Allerdale Cumberland watched the approaching vehicle carefully. With her keen vision, she could already make out the Draco seated inside, her emotions churning into a bitter, tangled knot.
Her family had long been hailed by outsiders as "Ever-Pure Cumberland." There was a time when she carried immense pride in that title. But who could have predicted that the legendary House of Cumberland would fall to such a state today—forced to step forward and "welcome" another claimant after the late King's demise?
The thought brought a faint, forced smile to her lips—a quiet scoff directed at her family's current reality, and perhaps at herself.
"A pleasure to meet you... Lady Talulah Artorius," Allerdale said, forcing the formal address past her lips. Deep down, every fiber of her being resisted calling Talulah by such a title.
In her heart, that honor belonged to someone else entirely. To bestow it upon another felt like a quiet betrayal...
A shadow of grief flickered across her features, so clear that even Talulah caught it. The Draco frowned slightly, puzzled as to why this noblewoman looked so heartbroken upon her arrival.
"There's no need to call me 'Lady,'" Talulah said, brushing off the formal title. "I have no set claim on that throne right now. Just call me Talulah. Drop the honorifics."
Talulah couldn't fathom the root of Allerdale's sorrow, but hearing formal titles made her skin crawl. She preferred to cut straight to the point and avoid getting entangled with the local aristocracy.
"Then... I shall indulge your wish," Allerdale said, a subtle flicker of relief washing over her face—a shift that left Talulah even more baffled by the Feline's strange behavior. "Accommodations have been prepared for you, along with a welcome banquet hosted by the nobility, if you would..."
Behind Allerdale, the assembled nobles looked on with eager, expectant eyes. The lodgings and feast were carefully crafted ploys to curry favor with the Draco, hoping to secure their own positions in whatever regime took root next.
"Save your breath," Talulah cut in dismissively with a wave of her hand. "I brought my own lodgings, and I doubt I'll even stay the night. As for banquets, I have zero interest. Let's leave it at that."
Talulah harbored a deep distaste for aristocratic grandstanding, and nothing could coax her into joining their political theater.
"Besides, I doubt the masterminds behind you—or rather, that crowd of puppet-masters—have the patience to wait," Talulah added, her tone sharpening. "Which works out nicely, because I intend to meet them right now."
The assembled Victorian nobles froze, their expressions twisting into a messy blend of disbelief and outrage. All their elaborate preparation to flatter the Draco, completely discarded in a single breath?
If not for her bloodline and the terrifying reputation preceding her, they would have hurled curses at her insolence on the spot. Instead, they stood flushed with suppressed fury, their faces turning bright red like row of signal lanterns—a sight Jeanne found quietly hilarious from behind.
"Very well," Allerdale recovered quickly, managing a polite, composed smile despite the sudden turn of events. "I shall escort you to see... the grand nobles."
"No need for a procession. Just get in the car," Talulah said bluntly. Realizing Allerdale was the only one in the crowd who knew where the meeting was held, she decided to take the Feline along and leave the rest behind.
Throughout the entire exchange, Talulah hadn't uttered a single word to the other nobles. The aristocrats could only watch in stunned silence as Allerdale climbed into the vehicle, leaving them stranded on the pavement as the car rumbled away.
"She... she treats us as if we are completely beneath her!" one noble finally erupted into a furious roar once the car was well out of earshot.
His outburst broke the dam, and the remaining aristocrats burst into a chorus of bitter condemnation, tearing into the Draco for her blatant lack of courtly grace.
"Is it the narrow vision of an Infected, or did Edward simply die before teaching her proper manners?" another noble grumbled under his breath. Of course, he only dared utter such venom once she was safely miles away; he hadn't dared squeak a word to her face.
Meanwhile, inside the vehicle, Allerdale sat in awkward silence. She quickly realized that neither woman in the front seat had any intention of asking her for directions, which left her thoroughly perplexed. What were they planning?
As she pondered their silence, her eyes drifted to Fafnir, who was sitting beside her in the back seat, staring right at her. Allerdale studied the small dragon, wondering about the creature's origin. Why did this beast look so strikingly similar to Talulah?
Could this be... Talulah's child?!
The moment the thought flashed through Allerdale's mind, everything seemed to click into place!
Of course! That's why Talulah marched into Londinium so boldly without worrying about her Infected status—because she bore an uninfected heir!
With an uninfected child by her side, her claim to the throne becomes infinitely stronger! She can use the child as a rightful vessel to claim the crown, taking control of Victoria as regent under the guise of guiding a young ruler...
A cold sweat broke out across Allerdale's back as her mind spun out the conspiracy. She felt a sudden, morbid admiration for Talulah's ruthless foresight.
What on earth is going on? Talulah glanced into the rearview mirror, watching the Feline's face cycle through a dizzying array of bizarre expressions. She couldn't understand what this noble was daydreaming about to look so visibly shaken.
"Who knows?" Jeanne chuckled softly from the driver's seat. "Probably letting her imagination run wild."
Jeanne had deliberately placed Fafnir in the back seat to keep an eye on their guest, never expecting the Feline to jump to such wild conclusions. She found the whole misunderstanding secretly hilarious.
Naturally, Jeanne kept those thoughts to herself. Spilling the truth would only invite an earful from her short-tempered friend, so she decided to let Allerdale's wild theory ride.
Besides, after today, they'd likely never see this woman again anyway.
"Imagination..." Talulah muttered, still feeling that something was distinctly off, though she couldn't pinpoint what. Shrugging it off, she pushed the feeling to the back of her mind.
"We're here," Jeanne announced, bringing the vehicle to a smooth stop outside a grand estate. "I assume this is your family's residence, Miss Allerdale?"
Allerdale snapped out of her internal conspiracy theory, looking out the window only to see her own family mansion standing before them. Cold sweat drenched her neck instantly. How on earth did they know this location?!
"How... how did you know the meeting was being held at my estate?!" Allerdale gasped, her voice trembling slightly.
A creeping chill ran down her spine. The entire drive had felt like a silent mind game, as if she were a puppet being maneuvered by the two women up front.
The preparations for this high-level meeting had been shrouded in total secrecy. She had even set up decoy venues across the city to mislead potential spies. Yet these two hadn't asked a single question, driving straight to the real location without missing a beat...
What terrifying intelligence network do they possess?! Allerdale felt completely outmatched, as if she were a pawn on their chessboard—just like the Grand Dukes inside.
So this is the true terror of the Draco heir... She is far more dangerous than her age suggests.
If Talulah knew what was running through Allerdale's head, she would have loudly denied every word. It wasn't tactical genius; it was purely a matter of habit.
With Jeanne serving as a human compass far more reliable than any navigation system, who needed an informant? Jeanne could lock onto any target across a continent without knowing the address beforehand, making directions entirely redundant.
As for Fafnir... well, Talulah felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. Everything was Jeanne's fault. Yes, all of it was Jeanne's fault!
Standing outside the car, Jeanne scratched her head, suddenly feeling an inexplicably heavy weight dropping onto her shoulders. Where did that come from?