Chapter 803

“Open this door!”

“This is your final warning, Lord Xiaoshi!”

Bang! Crash!

A man from the Davion family pounded on the door with growing force. They knew someone was inside, yet the silence was blatant disrespect toward the Davion name.

The knocking grew more aggressive, and just as the man was about to throw a punch with all his might—

Whoosh!

The door suddenly swung open, and someone appeared. The man’s fist stopped inches from the stranger’s cheek. He had expected Lord Xiaoshi to come out, but this was an unfamiliar face. Not a servant, it seemed.

The man hesitated, still holding his fist up, when Ian glanced briefly at his hand, silently asking how long he intended to keep this up.

“Wh-who are you?”

“I think that’s the question you should be asking.”

“L-Lord Count! Uh—”

The man turned, calling for help. A well-dressed gentleman standing a short distance away recognized Ian and hurried over in a fluster.

“Minister Ian?”

“Ah, Count Davion. I didn’t realize you came with him.”

Apparently, the count had no idea someone of his rank would knock on a noble’s door so rudely. Clearing his throat awkwardly, the count gestured for his men to step back.

“Minister Ian, what brings you to Lord Xiaoshi’s residence?”

“It’s as important as Count Davion’s visit here. Would you care to come inside?”

“Uh, my daughter Chloe—”

“This way, please.”

Ian personally led him inside, one hand pointing the way, the other gripping the door handle, signaling that no one else but the count was allowed in.

The men outside were so taken aback by the naturalness of the gesture that they didn’t even dare to speak, staring silently at the closed door.

“Chloe!”

The count called out as he entered the parlor, but Chloe clung tightly to Xiaoshi’s side, shooting a fierce glare. Raising children really was a thankless task, wasn’t it?

The count’s eyes landed on the tea set on the table, and a stiff ache crept up his neck. The delicate cups were clearly Chloe’s taste—why were they here? She had left the house empty-handed.

“Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I must decline. This isn’t the time to sit down and share tea peacefully. Chloe, enough of this fuss—come with your father. What kind of disgrace is this?”

He was so embarrassed he couldn’t even lift his head.

Honestly, it seemed the marriage prospects in Bariel had dried up. Now, the only options left for the Davion family were foreign royalty or nobility…

‘All neighboring kingdoms of Bariel have been devastated.’

Every monarchy except Clifford’s had fallen. Whether Chloe had considered this or not, the situation was frustratingly tangled.

“Count,” Ian said, sitting down first and crossing his legs. “You won’t stand there all day, will you?” When the count hesitated, Ian took a sip of tea, and Romandro chimed in.

“Yes, yes, Count, please have a seat.”

“Hmm. Even Romandro is here.”

“Oh, Romandro must be quite famous.”

“Shh. You come here too.”

Romandro tugged on Beric’s collar, pulling him back.

Ian set down his cup and smiled warmly at the count.

“It must be hard to part with your youngest daughter, raised with such care.”

“Yes, indeed. She’s the most precious child in the world. But for some reason, she’s been stubbornly insisting on nonsense, as if possessed on the battlefield. It’s maddening.”

Chloe gripped Xiaoshi’s arm tighter. Xiaoshi straightened up and bowed his head respectfully to Count Davion.

“My apologies, Count.”

“Hmph! How can someone who knows better behave like this?”

“Don’t blame Lord Xiaoshi! I told him that if I go home, I’ll be locked up and starve!”

“You’re the one who refused to eat!”

“Well, whatever!”

The count’s voice rose in anger, and Chloe matched his volume, refusing to back down. Beric and Romandro, standing back, exchanged amused glances.

“I’m sorry, Count. This is my fault.”

Seeing Xiaoshi’s humble posture, the count rolled up his sleeves, ready to confront him. The more he thought about it, the more infuriating this fellow seemed.

Meanwhile, Ian calmly sipped his tea amid the commotion.

“Look, Lord Xiaoshi, let’s be honest. You can’t go on like this. You have nothing to your name, no achievements—how dare you try to take a Davion daughter for yourself?”

“Lord Xiaoshi has done plenty! His Majesty has already promised to appoint him minister.”

“A minister’s title is nothing but a trifle!”

Beric and Romandro froze, clutching each other’s arms. Xiaoshi and Chloe held their breath, and even the fuming Count Davion suddenly covered his mouth in shock.

That ‘trifle’ minister was standing right beside them.

Clink.

Ian set down his cup, and the count paled, stammering.

“Y-You’re… Lord Ian.”

“Minister trifle…”

Ian muttered casually, but the count looked like he might faint. He wished he could rewind time and pinch his own tongue hard.

“N-No, that’s not what I meant. You’re all working hard for Bariel, aren’t you? What I meant was, even in the Davion family, there are quite a few who live off their titles.”

“So you’re saying the Davion family has a lot of nobodies?”

“Well, more than you’d think, despite appearances.”

“Oh dear. That must be a heavy burden.”

