Chapter 605 You Didn’t See This Coming, Did You?

Stephanie thought highly of Roland. Very highly.

She wouldn’t have been interested in such a party at all, but when Roland said that he wanted to drop by, she simply took him here without asking why. Even though she knew that the dark session of such a party would affect her reputation, she didn’t ask Roland’s reason or purpose. At the party, Stephanie was seated in the gallery on the second floor in a low-cut dress. Her body figure wasn’t as attractive as Andonara’s, but she was a rarely-seen beauty too.

More importantly, she had this air of dignity around her that attracted the eyes of countless people even though she was just sitting there doing nothing

She had eclipsed all the other females in the party, including both the young girls and the married women.

Men stared at her with passion, and women with jealousy.

Roland, seated opposite her, withstood the gazes of envy from many men too.

Some people who were close to the Association of Mages had heard about Roland before.

They knew that he was a good friend to the First Princess, so they realized who he was when he sat opposite Stephanie.

Those who didn’t know him whispered to each other, wondering who this man was and why he was so close to the First Princess and future queen.

Ignoring the stares of curiosity and even lust, Stephanie picked up a cup gracefully and said with a charming smile on her face, “Okay, I’ve already brought you here. Can you tell me what you want now?”

“I would rather not admit itt.” Roland narrowed his eyes and smiled.

Stephanie shook the expensive alchemical glass cup unconcernedly while the red wine shivered inside. “Then I’ll just watch the show.”

She didn’t care who Roland was trying to deal with.

In the entire capital of Fareins, there were few people she cared about except herself and her mother.

Also, she was quite curious about what Roland wanted to do in such a party.

Actually, Roland didn’t know what to do, either. All that he knew was that he needed to work with Grantham at the right moment.

At this moment, Young Martin, the initiator of the party and the owner of this manor, showed up.

Although he was called Young Martin, he was actually a middle-aged man who was almost forty.

Many people greeted him, but he ignored all of them and went straight to Stephanie. He smiled and said, “Your Highness, it’s the greatest honor of my life that you’ve come to my party.” He bowed courteously. Although he was not young anymore, he still looked gentle and handsome when he smiled.

He was a Warrior who was almost a Legend, but he wasn’t unrefined as most Warriors were. He was an out-and-out noble.

Stephanie didn’t stand up. She didn’t need to, with her identity or with the supporters at her back.

Putting the cup down lazily, Stephanie said casually, “I’m here to open my eyes. I was told that the dark session of your party is very interesting.”

“It’s a special activity of this manor.” Martin quickly glanced at Stephanie’s important body parts and pretended to speak casually. “But I’m afraid it’s not suitable for you, Your Highness.”

“I thought that you would encourage me to participate.” Stephanie looked at the man with a vague smile.

“I dare not.” Martin shook his head. “I know very well what I can do and what I shouldn’t.”

Stephanie nodded in satisfaction. “Very well. I’ll leave before the dark session. You go entertain other guests. Don’t bother me.”

“As you wish, Your Highness, but before I go…” Martin looked at Roland and said in a mocking tune, “Before I go, there’s something I’d like to report to you, Your Highness.” “Is it important?” Stephanie asked and looked at Roland too as Martin did.

“Very important.”

Martin bowed again. At this moment, many nobles at the party had gathered around.

They were all very astute in politics. Maybe they weren’t knowledgeable or capable in general, but they were all gifted at fanning the flames.

“Okay then. Tell me.” Stephanie wasn’t bothered by the guy’s lack of manners.

She could tell that Martin seemed to be hostile to Roland. She wanted to see what he would do.

“I’m told that you have been quite close to this Mage, Your Highness.” Martin pointed at Roland.

“Indeed we are.” As I speculated! Stephanie looked at Roland with a vague smile.

Roland winked as if he were worried.

Looking at Roland’s expression, Martin put on a gloating smile.

“However, this man is a devil,” Martin declared confidently and pointed at Roland.

Hua!

The nobles whispered to each other more loudly that they should’ve.

Claiming that someone was a devil was a severe accusation.

This place wasn’t just the capital of Fareins but also the Holy Realm.

Under normal circumstances, whoever was recognized as a devil would be crucified and burnt alive.

Roland wasn’t a good actor. He couldn’t pretend to be scared, so he could only frown as much as possible.

