CHAPTER 29: THE VISCOUNT EMBRE AND A GUEST.

The following moment...

Right in front of the Aurelian mansion stood a red carriage. It had two horses attached to it and a single driver at the front.

On the side was a raised flag, carrying the symbol of a falling star.

Waiting outside the mansion, with his head bowed, was Sebastian, along with four other maids lined up in a straight line.

Crk!

The door to the mansion opened, and walking out right after was Stella; her beautiful yellow dress clung to her body like she commanded it.

Her blonde hair was tied up, a few strands falling to frame her face, highlighting her emerald eyes. Her skin, pale and flawless, seemed to glow in the fading light. A slight smile played on her lips, hinting at a hidden charm that drew the eye.

Behind her was another maid; her maid’s uniform looked different from the rest—it had more design and was clearly sewn from the best thread owned by the Monteli family.

This particular maid earned this privilege from sticking with the Aurelian family for so long, making her the head maid and right-hand woman of the baroness.

Scanning the area to see all of the workers lined up, Stella couldn’t help but smile.

To think, a few weeks ago, something like this was almost impossible to imagine.

Before she could further revel in her son’s success, the man whom she had stepped out to greet finally stepped out of the carriage.

It was the Viscount of the Embre viscounty.

As he walked out of the carriage, the anger in his face was already visible. He was thin and bald, with jewelry adorning each of his fingers. Additionally, he wore a red cape that easily covered the rest of his body.

Stepping out right after him was another man, whose dress was far more recognizable. He was a short man, wearing a baggy gown with a single emblem patched right at the center of his chest.

"A royal inspector?" Stella bowed low, quite shocked as to why the viscount would hire someone like this from the capital.

Royal inspectors are typically only here to ensure that things are being conducted according to the law for all territories under the king. If one is here, then her worries are not to be overlooked.

Soon, both the viscount and the inspector closed the distance.

"Good day to you, Lady Aurelian. I believe this is the second time we are meeting..." Embre scanned her from head to toe, his cheeks turning red right after.

"Yes, Lord Embre, I believe so," Stella responded with a warm smile. "Welcome to my humble abode; please come."

She stepped to the side, showing him the road leading to the door.

It took a while for Embre to grasp what she was trying to do, as his eyes were focused solely on her face.

Her attractiveness was several times more addictive than he had thought.

Sure, there were a lot of nobles who wanted nothing more than to marry her from James. That said, he didn’t really understand why, not until this very moment.

Clearing his throat, Embre strode forward as he spoke.

"Gladly, my friend from the capital will be joining me as well."

To which Stella slightly bowed her head, "Any friend of yours is our welcome guest."

...

Upon reaching inside, Stella led them into the visitor’s room, where the maids had placed different types of snacks for the esteemed guest.

Once settled on the two chairs facing the office table, Embre turned his attention to the one thing that caught his attention, and rather quickly.

Not too far from his side was a bowl containing black chocolate bars, stacked on top of one another.

"Chocolate?" He blurted out with eyes widened in surprise.

Stella, who was still standing at the side of the room, took the opportunity to speak.

"Yes, I assume you have heard of it?"

"Who hasn’t? It’s the talk of the higher nobles. Don’t tell me, your son is also the inventor of this strange candy?"

Stella smiled. "Please wait here; the acting Baron will be present soon enough. I’ll be taking my leave now."

With that, she walked away.

Embre glared at the chocolate once more, a frown etched on his face.

How did such a family suddenly rise from nowhere? It made no sense.

The fact their son, who was known to be a failure and a drunk, was behind the family’s success made even less sense.

"I refuse to believe this. Something must be going on." His words were laced with hatred.

The advisor who was seated next to him was calm, his arms folded, waiting to see how the entire event would play out before he made his judgment.

Suddenly, there was a creaking sound echoing behind them.

Instinctively, they both turned their heads to check who had entered the room.

To their very surprise, Dorian had chosen to grace them with his presence, and his entrance was nothing short of captivating.

He walked in, an imposing figure draped in a tailored, dark-gray frock coat that fell to his knees, its sharp lines emphasizing his broad shoulders. Beneath it, a pristine white waistcoat was visible over a crisp white shirt, its cuffs peeking out from the coat sleeves.

A dark, intricately patterned cravat was neatly tied at his throat. His gaze, an unyielding force, did not once touch theirs as he strode into the room, an almost palpable aura of authority radiating from him. Right behind him were two beautiful maidens, Maria and Seraphina, their beauty only serving to highlight his own commanding presence.

Watching as they walked in, Embre realized it wasn’t just the mother; it seemed like every woman around this young man was beautiful enough to be a queen. This once again heightened the anger he was feeling.

As Dorian settled into the chair right before them, his two subordinates standing at the back, he finally looked his guest in the eye.

And yet, there wasn’t any hint of worry or hesitation.

Actually, now that Embre thought about it, the last time he came to the barony, everyone was shaking in their boots just at his presence; after all, his noble title was higher.

But no, not even the common maids showed any hint of fear.

Was it because of this man?

Embre clenched his teeth.

"Good day, Viscount Embre. Quite an honor to have you here," Dorian began, his voice shaking Embre out of his bitter thoughts.

"From what I heard from my mother, you wanted to have a word with my father. I am afraid he is currently out of town. So you’ll have to deal with me instead."

Embre glared.

"Father? So you are—"

"Dorian Aurelian, the first son of the Aurelian family. Wasn’t that obvious?"

...

[A/N]

Though we were so close to getting to 50 ps, I’ll still throw in an extra Chapter for the support before going premium. I will do so from now on, 50ps, and I’ll be dropping an extra Chapter apart from the daily 2 Chapters.

Note: Inspectors are a special role under the Kingdom law. They are like tax collectors; only their job is to report the situation and nothing more, their authority is minimal.