Chapter 2: Meeting on a narrow path

Rege strode along the winding corridor, and several knights in silver armor accompanied him.

An attendant came up panting, holding a long sword studded with jewels.

The Duke of Grande, who met him head on, asked harshly, "Where are you going? What are you doing with so many people?"

Rege glanced at him carelessly. His steps never paused.

Seeing his son's back quickly disappear, the Duke of Grande was so angry his head began to smoke, but there was nothing he could do. Rege's character was too strong, he wasn't under his control at all.

The walls on both sides of the corridor were covered with portraits of beauties. Some had blonde hair and blue eyes, some had red hair and brown eyes, some wore a veil or wore splendid clothes, and some were completely naked. All without exception were love objects Rege had ardently pursued, unrivalled beauties who were famous throughout Tortus.

Just like a hunter will display the head of a stag above a fireplace, these lifelike paintings and the devastatingly beautiful women depicted in them were Rege's trophies.

In the Gloria Empire, and in the entire continent, there was no woman he couldn't get.

However, in recent times, he really had suffered a few setbacks. Miss Lilith, the lady he had been enthusiastically pursuing, had turned down his overtures because she was infatuated with the Earl of Flowervale.

This aroused his competitive spirit and curiosity.

Even if Lord Duncan hadn't mentioned it, Rege would have found time to meet this rival in love.

The Earl of Flowervale—this title was certainly very romantic, but he didn't know if the man would turn out to be unworthy of the name.

Rege buckled his long sword around his waist as his thoughts rambled. When he reached the end of the corridor, he stopped out of habit. His gaze went to the painting on the highest part of the wall.

Unlike the previous portraits, this was a panoramic scene. A deep blue spring emerged from a lush, green forest, and a slender girl lounged at the water's edge. Her body was covered with white gauze as thin as a cicada's wings. Her golden hair was scattered in the water like clouds and mist, beautiful as an elf. She was turned slightly to the side, looking at the person outside the frame, and her thin shoulders gave a slightly frail feeling.

There was no doubt her skin was crystal clear, her figure was peerlessly graceful, her temperament was veiled in mystery, but her face was blank.

As her creator, Rege hadn't even portrayed her facial features.

At that moment, Rege looked up at the blank face with yearning and confusion in his eyes.

Lord Duncan came up to him and asked in a low voice, "Why haven't you painted her face yet?"

Rege who was still staring at the painting shook his head. "A dream can't be painted with a mortal paintbrush. Unless God holds my hand and leads my consciousness personally, I can't paint even a ten-thousandth of her beauty. She's the goddess of my dreams."

Lord Duncan nodded with sudden enlightenment, but the moment he lowered his eyes he revealed a look of disapproval.

What dream goddess? It was a delusion, nothing more. Weren't real women beautiful?

...****************...

"Why did we stop?" Rege opened the curtains and looked outside.

He was sitting in Lord Duncan's carriage with a mountain eagle painted on the door, the emblem of the Duncan family. The carriage was now parked on a narrow country road. On both sides of the road there were steep ridges. Below them were fields planted with grain seedlings.

If another carriage approached from the opposite direction, the road would definitely be blocked. If the two sides wanted to pass each other, the only way was to send one of the carriages back until it retreated to a broad section of road hundreds of meters away, then stop on the side of the road where it was wide enough.

Lord Duncan pointed to the road engulfed by thick fog and said triumphantly, "No need to go further, we'll stop here. We'll meet the Earl of Flowervale on a narrow path. He's certain to recognize my family coat of arms. Based on superior wealth, power, and position, he'll definitely ask me to give way first. When I don't let him by, see what he does."

In an instant, Rege understood Lord Duncan's plan.

When the Earl of Flowervale saw the family crest, he would think the other party was just a lowly lord. He would never take the initiative to retreat.

And Lord Duncan wouldn't step back either. The two sides would fight.

After the hostilities began, what would happen next? Obviously the more powerful side would send knights over to smash the ignorant carriage, cut the horses from their traces, and shove the carriage down the ridge. The people inside would tumble over and eat a mouthful of black mud.

All nobles did such things, because they had long been accustomed to rampant bullying and tyrannically abusing their power.

In the rigorously hierarchical continent of Tortus, people with high titles could punish people with low titles at will. That was the right granted to them by law.

But if the Earl of Flowervale tried this, he would fall into Lord Duncan's trap. Because he would never imagine that sitting in Lord Duncan's humble carriage was the legitimate son of the Grande family.

When he insulted Lord Duncan, he was also insulting Rege. For a duke's son it would be an unbearable humiliation.

And when that happened, no matter how cruelly Rege retaliated, it would be reasonable, fair, and legal. Not even the King could complain.

In order to calm Rege's anger, the Earl of Flowervale would have to bow down and issue a formal apology, then give up a huge sum in recompense.

When he thought of this, Rege curled his lip with boredom.

Lord Duncan knew he was too impatient to play such simplistic tricks, so he tempted him, "Don't you want the Earl of Flowervale's perfume-making technology? Don't you want to learn how his beautiful jewels are crafted? When he falls into our trap we can get these two fortunes from him fair and square. Your sister's position in the palace seems to be precarious, she needs your support very much."

