“Indeed we can’t force the Monroe family to tell us about our target’s location; instead, it will only create problems for us as the village is developing at a rapid rate,” Lady Eliza explained, her tone measured. Lord Ivan nodded, clearly understanding the implications of both Lady Eliza and Lady Diana’s words.
Lord Joseph, however, wore a disappointed expression after hearing their response. He had envisioned a direct approach with the Monroe family, believing it would make the mission considerably easier. Yet, he hadn’t anticipated Lady Eliza and the others’ reservations.
Turning to Lord Ivan, he fixed him with a fiery gaze and grumbled, “If that’s the case, why don’t you propose a better solution, Lord Ivan? I’m sure you have plenty of ideas regarding this.”
Observing Lord Joseph’s peculiar demeanor, Lord Ivan couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Does Lord Joseph have some issue with me? Why is he acting so distant?’ This odd behavior had been noticeable since their journey to the village at sunrise, leaving Lord Ivan perplexed.
‘Really strange! I can’t recall any offense I may have caused Lord Joseph. Besides, why would I intentionally provoke someone with a volatile disposition? Sigh! There’s no use dwelling on this now; it’s best to focus on the matter at hand…’ Lord Ivan pondered inwardly with a sigh.
Moments later, Lord Ivan shook his head and proposed, “Well, the solution is rather straightforward. All we have to do is pay a visit to the Monroe family and sincerely explain why we’re here. I’m confident they’ll understand the situation, and we can ask them to facilitate a meeting with our targets.”
Lady Diana frowned upon hearing the suggestion and voiced her concerns, “Lord Ivan, are you certain this will work? I’m skeptical they’ll agree to arrange a meeting with our targets, even upon our request. Referring to them as our targets could be deeply offensive. What then?”
Lord Joseph nodded in agreement, adding, “I concur with Lady Diana. She raises a valid point. We can’t label them as targets going forward, as it might offend the Monroe family. That would put us in a precarious position, and I’d prefer to avoid unnecessary trouble.”
Lord Ivan’s face contorted with annoyance at Lord Joseph’s words. He muttered to himself, ‘As if I’m the troublemaker here. Hmph! Aren’t you the one causing issues with your inappropriate behavior earlier, you old perverted geezer? How shameless!’
A few moments later, Lord Ivan nodded at Lady Diana and acknowledged, “You bring up a valid concern. Requesting an audience with our targets directly from the Monroe family might not be feasible. And labeling them as ‘targets’ could indeed offend them. However, we don’t know their names yet, so we’re left with no choice but to refer to them as such.”
“Lord Ivan is correct; we don’t even know their names yet,” Lady Eliza concurred, recognizing the validity of Lord Ivan’s point. They were still in the dark about the identities of their targets.
However, at this moment, they suddenly heard Tyler’s voice from behind.
“Actually, My Lord, I’ve stumbled upon one of our target’s names. The one who killed Lord Turner yesterday, his name is Yuan. However, we don’t know about his origin yet.”
Lord Turner and the others immediately turned their attention towards Tyler, their brows furrowing in concern.
“So the young man’s name is Yuan, huh? Why didn’t you say it earlier? Why keep it to yourself?” Lord Ivan questioned Tyler, his eyes reflecting his displeasure.
“My Lord, it’s not my fault for not telling you this. None of you even gave me a chance to speak. You can’t blame us for this,” Tyler responded, scratching the back of his head and looking anxiously towards Lord Joseph, a hint of fear in his expression.
‘So his name is Yuan, huh? What an interesting name…’ Lady Eliza mused internally, her face adorned with a thoughtful smile, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
‘Why is Miss Eliza smiling like this without any reason?’ Lady Diana wondered, looking at Lady Eliza’s enigmatic smile with a puzzled expression, unable to fathom the reason behind it.
“By the way, since you know one of our target’s names, do you have any information about this ‘Yuan’s’ companions?” Lord Ivan inquired, hoping Tyler might possess further details about their targets.
Tyler and Ryan exchanged a glance before both shaking their heads in response to Lord Ivan’s question. Ryan added, “Forgive us, my Lord. We only managed to acquire one of our target’s names.”
