Chapter 6: Propose a Deal (1)

There were many reasons as to why the royal family’s power gradually weakened. Among those reasons were the development of science and technology, the emergence of philosophers, corruption of the old religion, and the power of the capital.

On the other hand, the power struggler between the Vieux rich and the nouveau riche widened as new aristocrats who bought their titles with money increased. 

Some did say that the enemy of the enemy was an ally. 

The royals tried to hold hands with the nouveau riche in order to combat the influence of the vieux riche that threatened the monarchial power, but even that was not easy.

With the majority of the parliament being the vieux riche and some having more sway than others, held back the royal’s plan.

In this world where the social caste formed the basis, every vote did not hold equal value. What mattered in the current parliament was not the number of votes but which party the voter belonged to.

Although the circumstances were already in their favor, the vieux riche introduced an ingenious legislation in order to protect their own power and suppress the rise of the nouveau riche.

The so-called Act on Prevention of the Nouveau, legislation, forbade the transfer of noble titles.

The vieux riche predicted their victory but an unexpected thing happened. In order to pass the legislation, the king had to stamp the royal seal, but the said seal had disappeared without a trace.

All the vieux riche staked their life and fortune on this legislation. They scampered around like Gollum after his precious but the investigation turned futile.  

With their ultimate weapon against the nouveau riche gone and the new aristocrats ever expanding their power, opinions that a new way should be sought were merging one after another.

Then, came Noah Volstaire Wynknight like a shooting star.

Duke Noah Wynknight was the brother of the current king. If the king was of royal blood, the duke was of the royal blood indeed.

He was the only son of the previous king’s second wife, the princess of the House of Wynknight, one of the founders of the kingdom that led the main force of the military every generation.

In other words, he was the epitome of the conservative power.

Though both the current king and Noah Wynknight boasted of undeniable merit, the “unfortunate scandal” that befell NOah ultimately robebd him of the crown.

For a while, the rumors had it that the scandal had been engineered by the faction behind the current king but the truth never emerged.

After retiring from the royal power struggle, he revitalized himself as the head of the House of Wynknight and met up to the expectations of vieux riche.

Not only did he hound after the case of the missing royal seal like a hunting dog, but he also criticized the king by uncovering the royal family’s dirty deeds. And with the authority of the captain of the public guard, he combed through the homes of the nouveau riche to investigate the whereabouts of the royal seal. 

The vieux riche set the young Duke Noah Wynknight, yet only 23 years of age, as the leader to hund down their new rivals.

***

Raeliana bore her eyes into Noah while emptying the champagne glass after glass.

He was truly handsome. How else would he be the male lead of a romance novel?

Multiple young ladies had already circled around Noah, vying for his attention. Though Noah behaved politely and courteously surrounded by the beauties, he didn’t let anyone in.

In this aristocratic world, where one or two lovers were not condemned by the social norms, Noah kept his private life unbelievably chaste.

It was to the point that some even gossiped that he had problems as a man or that he preferred men.

Seems tough.

As she sighed while looking at Noah, she was devising the ultimate plan.

In this society, status affected almost every aspect of life. This man had status and family more powerful enough to neutralize the House of Brooks and…

The man who I can offer a deal.

Raeliana planned to offer Noah a deal. He was not likely to be moved by money or beauty. But in this hopeless trap of a situation, she had one advantage that only someone from outside the novel could hold.

That was the only trump card Raeliana had.

The issue was whether or not she could face up to him as an equal in the deal.

The man was noble experienced ot the bone. Going into the deal naively could only rob her of her card.

Without taking her eyes off him, as if to monitor the man’s every move, Raeliana continued to think.

Still, I need to try.

She had nothing to lose.

Raeliana silently calculated the perfect moment. What she was going to say could not be overheard by anyone.

After surveying him fo a long time, she quietly followed Noah when he excused himself for a moment and headed to the garden.