Chapter 3: Nomen est omen

Rege sat in the carriage with a golden sword. His expression of impatience had been replaced by keen interest.

He didn't like stupid opponents. If the Earl of Flowervale relied on being the king's new favorite when he entered Grande, rashly offended a person who shouldn't be offended, and fell into a scheme that bankrupted himself and his family, that would be too boring.

To be capable of turning a barren place like Desolette into a prosperous city covered with flowers and gems, the legendary Earl of Flowervale must be a formidable figure with a few tricks up his sleeve.

Duncan, who hadn't taken that into consideration, was the real idiot. The trap he'd designed was ridiculously crude.

Thinking of this, Rege glanced at the person next to him, and his slightly curved lips were full of mockery.

Duncan hadn't noticed Rege's change in mood at all. Holding a pocket watch in his hand, he intently watched the movement of the second and minute hands. Unwittingly, three hours had already passed, and his patience was about to run out.

"Damn it! What is the Earl of Flowervale thinking? He should either step back obediently or step forward to make trouble. What does it mean to stay still?" Lord Duncan cursed in a murmur.

At the same moment, Jian Qiao's manservant was also asking a question. "Master, why have you stopped here and not moved? It's getting dark. We have to enter the city quickly or we'll meet wolves."

Jian Qiao was leaning back on the cushioned chair, closing his eyes and resting. The passing of time, the weakening of daylight, and the howling of wolves in the distance couldn't disturb his peace.

"We came from afar with sufficient food, drink, and blankets. We can afford to wait no matter how long. But they're different. They came on the spur of the moment, and they didn't bring anything to spend the night. When it grows late, when cold, hunger, and thirst befall them all at once, they'll naturally come to talk to us. That's when we'll discover what kind of trick Lord Duncan is playing."

Jian Qiao explained unhurriedly with his eyes closed.

In fact, he could probably guess what Lord Duncan's backing was. A third-rate aristocrat with no power or influence, yet he got along in Grande's business community like a fish in water. He must have a cooperative relationship with a high-ranking member of the Grande family.

It was a pity the city of Desolette was located in the most remote region of Gloria, and the transportation and information flow of this era were very inadequate. Jian Qiao, who had just expanded his family business, had no spare time to inquire about the secrets of the whole aristocratic circle.

He didn't know the background of this Lord Duncan or the exact person standing behind him. But in any case, it was always good to be cautious. The more unclear the situation, the more calm you have to be.

After this moment of reflection, the din of bells and drums crossed the heavy mountain range, passing through the thick fog. It had come from the distant city, an announcement that night was approaching.

The wolves began to howl louder when they heard the bells.

Jian Qiao opened his eyes and waved his hand. "Let the chef prepare dinner."

"Right here?" The two servants hesitated.

A misty drizzle was falling from the sky, drenching the forested mountains and fields, and saturating the road. The ground was covered with heavy mud. It was not an ideal place to enjoy food.

"Right here." Jian Qiao said calmly, "It's getting dark. Let the distinguished guests across the way smell the aroma of the food and the fragrance of the wine, and they'll come to terms more quickly. They'll understand that I can afford to wait, but they can't."

"Excellent, my lord! We'll prepare dinner immediately. Please wait a moment." The two manservants immediately jumped out of the carriage and began to bustle about.

Ten minutes later, Lord Duncan slammed his pocket watch on the floor and cursed while clutching his growling belly. "Bastard! They're actually frying steaks! They even opened a cask of red wine! Are they planning to stay here overnight?"

There were tall knights standing around the other carriages, and they were baking bread and cooking steak on a simple stove. The men raised their tankards of wine and called "Cheers!", and the sound of their laughter startled the birds in the forest.

The two servants brought dish after dish of hot food into the carriage for the Earl of Flowervale to enjoy, but he never made an appearance from start to finish, and never sent anyone to ask why Lord Duncan was blocking the road.

He didn't do anything. This attitude of indifference was more painful for Lord Duncan than an actual fight.

The rich fragrance of food and wine was blown towards them by the cold mountain breeze, and quickly made Lord Duncan drool.

He stuck out his head to stare at the other side and asked in frustration, "What should we do? Continue like this?"

The last question was really lacking in confidence because he knew they couldn't stay without any supplies. When night fell, cold, thirst, and hunger would peel off their skin! Now the only course was to have Rege go out in person and order the Earl of Flowervale to retreat.

With that, his hopeful scheme would be completely defeated, but at least he wouldn't lose face.

Rege glared at Duncan coldly. Obviously he was fed up to the extreme.

He pushed open the door, waved back the attendant who came to help him, refused the cashmere jacket the other party handed over, and jumped down.

His silk shirt was quickly soaked through by rain and mist. It clung tightly to his body, outlining the powerful contours of his muscles. He walked in great strides, boots stomping heavily on the ground, splashing mud behind him. From the perspective of dress and bearing, this unruly, unrestrained man had nothing in common with those fashionable aristocrats.

