When Mary whispered to Ben that Miss Valentine was a popular singer who missed last year's championship by a close call, Ben was surprised, seeing the wide smile on Mary's face.
"____"
'Why are there so many guards here? Even for a noble, isn't this too much?'
Ben looked at the guards standing in every nook and corner.
"A singer, huh? Then why does she need this much protection?"
Feeling that something was amiss, Ben leaned closer to Mary and whispered into her ears once again.
When Mary heard him, she turned and observed the guards around the mansion, from the gate to the garden and inside the mansion.
They all had grim expressions on their faces as if something really bad had happened.
"Good evening, esteemed guests. I am James, the butler of Ruth's Mansion. It is a pleasure to welcome you."
As all three of them entered the mansion through the main door, they were greeted by a butler who was an old man with a big white mustache and wrinkles on his face due to his age.
He stood tall, impeccably dressed in a traditional butler uniform while wearing a monocle on his right eye and welcoming them with a courteous bow.
After introducing himself, Butler James also thanked Ben, Mary, and Anny for taking the quest they applied for, even though it was on short notice.
"We must protect Clover Kingdom's citizens as magic knights, and it's our duty to accompany Miss. Valentine on her journey to Glaze."
Hearing Butler James, Anny shook her head and explained that it was her duty.
"____"
Ben, upon seeing the smiling face of Anny, froze for a second.
'Don't tell me Anny... Mary I can understand, she already informed me about it in the headquarters, but Anny is a fan of this singer.'
Ahem... Ahem...
Seeing Ben looking at her intensely without blinking, Anny coughed deliberately, feeling a little embarrassed.
When Ben heard the cough, he snapped out of his daze and turned his head to the other side in a hurry.
"Please allow me to show you to the drawing room where Lady Valentine awaits your arrival."
Butler James started escorting them towards the drawing room.
When Ben heard the butler, he was the first one to follow after James to break the awkwardness after being caught by Anny, while Mary followed behind them.
"____"
'Idiot, why do you stare at me like that?'
Anny lightly checked her face and hair when Butlers James and Ben did not notice her actions.
After confirming everything was alright, Anny followed behind them.
When they arrived at the door of the drawing room, James stopped.
Knock... Knock...
"Lady Valentine, Magic Knights from the Blue Rose have arrived as scheduled."
Butler James discreetly announced their arrival to Valentine, who was inside the drawing room.
"Enter, James."
A feminine voice came from inside the room, which had a warm feeling to it.
When Ben, Mary, and Anny entered the room, they were greeted by many portraits on the wall and drawing stands.
Each portrait looked very beautiful and was a masterpiece.
While they were looking at the portraits before them, suddenly a sweet voice entered their ears.
When they looked in the direction where the voice was coming from, they were greeted by a lady who was immersed in painting one of the portraits.
Her hair, a cascade of chestnut waves, was meticulously styled, framing her delicate features with effortless glamour.
Sparkling jewels adorned her neck and fingers, catching the light and adding a touch of opulence to her ensemble.
The lady's eyes, the color of sapphires, shimmered with intelligence and warmth.
She exuded a sense of refinement and grace, drawing all eyes to her as she effortlessly commanded the attention of the room.
"____"
"____"
"____"
All three of them looked at her in awe.
"She is Miss. Valentine."
Mary whispered to Ben while looking at Valentine in awe.
After continuing to paint for a few minutes, Valentine put down the painting brush in her hand and turned to look at the guests who had arrived.
"Sorry for making you wait. I am painting."
Valentine moved towards them, greeted them, and apologized for making them wait for her.
"No need to apologize, Miss Valentine. It's just a few minutes passed."
Hearing Valentine's apology, Anny hurriedly interrupted her from apologizing.
'She seems to be a good person among the nobles.'
Looking at Valentine, who was conversing with Anny, Ben thought, seeing her smiling face.
"If there is anything you require during your visit, please do not hesitate to ring the bell. Enjoy your time with Lady Valentine."
After ensuring that Ben, Mary, and Anny were settled comfortably, James excused himself with a slight bow.
"We will be starting our journey in an hour."
After chatting with Valentine for some time, she informed them they would be leaving for Glazba in an hour.
"If you don't mind, can I ask you a few questions?"
After Valentine informed them, Ben looked at her curiously.
"____"
"____"
When Ben asked Valentine if he could ask her a few questions, both Mary and Anny looked at him.
Ahem... Ahem...
"When we arrived at Ruth's mansion, we noticed the mansion was filled with guards. I know usually nobles have guards for their security, but the numbers are abnormal."
Valentine, when she heard Ben's question, shivered a little, and though she composed herself quickly, it didn't escape Ben's notice.
Sigh...
"You see, it all started last music festival."
Hearing Ben's question, Valentine sighed sadly and looked at one of the portraits on one of the drawing stands, where only half was present, with Miss Valentine standing while holding someone's hand.
But the other half of the painting is torn apart and missing.
"____"
"____"
"____"
As Valentine recounted her story, Ben, Mary, and Anny listened attentively, sensing the weight of her words.
"If you don't want to explain, it's okay, Miss Valentine, but I asked only for your safety's purpose."
Feeling the heavy atmosphere, Ben hurriedly assured Valentine.
"No... No, Sir Ben, I can understand. I too wanted to explain, but I don't know where to start."
Sigh...
Valentine took a deep breath and began her story, with Ben, Mary, and Anny hanging on to every word.
Valentine's Flashback...
When Valentine was born, both her father, Rex Ruth, and her mother, Ivy Ruth, were overjoyed.
The whole Ruth household celebrated the day like a festival.
Her father, the head of the noble House Ruth, had fallen in love with her mother, a commoner, during one of his journeys.
Before meeting her father, Ivy managed a tavern left over by her deceased parents.
Although her father's family was a noble one, they did not oppose their marriage.
However, other noble houses often looked down on House Ruth for marrying a commoner from the forsaken realm into their ranks.
Despite their dissatisfaction, they didn't openly oppose the marriage.
There was a main reason why House Ruth didn't oppose Rex and Ivy's union.
It is a bloodline curse that plagued their family for generations.
This curse significantly affected their ability to have descendants, resulting in an extremely low fertility rate.
Moreover, they could only produce male heirs due to the curse.
Many noble houses avoided marrying into House Ruth out of fear that their bloodline might be tainted by the curse.
However, there was a legend that the curse could be broken when a girl was born into the Ruth family—a myth that remained unproven until Valentine's birth.
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(Author's POV)
I hope you guys enjoying the story.
Thanks for reading the chapter.
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