Chapter 22 - 21 : The Duke’s Proposal - Part 2
He looked to the marquis for an answer, but the latter had said nothing,
and a thick silence took hold of the atmosphere, as if even the murmurs refused to break it.
The duke frowned slightly.
—Still clinging to that, Velkan? You know as well as I do that the third princess is useless. Are you going to sacrifice your son for a meaningless union? Think carefully.
The moment his words fell, the atmosphere became tense. The glasses stopped moving. Some nobles even pretended to look away.
I could feel the muscles in my neck tense, as if the air itself had become denser.
The marquis’s eyes turned in my direction and then rested on the crowd.
His fingers played with the still-full glass, and finally he spoke in a firm tone:
—Let’s talk inside—he said, pointing to the mansion—.There are too many eyes and ears in this place.
The Duke curved his lips into a smile.
—Afraid someone might overhear, Velkan? How amusing...
—Since when has the mighty Marquis Velkan Riesenhart become so timid?