The King's Decree

Murmurs of confusion rippled through the crowd.

The second dance had only just concluded. It was neither the time for the ball's hosts to take the floor nor the moment for the guests of honor to make their appearance.

After completing the opening dance, the guests of honor would typically rest for at least three songs before stepping out again.

This was not out of concern for their stamina, but rather to allow the attendees ample time to socialize or mingle with their prospective partners. Whenever the hosts or guests of honor appeared, they tended to draw most of the room's attention, disrupting the guests' networking.

By convention, the guests of honor usually returned to the floor around the fifth song.

Yet now, right after the second song had ended, the Duke and the Princess had appeared together, accompanied by the King's secretary.

While most of the crowd remained bewildered, a few seasoned politicians had already caught scent of something unusual.

Something was about to happen.

The reporters were equally confused, but their professional instincts compelled them to immediately clear a space around Lynch and Miss Valente for the approaching party.

With their step back, Lynch and Miss Valente were left directly facing the gloating nobles.

Most were minor nobles, and the vast majority were young men.

In truth, Lynch understood them completely. In their early twenties, their hormones were at their peak. Meanwhile, Miss Valente was the cherished daughter of a prominent house, living alone and unattended in Rhine City—the perfect target for their advances. Whether for their own desires or for their families' ambitions, none of them wanted to miss this opportunity.

It seems my closeness with Diana these past few months drew public ire and brought out so many gloating onlookers.

Still, I'm under no obligation to care about your feelings.

Lynch felt an urge to kick back on the beach and tell them, I just love watching you go mad with envy.

Squinting with a smile, Lynch lightly tugged Miss Diana along, and the two walked forward to meet the Princess and the Duke.

As they passed the gloating crowd, Lynch intentionally paused, turned his head, and flashed them a radiant smile.

“Hey, Tom, nice to see you again.”

“Who is Tom, you uncultured brute?!”

Lynch chuckled inwardly. Miss Diana's lesson from back then had indeed proven true: for nobles, if you couldn't remember a name, you could omit it, but you must never get it wrong—otherwise, it was an outright insult to their face.

“Oh, my apologies. I'm not very good at remembering the names of irrelevant people. Perhaps I misremembered. Are you Jerry, then? Well, whatever your name is, it doesn't matter anyway, as nobody will care soon enough.” Lynch gave a slight bow and said earnestly, “I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for bringing so many reporters to capture such a wonderful moment between Diana and me. Every time we look at these photographs in the future, we'll think of you. I hope that after you lose your position as the Third Secretary of the Governor's Mansion, you can still smile as happily as you are now. And the same goes for you, Mickey. Good luck to you both.”

Flashing a toothy grin, he left the two bewildered young nobles behind and led Miss Diana before the dignitaries.

The attending dignitaries and wealthy guests had already clustered around them. Even the noble ladies and young maidens gathered curiously at the perimeter, eager to see what had prompted these important figures to break with etiquette.

“Diana, I apologize for interrupting you two.” Her Highness the Princess offered an elegant curtsy, her smile impeccable. “So, over these past few months, keeping it a secret from your friends in the royal capital, you've made such an exceptional friend. I find myself a bit envious.”

Diana gave Lynch a thoughtful glance and raised her voice without the slightest hesitation: “Mr. Lynch Levive is my most trusted confidant and my dearest friend. I take pride in knowing him, and it is the most precious memory of my life.”

With that, Miss Diana looked back at the reporters and the gloating nobles with a smile. “Those are my exact words. You are welcome to print them verbatim; I don't mind in the least.”

The Princess remarked meaningfully, “The Valente family's millennium-old reputation...”

“What of it? If one goes against one's conscience merely to preserve a thousand years of reputation, that is the true disgrace of nobility. No—whether noble or commoner, it is a disgrace regardless.”

Miss Diana smiled and lifted her chin with utter confidence:

“This is not merely my view, but my father's as well. Father has long deemed Mr. Lynch Levive an eternal friend of the Valente family, and he has already promised that I may make my own decisions in any matter regarding Mr. Lynch. Regardless of whether those decisions are deemed by the ignorant to damage the Valente family's reputation, we believe they have no negative impact whatsoever. Both my family and I are fully prepared to shoulder any consequences. This is the Valente family's official response to all recent rumors concerning Mr. Lynch and myself.”

An uproar swept across the entire hall.

If Lynch's evasiveness earlier had been to maintain an air of mystery, then Miss Diana's response was an uncompromising, direct confrontation. She had not only put herself on the line, but had bound the honor of her entire family to the chariot.

