Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start - Chapter 156 - 155: Jesus
Chapter 156: Chapter 155: Jesus
Three Griffins landed opposite the Royal Griffin party. They spread their wings at one another and let out low cries that seemed to carry a hint of threat and warning.
Fortunately, these Griffins were professionally trained mounts; they didn’t have the same impulse as water buffalo to fight the moment they met.
A tall man leaped down from the back of the lead white Griffin.
He wasn’t wearing Armor like the two Knights behind him, but rather a well-fitted, magnificent formal suit.
With his golden-brown hair and light purple pupils, there was no doubt this was Jesus, the younger brother of His Majesty Bruno.
“Hahaha, I didn’t expect it to be so lively here.”
Jesus strode forward, his voice exceptionally loud and hearty.
“Watching from the sky just now, I thought you were all here to welcome me. But it seems you’re here to welcome my niece.”
Ronin took a step forward, and at just the right moment, Blanche let go of his hand.
“Wushan Castle welcomes you as well, my lord Count of Moonlight Valley.”
Jesus glanced at Ronin, his smile turning into a look of displeasure.
“I say, Wushan Castle is a Marquis Clan, after all. To arrange for a young man like you to receive Her Highness the Princess on such a grand occasion… isn’t that a bit too discourteous?”
Jesus was actually questioning Ronin with the tone of a lecture in front of all the nobles. Not only was Ronin surprised, but many of the other nobles were as well.
It was common knowledge that in most situations, especially large public gatherings, nobles were expected to maintain their etiquette.
However, since it was no concern of theirs, most of them, after their initial surprise, simply watched Ronin with amused expressions, as if enjoying a show.
How would this Baron from the mountain forests handle such a situation?
In truth, Lurans could have personally come out to receive the Princess, but it wasn’t strictly necessary.
Although Blanche was a Princess, Lurans was a Marquis. There wasn’t a significant difference in their status.
To receive her or not—either was acceptable.
Ronin smiled faintly and explained in a calm, unhurried tone, “My grandfather said that young people would have more to talk about together, so he arranged for me to be the one to host you. If my reception is lacking in any way, I ask for your forgiveness, my lord Count.”
“Even if you were to send a young person, shouldn’t it have been Bretton, the one with the right of inheritance?”
Jesus immediately retorted, “Could it be that Lurans intends to violate the laws passed down by the Empire and establish two heirs at the same time?”
Instantly, an inexplicable tension spread through the air. Many nobles shot sidelong glances. What on earth was Earl Jesus here to do?
In the crowd, Bretton wanted to rush forward and defend Ronin, but Dianey held him back. “In a situation like this, you can’t help Ronin by going out there.”
’She couldn’t figure out what this was all about, either. In the past, Jesus wouldn’t have made a special trip just for Lurans’s birthday banquet.’
’After all, he was the younger brother of His Majesty the King. On a day of annual celebration like this, even if he didn’t go to the Royal Palace, he still had many matters to attend to in his own territory.’
’Jesus’s arrival here was a complete surprise to her.’
Ronin was, naturally, displeased. ’If this were on Earth, I would have already started roasting him.’
’But right now, I can’t.’
He was representing Wushan Castle and Lurans. Even when provoked, he had to do his utmost to maintain the proper composure and etiquette.
“Bretton is still young. It is naturally more appropriate for me, someone of a similar age to Her Highness the Princess, to be the one to receive her.”
He looked the man straight in the eye, his face showing not a hint of nervousness or fear, and said in a low voice, “Earl Jesus, you and my grandfather are both Vassals of the Kingdom. There are some things you shouldn’t say, even in jest.”
Jesus’s eyes grew cold. ’What does this kid mean by that? Is he threatening me?’
“I heard you’ve changed quite a bit. Seeing you today, it seems to be true.”
Just then, Princess Blanche spoke up at the perfect moment. “Uncle Jesus, please, come into the castle with me.”
The tension immediately eased.
