Chapter 42
J0KxkLucian nodded with an awkward expression.Vau
eSq4From what he had heard in the rumors, it seemed that he’d gained a reputation as a schemer who had hidden his claws while plotting something from the shadows.H5Tz
OBr4‘No wonder. He was shut in his room for years, and the moment he reappeared, he shook the entire family. Anyone would think he had been planning it all along.’bwwNc
7nCcXPWhen in reality, the only thing that had changed was the soul inside his body.3FTip8a
546sbUncomfortable, Lucian looked around and quickly changed the subject.uSQl21p
ZTDMYFK“Now that I think about it, there are quite a few people here who aren’t much older than us. I didn’t expect so many young heads of families in the Empire.”5M8nII9
hxPlY“That can’t be. Most of them aren’t heads of families. They’re heirs who came as representatives, or sons still competing for succession.”M2ySD
78qKJoF“What? Not one or two, but all of them are representatives?”jvEZ9
zW4kWiB“For the same reason as you, young lord.”KzOcf
v89OXMThe same reason?peo4
qF1u7EAt Nigel’s loaded words, Lucian blinked.5E5RBRS
XEG3Did this guy know who he was from the beginning and still pretended otherwise?YGV
B6qKAs if to say “don’t play dumb,” Nigel smiled.db0CC
Wo3“If the commander-in-chief is the First Imperial Prince, having the family head come in person could easily be interpreted as support for him. Sending an heir or another son leaves room for excuses.”Z0d3
T5SWeP“…Ah, I see. Even if someone tries to tie them to the First Prince’s faction, if the head of the family isn’t present, they can always deny it later.”fi91
rcW“In the end, everyone thinks the same. Me, and you too—am I wrong?”OUccK
Clw4lbNigel looked at him as if seeking camaraderie, but Lucian had nothing to say.4fI
9v6UqhiIn reality, his reason for being there was almost the opposite of the others’.AfoM0jl
ocn‘Some send their sons as an excuse, and others turn their sons into representatives just to tangle them up.’D2zW
UaaThe absurd contradiction drew a bitter smile from him. Even so, he couldn’t deny it without raising suspicion, so he was about to nod out of courtesy when—ruPVr
hjMF“Isn’t this an absolute discourtesy? To receive an imperial edict and still try to wiggle out of it, claiming to be the heads of their respective families. Truly disgraceful.”PVM8IL
yMVnbT2A deep voice suddenly echoed behind them.MaDoH
fIbvUpon hearing all the heads of families who had sent representatives being insulted in one sweep, Nigel turned around with a frown.Su0R1
qOJN3After all, he was one of those representatives—it was like an insult to his own house.QuKsQj1
G1ldw83But the moment he saw who had spoken, Nigel’s face turned pale.4xH
2FoYvC“Th-that! No, I…!”oSa
2Cbb“Come now, calm yourself. Isn’t this supposed to be a place to conceal one’s identity? It wouldn’t be proper for me to receive greetings here.”4vgIwA
NP9n0The middle-aged family head waved his hand indulgently.9u4Qk
2C6bHowever, no matter how gentle his tone, the look he gave from above was dripping with arrogance.9wG
2eW2t4Lucian quickly examined the man who had stepped in.K0H
hLdJjzH‘Dark blue hair and beard, and an eagle emblem on his belt.’zH4G
qnZ1That alone was enough to identify him.M0mOlQ
kmoyAIn the entire Empire, there was only one great house with dark blue hair—and it just so happened their symbol was an eagle.XjfT
Oxud0Z1‘The House of Marquis Roglan.’UWqE
NJkzWith that, the man’s identity was obvious.kg6Fq
N5GBernhardt Roglan, current head of House Roglan.KYOyN
8yVuDirect rival of Duke Sigmund and leader of the noble faction.WeR7sxT
UfXC0l“And who might this young man be?”VhDP
R6iOne of the heavyweights who moved the Empire looked at Lucian while stroking his chin.kXGP
FXLL8e***clrVyF
JZeUnder the marquis’s loaded gaze, Lucian gave a faint smile.V9SS
pfLWho was this young man, he asked?6tGQo
Vcu4yZ‘This might be our first meeting, but there’s no way you don’t know who I am.’mLu
8tNsZh3Even if Lucian didn’t know the marquis personally, the marquis undoubtedly knew Lucian.A99vq
ZSiuAs head of House Roglan, he would have access to top-tier intelligence.hZuWQ
4SIWXVZAnd even more so, considering Lucian was the one who had completely destroyed his intrigues.OJC5
xzW0Even without any formal intelligence, it was obvious he would’ve thoroughly investigated him out of pure rage.RB04A
5v2w‘So, he’s pretending not to know me just to see if I’ll lower my head first?’DZR5Zv
