Chapter 155: 155 Jesus

Chapter 155: Jesús

Three griffins landed opposite the royal griffin contingent, flapping their wings slightly and emitting low, rumbling cries that carried an unmistakable tone of threat and warning.

Fortunately, these griffins were professionally trained mounts; unlike buffaloes, they did not instinctively charge at one another upon meeting.

A tall man leapt down from the lead white griffin.

He did not wear armor like the two knights behind him, but instead donned a tailored, opulent formal suit.

Golden-brown hair paired with pale violet irises—there was no doubt: this was Jesús, younger brother of His Majesty Bruno.

“Hahaha, I didn’t expect it to be this lively here!”

Jesús strode forward, his voice booming and hearty.

“I thought from above that everyone had gathered to welcome me—but it seems, instead, you’re here to greet my niece.”

Ronin stepped forward; Blanchique released her grip at just the right moment.

“The Castle of Wushan also welcomes your arrival, Count of Moonlight Valley.”

Jesús glanced at Ronin, his smile twisting into displeasure.

“Come now, Wushan Castle is a marquisal house. To send a young man like you to greet Her Royal Highness? That’s a grave breach of decorum.”

Jesús questioned Ronin in front of all the nobles, his tone lecturing—something neither Ronin nor many nobles had anticipated.

After all, in formal settings—especially grand public ones—nobles upheld etiquette.

But as the saying goes: “What doesn’t concern you, leave it be.” Most, after their initial shock, watched Ronin with the detached amusement of spectators at a play.

How would this forest-born baron respond?

In truth, Rulans could have appeared to greet the princess—or not.

Blanchique was a princess, but Rulans was a marquis; their ranks were nearly equal.

Either way was acceptable.

Ronin smiled faintly, his voice calm and unhurried.

“My grandfather said young people have more to discuss. So he assigned me to receive you. If I’ve been inadequate in any way, I beg your pardon, Count.”

“Even if you send a youth, it should be Breton—the heir, surely?”

Jesús pressed immediately. “Is Rulans planning to defy imperial law by naming two heirs at once?”

A sudden, unspoken tension spread through the hall. Nobles turned their heads. What exactly was Count Jesús here for?

Among the crowd, Breton moved to step forward and defend Ronin—but Dianni held him back. “You can’t help Ronin here.”

She didn’t understand this sudden turn. In past years, during Rulans’ birthday banquets, Jesús never made a special trip.

After all, he was the King’s brother. Even if he didn’t attend the palace on such occasions, his own lands had countless affairs to manage.

His sudden appearance here left her bewildered.

Ronin, of course, was displeased. On Earth, he would have already fired back.

But not now.

He represented Wushan Castle. He represented Rulans. Even under provocation, he must preserve dignity and decorum.

“Breton is still young. It is more fitting that someone closer in age to Her Highness should greet her.”

He met Jesús’s gaze evenly, his face devoid of fear or nervousness, his voice lowered.

“Count Jesús, you and my grandfather are both vassals of the Kingdom. Even in jest, some words should not be spoken lightly.”

Jesús’s eyes grew cold. What did this boy mean? A threat?

“I heard you’ve changed. Seeing you now, I believe it.”

At that moment, Princess Blanchique spoke up.

“Uncle Jesús, please, come with me into the castle.”

The tension eased.

Jesús laughed heartily, brushing past Ronin.

“Dear Blanchique, I never expected to see you here!”

He embraced her lightly.

“The last time I saw you, you barely reached my shoulder. Now you’re nearly as tall as I am.”

They exchanged cheerful pleasantries, then Jesús greeted the nobles lining the path, and with the group’s escort, entered Wushan Castle.

Ronin remained at Blanchique’s side, but now his attention was fixed entirely on Jesús.

His instinct told him this man had come to stir trouble.

From the moment he landed, Jesús had assumed the role of host—his demeanor toward Ronin arrogant, his presence steadily eclipsing Blanchique’s, as if he were the true guest of honor.

To an outsider, one might think this banquet was held for Jesús.

Ronin pondered his possible motives.

Count Jesús’s domain, Moonlight Valley, lay southwest of Wushan territory. To its west lay the Crown Lands; to the north, the Screaming Sea; to the south, a chaotic region; and to the east, it bordered Wushan’s Horn City.

King Bruno had two brothers: Jesús and Ferens.

Strangely enough, Ferens was the Duke of Ferensburg, a sovereign prince.

Jesús, however, was not even a marquis—he held only the title of count.

Though Moonlight Valley boasted splendid scenery, such an arrangement seemed too peculiar to be mere coincidence.

Beyond this, Ronin noted another detail: the Polant bandits plaguing Wushan territory were known to operate in that southwestern region.

Was there a shadow of Count Jesús behind them?

After this unexpected interruption, the procession arrived smoothly at the newly decorated grand hall.

Here, Rulans personally received the princess and announced that Wushan Castle would host a banquet in her honor that evening.

As for Jesús, since entering the hall and seeing Rulans, he had become remarkably subdued—his earlier aggression vanished entirely.

After the lively exchange, Rulans and the other nobles departed, leaving only Ronin and Blanchique inside the vast hall, even the guards remaining outside.

Two lives lived, and Ronin had never even been on a date, let alone arranged marriage. Honestly, he felt a flicker of nervousness—and overwhelming awkwardness.

“Uh…”

He didn’t want silence to fall, so he spoke first. “Let me reintroduce myself: eldest grandson of the Marquis of Wushan, Baron of Forest Town—Ronin.”

“I know about you,” Blanchique replied, her lips curving into a perfectly measured smile—neither too bright nor too reserved, instantly putting one at ease.

Only she knew how deeply awkward and uneasy she felt.

Ever since her two previous betrothals ended in the groom’s untimely death, whispers of her being a “bringer of misfortune” had spread. And with no suitors coming forward in years, she had sunk into anxiety and self-doubt.

She was a princess of the Kingdom—why had she become someone no one wanted?

So when her father told her she was to be married to a baron stripped of his marquisal inheritance, though she resisted, she agreed to come see.

What she hadn’t expected was that this young baron was far more impressive than she’d imagined—his poise, his bearing, his composure under pressure—all exceptional.

“What is Forest Town like?” she asked.

Ronin thought carefully, then smiled.

“It’s a remote, barren place—with immense potential.”

The words sounded conventional, but they revealed everything.

What value could a baron from a remote, impoverished land possibly hold?

As for the claim of immense development potential, anyone with normal judgment knew exactly how hollow those words were.

He had expected Blanche to look stunned, perhaps even displeased, but her expression remained utterly unchanged.

“I’m certain your wisdom will bring about tremendous change there,” Blanche smiled.

(End of Chapter)