Turning the doorknob, Graham walked into the study of the Barielle mansion.
An old man with a head full of white hair was already waiting for him there.
"You're late!"
Leip Barielle stared at him with eyes like a leopard, full of dissatisfaction.
"You took your sweet time!"
"No way, old man, you know very well how long the corridors of this mansion are. I had to wander around for a while before finding this study," Graham shrugged, interrupting Leip's repeated emphasis without any scruples.
'This geezer isn't a beauty, just an old man. Why would I be in a hurry to meet him?'
"I heard you've been leisurely wandering around the territory with that vixen recently?" Leip frowned, speaking with a hint of implication.
"Wandering? Yeah, sure, let's go with that." Graham sneered.
"Hmph, if it weren't for the upcoming Royal Selection, I wouldn't marry that vixen! She just arrived and shamelessly used every means to climb up the totem pole. Those ignorant commoners! They actually revere that woman so much!" Leip spat furiously.
"So, you're just jealous?" Graham rolled his eyes. Did this guy call him here just to complain?
"Me, jealous of her? What a joke!" he scoffed.
"If it's not dissatisfaction with her popularity in the territory, then why did you call me here?"
"Hmph, it's inconvenient to talk here. Follow me."
Leip glared at him, then turned and opened the Barielle family's ancestral secret room for private discussions.
No wonder Priscilla calls him an old skeleton, he really has no new ideas, always doing the same things.
Priscilla had known about this secret room for a long time.
"So, can we talk now? And even this little kid is here?" Graham said, glancing at the pink-haired boy, Schult, who was also called over.
Hearing his words, Schult timidly averted his gaze and lowered his head deeply.
In fact, he had not told Leip that Priscilla no longer cared about him. Schult didn't dare to say it, fearing he would be abandoned for being worthless.
"You are all my undercover agents placed beside that vixen, so naturally, you all have to attend this meeting."
"Alright then, can you ask the person behind you to come out? Actually, I wanted to ask that last time, why does he stand behind you? Is he perhaps your stalker?" Graham quipped, teasing the old skeleton.
"..."
Leip's face darkened, "What nonsense are you talking about? Well, let me introduce you."
"This here is senior knight Gilian Endymion. I went to great lengths to visit the Endymion family from afar and bring him here as an assistant."
As the 'skeleton' spoke, the man named Gilian Endymion finally stepped out from the shadows behind Leip.
With bright golden hair, a ruggedly handsome face, a lean yet powerful physique honed through training, and a spotless knight's attire, he was the epitome of a high-ranking knight from head to toe.
Even an outsider could tell at a glance that the sword at his waist was no ordinary weapon.
"Old geezer, you don't mean to have him take my job, do you?"
Graham looked at Gilian, who was glaring at him with disdain, and pouted in displeasure.
"Haha, of course not. The Royal Selection is about to begin, and at that time, the impression of the commoners will be crucial. You see, Graham, people love to see a glamorous king paired with a handsome knight. This combination can sway the commoner's impression and increase favorability."
"So, you think this arrogant guy is more handsome and more suitable to be the princess's knight than me?" Graham's eyes turned dangerous.
Leip's eyes flickered, but before he could speak, the arrogant knight, Gilian, snorted coldly, drew his sword, and pointed it at Graham, "Insolent cur! How dare you speak to Lord Leip like that? Kneel and apologize immediately, and I might spare your life."
"Seriously old geezer? This is your choice? Your judgment is really poor," Graham sighed. He was already in a bad mood after being rejected by Priscilla tonight, and now this...
He couldn't stand it!
Although Schult, standing nearby, was happy to see Graham, who had caused him to lose Priscilla's trust, suffer, he weakly interjected, "My lord, Sir Knight, don't be impulsive. Let's talk this out. We're all here for the princess's sake, aren't we?"
"Silence you!" Gilian scolded Schult, and then sneered as he turned to face Graham full of hostility, "As a knight, to be disrespectful to the lord and address him in such a manner is utterly unforgivable! I will never recognize you as a knight!"
He had already met Priscilla and was astonished by her beauty, thinking there couldn't be such a beautiful woman in the world...
So, he developed feelings for Priscilla, and naturally, he was very displeased with Graham, the knight by her side.
Graham coldly looked at the arrogant knight and slowly drew the exquisite dagger hanging at his waist.
Leip's face darkened, and he exclaimed, "Isn't that dagger from my collection? Graham... you actually!"
"Oh, so you're a thief too. Even if you kneel and beg for mercy now, I won't spare you! You're a disgrace to us knights. Prepare to die!" Gilian, full of righteous indignation but with joy in his eyes, saw this as an opportunity to eliminate his rival.
He gripped his sword and swung it at Graham's neck!
"That's exactly what I wanted to say. Old geezer, open your eyes wide and see who the real knight of the princess is... " Graham's expression didn't change, but his eyes glowed with a strange deep blue light as he casually slashed with his dagger...