j5pDark blue hair, beard, and even an eagle-shaped ornament out in the open.hiorKD7
v9EGZVxHe had no intention of hiding who he was.Nr2hNt
GXL3FozHe wanted to see Lucian recognize him and act subservient.iSzby
zJLlVbEven if their houses were of similar rank, a third young master and a family head were not equals.iMjub
J4UOGBut Lucian had no intention of letting himself be dragged into the marquis’s game.Numoem
izl“How rude. And who are you to barge in and insult other heads of families so freely? Judging by your age, you should’ve learned proper manners by now.”7NZi
pbX“!?”uckbnn
EAMRmZAt Lucian’s words, which were essentially a direct insult, the marquis was left speechless.JNqtG
23TNigel’s face turned pale as a sheet.DhuLx
Lk7In the frozen atmosphere, Nigel reacted as best he could and grabbed Lucian’s shoulder, shaking him.EIXTiO
vvNQUG“Y-young lord! This man is…!”oNH
bm0hf“Eh! Have you forgotten that the First Imperial Prince ordered everyone to hide their identities? I may have made a mistake, but revealing his on purpose would be outright defiance of the imperial family. Under no circumstances should you say anything.”T7DoT
xEKjz2gThe marquis’s face twisted like a demon’s.CADuj0m
7uuRfJ‘This damned brat intends to keep pretending not to recognize me to the very end!’KzOsUl
3gN5The marquis had just insulted all the heads of families who had sent representatives, accusing them of trying to weasel out of their duties even after receiving an imperial edict.RCZRh
cFcPGwjBut if he now broke the First Prince’s order and revealed his identity, it would be no different from slapping himself in the face.nUb2
6gEbb3No matter how many hints he dropped, if the other side insisted on playing dumb, there was nothing he could do.E5V
pn4MwQU“What’s wrong? Suddenly gone silent? If you have something to say, speak up.”fHbSR
ydLJyHU‘Damn it.’pQwE
eHUvkK5Seeing Lucian standing his ground so brazenly, Marquis Bernhardt Roglan ground his teeth.INQA
3c95BHe had wanted the boy to bow his head on his own, but at this rate, he would only end up being treated as an equal by a greenhorn brat.wFa8M
Uk8If Lucian were at least a head of a family, their ranks would be comparable—but he wasn’t even that. Just a third young master, not even the heir.2GM
TcgeRpIf, even with the masks on, they continued speaking on equal footing, it would certainly become a humiliation that would follow him for years.NHJ
IIZl2xH“…Forgive me. That was my mistake. But I do seem quite a bit older than you—couldn’t you at least show a little respect?”Dpn
eb7uThe marquis’s tone changed. It was a clear hint I’ll respect you, so at least mind your manners.SoWL5a
L81XnSLLucian nodded immediately and adjusted his tone as well.NAIuZDi
T4T“You’re right. I was in a foul mood and acted rudely. I offer my apologies.”yi2ZeF
ZY8ewc“No, I understand. I interrupted suddenly—it’s only natural you were annoyed.”owOsoK
L4ADK7eDamn brat.9VN0
266bhThe marquis wore a wide smile while cursing inwardly.JSSvN7M
c5DsoU0He had wanted the other to bow first, but in the end, he had been the one to lower his head and receive polite treatment in return.eO4iUTp
0vPLWZZ“Ahem. Actually, I came over because I also wanted to speak with you. A small problem has come up lately, and I thought it might be helpful to hear someone else’s opinion.”W9nvnad
bf13p“Would you mind telling me what the problem is?”fWBrSu5
QmkRO“It’s nothing serious. A lion took a sword that originally belonged to an eagle and decorated it flamboyantly with jewels. Then he claims that, since its value has changed, it now belongs to him. Tell me, whose sword is it?”hA9azBD
dIp0VMIt was a strange metaphor, but Lucian understood immediately what he meant.fCd6
qK3QSThe eagle and the lion were the symbols of House Roglan and the ducal House Valdeck, respectively.9j7H5
TLCBdsThe sword was Felicia, and the jewels symbolized her status as the Swordmaster’s disciple.ToAn9sB
NwixXpx‘So Felicia was originally from House Roglan, and now that I’ve taken her into Valdeck, they want her back. What nerve.’FxRa
72vZkMost people would probably say that no matter how many jewels were added, the sword still belonged to its original owner.Q7Kc
yeV3In other words, the marquis was demanding, “Hand over Felicia, now that she’s the Swordmaster’s disciple.”1Fei1
kqjKiWWConsidering the mistreatment Felicia had suffered until now, it was ridiculous.NQSXVH
