Chapter 181: Ch 181: Lady Rose’s Journey- Part 2
The sky was clear when Lady Rose Adam finally reached the outskirts of Kyle’s village.
Her eyes widened the mont the rooftops ca into view.
“This can’t be the sa place…”
She murmured, leaning forward in the carriage as it rolled past a row of neatly built hos.
Stone pathways, lantern posts, and even small gardens lined the main road.
There were villagers bustling about with purpose, wearing clean clothes and carrying tools or goods. Children ran past, laughing, holding wooden tablets as if they were headed to class.
Rose gawked.
“This… this is a village?”
It looked more like a small, thriving town.
As the carriage approached the gate, two guards imdiately stepped forward, spears crossed.
“Halt! State your business.”
Rose blinked.
“Excuse ?”
“This is Lord Armstrong’s village. Visitors need to declare their purpose.”
One of the guards said, stern-faced.
Lady Rose narrowed her eyes.
“You’re speaking to Lady Rose Adam. I ca here to et your lord. I am a very important guest.”
The guard didn’t budge.
“Never heard anything from Lord Armstrong about an important guest. Without clearance, I can’t let you pass.”
“You—! Do you know who I am?! I’m the daughter of Baron Adam!”
She gasped, scandalized.
“I know who you say you are. But I take orders from Lord Armstrong. Not from people who drop nas.”
The guard said with a shrug.
Rose’s mouth opened, stunned. She clenched her fists.
“You dare treat like a commoner?”
“If you’d like to wait, I’ll send a runner to inform the lord of your presence. If he confirms it, you can go through.”
The guard said flatly.
Rose huffed loudly, practically trembling with suppressed rage.
“Fine. Go ahead. I’ll wait.”
The guard signaled, and a nearby boy, no older than ten, sprinted off into the village. As the minutes dragged by, Rose stood beside her carriage, arms crossed, foot tapping angrily.
“I’ve never been treated like this in my life! This place may look decent, but its people are absolutely insufferable.”
She muttered.
She looked around with disdain.
“How dare he allow this kind of treatnt? After everything I did for him… I ca all this way for him.”
Her gown was still dirty from the road, her boots caked in dried mud.
She looked nothing like the noblewoman she had been when she first left the estate.
Every passing mont outside the gate, with curious villagers glancing her way, only added fuel to her anger.
“If I had known this place was full of such rude commoners, I would have never bothered.”
She hissed under her breath.
Her driver wisely kept silent. He had already endured enough of her wrath during the journey.
After what felt like forever, the boy finally returned, panting. He leaned up to whisper sothing to the guard.
The guard’s brow arched, then he turned toward her.
“Lord Armstrong says you may enter. But do keep in mind, our village has rules. Everyone follows them. Including guests.”
He said, stepping aside.
Rose marched past him with a glare that could curdle milk.
“You’ll regret this attitude. Once I speak to Kyle, you’ll learn just how mistaken you’ve been.”
The guard didn’t respond, but the smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth told her all she needed to know.
She stord into the village, her eyes darting around the streets, furious but grudgingly impressed.
The roads were clean. The air slled of baked bread and fresh herbs. People were carrying books. Actual books. Commoners.
“Just what in the world has he been doing here?”
She muttered.
As she passed by a group of children playing with chalk on slate boards, one of them glanced up and asked.
“Miss, are you lost?”
“I most certainly am not.”
She snapped.
The child blinked and scurried off, whispering to the others.
Rose exhaled sharply and kept walking. Her pride was battered.
Her clothes were dirty. She had been denied entrance, questioned like a criminal, and made to wait outside like a beggar.
And all of this—all of it—was Kyle Armstrong’s fault.
“I’ll make him see. He thinks he can ignore ? Let’s see how long he keeps that up after I appear before him in person.”
She muttered to herself.
Even as she trudged deeper into the village, the sights around her gnawed at her confidence.
How had Kyle created this? How had a remote, no-na village turned into such an organized, thriving community under his hand?
The resentnt boiled with a new flavor—one she didn’t like admitting.
Envy.
“He doesn’t get to rise while I’m stuck watching.”
She whispered.
She paused at the steps of what appeared to be a large administrative building. Two guards flanked the door and one stepped forward.
“Lady Rose Adam?”
“Yes.”
“You may enter. Lord Armstrong will see you now.”
She straightened her back and walked past him without a word. But in her heart, she wasn’t walking toward Kyle with grace.
She was marching toward revenge.
Lady Rose Adam stepped through the doors, expecting a red carpet or at least a respectful nod. Instead, she was t by a familiar man who used to be around Kyle a lot these days—Bruce.
“You’re the one they call Bruce? How… quaint. Looks like that idiot has enough sense to send soone useful to to lead inside. Now, show the way around.”
She asked, brushing dust from her skirt.
Bruce gave a shallow nod.
“Welco, Lady Rose. Lord Armstrong is busy. I’ll receive you in his place.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Busy? I traveled through storms, mud, and humiliation to get here, and he doesn’t even have the decency to greet ?”
Bruce’s jaw tightened, but he remained still.
“The lord has duties. This village doesn’t run on noble pride.”
Rose scoffed.
“Clearly. If it did, maybe I’d be offered a towel and a seat instead of disdain.”
Bruce’s tone grew cold.
“If you ca here to belittle everyone and expect royal treatnt, Lady Rose, you’ve co to the wrong place. We don’t have the patience for arrogance.”
She blinked, then her eyes narrowed.
“Excuse ?”
“I said, take your rude remarks elsewhere. You are a guest here, and so far, you’ve only insulted the people who built this village with their hands.”
Bruce said, keeping his tone formal.
Rose’s cheeks burned, but she lifted her chin.
“I’m simply telling the truth. If that offends you, perhaps you’re too sensitive.”
Their sharp stares clashed in silence until a child’s voice called out nearby.
“A! B! C!”
Both of them turned toward the open courtyard, where villagers sat on low benches, holding wooden boards. An elderly woman was pointing at letters, guiding a group of children and adults alike.
Rose stared in disbelief.
“What… is this?”
Bruce glanced at them with pride.
“Education. For everyone.”
Her eyes widened, disgust flashing through them.
“You’re teaching commoners letters? Like they’re nobles?”
“They’re humans. They deserve knowledge. This is what our lord has decided.”
Bruce said firmly.
Rose took a step back, stunned.
“This is… unacceptable. It’s a disgrace.”
Bruce gave her one last look.
“No, Lady Rose. It’s the future.”
And with that, he walked away, leaving her standing in the hallway—confused, insulted, and more furious than ever.
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