But in Martin’s eyes, Roland was just pretending to be cool, which further convinced him of his conclusion.

“How can my man be a devil?” Stephanie scoffed.

Hearing that, Roland smiled at her.

It was just Roland’s simple, normal, and even more or less insincere response to Stephanie’s defense.

But in such a special situation, certain people might construe the smile as something else. Martin was even more convinced that Roland was scared.

He waved his hand back, and his butler walked close with a scroll of paper in his hand.

Martin opened the scroll and showed it around to all the participants of the party. It was the painting of a male who was 80% similar to Roland. Considering that there were few portraits in this world that looked identical to real persons, it was safe to conclude that the guy on the painting was Roland, according to common sense.

However, Roland and Stephanie knew that the guy in the painting wasn’t him.

After showing off the painting for about a minute, Martin threw it to Roland.

Roland grabbed it and examined it a while longer.

Similar!

The guy was really similar to himself.

“Why are you showing me this painting?” asked Stephanie.

“Your Highness, the person in the painting is named Rod Jonnell, a local noble in Coldspring County and a Mage.”

All the nobles whispered to each other, wondering why this guy named Rod Jonnell looked so similar to Roland, who was with the princess.

Stephanie was very surprised. Had she not known that Roland was a Golden Son, she would’ve really thought that Roland was this Rod Jonnell.

“So what?” Stephanie snapped, pretending that she was unhappy. “Whether his name is Roland or Jonnell, does it really matter? Does it have anything to do with you?” “What if this Viscount Jonnell is a nefarious murderer?”

Everybody became curious, and Stephanie covered her mouth and cried, “Is it true? How can Roland be a murderer?”

“It’s true.” Martin looked at Roland and announced angrily, “This man killed his parents, raped a neighbor girl whom he grew up with, and burnt the girl’s family alive. Then, he disappeared from Coldspring County. We didn’t expect him to change his name and come to the capital.”

Stephanie happened to have just drunk a mouthful of wine from the cup she refilled. She almost spurted the wine out when she heard that, but thanks to the years of noble etiquette training, she managed to swallow the wine back.

“Are you so brutal?” the First Princess asked Roland in surprise.

Roland hummed a response. He didn’t know what was going on or what to do. He wasn’t an actor anyway.

However, in many people’s eyes, that was a reaction born of guilt.

Martin burst into laughter. “Your Highness, he is exactly a brutal devil. He must’ve been up to something when he approached you, so…”

He stepped forward and protected Stephanie behind him. “Your Highness, please back off and let the Guild of Warriors take care of this devil.”

Roland didn’t even know how to respond.

At this moment, he had more or less realized Grantham’s ruse.

It was actually very simple. Its purpose was to publicly humiliate Martin right in front of the future queen, so that people would lose respect for him.

However powerful Martin was, the members of the Guild of Warriors would try to kick him out of office for the sake of their guild’s image in the queen’s eyes. But Roland was curious about one thing. While Martin wasn’t smart, he shouldn’t have bought such intelligence so easily.

Was the person who gave him the intelligence someone he trusted?

Roland felt that his blood was freezing as he thought about that.

Grantham claimed that he didn’t have any advantage, but he was apparently on the winning side, considering that Martin’s trusted subordinate had switched to his side.

He was only using this opportunity to further cut Martin down to size.

Even without Roland’s help and the great opportunity, Grantham would still surpass Martin very soon with his capabilities.

It was true that Roland was used as a gun.

However, thinking about the Meteorite Minerals that would soon be given to him, Roland was quite happy working as a gun.

He heaved a sigh, stood up, and looked at Martin. “You’re truly smart.” “Of course!” Taking Roland’s word as an admission of guilt, Martin couldn’t be happier. “The Guild of Warriors has the best intelligence system. It’s very easy for us to find out the evils you’ve done.”

After that, he turned around and looked at Stephanie, obviously craving her approval. Stephanie smiled like a shining star.

Amazed by her smile, Martin failed to move his eyes away until a long time later. He shouted, “Guards, catch this man and send him to the Inquisition of the Holy Realm. A devil should be purged by light.”

Roland sighed. “Martin, there’s something I want to ask you. Who gave you this intelligence?”

“Grantham, the deputy chairman that I trust most. He’s a Legendary Warrior,” declared Martin rather proudly.

Shoot!

Roland felt that he had really underestimated Grantham.

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