PZcFN“Well, if the eagle had taken care of the sword, then yes, the lion would be a thief. But if the eagle had tossed it aside like trash and the lion picked it up and polished it, then asking for it back is a different story, wouldn’t you say?”Waq
POz4WY“No. I don’t see it that way. Whether cared for or not, the sword originally belonged to the eagle. From the moment the lion took it without the owner’s permission, he can’t claim any right to it.”jY8
uz5Gpe1“I wonder if the sword would truly appreciate its former owner. If it’s a famous sword, shouldn’t it choose its master itself?”sVq
BXtn9“For a mere tool to choose its owner is an insolence. No matter what the sword thinks, it only matters that the owner uses it well.”yYKLYiV
Rp0PsEf“Oh, is that so? Hahaha!”TxM2f
ebdq2IF“Indeed. Hahaha!”lsV8
EfQdRPInvisible sparks flew between Bernhardt Roglan and Lucian.YnV
Kjh6GNigel, caught in the middle of this heavy exchange, was drenched in cold sweat.TjF4T
h62KNAs the dry laughter dragged on, Lucian spoke in a half-joking, half-serious tone.1EHaK
jblcet“Actually, there’s a very simple solution.”g6a
eoP“A solution? And what would that be?”byXC8AU
LgHY“The eagle didn’t even know whether the sword existed or not. Just pick up any stick, wrap it in cloth, and say, ‘this is the sword.’ It was a sword he never used anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”cCf
rBlHp“…!”6neINoI
ycKelr“The famous sword will be well used by the lion, who recognized its worth from the beginning. So there’s no need to worry. Isn’t that the perfect solution—for both the eagle and the lion?”dL31XY
I3bThe smile vanished from the marquis’s face.pXkLW
UlUQTo him, it was nothing more than mockery from someone who had never even recognized the value of the treasure until now.AGK
9zCAfter a brief silence, the marquis fixed a sharp gaze on Lucian and spoke.RQxItY
rWRK“And what if the eagle doesn’t accept that? What if he insists on taking back the sword? What if he chooses to fight the lion, even if both end up bloodied?”hNAe
JeALucian responded with a cold smile.xJBsS
kdot“Then the eagle will have to come to the lion’s den. If he had cared for the sword that much, the lion would’ve gone to the eagle’s nest. But things are different now. I wonder how much strength the eagle can show in the lion’s front yard.”ef4S
gB5zdwAs soon as he finished speaking, the marquis and Lucian stood still, facing off.4Gl
hxLkR7The marquis’s eyes no longer even tried to hide their hostility.ln5XAPD
QvxWPBzAfter glaring for a long moment, Bernhardt Roglan turned around and muttered,8dg6YD
0iUI37“We’ll see soon enough.”NcBxO
I2EIt was unclear whether it was a monologue or a warning.GgT6
UoAtSKAfter the marquis walked off, Lucian let out a mocking laugh and murmured,Gyzk
VB6b“See the eagle bathed in blood? What greed from someone who couldn’t even recognize a treasure.”9a1Lii
R9rk1q“Y-young master…”znHRBe
DvpP3JCNigel, soaked in cold sweat, called out to Lucian in a faint voice.TpBzVy
zhr1KdeAfter hearing the entire conversation, there was no way he hadn’t figured out Lucian’s identity.tNtKh
9yLULucian waved both hands with a wry smile, as if to say it wasn’t a big deal.1UCKgq
MnC“Relax. I’m not angry.”UnQO8
WTM4“I… I mean… I was discourteous to you…”LKQ5foi
lH5s9zI“I said I’m not angry. This kind of fun is always like this. Everyone will have forgotten it by tomorrow.”mTD
W1o“Th-thank you. Truly, thank you.”cgs
zjM“What for? I actually had quite a bit of fun.”r90BY4
03lNvXAfter patting Nigel on the shoulder, who kept bowing his head, Lucian headed for his tent.GAuFKC
XdWYINow that his identity had been revealed, he could no longer converse as casually as before.srX
4ROoVWhen Lucian arrived at his tent and removed the mask—ZKWUr
aoiU“Young master, are you really okay provoking the marquis like that? With his personality, he won’t sit still.”RjzE
GROdYRaymond, who had been silently observing from behind, approached and whispered.Sv8
FpwjILucian removed his hood and shrugged.25woZze
HPRUO5“Let me ask you something. Between someone who lets himself be pushed around by his enemy hoping not to get attacked, and someone who braces for the blow and strikes first—which do you think is more worthy of serving?”XWyzg
tTvRaymond blinked a few times, stunned, then gave a deep smile.iz39y
E9jNM3HHe then gave an exaggerated bow and said with a joking tone,2e2
kqu8jhK“It’s an honor to serve someone so worthy.”wJo
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