My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 205

205. Head-On Breakthrough (1)

Avennes County Manor, located in the heart of Amsberg, stood as a testament to the Avennes family’s prestige.

Within its walls was Count Holland Avennes’ office.

An elderly man with graying hair sat at his desk, a quill pen in hand. This was Count Holland Avennes, the head of the Avennes family, the owner of the manor, and the father of Isabel Ellandur.

“Your Excellency, Count, Miss Roswell and Master Nathan have arrived at the county manor,” a butler announced.

He was, of course, referring to Nathan and Roswell, his maternal grandchildren.

“What? Roswell and Nathan are here?” Holland asked, his eyes widening at the news.

As Holland set down his pen, the butler elaborated, “Yes, the Ellandur carriage just passed through the manor gates.”

“They arrived safely, then. Were there any incidents along the way?”

The distance between Ellandur, in the east, and Avennes, in the south, was considerable.

Such long journeys were often fraught with peril.

“Fortunately, nothing occurred.”

Holland breathed a sigh of relief. Who would dare to target the Ellandurs?

What being *could* dare to target the Ellandurs?

No sane person in the empire would even consider it.

And if such a person existed, Holland would intervene before Ellandur even needed to lift a finger.

Of course… there *had* been one recently.

A scoundrel who was not just crazy, but utterly insane.

“Did Kai arrive as well?”

“The report suggests otherwise.”

Holland nodded slowly, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. He had heard the broad strokes of the situation from Isabel.

Once again, the image of that insane scoundrel flashed through his mind.

A name and face he’d rather forget.

Holland snorted and shook off the thought. He was about to be reunited with his grandchildren after a long absence.

“Roswell and Nathan must be tired from their journey. Prepare rooms for them immediately. And tell the chef to prepare a special dinner tonight.”

“At once, Your Excellency.”

Holland eagerly anticipated a pleasant dinner with his grandchildren.

#

“…Pardon?”

“What… what are you saying?”

The faces of those gathered in the room registered utter disbelief at Cyan’s sudden declaration.

They seemed unable to comprehend his words, their expressions blank.

“I’m going to Avennes County Manor myself,” Cyan repeated.

“Young Lord…?”

“W-What does that mean…?”

Only then did the weight of Cyan’s words sink in.

“It’s too dangerous, Young Master!” Hans exclaimed, the first to voice his objections.

Hans had been with Cyan since birth.

He had been with Cyan since his days in the Ellandur family.

Therefore, Hans knew.

“Count Avennes won’t stand idly by!”

Cyan and Avennes.

Cyan and Count Holland.

He understood the relationship between them better than anyone.

Of course, the others were aware as well.

Avennes, Isabel’s family home.

There was no way Avennes would be on good terms with Cyan.

They understood the inherent danger in Cyan’s plan.

However, their understanding was limited to, ‘Of course, they would act like this given their situation.’

Hans was different.

Hans had witnessed it firsthand.

He had seen the humiliation young Cyan had suffered at Holland’s hands.

He knew how Holland truly felt about and treated Cyan.

“No, it can’t be. Absolutely not.”

Therefore, Hans was more vehement in his opposition than anyone else.

Above all.

“Even if Young Master goes to the county manor, you won’t be able to catch Soren.”

Going to the county manor wouldn’t solve anything.

It would only expose Cyan’s existence.

It would reveal Cyan’s presence to Holland.

In that situation, if he openly declared to Count Holland, ‘I’m going to catch Soren,’

Count Holland wouldn’t simply say, ‘Oh, go ahead. If my grandson wants to catch him, he should.’

Therefore, going to the county manor alone was pointless.

It was a dangerous move that would reveal Cyan’s existence.

“That’s right. Even if I go to the county manor, I can’t catch Soren myself.”

Cyan was well aware of that fact.

The reason for his decision, despite the risks…

“So I’ll be the bait.”

This was the only way to lure Soren out of hiding within the county manor.

“Bait… what do you mean…?”

Hans asked, his expression blank.

The others seemed equally confused.

Cyan nodded, drawing their full attention.

“Everyone, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

#

A large dining hall within Avennes County Manor.

