Chapter 26: What Happened at the Social Party (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 26: What Happened at the Social Party (4)
Words failed him.
When Antony Barco heard that Roman was attending the party, he hadn't worried about a situation like this in the slightest.
It was only natural. Roman had broken off his engagement. To Antony, this meant his blackmail had worked, giving him the absolute upper hand.
"Roman. From now on, you'd better think very carefully before you speak," Antony seethed, his voice trembling with rage. "You didn't just have a scandalous affair right before an arranged marriage—you touched a woman of Barco. Telling you to become Barco's man was my way of forcing you to take responsibility. Offering you a marriage with my sister, a direct descendant of the main family rather than some distant branch, was my final courtesy to you. And yet, you dare call it a 'pathetic reason' right to my face?"
Unable to contain his fury, Antony chugged straight from his bottle. When he spoke again, his tone was chilling.
"Listen here. I'm different from you. You're just the embarrassment of Dmitry, pushed entirely out of the line of succession. I am the heir who will inherit everything Barco owns. Not only did you steal the flower of Lawrence that I desired, but you also laid hands on a woman of Barco. Do you really think you'll get away with this? You are making an irreversible mistake."
His demeanor completely shifted. The facade of a friendly companion vanished, replaced by a vicious Antony Barco thrusting the hilt of his sword right under Roman's chin.
Antony was certain. If this was the Roman he remembered, the fool would surely lower his eyes and bow his head in submission.
But instead, Roman merely let out a cold laugh.
"Do whatever you want."
The weapon at his throat wasn't even drawn. To Roman, Antony's threats were utterly meaningless. He didn't waver in the slightest.
"I'm already known as the Fool of Dmitry," Roman said smoothly. "My reputation is already trash. Adding a rumor that I slept around with multiple women while engaged won't change a single thing. Ah, of course, as you said, Dmitry's honor will be dragged through the mud. But then again, isn't that exactly the kind of bastard I've always been?"
"You bastard...!"
"Antony. You are the one who needs to watch your step."
Barco was making a grave mistake. Although the Barco family was the dominant power in the northeast region, their strength originated from the Central Government, not from their own local foundation. It was power derived from political connections. In terms of pure, localized influence in the northeast, they could never surpass Dmitry.
Roman continued, "The reason I chose to break off the engagement wasn't because of your blackmail. I made that decision, fully prepared to face the criticism, simply because I believed the marriage was unnecessary. As a result, you achieved your goal. Since Dmitry turned its back on Lawrence, Barco can carry out its future plans with ease. But if you, the eldest son of Barco, bare your fangs at me now... how do you think I will react? Even if only to settle a personal grudge, wouldn't I end up helping Lawrence just to get in Barco's way?"
In that instant, a chill ran down Antony Barco's spine.
Instead of backing down from the threat, Roman had thrust an invisible blade right back at his throat.
...Was Roman always this kind of person?
No. Roman had always been a weakling. Despite being the eldest son of Dmitry, there was a very good reason why people looked down on him.
Suddenly, Antony recalled a recent rumor circulating among the public.
Roman Dmitry subjugated Blood Fang. The Fool of Dmitry was actually a Hidden Dragon concealing his true strength.
He had dismissed it as utter nonsense. Knowing exactly what kind of pathetic fool Roman was, Antony hadn't believed for a second that he possessed the strength to wipe out the Blood Fang syndicate.
But now, things were different.
The cold gaze fixed upon him was terrifying. Under a suffocating pressure that made his mouth run dry, Antony had no choice but to revise his assessment.
It's certain. Roman has changed.
The Fool of Dmitry—that pathetic loser—was no more.
The silence stretched. Seeing Antony lost in thought, Roman's eyes grew even colder.
You don't have a choice anyway. If you were in a position to dictate terms in the first place, you wouldn't have gone through the trouble of getting me drunk and setting a trap.
This entire incident was a simple matter. Even though Dmitry had openly snatched away the prize Barco desired, Barco had never once raised a formal complaint.
Why? Because Dmitry was powerful.
Knowing the consequences of making an enemy out of the Dmitry family, Barco couldn't take any rash action. Roman was simply forcing him to face that reality.
Though Antony's face flushed red with wounded pride, he ultimately had to swallow his anger.
"...Fine. If we end this matter here, you won't interfere in our business with Lawrence in the future, right?"
"Yes."
"Then let's leave it at that."
A compromise was reached. As Antony bowed his head in concession, Roman concealed his true intentions.
If I am to live as Roman Dmitry from now on, I cannot let Barco off the hook after they dared to threaten me.
Barco had positioned themselves as an enemy. Roman was endlessly generous to his own people, but he showed absolutely no mercy to those who harbored hostility toward him. This time was no different. The only reason he offered Antony Barco a temporary truce was not out of a desire for peace, but because there was no reason for Dmitry to shed blood right now.
The stage to punish Barco doesn't need to be Dmitry. When Barco and Lawrence wage a desperate, bloody war against each other, I will seize the exact moment Barco lets their guard down and slit their throats.
Long before reaching the absolute pinnacle of the Demonic Cult, Baek Joong-hyuk had fallen victim to countless underhanded schemes—but he had also destroyed just as many opponents using those very same tactics.
Recognizing Barco as an enemy didn't mean he had to immediately declare war with a flushed face. That was the act of a fool who only knew how to harm himself.
Sometimes wearing a mask, sometimes saying the exact opposite of what he truly thought—that was how Roman offered Antony Barco this fleeting illusion of peace.
My throat is dry.
