CHAPTER 170: NOLAN WHO DOESN’T PLAY CARDS ACCORDING TO ROUTINE

"Alright, Elina and I forgive you. So please, raise your head. I feel ashamed and guilty seeing you like this," Nolan said, pretending to be embarrassed.

Rafine felt a wave of relief, but at the same time, a faint smile tugged at her lips.

Hehehe... Nolan Lorian, oh Nolan Lorian, I didn’t expect you to fall into my trap, she giggled inwardly.

What she did wasn’t entirely out of guilt—it was a calculated move to leave Nolan with no choice but to forgive her.

It was a cunning method, but she didn’t care. Now that Nolan had forgiven her, the Austin family’s crisis was completely resolved.

Hmph! What an annoying guy, she muttered with a soft snort. It won’t be long before you fall for me. And when you do, I guarantee you won’t be able to escape.

She hadn’t forgotten how boldly he had humiliated her—ignoring her, making her look like a desperate fool in front of the other young nobles.

She would definitely make him pay for that, many times over.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she lifted her head, the smile still playing on her lips.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I, Rafine, am truly indebted to you, and I promise to repay your grace in the future," she said solemnly.

Had it been Zarak or Cedric, they would have thumped their chests and replied confidently, "You don’t need to say that, Young Lady Rafine. I only did what was right."

But Nolan wasn’t the type to say something that foolish.

He didn’t care about Rafine’s stunning looks—let alone her position as the heiress of the prestigious Austin ducal family.

Even if she were the crown princess of the Celestial Empire of Velgranth—one of the most powerful empires on the continent—it still wouldn’t make a difference to him.

After all, in the presence of the Singularity of Chaos, such things were meaningless.

Wearing a casual smile, Nolan lightly shook his head and replied, "You don’t need to make such a promise, Young Lady Rafine."

His words caught her off guard. She stared at him, puzzled and slightly astonished.

How strange, she muttered suspiciously. Isn’t Nolan supposed to be different from the rest? But why do his words sound just like theirs after I said that?

She wasn’t one to brag, but among the young nobles, she was undeniably the center of attention.

Wherever she went, they followed—like clingy plasters that refused to come off.

Whenever she offered a promise like that, they’d feign reluctance, just to act the part of a gentleman.

It was pathetic—and she hated every bit of it.

And now, Nolan—the one man she thought was different—was starting to sound exactly like the rest.

Did I misjudge him from the beginning? she wondered, disappointed.

But before the disappointment could settle in, Nolan chuckled softly and added, "Don’t get me wrong. I meant—I want to collect that promise now. So, please hear my terms."

Rafine: "..."

A blue vein throbbed on her temple, and both her fists clenched tightly.

I must have overestimated myself, she muttered, clearly annoyed.

Strangely enough, she wasn’t truly upset. In fact, a small part of her felt pleased—maybe even a little excited.

She took a deep breath, crossed her arms, and said coolly, "Alright, tell me what you want. But don’t get carried away—understand?"

"Of course," Nolan replied casually.

He gave her a quick once-over, his gaze unreadable. The look sent a chill down her spine.

Her heart began to race, and a blush crept across her cheeks.

Don’t tell me he wants me...?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt flustered and embarrassed. Her toes curled slightly in nervous tension.

But before her imagination could run wild, Nolan’s next words crushed her pride.

"Don’t get the wrong idea, Young Lady Rafine. I’m not interested in you. I was just surprised by your... unique hairstyle."

Rafine’s chest tightened. Her breath hitched. Her eyes began to redden, and she gritted her teeth in humiliation.

Behind Nolan, Elina was doing her best not to burst out laughing.

Brother, you’re really cruel,

she whispered to herself, unable to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

She was genuinely happy that her brother wasn’t swayed by Rafine’s beauty. But at the same time, she felt a little sorry for Rafine, who was clearly being toyed with.

"Alright, that’s enough talk," Nolan said, cutting in with a wave of his hand. "All I want is a thousand-acre plot of land near Mount Vulkrund—and a promise. Sound fair? Can you deliver?"

Rafine blinked in surprise, narrowing her eyes at him with suspicion.

"A thousand acres near Mount Vulkrund? Is that really all you’re asking for?" she asked, curiosity lacing her voice.

Mount Vulkrund was a modest-sized mountain situated on the southeastern edge of the eastern region.

There was nothing particularly noteworthy about it, and the surrounding area was entirely uninhabited.

"Yes. I’m a hundred percent sure," Nolan replied without hesitation.

Rafine fell silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

"I don’t know why you want it, but it’s fine. I’ll take care of the official paperwork later," she said calmly. "As for the promise... I’ll agree to that too. But—"

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she added, "Let me make this clear: the promise is strictly between you and me—not between you and the Austin family. And I’ll set one condition—your request must not go against any established norms. If it does, the promise is automatically void. Do you agree?"

"Relax. I’m a decent man," Nolan said with a smirk. "I won’t ask for anything inappropriate. Besides, I’m not interested in you."

Relief washed over her—yet it came with a strange tightness in her chest she couldn’t quite explain.

Does he really not like me? she wondered, a hint of doubt creeping in.

She had always been confident in her appearance—it was top-tier, and she knew it. But Nolan had dismissed her so bluntly, without hesitation.

She didn’t have any romantic feelings for him, yet his words left her oddly unsettled, and she wasn’t sure why.

"By the way, the incident at the city gate earlier was entirely the doing of Count Tharvis and his family," Nolan said coldly. "So I’m asking you to take immediate action against them. If something like this happens again, don’t blame us for reporting it directly to my father."

His tone was sharp, his gaze icy. Rafine felt goosebumps prick her skin and instinctively gave a stiff nod.

"I understand. I’ll report the matter to my father," she replied firmly.

"Good." Nolan nodded in approval. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a magic recording device, and tossed it to her.

"That contains a recording of the guard named Gerald confessing that everything was orchestrated by Count Tharvis. Also, I suggest you investigate Gerald further—I’m confident he received large sums of money from the Tharvis family. With enough evidence, they won’t be able to escape justice."

Rafine looked down at the device in her hand, her expression complicated.

"...Thank you," she whispered quietly.