Chapter 101: A Confrontation (2)

"You..." Allen was stunned, then growled in anger.

He had always known Nolan to be a wild man with no regard for rules, but he hadn’t expected him to humiliate him so openly.

The young nobles behind Allen couldn’t help but laugh at Nolan’s words.

But as soon as they noticed Allen’s glare, they immediately fell silent and pretended not to have heard anything.

Allen snorted coldly, his eyes burning with anger and irritation as he looked at Nolan.

"Don’t play dumb, Nolan Lorian. I know you recognize me. I’m quite famous, and we’ve met before," he said sharply, arms crossed over his chest.

He no longer addressed Nolan as ’Your Highness,’ choosing instead to speak his name directly—a clear sign that he was done pretending to be polite.

Nolan yawned lazily and shook his head. He lifted Eliza into his arms, then looked at Allen with cold, indifferent eyes.

"So, what do you want from me?" He asked flatly.

Realizing that Nolan was no longer pretending not to recognize him, Allen felt a surge of satisfaction.

A smug smile crept across his face. He gave Nolan a playful glance and said, "I heard your sister, Princess Elina, is competing in the succession to the throne—on your behalf. So, you’re really handing your position over to her? Heh... You’re such a coward, Nolan Lorian. So scared, you’re sending your sister to fight your battles?"

With that, he burst out laughing, joined by the young nobles behind him.

"Brother, this man is so annoying," Eliza whispered, clearly irritated.

To her, anyone who mocked or belittled Nolan was automatically a bad person—someone unworthy of even being near them.

Naturally, Allen and the nobles behind him fit that description perfectly.

Nolan simply chuckled and gently patted Eliza’s head.

Then he turned his gaze back to Allen and his followers.

"You’re right, Allen. I did give up my position to Elina," he said calmly. "But there’s one thing you’ve misunderstood—I didn’t step down out of fear. I stepped down because I wasn’t interested. If I had joined the competition, the throne would’ve been mine. And your family? Probably the first to be eliminated."

The young nobles immediately fell silent, their laughter dying in their throats. Their expressions shifted to anger and unease.

Although Nolan’s words were directed at Allen, the underlying threat wasn’t lost on the others.

Still, none dared to respond. Most of them came from Baron or Viscount families—far too low in rank to risk offending someone like Nolan. A single wrong move could bring ruin to their households.

Allen, however, showed no fear.

If anything, Nolan’s arrogance only made his smile widen. His eyes gleamed with ridicule as he looked at Nolan.

"Nolan Lorian, I didn’t realize your tongue was that sharp," he sneered with a low chuckle. "Win the throne? You make it sound like picking fruit from a tree. Be serious. You’re only embarrassing yourself with this little act."

He shook his head, still smiling as if amused, then continued, "How about this—I’ll give you one chance. If you kowtow to me, I’ll make sure the Ashvale family supports your sister in the succession. Tempting, isn’t it?"

"Hiss!" The young nobles behind Allen—as well as the heads of noble families watching from a distance—drew a sharp breath.

No one had expected Allen to say something so bold to Nolan.

Admittedly, Allen held a high status. But wasn’t he going too far this time?

Even so, everyone was curious to see how Nolan would respond.

No matter how rude Allen’s words were, what he offered was still a deal.

If Nolan accepted it, he’d be willingly tarnishing the Imperial family’s dignity—and Allen wouldn’t be the one at fault.

But if he rejected it, he’d be turning down a golden opportunity laid right at his feet.

The Ashvale family’s support was a powerful asset in the battle for the throne.

Besides the Malvain family, none of the other three Dukes had pledged their support to anyone yet.

Even so, accepting the offer wouldn’t be a wise move either.

Nolan might have been stripped of his right to compete for the throne, but that didn’t mean he was entirely out of the game.

At present, he stood as Elina’s strongest backer, meaning he represented her name and honor.

If he kowtowed to Allen now, it would undoubtedly affect how the heads of noble families perceived Elina—and could even jeopardize her chances.

In other words, Nolan now faced two equally difficult choices: accept the offer and risk his reputation—along with Elina’s image—or refuse and forfeit the support of the Duke of Ashvale’s family.

Based on the rumors they’d heard, most people expected Nolan to accept.

After all, he had a reputation for being reckless and foolish, so accepting the offer seemed like the most likely outcome for someone like him.

About five meters from the scene, Novaria and her friends gathered, watching with interest.

"What do you think Prince Nolan will choose?" one of them asked.

Another replied with confidence, "He’ll reject it, obviously. It’s clearly a trap, and there’s no way that annoying Allen would actually keep his word."

"You might be right... But isn’t Prince Nolan known for all sorts of bad rumors? It wouldn’t be too surprising if he ended up disgracing the Imperial family," another said doubtfully.

"Pfft! Those rumors are total lies. Prince Nolan is definitely not an idiot," the green-haired woman scoffed with a smug smile, shaking her head.

Her friends turned to her in surprise.

"How do you know?" the young woman beside her asked, curious.

"Hehehe..." The green-haired woman chuckled, then declared confidently, "Because Prince Nolan is too handsome! There’s no way someone that good-looking could be as stupid and wild as the rumors say, right?"

Everyone: "..."

None of them expected the woman to sound like a lovestruck fool—completely obsessed with Nolan’s looks.

But on second thought, her words weren’t entirely without merit.

Rumors had painted Nolan as ugly and unkempt, but seeing him in person revealed just how wrong those claims were.

And if one rumor had proven false, it wasn’t impossible that the others were as well.

Unconsciously, a glimmer of hope appeared in their eyes—an unspoken desire to see Nolan prove that all those rumors were nothing but slander.

Beside them, Novaria remained silent. But her sharp gaze never left her younger brother, who still stood calmly with a relaxed smile on his face.

Nolan... what choice will you make? Accept... or refuse?

Personally, Novaria supported her older brother, Aldric, in the succession.

Even so, she didn’t want Nolan to disgrace the Imperial family just to gain a temporary favor.

Of course, no one could say for sure whether her feelings were genuine... or if she simply didn’t want Elina to win the support of the Ashvale family—a move that could threaten Aldric’s position.