Reincarnated Hero System

Chapter 1287: “Nice to See You Again.”

The engagement between Lady Holt and Aldric wasn’t some casual arrangement, but one sanctioned by the Royal Family for numerous carefully considered reasons, among them the strengthening of the royalist faction within the kingdom’s nobility, and the far more significant matter of securing Lady Holt herself.

She was the eldest daughter of one of the kingdom’s few Marquises, and Sharon’s father, King Taher, had once remarked in terms that left almost no room for misunderstanding that if he’d had any sons within her generation, he would’ve sought to have Lady Holt married into the Royal Family.

The young lady was a bundle of talent, scholarly, martial, and magical, the kind of talent the kingdom desperately needed to keep from falling into the hands of the greedy aristocratic faction or, even worse, the list of foreign nations that had already begun watching her closely after she distinguished herself in several international competitions over the years.

’The reasons behind the engagement had been explained to both of them when it was officially sanctioned. He knew. And he still had the nerve to do this.’

Sharon paused at that thought and glanced toward Evan, and the curse that surfaced in her mind was far from polite.

’Out of every possible moment, it had to happen while a foreign high noble was present!

He’s just embarrassed the Voss family, the Holt family, the Royal Family, and through all of them, embarrassed the entire kingdom in front of one of the most influential people in the world.’

Sharon’s mind began working overtime as she tried to figure out how to contain the situation, and while she did, the scene unfolding on the staircase continued to escalate.

"I have no recollection of any bullying you’re referring to," Lady Holt replied, her voice still calm.

"The only interactions I’ve had with Lady Mira throughout this year were occasions in which I reprimanded her for conducting herself in a manner unbecoming of a noblewoman, specifically her tendency to place herself inappropriately close to an affianced young lord, as that is improper behaviour for a noble lady of our kingdom.

I also remember informing you of the same, Lord Aldric, and warning you that cultivating such familiarity with an unmarried young lady while you yourself were an affianced young lord was conduct unbecoming of the son of a ducal house and would tarnish both your reputation and that of the young lady involved."

She spoke clearly and calmly without even the slightest tremor in her voice, and after hearing her words, even those who’d previously shown no interest had now turned their complete attention toward the staircase, because what Aldric was accusing her of sounded not merely improbable but outright ridiculous to anyone familiar with Lady Holt, and in a hall filled with the young heirs and ladies of the kingdom’s noble houses, there were very few who didn’t know who she was.

Everyone in the college knew Lady Holt by name, and although she was known for being strict and principled, she was equally known as someone who’d never lower herself to something as petty as bullying, and because of that, the collective opinion within the hall found Aldric’s accusations far more difficult to believe than anything Lady Holt had said.

"She reprimanded him? That sounds far more like Lady Holt than any of what he’s saying..."

"Is he serious? Her, of all people?"

"I can’t believe he’s actually saying this with a straight face..."

"Lady Holt never once acted without principle. Everyone knows that..."

Aldric’s expression darkened as he read the mood of the hall, and he clearly didn’t like what he saw.

"You dare claim that Mira lied to me?" His voice rose once more. "I know everything you did. You defaced her textbooks, locked her inside storage rooms, spread vicious rumours about her throughout the college, and at one point, you shoved her down a staircase with such force that she suffered severe injuries.

I cannot spend the rest of my life with a wicked woman like you. To do so would be a disgrace to the reputation of the Voss Ducal family."

At the mention of the Voss family name, Lady Holt fell silent for a moment. She lowered her eyes before taking a deep breath and lifting her gaze toward him once again.

"I’ve heard enough," she said as she stepped forward. "I wouldn’t normally take matters this far, but through your conduct today, you’ve not only tarnished the honour of your own family, but you’ve also done the same to mine."

"What nonsense are you trying to say?" Aldric started.

"Need I remind you of certain details regarding our engagement that you appear to have forgotten, Lord Aldric?" she asked, cutting him off.

"While you are indeed the son of a Duke of this kingdom, you are merely his 3rd son, with absolutely no claim to the Ducal title or any of its subsidiary peerages.

Our engagement was never arranged for the purpose of bringing me into your family. It was arranged for the purpose of bringing you into mine, as MY consort, when I inherit the title of Marchioness following my father’s retirement."

She held his gaze without looking away.

"If there’s anyone in this engagement who has the right to dissolve it unilaterally, that person is me, not you."

She continued, her voice remaining as level as it’d been from the very beginning. "And after the thoughtless conduct you’ve displayed over this past year, culminating in this embarrassing spectacle that you’ve chosen to stage before the eyes of the entire student body, before the young heirs to the various domains of this kingdom, I cannot continue to consider taking someone like you on as my consort without it being a stain upon the honour of my family."

’!’

At Lady Holt’s words, Sharon’s mind immediately began sounding alarms. She knew exactly where this was heading, and she knew the next words out of Lady Holt’s mouth wouldn’t favour the Royal Family in the slightest.

’I have to stop this.’

She was already moving by the time that thought finished forming, already removing her mask and opening her mouth to speak when the sound of clapping suddenly echoed through the hall.

That loud sound drew the attention of those nearby, and soon several other eyes turned toward the source, Sharon’s included.

’Sir Evan?!’

Evan’s eyes glowed faintly, and with Blink, he teleported across the crowd of people surrounding the three at the staircase.

"Well said, Lady Holt," he said loudly. "His conduct has besmirched the honour of your families, made a deliberate attempt to ruin your reputation, and sought to affect your prospects for marriage and the acquisition of a consort, prospects that exist, in no small part, to ensure you’ll one day have an heir to succeed you when you eventually retire and pass on your title of Marchioness."

"You!" Aldric’s voice cracked across the word. "Who in the hell are you, and how dare you interrupt?!"

Evan completely ignored Aldric and continued walking toward Lady Holt.

"From your looks to your calm manner of speech... I’m glad to see that some parts of you haven’t changed," he said with a smile.

Lady Holt’s eyes had been on him from the moment he teleported across the hall, her brows lightly furrowed as she noticed the effect the magic woven into his mask had on her perception of his face.

"And you are, if I may ask?" she said.

Evan paused, then realisation appeared in his eyes. "Ah, right," he said, raising his hand. "I’m wearing this."

He removed the mask, and across the hall, the eyes of noble after noble went wide, near-instant recognition and shock moving through the crowd in a wave, along with a swell of hushed voices.

Lady Holt was no different. The calm composure she’d maintained throughout the entire ordeal broke completely as she looked at the face the mask had been concealing, and she unconsciously muttered his name.

"...Evan...!"

Evan chuckled. "Glad to see you still remember me."

He then bowed lightly, one hand placed over his chest. "The Great Western Empire’s Marquis Bourne greets the heir to the Holt Marquisate."

Evan reached out, took her hand, and pressed a kiss to the back of her palm, before lifting his gaze to meet her obsidian eyes as dark as the night.

The young woman’s complexion was pale, a contrast to her raven-black hair and eyes in a way that gave her an ethereal beauty, and the midnight-black gown she wore, adorned with intricate silver embroidery, resembled the same dress she’d worn on the day she and Evan had first met, many years ago.

"It’s been a while," Evan said, his smile turning mischievous. "Nice to see you again, Idrilla."

It was Evan’s reunion with the Saintess of All Those Who Have Died.