Chapter 180 I Don't Have the Habit of Not Hitting Women
Virlet Manor.
Kyle had just patrolled to the manor gate when he spotted a carriage slowly approaching from the distance. There had been quite a few visitors these past few days, but nobles usually had someone make appointments in advance. Kyle remembered clearly that no one was scheduled to meet with Anne in person at this time today.
As captain of the guards, Kyle had the authority to verify visitors on Anne's behalf. He walked to the gate and instructed the knights guarding it to follow his orders before letting anyone in. After making sure everything was secure, Kyle looked up at the carriage, ready to deal with this uninvited guest.
The carriage soon stopped outside Virlet Manor's gate. Karina stepped out first. She looked at Kyle and the attendant knights beside him with arrogance, her face cold as she spoke, "Inside the carriage is Lady Selyma, Prince Friedel's mother. Please have Duke Virlet come out in person to greet her."
Kyle raised an eyebrow.
After learning about Lady Selyma's temperament from Friedel, Anne discussed it with Kyle and Elisa. They decided: if Lady Selyma invited Anne to her manor, Friedel would accompany her. If Lady Selyma came to Virlet Manor instead, Kyle would meet her first.
Kyle thought the latter was more likely, which was why he'd been frequently checking the manor gate lately.
Now everything was going just as Kyle expected, though he hadn't anticipated that even Lady Selyma's maid would be so presumptuous as to demand a duke come out to greet a visitor.
Kyle was not someone with a good temper, especially when it came to people trying to challenge the Virlet family. Candy and Holden last time were like that, and now this Selyma was too.
"This is Virlet Manor, belonging to the Virlet family. Even if Prince Friedel himself came, he would need our Duke's permission to enter."
Kyle stared at Karina and said flatly, "I don't know any Lady Selyma, but your words sound very much like a challenge to the Virlet family. Tell me, madam, are you trying to provoke us?"
Karina frowned at the difficult guards and said loudly, "I'm not trying to provoke anyone, but your Duke Virlet wants to marry Prince Friedel. Our lady is His Highness's mother. By rights, Duke Virlet should come out to pay respects to her elder."
Kyle actually laughed. "What bullshit are you talking?"
"What..." Karina froze.
"I said, stop using your little mouth instead of your ass to open and close - it's really laughable to watch. Didn't you understand what I just said? Even if Prince Friedel came here, he'd need the Duke's permission to enter. And so what if she's his mother? Nobles visiting each other need to follow rules. You didn't make an appointment in advance, so I shouldn't let you in at all. And on top of that, you want the Duke to come out in person - how full of yourself can you be?"
"Never mind that the Duke and Prince Friedel aren't even married yet, they don't even have an engagement. Even if they were married, the Duke would still be a duke. Who goes running to the gate to wait for people? Does your lady think she's as noble as His Majesty the King?"
"You can meet the Duke, but you need to learn how to ask politely. From what I can see, you can't do that, so you should just go back."
Selyma inside the carriage couldn't sit still anymore. Even a servant of the Virlet family dared to be this insolent - wouldn't that Virlet Duke walk all over her?
"How dare you tell me to leave?"
Selyma pushed open the carriage door. Although the ride hadn't been bumpy and nothing had happened, being trapped in that cramped little carriage made her feel like her back was about to break. Now hearing Kyle's words, she exploded with rage.
"Damn you, you're just a doorkeeper, a servant, and you dare demand I be polite? Let me tell you, there will be no engagement, absolutely not. I will never let a woman from your broken-down family marry my son, especially not some dirty woman who's already been married. Does the Virlet family not even have mirrors? How dare they dream of having Friedel as a husband?"
"Let me tell you, I came here to see just how shameless she is. Now, tell her to get out here right now! Having a lowly slave like you block my way - who do you think you are?"
Selyma pointed at Kyle and shouted furiously, completely ignoring how the faces of all the attendants around had turned dark.
Kyle could hardly believe that Friedel, who had been so polite when visiting Anne, could have a mother like this. If Anne really married Friedel, how much would she have to suffer!
He laughed in anger and quickly stepped forward toward Selyma. "Low people see everyone as low. You think I'm low, but how great are you really? When it comes down to it, aren't you just a woman who stole her own sister's husband to be a mistress for life?"
"If you were my child, I'd be too ashamed to leave the house. Your family actually let you out without a leash - how brave of them. If your family had someone as thick-skinned as you guarding the border, I think His Majesty wouldn't need to worry about enemy troops breaking through your family's shamelessness."
Selyma was so angry she raised her hand and pointed at Kyle. Her life had been smooth sailing from birth. The only setback was when the King slept with her thinking she was her sister and then didn't want to take responsibility.
But the family elders pleaded with His Majesty, and her sister was willing to compromise, so the King finally agreed to let her stay in the palace as a mistress. With her sister backing her, Selyma got whatever she wanted in the palace and never suffered any hardship.
Now her nephew was King, her son Friedel was a prince, the commander of the Eastern battlefield. He'd returned with military honors. Selyma thought no one could be more successful than her, yet here was some random duke's servant daring to insult her!?
Selyma tried to slap Kyle, but he grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
Kyle stared at Selyma with a cold smile, the killing intent in his eyes unconcealed. "So the noble lady only knows how to discipline others with slaps? Too bad for you, I'm not someone just anyone can hit. When I was young, I went to war and saw more corpses than you've seen people. You want to hit me? Why don't you consider whether you'll make it back home after hitting me? After all, I don't have a habit of not hitting women."