“Greetings, Your Excellency, Count.”

“We greet Your Excellency, Count.”

Roswell and Nathan bowed to Count Holland.

“Your Excellency, Count? Did I not tell you to relax formalities when we’re alone?” Count Holland said, feigning disappointment.

Roswell and Nathan exchanged glances.

Then, turning back to Count Holland, they said, “It’s been a while, Grandfather.”

“Have you been well?”

“Yes, yes. Have you two been well too?”

Only then did Holland nod, a satisfied smile on his face.

“We’ve been…”

“Nothing special happened.”

Holland smiled slightly at their answers.

“I’m glad to hear that. So, how is Isabel doing?”

“Mother is…”

Roswell’s words trailed off.

Holland’s eyes widened. “Is something wrong with Isabel?”

“No. It’s not that something is wrong with Mother… it’s that there’s a problem with the family itself.”

Holland suppressed his initial surprise, which quickly morphed into anger.

The problem with the Ellandur family that Roswell mentioned…

He knew exactly what the problem was.

And he knew how much Isabel was suffering because of it.

A problem caused by that insane scoundrel.

Once again, that face and name intruded upon his thoughts.

Holland shook his head to banish the image.

“Isabel is alright?”

“Mother is fine.”

“Mother asked me to send her regards to Grandfather.”

“Yes. I’m glad to hear that.”

Holland managed to force a smile.

He then noticed Roswell and Nathan, who were still standing.

“Oh dear, I seem to have kept my precious grandchildren standing for too long. Come, everyone, sit down.”

Roswell and Nathan took their seats on either side of the wide table, to Holland’s left and right.

As soon as they were seated, the doors of the dining hall opened, and the manor’s servants filed in, carrying and arranging dishes.

The endless stream of food only stopped when the table was overflowing.

All sorts of delicacies and rare foods that ordinary people could only dream of.

Dozens of such dishes lined the table.

“You must be hungry, so eat quickly. I don’t know if it will suit your taste compared to what you eat in Ellandur, but please enjoy it, knowing it comes from your grandfather’s heart.”

Even with all these delicacies, it was true that it paled in comparison to the meals at the Ellandur mansion.

Perhaps only food from the imperial palace could compare.

For Roswell and Nathan, this was barely ordinary.

But.

“No. Not at all.”

“Absolutely not, Grandfather.”

This time, their words were sincere.

“Such a proper meal…”

“I don’t even remember the last time we had one like this, Sister.”

The meals in Ellandur had been terrible lately.

The reason was simple: Ellandur’s budget was severely strained.

The whereabouts of the mysteriously vanished 82 million gold remained unknown.

They couldn’t find the money, nor could they identify the culprit.

Of course, they had a strong suspicion…

But the culprit was too well-hidden to catch.

In any case, Ellandur’s coffers were empty.

As a result, Roswell and Nathan had come to Avennes.

“Then I’ll eat gratefully.”

“I’ll eat gratefully.”

Roswell and Nathan picked up their utensils.

Crunch, crunch.

Crack.

They began to eat like a pair of beggars.

Holland watched, stunned by the sight of his grandchildren devouring the food, their aristocratic manners forgotten.

Was that why?

He really, really hated it, but…

The face and name of that scoundrel flashed through his mind again.

The meal continued in anger and silence.

After some time, their stomachs were full.

“Roswell is reaching the age where she should be considering marriage,” Holland said, breaking the silence.

Roswell was in her late twenties, past her mid-twenties.

If she were the daughter of an ordinary aristocratic family, she would have been married long ago.

And the marriages of aristocratic children were often political, driven by self-interest.

Even Isabel’s marriage had been like that.

Holland knew this.

“Isn’t there a man you like?”

He hoped his grandchildren wouldn’t suffer the same fate.

At Holland’s words, Roswell put down her fork.

She gently wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, “I don’t have any thoughts of marriage yet.”

“Hmm? Why is that?”

“I don’t have any interest in marriage, and there’s no man I like. I’ll marry when the time is right… and Mother doesn’t particularly approve of any of the families either.”

Holland nodded. What family would catch Ellandur’s eye?

