Clarissa Beheads The Villainess

[24] Noble Gossip

  
Two days until the engagement party and most important guests have arrived at Duke Orias Viertel's mansion, having rooms prepared for their stay. King Golden made a handful of excuses to not go, and to represent the royal Golden family is just Princess Freya chaperoned by an absurd amount of guards to watch her at all times.

Those that greeted her upon arrival shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. Katherine felt a knot forming in her stomach, remembering how badly she was treated by the princess for a short while.

"Princess Freya Golden! I'm so glad you came." The duke hands her an iris from the garden, which she takes carefully before scrutinizing it.

"Orias. It hasn't been long since the last time you saw me. In a bad position to add. If my father weren't a stuck up to your family then I would've stripped you of your land and brought your lady back to my castle." She tosses the Iris aside. "I do not like Irises."

"Aww don't be too harsh, we aren't here to trap you in a room this time."

"Then keep the girl on a leash."

"We'll make sure she can't go near you." Orias watches Freya stomp on the iris with her heel, digging it into the ground. "Please follow my good man over here, he'll take you to your stay for the next couple of nights." He allows a young butler to take over, the one with the least fear of the Princess.

She casts them a glare before leaving. The guards circled around her as they walked away.

"See? Not so bad sweetheart. She won't hurt you anymore." Orias bends down to kiss Katherine's forehead.

"Are you sure... She threatened us."

"An empty threat."

The duke takes her hand and they head to the garden where most special guests were. These people were having a nice time drinking wine under the harsh sunlight. It was just a think people in the Golden kingdom do. Drink under the sun, celebrate under the sun, rejoice under the sun.

He was surprised to find Clarissa within the group of people, alongside Astaroth. Two people who he'd think are the types to sit parties out. Maybe they had a dumb plan in mind.

This thought sent him goosebumps, this was no day for dumb plans. I told Vixen to make sure they don't do anything.

"Orias?"

"Wait there for a bit." He rushes over to the group. Middle aged men and women were rambling about gambling, laughing about a man they mutually hate who is balding young. "Excuse me men, women, I'll need to borrow these two." He smiles with his teeth and drags the two away.

"What are you two doing!?"

"Eeee..." Astaroth narrows his eyes. "Never seen you panic like that before, is something wrong?"

"Yes! There is something wrong with you two! Did Vixen not tell you both to sit still and be good?"

"Are you going mad!? We're just talking to the guests."

The duke raises a brow and looks back and forth at the two. "You. Her. Talking to guests?"

"Look. While you are busy preparing your pretty little engagement party, the kingdom is falling into a rapid state or calamity and floors below us you've left people to die."

"Is that true?" Katherine turns to Orias in shock.

Clarissa nods her head. "There seems to be an incurable pandemic breaking out all over the Golden kingdom."

"And some people from this castle have gotten infected. Orias had them sent to the basement and just left there." Astaroth continues. "By listening to others, we might find out what we need to know about this illness. So far it seems like really no one understands it." He bites his lip.

The duke leans in. "I am not leaving anyone to die. No one knows anything, then there's nothing I can do." He growls. "Do what you want, but don't you dare ruin my engagement party or you both can get the fuck out of my castle."

"Sure, have fun marrying a woman who can't even act like she wants you."

"You piece of shit—"

"Orias no! Please... Don't fight." Katherine begs, and his annoyance immediately simmers down. Clarissa and Astaroth return to the group, the assassin catches glimpse of golden hair passing by and briefly feels an uncomfortable tingle in her palms.

"The princess is here." She whispers to her companion.

"You don't get to touch her this time around Clarissa."

"I don't want to." Staring at her palms, she clenches them into a tight fist. "At least not for now."

"I had a feeling you put yourself through more you can handle last time. Do you want to go retire for today?"

"No."

"Well I do, I'm getting bored of listening to them talk about cocky balding nobles." Astaroth leaves with Clarissa following behind. They race down the halls and to the other end of the castle, a thing they started doing recently.

Random races, sparring, spending most of the day with each other, they were inseparable and Vixen would barely see the girl come by the smithy anymore.

"Listening to them did kind of suck." Clarissa agrees.

"It was excruciating. I'd rather hear Orias talk about his cock."

"I'd rather listen to Katherine stutter all day."

"And I'd wish you to would watch where you're going!" A familiar raspy voice echoes.

"Josie." They come to an abrupt stop. The rat is there with three little ones. "Your kids..."

"Yep, my three little rascals. Was hard heading all the way here from the inn with these three in tow."

"They all look like you." Astaroth holds back the urge to say the children looked like non-angry versions of their mom. Josie looks perpetually angry.

" 'course. They're my kids. No clue who the father is though. Could be one of three or all of them. Saves me the effort of wondering if they all look like me."

"Ah..." He recalls the time Peter mentioned the possibility of him being a father.

"So cute..." Clarissa stared intensely at them, scaring the young rats. One was about to burst into tears.

"I'll see you two at the party." Josie looks closely at the two. "I see a stronger connection has formed since the last time I saw you both. It isn't just a one sided thing now. Congratulations boy."

"... Thank you?"