Chapter 98: Late Night Insolence.

Chapter 98.

The sharp, rhythmic click of high heels echoed against the cold stone floor, the solitary sound piercing the heavy silence of the cavernous estate. Countess Celestine Everhart glided down the windowless corridor, stopping before a massive set of unadorned oak doors. Pushing one side open, she stepped into the pitch-black chamber beyond, allowing the door to swing shut behind her with a muted thud.

The room was shrouded in total darkness, devoid of candlelight or the pale glow of the moon, yet Celestine stood unbothered, her posture immaculate. "I have not received a single update regarding our arrangement over the past week," she declared into the empty air, her voice clear, smooth, and entirely unbothered by the oppressive gloom.

From the deep shadows near the far corner, a voice answered—flat, disembodied, and completely devoid of warmth. "We have decided to decline the quest." Before Celestine could demand an explanation, the dull clink of a heavy leather pouch striking the floorboards disrupted the quiet. "Here is your initial advance, returned in full."

Celestine cast a cold, disinterested glance toward the sound of the fallen coins, though her features remained unreadable in the dark. "May I inquire as to why you are abandoning an assignment you previously agreed to undertake?"

"There is no need for grand explanations," the disembodied voice replied smoothly from the darkness. "We simply deemed it far too hazardous to continue a campaign against a target of such extraordinarily high caliber. Should our hand be discovered, the Duke of the North would inevitably seek utter retribution, and we have no desire to invite his wrath upon our order."

Celestine’s lips curved into a faint, disdainful sneer. "Your initial intelligence report explicitly stated that Duke Soren harbored no genuine affection for his new bride, assuring me that he would not bother to retaliate on her behalf."

"We have thoroughly reevaluated our sources," the voice countered, fading slightly as its owner retreated toward the edge of the room. "Goodbye, Countess." A faint rustle of heavy cloth was the only warning before the stone window frame creaked open, followed by the soft, almost imperceptible whisper of shadows slipping out into the night air. The mercenaries departed as silently as they had arrived, leaving their true identities utterly concealed behind the veil of night.

Celestine stood alone in the dark room for a long moment before turning gracefully on her heel and pushing the heavy doors open once more. Stepping back into the torchlit corridor, her cold demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by the picture of effortless elegance. As she passed through the sunlit courtyard toward her private quarters, the estate maids bowed low, offering warm, respectful smiles. Celestine returned each gesture with a gentle, serene nod, her countenance serene and unbothered as she walked down the grand hallways.

However, the instant she crossed the threshold into her bedchamber and slammed the heavy oak door shut, the calm facade shattered. Her brow furrowed into a sharp, bitter frown, and her clear eyes burned with suppressed irritation. "How in the world have matters gone so utterly awry?" she muttered to herself, her voice laced with deep frustration as she paced across the plush rug.

She had sought out that particular mercenary order specifically because of their widespread reputation for absolute discretion and ruthless efficiency, never imagining they would cower and abandon a contract at the mere mention of the Northern Duchy. She let out a long, heavy sigh, shaking her head. "Granted, it is a task few in the underworld would dare accept, but to turn tail so pathetically..."

Approaching her grand vanity, Celestine began unclasping the heavy diamond necklace resting against her collarbone, her thoughts drifting back to the source of her vexation. Every time Sigrid had publicly humiliated or undermined Lady Maria, Celestine had been present, forced to watch from the sidelines. Because they lacked a formal acquaintance at the time, Celestine had been unable to intervene, forced to swallow her rising anger as she watched Maria look so terribly crestfallen and wounded.

It was precisely that desire to protect Maria that had driven Celestine to maneuver her way closer to the royal court, striving tirelessly to secure a coveted position as one of the Crown Princess’s chief retinue members. Celestine had long admired Maria from afar—viewing her as the absolute picture of grace, purity, and kindness. Initially, Sigrid had seemed like nothing more than an irrelevant timid noblewoman, but recently, the new Duchess had become an unbearable thorn in their side. Confronting Sigrid directly was out of the question; she was still a powerful Duchess married to a ruthless, monstrous warrior.

