Lucian nodded with an awkward expression.
From what he had heard in the rumors, it seemed that he’d gained a reputation as a schemer who had hidden his claws while plotting something from the shadows.
‘No wonder. He was shut in his room for years, and the moment he reappeared, he shook the entire family. Anyone would think he had been planning it all along.’
When in reality, the only thing that had changed was the soul inside his body.
Uncomfortable, Lucian looked around and quickly changed the subject.
“Now that I think about it, there are quite a few people here who aren’t much older than us. I didn’t expect so many young heads of families in the Empire.”
“That can’t be. Most of them aren’t heads of families. They’re heirs who came as representatives, or sons still competing for succession.”
“What? Not one or two, but all of them are representatives?”
“For the same reason as you, young lord.”
The same reason?
At Nigel’s loaded words, Lucian blinked.
Did this guy know who he was from the beginning and still pretended otherwise?
As if to say “don’t play dumb,” Nigel smiled.
“If the commander-in-chief is the First Imperial Prince, having the family head come in person could easily be interpreted as support for him. Sending an heir or another son leaves room for excuses.”
“…Ah, I see. Even if someone tries to tie them to the First Prince’s faction, if the head of the family isn’t present, they can always deny it later.”
“In the end, everyone thinks the same. Me, and you too—am I wrong?”
Nigel looked at him as if seeking camaraderie, but Lucian had nothing to say.
In reality, his reason for being there was almost the opposite of the others’.
‘Some send their sons as an excuse, and others turn their sons into representatives just to tangle them up.’
The absurd contradiction drew a bitter smile from him. Even so, he couldn’t deny it without raising suspicion, so he was about to nod out of courtesy when—
“Isn’t this an absolute discourtesy? To receive an imperial edict and still try to wiggle out of it, claiming to be the heads of their respective families. Truly disgraceful.”
A deep voice suddenly echoed behind them.
Upon hearing all the heads of families who had sent representatives being insulted in one sweep, Nigel turned around with a frown.
After all, he was one of those representatives—it was like an insult to his own house.
But the moment he saw who had spoken, Nigel’s face turned pale.
“Th-that! No, I…!”
“Come now, calm yourself. Isn’t this supposed to be a place to conceal one’s identity? It wouldn’t be proper for me to receive greetings here.”
The middle-aged family head waved his hand indulgently.
However, no matter how gentle his tone, the look he gave from above was dripping with arrogance.
Lucian quickly examined the man who had stepped in.
‘Dark blue hair and beard, and an eagle emblem on his belt.’
That alone was enough to identify him.
In the entire Empire, there was only one great house with dark blue hair—and it just so happened their symbol was an eagle.
‘The House of Marquis Roglan.’
With that, the man’s identity was obvious.
Bernhardt Roglan, current head of House Roglan.
Direct rival of Duke Sigmund and leader of the noble faction.
“And who might this young man be?”
One of the heavyweights who moved the Empire looked at Lucian while stroking his chin.
***
Under the marquis’s loaded gaze, Lucian gave a faint smile.
Who was this young man, he asked?
‘This might be our first meeting, but there’s no way you don’t know who I am.’
Even if Lucian didn’t know the marquis personally, the marquis undoubtedly knew Lucian.
As head of House Roglan, he would have access to top-tier intelligence.
And even more so, considering Lucian was the one who had completely destroyed his intrigues.
Even without any formal intelligence, it was obvious he would’ve thoroughly investigated him out of pure rage.
‘So, he’s pretending not to know me just to see if I’ll lower my head first?’
Dark blue hair, beard, and even an eagle-shaped ornament out in the open.
He had no intention of hiding who he was.
He wanted to see Lucian recognize him and act subservient.
Even if their houses were of similar rank, a third young master and a family head were not equals.
But Lucian had no intention of letting himself be dragged into the marquis’s game.
“How rude. And who are you to barge in and insult other heads of families so freely? Judging by your age, you should’ve learned proper manners by now.”
“!?”
At Lucian’s words, which were essentially a direct insult, the marquis was left speechless.
Nigel’s face turned pale as a sheet.
In the frozen atmosphere, Nigel reacted as best he could and grabbed Lucian’s shoulder, shaking him.
“Y-young lord! This man is…!”
“Eh! Have you forgotten that the First Imperial Prince ordered everyone to hide their identities? I may have made a mistake, but revealing his on purpose would be outright defiance of the imperial family. Under no circumstances should you say anything.”
The marquis’s face twisted like a demon’s.
‘This damned brat intends to keep pretending not to recognize me to the very end!’
The marquis had just insulted all the heads of families who had sent representatives, accusing them of trying to weasel out of their duties even after receiving an imperial edict.
But if he now broke the First Prince’s order and revealed his identity, it would be no different from slapping himself in the face.
No matter how many hints he dropped, if the other side insisted on playing dumb, there was nothing he could do.
“What’s wrong? Suddenly gone silent? If you have something to say, speak up.”
‘Damn it.’
Seeing Lucian standing his ground so brazenly, Marquis Bernhardt Roglan ground his teeth.
He had wanted the boy to bow his head on his own, but at this rate, he would only end up being treated as an equal by a greenhorn brat.
If Lucian were at least a head of a family, their ranks would be comparable—but he wasn’t even that. Just a third young master, not even the heir.
