While the Countess was trying to escape reality, Christina observed the young man in front of her. He wasn't particularly handsome or strikingly featured. Unlike most nobles, he seemed almost too average. The only thing different about him was the number of women following him around.
Even with the princess present, the young man still flirted with the women he had brought home. There were three of them, all with a different appeal. The first was so well endowed that Christina doubted they were real. The second was a petite woman so young that you might call her a child. The last one, however, was striking. Her beauty rivalled even Maria's.
Maria's looks and icy demeanour were well-known in noble circles, even granting her some nicknames she would rather forget. Yet, the third woman was her equal. Looking at her posture and manners, Christina doubted the woman to be of common birth.
While the two other women were all over the Count's son, obviously trying to gain his favour, the woman stood at the back, ignoring them. She stood straight, elegance overflowing from her every movement, observing the scene as if she were only a spectator.
Christina turned her attention back to the son. He was just as the rumours said: pompous, vain, and a philanderer. Christina, however, wouldn't make the mistake of categorizing him so quickly. People have distorted their perceptions of themselves on purpose so many times. It was all too common in politics.
"You fool!" the man's sister said. "What do you think you are doing right in front of her Highness?! Are you trying to shame our house even further?!"
"Is that any way to speak to your older brother?" the man replied.
"Shut up, you trash!" she turned to Christina before adding, "My apologies, your Highness, for the outburst. I simply cannot stand to be in the same room as this fool. Please, have a nice evening." She then left without even finishing her meal.
Although she was surprised, Christina didn't hold it against her, as she also had the urge to leave. Her mission, however, took precedence over any feelings she might have. If the man proved too incompetent to succeed the Count, a replacement would be needed. Fortunately, the younger sister seems to be much better.
Christina, however, would like to avoid that possibility. It would leave a bad taste in the nobles' mouths if the royal family was seen meddling in the succession rights of other nobles.
"I am Mathias Burnwood. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances, you Highness," said the man as he took Christina's hand and kissed the back of it.
Such actions were quite common among nobles, yet Christina found herself repulsed by them. Although the man wasn't charming, he wasn't that disgusting either. She found those feelings quite odd, as she had met many men more vile than him. She was quite used to being looked at like an object to be conquered. Her feelings for Mathias were quite different from what she thought of those other men. The repulsion she felt wasn't driven by emotion but by instinct. She felt unsure, but she chose to watch more before reaching a conclusion.
As Christina was mulling over those feelings, Mathias approached Maria next. He introduced himself to her like he did to Christina, but Maria slapped him in the face. Clearly, she felt the same way that Christina did.
She briefly saw anger flash on his face before returning to his usual smile. The sight felt quite jarring to her, as this slap, in her experience, warranted more surprise than rage.
What surprised Christina more, however, was that Claire came to Mathias' defence and even started reprimanding Maria. Richard's mouth dropped as the sight was totally unexpected. Maria and the princess exchanged a look, puzzlement on both of their faces. Something was definitely wrong here.
Two of the women accompanying Mathias also came to his defence, helping Claire in her rant. Only the last one stood back with a slight smile. She simply observed the whole situation as if it had nothing to do with her.
Christina turned to the Countess for support, only to see her on the verge of crying. Maria herself was at her breaking point. She wasn't the type to take this kind of reprimand without fighting back.
Just as the situation was about to melt down, Christina stood up and slammed her clenched fist on the table. The sound echoed in the room, snapping people out of their dispute.
As all eyes turned to her, Christina said, "I'm tired. Thank you, Countess. It was a lovely meal. It was a pleasure Lord Mathias. I will now retired for the night."
As Christina left the table, her group quickly followed her, shame apparent on their faces. While traversing the halls, Christina spoke first.
"Maria, how did you feel when he kissed your hand?"
She took a moment to remember the exact emotions she felt before replying, "For a split moment, I felt overjoyed. Then, it quickly turned to shame and anger."
"And you?" Christina asked while turning towards Claire.
"Hmm," she replied, quite different from her usual temperament. Richard was stunned as he had rarely seen his sister act this way. "When I saw Lady Maria slap him, I felt anger take control of me and couldn't help but do what I did. Now that I think back, I don't know why I did that."
Christina then turned to Richard. "I simply felt that the slap was expected considering the lady's nature," he said bluntly.
Christina simply nodded. The silence was heavy as they made their way to their rooms, but Christina paid no attention to it. They weren't children anymore, so there was no need for her to mediate. They were old enough to deal with their own problems.
She was more concerned about the strange feeling she had. She also felt the same as Maria, like it was only natural to love this man. However, when that thought came to mind, she heard a faint roar, and then the love turned to anger. She might have slapped the mind if she had not found the sudden emotional shift bizarre.
As she slipped into bed, she recalled something about the Immortal Snake Clan. Apparently, the clan leader's lineage included a young girl who could charm others. When she thought of it, things made sense. The young lord's ability could explain their strange reactions.
Is it possible, she thought. How could that be? Even the Immortal Snake Clan girl was deemed a mutant within the clan. She was the only one to awaken such an ability. Could Mathias also be a mutant? It should be impossible, as he is from the White Tiger Clan. Even if he is a mutant, the White Tiger has no ability remotely close to charm. There are many possibilities. I need to check if he really has the White Tiger bloodline.
As she was contemplating all the possibilities, she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
The next morning, in a camp on the outskirts of the Acrean Forest, a burly man sat behind a table, frowning as he reviewed the mountain of papers on it. The day had only just begun, yet the man already seemed exhausted. Despite all his efforts, the mountain of paper never grew smaller.
As he was losing hope, a young soldier entered his tent with a frantic look and a letter in his hand. The man took the letter and started to read it. Not even halfway through, however, his fist hit the table, scattering a few of the documents.
"That fool!"
That man was Count Burnwood. The letter was from his wife and concerned the events that had taken place the day before.
As he heard the count shouting, a middle-aged man made his way to his tent. He was a skinny but well-dressed man who seemed out of place in this military camp. He was currently employed as the Count's advisor.
As the entered, the Count threw him the letter. He read the letter, and his expression darkened momentarily before returning to normal as if nothing happened.
"It seems we must make haste and return to the castle soon," the Count said after calming down.
"Unfortunately, the situation won't permit it. The forest grows more restless every day," the man replied. "I wish we could investigate deeper. It's a shame we don't have the manpower for it."
"Any news from the capital?"
"I estimate that we won't have a response to our request for reinforcement for at least another week. Even if they were to send them, it would take even longer for them to reach here. The situation may very well be out of control before then."
The Count eyed the man. Despite the dire situation, the man always kept his calm.
"Spill it out! I know you have a plan. I know that look in your eyes," the Count said.
"This letter came at a perfect time. Our only choice is to ask her Highness for support."
The Count wanted to refuse. The Silver Knight Order's only mandate was to protect her Highness. To ask them for assistance was the same as putting her Highness in danger. As a noble of the Kingdom, such an action was unthinkable. Unfortunately, if no reinforcements came, the castle would be in peril. That location was also essential for the Kingdom.
As he considered his next move, a soldier burst into the tent unannounced. Before the Count could reprimand him, he started shouting.
"The camp is under attack! Hundreds of beasts are leaving the forest and rushing towards the camp! It's a stampede!"