Dong, dong, dong.
As the long chime of the standing clock struck nine times, the grand doors of the ballroom slid open to both sides.
A young lady, followed by an elderly butler, stepped into the ballroom.
Her pale-yellow pleated gown swayed with every step, silver high heels peeking out from beneath her hem. A golden floral headpiece studded with a large gemstone emanated a soft, deep blue glow.
With exquisite features, dignified poise, and an elegant stride, every smile and expression was utterly flawless.
Lynch felt his heart suddenly skip a beat, his breathing quickening noticeably.
He couldn't tear his eyes away, his gaze drawn entirely to her before he even realized it.
“The eldest daughter of the Valente family—doesn't she never attend banquets? Why is she suddenly here today?”
“She's so beautiful... I wonder which man will be lucky enough to win her favor.”
“Forget it. You're just a newly minted local noble, while hers is a millennium-old family from the capital.”
“What did that detective mean earlier? What were we supposed to listen for? He couldn't possibly have meant Miss Valente coming in, right?”
“Hahaha, how could that be? He's just an ordinary detective. How could he have any ties to the Count's daughter? You're dreaming! If they actually have a connection, I'll eat the glass in my hand—”
The ballroom instantly filled with waves of whispers. Even Princess Chloe, who had been orchestrating the confrontation, had her attention stolen by the newly arrived noble lady, momentarily forgetting her own scheme. Watching the aristocrat approach with graceful, undulating steps, exuding a commanding aura with every glance, the princess instinctively took a step back.
Realizing her lapse in posture, Princess Chloe gritted her teeth, her eyelid twitching as she stepped forward again, raising her voice. “Miss Valente, you—”
However, Miss Valente merely offered her a polite smile before completely ignoring her, turning toward Lynch. Her face naturally softened into a brilliant smile as she extended her right hand to him.
“Lord Lynch Levive, would you mind if Diana de Valente serves as your sponsor into Rhine City's high society?”
Though they had never rehearsed this, Lynch understood perfectly. Looking straight into Miss Valente's eyes, he took her outstretched hand, bowed deeply, and pressed a light kiss to the back of it.
“The honor is all mine, my lady.”
In an instant, an uproar erupted across the ballroom.
Although the nobles in Rhine City were also bestowed by the royal family, this was not the capital of Norin, after all. Aside from the Duke of Vane family holding a ducal title, the highest rank here reached only count, with a mere four families holding the title of Count—including the visiting Valente family. Thus, having Miss Valente act as his sponsor meant securing backing from the highest-ranked family in the region. Short of having Duke Vane himself step forward, it was virtually impossible to find a higher-specification sponsorship.
Princess Chloe's face froze instantly, while the chubby Count Lorand beside her wore an equally hideous smile. The two exchanged a look, unable to conceal the astonishment and anxiety in their eyes, their expressions betraying their exact thoughts: We're in trouble now. Not only did we fail to achieve our goal, but we ended up giving him a boost.
Miss Valente paid no heed to the inner turmoil of the two high nobles. Standing by Lynch's side, she offered them a textbook aristocratic smile before curtseying to everyone in attendance.
“Ladies and gentlemen, taking advantage of Count Lorand's reception today, I would like to introduce a friend to you all.”
“Mr. Lynch Levive holds many titles: a private investigator from Villa Avenue, a young man held in high esteem by Duke Vane, a comrade-in-arms of the Hall of Order, a close friend of the Archbishop of the Church of the Black Night, and a partner to Saint Nightingale. But I am not here to speak of those today. Today, I introduce only one identity of his—that of a close partner and an eternal friend of the Valente family.”
The hall fell into dead silence, everyone exchanging glances of disbelief.
Sponsoring someone in one's personal capacity was one thing—after all, plenty of young lords, ladies, and noblewomen did that. But doing so in the name of an entire house was a completely different matter. It was tantamount to a family endorsement, something that occurred barely once or twice a year in all of Lande.
