Chapter 6: Establishing Value
Noval Mansion, Garden.
Lena and Reid strolled slowly along the path of the rose garden, the cobblestones beneath their feet making soft friction sounds.
Following Lena’s guidance, Reid purposely lagged half a step behind, walking on her left side while maintaining an appropriate distance.
“If you encounter acquaintances,” Lena whispered, “you should bow first and wait for me to introduce you.”
“Avoid political and religious topics during conversations; you can talk about the weather, horseback riding, or recent operas.”
“Opera?” Reid reached out to clear away a branch obstructing Lena’s path.
“That’s precisely the problem,” Lena sighed lightly, “starting tomorrow, you’ll also need to study music appreciation.”
Just as Lena was about to continue her guidance, Reid suddenly grabbed her wrist.
His warm palm applied just the right amount of pressure to make her stop.
“Someone’s coming.” Reid’s voice was alert.
Following his gaze, Lena spotted a familiar figure peeking from the pavilion at the end of the garden.
Though she hadn’t returned to Gran City for a long time, Lena could still recognize her cousin—
Veronica Noval.
Veronica was wearing the season’s trendiest light purple puff gown, with layers of thin fabric shimmering like pearls in the dusk.
Her platinum blonde hair was softly curled and meticulously styled into a trendy bow.
On her porcelain-like delicate face, a pair of bright blue eyes gazed over with curiosity.
But what caught the eye most was the way she held her fan, the ribs perfectly positioned at a fifteen-degree angle to her lips—this was the year’s most fashionable “shy lady” style.
Lena’s breath caught slightly.
Veronica shouldn’t be here.
However, at this moment, Veronica was clearly well-dressed and even more radiant than when they last met.
Noble families rarely shared familial affection, especially since Veronica’s mother—Lena’s aunt—was also Lena’s biggest competitor for the dukedom.
Although they were at the Noval family’s mansion, Veronica’s presence here was expected; still, it made Lena unable to suppress her speculations about the underlying intentions.
The appearance of this rival’s daughter here was no coincidence.
Veronica’s visit had to be taken seriously.
“A pop quiz is here,” Lena’s voice was barely audible, “remember your role.”
Veronica had clearly noticed Lena and Reid standing not far away. She stood up and walked toward them, her gait so precise it could be taught in textbooks.
But Lena noticed that when Veronica looked at Reid, the fan’s flicking rate slightly increased.
Lena was all too familiar with this signal; her dear cousin definitely had ulterior motives.
“My dear,” Lena suddenly linked her arm with Reid’s, a sweet smile on her face, “let me introduce you to my cousin.”
Using the cover of the fan, Veronica’s gaze scanned Reid back and forth.
“This is Reid Asteria, my fiancé. We met while studying at Cambridge,” Lena’s voice pitched slightly higher than usual. “Reid, this is Veronica, the jewel of the Noval Family.”
Reid bowed to Veronica, and even from the perspective of the most stringent instructor, his performance was flawless.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Veronica. I’ve often heard Lena speak of your outstanding performance at the balls.”
Veronica returned the bow: “Asteria? The Asteria family from the northern city of Rockmir?”
Gran City is located on the southwest coast of the Victoria Kingdom, and Lena deliberately chose a family from the northeast of the kingdom to disguise Reid’s identity.
This detail was indeed Lena’s oversight; she hadn’t anticipated that Veronica would have knowledge of such a niche topic.
However, this couldn’t be entirely blamed on Lena, as there were thousands of noble families in the entire Victoria Kingdom, and not even the old Duke Noval could possibly remember all of them.
Reid could feel the fingers beneath Lena’s silk gloves tighten slightly, but his heart remained calm.
While Reid enjoyed seeing this girl get flustered, it was time to demonstrate his value in front of the client.
He needed to turn the tide when necessary and prove his capabilities; only then could he negotiate conditions with Lena in the future.
Though the employer seemed a bit flustered, Reid still managed to maintain a calm demeanor:
“I am merely a distant branch of the Asteria Count family; I’m afraid our estate will never compare to the Noval family’s mansion.”
“How strange, I don’t seem to recall seeing you when I was at Cambridge,” Veronica scrutinized Reid’s features, “a gentleman as handsome as you would certainly leave a lasting impression on me.”
“May I ask which college you attended, Mr. Reid?”
The air suddenly froze.
Lena’s nails unconsciously dug into Reid’s arm; she hadn’t had the chance to confirm this detail with him.
She hadn’t expected Veronica to visit suddenly today, and the timing was too coincidental.
“St. John’s College,” Reid answered without hesitation, “but I spent most of my time in the library, attending social events less frequently.”
“To my embarrassment, it was there that I met Lena over a book.”
He suddenly turned to Lena, his gaze soft in an incredible way:
“Do you remember, dear? That book by Lord Cardigan, ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade,’ when we both reached for it at the same time?”
Lena almost wanted to applaud Reid’s quick thinking as she leaned in closer:
“Yes, you let me have the book but waited three days in the library for me to show up.”
Veronica’s gaze wavered between Lena and Reid, looking less than fully convinced.
But that couldn’t be blamed on Veronica.
In a battle for inheritance that only married individuals could participate in, it was only reasonable to be cautious when a single sister suddenly introduced a fiancé.
Veronica reluctantly pressed on: “Forgive my boldness, Mr. Reid, may I ask what your major is?”
“Learning how to make smart ladies see me differently,” Reid replied with a smile, “when Lena asked me the same question, that was my answer to her.”
“Of course, the next moment I found myself pinned against the bookshelf; you know, Lena’s fencing scores have always been top-notch at Cambridge.”
Though he praised Lena, a proud expression involuntarily appeared on Reid’s face—it was exactly like a fiancé deeply in love with his fiancée.
If this was acting, then Mr. Reid was exceptionally talented at it.
Realizing what was happening, Veronica’s fan froze in mid-air.
So she was fed a mouthful of dog food?
Veronica didn’t want to swallow it, but it turned out this dog food was forcefully shoved into her mouth!
The crucial point was that Veronica couldn’t refuse; after all, it was ultimately her own doing.
Though she encountered some unexpected circumstances, Veronica had not forgotten the task her mother had assigned her:
“Regarding tomorrow’s gathering, may I ask if Sister Lena can attend?”
“I believe the friends in Gran City are eager to see Sister Lena appear with her fiancé.”
