generation and had married another noble from a different Duchy. The older son was even older than the sisters' father and was called the first master. The younger son was the third master, and the sisters' father was the second master.
According to the sisters, who told Alice, the two different branches didn't see eye to eye for many years as the first master's branch members were not satisfied with the decision of Elfie and Seline's father being the next in line as successor.
They always thought that their branch member, especially the first master, should be the rightful successor. This was the reason that the other branch members wanted to curb the power under the sisters' father's side and played many dirty tricks to get the job done.
After hearing from the servant that the one who asked for the Luna sisters' presence was the first master, one could easily guess that he was trying to cook something against the sisters. I never liked the unhealthy competition between family members and thus didn't want to intervene in anyone else's family matters.
I would definitely help them if possible, and they asked for it, but I would stick my nose in someone else's business. But Alice was not me. She was pretty attached to the Luna sisters and thus couldn't let them be. Seeing her pleading gaze, I couldn't harden my heart even if I wanted to and agreed to get entangled in the spiral of troubles for her.
When we reached the imposing meeting hall, a heated discussion was going on. A familiar feminine voice was shouting in protest.
"No! I don't agree with it! Neither of us will ever agree to this decision."
This was the frantic voice of Elfie. I squinted my eyes as Alice was anxious after hearing the voice. We tried to enter the hall, but the family guards stationed outside didn't allow us entry. As Alice was getting very impatient and anxious, I moved at a fast speed and knocked them out.
After entering the hall, I found that the tension in the room was so high that one cut it with a knife. And we were the ones who acted as the knife.
Seeing two unknown people entering the hall without any permission, at first, the members of the Luna family became vigilant, but afterwards, seeing the appearance of a young boy and a girl made them very furious. A fat guy sitting in the second position from the master of the hall screamed out in anger.
"How dare you enter the hall without permission?! Who the hell are you? Guards, take them out of the hall and beat them up!"
Seeing our appearance, the Luna sisters were also astonished. Hearing the accusing questions, they came to our defence. Elfie spoke out firmly in our defence.
"Third uncle, they are our friends. And it was us who invited them. You can't lay a finger on them."
"Ho! You dare talk back to your uncle. Perhaps your guts have gotten bigger."
The fat man mocked Elfie in anger. He then looked at the guy who was sitting at the seat of the hall master. He was the handsome blondie, the crown prince Walton. The fat man spoke subserviently to Walton.
"Your Royal Highness, please forgive the unbecoming behaviour of the girl. I will personally arrange for some teachers to train her properly in etiquette?"
Walton didn't say anything and just nodded his head smilingly. His eyes then darted towards our direction. A glint of light passed through his eyes, which he covered promptly. He smilingly asked the Luna sisters.
"Miss Elfie, will you not introduce your friends?"
Elfie looked at us with some sorrow and then gazed at the crown prince.
"These siblings are Alice and Lucas. We have been friends for two years. We studied enrolled together in the Highland Origin Sect, and that is how we met."
Elfie gave a brief introduction. I noticed the prince's face scrunched a little while hearing about the Highland Origin Sect. He looked at us, or rather Alice, with a passionate gaze and said.
"Miss Alice definitely looks dazzling, that she even caught my eyes. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. If it is not improper, may I ask Miss Alice who your parents are? And where is your home?"
Becoming the centre of attention made Alice nervous, but nevertheless, she answered the questions calmly.
"Only our mother lives with us in our home. And our residence is deep in the forest near the capital."
Hearing the answers, Walton seemed satisfied, and his expression became more and more ecstatic. The man who was sitting in the first position next to the master seat opened his mouth for the first time.
"It seems that His Royal Highness has taken a liking to this girl. As she is friends with Elfie and Luna, it will not do good to separate them."
The man stopped at that, looked at the fat man, and raised his eyebrows. The fat man enthusiastically jumped up from his seat and said jovially.
"Yes, I agree with the eldest brother. It will not do good to separate them. As you have taken a liking to her, how about you take the three friends as your concubines? It will be an honour for these girls to receive pampering from Your Royal Highness."