Roman picked up his glass. Looking down at Antony, who couldn't even lift his head out of humiliated pride, Roman slowly swallowed the liquor.
Gulp.
He was parched.
*
Roman left the secret room.
Now that he knew the truth behind the veil, there was no longer any reason to remain at this social party.
I'm going to be even busier from now on.
There was much to do. Aside from having to fulfill his mandatory military duty in six months, he fully intended to settle his grudge with Barco using his own strength before then. He had no intention of relying on his family's power. This issue had originated from Roman in the first place. For the sake of his future, he needed to seize this opportunity to build his own personal foundation.
Conveniently, Roman had already secured a highly favorable condition from his father.
Father gave me the authority to recruit my own troops. I must use that to build my own private force.
In this life, Roman had begun a brand-new journey. Although he didn't yet have a clear, overarching goal of what he wanted to achieve, there was one thing he was absolutely certain of.
He must reign supreme.
Such was the only way of life for the Heavenly Demon.
Since he could not live a normal life, Roman knew he had to prepare and build everything step by step from the ground up. The impending conflict between Lawrence and Barco was the perfect stage to temper his forces, and he would use his military duty as a stepping stone for further growth.
On his way out, numerous nobles struck up conversations with him. Before he knew it, Roman had become the undisputed star of the party. Quite a few nobles openly expressed their disappointment when he announced his early departure.
It was then.
As soon as he stepped out of the party venue, a loud commotion caught Roman's attention.
Kevin?
Standing at the center of the noise was Kevin, surrounded by a group of hostile knights.
*
Protecting someone.
Just hearing those words made his heart flutter. Kevin, who had followed Roman outside to wait, could hardly contain his excitement.
To think I've actually become a noble's guard.
And not just any ordinary noble. He was guarding Roman Dmitry.
Knowing he had become the personal guard of the man he respected most in the world, Kevin wanted to perform his duty flawlessly. So, he had gotten a bit greedy. He had asked Hans for the finest armor he could wear, pulled a helmet that didn't even fit his head down low over his eyes, and plastered a solemn expression onto his face.
He was Roman's guard, Kevin. Just as Chris had advised him to watch his words and actions, he did his absolute best to look the part.
However, others saw him quite differently.
No matter how hard Kevin tried to look intimidating, he still looked like a teenage boy playing soldier.
"Who's that kid?"
"I heard he's Roman Dmitry's guard."
"Pfft, he really does the most ridiculous things. I know Roman Dmitry is the abandoned eldest son, but to bring a greenhorn who looks like he can't even hold a sword properly? It's just absurd."
"Well, that's just the standard of Dmitry for you."
In front of the venue's entrance, while the guards of various nobles stood watch, knights bearing the crest of Barco openly mocked Kevin. It was as if they wanted him to hear. Seeing them make absolutely no effort to lower their voices, Kevin's face flushed with anger.
"Endure it."
It was Chris. He had also heard the knights' remarks, but he knew that getting into a brawl with Barco's men would bring them no good.
"They are knights of the Barco family," Chris whispered. "We don't know what kind of relationship our lord has with Barco right now. Acting rashly might put him in a difficult position. I told you before we left, didn't I? We are the face of Dmitry, and our lord's reputation depends on our conduct. So no matter what they say, keep your composure. Show them the dignity of a guard."
"...Understood." Kevin nodded.
Being looked down upon was honestly nothing new. It had been a daily occurrence for Kevin back when he lived in the slums, so he tried his best to ignore their mockery.
But as time went on, the knights crossed the line. They swaggered over to Kevin and began sizing him up from head to toe.
"Wow. Seriously, how could anyone think of bringing a kid like this as a guard?"
"Look at this. The helmet doesn't even fit his head. He probably scavenged some random armor from a blacksmith's scrap pile just to play dress-up. This is seriously low-class. No wonder your lord is called the Fool of Dmitry."
Kevin glared up at them. He could endure them insulting him. But the moment they insulted his lord, Kevin's face contorted in pure anger.
"Watch your mouth."
"What did you say?"
"Young Master Roman is not someone you can speak of in that manner. So watch your mouth."
"Why, you little punk..."
The knights' expressions turned fierce.
Due to the recent incident with Lawrence, relations between Barco and Dmitry were heavily strained. Furthermore, since Antony Barco openly treated Roman Dmitry with contempt, his knights saw absolutely no reason to show respect to Dmitry's people. A servant mirrored their master's backing.
Already annoyed by the Dmitry family's presence, one of the Barco knights swung his large hand right at Kevin's face.
Slap!
"Say that again, you little bastard."
Kevin's head whipped to the side. Blood burst from his split lip.
In that instant, Chris reached for his sword hilt. But he didn't draw his blade. While his instincts screamed at him to step in and protect Kevin, he was terrified of the political trouble his actions might cause their lord.
Kevin felt the exact same way. In the slums, he had learned to always pay back what he received in kind, but the moment he locked eyes with Chris, he furiously suppressed his rage.
I am my lord's sword.
He was a guard. He was Roman's weapon.
Having resolved to be someone genuinely useful to Roman, Kevin stiffened his face and looked away from the knights, making it clear he would no longer engage with their provocations.
Seeing this, the Barco knight sneered in irritation.
"Oh, let's see how long you can keep up that pathetic pride of yours."
Once more, the knight raised his heavy arm. Just as he was about to slap Kevin's cheek again—
Slap!
A sharp, crisp sound echoed through the courtyard.
But the target wasn't Kevin.
Roman, who had appeared out of nowhere, had slapped the Barco knight viciously across the face, his expression freezing cold.