Chapter 95: Shelley · Harmless · Bell (Fake)
Having found his old groove, Shelley answered their various curious questions with ease, rarely refusing. Ninety percent of his answers were true, five percent were vague, and the last five percent he avoided altogether. This very mystery made the noblewomen and girls even more curious about him.
Kind, handsome, generous, and mysterious.
“How did you meet Her Majesty the Queen?”
Shelley answered without hesitation, “An accident that didn’t seem so wonderful at the time.”
“And now?”
“I am incredibly grateful for that accident. It allowed our fates to intertwine.”
Shelley’s expression was sincere and heartfelt. Anyone could see the gratitude in his heart.
I’m so grateful that I killed both of the people who created that accident.
A noble girl jumped up and down, raising her hand to get Shelley’s attention. She looked at him and asked in a sweet voice, “Lord Shelley, are you very used to this kind of scene?”
Without hiding or resisting, Shelley nodded with a smile. “Before I met Nadia, I was always a socialite in noble society.”
There was no need to hide it. Someone would definitely start investigating his background. This was something that couldn’t be hidden.
“A socialite!?”
The status of a socialite was not high anywhere. They were merely lubricants for social occasions. There were even a few famous half-elven socialites in the crowd. They looked at Shelley in surprise as he spoke so freely, without a hint of embarrassment.
These people hadn’t expected this answer. Shelley looked at their expressions and explained with a smile, “An illegitimate son of a noble with only his looks has only a few ways to realize his value… I just found a way of life that suited me.”
“I made my debut in the social circle when I was ten years old.”
“By the way, Lady Nadia also knows about this.”
Some of the young girls began to imagine how they would survive in such an environment. Helpless and alone, with their only family treating them as a tool. Some even began to look at Shelley with pity and heartache.
After a long hesitation, someone asked, “Then why did you change after meeting Lady Nadia?”
“Because…”
“It must be because he’s using Her Majesty the Queen’s status to make others change their opinion of him!”
Just as Shelley was about to explain, a somewhat rough, yet trying-to-be-arrogant voice came from behind the crowd.
Here we go, the villain’s cannon fodder has arrived. I hope he can bring me some joy.
Shelley’s expression didn’t change. He turned to look at the speaker, a man who didn’t quite fit the mainstream half-elven aesthetic. His hair, though he had tried to tame it, was still a bit frizzy. The tight-fitting half-elven formal wear looked somewhat out of place on him, especially since his build was on the burly side, and his posture betrayed a lack of confidence.
“A failure trying to squeeze into the circle of elegance… no, a striver.”
“Interesting… does he have barbarian blood?”
Before Shelley could speak, the noble girl who had been jumping and raising her hand glared at Darcy and said with a frown, “Darcy! Don’t you know it’s very rude to interrupt someone when they’re speaking?”
Hearing this voice, Darcy’s arrogant expression changed. The words he was about to say got stuck in his throat, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Why is she here!? My lady! What are you doing here?
“I’m very sorry, Lady Polly. I didn’t see you here.”
Polly’s frown didn’t relax. Her tone became even more unfriendly. “You don’t need to apologize to me. You should apologize to Lord Shelley.”
Darcy pressed his lips together. He looked at the smiling Shelley and felt that he was gloating. He took a deep breath and was about to apologize when Shelley spoke.
“Lady Polly, it’s alright.”
“This gentleman is probably just used to this kind of atmosphere and treated this place as his own home for a moment.”
“Please don’t mind it.”
At your service, Shelley · Master of Sarcasm · Bell.
The scene was quiet for a moment, and then someone couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
“Pfft! Haha, cough, cough… hmm.”
Then everyone started to laugh. The laughter gradually spread throughout the entire banquet hall. Even the circle Darcy was in let out a burst of laughter. Even Winnie, sitting in a high seat, couldn’t help but shake her head and sigh, “It seems I don’t need to worry about him at all…”
I should be worried about the other young men. What will they do if they can’t find a suitable wife?
Amidst the laughter, only two people weren’t smiling. One was Darcy, whose face was alternating between green and red. He glared at Shelley, wishing he could go up and fight him. The other was the sincere-looking Shelley. He looked at Darcy with a concerned gaze and asked, “Sir, you don’t look very well. Are you feeling unwell?”
Hahahaha!
Looking at Shelley’s clear gaze, Darcy felt the world before him about to turn blood-red. He was just about to explode… when he saw a cold glint flash in Polly’s eyes. He instantly sobered up, swallowed, and said dryly, “…It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
After confirming several times, Shelley let out a sigh of relief, nodded, and said, “Since you’re feeling well, then…”
Shelley’s expression suddenly changed, and his aura changed with it. He looked at Darcy seriously and asked, “Sir, what did you mean by what you said just now?”
The tone had shifted. The current Shelley was like a drawn sword… sharp and exposed.
Sensing Shelley’s fighting spirit, Darcy, on the contrary, became much clearer-headed. He looked at Shelley with contempt. “I didn’t mean anything. You’re just a guy who relies on women.”
The people around them didn’t speak, all silently waiting for Shelley’s reaction. To put it bluntly, everyone could see that Darcy was just here to cause trouble and test him. Since there was a bird willing to stick its neck out, everyone was happy to watch the show.
“Her Majesty the Queen’s status is so noble! Even your King of Fente would have to kneel and bow to Her Majesty.”
“You naturally don’t need to live your old way of life anymore.”
Darcy’s expression began to fill with anticipation. He was just waiting for Shelley to expose a flaw in his anger.
Get angry! Get furious! I will tear off your hypocritical mask!
For a moment, the atmosphere became strange. Everyone was waiting to see what Shelley would do.
Surprisingly, Shelley looked at Darcy seriously, then said calmly, “Before I met Nadia, I had not found my own path.”
“And after meeting her, I found my conviction.”
What a boring answer…
Polly’s face showed no signs of hiding her disappointment. Just as she thought Shelley was going to swallow his anger, he continued, “Your thoughts…”
“Are a challenge to my conviction.”
His expression became extremely serious. Shelley took out the white glove from his pocket and threw it in front of Darcy.
“Shelley, Knight of the Queen, challenges you to a duel.”
