Chapter 161 Returning Home
The old lady really started to miss the days when Anne was around. Those three years were almost the most comfortable years of her life—she didn't have to worry about the family's finances or deal with all the trivial matters of managing the estate and territory.
Plus, the Titan family got invited to every noble banquet and ball, and everyone was willing to give them special treatment, whether openly or subtly.
She didn't even have to worry about her appearance. Anne would always prepare the right dresses and jewelry in advance, and the old lady just had to tell her maids to help her get dressed.
She looked down at the dress she was wearing. Since Anne left, she hadn't bought a new dress in ages. No wonder Nina complained—which noble lady or young miss didn't order new dresses every season? And if a new fashion trend suddenly appeared, they'd have to buy matching jewelry to show off their noble status.
But all of that was gone now, vanished along with Anne's departure.
After Candy married Holden, the old lady even had to use her own private funds to cover the costs. In the end, not only did they get no military achievements, but they also got themselves into a huge mess!
If only Anne could come back. If only she had tried harder to stop Candy back then.
But no matter how much she imagined different scenarios, the facts were right in front of her. The old lady could only helplessly lower her head, looking at her unconscious husband lying on the bed, and let out another long sigh.
While the Titan family was shrouded in gloom, Anne had already returned to the Virlet family's territory with Cynthia and the other three.
At the entrance of Virlet Manor, Kyle and Elisa had heard the news early and were standing outside the gate waiting for Anne to come back.
When Anne entered the territory, she had already switched to riding a horse. She carried Duke Skoda's flag, surrounded by the territory's people as she moved forward.
"Duke Virlet is back!"
"My Lord Duke! You've returned with Lord Skoda!"
"We knew it—the Virlet family would definitely have hope!"
Hearing the cheers from the surrounding people, everyone's eyes turned red as they looked at the flying flag, their eyes filled with both sadness and relief.
Anne looked gently at the people on her land—these were all the people she wanted to protect.
Morris and the others were also on horseback. Seeing Anne surrounded in the middle, they all smiled.
When they got near the manor, as soon as Anne's figure appeared, Elisa lifted her skirt and ran toward her. "Miss!"
Anne rode up with a smile, then looked down helplessly at the sobbing Elisa. "Crying so sadly—I came back just fine, didn't I?"
Elisa wiped her tears while saying, "It's because Miss came back that I'm so happy!"
Kyle also walked closer, looking up at the flag in Anne's arms, his eyes showing nostalgia.
Anne handed him the flagpole. "Uncle Kyle, you must be familiar with this, right?"
"Of course! I used to see it every day in the military camp!"
Kyle carefully took the flagpole, his gaze still following the flag, staring intently.
After a long while, he sighed. "Miss Anne, you've achieved your goal and brought the Virlet family back to where it should be. Duke Skoda must be so happy. He used to tell us that his precious daughter wanted to go to the battlefield and would definitely be his best successor..."
Kyle's voice choked up a bit. He turned his head away, not letting Anne see the expression on his face. "Alright, alright, let's not talk about this. It's good that you're safe. It's good that our Duke of the Virlet family is back."
Anne's eyes also turned slightly red. She took a deep breath, dismounted, and had the servants lead Milton and the other four horses away to be well cared for. Only then did she introduce everyone one by one.
From Kyle's words earlier, Samira had guessed that he had followed Duke Skoda to the battlefield before. After hearing the introduction, her eyes lit up even more. "So the guards at Virlet Manor are all trained in military style?"
When it came to his area of pride, Kyle snorted. "Of course! And I've adjusted the training based on their individual situations. If anyone dares to cause trouble at Virlet Manor again, they won't even get through the front gate! And even if they do get in, they definitely won't get out!"
The group entered the manor with laughter and chatter. Anne didn't forget to tell Kyle and the others that for the next few days, they wouldn't accept any visitors or invitations.
The news about Conor sending a message to Anne had already spread throughout the entire Soth Empire. Kyle and the others naturally knew about it, so when they heard Anne's order, they understood she still needed time to think, and immediately agreed.
Back in her family's territory, Anne's constantly tense nerves finally relaxed. After taking a bath, she fell asleep immediately.
The next day when she woke up, after Elisa's repeated assurances that the Virlet family's affairs were currently being handled well, she felt relieved enough to take Cynthia and the other three around the territory.
Among them, Cynthia was the richest. She directly announced that they could buy whatever they liked, and she'd pay for it. Samira and the others, having latched onto this generous patron, immediately started happily picking out souvenirs.
In the end, Samira bought a pair of pearl earrings, Duncan bought a dagger sheath, and Morris bought a bottle of sword care oil.
Anne originally thought that since she was the lord of this territory, she didn't need Cynthia to spend money on her. But Cynthia stood with her hands on her hips, staring at her until Anne picked out a bottle of ink, which finally satisfied her.
Morris was a bit confused. "Why is Anne buying ink?"
Samira pursed her lips. "Probably for after we leave, to use when she goes back to handle official business."
Anne smiled helplessly, essentially confirming it.
The five of them wandered around for several days. Finally, Cynthia spoke up. "Even now, I still find it amazing that we actually participated in a brutal war, earned military achievements, and survived."
Anne had asked them before if they wanted to stay in the Ivy Knights, because all four of them had earned military achievements, and if they stayed in the army, they could all get real authority.
But Cynthia, as a duke's daughter, had only come here to find Anne and have some fun. Samira and Morris came to hone their skills. As for Duncan, he was only interested in the rewards and didn't want to stay in one place for too long. So as soon as the war ended, they all left the Ivy Knights.
Duncan smiled. "Yeah, it feels like whenever I close my eyes, I'm still on the battlefield."