CHAPTER 1477: A DANGEROUS MAN

The moment they came, Hugo spread his arms wide in greeting.

"Mr. Behrenn, Saintess, it’s an honor to have you here," Hugo Hamilton said with a broad, welcoming smile as he extended his hand.

"The pleasure is mine," Alexander replied smoothly, shaking it with practiced warmth.

"Oh, this is my son, Edmund," Hugo patted Edmund’s shoulder.

Edmund stepped forward, stretching out his hand with a businesslike smile. "It’s nice to meet you, Your Grace," he said evenly.

His expression remained calm, though inside he seethed. He was shaking the hand of the man responsible for Ethan’s illness, the same man who had nearly swallowed his company whole, and later dared to set their sights on his daughter.

If not for King Lucas and Princess Lorient’s promise that every wrongdoer would be made to pay, Edmund doubted he could have kept himself so composed.

"It’s nice to meet you too," Alexander replied with an amicable smile.

"So, how was the travel? Comfortable, I hope?" Hugo asked with practiced ease. His expression shifted into a mask of concern as he held Alexander’s hand a moment longer.

"I heard what happened... I can’t imagine which lunatics dared to commit such an atrocity. Honestly, I thought you and the Saintess wouldn’t come. The attacks had been relentless, haven’t they?" Hugo said, his tone steeped in sympathy.

To the untrained ear, it sounded like genuine concern. But to those with sharper instincts, the undertone was clear, Hugo was chastising the great S.A.I.N.T. organization for failing to protect their own.

Also remind then that even to this day, they had yet able to uncover the masterminds behind the assaults. Turn out the formidable S.A.I.N.T. organization turn out to be no better than any other group.

The members accompanying Alexander stiffened, their faces darkening at the insult.

Only Alexander’s composure held, his expression steady, his voice smooth but edged with a quiet bite. "Well," he said with measured calm, "such disturbances are hardly enough to deter us. Besides—" he let the pause draw out, graceful and deliberate, "—it would have been far more regrettable to miss such a meaningful gathering, wouldn’t you agree?"

Edmund added with a polite smile, "That’s right. It was a trivial matter. And now that you’re in Harland, under the King’s Shield, what could possibly happen to you? You are in the safe hands"

A second subtle jab, couched in courtesy, yet unmistakable to anyone listening, that Harland’s protection was more dependable than the great organization layer of safety could provide.

The clueless guests cheered in agreement, oblivious to the barbs hidden in the exchange. Those who understood the undertones lowered their heads and busied themselves with their wine, wisely avoiding involvement in a clash between giants.

"That’s indeed very comforting," Alexander said, his smile polite and unshaken. Yet beneath the calm exterior, anger shimmered, contained only by the iron discipline he had honed over years of diplomacy.

From the sidelines, Salvo watched in silence. His expression remained carefully neutral, but his eyes shifted subtly between the two men, cataloguing every flicker of tone, every restrained movement, silently record of the duel playing out beneath the civility.

Hugo eyes then shift to Alinna, his give quick assesing look before he speak with gentle-warm tone. "Isn’t this the Saintess, Oh, you’re even more beautiful than the pictures."

Alinna blinked, caught off guard by the sudden compliment. "Oh, um... thank you very much."

"Though I wish I could have met you sooner," Hugo added, his tone balanced between sorrow and quiet reproach.

"Hm? Why?" Alinna asked, her brow furrowing slightly, confusion flickering across her face.

Hugo released a heavy sigh. "I had sent a request for you to help my son... but unfortunately, you could not come."

The words struck like a stone dropped into still water. Ethan Hamilton’s condition was no secret, the public knew of the boy’s strange, wasting illness.

But until now, no one had known that the Hamiltons had appealed directly to the S.A.I.N.T. organization, only to be refused. A ripple of surprise moved subtly through the surrounding crowd, whispers catching like sparks on dry grass.

Alinna stiffened, blinking rapidly, as though she had been caught in a conversation she didn’t know the rules of. Her lips parted, but no words came.

In the end, she could only looked toward Alexander, helpless and bewildered, as though silently begging him to step in.

Salvo’s features darkened, he hadn’t expected Hugo dare to bring this up here, of all places. Yet Alexander stayed calm, placing a hand on Hugo’s shoulder with measured regret.

