"Wait, this is your home?! It's really not the Imperial Palace?"
Horatio's jaw nearly dropped.
Σ(っ°Д°;)っ
Directly in front of the shuttle was a complex of buildings that read as a mansion but looked like a palace.
The complex covered an area of approximately 3 square kilometers, serving as the main residence of Rear Admiral Alexander Hood, the palace's owner.
It was hundreds of meters long, about 30 meters high, and had a three-story structure.
On the far right, there was also a Norman-style square tower with the Imperial Eagle flag and the Hood Family crest at its peak.
At each end of the main residence were extremely long corridors, arranged in a pi-shape when viewed from above, connecting to two other equally luxurious mansions—these were properties for adult children.
In other words, this Female Hunter-Duke had her own palace.
Both the interior and exterior of the building adopted a Victorian style, with blue tiles and white walls, elegant and dignified, yet also showcasing the liberal style prevalent in the Imperial Navy.
If one were to drive from the main gate, they would have to pass through a five-meter-high gate guarded by a fully armed guard.
Then, they would traverse a forest garden, five kilometers deep, constantly patrolled by Guards, followed by an even taller fenced gate, and then drive another three hundred meters, circling the magnificent sculpture and fountain of Alexander Hood himself, before finally reaching the front of the mansion.
Even more terrifying was that there were dozens of such mansion estates on the sky gardens.
"Is this already very big?"
The Female Hunter-Duke looked at Horatio with a helpless expression, saying (_"):
"The even larger mansion across from us is the estate of my uncle, Viscount Samuel Hood, and that largest one, twice the size of my home, is the residence of the most respected Navy Admiral Bridges Rodney, who is the mentor of our Hood Family's two Lord Captains."
Horatio blinked, unsure how to comment, and could only inwardly grumble:
[Unfathomably wealthy! I don't understand the world of Navy nobles!]
"Then how do we get in? Your family courtyard even has Hydra anti-aircraft guns and surface-to-air missiles…"
"I sent a signal; the guard officer will let us through directly, and we'll land on the helipad outside my house."
"Then how will you explain my arrival to others? If I enter as a Adeptus Arbites official, I'll be treated as a guest, and there will always be servants by my side, right?"
"Exactly, so you can only sneak in."
The Female Hunter-Duke frowned in distress.
"This could work."
Horatio offered a suggestion: "Isn't it almost evening? I'll sneak in during dusk."
"You and your big head!"
The Female Hunter-Duke scolded displeasedly: "Do you think my house doesn't have an anti-theft system? If you're detected, a company of Guards will come over, and I won't help you.
Once you're caught, I'll immediately cut ties with you; Father must never know I brought you here."
"You just need to disarm the alarm from inside."
"…"
The Female Hunter-Duke's eyes darted around; it seemed it wasn't impossible?
But there was certainly difficulty involved.
Her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
[First, I have to get rid of the maid and butler.
My personal maid, Lina, is fine; she's a companion I grew up with, so she's one of us.
But the old butler is Father's old subordinate; if he sees me turning off the anti-theft system, he'll definitely ask why.
And the intention is clearly to bring someone in, so I can't even lie.
If it's reported to Father, then everything will be exposed.]
And…
Her emerald eyes looked at the dirty Horatio.
[This guy's feet are covered in the filthy, smelly mud from the Lower Hive.
Oh, God Emperor, what should I do?! Do I really have to… get him a set of Father's clothes to change into?
Oh God, kill me now; if Father finds out I brought a man home, it would be more tormenting than killing me!]
Farida sighed, tired and sleepy, her head drooping wearily.
[I'm home, but why does it feel more dangerous than being trapped in an Evil Cultists' lair?]
Horatio watched the Female Hunter-Duke in intense psychological struggle, his eyebrows raising and lowering.
[I just wanted to investigate a clue, but it feels like I'm having a secret affair with a noble young lady.]
