Chapter 86: Sophia’s Gift

[3rd Person POV]

Eleanor didn't realize what she had just said until it was too late, she blushed inside the carriage while Sophia and Bakunawa looked at each other like they had just seen an eldritch that even their brilliant minds could not explain.

While all of this is happening, a lady in a European dress with brown and white colors can be seen outside a mansion, her arms are wrapped by the long-sleeved dress, and her brown skin reflects the rays of the sun as her black hair flutters alongside the fresh summer breeze, however despite all of that, Urduja is frowning.

Not only did she have to wear a dress, but she also had to wear a long-sleeved one to hide her muscular limbs, somehow, the dress had a V backless design on it and as she felt the gazes from her wives and maids that already stripped and licked her body with their eyes, she is so sure that this design was intentional, though given the personality of Urduja, she is destined to not hate being lusted upon, by women of course, actually the thing that annoys her is the person besides her, it was Mira who is being accompanied by a maid with a parasol that she is using to block the sun from reaching her skin.

Mira is somewhat nervous, maybe because she is beside Urduja, but mostly because of Sophia's nearing arrival.

Urduja looked at her and at the same time, Mira glanced at Urduja, because of this, the two of them locked gazes, Mira was startled, and with a "hmph!" she turned her head around, Urduja and even the maid squinted their eyes.

_Where did that come from?_

Urduja sighed whilst thinking as such, this lover's quarrel started last night when Urduja stated her concerns about the safety of Mira and her plan to temporarily hide her from Sophia's sight, the reason is very simple, Sophia is mad at her mother, so mad she is that Urduja's god have to directly command her to let Sophia blow off some steam using Urduja herself, but Mira won't accept it, saying that she will not know unless she tried.

Then a debate between a 300+-year-old person with a lot of experience and a person merely in her 20s ensued, and as a way older person, Urduja knew the only way that Sophia could forgive the person who abandoned her.

"Not unless you become someone useful to her, to her interests, ambitions, and plans will you be forgiven."

That is what she said, but Mira seem to misunderstand such remarks, thinking that Urduja is promoting a greedy image of Sophia.

"HER MOTHER MIGHT BE A HORRIBLE PERSON! BUT YOU CANNOT CALL HER AS SUCH JUST BECAUSE OF THAT! I WILL MEET HER WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"

Urduja was stunned, that was the first time in a long while that a human yelled at her, and even the King didn't have the guts to do so, honestly, Urduja was delighted to have such a lover, but the problem still did not disappear, it is just that Mira cannot understand the hypocrisy of monarchs, take the King of Gjallarhorn as reference, he announced his power all over his land and yet let Urduja establish a territory with nothing but her adopted sons and daughters as mayor, governors and generals.

The King's power in the land of Urduja is so small that his only two loyal nobles are in the two farthest points of the Inverse V of the territory.

If it's Sophia, it is evident that Sophia will pounce on her mother immediately. Still, if her mother is a capable spy, that pounce will suddenly be accompanied by a kiss on the cheek with "Mom, I missed you, please spy for me~!" In short, as long as Mira becomes useful to her plans, Sophia will forgive her, though sincerity might be an issue.

But Mira is yet to be capable at anything except basic swordsmanship, for Urduja just started to train her in every talent possible, but Mira is blinded by her guilt, like Urduja said, if it's for Sophia's forgiveness, Mira is willing to be burned in the stakes or be crucified. Urduja loved these facts about Mira, for it is evidence that she is striving to be a better person, but no dead person can strive to be better, because they cannot move.

_I just said the truth and then she didn't want to talk to me... Women... Oh wait, I am a woman too._

Urduja tried to distract herself as she rested both of her arms on her waist, earning a slap from a maid who was tasked to do so, Urduja sighed and then put her arms once again in front of her stomach and as she did so, an entourage with the emblem of the Urdujan territory halted in front of them, Urduja went into character and smiled.

As she did so, a person on the short side stepped out, in a silver filipiniana dress, she dazzled all of the people who were eavesdropping with her short hair that was adorned by a clip with a serpent feeding on the moon, she swept her sharp gaze and then locked on Urduja who grinned as she scanned Bakunawa's body up and down.

_Filipiniana?_

Bakunawa went into the side of the carriage as she announced the arrival of her queen.

"Her Majesty, The Queen, Sophia Demiurge I alongside her lover, Eleanor Blackwell has arrived, please pay your respects by putting your right hand into your left chest."

[Sophia's POV]

Upon Bakunawa's announcement of my arrival and my preferred way of salutation, I went up to the carriage with the sight of a tall woman in front of me, damn it.

But anyway, all of them seem to know the term "A monarch's weird tastes." and understood that I don't like people kneeling in front of me, maybe except for my wife, oh and by the the way, after that very intense awkward atmosphere earlier, Eleanor diverted the topic and described the appearance of my mom, the only thing that connects the two of us is that both of us are small, even her breasts. Mine are not the same, it seems like my father's genes are too strong.

Also, Urduja is not in a dress that I imagined her to be in, weakening my assumptions, well it's not like it is something important, but still, I found it interesting, so I went in front of Urduja who stopped putting her hand into her chest as I paid my respect the best way my prideful self can, after my respects, I made way for Eleanor as she bowed a little too, it is more sophisticated than mine, of course because I am yet to call Urduja "mother in law" and I don't like bowing to anyone in a personal level, so there is that.

