Lord Blackwood Promised Me Death — Chapter 7

THEN THIS LOT AS WELL—

SOLD TO LORD WILLIAM BLACKWOOD!

HONESTLY...

ACTING SO REFINED WHEN THEY ONLY CAME TO BUY PRETTY TRASH.

I DON'T THINK YOU'RE IN ANY POSITION TO TALK, YOUNG MASTER.

HAHA!

SHUT IT.

Ah, Young Duke!

Thank you so much for attending today's auction!

WITH THE WAR JUST ENDING, YOU MUST BE SWAMPED WITH PLACES DEMANDING YOUR PRESENCE.

IT'S NOT LIKE SOLDIERS SLAVING AWAY IS ANYTHING NEW...

WHERE'S THE ITEM?

AH, RIGHT AWAY, MY LORD!

HERE IS YOUR PURCHASE.

AN EXQUISITE, MASTERFULLY CRAFTED ANTIQUE MUSIC BOX,

FEATURING A WONDERFULLY ELEGANT FIR TREE EMBOSSED ON THE OUTSIDE.

AND ISN'T THE FIR TREE THE CREST OF THE BLACKWOOD DUCAL FAMILY?

IT SEEMS THE PIECE HAS FOUND ITS RIGHTFUL OWNER.

INDEED.

IT'S CLEARLY MINE ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT,

YET I SAW SOME INSOLENT FOOLS EYEING IT EARLIER.

HAHA...

DON'T BOTHER WRAPPING IT.

SEND THE BILL TO THE BLACKWOOD DUCAL RESIDENCE.

WOW...

SO THAT'S THE FAMOUS YOUNG DUKE, WILLIAM BLACKWOOD?

IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME SEEING HIM?

HE FREQUENTS THIS PLACE CONSTANTLY. SEARCHING FOR HIS INHERITANCE.

INHERITANCE?

YOU KNOW THAT RUMOR, DON'T YOU?

ABOUT HOW THE FORMER DUKE BLACKWOOD...

...HID A PROOF OF ROYAL SUCCESSION INSIDE AN ANTIQUE.

THE THRONE?? GOOD HEAVENS...

SINCE THE BLACKWOOD FAMILY ARE FOUNDING CONTRIBUTORS, COULD THEY HAVE A LEGITIMATE CLAIM?

STILL, IT MIGHT JUST BE A BASELESS RUMOR.

HE COULD SIMPLY BE COLLECTING THEM AS A HOBBY...

COME ON! ISN'T IT OBVIOUS JUST LOOKING AT HIM?

DO YOU THINK HE GOT ENGAGED TO PRINCESS EVRILLIAN FOR NOTHING?

THE YOUNG DUKE IS DEFINITELY—

—AIMING FOR THE THRONE!

WILLIAM BLACKWOOD?

BELATED AS IT MAY BE, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR VICTORY.

THANK YOU, YOUR MAJESTY.

YOU WOULDN'T CREDIT MY GRACE EVEN AS AN EMPTY COURTESY, WOULD YOU?

AFTER ALL, IT WAS THE SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

OF COURSE, YOUR MAJESTY.

WE SECURED THIS VICTORY UNDER YOUR MAJESTY'S GUIDANCE.

THIS VICTORY WILL ONLY MAKE OUR KINGDOM STRONGER, AND...

ENOUGH.

IT'S LIKE I HAD TO FORCE YOU TO FLATTER ME.

ANYWAY, I'VE BEEN HEARING SOME RATHER SCANDALOUS RUMORS.

SINCE IT WAS A CELEBRATION,

I'LL ASSUME A VIGOROUS YOUNG MAN LIKE YOU SIMPLY GOT CARRIED AWAY WITH EXCITEMENT.

MY APOLOGIES.

THE RUMORS HAVE ALREADY REACHED THE PALACE.

I HAVE THOSE LOOSE-LIPPED FOOLS TO THANK FOR THAT.

YOU SHOULD BE APOLOGIZING TO IVRILLIAN, NOT ME.

TAKE A STROLL WITH HER ON YOUR WAY OUT OF THE PALACE AND MAKE THINGS RIGHT.

TO PREVENT ANY MORE UNPLEASANT RUMORS,

PERHAPS IT'S TIME YOU TWO SET A WEDDING DATE.

DAMN IT.

HE NEVER MISSES A CHANCE TO DOTE ON THAT PRINCESS OF HIS.

EVEN THOUGH HE KNOWS

WHAT A COMPLETE DEMON

HIS YOUNGEST DAUGHTER REALLY IS.

GOOD AFTERNOON, WILLIAM.

TO THINK YOU CAME SO QUICKLY. I'M GLAD I SPOKE TO HIS MAJESTY.

AREN'T YOU A BIT OLD TO STILL BE BEGGING YOUR FATHER FOR FAVORS?

SINCE MY FATHER'S WORD BROUGHT YOU HERE TO SEE ME,

I'D SAY ACTING LIKE A CHILD WAS WORTH IT, WOULDN'T YOU?

HIS MAJESTY IS RATHER FOND OF YOU, MY LORD.

THAT AT TIMES YOU SEEM MORE TRUSTWORTHY THAN BROTHER LEON.

IS THAT HOW I APPEAR TO HIM?

HE SAYS YOU ARE SO BLUNT AND UNPRETENTIOUS

THAT AT TIMES YOU SEEM MORE TRUSTWORTHY THAN BROTHER LEON.

WHAT A SHAME... IF ONLY I COULD SHOW YOU WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE MY HEAD.

...AS I'VE OFFERED BEFORE,

THEN ALLOW ME TO REPEAT MY ANSWER.

I CAN HELP YOU RISE TO AN EVEN HIGHER POSITION.

IF YOU SAT BESIDE ME AND I COULD EVEN PLACE A CROWN ON YOUR HEAD.

THAT THRONE OF YOURS?

I WOULDN'T TAKE IT EVEN IF YOU HANDED IT TO ME.