"About Ethan Hamilton... I’m truly sorry. At that time, the Saintess’s safety had to come first. Your estate was too far, and proper arrangements were needed before she could travel. You know well—many are after her life." He conveniently, he let the recent assassination attempt serve as his shield.

"I understand," Hugo murmured at last, sighing deeply. His expression was tinged with helplessness, whether genuine or not no one could tell. "Perhaps it was simply not my grandson’s fate."

"But I heard Ethan is safe and well now," Alexander said smoothly, brushing the matter aside to fend off any suggestion that the organization had been negligent.

Hugo let out a heavy sigh. "Indeed. All fools ave their luck... though I still don’t know where that troublesome grandson of mine has wandered off to."

"Well, I pray you’ll find him soon," Alexander replied amiably, his tone warm and sincere.

Hugo’s smile deepened, though his eyes betrayed the glint of something sharper lurking beneath.

From her hidden perch, Lory listened their conversatin through her earpiece, and comment "You all heard that?"

Fredhardt’s voice crackled back. "The Saintess... she truly had no idea?"

Lory’s lips curved faintly, her tone dry. "That would make her an innocent puppet."

A pause followed. Then Fredhardt’s reply came, cool and deliberate.

"Puppet, yes. Innocent... that we cannot be certain."

Hugo walked with Alexander Behrenn and the Saintess, presenting each painting along the walls with a bright expression. Despite his motive for holding the exhibition, Hugo’s genuine love for the artwork was visible to everyone, especially when he spoke of Zhao Li Xin’s paintings. His tone carried the awe of a devoted admirer proudly showcasing his idol’s creations.

A moment later, Hugo’s eyes drifted across the hall, searching. Then his eyes stilled to one direction.

He found Zhao Li Xin standing in front of the bamboo painting. He got his hands clasped behind his back, his tall figure was straight and graceful.

Even from behind, there was something arresting about him, an aura of quiet nobility that set him apart from everyone else in the room. The crowd seemed to fade around him, as though the painting and the man had become one, bound by the same unyielding grace.

"Ah, Mr. Zhao!" Hugo called out, his voice breaking the hush with a note of unfeigned excitement.

When he turned around, the members of the organization entourage subconsciously held their breath. His beauty was cold, refined to perfection, like a flawless sculpture carved from ice. His dark eyes, deep and unreadable, carried the chill of a winter lake, drawing others in even as they warned them to keep their distance. His lips, pale and unsmiling, only deepened the sense of aloof detachment.

Regardless of his beauty, there was dangerous air linger around him like a dark cloud, as though beneath the enchanting surface lay a power best left undisturbed. he make people think twice before approach him, still and all, they find themselves unable to tear their eyes away from him, just like moths circling too close to a flame.

"Mr. Zhao, allow me to introduce the leader of the famous S.A.I.N.T. organization, Mr. Alexander Behrenn," Hugo said with a polite gesture, beckoning Zhao Li Xin forward.

Alexander’s smile did not falter, but for the briefest instant, his gaze sharpened, as though measuring the man before him. He was accustomed to command, accustomed to received respect and awed from other people but Zhao Li Xin’s presence carried a weight entirely its own.

Something unspoken passed between them in that first glance, a silent acknowledgment that beneath the surface politeness, both men were anything but ordinary.

"I’m Zhao Li Xin." He extended his hand first, the gesture outwardly courteous, yet carrying the weight of a challenge rather than modesty.

Salvo’s eyes narrowed. He had already gathered information on everyone tied to the Hamilton family, and Zhao Li Xin’s name had appeared only as the husband of a woman called Raven Jane. A little digging confirmed he was merely a painter, supported by the Hamiltons, a detail Salvo had dismissed without a second thought.

There had been whispers, of course, suspicions that Zhao Li Xin and Raven Jane were responsible for the failed scheme against the Hamilton family.

But to Salvo, the greater concern had always been Garrof and Lloyd, as the former members of the Ultima Infantry. Compared to men of that caliber, a painter and his wife had seemed inconsequential.

He had never taken Zhao Li Xin or Raven Jane seriously, thus he leaving their matters for Sean and the others to handle.

However, now, standing face-to-face with the man, Salvo De Rova understood the gravity of his mistake.

This was no ordinary painter.

This man was undeniably dangerous.