If, even with the masks on, they continued speaking on equal footing, it would certainly become a humiliation that would follow him for years.
“…Forgive me. That was my mistake. But I do seem quite a bit older than you—couldn’t you at least show a little respect?”
The marquis’s tone changed. It was a clear hint I’ll respect you, so at least mind your manners.
Lucian nodded immediately and adjusted his tone as well.
“You’re right. I was in a foul mood and acted rudely. I offer my apologies.”
“No, I understand. I interrupted suddenly—it’s only natural you were annoyed.”
Damn brat.
The marquis wore a wide smile while cursing inwardly.
He had wanted the other to bow first, but in the end, he had been the one to lower his head and receive polite treatment in return.
“Ahem. Actually, I came over because I also wanted to speak with you. A small problem has come up lately, and I thought it might be helpful to hear someone else’s opinion.”
“Would you mind telling me what the problem is?”
“It’s nothing serious. A lion took a sword that originally belonged to an eagle and decorated it flamboyantly with jewels. Then he claims that, since its value has changed, it now belongs to him. Tell me, whose sword is it?”
It was a strange metaphor, but Lucian understood immediately what he meant.
The eagle and the lion were the symbols of House Roglan and the ducal House Valdeck, respectively.
The sword was Felicia, and the jewels symbolized her status as the Swordmaster’s disciple.
‘So Felicia was originally from House Roglan, and now that I’ve taken her into Valdeck, they want her back. What nerve.’
Most people would probably say that no matter how many jewels were added, the sword still belonged to its original owner.
In other words, the marquis was demanding, “Hand over Felicia, now that she’s the Swordmaster’s disciple.”
Considering the mistreatment Felicia had suffered until now, it was ridiculous.
“Well, if the eagle had taken care of the sword, then yes, the lion would be a thief. But if the eagle had tossed it aside like trash and the lion picked it up and polished it, then asking for it back is a different story, wouldn’t you say?”
“No. I don’t see it that way. Whether cared for or not, the sword originally belonged to the eagle. From the moment the lion took it without the owner’s permission, he can’t claim any right to it.”
“I wonder if the sword would truly appreciate its former owner. If it’s a famous sword, shouldn’t it choose its master itself?”
“For a mere tool to choose its owner is an insolence. No matter what the sword thinks, it only matters that the owner uses it well.”
“Oh, is that so? Hahaha!”
“Indeed. Hahaha!”
Invisible sparks flew between Bernhardt Roglan and Lucian.
Nigel, caught in the middle of this heavy exchange, was drenched in cold sweat.
As the dry laughter dragged on, Lucian spoke in a half-joking, half-serious tone.
“Actually, there’s a very simple solution.”
“A solution? And what would that be?”
“The eagle didn’t even know whether the sword existed or not. Just pick up any stick, wrap it in cloth, and say, ‘this is the sword.’ It was a sword he never used anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”
“…!”
“The famous sword will be well used by the lion, who recognized its worth from the beginning. So there’s no need to worry. Isn’t that the perfect solution—for both the eagle and the lion?”
The smile vanished from the marquis’s face.
To him, it was nothing more than mockery from someone who had never even recognized the value of the treasure until now.
After a brief silence, the marquis fixed a sharp gaze on Lucian and spoke.
“And what if the eagle doesn’t accept that? What if he insists on taking back the sword? What if he chooses to fight the lion, even if both end up bloodied?”
Lucian responded with a cold smile.
“Then the eagle will have to come to the lion’s den. If he had cared for the sword that much, the lion would’ve gone to the eagle’s nest. But things are different now. I wonder how much strength the eagle can show in the lion’s front yard.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the marquis and Lucian stood still, facing off.
The marquis’s eyes no longer even tried to hide their hostility.
After glaring for a long moment, Bernhardt Roglan turned around and muttered,
“We’ll see soon enough.”
It was unclear whether it was a monologue or a warning.
After the marquis walked off, Lucian let out a mocking laugh and murmured,
“See the eagle bathed in blood? What greed from someone who couldn’t even recognize a treasure.”
“Y-young master…”
Nigel, soaked in cold sweat, called out to Lucian in a faint voice.
After hearing the entire conversation, there was no way he hadn’t figured out Lucian’s identity.
Lucian waved both hands with a wry smile, as if to say it wasn’t a big deal.
“Relax. I’m not angry.”
“I… I mean… I was discourteous to you…”
“I said I’m not angry. This kind of fun is always like this. Everyone will have forgotten it by tomorrow.”
“Th-thank you. Truly, thank you.”
“What for? I actually had quite a bit of fun.”
After patting Nigel on the shoulder, who kept bowing his head, Lucian headed for his tent.
Now that his identity had been revealed, he could no longer converse as casually as before.
When Lucian arrived at his tent and removed the mask—
“Young master, are you really okay provoking the marquis like that? With his personality, he won’t sit still.”
Raymond, who had been silently observing from behind, approached and whispered.
Lucian removed his hood and shrugged.
“Let me ask you something. Between someone who lets himself be pushed around by his enemy hoping not to get attacked, and someone who braces for the blow and strikes first—which do you think is more worthy of serving?”
Raymond blinked a few times, stunned, then gave a deep smile.
He then gave an exaggerated bow and said with a joking tone,
“It’s an honor to serve someone so worthy.”
____
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