Chapter 179

Chapter 179

“……”

The atmosphere was weighed down by an unexpected arrival, leaving everyone in the room with dark expressions, shrouded in silence.

The only person who seemed unaffected was Chelsea, her face unchanged.

‘You really are something else, Chelsea.’

Aside from her, most people had either dropped their heads in defeat or were simmering with rage.

Of course, the one burning the most with anger was, without a doubt, Elliot… huh?

“Damn it!”

Bang!

The one who suddenly cursed and punched the wall was none other than Arian Marquis.

[That woman is in a dangerous state.]

As Airsya pointed out, the faint haze of anger swirling around Arian created an intimidating aura, making it hard for anyone to approach her.

Of course, some weren’t bothered by it at all.

“Hey, Arian. You really shouldn’t be cursing here…”

“Just shut up, senior.”

Arian cut off Lucas with a sharp, biting tone.

“Alright, alright. I’ll keep quiet.”

Lucas raised both hands in surrender, pretending to be startled as he took a small step back.

“That damn fox bitch, stabbing us in the back like this?”

She continued spitting venomous hatred toward Diana Fren.

But Arian’s furious rampage was soon interrupted by the voice of Rosen Ravenia.

“Arian, enough.”

“……”

Arian still wore a furious expression, but she eventually closed her mouth.

Lois, standing beside her, leaned over and whispered to Bren in a very quiet voice.

“How did that woman manage to meet the Duke before us?”

The answer didn’t come from Bren but from Elliot.

“The Fren Merchant Guild.”

“Huh? What are you talking about, senior?”

“She probably used her father’s influence. Diana’s exactly the type of person who would pull strings like that.”

“So, how does that matter?”

Still confused, Lois asked again, prompting Rosen to jump in with an exasperated explanation.

“Isn’t it obvious? The Flance Imperial Academy students are on a school trip. There’s no way money wouldn’t be involved.”

“Ah…”

Lois nodded, finally understanding Rosen’s point.

Grit.

And judging by the sound of grinding teeth, Arian had heard it too.

It seemed Arian had planned to involve her family’s merchant guild in the arrangements for the Vishran Hot Springs trip.

But Diana had beaten her to it.

‘In terms of both size and influence, the Marquis’s guild can’t compete with the Fren Merchant Guild.’

Since Diana had already met with Duke Romanoff privately, it was safe to assume that much of the deal was already settled.

Hence Arian’s fury…

At that moment,

Clap, clap!

“Everyone, pull yourselves together. We’re about to meet the Duke.”

Rosen Ravenia’s voice snapped everyone back to their senses, their eyes sharpening once more.

Lady Cecilia approached Arian Marquis and murmured words of comfort.

“Arian, don’t worry. Nothing is set in stone yet. I’ll talk to my father and try to help.”

“…Thank you, President.”

Of course, Cecilia alone couldn’t overturn negotiations between families or merchant guilds.

But even so, Arian Marquis seemed touched by Cecilia’s care for her.

‘It’s probably already over…’

If things hadn’t been settled, Diana wouldn’t have been so composed during their earlier encounter. Her character was more aligned with mocking or provoking Elliot in such situations.

The fact that she had completely ignored both me and Elliot and left on her own path indicated that she had already secured a satisfying outcome.

“Let’s go in.”

Creak.

With Rosen’s brief words, we entered the Duke’s office once again.

Naturally, the others followed cautiously, heads bowed respectfully.

“Daddy!”

Leading the group with an enthusiastic shout was Cecilia Romanoff, the Duke’s precious daughter.

And as soon as she called out—

“Cecil, you’re here!”

The one who responded in a slightly higher tone was the lord of this land, Duke Vitell Romanoff.

His face was framed by a thick beard, his eyes deeply set, and his expression inscrutable.

He looked every bit the part of a distinguished, charismatic high noble.

However—

“Oh, my dear daughter! You’ve grown even more since I last saw you. Come here and give me a hug!”

Ignoring the presence of others, Duke Romanoff focused solely on his daughter, oblivious to his surroundings.

It was quite a stark contrast to his title as one of the Empire’s Five Electors—he seemed almost comically doting.

“Ugh, a hug? No way! Anyway, Dad, these are my friends.”

“Ahem!”

Duke Romanoff, having been denied a hug by his daughter, stepped back and rubbed his nose, clearly taken aback.

He then swept his sharp gaze over those who had entered with his beloved daughter, as if evaluating those who dared intrude upon their reunion.

[This guy’s a fool, despite how he looks. Why is it that all the people around you are like this?]

‘Just let it go. He’s always been a doting father.’

Though not heavily featured in the original story, Duke Vitell Romanoff was depicted as an overindulgent parent, especially where Cecilia was concerned.

But seeing it in person—

‘It’s a bit overwhelming.’

At that moment,

“It’s an honor to meet you, Duke Romanoff. I’m Rosen Ravenia, Vice President of the Flance Imperial Academy’s student council.”

Rosen Ravenia stepped forward, bowing her head respectfully as she introduced herself.

For the first time, Duke Romanoff turned his attention to someone other than his daughter.

“You’re Rosen, the daughter of Marquis Ravenia?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Though Rosen had introduced herself as the Vice President of the Flance Imperial Academy’s student council, Duke Romanoff seemed only interested in her being the daughter of another Elector.

