Inside the manor, Madam Layla and her daughters, along with Yuan and his wives, were enjoying their morning tea, savoring the start of the day.
Yuan sat between his mothers, Anna and Grace, while Lily and Emma flanked them. Xi Meili occupied the best seat in the house, nestled on Yuan’s lap. He held her waist tenderly with one hand and sipped his tea with the other.
Just then, the living hall door creaked open, and a voice followed. An entrance guard entered, accompanied by a group of unfamiliar individuals.
“My Lady, our guests have arrived, and I’ve brought them inside as you instructed,” the guard announced.
“Very well, you may leave now,” Madam Layla replied, setting down her tea.
“Understood, My lady…” The guard nodded and promptly exited, returning to his post.
Lord Ivan and his group were taken aback by the scene. A striking young man was seated on a sofa, flanked by beauties, one of whom sat on his lap.
Lord Joseph, in particular, was utterly stunned. He had never seen women of such exquisite beauty before. They eclipsed even his crush, Lady Eliza.
‘Oh Dear God! Where did such exquisite beauties come from? Their beauty is simply unbelievable. I’ve never seen women like them. In front of their beauty, Lady Eliza’s radiance pales,’ Lord Joseph lamented inwardly, seemingly in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Lady Eliza’s gaze was fixed on Yuan, perched on the sofa with his wives. She couldn’t help but think, ‘Who is this young man? He’s so handsome. I’ve never seen a man as striking as him.’
“Madam Layla, I’m Ivan, the king’s personal advisor. Thank you for accepting our request for an audience with you,” Lord Ivan introduced himself to Madam Layla with a smile, stealing a quick glance towards Yuan.
“You don’t need to thank me, Lord Ivan. It’s just an audience,” Madam Layla replied with a smile.
While the village was rapidly developing, it hadn’t yet reached a point where she could disregard the kingdom’s officials, not with her current strength.
Lord Ivan proceeded to introduce Lord Joseph, Lady Eliza, and Lady Diana to Madam Layla, offering a few kind words about each of them.
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Lord Ivan, Lord Joseph, Lady Eliza, and Lady Diana. As you’ve already guessed, I’m Layla Monore, currently managing the village’s affairs on behalf of my husband Isaac Monore. Please, have a seat,” Madam Layla greeted them warmly, gesturing towards a spacious sofa where at least ten people could comfortably sit.
“Thank you, Madam Layla.”
Lord Ivan and the others took their seats, except for Tyler and Ryan, who stood behind Lord Ivan.
Madam Layla then introduced them to her children, “These three girls here are my daughters, Rose, Ava, and Julie. And over there is my son, James, sitting in the corner,” she pointed towards James, who wore a somber expression.
With the introductions concluded, Madam Layla’s expression turned serious. “Since the introduction is over, let’s get to the main point. I don’t like beating around the bush. I prefer being straightforward. So, why did you request an audience with me, Lord Ivan?”
However, Lord Joseph interjected, “Madam Layla, you forgot to introduce them to us… How can a person responsible for a whole village forget such a small thing?” His voice resounded, causing Madam Layla, Yuan, and his wives to frown at him.
“Lord Joseph, please don’t be rude to Madam Layla. Remember what our mission is…” Lord Ivan quickly whispered into Lord Joseph’s ears.
“Sorry about that, I just slipped my tongue. I hope you don’t mind,” Lord Joseph said with an indifferent smile to Madam Layla.
“It’s fine, Lord Joseph. I don’t mind at all,” Madam Layla responded with a smile. She then turned her attention towards Yuan and his wives, saying, “The young man in the middle is Yuan, the savior of our village and my son-in-law. And the ladies beside him are his wives.”
As Madam Layla introduced Yuan and his wives to Lord Ivan and the others, they were visibly surprised. It was clear from their expressions that they were taken aback.
‘Yuan?!’ They exchanged surprised glances, as though they had just witnessed something extraordinary.
‘So, this is the ‘Yuan’ we’re looking for, and those women by his side are his wives, who are also our targets. What a stroke of luck. We came here to request Madam Layla to set up a meeting between us and Yuan. But who would’ve thought that we would meet him here? This is really fate…’ Lord Ivan thought inwardly with a satisfied smile, believing that destiny had played its part.
