stjorthotic Chapter 49 Are you drunk?
Chapter 49 Are you drunk?
Dark as ink.
The hall of Frost Castle was brightly lit, with dozens of silver candlesticks illuminating the marble floor as if it were daytime.
The long oak dining table was laden with meticulously prepared dishes: roast goose with silver star apples, braised veal trotters with silver star carrots, silver star lettuce and cabbage salad, and more.
After the misunderstanding with the Rock Armored Earth Dragon that afternoon, Brad strongly invited him to stay overnight in Frosthold.
Richard readily agreed, since he was planning to return to Chiffon tomorrow anyway.
To liven up the atmosphere.
At the dinner table, Richard spoke freely, occasionally throwing out some novel ideas and humorous jokes from Earth, which Frost and his daughter found very refreshing.
When Richard told another joke with great enthusiasm, Lucy couldn't help but burst out laughing.
She immediately covered her mouth with a handkerchief, but her delicate body trembled uncontrollably, and her face flushed crimson.
"Hahaha!"
Viscount Brad clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he was doubled over, and slammed his fork on the table.
Richard, seeing that the joke from his hometown on Blue Star had worked, smiled and took a sip of his wine.
Lucy had shed her pride as a high-level superhuman and with activated talent, and her gaze toward Richard held more appreciation and curiosity, even a hint of something subtle.
Richard politely returned the girl's gaze, but his heart remained unmoved.
He is very clear.
As the first in line to inherit the Frost Territory, Lucy bears the heavy responsibility of continuing the territory's legitimacy and inheriting the Frost Talent.
According to tradition.
The husband of the female heir must marry into the family.
Furthermore, in order to ensure the purity of the bloodline of the first child, they will be extremely restrained and conservative in their private lives, and will only fulfill their obligation to reproduce after marriage.
Richard's older brother is like that; he's still unmarried and a virgin at twenty-five.
His face broke out in pimples from holding it in, and his third brother even gave him a nickname behind his back.
-- Acne-ridden wolf.
...
...
and so.
Even though Lucy was like an ice rose blooming in the snows of the North, beautiful and precious, Richard had no feelings for her.
Not every flower needs to be picked and played with; admiring it from afar can also be a pleasure.
but...
Some people think differently.
...
Lucy put down her knife and fork, a genuine regret showing on her beautiful face. She stopped calling him Baron and instead addressed him by his name.
"Richard..."
"Over the past century, many lords have come to the northern border to reclaim wasteland, but in the end, only the Snow Deer family has been able to establish a firm foothold."
"Besides, Snow Deer made its fortune through business. Are you sure Chiffon Cake can establish itself in this wasteland...?"
Brad coughed softly.
"Lucy, you shouldn't say that. Richard dared to come, so he's sure to succeed."
Although there was a hint of reproach in her words, she couldn't hide the helplessness in her tone.
indeed.
The desolation of the far north is no exaggeration; too many lords' ambitions are buried in this land.
Those spirited pioneers were either swallowed by the bitter cold or had their fortunes depleted by the barren land, ultimately ending up with their fiefdoms changing hands and them fleeing in disarray.
In the entire northernmost part of the North, only three families were able to establish themselves and survive.
In the western part of the North, there are more than a dozen territories comparable in size to Frostlands, not to mention the densely populated and fertile areas in the south of the Empire.
In those warmer places, crops can be harvested twice a year, and can be planted in both spring and winter, unlike the barren North.
Faced with the Frost Father and Daughter's blatant disdain, Richard was not displeased at all. Instead, he raised his glass, his eyes full of composure.
"Does Miss Lucy have so little faith in me?"
Lucy took a deep breath.
Some helpless.
His shoulders slumped.
"This is not a matter of confidence, but a harsh reality."
"Richard..."
"If, I mean if..."
"If you really can't keep going, then give up."
Speaking of which...
She turned to look at Brad, her tone carrying a hint of coquetry.
"Father, haven't you always said that there's no suitable candidate for the position of city defense officer?"
"I think Richard is quite capable and intelligent. Wouldn't it be great to appoint him as the city's defense officer in Frostlands?"
Brad shrugged and laughed:
"That's a good idea, Richard. The position of city defense officer in Frost City is always open for you. Consider it a fallback plan."
With her father's approval, Lucy's eyes crinkled with laughter, and she even winked playfully at Richard.
Richard knew that the other party's suggestion was not meant to be insulting, so he returned the smile.
It was a common tradition for minor nobles who had lost their fiefdoms or were struggling financially to attach themselves to major nobles and take up official positions.
He felt that Lucy's suggestion was more about wanting him as a playmate.
After all, in the far north, there are few peers of similar status with whom she can speak freely.
but.
Now that we've come to this topic, it's time to talk about the last important thing he's doing on this trip—it's time to reveal his ultimate trump card.
...
Richard's smile gradually faded, his expression hardened, his gaze fell on Brad, and his tone became serious.
"Your Excellency, I have my reasons for daring to follow in the footsteps of my predecessors and venture into the northernmost part of the country."
He paused.
Under the curious gazes of Frost and his daughter, he slowly said:
"Now, I'm ready to trade this confidence with you for ten thousand gold coins. Are you interested?"
These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly freezing the expressions on the father and daughter's faces!
For a long time.
Lucy frowned, and her eyes, which had been filled with admiration, now held impatience and doubt as she looked at Richard.
"Your Excellency, are you joking? Do you even know what ten thousand gold coins mean?"
"Even Duke Frostfowl would probably need a long time to come up with this huge sum of money!"
Brad's relaxed posture vanished instantly, and he sat up straight with a hint of displeasure on his face.
"Lord Richard, if you're drunk, go back to your room and rest. I'll show you around Frost City tomorrow morning."
Their attitude couldn't be clearer.
In their view.
No matter what confidence Richard has or what extraordinary qualities he possesses, he could never be worth that much money.
To know.
The entire income and net profit of Frosthold in a year is only a little over a thousand gold coins.
Ten thousand gold coins are equivalent to nearly ten years of Frost Territory's net income. How could this not shock and question them?
Even if this so-called confidence comes from the wolf, it's impossible.
The fact that he can say such thoughtless things can only mean that he is drunk, or that he can't handle being slighted and starts talking nonsense.
Brad mentally counted how many bottles he had drunk since the afternoon.
Lucy secretly rolled her eyes. He's so handsome, yet his drinking manners are so terrible. She really misjudged him.