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

48

Roy took some time to recount everything that had just happened to Carl truthfully.

Throughout, Carl stared intently into Roy’s eyes, and Roy, unburdened, met his father’s gaze with equanimity.

After hearing it all, Carl’s expression softened slightly, and he asked with a scrutinizing tone, “Do you think you did the right thing?”

“Right or wrong, I simply did what I had to do,” Roy replied calmly.

“Given another chance, I would do the same.”

Roy was certain that at that moment, Ryan truly intended to be rough with Alice, and he had no regrets about being the first to act.

“But indeed, I have caused trouble for my father.” With a sigh, Roy added, “Today is Uncle Raymond’s birthday banquet, and this incident has ultimately brought shame upon my father.”

“I am willing to accept my father’s punishment.”

Carl’s eyes widened slightly, not expecting Roy’s response, a faint smile flickered at the corner of his mouth, but was quickly suppressed.

Seeing that Roy was to be punished, Alice immediately stood up, explaining, “Master acted on my behalf, if anyone is to be punished, it should be me!”

“No, you’ve done nothing wrong,” Carl waved off Alice, turning back to Roy, and suddenly changed the subject.

“As a noble, one should always maintain composure, dignity, and etiquette, not act impulsively over personal feelings.”

“But as a man, it is only natural to protect those you cherish. If one doesn’t care about the safety of those held dear, that’s not rationality or wisdom, that’s indifference and heartlessness.”

Alice blinked blankly, clearly not understanding the implication of Carl’s words.

“Father means, as a noble, I did wrong, but as a man, I did not?” After pondering for a moment, Roy couldn’t help but feel a surge of quiet joy.

He knew his father was a reasonable man.

At Roy’s words, Carl laughed without saying anything.

Composure, dignity, etiquette, political considerations, and the face of nobility, these superficial things can be feigned at any time.

But what of it? The founding nobles were all from military backgrounds, each speaking coarsely, having rolled in blood and mud. What truly matters is the choice one makes in the face of crisis.

Choice reveals one’s true nature.

Had Roy not acted then, but instead chosen to retreat and call for help, perhaps the matter could have ended with dignity and grace.

Perhaps that would make a perfect noble. But it would only chill Carl’s heart.

What Roy did today, that is the choice Carl agrees with, the choice a true man should make.

And he won the fight.

The coarse behavior may have lost the face of nobility, but if the ancestors of the Ainsworth family, those brash warriors, knew of this, they would likely praise Roy for fighting well and valiantly.

Certainly, with so many eyes upon us, we must maintain appearances.

“Roy, no matter what, hitting others is wrong. I will have to confine you, forbidding you from attending the ball.”

“As you wish, Father.”

“Don’t worry about the rest, Raymond won’t make things difficult for you.”

Alice’s face fell in a frown, indignant on behalf of her master.

But upon hearing this, Roy silently applauded in his heart.

Confinement, in truth, was Carl’s way of protecting him from further controversy. Besides, with his attire in tatters, Roy had lost all interest in the banquet.

Once the parents learned the truth, they gathered to discuss.

By the rules of nobility, Roy, having struck first, should have been the one to face punishment, especially since he had hit quite a few people, attracting much misfortune.

But Carl and Raymond shared a bond deeper than blood, both reasonable men, and so the matter concluded with both sides stepping back, turning a major issue into a minor one.

Roy had anticipated this; after all, Ryan had suffered enough and wouldn’t dare cause further trouble for some time.

“Alright, shake hands, apologize, and let’s put this matter to rest.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have resorted to violence.” Roy stood tall, extending his hand with grace.

“You…!”

Ryan, still unable to straighten his back or close his legs, clearly lacked Roy’s composure. After struggling for a while, he finally glared at old Raymond and burst out.

“How can you! Father, would you really side with an outsider over your own son?!”

The raucous barking shattered the hard-won silence, and old Raymond, at his limit, ordered the guards, “Enough! Drag him away!”

“Without my command, do not release him!”

The soldiers dragged him away like a mangy dog, and peace finally returned to the night.

“I’m truly sorry for causing such a scene, Roy. I’ve let you down, nephew.”

“No, no, it’s my fault, I’m sorry for ruining Uncle’s birthday banquet.”

Amongst nobles, personal relationships and social graces are paramount, and since it wasn’t old Raymond who tried to harm Alice, Roy didn’t mind preserving the due courtesies.

Old Raymond’s personal apology also signaled to the other nobles.

The Raymond family had no intention of feuding with the Ainsworths.

Noble brawls, at their ugliest, could lead to family feuds, escalating to a point where both sides, right or wrong, would seek every opportunity to antagonize each other for advantage.

Now, with the mutual understanding between old Raymond and Roy, other nobles dared not exploit the situation. After all, if the Raymonds, at the heart of the matter, no longer cared, what right did other families have to hold a grudge?

The only one Roy intended to pursue was the brute who tried to harm Alice.

Alice’s safety was a line Roy would never compromise.

“Alice is my personal maid, and as such, she enjoys the same rights as nobility under the law, being a member of the Ainsworth family. I demand that the person who harmed Alice pay the price he owes.”

The young man, named Craig, was merely the youngest son of a minor baronet. His parents, facing Roy’s demands, did not dare to neglect them, publicly disowning Craig of his inheritance and expelling him from the family, followed by a profuse apology to Roy.

This even exceeded Roy’s expectations. It seems that Craig himself was a black sheep, disfavored by his family, and just happened to be kicked out.

All of this happened while Craig was unconscious.

Imagine his surprise when he wakes up to find he has lost everything and has become a commoner?

Serves him right.

Who asked this b*stard to hurt my Alice?

From noble mtl dot come

The brawl with Ryan came to an end, and the interrupted birthday dinner resumed.

Roy obediently started his confinement.

Though called confinement, it was actually a luxurious single room. Sitting on a big, soft bed covered in velvet, he was served a full table of exquisite dishes, even accompanied by a bottle of fine red wine.

A noble’s buffet dinner is not bad, but after all, sitting down to eat is the most comfortable!

This confinement, it’s rather enjoyable!