I Was Framed, Now I'll Take The Throne

Chapter 84: Ball for Lionel (2)

"Presenting Her Highness, Princess Elara Kresta Exelio. Duke Arden Joven Exelio. And the young master, Lionel Silvestre Exelio!"

The moment their names echoed throughout the ballroom, the entire hall instantly fell into silence. Countless nobles immediately turned toward the main stage, which had stairs on the two opposite sides.

Under the bright chandelier lights, the Exelio family finally entered the ballroom together.

Princess Elara walked elegantly at the center while holding Duke Arden’s arm lightly. Beside them, Lionel calmly followed after his parents with a composed expression.

For a brief moment, many guests could only stare speechlessly at the scene before them.

"They truly look like a royal family..."

"As expected of Her Highness..."

"My goodness..."

Whispers immediately spread throughout the ballroom as they saw the view. Many noblemen and noblewomen became completely captivated by Elara’s appearance tonight.

"The princess is absolutely beautiful."

"No wonder she was once called the jewel of the imperial family..."

"That gown alone probably costs more than a fortune."

"Even after all these years, Her Highness still looks stunning."

Under the ballroom lights, Elara genuinely looked untouchable. Her graceful posture, her elegant smile, and her regal appearance naturally drew everyone’s attention toward her.

Meanwhile, others quietly looked toward Duke Arden next, who was standing right beside Elara.

"The Duke looks incredibly dignified tonight."

"He still carries the same pressure as always."

"As expected of the Empire’s greatest commander..."

Even while dressed formally, Arden still carried the strict and natural aura of someone who you know had spent years on battlefields. He was standing upright, tall with a serious look on his face.

Then there’s Lionel. Slowly, the guests’ attention turned to him after the people were done checking out his mother and father. For a second, several nobles looked visibly surprised when they saw him.

"That’s Lionel already?"

"He looks completely different from the rumors..."

"Didn’t he look much more mature?"

"And handsome too..."

The Lionel standing before them now looked nothing like the careless young noble they used to hear about in the past.

Lionel looked calm and composed, especially his expression that remained neutral despite the countless eyes staring at him from every direction.

The dark blue formal attire suited him exceptionally well, making him look far more refined and noble than they really expected.

More importantly, Lionel was able to carry himself properly. It was enough to make many nobles reconsider the rumors they once believed.

"I heard about what happened during the retreat a few weeks ago..."

"Yes, but I honestly thought those stories were just exaggerated."

"But now..."

A lot of noblewomen quietly looked toward Lionel again. In their minds they were already thinking that Lionel would be a good match for their own daughter.

"How old is Lionel again?"

"He’s 14."

"Just 2 years then, before he will be at a marriageable age?"

"With that age, he’ll officially enter noble society soon enough..."

"And he’s the only son of the Exelio family, too."

Several nobles immediately exchanged meaningful looks after realizing that. The whispers inside the ballroom slowly changed in that direction afterward.

"If the rumors about his talent are true, then his future inside the Imperial Army will definitely be promising."

"And with both Duke Arden and Her Highness supporting him..."

"His standing will only continue to rise from here."

Some noblewomen quietly began observing Lionel more carefully now. The more they looked at him, the more satisfied they became.

Not only did Lionel possess the Exelio family’s status and wealth, but he had also inherited his parents’ appearance exceptionally well.

His calm demeanor tonight also made him appear far more mature compared to other boys his age.

"He would make an excellent son-in-law..."

"I heard the second daughter of House Veltrion is around his age."

"What about House Cinkil?"

"No, no. The Exelio family would probably aim much higher than that." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

A new wave of whispers quickly spread across different corners of the ballroom. Several nobles were already beginning to calculate silently in their minds.

If they could establish connections with the Exelio family through marriage in the future, it would greatly strengthen their own position within the Empire. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

After all, the Exelio family already possessed overwhelming influence by themselves.

Duke Arden controlled one of the Empire’s strongest military forces. Princess Elara herself was a direct member of the imperial family. And now, their son was finally beginning to show potential worthy of his bloodline.

Naturally, many people no longer dared to underestimate Lionel anymore.

Meanwhile, Lionel himself remained completely unaware of the dangerous thoughts currently forming inside the minds of countless nobles around him.

Or rather... even if he noticed the strange looks directed toward him, he simply chose to ignore them calmly.

Unfortunately for him, Princess Elara noticed everything perfectly. And instead of stopping it, she even looked completely pleased.

Meanwhile, Duke Arden quietly glanced toward the surrounding nobles before sighing internally. He already knew exactly what those people were thinking.

For some reason, he suddenly felt that his future headaches as a father had only just begun.

However, among the countless nobles inside the ballroom, there was one young lady who could not even properly react to the Exelio family’s entrance.

The young girl stood on the side of the ballroom, completely frozen in place while her eyes remained locked directly on Lionel.

"T-That’s him..." she whispered faintly.

The moment she saw Lionel clearly beneath thelights, her entire face immediately turned red in realization.

How could she possibly forget that face?

It was the same young man she had met days ago at the clothing store.

Her mind had completely gone blank after hearing the full announcement earlier.

Lionel Silvestre Exelio.

The only son of the Exelio family and the son of Duke Arden and Princess Elara...

The girl immediately lowered her head slightly while covering part of her face with her fan out of pure embarrassment.

No wonder he looked so refined back then...

Beside her, another young noblewoman noticed her strange reaction immediately.

"What’s wrong with you, Cecilia?"

Cecilia stiffened at the question.

"N-Nothing..."