Chapter 257: Ucardi

"Gervas, I feel like all these nobles are acting strange—even during the meal, they were weird!"

After the lunch ended, the nobles did not rush to leave, as that would be impolite.

Gervas arranged for everyone to take a stroll around the town.

On the way, Catherine deliberately slowed her pace and quietly asked Gervas.

When she first arrived, she had already felt this way.

And during the meal, the feeling grew even stronger.

She even felt that several nobles were about to cry while eating!

"Maybe it's because Rose's cooking is so good, it moved them deeply!"

Gervas knew exactly what was going on, but he couldn't directly explain to Catherine that their reaction stemmed from a mix of emotions.

Upon hearing this, Catherine didn't object—instead, she nodded. "Gervas, your beautiful head chef's skills are truly excellent—even better than the chef my grandfather sent!"

"And she's so beautiful too—it's truly enviable!"

If anyone else had praised her, Gervas would have been delighted that his chef's skills were recognized.

But it was Catherine—especially her last remark—that made it sound oddly meaningful.

"Cough! Catherine, the head chef of the Hernade family must be equally skilled; they couldn't possibly be outdone by Rose. I think your perception is due to the dishes themselves!"

"For example, that custard pudding—if you like it, send your chef here to learn. Teaching others requires payment, but for you, I'll do it free of charge!"

At the table, Gervas had noticed Catherine showed little interest in meat soups and similar dishes.

But for sweets, especially the newly perfected custard pudding, Catherine had eaten two full servings.

She seemed unsatisfied—had the setting not been inappropriate, she might have eaten a few more!

"Really? Great! It's settled then!" Catherine beamed, once again making Gervas feel as if spring had bloomed.

"By the way, Gervas, I saw two maids helping you with your clothes and grooming, and one of them looked a bit like a savage from the Western Tribes."

Damn! Gervas mentally exclaimed Damn!

He never expected Catherine's eyes were so sharp—she noticed something even other minor nobles had overlooked!

After all, who would casually stare at someone else's maids?

"Catherine, that maid is actually..."

Splash! Splash!

Just as Gervas was about to answer, members of the flying squad swooped down and interrupted him.

"My lord, a fifty-man armed force has appeared three miles west of the castle. They claim to be from Eagle City, sent specifically to investigate the dispute between Stormhold and Lord Parker's fief!"

"They also say they're here to investigate the attack on Lord Parker's castle and his disappearance!"

Catherine, who had been waiting for an answer, instantly grew serious.

Thomas and the others leading the tour also turned around.

"Perfect! I was waiting for Lord Parker's compensation! Now that he's vanished, I'll have to seek it from the Kingdom!" Gervas, unfazed, smiled.

"Gervas, Lord Parker's disappearance is suspicious—be careful later," Catherine warned, still slightly concerned.

Originally, Gervas was the victim, in the right.

But now that Lord Parker's castle had been attacked and his fate unknown, the situation had grown complicated.

"Catherine, don't worry. Lord Parker's death has nothing to do with me—they can't just blame me!"

Thus, the planned tour was canceled; Gervas simply waited in the town square for the Eagle City contingent to arrive.

Not long after, the force reported by the Magic Swift Eagle squad arrived.

The leader Gervas recognized—Cor, the centurion from the border outpost.

"Greetings, Lord Gervas. This is Ucardi, official of the Civil Affairs Office of Eagle City, specially dispatched to investigate the attack on Lord Parker's castle and his invasion of Stormhold!"

"Lord Ucardi, this is Lord Gervas, Lord of Stormhold!"

"So you're Lord Ucardi? I've been waiting for you! After Parker attacked me, he vanished—was he deliberately hiding? I'm still waiting for his compensation!"

Ucardi closely observed Gervas's expression and found no irregularity.

"Lord Gervas, Lord Parker did not flee, as the attack by dark creatures on his castle has been confirmed beyond doubt!"

"Also, I'm curious—Lord Parker repeatedly invaded your Stormhold, and last time even tried to kill you. Did you ever want to kill him?"

Gervas's smile faded as he frowned at Ucardi. "Lord Ucardi, what is the purpose of this question?"

"Of course, the answer is simple—I absolutely wanted to kill him. That day, I chased him all the way to the border, intending to kill him!"

"But unfortunately, the next events are best known to Centurion Cor—Parker took refuge inside the outpost!"

"Had he not fled there, I would have caught him and killed him without hesitation, then claimed it was self-defense—no law would have been broken!"

"By the way, Lord Ucardi, I only intended to kill him but failed. That doesn't violate the law, does it?"

"After all, if the circumstances were different, I wouldn't admit to these words now!"

Damn! Cor mentally exclaimed Damn!

This Lord Gervas was incredible—no wonder he'd toppled the Parker family's decades-old lineage in just half a year.

He was openly discussing how to kill a noble and justify it right in front of Lord Ucardi!

This was utterly disrespectful.

Of course, Cor didn't realize that if Ucardi had shown Gervas some respect—focused on compensation instead of arriving arrogantly and probing—Gervas might have returned the courtesy.

But now, as a lord and the victim, Gervas had no reason to fear Ucardi—unless the Viceroy of the Southern Region arrived in person, Gervas would remain calm.

Ucardi's brow furrowed deeper, his expression darkening. "Lord Gervas, further investigation into the dark creatures' trail suggests they came from the border of Baron Cain's fief to Lord Parker's castle."

"In other words, these dark creatures originally appeared at your Stormhold's border, then inexplicably turned toward Lord Parker's castle!"

"Oh? Is that so? That's unexpected!" Gervas feigned shock.

"Then it truly is the Blessing of the God of Glory! Had these dark creatures attacked Stormhold without my knowledge, my serfs would have suffered terribly!"

"Thank the God of Glory for protecting Stormhold—and thank Him for delivering righteous punishment upon those shameless villains!"

Cor and the surrounding minor nobles nearly raised their thumbs in approval; Ucardi's lips twitched.

This Gervas was so young, yet despite appearing fearful, he spoke with such composure.

He could not discern from Gervas's expression whether the dark creatures' attack had any connection to him.

"Lord Gervas..."

"Lord Ucardi, I'd like to ask—what exactly is your purpose in coming to Stormhold? To investigate Lord Parker's invasion of my lands and handle the aftermath?"

"Or to investigate the attack on Lord Parker's castle by dark creatures?"

"If it's the former, get to the point now!"

"If it's the latter, I've answered enough. Unless you have solid evidence, cease harassing me!"

Just as Ucardi was about to ask more, a cold female voice cut him off.

Instantly, Cor and Ucardi turned to the speaker!

They had noticed this beautiful woman from the start.

But since they were at the border, they hadn't regarded her as significant.

Now, her aura was even stronger than Gervas's.

Her tone carried absolute authority.

Remember, Ucardi was from Eagle City, sent by the Viceroy to investigate!

"Miss, who are you?"