These final words hit Rege's weak spot. His eyes darkened slightly, then his expression of contempt and impatience faded.

Yes, he needed money and status, otherwise he would not be able to protect the people he cherished most.

During their conversation, the clatter of horses' hooves on the road surface came from the thick fog. A red carriage gradually appeared, then quickly came to a halt a hundred meters away.

"My lord, the road ahead is blocked by a carriage with a mountain eagle painted on the front. It's the emblem of the Duncan family," the coachman reported.

Duncan? That seemed to be a petty lord who didn't even have a fief.

Jian Qiao's two servants poked their heads out of the carriage window, one left and one right. They examined the scene carefully, out of fear the coachman would make a mistake and offend one of the great nobles of Grande. After all, the coats of arms of many families were similar.

"Ah, how surprising that all his manservants wear powder, such extravagance!" Lord Duncan spoke in a sour tone as he stared at the two servants across the way.

Nowadays there was a trend of luxury and excess. Both men and women used perfumed powder to whiten their faces and rouge to redden their cheeks when going out. But fine powder and rouge were very expensive. Generally only nobles would beautify themselves like this, the common people couldn't afford it.

This was the first time Lord Duncan saw a servant wearing cosmetics. It was not a small expense.

If even the servants were dressed so gaudily, what was the appearance of the Earl of Flowervale himself?

Lord Duncan drew a corresponding picture in his heart. The Earl must be painted white, cheeks dyed red, dripping with jewels, glittering with gold, and dressed extremely lavishly.

According to current aesthetics, such was considered beguiling and beautiful.

Rege, who had also painted this grand picture in his mind, unconsciously raised his thick eyebrows. His eyes filled with heartfelt disgust.

He could admire women who wore heavy makeup, but he couldn't stand it on men. The fake white skin and red cheeks resembled a clown, and the smell of powder was more repellent than dirty water in a gutter.

That wasn't beauty, it was repulsive!

A man should show his power like a lion.

Thinking of this, Rege had already lost his appetite. He closed the curtains and said impatiently, "I want to go back now. I'm firmly convinced the Earl of Flowervale is a man of false reputation."

"My lord, before you leave, I beg you to consider the situation of Queen Moen." Lord Duncan hit the key point.

Rege rubbed his forehead. His voice was filled with taxed patience, "Then we'll wait. I just hope the honorable appearance of the Earl of Flowervale won't injure my eyes."

At the same time, the two gorgeously-dressed male servants had retracted into their carriage. They said confidently, "It is indeed the emblem of the Duncan family. He's blocking our road. We should send over a few knights to teach this ignorant man a lesson!"

Jian Qiao stared at the motionless carriage on the other side and waved his hand. "Let the Knights not act rashly and wait patiently. I believe the other party has also seen our family crest. Based on courtesy and respect he should take the initiative to give in. But he shows no intention of yielding, which means he's relying on something. This Lord Duncan has a knack for business. He's a shrewd man, and shrewd men don't commit acts of folly."

The two male servants had long been accustomed to obeying their master's instructions in everything. They quickly stretched out their hands and signed to settle down the carriages behind them.

The knights who had drawn their swords and prepared to defend the dignity of their master saw this gesture, and they all stayed in the carriages.

Lord Duncan hadn't realized what the people opposite were signaling. Rege revealed an interested smile. "The Earl of Flowervale won't come to offend you."

"What?" Lord Duncan replied blankly.

In his concept, nobles didn't know what courtesy, restraint, or tolerance were. What they did best was humiliate or even kill those who offended them. If a great aristocrat was provoked by a person of low status, and did not retaliate, he would certainly not be able to gain a foothold in the upper class.

His weakness could cause him to lose dignity and thus lose respect. A person who wasn't respected would inevitably become a target for other nobles to trample on. He wouldn't be able to protect himself at all.

To put it bluntly, the so-called great nobles were just a group of vultures. Chasing blood, hunting for prey, and eating carrion were their biggest hobbies.

The Earl of Flowervale, who'd entered the upper echelon for the first time, needed to establish his prestige. He couldn't tolerate being picked on by a little lord. Once word of this matter spread, he would be ridiculed throughout the empire. Not to mention the great nobles, even commoners would look down on him.

It was even possible that Charles III might drive him out of Polsa and ban him from attending the birthday celebration.

Fighting for right of way on this road was equivalent to fighting for his own dignity. He would never yield.

Duncan was firmly convinced of it.

But matters exceeded his expectations. The red carriage was parked motionless in the thick fog. There was no angry scolding. No armed knights in full battle rig jumped out to slash at them with swords.

The two snow-white horses standing in front of the carriage raised their necks and sneezed twice. That was the only movement.

Duncan waited for an hour, then another hour. His elated expression slowly distorted into irrepressible anger. What the hell was the other side doing over there? Why didn't he march over here in a fit of temper?

Rege, who had originally been extremely impatient, held his forehead and laughed in a low voice. The Earl of Flowervale's fashion sense might be rubbish, but his brain was quite clever.

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