As a Villain I Really Don’t Want To Be Pursued by the Heroine

70

Under the veil of night, in a secluded corner of the Sunset Red Castle, Leo Reinhardt looked over the documents on the table, his eyes, hiding sharp edges, flickering uncertainly in the dim candlelight.

A reformed wastrel wasn’t worth his notice.

Especially since Charlotte was in the bloom of youth, and even someone as proud as her could be deceived by sweet words.

But it wasn’t just Charlotte.

After the family dinner, his mother, Leisa, and even Robert, who doted on his daughter, had nothing but praise for Roy.

This defies reason.

Leo detests things that defy reason.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“Do not bother the young master of the [Ironblood] family again.”

Opposite Leo, an aged man in a grey robe raised his head, emitting a cold and deep chuckle.

“Your Highness, you wouldn’t be planning to break the contract, would you?”

“A young ‘sacrifice’ of the Silver Bloodline is a condition we will not compromise on.”

Beneath the darkness, the old man’s vertical pupils flickered with a sinister and chilling crimson light, and an invisible pressure enveloped the space.

Yet Leo, unfazed, casually crossed his legs, speaking with the tone of a superior: “Put away your pitiful show of force.”

“I have seen true dragons; your threats mean nothing to me.”

“However…” Leo tapped his fingers, pondering for a moment before proposing a new plan to his eager collaborator.

“Rean Raymond, he can meet your requirements.”

Unexpectedly, the old man was persistent: “Why change the plan so suddenly?”

A flicker of impatience crossed Leo’s eyes.

These fools are becoming more and more presumptuous. Don’t they know their place?

With just one command, countless griffin knights would reduce them to dust and ashes.

In fact, Leo was indeed planning to do just that.

But the time was not yet right.

So he patiently explained: “Roy has changed, and to bother him now would only lead to unnecessary complications.”

The old man cracked a smile, his hoarse voice tinged with mockery: “I never thought His Royal Highness would fear a mere milk-scented whelp.”

“Or is it that you’re concerned for your future brother-in-law?”

At these words, Leo’s brow twitched slightly, and a scorching flame flashed in his eyes.

In an instant, extraordinary power transformed into a roaring lion ablaze, engulfing the old man with intense heat like a hurricane.

Confronted with Prince Reinhardt’s immense and fiery killing intent, the old man finally lost his composure, instinctively shrinking back with agility that belied his form.

But in the blink of an eye, the fiery blaze dissipated into nothingness.

Leo sat leisurely in his place, while the old man was left drenched in cold sweat.

“Remember two things.”

“One is the fear of a king, and the other is never to speak of my family again, understand?”

The old man was silent for a long while before he bowed his head, nodding slowly, squeezing out an ugly smile.

“I’m just concerned that if the son of the [Ironblood] Marquis truly climbs up to Princess Charlotte, he will become a common trouble for both of us in the future. It’s better to act now to prevent future uncertainties.”

Leo knew all too well how troublesome it could be when a powerful local noble joined forces with a member of the royal family.

The old man’s worries were indeed reasonable.

But that was a danger for the future. How could a mere band of cultists have such far-sightedness?

Leo faintly realized that what the other party cared about was not a future local grand noble, but Roy Aynbraid himself.

“Your worries are unnecessary.”

“He will never walk with Charlotte, never.”

The prince narrowed his eyes, his tone revealing an undeniable determination.

——————————————

The next day, in a corner of the western side of the royal garden, the noble hunt took place under the brilliant sunny sky as scheduled.

Compared to the dances dominated by the elders, the hunt was the young people’s domain.

Young nobles, both lords and ladies, would gather here to compete, converse leisurely, with less of the cumbersome formalities, making it all the more lively.

In the martial spirit of the Lionheart Kingdom, both gentlemen and ladies had the chance to showcase their martial prowess on the hunting grounds.

Of course, hunting didn’t mean letting a group of noble offspring run around in dangerous woods.

Compared to the deeper parts of the garden Roy had visited before, this was just the outermost perimeter.

Knights would capture creatures like the Windshadow Birds and Blazing Foxes in advance, then release them onto the open field for the gentlemen and ladies to hunt.

Such hunting was elegant, swift, and safe, preventing any accidents. It allowed the young to display their hunting skills while minimizing danger.

In plain terms, this was a hunting game for the nobility.

But that didn’t mean the hunt was easy.

“Ready… Release!”

Whether it was the Windshadow Birds or the Blazing Foxes, the selected magical beasts all possessed extremely agile speed, far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Dozens of noble offspring released their arrows together, some even casting lightning and wind blades, yet the small red fox managed to escape through the dense barrage of death.

A wave of laughter erupted from the scene.

“The young masters this year are really useless.”

“It’s the third round and no one has hit the Blazing Fox yet!”

The young lords, red-faced and jeered at by the girls, cursed as they stepped down from their shooting positions.

“Damn it, I’ve been wanting to say, why prepare such a tricky prey? Isn’t this just making us lose face in front of the ladies?!”

“Exactly! That thing runs faster than the wind, how could we possibly hit it?!”

“It’s simply not fair! Those little beasts should be tied to stakes!”

In the distance, under a temporarily erected canopy where Leo was taking shade, he merely glanced once and lost interest.

To him, this was nothing more than a child’s play. The worthless young masters who couldn’t even handle a game were not worthy of his attention.

For a moment, no one dared to step forward; the spacious shooting range was left deserted.

Until a fiery silhouette, against the flow, approached head-on.

Crimson twin tails, as vivid as flames, accentuated her grace, while her lotus-red military skirt showcased her efficiency. The proud princess bloomed like a striking red lotus under the azure sky, commanding the attention of all, who, regardless of gender, instinctively made way for her.

Charlotte arrived at the shooting range, not even bothering to pick up the extraordinary bow and arrows prepared at the side. Instead, she effortlessly conjured a longbow brimming with flames right out of thin air.

The knights opened the gate, and a little fox dashed out, like a small fireball in flight, covering dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.

Yet, Charlotte frowned in dissatisfaction.

“Release two more!”

As her words fell, two more fiery foxes were set free, and three little fireballs sped towards the depths of the forest.

But then, Charlotte made her move.

The Bow of Flames trembled, and three arrows of flame shot forth like swift birds!

The fiery foxes were struck in succession, falling like dominoes, their legs kicking out as they died on the spot.

Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.