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Chapter 161: Who is the Real Winner?
Chapter 161: Who is the Real Winner?
You blabbering fool!
Upon seeing the solemn front hall and the unconcealed anger on the young prince's face, the elder of the Lane family, standing backstage, couldn't help but curse under his breath. He quickly stepped forward to take the place of the Lane family head, who had just stepped on a landmine, and with a benevolent smile, he tried to smooth things over.
"It's all the same, it's all the same. Don't worry."
Whether it's Prince Joshua or Princess Veronika, they are both the children of His Majesty the King, and it's only natural for them to represent His Majesty and the Royal Family. Whichever of the two is present today, it's an honor for our Lane family.
Haha, speaking of which, the last time I saw Prince Joshua, he was only seven or eight years old. In the blink of an eye, he's already old enough to represent His Majesty the King and attend our Lane family's Marquis Ceremony. Time sure flies!"
Hmph! How dare you compare me to her? You old fool, relying on your age!
Looking at the white-haired old man who rushed out from backstage to smooth things over, with two small irregular freckles on his cheekbones, making it seem like his face was dirty, Joshua narrowed his eyes, as if he still wanted to say something. But he was suddenly pinched hard on the waist by someone behind him.
"Your Highness!"
Hearing the low call, tinged with anger, and seeing the slightly panicked expression on the woman beside him, the freckled youth clenched his teeth, swallowing back the rebuke that had risen to his lips. With an impatient look, he urged,
"Fine, let's just get on with it! When will your new Duke finally arrive? Ask him to hurry up a bit, and don't waste our time!"
"He's coming, he's coming! The Duke will be here soon!"
Seeing that the arrogant and temperamental young prince had finally been dealt with, the two Lane elders simultaneously heaved a sigh of relief. They stood up and led the guests back to their original positions, all smiles as they chatted with the freckled youth, and the tense atmosphere in the hall returned to a harmonious one... until a commotion and the neighing of horses came from outside the manor.
"Your Grace! You're finally here..."
Having finally caught sight of the person they'd been waiting for, the two Lane elders hurriedly went to greet him, eager to finish the remaining procedures.
However, when they approached, they discovered that the Duke had completely changed his appearance compared to when he left. Not only had he wiped off his makeup, removed his exquisite accessories, and changed out of his custom-made ceremonial attire, but there was even a large stain on his chest!
Damn it! The Duke is dressed like he's fleeing a disaster, how can the ceremony start now? Is this how Old York handles things?
Hearing the whispers in the hall and feeling the piercing gazes from behind, the two Lane elders felt their heads spinning.
"Your Grace!"
Looking at the stain on Leon's chest, the Lane family head couldn't help but ask in surprise and anger:
"What happened to your clothes? Old York... he..."
"Um..."
Seeing the desperate looks on the two old men's faces, Leon, who had almost sent the old steward away, felt a bit embarrassed and explained:
"The old steward... he suddenly had a heart attack. I barely managed to save him, and this stain on my chest is his spit."
Oh... he was fine when he left, and now this happened?
Hearing Leon's explanation, the two Lane elders exchanged a glance, seeing deep resignation in each other's eyes.
"Don't worry! There's still a way!"
Hearing the growing murmurs in the hall, the Lane elder took a deep breath and instructed the Lane family head:
"You think of a way to calm the guests first. I'll take the Duke to the back to reapply his makeup and change clothes, and then we'll come out. That way, it might still be possible..."
"There's no need for such trouble. I'll just say a few words."
Although he really wanted to continue his sentence, considering the age of these two elders, Leon suppressed the urge to keep talking. Instead, he pulled his hand away from the Lane family head and strode towards the hall.
"Your Grace! Wait!"
"Wait! What... what are you doing?"
Of course, I'm doing what I want. I'll quickly get rid of this troublesome Duke!
Ignoring the two Lane elders who hurried after him, Leon walked through the crowd of guests and stepped onto the ceremony platform. He looked down at the people below and said:
"I'm here to announce something. If you still insist that I become the Marquis, then I have something to say."
"You bastard!"
A familiar voice interrupted Leon, and a well-known beggar baron pushed through the crowd, pointing at the freckled youth in the front row with a sullen face. He spoke with a sinister tone, causing trouble:
"You're late for the ceremony, wasting the time of these two noble guests, and you don't even apologize?"
Oh, it's you, little beggar.
Recognizing the emblem on his chest, Leon couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him. Instead, he followed the gesture and looked at the man and woman in the front row.