Jesus laughed and walked past Ronin. “My dear Blanche, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
As he spoke, he gave Blanche a light hug.
“The last time I saw you was six years ago, wasn’t it? Back then, you only came up to my shoulder. Now you’re almost as tall as I am.”
The two exchanged a few cheerful greetings, after which Jesus greeted the nobles on either side of the path. Surrounded by a crowd, he then entered Wushan Castle.
Ronin remained by Blanche’s side, but this time, his attention was focused more on Jesus. His intuition told him this man was here to stir up trouble.
From the moment he landed, Jesus had been stealing the show. He was not only arrogant in his attitude toward Ronin, but he also gradually overshadowed Blanche, as if he were today’s main character.
Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought this welcome banquet was being held for Jesus.
Ronin mulled over the possible reasons for the man’s visit.
’Earl Jesus’s fief, Moonlight Valley, is located southwest of the Wushan Territory. To its west is the Royal Domain, to the north is the Screaming Sea, to the south is a relatively chaotic region, and to the east, it borders the Wushan Territory’s Sharp Horn City.’
’His Majesty King Bruno has two younger brothers: Jesus and Ference.’
’It’s rather surprising; Ference is the lord of the Ferrensburg Duchy, a Duke.’
’Jesus, on the other hand, is not only not a Duke, but he didn’t even become a Marquis. He only managed to snag the title of Count.’
’Although the scenery in Moonlight Valley is quite beautiful, it’s hard to believe there isn’t some story behind this arrangement.’
Besides this information, Ronin also noted one other thing: the Polante Thief Gang that plagued the Wushan Territory seemed to be active in that southwestern area.
’Could Earl Jesus’s shadow be behind this Thief Gang?’
After the unexpected interlude, the party arrived smoothly at the newly decorated grand hall.
Here, Lurans personally received Her Highness the Princess and announced that Wushan Castle would be holding a banquet this evening to welcome Blanche.
As for Jesus, ever since entering the grand hall and seeing Lurans, the man had become very restrained, completely losing his earlier aggressive demeanor.
After a period of lively conversation, Lurans left with the other nobles, leaving only Ronin and Blanche in the vast hall. Even the guards remained outside.
Having lived two lives, Ronin had never even been on a blind date, let alone been part of an arranged marriage. To be honest, he felt a little nervous and incredibly awkward.
“Um…”
Not wanting the atmosphere to turn cold, he took the initiative to speak. “Let me reintroduce myself. I am Ronin, eldest grandson of the Wushan Marquis and Baron of Mountain Forest Town.”
“I know about you.”
The corners of Blanche’s mouth curved up in a perfect arc. Her smile was neither too bold nor too reserved, one that would immediately put a person at ease.
In truth, only she knew that she, too, was feeling awkward and apprehensive at this moment.
Ever since her two previous marriage candidates had both died of illness and rumors of her being a “husband-jinx” had spread, she had fallen into a state of anxiety and low self-esteem, especially as no one had come to propose a marriage alliance in recent years.
’I’m a Princess of the Kingdom, so why have I ended up in a situation where people spurn me?’
So this time, when her father told her he wanted to marry her to a Baron who had been stripped of his right to inherit a Marquisate, she had agreed to come and see for herself, despite her internal resistance.
What she hadn’t expected was that the young Baron before her was far more outstanding than she had imagined. His expression, his bearing, his on-the-spot reactions—all were excellent.
“Mountain Forest Town… what kind of place is it?” she asked.
Ronin thought for a moment, then answered with a smile, “It’s a remote and barren place, but one with enormous potential.”
This answer seemed conventional, but it actually laid out Ronin’s situation quite clearly.
’What value does a Baron from a remote, impoverished region have?’
As for having “enormous potential for development,” anyone with normal judgment could tell how much hot air was in that statement.
He had expected Blanche to look astonished or even displeased upon hearing this, but her expression didn’t change at all.
“I believe that with your wisdom, you will surely be able to bring great change to that place,” Blanche said with a smile.
Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com