In my peripheral vision, I can see a lady trying to reach out to Eleanor but was gracefully ignored, causing my mother to be dejected, the people inside the mansion who I presumed to be the numerous spouses of Urduja saw such a scene and threw their gazes towards me, I can feel that they are at least in the hero prospect level and are strong, but surely not in the same level as Urduja, or even me.

_It will be a bad thing if they are._

As I thought so, Eleanor smiled after bowing, her smile was bright, as if proud of herself and wanted to brag about her exploits to her mother.

"Mother I am back."

Eleanor said in Urduja smiling too as she scanned Eleanor's body, the maid at her back flinched, immediately going to the back of Urduja, whispering.

"My Lady, that is your daughter."

All of the people in front of the house could hear what the maid whispered, everyone swept their gaze towards Urduja, I reached my hand towards Eleanor and positioned her at my back.

"No, I will not do that to my daughter." Urduja shook her head as she sent a quick jab into the maid's stomach, making her curl to the ground, vomiting. Is her reputation that bad? I wonder.

Urduja coughed to recapture our attention as she said.

"In any case, the Duchy of Urduja is welcoming you to her mansion for a banquet that will happen for my birthday tomorrow, a festival will happen because of that, so I arranged the banquet later at night, for now, we shall talk about casual things to strengthen our connection... as a future mother in law of yours, this is obligatory."

I nodded, also seizing the chance to introduce my gift.

"Ah, of course as an invitee of the steamed Hero of the Sun, the Queendom of Kamatayan also have a gift fitting of such a title, however, I do not find the outside of your residence fitting to present you my gift."

After the two of us said such remarks, Urduja did not talk further. She just glanced at a soldier and then pointed at the maid, she then continued walking in front of me as the guide ignoring the golden armored soldier who nodded as he, after I passed the sight of the passed out maid, moved out and picked her up. It seems like Urduja doesn't have that much good temper, well who would have one if you are accused of having lascivious thoughts about your daughter, right?

_But I hope that she doesn't have any._

____

The mansion of Urduja has a gold and brown motif, these two colors seem to be the favorite colors of the duchess, you see, in every vase, room, linen, curtains, and pillowcase, these two colors can be seen. It is one of the advantages of being a noble, you can incorporate your style not only in your mansion but all over your territory, as for me, I gave the construction team freedom to choose the design of my cities, resulting in it being half moon shape city, well it is every preference after another, I guess.

As I was thinking of that, we entered the hallway towards Urduja's seat of power, it seemed like what she accommodated was my gift towards her at the same time my official request for Eleanor's hands, and as far as I can see it, my request will be successful, I mean, if not, then I will be faced with an army instead of a warm welcome according to the code of ethics for the nobilities of Gjallarhorn (introduced by Eleanor to me), so I will be fine, certainly.

The hall has the portrait of all the people who became the owners of this patch of land, of course, it was not originally this big, but because of the stupidity of the King, when he disposed of the original duke who united the frontline lands for the Valente-Gjallarhorn war that is still yet to happen until now, he gave all of the unruled land to Urduja, she then gave the land an unprecedented amount of power alongside development of human rights, public infrastructures and services that rooted the name Urduja to the territory, so Urduja Tawalisi has the biggest portrait in the hall.

As I was observing the hallway, we finally reached the hall that contains a seat with two kampilans crossing each other as the backrest part, Urduja went towards the seat, well she is a hero, so it is normal to see oneself as above Kings, and Queens, but I am also a hero (fallen) and a queen, seeing her position herself higher than me make me feel uncomfortable, but because of the plans I have in mind for this Kingdom, I did not voiced out any of my grumbles.

I went and stepped aside to let Bakunawa carry my gift, it was also a longsword with the name of Urduja Tawalisi engraved on the body of the blade, good thing is that I did not go traditional here, I mean I do not find gifting kampilan to a person that has a throne shaped after a kampilan (and presumably has kampilan as a weapon) very comfortable, that is like writing the word "well" on a single paragraph 15 times, it is not aesthetically pleasing.

"Please accept this gift crafted using iron and magic metal, it is a long sword that contains your name, a symbol of me honoring the contribution of your birth to the growth of the Kingdom you pledge your allegiance with."

Bakunawa knelt as Urduja looked at the woman that is also on top of the throne alongside her, the woman went down and then also knelt a little as she received the cloth that had the sword on it, it didn't need the scabbard because it is merely ceremonial and will not see the face of any battle after Urduja scanned the sword and swung it a little bit, she put it back to the cloth, signaling the woman to put the sword in the room that has the gifts of the noble and the King itself.

"Your Majesty, I believe that you and my daughter have developed something special, can you tell me more about it?"

As she said that, I could see that a person in the back, my mother suddenly moved out, I squinted my eyes for a fraction of a second as I went up to the throne of power, In my mind:

_It seems like my relationship with my mother is the one Urduja wanted to arrange and fix rather than her daughter._

But outside, I kissed the back of Urduja's hand, in my tone a never-before-seen determination (though it is just an act).

"Mother-in-law, I am officially requesting your blessing to let me marry your daughter and make her my wife, I want her to b-"

However, before I can even finish my formality-only dialogue, a vomiting sound is suddenly heard at the entrance of the throne room, all of the blushing, grinning, and shocked faces turn their back to the gate crusher and what we see is a maiden with a lot of eyes.

"Huff... Huf.... I don't know that running from the city walls to the gates is so tiring since all of you can do it so casually."

____

Note: Urduja's age is not a plot hole because she did not evolved, instead she was blessed, that is the most spoiler I can tell without harming the plot.