The man seemed to be the Prime Minister, and Leon had seen his photo with the Prime Minister in the newspaper. The woman seemed to be in a good mood, and when she noticed Leon looking at her, she even nodded in greeting.
On the right, a young man with a dirty smudge on his face, presumably Joshua Prince, who had been splattered with mud and had overturned several carriages, was glaring at Leon with annoyance. Fortunately, someone held him back, preventing him from stepping forward.
It was best to stay out of sight and avoid trouble.
Unfortunately, even though Leon had only glanced at the "distinguished guest" briefly, he quickly averted his gaze, ready for a swift resolution, eager to get rid of this unfortunate title.
However, his eyes, windows to the soul, seemed to reveal more than most, and with just a fleeting look, Leon had already conveyed his thoughts.
"How dare you!"
After exchanging a glance with the person on stage, Leon's eyes conveyed a mixture of contempt and disgust, with an underlying tone of disdain. Joshua, already seething with anger, could no longer hold back.
Joshua shoved aside the woman holding his arm and shouted with a face full of anger:
"You're just a lowly commoner who got lucky! How dare you look at me with that attitude after inheriting a title?"
"..."
Are you stupid?
After just a glance, Leon was met with a barrage of inexplicable insults. His heart didn't even have time to get angry; he just felt a bit dazed.
Speaking of which, this peculiar person, who seemed ready to explode with just one more look, was probably someone who had retired twenty years ago. Even back then, he wouldn't have been able to create a decent villain for an online drama. How did Leon end up encountering such a person today?
Damn it! I'll blind you and those damn eyes of yours!
Leon's eyes shifted from contempt to surprise, then from surprise to realization, and finally, he seemed to pity the other person. The freckled prince suffered another "heavy blow," and the flames of anger in his heart surged even higher.
"You lowly..."
"Prince Joshua!"
Not only Leon but everyone present was startled by the freckled prince's sudden outburst. His etiquette teacher, standing next to him, quickly intervened, grabbing him by the arm and scolding him with a furrowed brow:
"Mind your manners! Don't embarrass the royal family and your sister!"
"Get lost!"
Joshua shoved his etiquette teacher, who was trying to stop him, to the ground. With veins popping out of his forehead, he stomped his feet and cursed:
"She's her! I'm me! Don't compare me to Veronika! I'm myself! I'm not her copy!"
"And you!"
Looking at the person on stage who was looking down on him, Joshua, with his wounded pride, rushed towards the main stage, cursing as he walked:
"You filthy peasant! Rotten fruit on a crooked tree! Mongrel in a dog's den!
Just because you're an outsider Duke, you dare look down on me? I'll show you; I'll make sure you lose your dukedom, and tomorrow, you and your whole family will be kicked out of the capital! I..."
Joshua swung his arm with all his might and slapped the other person so hard that they flipped over. Feeling relieved, Leon, amidst the silent crowd, grabbed the freckled prince by his collar, spat on his face, and rubbed it on his face with his sleeve, only to find that it wasn't dirt but freckles. With disappointment, Leon retracted his hand and patted the freckled prince's rapidly swelling left cheek in front of his terrified eyes.
"You want me to lose my dukedom? Fine! I hope you keep your word!"
...
I think I understand why Old York suddenly had a heart attack...
Watching the new Duke, who not only spat on the prince's face but also threatened to become the king's father-in-law, Leon, the head of the Lane family, felt his heart racing, breaking through a hundred and eight barriers, and reaching a pace of two hundred beats per minute.
"Elder! Elder, please think of something!"
In this life-or-death situation, Leon immediately turned to his only lifeline, hoping to hear the calming "Don't panic" from him. However...
"Plop!"
Before Leon could turn his head, one of the three elders of the Lane family, the oldest and the last pillar of the family, already rolled his eyes and lay on the carpet, twitching with a crooked mouth and eyes, seemingly predicting the Lane family's tragic fate with his performance.
Even more alarming was the fact that the new Duke, who had successfully led the Lane family into a ditch, threw away the freckled prince, who was trembling in fear, and announced to the bewildered guests:
"Listen up! If you still insist that I become the Duke, I'll use the entire Lane family as a bridal gift to propose to Princess Veronika! What's the worst that could happen..."
"Good!"
A clear voice came from behind, and a woman who should not have appeared in this scene took a big voice from behind, and a woman who should not have appeared in this scene, took a big step forward, facing the guests with eyes ten times more dazed than before, and responded with a happy voice:
"I accept your proposal! From now on, you're my prince!"
(End of Chapter)
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