"Welcome back to Riga, my lord," one by one, the nobles greeted Leland and his wife. They were surprised to see the duke again in Livstad after he was said to move back to Frisia five years ago.
They respected him because Duke Romanov was known for his massive wealth and big influence. Many of the nobles who greeted the couple were the people who had owed something to Duke Romanov.
They had great respect for the man, who they considered a generous and helpful person. They didn't know that Duke Romanov actually never cared about helping them.
He only did it to gain more influence and made people indebted to him. He would collect what they owed him when the time came.
***
The party became more lively after Leland's and Sophie's arrival. The Romanov family became the talk of the people.
The noblemen praised Duchess Romanov's beauty while the noblewomen secretly gossiped about Duke Romanov's appearance that always seemed shrouded in mystery.
