Chapter 158

Leon reluctantly glanced at himself in the mirror, his face smeared ghostly white. Normally polite Leon finally couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the old steward.

He had thought simplifying everything and compressing the lengthy ennoblement ceremony into a single day would save trouble. But even the most “simplified” version of the ritual turned out to be unbearably complicated, with just the clothing and makeup taking over two hours.

Not only did he have to change into an extremely troublesome noble attire, but they even stuffed special padding between his legs to make that area bulge, claiming it looked more masculine.

On top of that, there was fake hair on his head, lip rouge, eye makeup, face wax, and even thick layers of lead powder on exposed skin like forehead and neck. He repeatedly refused until they agreed to use harmless cream powder instead.

After all this hassle, he still had to board this so-called deeply meaningful carriage and drive down the main road of Red Pine Avenue, leaving behind “lion’s footprints” with the wheel prints, symbolizing the arrival of the new Duke Lionheart…

By the time all these messy procedures were done, Leon was already irritated, but the actual ennoblement ceremony hadn’t even started yet! Pure nonsense!

He wiped off the random stuff on his face with water from his sleeve and then twisted the handle of the carriage door, leaping out directly.

He couldn’t follow their rules anymore; who knew what other torment awaited him if he continued?

“Your Grace? The makeup! The makeup!”

“What makeup? I’m not faking it anymore!”

After removing the wig and hastily wiping his face, Leon glared as the old steward rushed after him.

“Either I go like this, or you find someone else to be the duke! You choose!”

Me… do I have a choice?

Seeing the newly appointed duke who had lost all patience and was throwing a tantrum, the steward knew he wasn’t joking and could only stomp his feet twice before pleading bitterly.

“I… I’ll listen to you, alright? But please get back in the carriage…”

“I won’t go back!”

Having completely lost his patience, Leon looked at the jewel-encrusted carriage behind him, which looked like a nouveau riche’s vehicle, and said irritably: “This carriage is too dumb and can’t even pass through. Either give me another carriage or find another duke!”

The steward shook his head repeatedly, looking utterly distraught: “Your Grace! This really can’t be changed! Every duke must leave ‘lion’s footprints’ on Red Pine Avenue during the ennoblement, it’s tradition! If you change the carriage, how will we leave the lion’s footprints…”

“What kind of stupid lion footprints? It’s just the wheel prints, let them push the wheels themselves, don’t bother me with that!”

“This… this… it really can’t be done! There has never been such a precedent…”

Finally managing to wipe off the pearl powder mixed honey cream on his face, Leon, unwilling to compromise any further, directly threatened:

“Either no precedent, or no duke, which one do you want?”

I… I’d rather die! Watching the newly appointed duke stride toward the estate, ignoring the maids and guards, the steward felt dizzy. If he didn’t have to maintain his demeanor, he might have beaten his chest and cried.

Old Duke! You died after picking this weirdo, but he’s still going to torture us! You… why didn’t you take me with you back then? Just when the steward was leaning against the carriage, feeling utterly miserable, the sound of the duke calling came again.

“You come here!”

After getting off the carriage and walking just a few steps, Leon saw a pile of overturned carriages on both sides of the road.

Turning around and waving to the steward, once he caught up breathlessly, Leon frowned and pointed at several large boxes of shattered porcelain by the roadside, demanding unhappily: “Look at what your house has done. Not only forcing people off the road, but also breaking their goods? Who pushed them down? Pay them quickly!”

“Your Grace… this… this isn’t our doing.”

Hearing about having to pay, a dark-skinned attendant couldn’t help but interject after sneaking a glance at Leon’s expression.

A previous group?

“Pr… Prince.”

After catching his breath, the steward first consulted the attendants and then explained with a pale face:

“It should be Prince Joshua’s entourage, the carriage that passed by while waiting for you at the intersection.”

Oh, that’s the one that almost splashed mud on me.

After hearing the steward’s words and remembering the equally eye-catching carriage pulled by eight horses, Leon couldn’t help but grimace with disdain.

Nobles, royalty… tsk… not a single good person!

Glancing at several merchants crying by the roadside, following the principle that since it doesn’t cost him anything, he might as well be generous, Leon directly ordered:

“Then compensate them! After all, if it weren’t for delivering goods to your house, they wouldn’t have encountered him. It’s reasonable for the Lane family to bear some compensation.”

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“This…”

“This what?”

Already having slept poorly and being thoroughly harassed, Leon was exceptionally irritable. Turning around, he narrowed his eyes at the steward and rudely said:

“Either you compensate them, or find someone else…”

“Compensate! All of it! We’ll compensate!”

After being threatened multiple times by Leon’s refusal to cooperate, now every time he heard the word “either,” the steward’s heart was racing uncontrollably.

Covering his wildly beating heart, feeling like he would lose at least ten years of life today, the steward grabbed Leon’s arm and trembled on his legs, pleading pitifully:

“Your Grace! Whatever you want, I agree! Please don’t say ‘either’ anymore, alright? The Lane family can’t survive without you! Old man… my heart isn’t strong, I can’t endure this…”

Ah Zhe…

Seeing the steward’s face turning slightly purple, holding onto his arm tightly, looking like he would kneel down if Leon didn’t agree, Leon hesitated.

To be fair, although this old steward wasn’t a good person in his soul vision, mainly plotting conspiracies and political maneuvering, there probably wasn’t any direct crime against heaven and humanity. And he’s already so old, is it right to torment the old man like this?

But… he wasn’t prepared to be this duke anyway. After the ennoblement ceremony starts and everyone gathers, he would find a way to decline. Seeing the old man’s purple face, would he be able to handle it when he knows what Leon intends to do?”That… I have something I think I should tell you first, try not to get too excited…”

After hesitating a bit, Leon reached out to support the steward’s back, then cautiously leaned over and whispered to the somewhat “honored” steward:

“After everyone gathers, I plan to propose to the princess in front of everyone, using the entire Lane family as a dowry. That way, either they find someone else to be the duke, or they get nothing! What do you think?”

“…”

“Holy crap! Don’t collapse! Stand straight! Oh no, why is he foaming at the mouth?”

(End of Chapter)