Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 333 Puppet on a String
Anna Navarre could clearly hear her heart pounding, so loudly that she couldn't help but worry that Mr. Leo on the other side of the table would notice.

The bad thing's "sudden attack" didn't discuss it with her beforehand, so at this moment, she might be the most surprised person at the dinner table.

But she still tried her best to remain restrained and act in accordance with Winters' attitude.

Anna couldn't help but start having wild thoughts. She felt panicked, uneasy, and even a little annoyed: "He... I haven't agreed to him yet!"

However, deep inside, an emotion called anticipation was rising uncontrollably.

Anna held her breath, waiting for Mr. Leo's reply.

Leo put down his spoon, sat up straight, and answered sincerely but formally: “Marriage is a major event, with etiquette and procedures. Mr. Montagne, if you wish to marry Mademoiselle Navarre, your elders should first negotiate with Madame Navarre. As for me? I cannot speak for Madame Navarre.”

“That’s not difficult.” Winters had already planned ahead, and he breathed a sigh of relief: “General Serbiati understands and respects my wishes, and he will bless Anna and me. As for the procedures such as signing the marriage contract, my aunt can handle it; I’ll write to her now.”

Upon hearing Winters' optimistic plan, Leo gave a wry smile and shook his head.

Winters was puzzled and wanted to ask more questions. But he didn't speak because he noticed that Anna's face had suddenly turned pale.

He instinctively took Anna's hand, and a faint response came from his palm—Anna also took his hand.

“Mr. Leo,” Anna’s voice trembled slightly, “where is Mrs. Navarre?”

"In the blue sea."

"May I ask one more question? Where is Anna Navarre?"

“You’re asking a question you already know the answer to, Miss Anna,” Leo replied with a smile. “Of course, it’s also in Hailan.”

Winters felt as if Anna had suddenly lost all her strength, her body swaying precariously. He instinctively tried to get up and reach over the table to hug her, but Anna instantly returned to normal.

"Stop playing riddles," Winters demanded of Mr. Leo, barely containing his anger. "Isn't Anna sitting right in front of you?"

“You’re joking, Mr. Montagne,” Leo replied unhurriedly. “I can swear on my life that Miss Anna Navarre is nowhere near here except in Hailan. To be precise, she’s at the Convent of Saint-Mihiel—and Miss Catherine is there too.”

When Mr. Leo was halfway through his speech, Winters had already roughly understood Mrs. Navarre's attitude.

Recalling the kind and amiable image of that lady in his memory, Winters realized that he actually knew nothing about Anna's mother.

He looked at Anna with concern. Mrs. Navarre's toughness and ruthlessness were beyond his imagination. Winters blamed himself for not discussing the worst-case scenario with Anna beforehand.

Anna looked at Winters, her eyes saying, "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Leo sighed deeply. Although he had been prepared, he still felt a little reluctant when the time came to confront him.

“Miss Anna, Mr. Montagne,” Leo cleared his throat and looked at the two men earnestly. “May I say a few words on a personal note—not as a partner of the Navarre firm, but simply as Miss Anna’s half-uncle and your half-friend?”

“How can we only be half friends?” Winters held Anna’s hand. “Please tell me.”

Winters dared not squeeze too hard, afraid of hurting Anna; yet he wanted to hold her as tightly as possible, because he wanted to give Anna even the slightest support.

“When I left Hailan, the lady only entrusted me with one thing.” Leo carefully chose his words, trying not to upset Anna: “That was to bring Miss Catherine back to Hailan.”

Although Leo phrased it delicately, the message he conveyed was crystal clear: Lady Navarre only wanted Catherine to return; Anna was not even mentioned.

Winters' heart sank. Judging from Mr. Leo's previous statements, the fact that Mrs. Navarre hadn't asked him to take Anna back to Aquamarine didn't mean she condoned Anna staying with him. On the contrary, indifference was the harshest punishment.

After much deliberation, Leo decided to make his point clearer.

Leo looked at Anna and said in a softer tone, "Miss Anna."

Anna also looked at Mr. Leo, indicating that she was listening.

“If you stay in Iron Peak County,” Leo said, emphasizing each word, “you can be Anna Montagne, you can be Anna Serviati, you can be anyone, but you will no longer be Anna Navarre. Anna Navarre will be the nun in the Saint-Miyes Convent who renounced all worldly rights.”

