Free Web NovelChapter 21: 21: The City (3)
Jenny ignored both of them and asked the assistant to prepare it.
Peter needed simple but sturdy clothes because his armor was damaged. Jenny ordered a dark brown coat, clean trousers, boots, and bandages. Peter tried to say it was not necessary, but Jenny silenced him with one look.
"You are still the knight captain of House Vardros," she said. "You will not stand in front of House Ravencroft looking like a wounded bandit."
Peter lowered his head. "Yes, my lady."
Then Jenny began choosing her own clothes. The assistant brought several dresses. Some were too bright. Some were too soft. Some looked like they belonged to a noble girl going to a banquet, not a young woman whose family had been destroyed. Jenny finally chose a deep red dress with black embroidery, a travel cloak, and simple boots. It still looked noble, but not useless.
While Jenny was looking at another dress, Lucard noticed someone.
In the corner of the private section, there was a lady sitting like a VIP. She was not looking at clothes. She sat near a small table with a porcelain cup in her hand, quietly sipping tea. Her clothes were elegant, dark green with silver thread, and her posture was calm. Two female guards stood behind her, and both carried short swords at their waists. The shop workers did not disturb her. From the way they avoided looking directly at her, she was not an ordinary customer.
Lucard looked at her. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
The lady looked back.
Their eyes met.
For a few seconds, neither of them looked away.
Her eyes were sharp, but not hostile. They had the look of someone who counted everything. His torn clothes, his calm face, the dried blood near his collar, the way Jenny and Jake stayed near him, and the way Peter, a knight captain, seemed to listen when he spoke. She noticed too much in a short time.
Lucard also noticed things about her.
Her fingers had no trembling. Her breathing was steady. Her guards stood behind her, but she was not relying on them completely. She had mana, but it was controlled. Her ring carried the same silver coin mark as the shop sign, which meant she was connected to House Marovain. Maybe a branch manager. Maybe a young noble of the merchant duke family. Maybe someone more troublesome than both.
The lady smiled faintly.
Lucard did not smile back.
At that moment, Jenny called him.
"Lucard, look at this."
The eye contact broke.
Lucard turned his head and saw Jenny holding a black outfit. It had a long coat, black trousers, a dark shirt, and a simple belt. The cloth looked expensive but not too bright. It was the kind of clothing a noble could wear while traveling without looking like a colorful bird begging to be shot by hunters.
Jenny looked at him. "You should wear something proper too."
Lucard took one look at the outfit.
"Black is fine."
Jake came closer while holding his new blue clothes. "Brother, you always choose dark things now."
Lucard looked at him. "Dark things hide blood better."
Jake looked at the black clothes again. "That is useful."
Jenny rubbed her forehead. "Please do not learn fashion advice from him."
The assistant smiled politely, though his face showed he did not know if he was allowed to laugh.
Lucard chose the black clothes without caring much. He also chose a long black cloak and new boots. He refused anything too decorated. The assistant tried to show him a coat with silver patterns, but Lucard looked at it as if the cloth had offended his ancestors. Since his ancestors were now mostly irrelevant to him, that meant the coat had done something truly terrible.
After they finished choosing, Jenny paid with gold coins from the space ring. The assistant’s respect became stronger after seeing the money. Money had that power. It made people polite faster than lectures about honor.
They changed into the new clothes in private rooms.
When Lucard came out, he looked different. The black clothes fit him well. His hair was still messy, but now he looked less like a survivor crawling from a battlefield and more like a quiet young noble who might have pushed someone else into that battlefield. The long black coat made him look colder. The cloak covered most of his weapons and stains.
Jenny also changed. In the deep red dress and dark cloak, she looked like the noble daughter of House Vardros again, even if her eyes still carried grief. Jake looked cleaner and more like a young noble heir. Peter looked less close to dying, though the bandages under his clothes still made his movements stiff.
When they left the private section, Lucard glanced once more toward the corner.
The lady was still there.
She was still sipping tea.
This time, she raised her cup slightly, almost like a greeting.
Lucard ignored it and walked away.
Outside the shop, the city had grown darker. More pale blue lanterns were lit along the road. The streets were not crowded, but there were still people walking, merchants closing stalls, and guards patrolling in pairs. The black towers of the inner district could be seen in the distance. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Jenny looked toward the upper road. "We should go to House Ravencroft now."
Peter nodded. "The inner gate will close after night bells. We should not delay."
Jake looked at Lucard. "Brother, are we safe now?"
Lucard looked at the street ahead.
"Not yet."
Jenny’s face became serious. "What do you mean?"
"It means we are inside the city, but enemies can also enter cities. Walls keep out beasts, not greed."
Peter looked around carefully after hearing that.
Jenny held Jake’s hand tighter.
They started walking toward the Ravencroft estate. After some time, the road became cleaner and quieter. The houses became larger. The people they passed wore better clothes. This was clearly the noble district. Far ahead, Lucard could see a black iron gate and guards wearing the bone raven mark.
