Chapter 280: "How to charm this kind of man..."
“He changed the lock now, it’s a very clever lock, very expensive, and not the kind of lock that an ordinary person can open,” Mia said dejectedly. “I tried to sneak in too, but the lock was hard to open, even the best locksmith would have to work on it, so I gave up.”
"Grandma, tell me, how do I charm this kind of man?!"
"I don't know," I laughed.
When Aurora heard about her daughter's outrageous behavior, she was furious and declared she would arrange another marriage for Mia. Her children's marriages had always been a major worry for Aurora. Her son, Jacob, was already in his twenties and still unmarried. Aurora had arranged several marriages for him, but none of them suited him. Finally, she forced him into a marriage, but he ran away on the wedding day, only returning three months later. No nobleman was willing to marry their daughter to this libertine.
Mia went on several blind dates, but each time either she didn't like the other person, or the other person didn't like her.
This time, Aurora arranged another marriage for her daughter, choosing the year-end palace banquet as the venue. Mia dressed like a little princess, adorned with expensive jewelry from head to toe, sparkling and dazzling wherever she went.
As Mia was talking to me, Aurora came over with two richly dressed men. "Mia, this is Duke Avana, and this is his son, Ares."
“They came from the capital of the West.” Aurora emphasized this subtly—they were dignitaries from the capital.
I got up with Mia to greet them.
"This is Lady Lana? I've heard so much about you." A deep and powerful voice rang out.
A man dressed in a dazzling silver robe appeared, and I was startled. He had unruly and deep features, rebellious eyes, an extremely high and straight nose, and a strong physique. I could feel the powerful muscle lines even through his robe. His energy field was astonishing. He was clearly a man of high status and power.
His thick, long, golden eyelashes concealed his deep gaze, as if he were silently observing me.
Standing beside him was a small man—I must only call him small, for he was far weaker than the man. He was tall, but rather thin, with short, light blond hair that made his pale skin appear even paler. Fortunately, his eyes were bright and piercing, otherwise he would have been completely overshadowed.
"Hello!" I said politely.
Mia then bowed.
“Mother, you haven’t met Duke Avana yet, have you?” Aurora covered her mouth and laughed. “He’s been staying in several royal cities in the northern part of the West, only returning to the capital twice a year. This time, he’s probably planning to stay for a long time.”
“Mia, this is his eldest son, Ares,” Aurora called back to Mia, whose gaze was lingering on the Duke of Avana.
"Oh, hello," Mia said quickly.
Ares smiled shyly.
“You young people should get to know each other,” Aurora said, placing Mia’s hand in front of Ares. “Let’s go dance.”
Ares and Mia went to the dance floor, and Duke Avanna said with a faint smile, "I didn't expect Lady Lanna to be so young. I thought she was the same age as King Bernard."
Aurora was speechless. I smiled and said, "We're about the same age, but I look younger because of some circumstances."
"Oh?!" He raised his long, golden eyelashes slightly, quite interested. "Could you tell me about it?"
"Let's talk about it another day. This can't be explained in just a few words." I dodged the question and smiled, "Now we're having a dinner to enjoy fine wine. Why don't you enjoy some of the wine first? It's all made from the best grapes."
He smiled, his eyes deep and unfathomable. "I like aged wine."
I gave an awkward laugh. "Then I'll have someone prepare some aged wine for you." I left after saying that. Once I was far away, I breathed a sigh of relief. This man had such a strong presence.
The next morning, I heard Mia pleading with Aurora, "Mother, I want to marry the Duke of Avana. His son is such a dullard."
Aurora took the milk from the maid and said coldly, "The Duke of Avana has shown no interest in you."
"How do you know if you haven't asked him?!"
Aurora sneered, "Countless noble ladies and ladies have had their eyes on him, but he hasn't taken a liking to any of them."
"Then where did his son come from?" Mia asked curiously. I wanted to ask that question too.
“That’s his illegitimate son. You’re an illegitimate daughter, and you still expect to get married and have children?” Aurora said. “With your qualifications, you’d be lucky to marry the Duke of Avana’s illegitimate son. The Duke of Avana is quite rich, but he only has two illegitimate sons. Ares will definitely get a lot of them in the future.”
I think Aurora is obsessed with money. Of course, now that she's the Queen of the Royal City, all she sees are expenses, so money is naturally her biggest headache.
I had finished breakfast and was about to go to the printing factory when I heard Mia ask excitedly before I left, "Has the Duke of Avana never married?"
"No."
When I ran into Nathan at the printing factory, a nod was enough to say hello. He stood quietly to the side, his eyes revealing a barely perceptible sense of grievance.
After confirming with the printing manager that there were no problems with this month's tasks, he checked the newspapers to be published and then left.
At the entrance of the printing factory, Nathan was waiting for me.
"Is something the matter?" I asked.
