Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent

Chapter 159: Ch 159: The Arrival – Part 2

Kyle led Grand Duchess Amanda through the village’s dusty paths toward the best inn it had to offer.

It was a modest structure compared to the grand halls of noble estates, but Kyle had ensured it was cleaned, reinforced, and prepared ahead of her arrival.

Queen circled overhead once before perching quietly atop a chimney, watching the pair disappear inside.

Kyle helped Amanda out of her cloak and personally set her travel bag down in the corner of the room.

He took a quick glance around, visibly displeased by the plain walls and the worn wooden furnishings.

“I apologize. This place is still under construction. If things had gone according to schedule, the proper base would’ve been completed by now. Next time, I promise a far better welcome.”

He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Amanda removed her veil, revealing her composed, elegant face.

“You worry too much. I’ve lived through war zones and slept on blood-soaked dirt. This is a palace in comparison.”

She said, walking over to the window and opening it to let the breeze in.

Kyle let out a sigh, leaning against the wall.

“My apology wasn’t just for the room. I meant Silvy too.”

He said.

Amanda’s hand paused as she adjusted the window pane.

A flicker of bitterness passed through her chest before she masked it with a casual shrug.

“You don’t need to explain yourself. You’re gathering allies, building your strength. Powerful people don’t always come with convenient personalities. Besides…”

She continued, her voice lowered slightly.

“Ours is not a relationship built on mutual love. I have no right to complain.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed slightly. He stepped closer to her, arms crossed.

“Maybe not, but even if our relationship isn’t founded on love, I’m not stupid enough to let it fall apart in front of the public. I know what you’ve done for me. I won’t embarrass you like that.”

He said.

Amanda’s heart gave a small, treacherous tug at his words.

She hated how they stirred something vulnerable in her. She looked away, pretending to be interested in the scenery outside the window.

“I don’t want to cage you. That’s one of the things I admire about you… your freedom. Your ruthlessness. Your vision.”

She muttered after a moment.

Her grip on the window tightened.

“But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous. Not just of her. Of any woman who can have more of you than I do.”

She confessed softly.

Kyle was silent for a moment.

Amanda hated that part of herself—the one that longed to hold onto him tighter, to pull him away from everything else.

She hadn’t expected it to be this difficult.

She was a Duchess, a commander, a killer. Yet a single man, with nothing but ambition and a sharp tongue, had unsettled her more than any battlefield.

She frowned, trying to shake away the rising confusion in her chest.

Then Kyle stepped forward, hand reaching into his coat.

“Here.”

He said, pulling out a small velvet box and holding it out to her.

Amanda turned back toward him, blinking.

“What’s this?”

He opened the box.

Inside was the processed mana stone, now cut and polished into an elegant pendant.

It shimmered with soft light, its power quietly restrained but palpable. The setting was simple but refined—clearly crafted with care.

“A gift. A mana-stone pendant. It’ll protect you if something happens. Think of it as… a ward.”

Kyle said.

Amanda’s eyes widened for a moment before she snorted, hiding the relief and emotion that crept up behind her sharp pride.

“Kyle Armstrong, do you think someone would be foolish enough to attack me?”

She said.

Kyle gave a faint smirk.

“You’re right. I should take it back.”

He reached out playfully to close the box, but Amanda was quicker. She snatched the pendant with a flick of her wrist and turned her back on him.

“I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll accept your little charm.”

She said, her voice a mix of amusement and defiance.

Kyle chuckled quietly, watching her tuck the pendant away safely.

Outside the window, Queen fluttered down onto the railing, watching the scene unfold with its usual impassive gaze.

It tilted its head slightly, as if trying to judge the strange atmosphere between its master and the veiled noblewoman.

Amanda stood still for a while, holding the pendant lightly in her palm. She didn’t say it aloud, but she cherished the gesture more than she’d ever admit.

This wasn’t just a gift—it was proof that she mattered. Maybe not in the way she wanted yet, but it was a step. A signal that Kyle valued her in his own way.

And if she had to walk through fire to keep up with him, then so be it. Giving up wasn’t an option.

Not when he was this close.

After ensuring the Grand Duchess had everything she needed, Kyle politely excused himself.

“I’ll leave you to rest.”

He said, offering a slight bow before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Amanda watched the door for a moment longer than necessary.

Then her gaze dropped to the pendant in her palm—the mana stone he had gifted her, perfectly cut and filled with restrained power.

Her fingers traced the edge of the setting with surprising gentleness.

A soft smile crept across her lips. It was rare for her to receive something so personal, so thoughtful.

She could still hear the teasing edge in Kyle’s voice, but behind that, she felt something deeper—a rare hint of care.

But her smile didn’t last.

Within seconds, the air shifted.

Amanda’s brows drew together. She turned her head slightly, senses sharpening.

A faint mana trail crept under the door, a presence she’d already memorized. Familiar. Reckless.

‘The elf.’

There was no hesitation. Amanda moved.

Just as a mana arrow blasted through the wooden panel—no warning, no subtlety—Amanda ducked and rolled to the side, drawing her sword in one fluid motion.

The bolt scorched a line into the bedpost behind her.

By the time Silvy leapt into the room, expecting surprise or panic, Amanda was already on the move.

Steel met flesh with a thud as Amanda slammed Silvy to the ground and pressed the tip of her blade to the elf’s throat.

Silvy hissed in frustration, pinned beneath the weight and power of someone far more seasoned.

She struggled, but the edge of the sword nicked her skin as a warning.

“You’re not very good at sneaking.”

Amanda said coldly, her voice devoid of the earlier warmth she’d shown to Kyle.

Silvy scowled.

“Let me go. I wasn’t going to hurt you.”

Amanda arched a brow.

“You shot a mana arrow at my head.”

Silvy winced, clearly regretting that decision now.

“It was meant to scare you. I just… I wanted to talk to him alone. You’re in the way.”

Amanda’s expression hardened.

“You broke into my room. You attacked me. And now you’re whining like a child?”

Silvy went silent, her jaw clenched.

Amanda didn’t budge. Her sword remained steady, her mana pressing down like a storm cloud.

“You think liking someone gives you the right to act like this? If I were anyone else, you’d be dead.”

Amanda said softly, but her tone was sharp.

Silvy’s breath caught in her throat.

“I don’t make empty threats. And next time, I won’t hold back.”

Amanda added, eyes narrowing.

It was clear Amanda had no intention of releasing the elf—at least, not yet. Silvy, finally understanding how outclassed she was, stopped struggling.

The room remained tense, the air charged with mana and unsaid threats. Amanda’s hand tightened on her sword.

Silvy had crossed a line—and now she would learn the cost.