Chapter 64: Playing the Perverted Young Master? I’m a Pro

“Hello. May I ask… who are you?”

At this moment, Will realized yet another reason why he disliked these kinds of events.

Most of the banquet’s interactions fell into the “blind spots” of the original story—scenarios that were never fully detailed.

Who he might encounter, what they might say, and how he should respond were all unknowns, requiring him to improvise on the spot. This made the mental workload heavier and far more exhausting.

For instance, if Will wanted to extract information from the person in front of him, he had to pretend this was their first meeting. He couldn’t let on that he had already noticed this man during the practical exam retake.

This meant every conversation at this event had to be handled with extreme caution.

“Mike Branton. From the Branton family. Surely you’ve heard of us.”

Mike waved his hand casually, smiling as he approached Will.

“I’ve heard of the Branton family, but I don’t recall meeting you.”

“Haha, I’ve always heard that the young master of the Hysterm family is rather arrogant. Seems the rumors are true.”

Unlike Felix, who was easily provoked, Mike was much more composed.

He skillfully avoided confrontational topics, keeping the conversation smooth and polite, ensuring it could continue without conflict.

Clearly, he was a seasoned veteran in these social settings.

“So, what do you want from me?”

“Oh, nothing much. Just wanted to meet the future royal son-in-law.”

“…That… wait, what? Royal son-in-law?”

That was close.

Will took a deep breath.

He had almost let something slip.

If Mike was working for Eugenie, he would likely know that Will was not favored by his family and had been dragged here without being informed of his role as a pawn in this political marriage. He was probably expected to make a fool of himself.

It wasn’t time to reveal how much he knew.

The closer he acted to the original Will, the more likely he could uncover why Eugenie had orchestrated Mike’s role as the bullying ringleader and why he was approaching Will now.

“It seems Young Master Will isn’t fully aware,” Mike said, swirling his wine glass—though as a minor, it was filled with red grape juice. “Do you know of the Ninth Princess of the royal family?”

“Ah, the silver-haired half-elf, right? Pale skin, pointy ears. Those unique ears… I wonder if touching them would elicit a special reaction. Elves really are a race made for amusement, don’t you think?”

—Amazing!

Will couldn’t help but praise himself internally.

He had finally delivered a line that the “young master of the Hysterm family” would absolutely say in a formal social setting. It was greasy and sleazy, like something a throwaway villain in a slave market would spout, but it was undeniably in character!

He studied Mike’s expression.

Surely, by now, Mike had enough of a sense of Will’s “personality” and “morals” to make his next move.

“Interesting. So, Young Master Will, what if I told you that this princess is to become your fiancée—and that the engagement will be announced today? What would you think?”

“Ah? That’s awesome!”

If not for knowing the original story’s engagement cancellation arc…

A half-elf wife? That’s incredible!

“But as someone unrelated to all this, how does a Branton know about it?”

Will pretended to casually pick out a dessert, though he was listening intently.

For Mike to reveal something like this outright, he was likely planning to say more.

“The arrangement was finalized about a month ago during discussions between your father and the royal family. You might recall that during that time, your father seemed to disappear for a while.”

“Hmph, even when I was seriously injured, he didn’t bother to visit me.”

“During that period, he was likely busy navigating the royal family’s inner circles, dealing with various members.”

“Even if he found me a half-elf fiancée, I won’t forgive him.”

“But…”

Mike’s gaze lingered on Will’s right hand.

Thanks to the ointment from S, Will’s hand had healed well enough for him to take the practical exam. The wound had closed nicely, though faint scars remained.

“Will, think carefully. Do you really believe this is a good thing?”

“Hmm? Why wouldn’t it be? Come on, man, it’s a half-elf. Are you jealous?”

Mike lowered his gaze to his glass, as if the act of looking down made his words seem more profound and thought-provoking.

“This means your Hysterm family will inevitably become entangled in the royal family’s internal conflicts. That’s hardly a good thing.”

There it was!

Eugenie’s faction had sent someone to plant seeds of doubt just before the engagement announcement?

Will had spent so much time wondering how Eugenie had manipulated the “original Will” into losing his temper at the banquet.

Turns out it was this straightforward?!

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Young Master Will, you’re still a student, so you might not be aware. Historically, families that get involved in the Entark royal family’s power struggles must have immense resilience. The pressure, even the assassination attempts, are no small matter… Many families have been wiped out because of it.”

“That’s terrifying. How could that be true?”

“Moreover… even without considering the royal family, the Ninth Princess is a half-elf—a race deeply tied to witches. Marrying her might attract external forces as well.”

“Wait, what do you mean by witches—”

The second mystery was solved.

Why Eugenie had chosen Leah as part of her scheme.

The tension between elves and witches, stemming from the legend of Witch Yaar, was well-known.

Though both elves and witches had since retreated into seclusion, their descendants no longer viewed the conflict as a blood feud.

However…

By exploiting this “misunderstanding” and adding a bit of manipulation, it was easy to make someone believe, “All your suffering is Treya’s fault.”

“It’s nothing. Just a friendly reminder to the Hysterm family, as a competitor: if you’re looking to align with the royal family, you might want to aim for someone more powerful.”

“……”

“After all, marriage signifies allegiance. If the person you align with is weak, it’s a significant liability.”

Mike’s words were direct yet carefully avoided critical details.

He subtly guided Will toward conclusions like, “Your danger stems from the engagement news,” “Treya is weak within the royal family,” and “You should choose someone else.”

No wonder the original Will fell for it. Even now, Will could see how easily someone could be misled.

The original Will, tormented at school, attending the banquet with bandaged wounds, was told that all his suffering was due to becoming Treya’s fiancé—and that worse was yet to come, as she couldn’t even protect him.

Add to that his father’s neglect and his role as a political pawn…

It was no surprise his mental state crumbled.

Alright, Will thought, let’s spare a moment of pity for the original Will. He was utterly played by Eugenie’s faction, down to his very thoughts and emotions.

“Wow… that’s terrifying. So scary… Maybe I shouldn’t lust after a half-elf’s body after all…”

“If you back out now, it might not be too late.”

Mike, as if completing a task, raised his untouched grape juice, turned, and walked away.

Will took a sip of his orange juice.

The royal family’s orange juice was incredible—so sweet it was almost overwhelming.

Next time, he thought, I should switch to grape juice like Mike. At least it looks more like wine.

Another useless banquet tip learned.

“Sigh… don’t they realize how cruel this is to a pure-hearted princess who still dreams of love?”

Manipulating her trust, dragging so many people into this just because of an engagement…

The Entark royal family was rotten to the core.

As Will pondered how to follow Eugenie’s plan and turn it against her, he heard a pretentious voice from the crowd:

“My, my, isn’t this little Will? No matter how rebellious you are, you still follow Father’s orders and show up obediently, don’t you?”