Safe & Sound in the Arms of an Elite Knight: Volume 2 [Complete] by Fuyu Aoki

Author:Fuyu Aoki
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

Chapter Four: A Shadow Cast Over the Day

The afternoon following the showdown between Lloyd and Luke, a horse-drawn carriage clattered its way down an avenue in the royal capital.

“Finally...”

Lily, Chloe’s elder sister by three years, expelled a profound sigh of relief. As she peered out from the carriage window upon the brick-laden cityscape, her own reflection stared back at her.

Her skin was porcelain-white, and her hair fiery red, its length cascading down her back. Her features, though already endowed with beauty and grace, were smothered by a layer of gaudy cosmetics—an earnest yet overzealous display of vanity that served more to mar than to enhance. She wore an opulent crimson dress, a garment that mirrored the hue of her mane, enveloping a curvaceous body that was the height of feminine allure.

Indeed, she was the spitting image of a noblewoman’s daughter.

“This is what I get for being born out in the middle of nowhere,” she grumbled, fatigue haunting her voice and her visage. It’d been a year since she last journeyed to the capital, and the trip was every bit as exhausting as she remembered. On this occasion, she’d come to attend a dinner party at the behest of the son of a powerful marquis. Though securing both the invitation and her mother’s permission had been a relief, she’d been far less enthusiastic about the journey that followed.

Tucked away in the northernmost regions of the kingdom, Shadaf was flanked on all sides by mountain ranges and blanketed in snow each winter, isolating it for the season. Her two-week trip was timed to coincide with the spring melt, taking her through treacherous mountains and sweeping valleys in a bone-jarring carriage ride. The journey was far from uneventful, the carriage frequently swerving and skidding on icy, partially melted paths. Many nights, she found herself too far from civilization to rest at an inn, forcing her to endure the freezing temperatures within the cramped confines of the carriage.

All those distressing memories, however, vanished the moment she laid eyes on the bustling city streets. Replacing them were the excitement, the joy, the anticipation of spending a few days in the big city. For Lily, this was a treat she only got to relish once a year at most.

A quiet giggle slipped past her lips. “How exciting,” she murmured. Her brand new evening gown was prepared and her manners were drilled to perfection. Her preparation for the dinner party had been meticulous. But, there was just one missing piece to speak of...

“If only I could’ve had my new dress embroidered... Just where did that stupid Chloe run off to?” she mumbled, grinding her teeth in frustration.

Although she would never dare let slip to her sister, Lily knew that Chloe’s embroideries were beautiful, one-of-a-kind creations. They never failed to draw the eye of admirers at soirees and dinner parties, and she’d always looked forward to showing them off.

“Why, I stitched this, of course!” she would invariably proclaim in the loudest voice she could muster and without so much as a shred of guilt, in a proud boast of her own femininity.

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