“Yes, yes, indeed. Anyway—”

The count calmed himself and took a sip to soothe his dry throat. Once he caught his breath, his anger subsided.

“Anyway, Lord Xiaoshi, I hope my daughter meets someone with at least a fief to spare her hardship.”

“Lord Xiaoshi has a fief too.”

“What?”

The count frowned suspiciously. A fief? As far as he knew, Xiaoshi was a noble in name only.

Chloe looked at Xiaoshi with a triumphant smile.

“I recently purchased one. It’s a border territory of about 500 acres. I still owe some payment, but it’s enough to save face.”

“Five hundred acres? Borderland? And you still owe money? You must be joking, buying some worthless patch of land. A fief isn’t something you can just buy. I suspect you’ve been scammed.”

“Father!”

Chloe glanced at Ian, but the count was too angry to notice. Beric and Romandro groaned, slapping their foreheads in frustration.

“It’s not a scam.”

“Excuse me?”

Ian leaned back on the sofa armrest and added quietly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, though it felt uneasy.

“Not a scam—a legitimate transaction.”

“What do you mean?”

“That ‘worthless’ fief is the Hielo territory.”

The count froze completely, not blinking or even breathing. Chloe gently tapped her father’s knee, but he didn’t respond.

“I was neglectful in managing the fief and needed a capable steward. I proposed Lord Xiaoshi take charge until a suitable delegate appeared. Though Hielo is on the border, it has the Monne mines and is quite a valuable land.”

“I see…”

“Lord Xiaoshi and Miss Chloe care deeply for each other, and all your concerns are misunderstandings. Would you consider being a bit more generous?”

“Uh, ahem.”

“Or do you still have doubts?”

Ian’s tone dropped a note, and the count flinched, waving his hands frantically to deny the ‘minister trifle’ and ‘worthless fief’ remarks outright.

But if he backed down now, he might really have to let Chloe go.

“Although the Davion family has been ennobled, we have never once married a former slave.”

“We’re about to make history!”

“Chloe, can’t you just be quiet!”

The count suddenly turned to Ian instead of Xiaoshi, trying to justify himself. Strangely, Ian’s opinion was steering the situation more than the people involved.

“Yes, it’s true that no noble family has such a precedent.”

“Exactly my point!”

“So I can assure you on that matter.”

Assure? The count only grew more uneasy at Ian’s words.

“W-What do you mean?”

“Look into Lord Xiaoshi’s eyes.”

The count glanced at Xiaoshi—brown and gray irises. That, too, was a source of displeasure. Wasn’t it a strange mix, like a mongrel?

“That oddity is a trace of the Raali family, who were instrumental in founding Bariel.”

“Huh?”

Beric voiced his confusion, but Romandro quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. Fortunately, the count was too stunned to know what to say.

“W-What does that mean?”

“They say Duke Laali had eyes of brown and gray. His descendants inherited those very same eyes. If the bloodline hadn’t been cut off by the plague, the grand Laali family estate would still stand somewhere here in the center.”

Laali? I’d never heard of that family before. But judging by Ian’s tone, it didn’t sound like he was making it up. He wasn’t the type to spin elaborate lies that would unravel at the first sign of doubt.

“That’s ridiculous. What does that have to do with Lord Xiaosi? Are you saying all those odd-eyed people come from that bloodline?”

“And what proof do you have that they don’t?”

“Huh?”

Ian smiled lazily and repeated his question.

“I mean, what evidence do you have to say it’s not true?”

To make a claim, you need solid proof. Ian had brought up Xiaosi’s odd eyes, so anyone disputing that would have to come prepared with something concrete.

“W-well, he came from the slave market, didn’t he?”

“Exactly. You have no idea how much it pained me to see Lord Xiaosi living under such oppression, despite being descended from the founding heroes of the kingdom. That’s why I personally paid his price and even granted him freedom. Otherwise, why would I have done such a thing? Am I some kind of fool?”

“F-fool?”

Just as another outrageous statement was about to slip out, Count Davion gasped in shock.

Beric sniffled quietly, watching the scene unfold. It was all a lie. There had been so much going on back then. Ian had bought Xiaosi simply because he needed him at the time.

Cornered, Count Davion glanced at Xiaosi, silently urging him to say something. Surely he wouldn’t shamelessly use this as a shield? But Ian beat him to it.

“Lord Xiaosi is unaware of these facts.”

“Hah! Listen here, Sir Ian!”

“Minister Tweller seems to know about this. Or perhaps—”

Ian tilted his head delicately, as if wounded by the accusation. Romandro, watching this, shook his head and silently traced a blade across his own neck. With Ian acting like that, who could possibly win?

“Do you think I’m lying?”

Ian’s final blow left the count’s face completely drained of color. Deep down, he wanted to scream yes, of course! Just spit it out already! If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable. Where do you get off making up such nonsense? Just stop it. You’re shameless! Damn this foolish talk!

But the count could only move his lips and manage a weak reply.

“…N-no, that can’t be…”