Horatio's face showed the same helpless expression as the Female Hunter-Duke's earlier, and he shrugged.
"You hide in the back."
"Not pretending to be Adeptus Arbites personnel anymore?"
"I am, but not in front of so many people.
Anyway, do as I say, and keep communications open."
"Alright."
Horatio yawned: "May the God Emperor bless me; don't let me escape the demon's den only to be shot for 'trespassing on a famous family's private quarters'."
The shuttle slowly descended onto the helipad outside Farida's personal residence.
On the ground, a red-clad Guard from the Navy Department's roster guided the landing with a guiding stick, while at least a squad of other red-clad Guards stood with rifles at the ready, serving both as an honor guard and for security.
Through the glass, they saw the young lady in the pilot's seat; the co-pilot's seat was empty, as Horatio had already hidden in the cabin.
"Miss." The old butler bowed outside the cabin, with Farida's graceful personal maid standing beside him, also bowing respectfully.
"Miss, why did you return in such a cheap shuttle?" The old butler adjusted the glasses on his deep-set eyes, looked at the cabin for a while, and then respectfully asked.
"It's an unmarked vehicle I temporarily borrowed from the Adeptus Arbites.
Leave it here; I'll be driving it away later, and there's no need to clean it.
When will my father return?"
"The Master went to a meeting at the Navy Department; he just left not long ago and should be back tomorrow.
Are you looking for the Master, Miss?"
"No, I was just asking." Farida adjusted her collar.
The personal maid understood and had the other maids prepare warm water for a bath, while other maids stepped forward to give the dirty young lady a preliminary cleaning.
"Miss, did you participate in an operation?" The old butler noticed something.
"Sorry, Adeptus Arbites confidential, no comment." The Female Hunter-Duke calmly spread her arms, allowing the maids to begin wiping the mud, dust, and bloodstains from her armor.
"My apologies! How rude of me, Miss.
I shall take my leave." The old butler quickly bowed and led the male servants away from the landing platform.
Horatio, hiding in the cabin, heard everything clearly.
He leaned against the cabin wall, glancing at the gradually dimming sunset from an angle, quietly awaiting Farida's arrangements.
Then the Female Hunter-Duke unfastened her tactical belt and handed it to her maid.
The two exchanged a look.
The maid bowed and took the Female Hunter-Duke's belt, heading to the young lady's private room first.
This was Farida's little secret; whenever she had some private task to do, she would unfasten her belt and hand it to her, and the maid would then go ahead and wait.
—
Tap, tap, tap, light and agile footsteps echoed through the empty corridor.
The Female Hunter-Duke pushed open her room door and sat in the velvet armchair the maid had placed behind the door.
"Miss." The personal maid greeted her with a bow, holding the most effective and expensive healing potion.
"Lina, I need your help, and this matter must not be spoken of." She sat in the chair, letting the maid remove her power boots from her legs, revealing the wounds.
The extent of the bruising made the personal maid gasp, her eyes widening in surprise.
But being well-trained, she quickly returned to normal, immediately performing rapid trauma repair treatment for her young lady, while calmly replying: "As you wish, Miss, what do you need me to do?"
[Strange, Miss's leg bruises seem to have been bandaged by someone.
Miss wouldn't be able to do this herself, so who could it have been?]
The maid frowned, becoming suspicious.
The Female Hunter-Duke leaned down, whispered into Lina's ear, and spoke for a moment.
Lina gasped more sharply than before, then her wide, startled eyes looked at her young lady, who sat gracefully in the chair.
"Miss, you must think this over carefully!" She let out a small gasp.
"I have guaranteed this matter on the honor of the Hood Family; I must see it through." The Female Hunter-Duke's eyes were resolute.
Lina moistened her lips, then knelt on one knee, straightening her chest.
While treating the young lady's long, fair legs, she nodded solemnly and said seriously:
"Understood, Miss.
I will handle this matter properly for you."