On the other hand, Lord Joseph observed Yuan with a frown. He thought, ‘Is this really the Yuan we’re looking for? He looks very frail, and he doesn’t seem strong at all. Apart from his pleasant appearance, he doesn’t seem impressive.’ 𝒃𝒆𝒐𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝙘𝙤𝒎
“So, you’re the Yuan I’ve heard so much about. I didn’t expect to meet you and your wives here. It must be fate… I can’t think of any other explanation,” Lord Ivan said with a warm smile, looking at Yuan and his wives.
“Indeed! It would be me if there is no one else beside me with the same name,” Yuan affirmed, nodding his head as he regarded Lord Ivan.
‘He is really not simple…’ Lord Ivan thought, feeling a mixture of surprise and admiration.
“I heard that you’ve not only slain the Lord of the Mountain, who was about to reach the S-rank, also known as the Fifth Order, but you’ve also slain the Orc Lord back in Clover Town. He was a peak A-rank monster, a fourth-order monster with the power to turn a small town into dust.”
“At such a young age, what you’ve accomplished is truly commendable, Yuan,” Lord Ivan said, his voice filled with admiration. “Not only you, but your wives have also shown remarkable strength, facing thousands of monsters effortlessly. I can’t find the words to describe how talented and remarkable you all are.”
Yuan and his wives exchanged puzzled glances, clearly surprised that Lord Ivan knew so much about them. Yuan spoke up, his expression slightly furrowed, “Lord Ivan, I didn’t expect you to know so much about us. Not even Madam Layla knows this much. So, why are you telling me all this?”
Lord Ivan, though he didn’t sense a single drop of mana in Yuan and his wives’ bodies, felt a strange feeling in his heart. It was a sensation that warned him of the potential danger this young man presented.
‘What was that feeling just now? Was it a hallucination?’ Lord Ivan thought, visibly shocked.
He quickly dismissed the sensation, refocusing on Yuan. “Yuan, I’ll be honest with you. As the king’s personal advisor, I formally invite you and your wives to join the kingdom,” Lord Ivan continued with a smile.
“The kingdom desperately needs talented mages like you and your wives. You all have a very bright future, and if you join us, we’ll provide you with an abundance of resources to help you advance to higher ranks as quickly as possible.”
Lady Diana stepped forward and turned towards Madam Layla. “Madam Layla, our true intention in coming here was to request your help in setting up a meeting with Yuan and his wives.”
“In fact,” Lady Eliza added, “we came to this village specifically to recruit them to our kingdom before anyone else does. His Majesty the King personally ordered us to bring Yuan and his wives to our side.”
Madam Layla responded with a smile, “Is that so? I suspected as much, but Miss Diana, I can’t decide in this matter. It all depends on Yuan here.”
Lord Ivan then looked expectantly at Yuan and said, “So, what do you think? If you’re not satisfied with the amount of resources the kingdom offers, we can negotiate and potentially increase the benefits, including gold coins.”
Yuan looked at Ivan for a few moments, his smile unwavering. He then shook his head with a calm resolve, “The answer to your offer is quite simple, actually… I don’t care what kind of resources you’re talking about, and I don’t care about the kingdom or whatever it is. In simple words, I don’t want to become someone’s lapdog, barking on its owner’s orders. If you’re looking for a guard dog, then you’ll need to look elsewhere.”
Lord Ivan, Lord Joseph, Lady Eliza, and Lady Diana were utterly stunned by Yuan’s unexpected refusal. They wore expressions of disbelief, eyes wide and mouths slightly agape. They looked at Yuan as though they’d just witnessed a ghost.
They hadn’t anticipated such a straightforward refusal. Joining the kingdom was considered an honor by many, and they expected Yuan to at least consider the offer, given his exceptional abilities.
Madam Layla and the Monore family, however, were not surprised in the least. They knew Yuan’s character well.
Yuan’s wives watched the scene unfold with amused smiles, as if they were watching an entertaining drama. Xi Meili, in particular, seemed completely unperturbed as she munched on cookies prepared by Ivy while sitting on Yuan’s lap.
Moments later, Lady Eliza, concerned, asked Lord Joseph, “Lord Joseph, are you alright?” His face had turned a deep shade of red.
But Lord Joseph didn’t respond immediately. His anger began to boil over, and he finally erupted at Yuan, “YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BASTARD! DO YOU EVEN REALIZE WHAT OPPORTUNITY YOU’RE REFUSING?”
“DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THAT IT’S AN HONOR IN ITSELF TO BE INVITED TO JOIN THE KINGDOM AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS BRIGHT FUTURE?! HOW DARE YOU TURN DOWN SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE KINGDOM!”