Celestine’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the edge of her vanity table, her reflection staring back at her with fierce, unyielding devotion. "I will make myself useful to her," she whispered to the empty room, a sinister, brilliant smile slowly spreading across her face at the thought of her beloved saint. "I shall personally excise that filthy thorn that dares cause Lady Maria distress." The upcoming war would draw the formidable Duke to the frontlines, temporarily stripping Sigrid of her terrifying protector and leaving her vulnerable in the North. Celestine’s smile widened, her eyes gleaming with manic intent at the thought of bringing about the Duchess’s ruin.

A sudden, heavy knock at her chamber door shattered her reverie, causing her smile to evaporate instantly into a sharp, irritated scowl. Striding over to the door, she yanked it open, her eyes narrowing in disgust at the man standing casually in the doorway. "Do you possess no decency whatsoever?" Celestine snapped coldly, crossing her arms. "Entering a lady’s private quarters at such an ungodly hour of the night is extraordinarily rude."

The man leaned against the doorframe, his face shrouded beneath the deep hood of a dark travelling cloak. A low, gruff laugh escaped his lips, accompanied by a lazy smirk. "Do not be absurd, Celestine. You are hardly a delicate maiden in need of chivalry."

Celestine let out a tired, exasperated sigh, stepping back to allow him inside before closing the door securely behind him. "Lord Roderic Warwick... what under the heavens are you doing in my home, and pray tell how my father permitted you entry?"

Roderic pulled down his hood, revealing a sharp, arrogant countenance as he let out a mockingly pleasant chuckle. "The old Marquess was thoroughly intoxicated down in the grand hall, and as you well know, the man adores my company."

"We may be childhood acquaintances, Roderic, but that hardly grants you free reign over my chambers," Celestine retorted, her tone dripping with disdain. "State your business, you insufferable fool, or leave at once."

Roderic’s smirk faltered slightly, his jaw tightening as he scoffed. "Show some proper deference, Celestine. I am noble-born, just as you are."

"Deference?" Celestine let out a cold, mocking laugh, taking a step toward him with absolute disdain in her eyes. "Why on earth should I show respect to a fool who allowed his entire family inheritance to be stripped away by a mere bastard? Your illegitimate brother possesses actual competence and commands respect. You, on the other hand, deserve none."

Roderic gritted his teeth, his knuckles whitening as he glared at her, yet he remained silent under her scathing critique. Celestine sneered, turning her back on him. "State your purpose immediately, or I shall summon the house guards to throw you out into the street."

"I merely came to inform you that I shall be departing the kingdom for a month," Roderic growled out, forcing his voice to remain steady despite his rising irritation.

"Then go, and pray do not bother returning," Celestine replied instantly, her voice flat and unbothered. "Perhaps away from the capital you can salvage whatever pitiful sliver of dignity you have left after thoroughly squandering your family’s reputation through endless gambling and disgraceful debauchery."

Roderic’s face darkened, his brow furrowing as he sneered at her. "What a remarkably pleasant farewell from a childhood friend."

Celestine turned her head slightly, eyeing him with utter contempt. "You ought to know by now, Roderic, that anyone foolish enough to forfeit their own birthright to a bastard is entirely beneath my concern. You are an absolute failure."

Roderic’s eyes flashed with anger, a malicious grin breaking across his face as he took a slow step forward. "And yet, here you are, practically groveling at the feet of a commoner turned princess."

Celestine’s eyes widened, a sudden, deadly sharp stillness coming over her entire demeanor. "Utter another word regarding Lady Maria," she whispered, her voice dangerously low and laced with venom, "and I will have the guards drag you to the dungeons in chains."

Roderic threw his head back and laughed, though the sound was bitter and devoid of true mirth. "It is truly pathetic, Celestine. Watching a Countess fawn so helplessly over a woman so completely unremarkable."

"I will not hear another word from a man as thoroughly useless and unremarkable as yourself," Celestine declared coldly, pointing a sharp finger toward the exit. "Get out of my sight."

Roderic stared at her for a brief, tense second before shaking his head with a bitter scoff. Pulling his hood back over his head, he turned on his heel and slipped out into the dimly lit corridor, the heavy door clicking shut behind him. Celestine stood alone once more in the quiet of her room, letting out a long, disgusted breath as she looked toward the closed door. "What an absolute fool," she murmured softly, her expression hardening as her mind returned to the ruthless schemes awaiting execution in the coming days.