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

37

When mentioning “Ironblood,” the first reaction of the older generation of nobles is of the knight who was the earliest to follow King Lionheart into battle, the king’s right arm, Marquis Karl of Ironblood.

But to the young people, “Ironblood” signifies a laughingstock.

One of the kingdom’s two notorious rascals, ‘the good-for-nothing scoundrel’ Roy Einbroad.

Someone in the crowd wondered, “Speaking of which, I’ve never seen that Ironblood fellow.”

“Of course, you haven’t. That guy is a good-for-nothing. Bringing him out would only bring shame, so Marquis Ironblood never takes him to banquets!”

“Darling, don’t mention that guy. He’s just a pure underling.”

“Isn’t that the truth? At the last banquet, he was drooling over my skirt, utterly disgusting.”

“Tsk tsk, he’s on par with Ryan Raymond!”

“No, at least Raymond is extraordinary, but Roy is truly worthless!”

Talk of Roy quickly spread, becoming the common enemy of the high society ladies united in disdain, and the laughingstock among the noble young masters.

Men mocked, women scorned, as if he was shunned by both humans and ghosts alike.

Of course, these were just private whispers.

A marquis is still a marquis, and out of respect, plus a close personal friendship, old Raymond brought his son to personally greet the arrival of the Ainsworth family.

The first to step out of the carriage was the middle-aged Carl, as handsome and composed as the rumors suggested.

“You finally made it!” Old Raymond’s face showed an uncontrollable joy.

“An opportunity to drink your wine is not to be missed, how could I?”

Between the two men, there was no need for formalities, but rather, they greeted each other with a fist bump, like brothers reunited after many years.

“It’s a pity Charlie is too busy, otherwise, the three of us could have a proper gathering… Rayan!” Old Raymond glanced sideways at Rayan.

“Hello.” Rayan greeted Carl rather reluctantly, with utmost coldness.

Old Raymond’s smile twitched, his good mood upon reuniting with an old friend instantly doused by a bucket of cold water, feeling immensely awkward.

“They are just children, don’t take it to heart,” Carl said lightly, not minding it much.

It was at this moment, a second figure emerged from the carriage.

The surrounding chatter came to a sudden halt.

Under the lights and twilight, a young nobleman with a refined and proper demeanor slowly stepped out of the carriage. Dressed in a classic black and red suit, his robust yet graceful figure was outlined, and beneath the pitch-black hair, as if adorned with stars, his features did not lose the handsomeness and grandeur of a man, yet without the excessive furrowing that would suggest nervousness.

Like any protagonist described in a knight’s tale, he was so composed, elegant, proper, and handsome, like a brilliant starry night turned solid, standing out so conspicuously in the bustling venue.

The young ladies who were just sneering at Roy a second ago suddenly forgot his bad reputation, secretly marveling. And the young masters who had been mocking him felt a bit embarrassed, especially when some noticed their companions casting glances at Roy, their faces turning even uglier.

“Hello, Uncle Raymond. It’s been a while, seeing you so healthy is truly wonderful.”

Roy greeted old Raymond’s gaze, slightly awkward but with enough sincerity as he bowed.

“Hahaha, your father and I are good brothers, no need for such formalities!” Old Raymond laughed heartily, waving his hand: “You can be more relaxed!”

He could see, Roy was different.

Not just the carefully groomed appearance, but more importantly, the dignified attitude that shone from those dark eyes.

Young people towards the older generation are either disrespectful or subconsciously too humble, only a very few can respect their elders without appearing overly servile.

After a thorough look, old Raymond stretched out his hand and patted Roy’s back firmly: “You really have changed.”

He whispered in his ear, lowering his voice: “Keep it up, don’t mind those idle gossips, if anyone troubles you, tell your uncle, and I’ll take care of it for you!”

“Haha, thank you for your concern, uncle,” Roy replied, noncommittal, yet inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Angel’s Waltz’ never mentioned old Raymond’s personality, but now it seemed, he was just a friendly uncle, with no intention of making things difficult.

With his assurance, Roy no longer had to worry about being confronted by enemies from his ‘bad boy’ past.

With that in mind, he didn’t even need to do anything special, just maintain politeness and poise, attend the dinner peacefully, and let people see the change in him. That would be enough.

It seems this banquet is going smoother than expected.

“No need, don’t spoil him.”

Karl advised on the side, immediately earning a roll of the eyes from old Raymond.

“Stop putting on airs, you’re so pleased now that your son is doing well!”

Karl’s face turned red at the remark, followed by a burst of dry laughter.

Since Rolin’s death, it had been a long time since old Raymond had seen Karl in such good spirits.

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As a father, old Raymond certainly understood Karl’s feelings. But when he thought of himself, he couldn’t help feeling depressed.

“If only my boy had half of Roy’s sense, to know his wrongs and repent… No, I’d be thankful to heaven if he just stopped disgracing me!”

“Rayan, take good care of our guests! Your Uncle Karl and I will have a chat inside.”

After leaving these instructions, old Raymond walked with Karl towards the inside of the manor. The older generation of nobles were discussing serious matters inside, conveniently leaving the spacious grounds to the younger ones.

Rayan watched his father’s retreating figure, his eyes dark and brooding.

He had been chastised countless times by old Raymond with the phrase ‘the child of someone else’s family’, but he never thought that even Roy, that good-for-nothing, could be used to lecture him!

He glanced at Roy, who returned the look with a polite smile.

That shiny, bright appearance only made Rayan feel sick.

What are you pretending for?

A nobody who only dares to bully maids, dressed up in fine clothes, using fancy words, do you no longer know who you are?!

Roy keenly sensed the hostility in Rayan’s eyes and became more vigilant.

Retracting his previous complacency, it seemed he couldn’t rest easy just yet.

Although ‘Rayan’ didn’t exist in the ‘Dance of Angels’, ‘Bad Boy Roy’ had plenty of information about him.

‘Bad Boy Roy’ used to hang around with Rayan, acting as his half lackey, and even his misdeeds were thanks to Rayan.

The most despised of the kingdom’s two notorious bad boys was this Rayan Raymond.

But ‘Bad Boy Roy’ was a thing of the past.

This guy was neither a chosen maiden nor any significant figure; whether from the perspective of defying fate or noble interactions, he didn’t need to bother with him.

Roy’s gaze lingered on Rayan for a moment before shifting away, as if he had lost interest.

Such a subtle action finally snapped the sensitive string in Rayan’s heart.