Chapter 1140: Chapter 284: The Big Shot’s Game
The gray sky seemed to be covered with a layer of white frost. Marquis Youxi exhaled white breath and withdrew his gaze from outside the splendid railings of the manor, a faint smile playing on his thin, pale face. "This weather is really damned, my Lord," his attendant couldn’t help but complain, while the Marquis continued wearing a mink fur coat, simply rubbing his hands. "The thawing season certainly brings temperatures colder than the Frost, but no matter how cold, it can’t stop our Dukes’ hearts from burning with ambition."
"It’s ambition, isn’t it?"
The Marquis smiled without answering and placed his hand back on the railing, silently watching as two knight-led carriages passed along the barren tree-lined path, stopping one after the other outside the manor gates. The hall had already gathered several well-dressed, high-profile nobles, though most of these figures were reputable local gentry and merchants, this meeting had little relevance to them. In this game that decides the kingdom’s fate, they were merely small figures with the right to applaud.
However, the carriages brought truly heavyweight guests—
As the carriages slowly halted, the entire hall quieted down, high discussions turning into whispers. Through the tall floor-to-ceiling windows, guests could clearly see the black carriage outside on the avenue with the shield emblem, the New Moon, crossed scepter and crown, along with the distinctive winged serpent crest. The identity of the occupants of the carriage was evident—The Colcorva family’s last bloodline, Erune’s Princess and her brother.
But compared to the declining royal family, the other carriage bore only the simple fierce eagle crest, yet this shield emblem weighed like a cloud over everyone’s hearts—Of the six Dukes of Erune, the answer to which holds overwhelming power is Anlek.
Knights first opened the door for the Princess, her pale purple gown billowing like a cloud as Griffith gracefully stepped down from the carriage. She slightly raised her head, her light silver eyes glimmered gently like autumn water, softly radiating a clear and restrained brilliance. Her soft silver hair draped over her fragile shoulders, covered by a fur stole, accentuating the Half-Elf Girl’s delicate form—yet this fragility upheld a natural unyielding pride.
Everyone present instinctively held their breath, having long heard of the kingdom’s Princess as the most radiant pearl on Erune’s crown, but only upon seeing her could they comprehend the truth in these words.
Many present had the thought that old Anlek benefited from this situation. But on the terrace, Marquis Youxi merely managed a profound smile, sniffing the musky scent of his mink fur gloves, thinking Duke Anlek appearing with the Princess really showed what an old, cunning man he was. Was this a footnote to the frequent interactions between both sides? Yet in his view, the most interesting aspect was what kind of status this girl from Kurt (1) sold herself into.
The door of the second carriage opened, and everyone could not help but feel their breath catch. Even Marquis Youxi on the terrace involuntarily frowned. Below the railing, Duke Anlek seemed not as aged as rumored. His temples were gray, eyes like an eagle’s, his serious face marked by a natural air of power and authority, thin lips, even his beard groomed as meticulously as the person himself—compared to most nobles, this Lord Duke cut a distinguished figure.
He wore a long black mink robe, with silver chest armor faintly visible beneath—yet no one would assume this Duke was cowardly. Highlanders are martial, and Duke Anlek spent his life in battle. He appeared in all occasions dressed in armor, a scene well-known in Erune’s noble circles, such that even without looking, Youxi knew there was certainly a sharpened heavy blade strapped beneath the robe. This sword was not a decorative piece like those used by most nobles; Anlek’s lifetime fighting with it saw his foes fall to numbers no less than double digits. As for hothouse flowers among those corpses, they might find it unsettling to the point of nausea.
However, Youxi somewhat enviously clicked his tongue. Normally, weapons were not allowed when entering this venue, but Duke Anlek evidently did not fall within general constraints. This was an honor reserved for Dukes, and though having a unique status, compared to the many big shots hosting the meeting, he was only slightly better situated than those people in the lower hall.
