Chapter 108. Hollowland Estate

Main Gate, Hollowland Viscounty, Lord’s Castle

Viscount Hollowland pulled his heavy fur collar tighter against the biting wind, his golden canine tooth glinting dully in the gray winter light.

That crippled girl didn't even attend high society functions in the Capital, he thought with a sneer. She spent her whole life locked away in that Duke's mansion. Tonight, she will be completely overwhelmed by proper Northern nobility.

“Shouldn’t we... have cleared the snow? Her Ladyship might have trouble walking on such slippery ground, right?” Nina, the Viscount's daughter, asked. She was a vision of carefully cultivated beauty, wearing a heavy silk winter gown that cost more than most servants earned in a year. Her hair was arranged in elaborate coils, and her face was painted with the practiced, innocent smile of a woman who had learned exactly how to weaponize her charm.

“Shut your trap, Nina. Why do we have to accommodate some Southern crippled girl?” Viscount Hollowland retorted, visibly annoyed. He then looked his daughter up and down, reminding himself of the grand prize. Once that commoner Lord catches my daughter in his bed, he will have absolutely no choice but to comply.

“Even so... she is still a Duke’s daughter,” his wife, Clara, murmured softly. She stood beside him, though ‘stood beside’ was a generous description. She hovered half a step behind, her eyes fixed fearfully on the frozen ground, her shoulders hunched against far more than just the winter wind.

“Hah! Every idiot has an opinion today, don’t they?” Viscount Hollowland scoffed.

Suddenly, the heavy sound of carriage wheels crunching through the fresh snow made all three of them straighten their postures.

A commoner Lord and a crippled Lady. The best she can do in this snowy, slippery courtyard is awkwardly fumble through a greeting... I will humiliate her completely with my perfect daughter’s etiquette! Viscount Hollowland grinned wickedly as the howling winds blew and the Ironwood entourage rolled to a halt.

The carriage door opened. Francesca stepped out first.

She moved with the fluid grace of a dancer, her cane tapping a precise, elegant rhythm against the slippery, frostbitten stones. Her silver hair cascaded from beneath a thick, fur-lined hood, catching the pale morning light like spun moonlight. Her striking golden eyes swept across the courtyard, instantly taking in every detail of their calculating stares and dismissing them all with a single, serene blink.

She looked exactly like she owned the ground she walked on.

Nina's practiced, weaponized smile flickered and cracked.

Miller followed, stepping down from the carriage with the quiet, undeniable authority of a man who had commanded armies and conquered enemy kingdom. He seamlessly offered Francesca his arm, and she took it with easy familiarity and a regal, nonchalant presence.

"Viscount Hollowland," Miller greeted, his voice as smooth and cold as polished steel. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"I... yes, of course," Lord Hollowland stammered, his carefully prepared barbs instantly dying in his throat under Miller's heavy gaze. Francesca's smile was gentle. Sweet. Utterly devastating. "What a charming estate you have, Viscount Hollowland. I do hope the evening proves to be... memorable."

"It is not nearly as charming as yourself, My Lady," Viscount Hollowland shot back, quickly reorganizing his composure. "It has broken edges all around, but it functions."

I spent years surviving wanting to be a high-society socialite in the Capital... His hostility is just cute by comparison, Francesca thought to herself. She offered a demure, unbothered smile in reply. "Oh my, I am a bit embarrassed by the praise, Lord Hollowland."

Miller pulled her arm slightly closer and added seamlessly, "Just take the compliment, Francesca. It is not often that His Lordship praises people from the bottom of his heart."

Look at that...! He has come a long way from just awkwardly laughing along during verbal tugs-of-war. He is even joining in now. Francesca smiled brightly, nodding as if she were genuinely touched.

Viscount Hollowland’s eye twitched at their easy, impenetrable manner. He forced a wide smile and pressed on, trying to spring his trap. "It is a shame that Her Ladyship is so utterly perfect that you had to give up on my daughter's hand. I can certainly see why now."

"Father...!" Nina gasped in feigned shock.

Lord Hollowland acted the part of a caring, teasing father and chuckled. "What? I just told the truth, right?" He shot a sharp, challenging glare toward Miller.

Now what? Lord Hollowland sneered internally. Will you compliment my daughter to feed the gossip, or will you support your wife and feed the rumors about how heartless you were to bring up a broken engagement?

A victorious smirk was just beginning to form on his face when a loud, cheerful voice cut through the howling winds of the courtyard.

"It is true! What a terrible shame that such a beauty ever had to compete!"

With his hazel hair blowing wildly in the wind and a bright, carefree smile tugging at his lips, Prince Vadim stepped out of the second carriage.

"Ah... I am so sorry for inviting myself, Viscount Hollowland, but I just wanted a great place to enjoy my time!" he announced, striding directly toward the stunned nobleman and aggressively shaking his hand.

Vadim then eyed Nina and clapped his hands together. "I see what they mean when they talk about your daughter being an amazing beauty!"

"Lady Nina, would you mind keeping me company during my stay? I would love to hang around you!" he asked, completely ignoring Viscount Hollowland's presence.

Viscount Hollowland was totally confused about what was even happening anymore. Slowly, a dark red flush crept up his neck, fueled by silent rage at the blatant disrespect shown by the Prince stealing control of his own courtyard.

"I... I would love to, but Father hasn’t mentioned anything about your stay..." Nina tried to pivot the situation smoothly back to her father's authority.

Prince Vadim spun around, his eyes wide with exaggerated, mocking shock. "What? Is Viscount Hollowland finding it too tough to accommodate me? I apologize, I really should have arrived after sending proper notice, after all."

He is making us out to be beggars! Viscount Hollowland instantly panicked. Retorting loudly to save face, he stammered, "Of course not! That girl does not know what she is talking about! We can easily accommodate you, Your Highness!"

He forced a hearty laugh, stepping forward to salvage his pride. "It is a time of celebration, after all! The New Year is just around the corner."

"That’s right! The more I talk to you, the more I like you, Viscount Hollowland!" Prince Vadim cheered. He slapped the older noble hard on the back, leaving Hollowland completely drowning in the chaotic pace of the conversation.

Francesca let out a long sigh at the ridiculous scene, while Miller just chuckled quietly beside her. She jabbed her elbow lightly into his ribs and whispered, "Are you sure bringing His Highness along wasn't a secret plan you came up with?"

Miller just smiled, thoroughly enjoying Prince Vadim’s disruptive antics. "Of course not. I didn't even know he had slipped into the carriage line until we were already on the road."