Has this woman gone mad? Even if she is crazy, has her whole family lost their minds too?

To indulge her in running wild for the sake of a commoner like this?!

For a time, even those in the hall who held friendly attitudes toward Lynch and Miss Valente were utterly astonished.

Her Highness the Princess looked at the two of them, let out an inexplicable sigh, and then resumed her dignified smile, nodding. “Then, Diana, may I borrow your friend for a moment?”

Miss Diana blinked in surprise, tilted her head toward Lynch, and asked with a smile, “May she?”

“She's your friend, why are you asking me?” Lynch shrugged. “I don't even know her.”

“Hehe.” Miss Diana covered her mouth and giggled, turning to Princess Sophia. “He agreed. Take him. Just remember to return him when you're done—I don't have any spares, he's the only one I have.”

What in the world do you mean 'remember to return him'? What 'no spares'?!

Lynch rolled his eyes, only to be flanked by the Princess on one side and the old Duke on the other, guiding him toward the castle staircase.

“My apologies, everyone. Because of my impulsiveness, I've caused you all trouble.”

“Hahaha, it's merely a few days early, no trouble at all,” the old Duke said with a chuckle, stroking his beard. “Besides, this is quite entertaining. I'm looking forward to seeing their expressions as well. Those fools need someone to teach them a lesson. It seems I still have shortcomings when it comes to employing people. Still, truth be told, announcing it in a few days as originally planned—letting them jump around for a few days first—would have been more effective. Doing it now is a bit rushed.”

“I know, but leaving her to endure several days of grief over such disgusting nonsense didn't sit right with me,” Lynch scratched his head, saying sheepishly. “I can't help it. I don't like holding back and enduring; I prefer to strike back right to their faces. I can only apologize for inconveniencing you.”

Her Highness the Princess turned back, sighing with a conflicted look in her eyes. “You have done so much for me; is there any need for pleasantries over such a trivial matter? Though... never mind. Next time, I won't be so easy to persuade.”

Huh? What does she mean by that?

Lynch was slightly mystified, but decided not to dwell on it.

The group walked up the staircase, placing Lynch once more under the gaze of thousands of eyes. For some reason, he felt a sudden pang of nervousness.

Particularly when his eyes swept across the crowd below and spotted Miss Diana, Officer Natalie, and Mrs. Maggie holding little Martha, his emotions became increasingly complex.

In the end, he took a deep breath to compose himself, wore a proper smile, and waited quietly.

“I interrupt everyone's enjoyment at this moment because His Majesty the King has a decree that requires me to announce to all of you. Believing this to be an opportune time, I can only apologize for the interruption, and I hope you will not take offense.”

The Princess made an inviting gesture toward the secretary.

“Viscount Moliere, please read His Majesty the King's decree on his behalf.”

“As you command, Your Highness.”

Moliere stepped forward and cleared his throat. The hall immediately fell into dead silence. Everyone was filled with curiosity, wondering if some major event had occurred to warrant such ceremony.

Viscount Moliere slowly broke the sealing wax on the envelope and unfolded the letter. An expression of surprise appeared on his own face first as he glanced at Lynch, and then he began to read aloud:

“By order of His Majesty: In recognition of Mr. Lynch Levive, private detective, for his devotion to the nation and outstanding merit; to express gratitude on behalf of all citizens; and to commend his spirit of dedication to the country and its people—upon the recommendation of Duke Locke von Vane and after deliberation by the House of Lords, Mr. Lynch Levive, private detective of Rhine City, is hereby conferred the title of Knight of the Kingdom, effective immediately upon the reading of this decree. The provisional investiture ceremony shall be carried out by Princess Sophia on my behalf, and the formal investiture ceremony shall be presided over by me personally upon his future arrival at the capital. Supreme King of the Kingdom of Lande, Rudolph Ross, June 25, 1399.”

Boom!

The entire hall erupted into a frenzy, the atmosphere exploding instantly.

Lynch stepped forward to stand beside the Princess. Countless flashbulbs converged on him, freezing this glorious moment in time.

Astonishment, shock, fury, confusion, joy, anxiety—from one face after another, Lynch saw the full panorama of human emotion. As for the two instigators, their eyes were glazed over, their faces flushed crimson, their mouths agape, unable to utter a single word.

Lynch smiled at them, removed his hat, pressed it against his chest, and gave a deep bow.

Thank you for bringing so many reporters. You really are good people, Tom, Mickey.