“Well, welcome to my estate. Make yourself at home.”

With those words, spoken in a cold and indifferent tone, Duke Romanoff ended the conversation.

“Dad, there’s someone else I want to introduce.”

But as soon as Cecilia spoke again, the Duke’s coldness melted away, replaced by a warm tone.

“Introduce? Who?”

“Here, Kamon. He’s the one who helped me at the Academy.”

“……”

Suddenly, I felt an icy gaze sweep over me.

[W-What was that just now? That was definitely killing intent, right?]

Airsya must have sensed that gaze too, reacting with a startled tone.

‘Yeah, it’s definitely killing intent.’

I bowed my head politely without showing any reaction.

“My name is Kamon. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“So, you are that Kamon Vade.”

The way he repeated my name with such a loaded tone made me unconsciously bite my lower lip.

‘I had a rough idea, but this is worse than I thought.’

To him, I probably looked like a thief—or perhaps an animal—eyeing his precious daughter. Maybe even something worse, like a piece of trash.

But I was innocent.

‘I don’t even have any real interest in your daughter.’

It was purely Lady Cecilia’s one-sided interest and affection toward me.

[Yeah, but for someone who’s not interested, you’ve sure accepted a lot of favors from her, haven’t you?]

Airsya’s snide remark hit a sore spot, but I chose to ignore it.

At that moment, Duke Romanoff’s voice rang out again.

“I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Haha, is that so?”

I responded with a smile, doing my best to hide any awkwardness.

The Duke fell silent for a moment before speaking in a stern tone.

“I’ll be keeping a close eye on you.”

‘Wait, what? Why?’

“Dad, why are you speaking like that? Are you mad or something?”

“Huh? Did I sound like that? Hahaha, no, I’m not angry. It’s just… I’m not used to being around young people, so it’s a bit awkward.”

Duke Romanoff scratched the back of his head, visibly flustered, as he tried to reassure Lady Cecilia. Then he turned to Rosen Ravenia and spoke.

“You must have had a hard time getting here. You should rest well today. Tomorrow morning, I’ll allow you all to visit the Vishran Hot Springs.”

“Thank you, Duke.”

Rosen, having achieved her goal, bowed deeply and expressed her gratitude.

Just as the meeting with Duke Romanoff was about to wrap up—

“Um, Your Grace?”

Lucas Fenelli, who had been silent until now, cautiously spoke up.

His sudden action caused Rosen’s expression to tense up as she whispered in a low voice.

“Senior?”

Lucas responded with his signature smooth smile.

“Just a moment, Rosen.”

He then turned back to Duke Romanoff, bowing politely as he introduced himself.

“My name is Lucas Fenelli from the Fenelli Count’s family. It is truly an honor to meet you, Duke Romanoff.”

“……”

Duke Romanoff didn’t give any reaction, prompting Lady Cecilia to step in.

“Lucas is the top student of the third year. He’s really famous and very popular at the Academy.”

She introduced him with a bright smile.

However, her words seemed to have had the opposite effect.

“Haha, is that so?”

I couldn’t help but notice a twitch at Duke Romanoff’s temple as his expression tensed.

‘Whoa, this is serious.’

[At this rate, if Cecilia’s real boyfriend shows up, he’s definitely sending an assassin.]

Airsya’s comment sent a chill down my spine, but I tried to brush off the unsettling feeling and continued to observe the situation.

“So, Lucas Fenelli, what is it?”

“Ah, Your Grace, it’s just that a dear junior of mine has been dreaming about something with all her heart. I wanted to ask if you could consider giving her a chance.”

Lucas began talking in his smooth, carefree voice, elaborating on Arian Marquis’s situation.

Of course, Rosen and Arian’s expressions turned dark and despondent, as if they had lost all hope, but Lucas didn’t seem to notice their reactions yet.

“…So, I hope you could grant my junior the opportunity as well, Your Grace.”

“I see.”

Even after Lucas’s lengthy explanation, Duke Romanoff responded curtly before nodding and muttering.

“The affairs of a ducal house are handled with careful consideration. There’s no need for you to worry.”

Though his words were polite, they carried a clear message: rejection.

“Yes, I understand. Thank you for listening to my request.”

Lucas bowed his head in response.

Though he hadn’t noticed the women’s expressions, Lucas’s face briefly showed a hint of regret, as if he realized he had pushed his luck a bit too far.

“Is there anything else to discuss?”

At Duke Romanoff’s question, Rosen Ravenia quickly bowed and responded.

“No, Your Grace. We will visit the Vishran Hot Springs tomorrow and report back afterward.”

“Very well, then. Sihen, show them to their rooms.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The elderly butler, following the Duke’s command, began guiding us out of the office.

At the same time, Duke Romanoff’s gentle voice could be heard from behind.

“Now, my dear daughter, how’s your life at the Academy? Tell your father all about it.”

But—

“No, I’ll tell you later. I’m going to spend time with my friends today. Kamon, wait for me. Let’s go together.”

“…What?”

Damn it, why did she have to call my name here? Rosen was right there too!

In that instant, I felt a sticky, intense pressure creeping down my spine, and I instinctively shut my eyes tight.

[This is bad, really bad.]

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