No, there was one family.

“Then how about His Highness the Crown Prince?”

The heart of the empire, the imperial family.

Every citizen of the empire knew that the position of Crown Princess was currently vacant.

And he knew that the Crown Prince didn’t have a particular woman in his heart.

“His Highness the Crown Prince…” Roswell hesitated slightly, turning her gaze away as if secretly considering the Crown Prince.

Roswell was certainly qualified to be the Crown Princess.

She was a lovely granddaughter, and she resembled Isabel in appearance.

In addition, her skills as a knight were outstanding.

He heard that she was approaching the realm of a master.

Family, ability, appearance.

She was a perfect candidate for the Crown Princess.

Holland nodded with a deep smile.

Then he turned to Nathan. “How about Nathan? Is there a woman in your heart?”

“I don’t particularly have one either.”

“Then how about the Princess?”

The Princess, Elena.

Again, every citizen of the empire knew that the Emperor’s son-in-law was also unchosen.

In addition, the Princess’s beauty was highly praised.

She was a perfect match for Nathan.

The Crown Prince and the Princess, Ellandur, who had ties with both of them.

This was no different from a dragon with wings.

Of course, the dragon already had wings.

The same was true for Ellandur.

“Isn’t there my brother?”

At Nathan’s words, Holland raised his eyebrows slightly.

Nathan’s brother was none other than Kai Ellandur.

The eldest son of the Ellandur family and a genius known as the star of the empire.

“I think the Princess should marry my brother Kai.”

Holland smiled. “How admirable. You know how to step aside for your brother.”

They were truly lovely grandchildren.

Holland looked at Nathan with admiration.

He was enjoying this moment immensely.

A more than good meal.

It was then.

“Y-Your Excellency, Count!! Your Excellency, Count!!” The dining hall doors burst open, and the butler ran in.

Holland frowned. What kind of behavior was this?

He was disrupting a pleasant meal with his grandchildren.

Holland was very upset.

He also found it strange.

The butler had burst into the dining hall without even knocking.

“A big problem…! A big problem has happened…!” The butler had never looked so desperate.

Not even when that insane scoundrel had been at odds with Ellandur.

Not even when that insane scoundrel had said he had hurt Kai.

The butler had maintained his composure.

But now, the butler was almost beside himself with shock.

He was angry, but curiosity about what was happening also piqued his interest.

The butler rushed to Count Holland.

And without even pausing to catch his breath.

“N-Now, in front of the county manor…!”

He began to speak, his face etched with horror.

#

The gates of Avennes County Manor.

“Ah… when will my shift end…” The gatekeeper stared blankly at the sky.

As always, his working hours seemed to drag on forever.

He wondered if time had stopped.

As he stood guard, lost in thought.

To put it professionally, as he was suffering.

“Hey! Get a grip. Don’t you know that guests from Ellandur are coming? What are you going to do if you get caught slacking off? Stand properly.”

A fellow gatekeeper tapped him on the shoulder.

“…Tsk.” The gatekeeper spat out the word and refocused.

He knew the kind of trouble he could get into.

They were the type to beat up soldiers for minor infractions, simply because they were in a bad mood.

The gatekeeper straightened his helmet and adjusted his disheveled armor.

“Haa… if they’re guests, they’re guests. Why are they harassing us? What power do we have?”

The two gatekeepers sighed and lamented their fate.

Then, they looked up again.

“Hey. Isn’t that a person over there?”

A human figure was visible in the distance.

“Where? Where… oh? It’s real.”

“Looks like they’re coming here?”

“Oh. It is.”

The figure was gradually approaching the entrance of the county manor.

As they got closer, they could confirm that it was a person.

However, their face was obscured by a deeply pulled-down hood.

When they were right in front of them.

“Stop. This is the Avennes family’s county manor.”

“State your identity and purpose of visit.”

The gatekeeper blocked the way, dutifully performing his job.

The unidentified person slowly stopped walking.

And slowly lowered their hood.

The face revealed was that of a man.

A man with a somewhat foolish air about him.

“Cyan Ellandur. I’ve come to see my maternal grandfather after a long time.”