NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43
43
“To the Reinhardt royal family, long live Duke Raymond and his family!”
“Long live the Raymond family!”
“Long live the Reinhardt Kingdom!”
“Long live the princess!”
“I want to be your dog, Your Highness!”
Charlotte’s toast sparked another climax at the banquet, but the cheers of the crowd had taken on a different flavor from some point.
Gazing at the crimson princess, surrounded by stars, Roy even felt a bit dazed.
He had actually just been chatting and laughing with the lion-hearted princess.
Something ‘bad youth Roy’ would never even dare to dream of.
Although Roy believed that his policy of keeping clean and maintaining distance was effective, he never expected the results to be so pronounced.
Unfortunately, he was momentarily distracted and didn’t catch what the other person said.
After finally getting so close, how could he tolerate even a small flaw ruining his grand plans?
He would have to make up for it during the dance later…
Wait a minute.
He doesn’t know how to dance, does he?
Isn’t this a compulsory course for nobility? ‘Bad Boy Roy’ hasn’t even learned it?!
What should he do later?! He was the one who invited her to dance earlier!
Roy was troubled, but his thoughts were interrupted by the host at the center of the banquet.
“Next, please welcome the eldest son of the Raymond family to toast for Duke Raymond!”
After the royal family members finished, it was time for the family members of the banquet’s protagonist to toast.
Since Lady Raymond was pregnant and could not attend, this task naturally fell to Rayan.
But as soon as the voice fell, Rayan was nowhere to be seen, and the banquet hall suddenly became restless.
According to ‘Bad Boy Roy’s’ impression of Rayan, that guy must have gone out to have fun, right?
Roy didn’t care about a character who didn’t appear in the original work, but as he recalled more and more memories of Rayan, he felt increasingly uneasy.
That guy was one to hold grudges, bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
Just in case, he should go out and take a look.
With that thought, Roy quietly left the scene.
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“Lord Rayan, why have you come out?!”
“Such a boring banquet is just a waste of my time.”
Having left the banquet hall, Rayan finally escaped the idle chatter.
The same group of spoiled young nobles who were unwilling to stay inside came flocking to him like flies.
Needless to say, these people were the most notorious second-generation nobles in the kingdom, second only to the two major bad boys, and they usually loved to abuse their power to bully men and women, being Rayan’s most loyal lackeys.
But their fawning and respect did nothing to interest Rayan.
He looked down on these goods.
He himself was the son of a duke, the future Duke Raymond!
Those bright and beautiful, elegant and luxurious high society banquets were his destiny!
But those b*stards…
Whether it was his own father, Princess Charlotte, or even those mixed-blood nobles—
One by one, one by one, Roy, that waste, never took himself seriously!
A mere waste, what right does he have?!
“Lord Rayan, where shall we seek pleasure today?”
“Scram, I’m not in the mood…”
Rayan’s voice trailed off, his gaze sharpening.
Across the grassy field, amidst the banquet, the maids’ skirts fluttered like blossoms. Among these pure and lovely maids stood a golden-haired girl, dazzling like the moon among the stars.
The maid’s short skirt made the girl’s demeanor seem simple, but upon closer inspection, Rayan realized her elegant and delicate features did not belong to Princess Charlotte.
He remembered she was Roy’s maid.
The wench who dared to talk back to him just now.
Rayan’s smile twisted into a snarl.
“Come, let’s go find some fun!”
Many nobles had personal maids; though they couldn’t enter the inner grounds, they could stay outside, still treated as guests by the host.
The maids were much freer than the nobles, curious girls gathering to gossip about various households, creating a lively atmosphere.
Alice was not used to such noisy scenes until someone mentioned Roy’s name.
The little maid was no longer sleepy, she earnestly and sincerely praised Roy’s virtues.
Feeding her delicacies she had never tasted before.
Buying her little dresses she had never worn.
Even on the first night, to alleviate her loneliness, he stayed with her (or so he believed).
The overly innocent description led the listeners to imagine, sketching out the image of a perfect prince, envied by all.
But just as everyone was getting excited, a piercing whistle sounded, shattering their relaxed mood.
A few rowdy young ruffians approached with malicious grins, scattering the maids like birds and beasts.
“Bad luck, why is it them again?”
“Alice, let’s go, don’t get involved with them!”
“Yo, yo, yo, where do you think you’re going?”
Alice wanted to leave, but these guys blocked her path first.
They came for her.
Alice’s heart sank, and looking up, she indeed saw Rayan’s figure.
That look in his eyes, filled with wicked thoughts and malice, was all too familiar to Alice.
At the tavern and with the traffickers, there was always someone to protect her from being taken lightly, to fetch a good price.
Alice was initially scared of that look, then gradually became numb to it, but today, she felt a disgust like never before.
More disgusting than moldy bread.
“Being a maid, yet you show such an attitude upon seeing a noble? Is this the Roy family’s way? Such lack of manners.”
Alice promptly lifted the hem of her skirt, returning a curtsy with grace.
“Hmph, that’s more like it.”
Leanne snorted arrogantly, about to speak, when Alice calmly responded, “It’s your turn to curtsy now.”
The unexpected remark left Leanne momentarily at a loss.
But Alice, stubborn and serious, stared at her, repeating, “I have curtsied, as a noble, you should nod in return now.”
Leanne, along with the other dandies, were amused by her words: “A mere maid, you dare to teach me…”
“Lack of manners.”
The calm yet sharp retort cut through the laughter.
The lackeys dared not laugh anymore.
Leanne was still smiling, but her face was darker than before.
Well, no point in arguing with a mere maid.
Leanne reluctantly nodded, returning the gesture.
“It seems Roy has trained you well, you must like that guy a lot, huh? But…”
“Isn’t that natural?” Alice tilted her head, seemingly unreasonable, interrupting Leanne again.
And yet, she interrupted quite naturally!
Leanne felt uncomfortable, as if she had unexpectedly bitten into a peppercorn while eating.
Ignoring Alice’s words, Leanne continued, “But, I must tell you the true nature of Roy!”
“I don’t understand.”
The conversation finally found its rhythm, a hint of malice flickering in Leanne’s eyes.
“Hehe, you have no idea, the master you respect so much, Roy Ainsworth, just how despicable a scoundrel he is?”