Princess Chloe's expression darkened further. Barely keeping up her haughty front, she sneered, “You are merely the eldest daughter, not the heir of the Valente family, nor Count Valente himself. Is it really appropriate for you to say such words? Can you truly represent the Valente family? Do not act on impulse for the sake of some strange person, bringing shame upon your entire house through your actions.”
“I am indeed not the family heir, but both my brother Roger and I are the fruits of love between the Count and Countess. Naturally, Roger would not object to me voicing an opinion on his behalf as the heir, and I can certainly represent the Valente family and my father. What, is it not the same for the Russell family in the Kingdom of Salter?”
Miss Valente spoke with a pleasant, beaming smile, but cold sweat broke out on Lynch's forehead listening to her.
Man, this girl's tongue is venomous.
Princess Chloe was the daughter of a court noblewoman—to put it bluntly, an open illegitimate child of the royal family. While she carried the title of princess, she had zero claim to any succession and stood lower in status than all legitimate princes and princesses, making it impossible for her to speak or make promises on behalf of the royal house.
That single remark packed more destructive force than trying to sell a guillotine to Louis XVI. It was no different from slapping her hard across the face in public, yet Chloe couldn't even vent her fury because Miss Valente was ostensibly talking about her own family's internal affairs.
This feeling was... absolutely exhilarating.
In just a few sentences, Lynch felt completely refreshed, the anger he had swallowed all evening evaporating entirely. As expected of someone from a millennium-old noble house—setting everything else aside, her level of passive-aggressive snark was far beyond Lynch's reach, bringing a chuckle to his lips.
“Miss Valente.” Seeing the muscle in Princess Chloe's eye twitching uncontrollably, Count Lorand hastily stepped forward, chuckling merrily. “A family partner, or an eternal friend—such declarations are better made by Count Valente in person. After all, that is a matter suited for His Lordship's standing.”
“I accept Count Lorand's kind words on behalf of my father, but you need not worry. I am indeed making this pledge for my father; treating Mr. Levive as a family partner is precisely my father's wish. Heh, I am well aware of my own status and would never, for personal motives, do anything unbecoming of a noble that damages the reputation of my family or our nation's nobility.”
Now even Count Lorand's expression stiffened. This was a blatant scolding, accusing him of lacking noble dignity by harassing a fellow countryman just to curry favor with a foreign princess.
“Thank you for the introduction, Miss Valente.” Knowing it was about time, Lynch stepped forward with a smile, standing shoulder to shoulder with Miss Valente. “Your Highness, as you can see, I now have a sponsor. Do you feel that the reputation of a Lande count family is still insufficient to introduce me to everyone here?”
“Hmph.”
Princess Chloe stood in silence for a moment before snapping her head away and turning to leave. Count Lorand offered a dry laugh, trying to smooth things over on her behalf. “Of course not, of course not! Please do not misunderstand, Mr. Detective. We had long heard of your extraordinary abilities, which is why we wanted to build a stage for you to show them off, allowing the nobles of Rhine to witness your brilliance. And look—your performance has left us utterly astonished, hahaha!”
Soon, pleasant laughter filled the ballroom once more. All the attendees thoroughly enjoyed the show, confident that it would be a long time before they witnessed such a fierce sponsorship duel again. They were equally convinced that as today's protagonist, Lord Lynch Levive would surely shine brightly in Rhine.
Yet Lynch did not laugh. Instead, his expression turned somber as his gaze locked onto Princess Chloe's retreating figure.
He hadn't recognized her from the front, but the moment she turned around, her back triggered his memory.
He had seen this exact figure before, and remembered it vividly.
Just a few days ago at Edmond Douglas Bank, when the young viscount carrying three mystery relics walked back to the office alongside the banker Douglas, that person had presented this exact back.
The thief and the princess were actually the same person.
In an instant, most of the doubts he had harbored about this reception over the past two days vanished into thin air.
Rate on N.U.