“But I heard rumors around the village that he has a total of five wives, each of them possessing ethereal beauty that surpasses even that of a goddess. The most striking thing is that two of his wives have nearly identical features, differing only in their hair and eye colors. People discuss the beauty of Yuan’s wives in the local taverns and gatherings,” Ryan disclosed, not holding back any information.
‘Beauty that could surpass that of a goddess… Can such a thing truly exist?’ Lord Joseph thought skeptically. He was hesitant to fully believe Ryan’s words without witnessing the alleged beauty of Yuan’s wives himself.
“Is that so? It appears this Yuan fellow we’re seeking has quite the distinctive taste, having a pair of twins as his wives… I must admit, I’m rather eager to meet this Yuan as soon as possible,” Lady Eliza murmured under her breath, accompanied by a soft chuckle.
Upon hearing Lady Eliza’s words, Lord Joseph’s expression darkened. Inwardly, he vehemently protested, ‘Unacceptable! This is completely unacceptable! I absolutely cannot allow that scoundrel to meet my dear Eliza. I’m certain that if they were to meet, my Eliza would undoubtedly fall for him.’
Lost in his thoughts, he stared at Lady Eliza with a grave expression, seemingly in a daze. He was abruptly jolted back to reality by Lady Diana’s concerned inquiry.
“Lord Joseph, are you feeling unwell or something? You look considerably paler than before…”
“Cough! Cough!” Lord Joseph quickly forced a smile onto his slightly wrinkled face. With an anxious tone, he hastened to reassure, “What’s wrong with me, I’m perfectly fine. You must be seeing things now, Lady Eliza. Anyways, thanks for your concern, though. I appreciate it.”
“Well, whatever, it’s good as long as you’re alright, Lord Joseph…” Lady Eliza responded nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders. It was clear she was more focused on maintaining appearances of concern rather than genuinely worrying about his well-being.
“Everyone, we’re getting off the topic here. How about we focus on this matter first and attend to our personal matters later?” Lord Ivan interjected, redirecting the conversation. It was imperative to concentrate on their mission rather than delve into personal concerns.
“Sorry about that…” Lord Joseph apologized swiftly, without a second thought.
Lord Ivan shook his head and stated, “It’s fine, Lord Joseph. Now, let’s focus more on the serious matter, shall we?”
“Indeed! Indeed!” Lord Joseph affirmed.
A minute later, Lady Eliza spoke up, suggesting a plan. “Lord Ivan, let’s proceed as you suggested earlier. We will visit the Monroe family tomorrow morning, and request an audience with them. Once we meet the Monroe family, we can explain our purpose for being here and ask them to facilitate a meeting with this Yuan individual. How does that sound?”
Lady Diana rolled her eyes at Lady Eliza’s proposal. “My question still remains the same: do you truly believe it will work?”
“Well, I’m not certain if it will or won’t, but what harm is there in trying? It’s better than doing nothing at all. I say we give it a shot. If we don’t try, how will we ever know if it will work or not?” Lady Eliza responded confidently.
‘Will this really be effective? Well, there’s no harm in attempting this approach at least once, right?’ Lady Diana pondered inwardly, considering Lady Eliza’s words.
After considering for a moment, Lady Diana nodded. “Well, I also think that Miss Eliza does have a point in this matter. How would we know if we don’t even try, even once?”
Lord Ivan then turned to Lord Joseph. “What are your thoughts on this, Lord Joseph?”
“We should give it a try…” Lord Joseph sighed, his reluctance evident.
“Well, that settles it then. We will make a visit to the Monore family and request an audience with them,” Lord Ivan declared, a smile crossing his face as everyone reached an agreement. ．𝙘𝙤𝙢
Yet, beneath his composed exterior, he was immensely curious about the Monroe family. Their ability to transform the village in such a short span intrigued him.
He yearned to exchange insights with the mastermind behind this rapid development.
As the personal advisor to the kingdom’s monarch, he couldn’t help but be enticed by the secret behind the village’s progress. He believed that sharing ideas with the visionary responsible for the village’s transformation could significantly impact the kingdom’s future development.
A moment later, Lord Ivan addressed his subordinates. “Tyler and Ryan, both of you will go to the Monroe family’s residence and inform them of our visit tomorrow morning. Afterward, you’re free to do as you please.”
“We understand, My Lord. Please excuse us then.” They slightly bowed at Lord Ivan and the others and left the scene.