As a Villain I Really Don’t Want To Be Pursued by the Heroine

36

Compared to the relatively peaceful atmosphere in Roy and Charlotte’s home, the dining table in the Raymond household, the focus of the birthday dinner, was a world apart.

Old Raymond, seated at the head of the table, his brown beard and protruding belly quivering with barely suppressed snorts of disdain, especially when his gaze fell upon his son, showed not a hint of tenderness or pity, only anger and dissatisfaction.

Likewise, with disheveled hair, clothes unbuttoned, and a ruffian air, the blond young master, Ryan Raymond, sat with his legs crossed, facing his father with nothing but scorn and impatience.

“Boy, I don’t care about your usual antics, but don’t you dare cause trouble at next week’s dinner!”

Old Raymond’s concerns were not unfounded.

One Ryan Raymond, one Roy Ainsworth, these two had become the kingdom’s most despised young villains, nearly ruining Old Raymond’s reputation.

Despite the world mocking ‘good-for-nothing villain’ Roy more, Old Raymond felt his own son was even worse.

Ryan was no good-for-nothing.

At 18, he successfully awakened the extraordinary lineage of the “Steel Bowl,” and in terms of talent, he was not much different from Old Raymond in his younger days.

It was precisely because of this power that Ryan became more lawless, bullying men and women, committing every conceivable evil.

Leading raids on villagers’ homes, even laying hands on a baronet’s daughter.

Truth be told, if any of Old Raymond’s soldiers dared such acts, he would have had their heads long ago.

However, like Carl, Ryan was the child of Old Raymond’s deceased wife.

His own flesh and blood, and the sole remembrance of his late wife, made it ultimately impossible for Old Raymond to harden his heart.

“Annoying…” Ryan muttered under his breath, yet he didn’t dare to openly defy his father.

He glanced at the beautiful woman beside him, his eyes growing darker.

Unlike Carl, Old Raymond had taken a second wife, who was now pregnant.

This threatened Ryan’s right to inherit, making him incredibly anxious.

Under this anxiety, Ryan’s malice grew ever stronger.

But old Raymond had no other choice; scolding and beating would only deepen the rift between father and son. So, he could only advise, “You may disregard others, but there are two you must treat well.”

“Tch, I said I know! I will respect Charlotte!” Ryan wasn’t foolish. Though he dared to bully the weak with power and extraordinary strength, he wouldn’t dare to act out in front of royalty.

“After all, she is to be my woman in the future.” Ryan licked the corner of his lips, a wicked curve forming at his mouth.

In fact, he had already shown respectful attitude during the matchmaking.

Although he was rejected then, Ryan was not in a hurry.

Perhaps it was just shyness? No help for it, he had proposed so sincerely, even a princess might become flustered and lose herself in the moment, right?

“I said, it’s two people,” old Raymond repeated with a headache.

“Huh?” Ryan was somewhat puzzled and even more annoyed.

As the son of a duke, he could bow his head to royalty, be polite and courteous.

Besides them, who else deserved his respect?

“The young master from the Ainsworth family will also be attending the banquet. You better treat him well and not be rude!”

Old Raymond wasn’t wary, but he cherished the friendship with Carl.

Like Carl, he was one of the eleven knights who first answered the call to arms and went to war.

These eleven were later known as the “Eleven Knights of the King.”

It was these eleven knights who followed King Richard to the end, engaging in the final battle with the Crimson Blood Dragon, Balagast.

This decisive battle that shaped the kingdom’s history is known today as the “Battle of Blazing Fury.”

It was also the closest old Raymond had ever come to death.

Old Raymond’s gaze darkened, as if he had returned to those towering years, facing the dragon flames falling from the sky.

“If it weren’t for Carl standing in front of me, if it weren’t for Richard finally slaying that beast, I would have died long ago. This is my debt to them.”

Old Raymond exhaled a breath of turbid air, and the next second, his eyes shone brightly, and he said in a deep voice, “I’m warning you just once, if you dare to insult their honor, don’t blame me for being merciless.”

Old Raymond’s presence was as heavy as a mountain, suffocating Ryan.

But the young man’s pride swelled at that moment; he forcibly lifted his head, feigning disdain: “Hmph, what do the old generation’s grudges have to do with me?!”

“And isn’t Roy just a worthless brat? All the nobles of the kingdom look down on him, why should I be polite to him? No, that guy should be wagging his tail at me!”

As a notorious brat of the kingdom, Ryan looked down on Roy, thinking him too weak.

Little did he know, in his father’s eyes, he was the more despicable, shameless scoundrel.

To this, Raymond felt helpless.

The wrong direction, the stronger the ability, the further one goes down the wrong path.

Especially since not everyone will always walk the wrong path.

“Put away your arrogance. I’ve heard that Roy has been getting along quite well with His Highness lately.”

At these words, Ryan’s face changed instantly.

“What did you say?”

“Haven’t you heard? Her Highness the Princess previously had a matchmaking session with Roy. Although she didn’t stay for the banquet, they talked for a long time and seem to have a good private relationship,” Old Raymond said with profound meaning.

He knew of Ryan’s obsession with Charlotte and provoked him on purpose. If Ryan could repent through love, that wouldn’t be too bad.

Unfortunately, he was bound to be disappointed.

“Hmph, those are just rumors! How could Charlotte fancy a failure?” Ryan sneered at this.

How could the proud princess fancy a failure?

It must be that Roy deceived her with sweet words, yes, that must be it.

If so, then let me be the one to reveal your true face, you failure.

Ryan sneered inwardly, looking forward to the arrival of the banquet.

————————————————

Dusk fell, and the azure sky was submerged by twilight. The manor in the mountains was brightly lit, with many exquisite tables and utensils set up on the open-air lawn by the lake, the entire manor filled with the aroma of food and the richness of red wine.

This was Duke Raymond’s private estate, also the venue for his birthday banquet.

It was still early, yet many nobles had already entered, chatting outside the manor.

Nobles never attend banquets for the banquets themselves. They use idle chatter to probe power shifts, clarify friends and foes, and vie for interests—that’s their utmost priority.

But for the younger generation, it’s more about seeing the excitement, recognizing some faces, and gossiping.

“The emblem of the Blazing Leopard? It’s Count Patel!”

“The Lian family is here too!”

“I heard the Lian family’s twins are quite beautiful!”

They gathered in groups, eagerly discussing the great families rarely seen, truly broadening their horizons.

However, when a carriage bearing a blood-red sword and shield emblem appeared, the atmosphere turned strange.

Amidst the idle talk, someone let out a snicker.