Chapter 71

"Lord Leord, are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes."

"Your responses have been so mechanical, I feel lonely."

"Of course, I am enjoying myself! Being with a beautiful person like Princess Silvia is the pinnacle of happiness!"

"Oh, to be so delighted! I am so happy too!"

(You, you sweet talker!)

"What's wrong, Lord Leord? Your face looks tense."

"I was just admiring Princess Silvia."

"Hehe, you are so skilled."

(Grrrr...)

Elina, thinking that Silvia was angry, kept her distance from the two.

Silvia, who was acting with Leord, seemed to be truly enjoying herself, but Leord's face had been tense, and he didn't seem to be enjoying it at all.

To the surrounding nobles, it was an honor just to be able to act with Princess Silvia, a member of the royal family, but Leord's demeanor suggested otherwise.

Leord had noticed the jealous glances directed at him multiple times. If he could, he would have switched places. In fact, he would have even liked to switch places with someone else.

Why did he have to be with such a calculating and devious woman? Leord was frustrated. While her appearance was indeed to his liking, he thought her inner self was no better than the sludge in a gutter.

Recalling carefully, Silvia in Fate 48 was treated like a saint. She had few scenes, and her character was not well-documented. The official character description only mentioned that she was a beautiful and talented girl. In the princess and harem routes, she died, giving her a fragile image.

However, the Silvia he met in reality was an extraordinary woman. But, upon reflection, all royals were monsters or exceptional individuals. So, it was not wrong to think of Silvia in that way. Still, he couldn't understand why she showed interest in him.

Indeed, the Leord of the past and the Leord of the present were different. But if asked whether that alone would attract interest, he would have said no. While it might catch his attention, it wouldn't be enough to spark interest. After all, Leord had already been disinherited from the ducal family and was confined to the border region of Zeato.

Even if he achieved something this time, there was no reason for her to be obsessed with him. Praise would be the end of it. That was all Leord was.

"Princess Silvia, wouldn't it be better for you to go to others instead of staying by my side all the time?"

"Such a thing! Lord Leord, are you saying I am in the way?"

"No, that's not it at all! I am happy to have you here!"

"Oh! Then, it's fine, isn't it?"

(No, it's not fine! It's not fine at all!!)

Silvia, likely reading Leord's inner thoughts, was enjoying herself. As a royal, she had engaged in many mind games with nobles, so she could easily decipher what Leord was thinking.

(Hehehe. Lord Leord is so easy to read. When I met him before, he was desperately trying to ingratiate himself, but now he is thinking about something else.)

Many people had approached her with various schemes. Leord was among them, but now he was interested in something else. Silvia's curiosity about why he had changed his mind never waned.

She had seen nobles who seemed to change their minds, but none as much as Leord. That was why it was not surprising that Silvia found Leord interesting.

For a while, the two acted together.

Then, music began to play in the party hall, and several pairs started dancing. Leord, determined to avoid the dance floor, tried to move away, but Silvia grabbed his arm.

"Oh, where are you going, Lord Leord?"

"My stomach isn't feeling well..."

Leord lied on the spot, but Silvia wasn't fooled.

"You were just enjoying the wine a moment ago. Lying is not good."

"Please, spare me."

Seeing Leord on the verge of tears, Silvia felt a sense of excitement. Confused by this new, tingling emotion, Silvia had no intention of letting Leord go.

"Let's dance, Lord Leord."

"What if I say no?"

"Hehehe. I don't know what I might tell His Majesty."

"Princess Silvia, please, could you dance one song with me!"

Desperate, Leord knelt and extended his hand to Silvia. Silvia, with a charming smile that could captivate anyone, took Leord's hand and agreed.

"With pleasure."

(You're so cute, damn it!!!)

Leord was no exception. Despite everything, her appearance was still charming to him. He regretted that if her inner self matched her outer beauty, it would have been wonderful.

To the surprise of many, Leord could dance normally, and quite well at that. The dance between Silvia and Leord captivated many nobles.

Eventually, the music stopped, and the dance ended. The nobles, who had watched Leord and Silvia dance, praised them sincerely, and the two received a round of applause.