Chapter 538: She Even Gave Me the Back Door Key

Some unfamiliar faces made no effort to hide their hostility toward Leech. He could easily tell which nobles belonged to Baron Simon’s faction and which were with Baron Fray.

After he was shown to his room, the footman who had led him there quickly departed. The man had said he would return in a while to escort him, so Leech wasn’t in a hurry.

After changing into his formal attire and tidying himself up a bit, Leech sat in a chair and meditated.

As a result, time flew by.

“My lord, the ball is about to begin. I’ll take you there.” A knock came from the door, followed by a maid’s voice.

Leech pulled the door open. It wasn’t the same footman from before who had come to fetch him, but he didn’t find it strange. They were probably just short-staffed.

Tonight’s ball was a major event. The powerful union of the Simon and Frey families signaled that Baron Simon had thrown in his lot with the Eldest Prince. Moreover, the Baron’s own liege lord, Duke East Gorge, had also married his daughter to the Eldest Prince.

Therefore, anyone hoping to curry favor with either of them would attend the ball.

From the other nobles’ perspective, it didn’t matter how many victories Leech had won for the Duke. Baron Simon was undoubtedly more loyal, as he had completely committed himself to the Eldest Prince’s faction.

Leech, on the other hand, had married into the family from Linta Bay. And not long ago, the “Old Crocodile’s” family at Linta Bay had been trying their utmost to break away from East Gorge, making them bona fide oathbreakers.

The sky had grown completely dark as he hurried along the castle’s long corridors, following the maid.

Leech gazed out the window at Iron Stone City. A smattering of starry lights reflected the great town’s prosperity, but it still fell short when compared to Porcupine Territory at night. Nowadays, Porcupine Territory was never stingy with its lights.

‘He didn’t mind raising the standard of living for his residents and providing plenty of places for young couples to go on dates. It might even boost the birth rate as a side benefit.’

As they continued on, Leech’s brow gradually furrowed. ‘This doesn’t seem to be the way to the ball.’ He and the maid had already left the castle and arrived at one of its secluded gardens.

Just as he was about to ask, a figure in a long, crimson dress appeared ahead of them.

Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, and she wore a fur shawl over the top of her dress. A vicious-looking scar ran down from her face, disappearing under her clothes, making one wonder just how severe the injury had been and tempting them to peek inside for a closer look.

The maid immediately withdrew.

It was obviously Charming who had deliberately brought him here.

“Miss Becky.” Leech gave her a quick glance, then pulled his gaze back, fixing it firmly on her face and refusing to look anywhere below her neck. “Did you need me for something?”

“You… you…” She bit her red lip lightly, looking at Leech with a wronged expression. “You’re engaged to Miss Stacy of the Wisdom family.”

She looked as if Leech had seduced and abandoned her, which left him utterly bewildered.

‘We’ve never slept together, we’ve never even dated. Don’t be like this.’

Leech had always considered himself a lecherous man, yet only when faced with Becky Simon could he manage to restrain himself.

He never hid the distance he kept from Becky Simon.

From his very first interactions with her, Leech had a faint feeling that this woman would be hard to handle, but that she could very easily handle *him*.

On the Lu Leiyi Continent, attitudes toward sexual relationships were quite open. Many powerful figures liked to conduct business in brothels, and many noblewomen were the same.

But Leech was different from them. It wasn’t a question of being lecherous or not; rather, he found it difficult to be heartless after the act, to pull up his pants and pretend nothing had happened.

That was the crux of his weakness. Compared to pure self-interest, he ultimately cared more about emotional connection.

He believed that Charming had sensed this, which was why he restrained himself, lest he get in too deep.

“Yes.”

Although she had used an affirmative tone rather than a questioning one, Leech still nodded in response.

“How is she? Miss Stacy, I mean.” Becky walked toward Leech, carrying a familiar fragrance. It was the newest perfume developed in Porcupine Territory, also using “Miss Long-hair” as the main ingredient, but with added citrus to make the scent livelier, giving it a faint, sweet aroma.

‘A loyal customer of Porcupine Brand products.’ Leech’s mood improved slightly.

‘At least she’s a paying customer. I should keep a smile on my face.’

“I have no intention of discussing my fiancée with others.” Leech looked toward the lights of the castle. “The ball is about to start. It’s not good for the two of us to be seen meeting here. It will cause gossip.”

Disappointment flashed across Becky’s face. This was not the first time she had offered her heart to Leech, but he always refused.

Her probing, joke-like advances may not have been entirely without sincerity.

“We’re friends, right, Leech?”

“Of course.” Leech nodded without hesitation. ‘The more friends, the better.’

“Iron Valley…”

Her voice suddenly became much more ethereal as she spoke, lost in recollection. “That barren place… before you went, I sent people there once, too. Two thousand mercenaries. It cost me all my savings.”

Leech said nothing, just watched her quietly, not understanding why she had suddenly changed the subject.

“A friend of mine told me that if I could find something that extends life and offer it to the Duke, I could become the Baroness of Iron Valley.” She looked at Leech. “But those mercenaries were all wiped out… Anyway, that’s not important. Did you find that thing?”

This was a story many of the nobles already knew.

Leech had earned his title “the Fearless” from the Iron Valley campaign.

‘Is “that thing” she’s talking about Isis’s Flower, the bloodline herb, or the Purple Clove Mushroom?’