Free Web NovelChapter 6: The Duchess
They crossed the vast courtyard of the manor under the watchful eyes of numerous patrolling knights.
Barely had Elena passed through the main gate when several people rushed toward her.
"Lady Elena!"
"You’re back!"
"We were so worried!"
Adam watched the scene with curiosity.
Some were knights.
Others seemed to be servants or administrative staff.
All of them knew Elena.
And all of them looked genuinely relieved to see she had returned safely.
The young woman exchanged a few words with each of them.
Sometimes a smile.
Sometimes a joke.
Sometimes just a few reassuring sentences.
Adam quickly noticed she was very well liked.
"You’re popular."
Elena gave him an embarrassed smile.
"I just try to treat people well."
Lyriana, walking behind them, rolled her eyes.
"She’s mostly incapable of ignoring anyone with a problem."
"That’s not true."
"You spent three hours helping an old merchant find her cat last month."
"That was an emergency."
Adam stifled a laugh.
A few minutes later, they entered the main building.
The interior was even more impressive than the exterior.
High ceilings.
Magical chandeliers.
Luxurious carpets.
Refined decorations without being excessive.
They climbed a wide staircase before taking several corridors.
"Your mother’s office is here?" Adam asked.
"Yes," Elena replied with a nod.
"She also has an office in the city’s administrative center."
"But she rarely uses it."
"Most of the time, she works from the manor."
"It’s more practical for managing the duchy."
Finally, they arrived in front of a large dark wooden door.
Two guards immediately bowed.
"Lady Elena."
Without waiting further, Elena opened the door.
Inside was a vast office filled with documents.
Behind a massive work desk sat a woman with red hair.
Adam froze slightly.
The resemblance to Elena was striking.
The same blue eyes.
The same red hair.
But with a more mature appearance.
A more imposing presence.
A natural authority that filled the room.
She looked barely in her thirties.
Yet Adam already knew she had to be much older.
Elena had explained earlier that powerful women retained a youthful appearance for a very long time.
And that those who had given birth generally developed a more mature aura while still remaining remarkably young.
Their silhouettes also became more feminine over time.
As soon as the duchess lifted her eyes from her documents, she noticed her daughter.
For a full second, she froze.
Then her chair shot backward.
"Elena!"
She crossed the room almost running.
The next moment, Elena was engulfed in a crushing embrace.
"Mother!"
"You’re alive!"
The duchess examined her from every angle.
"Are you injured?"
"No."
"Do you feel pain anywhere?"
"No."
"Have you been eating properly?"
"Yes."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes!"
For several minutes, she continued asking questions without pause.
Adam and Lyriana exchanged an amused glance.
Finally, after repeatedly confirming Elena was truly fine, the duchess gradually regained her calm.
She took a deep breath.
Then her gaze finally fell on Adam.
Elena stepped slightly forward.
"Mother, this is Adam. He’s the one who saved me."
Then she added more formally:
"Adam, this is my mother."
The duchess finally released Elena, still slightly out of breath from emotion.
Her red eyes settled on Adam.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then she bowed slightly.
"Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Isadora de Valoria, duchess of this duchy."
Her voice was calm, composed... but heavy with authority.
Then she lifted her head again and added with a faint smile:
"And I thank you. From what I understand, you saved my daughter."
Adam nodded slightly.
"I just did what needed to be done."
Isadora studied him for a few more seconds, as if evaluating every detail of his expression.
Then she turned to Elena.
"Elena."
"Yes, Mother?"
"Has his status been verified?"
Her tone had become more serious.
Elena hesitated for a fraction of a second.
"Yes. We just finished the verification at the city gate."
Isadora nodded slightly.
"And... what does it show?"
Lyriana stepped forward, naturally taking over.
"Name: Adam. No affiliation. No criminal record. No guild."
She paused.
Then added more slowly:
"Benediction detected... and five active skills."
A silence fell in the room.
Isadora did not react immediately.
But her gaze changed.
Deeper.
More focused.
As if she had just seen something extremely rare.
"Five skills..." she repeated softly.
She turned slightly toward Adam.
"And the level of his stats?"
Lyriana replied calmly.
"His endurance is 19 at level 3. That’s well above average for someone of his rank. Even his strength and agility are... unusual for a man."
"Lyriana. Elena. Are you certain about these evaluations?"
"Yes," Lyriana replied without hesitation.
Elena also nodded.
"I confirm it."
Isadora closed her eyes briefly.
Then reopened them.
"I see..."
She remained silent.
Her eyes never left Adam.
Long.
Intense.
Then she turned to her daughter.
Her voice lowered slightly, her cheeks faintly flushed.
"...Did you verify that?"
Elena froze.
Then her face turned slightly red.
"No... not yet."
"With the journey and my injury, I didn’t have the time..."
The duchess stayed silent for a second.
Then she answered calmly:
"Very well. Let me know later."
Lyriana, still silent until now, simply added:
"I also want to know."
A short silence followed.
Adam felt the conversation was no longer about official status...
But about something else nobody wanted to explain in front of him.
The silence that followed was brief... but strange.
Isadora finally regained her perfectly controlled tone.
She joined her hands.
"Very well."
Her gaze finally left Adam, as if she were temporarily putting him aside in her mind.
Then she gave a small diplomatic smile.
"Adam. I officially welcome you to the Duchy of Valoria."
She slightly inclined her head.
"And I thank you again for what you did for Elena."
Adam replied simply:
"You’re welcome."
Isadora continued:
"As long as you are within the duchy, you will be considered an invited guest under the protection of Valoria."
She paused briefly, then added:
"If you need anything—lodging, equipment, or information—you may request it."
Her tone had returned to that of a duchess.
Calm.
Precise.
Unquestionable.
Then she turned toward Elena.
"Elena."
"Yes, Mother."
"You will accompany him."
Elena immediately nodded.
"Of course."
Isadora continued:
"Show him the city. Make sure he has a proper place to rest. And explain the essential rules of the duchy."
Then her gaze briefly shifted to Lyriana.
"Lyriana, you may join them if necessary."
The elf nodded.
"Understood."
A brief silence settled.
Isadora looked at Adam one last time.
Not with suspicion anymore.
But with restrained attention... like someone keeping an important piece on a chessboard.
Then she sighed softly.
"Good. You may leave."
She made a small hand gesture.
"I still have a lot of work to finish today."
Elena bowed slightly.
"Yes, Mother."
Lyriana did the same.
"Your Grace."
Adam hesitated a second... then also inclined his head slightly.
"Thank you for your welcome."
Isadora responded with a simple nod.
"Mm."
And with that simple sound, the meeting officially ended.
A few minutes later, they left the office.
The doors closed behind them.
In the quiet corridor of the manor, Elena let out a small sigh.
"Well... we’re going to show you the city then."
Lyriana nodded.
"And try not to attract even more attention than you already do."
Elena shot her a look.
"That’s not his fault."
Lyriana replied without hesitation:
"Not entirely."
Adam looked at both of them.
"I feel like I just passed an evaluation without being told the rules."
Elena gave a small laugh.
"Kind of, yes."
Lyriana remained more serious.
"Welcome to Valoria."
And as they walked through the manor corridors, Adam understood one simple thing:
In this world, his life had clearly just taken a much more complicated... but also far more interesting direction.
