Return of the General's Daughter-Chapter 303: The Brilliance of the Norse Siblings

Before the Norses could leave the estate, two ornate carriages—deep crimson, each emblazoned with Prince Alaric’s golden crest—rolled through the wrought-iron gates, flanked by a small but heavily armed royal escort. The horses snorted and pawed at the gravel, their harnesses glinting in the sun.

Out stepped Prince Alaric, regal in a fitted navy cloak, his silver insignia catching the light. But it was the two figures behind him that made Gideon’s eyes narrow in disbelief.

Gideon strode forward. "Your Highness," he greeted with a respectful bow, before turning to the unexpected guests. "Master Hephastus. Matthias. What brings you here?"

Hephastus had taken him as his apprentice.

"We heard about what happened in the court yesterday when you presented the bike model," Matthias said with concern. "We are worried."

"Don’t worry. We will take care of it today." Gideon invited the guests inside and asked the servant to serve tea.

To his surprise, it was Mira who personally served the tea.

Mira, dressed in a pale silk gown and wearing her best innocent smile, moved gracefully between the guests, her hands steady as she placed cups on the polished table.

Gideon’s frown deepened. "There was no need for you to trouble yourself."

Mira smiled sweetly. "I was free, brother. With such noble guests in our home, it felt right to serve them myself."

Then she slid into the seat beside Prince Alaric, acting every inch the hostess.

Hephastus barely noticed. His eyes had already locked onto the parchment Gideon unrolled before him.

"Master, we are about to go to the court. We will file a petition for the patent of the new vehicle that my siblings and I designed."

He handed Hepasthus a copy of the design. The old man’s eyes widened as if he saw his favorite candy. Lara had added annotations to the design detailing the specifications for different parts, such as the brakes, the handlebars, the drivetrain, the saddle, the gears, and other mechanisms that would cause the wheels to move.

The old man let out a boyish gasp. "By the heavens... This is brilliant! Why didn’t I think of this?!"

He leapt from his chair, parchment clutched in his hands like a sacred scroll. "Matthias, back to the workshop. Now!"

Matthias rolled his eyes, but when he saw the design, he did not tarry and bade the Norse family goodbye.

Prince Alaric smiled. Those two would drop anything if they saw something interesting.

At that moment, General Odin descended from the staircase, flanked by Peredur, Percival, and Lara. She was radiant, dressed in dark navy, her presence commanding.

"Your Highness," they greeted the prince, giving him a respectful bow.

"There is no need for formality, " he said, rising from his seat to show respect to General Odin. "Are you leaving for the palace?" he asked General Odin, but his eyes were on Lara, who was smiling at him.

General Odin nodded.

"Then, may I invite Lady Lara to ride in my carriage? I have some things to discuss with her."

The air in the room stilled.

Odin’s eyes narrowed. Was he truly this bold? Even if Lara was betrothed to Alaric, such a gesture was almost scandalous. Especially so publicly.

Before Odin could respond, Percival stepped forward. "I’ll accompany my sister," he said firmly.

Peredur wanted to argue, but Percival glared at him. He clamped up and followed the rest of them to where the carriages were parked.

As they exited, Mira was left standing in the hallway, invisible and ignored.

Her hands trembled at her sides. Lara again. She gritted her teeth and snapped her fingers for her maid.

"Draw me a bath. Lay out the blue silk gown," she hissed. "And prepare a carriage. I’m going to the palace."

...

To spur the development of technology in Northem, people were allowed to present their ideas or products and apply for patents during court sessions.

Lara stood beside her father and Gideon, her chin raised, her expression unreadable. On the far end of the marble hall, sat Prince Reuben beside King Heimdal.

He seemed surprised to see Lara with her father and siblings.

Gideon stepped forward and presented the first blueprint—the tryke. It was a mechanical marvel with an ergonomic design decades ahead of its time.

"This is an easy way of transporting people and cargo for short distances, smaller than a carriage. While this is powered by pedalling, this is still faster than walking."

A ripple of excitement passed through the courtiers.

Prince Reuben narrowed his eyes. How could they come up with something to counter the sidecar from yesterday, and at such a short time?

Lara watched the reaction carefully. But she wasn’t looking at the courtiers. She was watching Prince Reuben—specifically, the way his jaw twitched.

The crown prince rose slowly, forcing a smile. "And what inspired this design, Lord Norse?"

"Personal vision," Gideon replied coolly. "And teamwork."

Lara stepped forward. "We’re submitting it under the Norse name, as it is a family collaboration."

All heads turned to Lara. No one expected a woman to speak in the court.

"Yes, this is a family collaboration." General Odin shielded Lara behind him.

The second blueprint was also submitted; this time, Peredur explained.

Finally, Gideon submitted the bicycle design.

The court did not take long to grant the requested patents for the two additional designs.

The Norse siblings were very happy while Prince Reuben was seething inside. Such beautiful designs. He realized that his engineers were useless. They were nothing compared to the Norse siblings.

He needed to restrategize. Maybe he should collaborate with the Norses instead of trying to steal their designs. But how did those men suddenly think of those brilliant ideas?

After the court session ended, he wanted to talk to Lara, but a servant sent him a message that Mira was waiting for him at his castle, so he hurried home.

Prince Reuben flung open the doors to his private chamber—only to find Mira waiting, standing beside the painting of Lara dancing.

She bowed low. "Your Highness."

He didn’t return the greeting. "The Norse designs were granted patents. Today."

Mira’s face remained still, but her hands trembled. "Your Highness... The maid you sent to spy on the Norses was caught this morning. She’s imprisoned now."

Reuben spun toward her, livid. "Useless!"

He paced like a caged beast.

Then, her voice—low, urgent—cut through the silence.

"Those designs... They weren’t my brothers’ ideas." Her eyes gleamed. "They were Lara’s. All of them. The boys just helped refine her concepts. But the brilliance—the originality—that came from her."

Reuben froze. His mind turned. Slowly.

So it was her.

He turned his gaze to the window, toward the palace spires in the distance.

"Lara Norse..." he whispered. "A mind like that... only belongs to stand beside my throne."