Long before Sean arrived, the three children of the Hamilton family had already been steadily infiltrating Riyetis. I heard that the incident in Koga City had reached the king’s ears, and it was likely that the king himself would personally decide who the next Earl of Hamilton would be... But the palace only issued the decision; the one who might truly influence it was Prince Philip, as he held the highest status in the southern empire. A single recommendation from him could sway the king’s judgment. After all, the king didn’t truly understand the situation of the southern nobles. Perhaps, in his eyes, the attack itself was more noteworthy than who would inherit the title...
“We’ve known about this for a long time,” Freya interrupted the speaker. Back in Koga City, there had already been plenty of rumors about this, and considering the actual circumstances, it wasn’t hard to imagine. Even the king wouldn’t act arbitrarily; he would listen to opinions from all sides and unify them. The one who could truly influence the decision was this southern prince.
“It’s precisely because of this that Prince Philip had me rush back.” “But now, another situation has arisen.”
Sohana paused. The room now held only the three of them. The little girls who had been peeking from behind the door had scattered when Sohana entered...
“What situation?” Freya asked urgently.
“Are you referring to Grand Duke Haruman?” Sean suddenly said. Ever since she started talking about the Koga City incident, there had been a persistent [Worried!] status. What could make her worry? Sean recalled the events in Koga City and what she had said before about the relationship between the prince and the duke, and he pieced it together...
Sohana turned to Sean with a [Surprised!] expression and said: “Yes, Duke Haruman has already recommended to the king that Ryan Hamilton inherit the title in Koga City, citing that he is the eldest son of Earl Hamilton and a person of high prestige in the city.”
It was already directly appointed! And it was that Ryan... Sean remembered a brief encounter with him in Koga City. Although it hadn’t been directly aimed at him, neither had left a good impression on the other. If he inherited the title, Talemian’s good days would be numbered!
“Has the order already been issued?” Sean asked quickly.
“Not yet. Prince Philip feels it needs further consideration, especially regarding the attack on Koga City and Earl Hamilton’s dying words.”
Though Sohana was the one speaking, Sean felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine...
Dying words. That man had only seen him before he died and hadn’t said a word. Except for one thing... telling him to believe in something... He hadn’t even finished before he mutated. Later, Sean figured that what he meant to say was for him to believe that he hadn’t harmed those villagers, but what was the point of proving that now? The man had been dead for over a decade; trying to clear his name now was far too late! From this, it was clear that Earl Hamilton cared about his reputation—even in death, he wanted to leave a good name...
“Did Prince Philip really say that?” Freya asked.
“Yes, that’s what I heard. And this time, Duke Haruman seems very insistent on making Ryan the next Earl of Hamilton. He’s been coming to Riyetis frequently for this matter,” Sohana continued.
It seemed that young master had already sided with the duke’s faction, securing Duke Haruman’s support with some kind of deal. He was even willing to come to Riyetis in person for him!
“Has the person I sent to the prince’s mansion to deliver the message returned?” “Not yet. Should I send someone to urge them?” “Let’s leave it for now. We just need to wait for news,” Freya said with a grave expression.
...
The two waited until evening without receiving an invitation from the prince. By dinner time, Sean finally understood what it meant to be a man in a sea of women. Not everyone ate together; those who could sit at the same table as Freya were likely of higher status! Glancing around, aside from Karyana, who was given special treatment for just returning, the rest were all Orderers above level 5. About forty or so people—probably the top strength of the Sky-Covering Wings. Sean was also given special treatment, seated beside Freya...
As he ate with his head down, he could constantly feel eyes on him [Being watched...]*20, and the number never dropped below 20.
“Sean is a southern noble, isn’t he?” “Yes, from a small town in the south called Talemian...” He had to answer questions while eating.
“I’ve never heard of that town. The farthest I’ve been is Bifeng City,” a girl said. She was also strikingly beautiful, named Ellie. Ever since he sat down, she had been asking about the south...
In this organization, there were no particularly unattractive girls. Probably, there was a habit of competing with each other in appearance, with everyone dressing similarly, especially in hairstyles—most were the same.
“It’s a very remote town, deep in the mountains. But it’s quiet... I especially love the afternoon in the mountains—there’s a certain beauty to it. It’s like birds are always singing in your ears. When you nap in a chair, small animals might even run into your arms. The scent of flowers in the air, the gentle breeze on your face—it’s all very special,” Sean said with a smile. He was doing his best to display his noble demeanor, humor, and knowledge.
Looking up, he noticed that quite a few young girls were casting [Yearning!] glances his way. Probably, they had been in the city too long and found rural life more appealing. But most of them would change their minds after a few days of being bitten by bugs and spending time in dark rooms...
“It sounds so beautiful,” the girl said enviously.
“It really is beautiful—a different feeling from the city.”
“Oh~ So Talemian is like that. Baron Sean never mentioned these things to me before,” a voice suddenly came from beside him.
Freya was looking at him with a smile...
“So Talemian is that beautiful? You never brought it up before.” A gentle smile, but with a [Warning!] status above her head.
“Just trivial little things, nothing worth mentioning,” Sean said, burying his head in his food again.
Just then, a little girl rushed in from the entrance, whispering into Freya’s ear. “Leader, there’s news from Prince Philip.”