Free Web NovelChapter 804: A Tempting Offer from Duke Austin
"Your Highness, how have you been? Doing well?"
A voice called out to him.
Nolan, who had been walking, was caught off guard. He turned around and saw Alvaron not far away, waving at him with a big grin.
"Duke Alvaron?" Nolan gasped before smiling. "I’m fine. What are you doing here?"
Alvaron walked over and stopped in front of him.
"I came to watch the match between Evalyn Lionheart and Nathan Asbourne earlier. The result was pretty surprising—Evalyn beat Nathan without much trouble," he said with a small chuckle.
"You were there too? Why didn’t I know?" Nolan asked in surprise.
He remembered that Alvaron hadn’t been in the VIP section. If he had, Luke would have informed him.
"Hehehe... I wasn’t sitting in the VIP section, Your Highness. I was sitting among the regular spectators. And thank you. Thanks to you, I ended up making a lot of money," Alvaron replied with a wide grin.
Nolan was surprised once again.
"Don’t tell me you placed a bet."
"That’s right!" Alvaron admitted openly. "I bet a hundred million Sharn on young Lady Evalyn’s victory. Not bad—I got three hundred million Sharn in return. All thanks to you."
Alvaron patted Nolan on the shoulder, his face full of gratitude and delight.
As a Duke, Alvaron rarely got involved in gambling. His status simply didn’t allow him to openly take part in that kind of thing. It would only hurt his reputation among the nobility.
That was why he purposely avoided sitting in the front row with Nolan, Luke, and the other high-ranking nobles when the match started.
But when he saw Nolan confidently betting on Evalyn in front of everyone, he decided to put some money down as well.
As it turned out, he made a fortune.
"It was just pure luck, Duke. Don’t make such a big deal out of it."
Nolan waved his hand, pretending to be modest.
But Alvaron wasn’t convinced. He knew Nolan well enough—or at least the side of him that had been carefully hidden from others.
"Don’t be so modest, Your Highness. How about I give you half? One hundred and fifty million Sharn?" he offered without the slightest hesitation.
If it were anyone else, they would have accepted without a second thought. One hundred and fifty million Sharn was an enormous sum, even for the wealthiest merchants.
But who was Nolan?
Forget one hundred and fifty million Sharn—even if someone placed a billion Sharn in front of him, he wouldn’t be tempted in the slightest.
After all, he already had more than enough money. That said, he wasn’t a hypocrite. If someone offered him money for free, he would gladly accept it.
The only difference was that this money came from Duke Alvaron. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Although their relationship was fairly good, Nolan hated owing favors to anyone, especially a Duke.
"No need, Duke. Keep it for yourself. After all, you’re the one who won it, not me," Nolan politely declined.
Alvaron didn’t press the matter any further. Still, deep down, he admired Nolan.
One hundred and fifty million Sharn was a sum that almost no one could refuse.
What’s more, he was offering it for free.
Yet Nolan turned it down without hesitation.
In Alvaron’s eyes, that alone spoke volumes about Nolan’s integrity and character.
Unfortunately, he had no idea that Nolan’s wealth far surpassed the entire treasury of the Austin Duke family.
If he had known, he might have fainted from shock.
"By the way, I came to meet His Majesty," Alvaron explained honestly. "He summoned me to discuss the situation in the northern region."
"Regarding the war?"
"Correct." Alvaron nodded helplessly. "As you know, tensions along the border have been rising. No one knows when the Holy Empire of Valtanir will make its move. Whether we like it or not, we—the four Dukes—must put aside our differences and stand together with the imperial palace in case the worst happens."
Nolan listened quietly. In truth, each of the four Dukes had their own longstanding feuds.
Duke Austin was at odds with Duke Malvain, while Duke Valcrest and Duke Ashvale weren’t on good terms either.
Although their conflict hadn’t reached the point where they wanted each other dead, the hostility between them was still enough to split the empire.
"I understand. I hope you can find a solution," Nolan said.
"Thank you." Alvaron smiled.
The two chatted for a while before eventually going their separate ways.
Nolan watched Alvaron walk away for a moment before muttering, "War, huh?"
A small chuckle escaped his lips.
"I’m sure the Holy Empire of Valtanir wouldn’t dare make a move. But if they really decide to go through with it, well..."
He slipped his right hand into his pocket and continued walking.
"Then they’d better be ready for the consequences," he muttered.
...
"Where am I?"
Nathan opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by endless darkness, without a single ray of light.
He stretched out both hands and felt around him. Strangely, there was nothing but empty space.
"Am I dreaming?"
That was the only explanation he could think of.
Buzz!
A light suddenly appeared before him. It gradually expanded until it was nearly two meters tall.
Under Nathan’s startled gaze, the light slowly took the form of a handsome man with a cold expression.
"Nathan Asbourne... You’ve disappointed me," the man said coldly.
Nathan jolted in surprise. He stared at the man intently, trying to remember who he was. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall him.
Whether because of their bloodline connection or some other reason, his mouth suddenly moved on its own.
"Ancestor of the Asbourne family... Lucas Asbourne!"
Nathan was startled by his own words. He quickly clamped his mouth shut, his eyes widening in shock.
"Ancestor?" he called out weakly.
The man remained silent, but his gaze was so sharp that it felt as though it could pierce right through him.
Nathan felt a chill run down his spine. He could sense a deep disappointment hidden behind his ancestor’s eyes.
"A-Ancestor, I can explain! I-I didn’t lose because I’m weak, but I..."
He desperately tried to come up with excuses to justify his defeat. However, no matter what he said, Lucas remained indifferent.
"You... have disappointed me..."
Those words echoed once more, causing Nathan to fall silent instantly.
He wanted to say something, but Lucas’s body slowly began to dissolve into countless particles of light.
"Ancestor! Wait! I can explain!"
Unfortunately, Lucas never responded. His figure soon vanished completely, leaving Nathan standing there with a blank expression.
***
"Ughh..."
Nathan groaned softly as he slowly opened his eyes. The familiar ceiling of his room came into view.
"In my room?" he muttered.
"Are you awake? Thank goodness..."
A relieved voice came from beside him. Nathan turned his head and saw a beautiful woman sitting by his bedside. Relief was written all over her face.
"Mother?" he called weakly. "Why are you here? And why am I in bed? Wasn’t I fighting Evalyn?"
Ereina remained silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
She gently stroked his head and whispered,
"Nathan, you lost..."
