Chapter 166: This Level Of Fanatical Loyalty Is Crazy
"Because he is honestly one of the most fiercely loving men toward his family. But another thing about him is, it was not just him who wanted them. It was those women who also actively wanted him."
"Why?" Adrian asked.
"Because Draven was one of the very few high nobles who genuinely respected female knights more than anyone else in the empire." Silas stated.
"Ah, I see." Adrian nodded in understanding. "I guess I should take you guys as an example whenever I make certain decisions."
Silas just raised an eyebrow. "What decisions are you talking about?"
Adrian looked at him and sighed.
"Well, recently I have been thinking a lot about what Marquis Draven told me back when we first met." Adrian admitted. "About Aria needing a mother.... so I have been thinking. And apart from that, it is not just about her. I have my own needs too."
Adrian scratched his jaw.
"So it is not entirely about finding Aria a mother." Adrian said. "I want someone to actually share my burdens with. And I do not really have someone like that right now. I mean, I do share a lot of my workload with the people under me, especially Claire. She takes care of a lot of issues in the army and she does incredible work. And then there is Cassius, my financial manager, who handles almost every single thing related to the economy."
He dropped his hand.
"So yes, I do have people who share my burdens." Adrian continued. "But it does not really feel personal. And there is also the issue of physical needs... I cannot just stay single my entire life. I am still young, and I still have my needs, you know? On top of that, I don’t think that it’s right to just sleep with a woman and go about my own way."
The Duke chuckled loudly.
"Well, that is very true." Silas grinned. "Even though I am almost fifty years old right now, my drive is still incredibly strong. I can still handle all three of my wives perfectly fine."
Silas said it in a really proud, boastful way.
His three wives standing nearby heard it. They looked at him and smirked knowingly.
Adrian caught that smirk and he instantly knew just from their expressions that the Duke was not bluffing at all.
Adrian followed Silas deeper into the mansion.
They turned down a wide corridor and Adrian spotted Serena immediately.
She was literally sprinting down the hall to catch one of her younger sisters.
And she was actually laughing. It was the first time Adrian ever saw her smile that big. She giggled loudly and just looked completely free.
Then she turned her head. She locked eyes with him and her father.
She skidded across the floor as she froze completely.
She snatched the edges of her skirt and dropped into a stiff bow. She opened her mouth to speak but only awkward stammers came out. Her brain totally short circuited and she could not form a single proper sentence.
So she just panicked and yelled the first thing that popped into her head.
"Welcome home." Serena squeaked.
Duke Silas burst out laughing. It was a loud, booming laugh that made Adrian jump a little.
"Oh, welcome home, Lord Adrian!" Silas imitated her high pitched voice perfectly and he made sure to add the formal title right at the end.
Silas wiped a fake tear away. "That sounds exactly like your mother when I get back from the royal court."
Serena turned completely red. Her entire face burned up in seconds.
She shot a quick look at Adrian and caught him smiling at the joke. But she also noticed the faint pink on his own cheeks too. He was definitely blushing a little bit from that domestic greeting.
"If you will excuse me." Serena mumbled frantically. "I have something important to do."
She literally ran away down the hall to hide. But on the way as she ran past the two of them, she glanced at her father, "I hate you!"
Silas chuckled, ignoring her words as he looked at Adrian.
He smirked. "Huh... you sly man. Stealing my daughter’s heart already."
"My lord, I do not think that is true." Adrian deflected awkwardly. "But she is a very nice girl."
Silas raised an eyebrow and then he smiled proudly. "Okay, good, good. Yes, she is a wonderful girl. But let us go have some food first."
They walked toward the grand dining hall.
As they walked, Silas thought to himself happily. ’I did a great job just letting her stay with him in Oresfall for a while. My plan is working like an charm. Ahh to see my young friend become my son in law... hehe.’
The exact same night, Adrian stood outside the Duke’s estate.
His massive army of two thousand men stood at perfect attention in the cold night. Claire and the other elite soldiers were gathered at the front. Serena was also standing there with them.
Adrian stepped up to address the troops.
"Okay, listen up!" Adrian shouted. "From today onward, we will be operating in the north with Marquis Draven! And this is a massive opportunity to gain some experience in the real field."
He paced in front of the soldiers.
"Yes, fighting against mindless monsters is not the same as fighting against armed people." Adrian yelled. "But it will permanently change your mindset just from surviving in a daily life-or-death situation! So pick up your swords! Be proud, and be brave! Even though we are fighting in a completely different territory, we are still fighting for Oresfall!"
Claire ripped her steel sword from its scabbard and thrust it into the sky.
"For Oresfall!" Claire screamed at the top of her lungs.
Every single soldier behind her drew their weapons. Two thousand blades went up as the entire army screamed the exact same battle cry.
"For Oresfall!"
Duke Silas stood far behind the army, watching the whole scene in silence.
’These people...’ Silas thought in pure shock. ’This level of fanatical loyalty is crazy.’