Anna listened and nodded slightly, her calm demeanor making Winters somewhat uneasy.

“But even if you return to Hailan, I don’t know how Madam will react. You might still be the heiress of the Navarre family, or you might be sent to a convent, or you might be arranged to marry someone else.” Leo remained silent for a long time before saying helplessly, “You really made Madam very angry, very angry, very angry. She… she hasn’t even mentioned you once.”

Another oppressive silence followed.

“Thank you, Uncle Leo.” Anna nodded calmly. “I understand.”

Winters was very uneasy, and the calmer Anna remained, the more uneasy he became.

Before Winters could continue asking Mr. Leo questions, Anna was already urging the two of them to start eating.

"Please try this braised beef tripe." She smiled and handed over the plate. "I've tried my best to recreate Hailan's recipe, but because I'm missing a few seasonings, I don't know if it will suit your taste."

[Braised Beef Tripe] is made from beef abomasum. This dish originated in Baihua City and was originally a favorite delicacy of textile workers. Beef offal was considered a despised ingredient, so it was very cheap and affordable even for ordinary laborers.

After its introduction to Hailan, braised beef tripe quickly won over the stomachs of dockworkers. Therefore, according to an unwritten classification, braised beef tripe is a "dockside dish." Winters, before going to school in the United Provinces, would frequently sneak over to Benway's house for a free meal, and the braised beef tripe was at least half to blame.

It was rare for Anna to cook seaweed herself, but unfortunately Winters had no appetite for it.

Dinner ended in a somber atmosphere. Winters didn't know what to say, and Mr. Leo also lost his usual witty remarks.

Only Anna continued to fulfill her duties as the hostess: maintaining the atmosphere of the conversation, introducing the food to the guests... as if nothing had happened.

Leo didn't linger; he quickly touched the cutlery a few times and then took his leave.

Winters and Anna escorted Mr. Leo out of the compound of the bachelor officer's residence. Compared to the somewhat awkward husband, the wife maintained her politeness and composure throughout.

As he watched Mr. Leo's figure disappear into the night, Winters felt he should say something.

He hugged Anna and said in as light a tone as possible, "It seems your mother gave you to me."

But the next moment, Winters could no longer utter any witty remarks, because Anna was already sobbing uncontrollably.

"How could Mom do this?" Anna cried heartbrokenly.

……

……

Hearing that the guests had left, Catherine and Scarlett quietly slipped into the restaurant.

Catherine glanced at the table and said confidently, "It seems the atmosphere isn't very good."

“How do you know?” Scarlett asked back.

“Just look at the plate, won’t you tell?” Catherine picked up her knife and poked at the fish on the plate. “It’s barely touched.” “Don’t touch it if you’re not going to eat it.” Scarlett slapped Catherine’s hand, looking quite regretful. “What a waste. I’ll take it to the guards.”

Just then, Winters helped Anna, who was almost unsteady on her feet, back to their apartment.

Hearing Anna crying, Catherine rushed out of the restaurant to check on her.

"What happened?" Catherine stood in the doorway in surprise, glaring at Winters. "You bullied her?"

Upon hearing her sister's voice, Anna suddenly threw herself into her sister's arms and burst into tears.

Anna's sudden, unusual behavior surprised and frightened Catherine. She stiffly hugged her sister and gently patted Anna's back: "It's okay, it's alright... What's wrong?"

"Mom," Anna cried, her tears wetting her sister's hair. "How could Mom do this?"

……

……

Five minutes later, in the living room of Winters' residence.

Anna had stopped crying uncontrollably, but was still sobbing softly.

"What happened?" Catherine sat on the soft chair with her sister in her arms, looking at Winters suspiciously. "Did Mom threaten Anna?"

Winters sat alone across from him and sighed, “Worse still, Mrs. Navarre didn’t even make a single threat.”

Winters then repeated Mr. Leo's words. At first, Catherine listened attentively with a frown, but the more she listened, the less convinced she became.

"I thought it was something else!" Catherine exclaimed, feeling tricked, and took the opportunity to ruffle Anna's hair, briefly enjoying the pleasure of being the older sister: "So it's just about severing the mother-daughter relationship?"

Upon hearing this, not only Winters, but even Anna stared at Catherine with wide, swollen eyes.

“In the end, sister, you just haven’t experienced enough. You’ve never been disciplined by Mom, so when she gets angry, you’re terrified.” Catherine said with a hint of smugness, “I don’t believe Mom would really dare to sever ties with you.”

