Chapter 160: A Talk With The Grand Duke
Renelle watched as Adrian walked away with her father, but her attention was pulled back to the table she sat on by her brother’s voice.
"Relax, your Butler will be fine....I think," Cedric muttered before turning to Isla, currently on her lap.
"Now then," he started, "tell me about this child, she seems... interesting."
***
Adrian walked behind Grand Duke Boreas without saying anything, though he already had an idea what the Duke wanted to discuss.
"Adrian," Boreas suddenly called out as he stopped at a seemingly quiet part of the Frontier.
"Yes, Grand Duke," Adrian responded politely.
"What oath did you take before your training as a butler started?" The Grand Duke asked.
"Everything I do will be in service to the Ardent family and their prosperity shall come before my own," Adrian finished calmly.
The Grand Duke remained silent for a few seconds, and the air around them seemed to get a little colder
"And yet," Boreas said, "you seem far more loyal to my daughter than to the family itself."
"I am," Adrian answered without hesitation, "my loyalty lies solely to Lady Renelle, after all, she was the one who saved me."
The Grand Duke was silent after that response, not really surprised by it, after all, from all the info he had been receiving, the Butler’s intentions had been made clear to him.
"Though I must say the Ardent family has been benefiting from that loyalty," Boreas said with a chuckle.
He then took out what seemed to be a document and tossed it to the butler, "During these past two months, a lot had happened, but I’m guessing that’s by your design?"
Adrian unfolded the document and read through it and exactly as Boreas expected, the butler didn’t look the least bit surprised.
What he held was an agreement between Alvíss and the Ardent family....or rather, a company that had been handed to the Ardent family.
Specifically, Lady Renelle Ardent.
Before leaving for the Western Frontier, Adrian had already prepared everything.
When the first vehicles were completed, the Ardent family had become the sole owner of the patents, materials, and production methods.
"The vehicles currently moving between the Frontiers are only prototypes," Adrian explained calmly as he folded the document shut, "mass production will begin within the year."
Boreas narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Why hand such power to Renelle?" the Grand Duke asked, "With your knowledge and abilities, you could easily rise to become a Grand Duke yourself, why settle for being a butler?"
"Because I prefer staying by my lady’s side," Adrian honestly replied, "besides, I’m certain that ruling Avera will suit her more than me."
"Ruling Avera?" Boreas repeated with a frown on his face as he looked towards the Butler who had no change in his expression.
"Yes," Adrian nodded, "the vehicles are only the beginning."
His tone remained calm and polite, like he was discussing the weather rather than the restructuring of an Empire.
"I intend to make Avera reliant on the Ardent family for everything."
The temperature around them suddenly dropped a couple of degrees as Boreas’ blue eyes let out a dangerous glow.
"You speak rather boldly for someone standing before a Grand Duke," he said, "you seem to forget, my loyalty still lies with the Lightbringers."
Adrian met the Grand Duke’s gaze without the slightest hesitation.
"I haven’t forgotten," he answered calmly, "I simply believe the Lightbringers are no longer worthy of that loyalty."
The atmosphere suddenly turned even colder as frost started coating the ground around them.
"Careful, boy," Boreas said quietly, though somehow that tone felt far more dangerous than shouting, "those words border on treason."
"Perhaps," Adrian nodded without a change in his expression, though he could now feel pressure trying to force him down, "but I believe that even the Grand Duke has realized that the Lightbringer he swore his loyalty to, is not the same man currently ruling Avera."
"The king seems to only be a puppet of his former self."
This was only a guess since the manhwa gave no explanation, but Adrian was certain that Boreas’ execution was because the church had somehow gotten control of the King.
After all, it made no sense for the king to choose the church over one of the four pillars of his Kingdom.
And the same went for the other Grand dukes, after all, they had no reason to attack a man seeking justice for his dead wife.
That was also the reason why Adrian had made Darius swear an oath to both him and his lady, after all, he intended for the red-haired idiot to become the next Grand Duke.
Hence, granting Renelle control over the South.
Grand Duke Boreas was silent for a while, thinking over the Butler’s words.
He then thought back to the last time he saw the King, a memory he preferred burying since that was the day he failed his wife.
Again.
But the King truly didn’t seem like the man Boreas remembered, after all, the man he knew would never allow another to decide for him.
The two were silent for a while, but a moment after, a deep laugh escaped the Grand Duke as the frost around them slowly receded.
"You truly are insane," Boreas muttered while shaking his head slightly, "and here I thought my daughter simply brought home a talented stray."
Adrian remained expressionless.
"Tell me then," Boreas continued, "what exactly makes you think you can overthrow the very people that built this Empire?"
"Because I’m going to force everyone in Avera to see my lady as their salvation," Adrian responded, "just as I had with the survivors from the dungeon."
With that, they went silent again, Boreas still keeping an eye on the butler.
The more he found out about him, the less sense his actions made. Not even Sebastian’s eyes could discern what the kid was.
And yet, someone like that was completely devoted to his daughter.
Boreas didn’t know if he should be relieved or concerned, but he was certain it wouldn’t matter either way,
After all, he had noticed the way his daughter was looking at the butler when they were leaving.
With a sigh, the Grand Duke went into typical father mode as he asked,
"What are your intentions with my daughter?"