He was taller and stronger than the knights of the chivalric orders, and he was more wild and impetuous than the highwaymen who plundered the land.

Once he appeared, Jian Qiao's knights stopped eating. Only people with blood on their hands can accurately identify those of the same kind, so they quickly realized the man who suddenly approached was very dangerous!

In the next second, the knights drew their swords and prepared to attack.

Rege pursed his lips indifferently, continuing to walk in long strides, and didn't notice when the ribbon that bound his hair fell into the mud. He brushed away the loose wet hair on his forehead, and instead of looking at the knights who might attack at any moment, he stared directly at the windows of the lead carriage.

It was a very arrogant move. He didn't care about the army in front of him, he just wanted a glimpse of the true face of the Earl of Flowervale.

But unfortunately the window was covered with white gauze. He couldn't see anything.

The knights from Flowervale raised their swords, ready at any moment to kill this man who was dangerous as a wild beast.

Lord Duncan, who was watching, gave a quick signal and promptly sent his own knights to the rescue.

A bloody battle was imminent.

Rege still hadn't made any moves to defend himself. He continued to stride towards the carriage that silently waited. He had long been used to dancing in the glint and flash of cold steel. Just a dozen knights, not enough to hurt him in the slightest.

Just then, a hand stretched out from the carriage window and made a gesture to withdraw.

The dozen knights who were ready to attack Rege were taken aback for a moment. Then they settled in place. They were angry and worried, but they dared not disobey the master's wishes. All they could do was clasp their swords.

Rege stared at the hand, and a brilliant light burst into his eyes.

He'd observed countless beautiful things, but this was the first time he'd seen such a beautiful hand. It was very pale, very slender, and as it slightly motioned up and down, the movement was extremely elegant. There was an emerald ring on its thumb, a ring with a great sapphire on its middle finger, and a turquoise ring on its ring finger.

The pure white skin set off the deep green, rich blue, and pale cyan of the gems even more dazzlingly. On this hand the gold gem settings and ring bands shone all the brighter.

It wasn't so much a hand as a work of art. It had no thick joints, only smooth, graceful, curving lines.

With just a glance, Rege could clearly see the light blue blood vessels on the back of the man's hand, a texture that only superior jade from the Far East could possess.

The pace of Rege's progress unconsciously sped up.

He wiped off the water drops on his face and at the same time wiped away his bored expression. An excited smile revealed itself uncontrollably.

At the same moment, the carriage door slowly opened. A cold wind rushed out of it and ran directly into Rege. Before he could see the person in the carriage, Rege's whole attention had been taken away by a heavy fragrance.

The scent was woven from the essence of countless flowers, the rich texture of iris, the serenity and depth of freesia, the purity of lily, the lush sweetness of laurel, the pungency of orange blossom....

So many simultaneous scents would usually be overwhelming, but here they were blended so harmoniously, each perfectly embodying their respective notes, that it snatched the soul of everyone who smelled it.

The forest-covered mountains saturated with rain, mist, and fog had instantly turned into a valley filled with hundreds of flowers in full bloom.

For a second, Rege actually felt dizzy, as if his soul had been stroked by a soft feather, and his whole person was intoxicated.

He automatically took a deep breath, then fixed his eyes to look inside the carriage.

Time stopped at that moment—

He'd imagined a thousand different appearances for the Earl of Flowervale, but he never expected him to look like this.

The moment the carriage door opened, he seemed to glimpse the moonlight flowing quietly before his eyes.

This was an extremely pale man with a pair of extraordinarily deep and serene black eyes. These black eyes looked over for a moment, and they were covered with heavy mist. There was no smile on his face. His lonely and indifferent temperament was just like the moonlight.

He put one hand on his knee and the other hand on his cheek, and his voice was soft and slow. "Rege Grande?"

Clearly it was the first time they'd met, but he was able to accurately determine Rege's identity.

His two servants revealed expressions of fear and panic. They quickly pushed open the carriage door on the other side and walked around to salute the great nobleman with profound respect, but their lord just tilted his head and arched an eyebrow, as if to ask: Am I right?

Rege blinked, then blinked again. When the buzzing in his ears and the giddiness in his head completely subsided, he replied in a faint voice, "That's me."

He lowered his head to glance at his silk shirt, and only then realized how he'd revealed his identity. Even kings couldn't afford such fabrics from the East, but he wore them as casual clothes. Only the master of Grande would act with such extravagance.

"Pleased to meet you." Jian Qiao nodded slightly as a greeting.

Although Rege's origin was nobler than his, Rege hadn't formally inherited the title of duke. There was absolutely no need for the Earl to formally salute the other party.

"Pleased to meet you." Rege licked his lips. His eyes unconsciously glowed with excitement, though he had no idea what he was excited about.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***