"I just wanted to see you." He smiled.
"Find a good girl to marry," I said gently. "I'm much older than you, and if we were to get together, it wouldn't end well. When I'm old and you're still young, you'll regret it."
For example, there's me and Bernard. Bernard is much older than me now, he's an old man, and I'm starting to dislike him.
If you really get together with Nathan, he'll be the one who despises you years from now.
“I will not regret it,” he said.
"You say that because you're still young."
Leaving Nathan, I didn't want to return to the palace. Instead, I put on a maid's hooded long coat and wandered around the city alone. Wandering aimlessly gradually eased my depressed mood.
Passing by a small pub, I suddenly felt like having a drink. I found a small wooden table, ordered the most expensive drink, and just as I took a sip, a tall man sat down opposite me.
"Drowning your sorrows in alcohol after seeing your lover?" A familiar, deep voice rang out.
It was the Duke of Avanna.
He was dressed in a pure black hooded long coat. After taking off the hood, his dark yellow hair was tied back, revealing his arrogant and sharp features, deep eyes, and extremely high and straight nose.
"What are you doing here?!" I exclaimed in surprise.
"This is my first time visiting your capital, so I'm just wandering around."
"Are you following me?" I asked casually.
"Yes," he actually replied.
I was startled for a moment, then asked, "Why are you following me?!"
“When I saw you leave the palace, I wondered if you were going somewhere to have some fun, so I went along with you,” he replied casually.
"That's not the reason, is it?" I wondered.
"Yes." He smiled brightly and actually admitted it.
It has to be said that he has a very charming smile. This kind of rebellious man has a unique magnetic attraction to his smile.
"What is that?" I asked.
"You'll find out later," he said, keeping everyone in suspense.
"What would you like to talk to me about now?" I asked again. It certainly wasn't just about drinking.
"I have some news for you, it's top secret: the Eastern Territory is about to descend into chaos, and the Western Territory will follow suit."
I was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Are you kidding me?!"
"You don't believe me?" He laughed too, a defiant laugh. "Believe it or not, King Bernot won't be back by your side anytime soon, then you'll know I'm telling the truth."
"What happened in the Eastern Territory?" I stopped smiling.
"The Eastern Territory has only been restored to its complete state for one or two decades, and various forces have been eager to overthrow King Benot's rule. For example, the combined forces of the former King of the Eastern Territory, the Moste family, and the former Queen, the Durand family, as well as the Yod family, King Benot's former adoptive father. King Benot is cracking down on these forces, but he cannot succeed."
"Why?"
"King Bernard is of mixed blood, and is destined to be unable to gain the support of all the great nobles."
I remained silent for a while, then asked, "What did you mean by the chaos in the Western Regions?"
"It means exactly what it says." His smile concealed a sharpness, and a hint of bloodlust.
I suddenly realized something and looked at him in horror.
“You’re really smart. The superpowered woman is much smarter than I imagined, even though everyone who knows you tells me you’re stupid.” He smiled.
Upon returning to the palace, I immediately ordered the withdrawal of all outposts from the western capital and along the route to it. I also instructed the printing manager to add a notice to the newspaper to be published the day after tomorrow: because the road under construction in our capital was hit by a sudden storm, causing serious damage and resulting in financial difficulties, we have to suspend the publication of the western capital's newspaper, and the republication date will be announced separately.
A while ago, the straight road was hit by a storm, destroying a third of the newly repaired section. The losses were huge, and I cursed it for days. I never expected it would help me now.
"Mother, why did you do this all of a sudden?" Aurora asked in surprise. "The Western Capital is our newspaper's largest outpost. If we withdraw, the losses will be considerable."
“The losses on the straight sections are greater; we must repair the straight sections first,” I said.
“I disagree.” Aurora frowned. “It’s difficult to revert the changes once they’ve been reversed.”
“This is my newspaper, I’m in charge.”
Little did Aurora know that if chaos erupted in the West, all essential services would cease, newspapers would be impossible to publish, and ordinary citizens would be confined to their homes. Yet, our costs remained—maintaining the road from the West to the capital incurred significant monthly expenses. Before the unrest escalated, we must evacuate all assets and personnel.
"Is there any letter from King Bernard today?!" I asked.
"No." Aurora observed my expression. "Don't worry, he won't forget you for his new love."
"He has a new love interest?" I seized on this phrase.
Aurora smiled awkwardly, but still said, "I heard that he has recently become very close to the granddaughter of an old minister."
Seeing that I didn't speak, Aurora carefully observed my expression. "Are you angry?"
I waved my hand and said, "He's an old man, he can't keep going much longer. Now that he's old, his charm might not work anymore, so let's ignore him."
-----------------------
Author's Note: "My Brilliant Friend" has been renamed "My Super Boyfriend," please be sure to check it out!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
