Chapter 158: Either Way, I Won't Tolerate It!
Chapter 158: Either Way, I Won't Tolerate It!
With a disdainful glance in the mirror, Lyon, usually quite polite, couldnhed his eyes at the elderly steward as he saw his face covered in a thick layer of white makeup.
He had thought that by simplifying the Marquis Ceremony and condensing it into a single day, they would save a lot of trouble. But even the most streamlined version of the ceremony was incredibly tedious. Just the dressing and makeup process had taken over two hours.
Not only did he have to wear the appropriate aristocratic attire, which was extremely cumbersome, but he also had to stuff a specially-made pad between his legs, making his crotch bulge, supposedly to enhance his masculine aura.
On top of that, he had to wear a wiglet, apply lipstick, eye and face makeup, and even cover his forehead and neck with a thick layer of lead powder, which he only agreed to replace with harmless creamy powder after repeated refusals.
After finally finishing with the makeup, he still had to ride in this carriage, supposedly of great significance, along Redwood Drive, leaving behind 'Lion's Footprints' with the imprints of the carriage wheels, symbolizing the arrival of the new Duke of Lionheart to his territory...
After enduring all these ridiculous procedures, Lyon was already irritated, and the Marquis Ceremony hadn't even begun!
Bullshit!
Lyon wiped off the messy makeup from his face with a wet sleeve, then twisted the door handle and jumped out of the carriage.
He couldn't continue following their instructions; if he did, he didn't know how many more bizarre and tormenting steps awaited him.
"Your Grace, your makeup! Your makeup!"
"What makeup? I'm not doing it anymore!"
Lyon removed the wig, wiped off the traces of makeup from his face, and seeing the elderly steward chasing after him in a huff, Lyon threatened with a dark expression:
"Either I go like this, or you find another Duke! Your choice!"
Do I even have a choice?
Watching the new Duke, who had shaken off the maids and guards and was walking towards the manor, the elderly steward felt dizzy, and if not for the need to maintain his composure, he might have pounded his chest and cried on the spot.
Old Duke, you made this bizarre choice and died happily, but you had to torment us! Why didn't you take me with you? As the steward leaned against the carriage, pounding his chest in agony, a voice called out from ahead.
"Come here!"
Lyon had only taken a few steps after getting off the carriage when he noticed a pile of overturned carriages on both sides of the road.
He waved to the elderly steward, who hurriedly caught up, panting. Lyon pointed to the broken porcelain scattered on the ground and demanded with a frown:
"Look at what you've done! Not only did you force people off the road, but you also broke their goods?"
Who pushed them down? Hurry up and compensate them!"
"Duke... This... This wasn't us."
After sneaking a glance at Leon's expression upon hearing that he had to pay compensation, one of the dark-skinned guards couldn't help but speak up in defense:
"Your carriage hadn't arrived yet, and these carriages were already overturned by the side of the road. It was probably the previous group that pushed them down."
The previous group?
"D...Duke..."
After finally catching his breath, the old butler first inquired with the guard, then, with a pale face, he began to explain:
"It should be Prince Joshua's carriage, the one that passed by us at the intersection while we were waiting for you to board."
Oh, so it was that carriage that almost splattered me with mud.
After hearing the old butler's words, Leon recalled a certain ostentatious carriage pulled by eight horses, and he couldn't help but click his tongue in disgust.
Nobles, royalty... Ugh... Not a single decent one among them!
Turning to look at the few merchants crying sadly by the roadside, and adhering to the principle of being as generous as possible since he wasn't the one paying, Leon directly demanded:
"Compensate them too! After all, if it weren't for delivering goods to your house, you wouldn't have encountered him. It's reasonable for the Lane family to bear some of the compensation."
"This..."
"What do you mean by this?"
Leon, already in a foul mood from a poor night's sleep and the recent commotion, turned back, squinting at the old butler, and said harshly:
"Either you compensate them, or find someone else to take my place..."
"Compensate, compensate, compensate! Pay it all!"
After being threatened with an ultimatum by Leon several times, the old butler's heart, already on the brink, started pounding uncontrollably at the mere mention of "either."
He forcefully covered his wildly beating heart, feeling that he would surely lose at least ten years of his life today. Then, he reached out and grabbed Leon's arm, his legs trembling, and pleaded with a mournful face:
"Duke! I'll agree to anything you want! Just please don't say 'either' again, okay? The Lane family can't do without you! I... I'm old, and my heart isn't in the best condition. I really can't take this..."
Oh...
Seeing the old butler's face turning slightly purple, his hands tightly gripping Leon's arm, and the look on his face as if he was about to kneel right then and there if Leon didn't agree, Leon hesitated.
To be fair, in Leon's soul vision, this old butler wasn't exactly a saint, but the main issue was the plotting and scheming, the political intrigue and power struggles, which he didn't seem to have directly participated in.
But... Leon wasn't really prepared to be a duke. After the succession ceremony began and everyone was gathered, he intended to find a way to decline the title. Looking at the butler's purple face, would he be able to hold on once he learned of Leon's plan?
"There's something I want to discuss with you first, and I hope you won't be too shocked when you hear it..."
After a moment of hesitation, Leon turned around, supporting the old butler's back with one hand, then cautiously leaned in and whispered to the butler, who seemed "overwhelmed with gratitude":
"Later, when everyone is gathered, I plan to propose to the princess in front of everyone, using the entire Lane family as a bridal gift. That way, they'll either have to find someone else to be the duke or get nothing at all! What do you think?"
"..."
"Damn it! Don't faint! Stand up straight! Oh no! You're drooling!"
(End of Chapter)
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