Winters shifted his weight uneasily: "No, I sense that Mrs. Navarre's attitude is very firm, not like she's bluffing."

“Yes,” Catherine scoffed. “How can Mommy bluff if she doesn’t make you think she’s serious?”

“Kate,” Anna sobbed softly, her voice broken, “I think Mom is really angry.”

“Of course! Mom must be furious. She might even have thought about killing someone.” Catherine glanced at Winters, then looked at her sister: “But, like I said, she won’t do anything to you.”

“But…” Anna hesitated, clearly unable to find peace of mind in Catherine’s words.

Winters also felt that Catherine's attitude was too frivolous and unreliable.

Seeing that she could neither persuade Anna nor Winters, Catherine couldn't help but feel frustrated and disappointed.

She mustered her courage and pinched her sister's cheek: "You know, Mom has always had you completely under her thumb since you were little. Even now that we're so far apart, she's still controlling you. Since you don't believe me, then I won't say anything more. Do as you please."

"No...no..." Anna hugged her sister tightly, pleading softly, "Kate, no..."

This was perhaps Anna's most vulnerable moment; at least in Catherine's relatively short life, she had never seen her sister in this state.

"Oh, what are you afraid of?" Catherine hugged her poor sister and comforted her softly, "Isn't there Grandpa? Grandpa loves you so much, why are you afraid of Mom? Mom is threatening you, but her father is on your side."

"Grandpa... I don't know if you'll be on my side..."

“He definitely will.” At this point, Catherine felt a little jealous and gave a soft snort: “Grandpa loves you the most. He has always been on your side, always.”

Anna gave a soft "hmm," and her sobs gradually subsided. She leaned on her sister's shoulder, and the two supported each other.

Regardless of whether Catherine's words were reliable or not, Anna needed an anchor to stabilize her emotions, so she subconsciously chose to believe Catherine—for the time being.

Catherine softly hummed a nursery rhyme, creating a warm and touching scene.

However, a certain man watching from the sidelines probably wouldn't think that way.

Winters sat on the other side of the small living room, feeling extremely awkward.

He didn't know whether to stand or sit, walk or stay, and he didn't even know where to put his hands.

Catherine also noticed the discordant Winters and gestured for him to leave, but he did not move.

“Mr. Montagne,” Catherine had to break the cozy silence, and said with a bright smile, “It’s getting late, and we can’t ask you to stay the night. Please go back.”

Winters was even more embarrassed: "This is my place, and yours is next door..."

Soon, Winters fell silent. Anna had her back to Winters, so he couldn't see her expression. But Catherine's eyes conveyed a clear message—"Get out."

"Oh, okay... don't worry, and don't cry, I'm here for you." Winters grabbed his coat and quickly crossed the living room, hallway, and bedroom doors, stepping into the vast winter night.

The cold wind made Winters' hair stand on end. He had been kicked out of his own home and was standing outside the door, not knowing where to go.

The single officers' quarters were not a single building, but rather a dozen or so small detached houses within a large compound, providing temporary accommodation for single officers stationed at the garrison. Mason, Andrei, and a few others also lived here.

Looking around, all the detached houses in the compound were pitch black, except for Mason's house, where light shone through the window cracks.

Winters thought for a moment, put on his coat, and headed towards his senior's residence.

"Alright, alright." Catherine patted her sister's back and pushed her away from her shoulder. "He's gone."

Anna gave a soft "hmm".

Catherine was furious. As she tidied her sister's disheveled hair, she complained, "...He's such a blockhead! Doesn't he know that a lady needs some time to tidy herself up after venting her emotions? I have to remind him to leave... You and I are a match made in heaven, both of you are blockheads..."

Anna burst into laughter through her tears and playfully slapped her sister.

"You were just crying your eyes out in my arms, and now you're getting physical." Catherine was furious and made a move to retaliate.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Catherine's expression turned serious, and she took her sister's hand: "Anna."

Anna hadn't fully shaken off her disappointment, and was completely caught off guard by her sister's change in expression: "What's wrong?"

“Although I don’t think Mom will really sever our mother-daughter relationship; although I think that you going back to Hailan now is a victory for Mom,” Catherine said, word by word, “I also think that you shouldn’t stay here any longer.”

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(End of this chapter)