There were no handcuffs or shackles, and the guards kept far enough away that they couldn't overhear the conversation. Victor and Horace walked side by side along the road toward the palace.
"So! If you've already decided how you're going to explain yourself later, why not tell me now? I can review it for you first.
"I've served Her Enlightened Ladyship for many years, after all. I have a fairly good idea of what sort of words will anger her and what sort she'll actually listen to."
As the man responsible for successfully bringing the suspect, Victor Corion, into custody, Horace de Funés looked positively refreshed and delighted with himself.
Victor rolled his eyes.
"It shouldn't be that serious. No matter how angry she gets, she can't simply abandon all reason. I only refused to speak carelessly before confirming who was really behind everything. What if I'd accused the wrong person?
"Besides, I'm a viscount. Unless I've committed some major offense, what can she really do to me? Surely she isn't going to send someone to the gallows over something this trivial?"
"You'd still be wise to be careful. Her Enlightened Ladyship isn't always quite so understanding. Beneath that gentle exterior is an emotional and extraordinarily uncompromising side.
"In fact, a few years ago, Viscount de Lettenhove nearly ended up hanging from the gallows over some equally ridiculous affair. Of course, you're a landed wine noble, so you're somewhat different from someone like him, who received his title purely because he was in favor.
"But believe me, when emotion gets the better of her, Duchess Henrietta is perfectly capable of making someone suffer badly.
"And remember, the two of us can say this privately right now, but in any other situation, I will deny ever saying a word of it."
"Wow! Mr. de Funés, you're a true friend!"
"Everyone who knows me says the same thing, Lord Corion."
Barrel Junior and the Dragonborn noble exchanged smiles.
"At present, because of Sir Milton de Peyrac-Peyran, Her Grace suspects that you've concealed a great many details concerning the Beast. Normally, that alone wouldn't be such a serious matter, but now that the duchess's elder sister, Lady Sylvia Anna, is involved, even the smallest mistake will be examined under a magnifying glass."
"Anna Henrietta hasn't exactly been ruling for only a day or two. In all these years, she never tried searching for this relative of hers. Does she really care that much about her?"
"In the past, she believed her sister had died long ago, so she never pursued the matter. All of us thought the same thing. Syanna belonged to the past. After all, she vanished after running madly into a winter forest. Even a grown man would've struggled to come back alive.
"But once Her Enlightened Ladyship learned that her sister might still be alive, she flew into a rage. Her reaction made one thing perfectly clear, Syanna is not part of the past.
"She still loves her elder sister deeply."
As they talked, they reached one of the palace's side entrances. At the sight of Deputy Commander Horace, the guards made no attempt to stop them.
"Here's a hint for you. Her Grace chose to meet you at the belvedere. You know what that means, don't you?"
Victor rubbed his chin.
"She wants to meet me privately in an informal setting? Obviously, Her Enlightened Ladyship doesn't want too many people learning about this. She's deliberately protecting her elder sister's reputation."
"Exactly right."
Stopping in front of the washroom, Horace clapped his hands in approval.
"I'd wager that once the affair with the Beast is over, Lady Syanna will be formally restored as the Elder Princess of Toussaint and become a rising center of power within the duchy.
"So when you speak with Her Grace later and mention Syanna, remember to show her the proper respect. It'll save you a great deal of unnecessary trouble."
Victor gave a whistle to show he understood, then entered the bathing room to wash and change.
The smell clinging to him was simply too strong for him to present himself before the duchess in his current state.
He shaved off his stubble, tied the longer hair at the back of his head into a ponytail, and changed into a well-tailored black-and-white formal outfit before stepping outside and continuing onward with the deputy commander.
"Oh, right... which clever person managed to read all of that information from my actions? Was it you?"
The moment Victor asked the question, he was surprised to see Horace's expression stiffen slightly. The young knight then answered somewhat hesitantly.
"No. None of the knights discovered it. It was the sorceress sent here by Emperor Emhyr."
"What's wrong with you? You don't look very happy. Did she give you a hard time? Is this sorceress called Cynthia? If it is, I have at least a little influence with her."
Among Nilfgaard's abundance of talented sorceresses, Victor knew only three personally.
Two had been members of the Lodge of Sorceresses. Assire var Anahid had been executed at Loc Muinne. Fringilla Vigo had been recalled to the imperial capital and had never returned.
That left only the female spy Cynthia as the person he could reasonably guess.
The young knight shook his head.
"No. That's not her name."
"Well, that's a shame. Sorry, looks like I can't help you!" Victor said, the corners of his mouth curling upward in obvious schadenfreude.
"Yennefer! The sorceress's name is Yennefer... Yennefer of Vengerberg."
The brilliant smile froze on Victor's face.
...
Even after reaching the belvedere, performing the proper courtesies, and mechanically obeying the duchess's instructions to step forward and answer her questions, Victor was still considering how he should handle this development.
Victor was certain that the Five Virtues Murders, which should originally have occurred sometime in the future, had been brought forward because he had saved Leo's life and helped him successfully become a witcher, setting off ripples of a butterfly effect.
And those ripples had now produced yet another change.
Yennefer of Vengerberg had actually come to Toussaint to help deal with the Beast...
Yennefer...
Yennefer of Vengerberg.
A very, very important figure.
She was the lover of Geralt, the Sword of Destiny, and the adoptive mother of Ciri, the Child of Destiny.
It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that the entire story of the Witcher world revolved around this family bound together without any blood relation.
According to Victor's memories from his previous life, before Ciri's return and the beginning of the main story, Yennefer had indeed been in Nilfgaard.
Once the White Orchard prologue concluded, she would make her first proper appearance with an imperious attitude and a cold, stunningly sensual appearance, completely overpowering Geralt the White Wolf and captivating countless discerning players in the process.
In front of Yennefer, even the mighty Sword of Destiny was reduced to obedient agreement. He had to follow her orders and carry out her instructions without question.
That dynamic was easy enough to tolerate in a game, but actually spending time with her was another matter entirely.
Her arrogance and self-confidence alone ensured that she was not someone most people would find particularly pleasant.
If Victor had to count her redeeming qualities, there were only two.
First, she protected Geralt and Ciri in her own way. The story made it abundantly clear that her love for those two was sincere and selfless.
Second, she was so breathtakingly beautiful and alluring that countless people could never forget her.
She was difficult to make into a friend, but even less suitable to have as an enemy.
Victor considered how he should deal with her.
He certainly couldn't treat her the same way he treated Triss, with almost nothing held back. Yennefer was fiercely independent, and her interests might not align with his either now or for a very long time to come.
Only after Ciri, the Child of Destiny, appeared and became the bond holding them together would Victor be able to lower his guard around the sorceress.
He was also perfectly aware that, in Yennefer's eyes, he was merely someone rumored to know Ciri.
To a proud sorceress like her, he was probably little more than an expendable piece, someone whose presence or absence hardly mattered.
Yennefer was not like Triss Merigold, someone with whom peaceful coexistence could be achieved through a simple conversation.
She was a woman who had to be approached carefully, with one's guard raised at every moment.
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