Chapter 14: Son of the Duke
"Hello, beautiful maiden."
A confident male voice rang out, causing Ronan’s body to freeze in place.
His eyes darted around as he heard the inn fall silent. The bartender’s eyes widened as he looked behind Ronan.
All of it only made Ronan panic even more, for it meant the person standing behind him was no ordinary individual.
"Fuck... am I going to die for the third time?"
Ronan couldn’t help but think as his tiny heart went into overdrive, pounding heavily against his chest.
His entire body tensed.
At that moment, he desperately wanted to open his mouth and try to speak, but every time he remembered the growl that had come out before, he couldn’t help but tremble.
If a growl escaped his mouth now...
He was doomed.
[The host can only speak short phrases after evolving into a Ghoul Lord. Until then, only growls can come out of the host’s mouth.]
Hearing that, Ronan almost cursed the System.
You couldn’t have told me earlier? Why did you let me walk into this inn first and end up facing a Transcendent Realm expert?
Leaving now would only raise suspicion.
He had no choice but to bite the bullet.
Slowly, Ronan turned around to face the human.
The instant their eyes met, Ronan saw the man’s dark pupils light up with excitement as a smile spread across his face.
The man had long jet-black hair and wore luxurious clothes that enhanced his handsome appearance. Although his features were merely above average, he possessed a noble aura that naturally drew people’s attention.
Seeing the expensive attire on the man’s body, Ronan lost all hope.
This person was definitely no ordinary noble.
"Maiden?" the man called again, causing Ronan’s body to tense even further.
"Fuck it. If I’m going to die again, I won’t just sit here and wait for it."
The atmosphere inside the inn instantly reached its breaking point.
But just then...
"I understand. I apologize for my sudden approach. You there, prepare your finest dishes and your best wine. Set a table for me and the young lady."
The young man smiled as he waved his hand.
The bartender immediately snapped out of his daze and hurried toward the kitchen. Soon, the sounds of plates clattering echoed throughout the inn as servants quickly prepared the meal.
Ronan silently went along with it, completely confused.
Just moments ago, he had been certain everything would spiral out of control and that his identity would be exposed.
But...
What was going on?
After sitting down, Ronan secretly observed the young man, trying to determine whether he had been discovered or not.
Meanwhile, when the young man noticed the Crimson-Eyed Maiden staring at him, he couldn’t help but puff out his chest, trying to appear even more refined and dignified.
"I knew the maiden was out of our league."
"Yeah... only the Duke’s son has a chance with her."
"She must be a traveling noble lady."
"I agree. Her elegance is simply out of this world."
Ronan’s face twitched as he listened to the whispers around him.
Elegance? Lady?
Fuck you all.
He was sitting here terrified, wondering if his identity had been exposed, while these idiots were busy imagining his background.
What the hell?
And he was a man.
A straight man.
In fact, straight as an arrow.
If Ronan could speak, he would have cursed all five generations of their families.
What the hell was wrong with these people?
Even so, among all the useless gossip, he managed to pick up one valuable piece of information.
As it turned out, the young man sitting before him was the Duke’s son.
Even though Ronan didn’t fully understand the status of a Duke, he knew it was definitely not something insignificant.
The danger level of the young man instantly rose in Ronan’s mind.
He did his best to remain calm.
Meeting the son of such an important figure was the last thing he wanted.
All Ronan wanted was to get away from this man as quickly as possible.
"Maiden, your food will be served shortly. In the meantime... why don’t we get to know each other?"
The young man leaned forward with a gentle smile as he reached for Ronan’s hand.
Seeing this, Ronan instinctively recoiled, quickly pulling his hand away.
The moment he did, he couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.
Are you stupid?
Do you want to offend the son of a Duke and expose yourself?
Idiot!
Just as Ronan was panicking internally, the young man’s smile only widened.
Ronan couldn’t help but furrow his brows.
What is happening?
"I understand, Maiden. I was too forward. In fact, you don’t even know my name."
The young man smiled warmly before introducing himself.
"My name is Bama. I am the son of the Duke of the Cheritof Kingdom, and I came here to visit the mayor of this city, who is a friend of my father. I can only say it was a blessing, since it allowed me to meet you."
The young man paused before continuing.
"Maiden... would I be fortunate enough to know your name?" Bama asked.
Ronan couldn’t help but think.
He had remained silent the entire time.
He hadn’t answered.
He hadn’t spoken.
He hadn’t shown the slightest bit of interest.
So why wasn’t this man angry about being ignored?
In fact...
The more Ronan ignored him, the more excited Bama seemed to become.
Ronan couldn’t help but wonder if Bama had already figured out that he was an undead Ghoul...
A male one at that.
Ronan’s butt clenched tightly as he looked at Bama with fear.
What a monstrous being.
Seeing Ronan remain silent, Bama felt his heart skip a beat.
What is this...?
Love at first sight?
The mystery surrounding this woman was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Countless young women flocked to him every day because he was the Duke’s son.
Even noble ladies tried to befriend him, and if he truly desired someone, all it took was a snap of his fingers. No matter who she was, she would eventually be brought before him.
After all, the Duke’s influence was immense.
Yet this mysterious maiden showed absolutely no interest in him.
She simply looked at him as though he were nothing special.
She didn’t even bother speaking.
And despite wearing such simple clothes...
She was unique.
Bama couldn’t help but want to melt the cold ice around her heart.
Not by force.
No.
He wanted her to willingly open her heart to him.
Besides, she didn’t even seem to care that he was the son of a Duke.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of shock in her eyes.
"It’s fine, Maiden. You don’t have to speak."
Bama smiled as he lightly patted his chest.
"I’ll do the talking. You can simply listen."
Meanwhile, Ronan, who had just finished processing everything Bama had said, slowly looked up at the young man with bright eyes.
He couldn’t help but think...
"Do you have a screw loose?"