I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 629

Chapter 10: Your Intentions Aren’t Simple!

Under the starry night sky, the lights were dazzling.

In the open courtyard, a golden velvet carpet was laid, and a long table stretching as far as the eye could see was covered with aromatic delicacies.

Douglas hosted a grand banquet, warmly welcoming the teachers and students from the Academy, but beneath his enthusiastic smile was the deep cunning of a prince.

Having fun?

How trivial!

As a ruler, there’s never a moment to let one’s guard down!

Talking with the future successors of the various factions in Veszyra and building connections with them was the true purpose of this study trip for him.

That’s why he specifically used this study trip as an excuse to return to his homeland and host a banquet for everyone.

Originally, he intended to visit Jason in the Southern Sea Kingdom for a good chat, but upon seeing the list of people attending this study trip, he immediately changed his mind.

The Lionheart Princess, the Elven Nightingale, his old rival Leanna, and even the Duke heir from the Empire who unified the borders after battling the royal family.

But most importantly, there was that figure that had been haunting his mind these days.

Roy Ainbrad.

A boy gathered with so many powerful factions was no longer just the simple son of a marquis in Douglas’s eyes.

And Douglas didn’t believe for a second that Roy, accompanied by several important figures, traveled a long way to the Golden Sand Kingdom just for fun!

There was a deeper meaning to this that needed to be explored.

For this reason, Douglas, as the host, threw a lavish banquet to treat the students from the Academy.

It was also the perfect opportunity to have conversations with Charlotte and others one by one.

However, the result of the conversations was rather bleak.

Charlotte’s and Leanna’s unfriendly attitudes were within his expectations; after all, both had grievances with the Golden Sand faction.

But Douglas didn’t anticipate that the “Ice Rose” would show her indifference so openly, leaving after barely three sentences, and the Elven Nightingale didn’t even give them a chance to meet, vanishing as soon as the banquet started.

In truth, this was quite normal.

Putting aside the girls’ lack of interest in any males besides Roy,

Charlotte and Leanna naturally wouldn’t show him good faces given their history with the Golden Sand faction.

Snow Nuo always had a frosty demeanor towards anyone except Roy, while Nia was long lost in the aroma of the roasted meat on the table, completely indifferent to any noble interactions.

However, in Douglas’s eyes, the girls’ coldness was a dangerous signal.

The Lionheart Kingdom and the Magician’s Guild did not wish to be on friendly terms with him?

The Duke heir from the Empire’s border was unwilling to give a prince of a nation face?

And the Emerald Parliament wouldn’t even give him the chance to establish relations?!

This was bad!

If just one faction acted like this, Douglas would definitely look down on it.

The seven factions of Veszyra were not lacking anyone — why should the Golden Sand Kingdom lower its pride before them?

But now, with the cold attitudes from all factions, Douglas was beginning to feel unsettled.

It seemed that he needed to have a serious talk with the person behind them.

Douglas made up his mind, declining other noble interactions, and headed straight for Roy.

Seeing the black-haired boy dining happily with the blonde maid, Douglas felt a bit uncomfortable at first.

But watching their affectionate interaction, even sharing utensils, he realized this maid must be extraordinary.

Come on, how could any of Roy’s so-called love interests not be high and mighty figures?

And as a noble, who would show such indulgence for a servant?

Who knew if this maid with extraordinary Holy Light powers was a significant figure from the Church? Perhaps her maid identity was just a symbolic disguise?

Thinking this, Douglas dared not interrupt, fearing he would further lower the Church’s goodwill, silently standing to the side.

It was all about sincerity!

One had to know that noble interactions were strictly divided by status.

A prince of a nation initiating a conversation with the son of a marquis clearly meant he was lowering himself.

Nobles wishing to visit the prince of Golden Sand watched Douglas silently standing behind Roy, bewildered and speculating about what kind of power this Lionheart Kingdom knight held to make the noble prince willing to stand aside like this.

Meanwhile, Roy was immersed in feeding the little maid, completely unaware of the mute presence behind him.

“Alice is at the age where she’s growing. It’s fine for her to eat a bit more.”

“No, I’ve already… um!”

“You wanted to eat this roasted meat earlier, right? I can’t finish it, so you should help me get rid of it.”

As a maid, it wasn’t supposed to be her role to be fed by her master, but fulfilling her master’s wishes seemed to be an obligation too.

With her brain short-circuited, Alice gave up thinking.

Despite her face showing some reluctance, every time Roy kindly offered her something, the little maid instinctively opened her mouth and obediently swallowed it like a little animal.

Alice was eating.

Roy was feeding.

Douglas, not wanting to disturb the two, remained motionless.

And fearing he would disturb the prince and his nobles, he was even less daring to step forward.

At such a banquet, it was a bit odd to see a bunch of people standing there like wooden dolls, leaving the teachers and students of the travel group baffled, thinking this was some bizarre custom of the Golden Sand Kingdom.

When Alice had finally eaten enough, and Roy’s feeding desire was greatly satisfied, he finally noticed that someone next to him.

“Senior? When did you arrive?”

Oh no, he caught me in this weird scene!

Hope he doesn’t think I’m a maid-loving little girl!

“I just came over, not long ago,” Douglas smiled as he forced a friendly demeanor despite his legs feeling sore from standing.

“Since we bumped into each other, I wanted to chat with you. Is this a good time?”

“Of course.”

As for Douglas, Roy didn’t particularly like him, yet he didn’t despise him either.

The pocket money Karl gave him had long been spent, and the only reason he hadn’t asked his family for more was that Douglas had generously sponsored him with more than his own father offered.

To be honest, Douglas’s gifts were even heavier than his dad’s.

So, Roy felt obliged to give him this respect.

But Roy didn’t want to leave Alice alone either.

“Do you mind if I bring her along?”

“Of course not.”

Though he said this, Douglas started to form new suspicions regarding Alice’s identity.

She wasn’t just a girlfriend or fiancée; generally, nobles rarely brought maids along during conversations with other nobles, and most would even dismiss them.

Roy bringing her along suggested that there was something much closer in their relationship than a typical master and servant.

But what Douglas cared about more was the second possibility.

By bringing her along to this conversation, it indicated that Alice had the qualification to talk with a prince like him!

This Alice likely wasn’t an ordinary person!

In just a few seconds, Douglas added another layer of guesswork regarding the identity of the blonde maid.

Leaving the banquet and stepping into the deeper corridors of the courtyard,

Douglas’s heart began to race.

To this day, he still couldn’t comprehend how the son of a marquis managed to unite various powerful factions around him, nor did he understand the purpose of the boy’s actions.

But the unfriendly attitudes from all factions earlier clearly sidelined him and the Golden Sand Kingdom.

His instincts told him that tonight’s conversation would likely determine his fate, and that of the Golden Sand Kingdom.

He had to be cautious.

In brief, to explore Roy’s true intentions, he needed to clarify one thing first.

“Your purpose for coming to my Golden Sand Kingdom on this study trip must not be pure, Mr. Roy, right?”

The boy fell into brief silence, as if a century had passed.