Chapter 70: Postponed… Postponed Isn’t the Same as Canceled, Okay?!

Eugenie stared at Will, realizing for the first time that the “foolish,” “hot-headed,” and “childish” young master of the Hysterm family had a terrifying, predatory glint in his eyes—despite having looked like a perverted fool just moments ago when he had touched Treya’s hands.

Eugenie felt like she had been played.

Somehow, he had seen through the manipulations she had embedded in Treya’s swordsmanship training and used that same strategy against her with the 30 dummies.

Too impulsive. Even if she hadn’t agreed to his suggestion, she could’ve achieved her goal. But by agreeing…

She listened to the applause around her.

Although two dummies remained standing, compared to “failing to cut through 10 dummies and leaving two,” “cutting through 30 dummies and leaving two” was seen as an impressive feat.

It was like the difference between scoring 58 and 98 on an exam.

What’s more, Treya, in her white dress and silver hair, striking down dummies with her gleaming silver sword under the moonlight, was a vision of elegance and beauty.

Agreeing to this had essentially turned Treya’s first public swordsmanship display into a celebration.

“I succeeded? No… I didn’t succeed…”

Treya turned back to look at the two remaining dummies, knowing she hadn’t fully succeeded.

But…

How had she managed to destroy the other 28?

As she came out of her focused state, she finally heard the thunderous applause echoing around her.

“As expected of Princess Treya.”

“Though not flawless, achieving such results in one strike is remarkable.”

“People with elven bloodlines truly make everything look beautiful.”

These…

These were praises for her?

But…

Why?

Was Will’s final demand not meant to humiliate her?

When she had seen the 30 dummies, she had thought it was just another of Will’s attempts to kick her while she was down.

But…

It wasn’t.

Right, it was…

It was because of the encouraging words he had said to her earlier?

“My deepest apologies, Princess Treya.”

Accompanying this…

Was the “darkness” surrounding Will fading, little by little, transforming into a radiant white light.

“Ah, as I thought… watching you fight, I knew it, Treya.”

Will stood before her, bowing deeply with sincerity.

At that moment, it was as if he had taken all the threads Eugenie had used to bind her, untangling the sharp wires that had surrounded her, and now stood firmly by her side.

“Wha… what’s going on…”

“Seeing your silver hair and that sharp swordplay, I realized it immediately. You carry the noble and beautiful blood of the elves, and the resilient blood of the Entark royal family, as steadfast as this great dynasty.”

Will’s words were overly dramatic, sounding like a rehearsed performance full of lies.

Of course, he knew how nauseatingly fake it sounded.

But…

Seeing Treya’s wide, watery eyes trembling…

Considering Treya’s current lack of political awareness, Will worried that if he didn’t step in, this naive girl wouldn’t realize he had helped her.

Come on, he had sacrificed so much. He had to at least claim some credit.

“I believe in you, my fiancée.”

Finally, Will glanced at Eugenie, who stood in the distance.

She. Was. Livid.

Will. Was. Thrilled.

Will felt like he had just claimed his task reward.

“You—you—you—you—!”

“Mother! This is outrageous! The Hysterm family truly lives up to their reputation for being pretentious and insufferable!”

Eugenie, in a panic, turned to complain to Anna.

Uh-oh.

If she tattled…

Without mentioning her own manipulative behavior, she could highlight Will’s earlier theatrics, his request to cancel the engagement, and his current smooth-talking.

It might come across as insincere.

Could this lead to the “cancellation of the engagement” fate after all?!

After all, Treya had a mother, and while Anna was strict, she was still leagues better than Will’s “absent father” situation.

“Ahem, Young Master Will, while today’s engagement announcement is official, I believe you should exercise more restraint. Our royal family is not—”

Anna’s tone was clearly displeased, but before she could finish, Carver interrupted her:

“While Princess Treya has proven herself, the incidents Will experienced… can the royal family guarantee they had nothing to do with you?”

Huh?

Will was surprised by Carver stepping in to interrupt.

Carver was stepping in to smooth things over?

He was redirecting the conversation back to the sharp question Will had raised earlier.

So, he did have a father after all.

“The Entark royal family has always opposed such actions, judging solely by merit. Of course… if it turns out that a certain prince or princess was behind this…” Anna swirled her wine glass, “we will not hesitate to hold them accountable.”

“Thank you for the royal family’s decisiveness. In that case, until the royal family thoroughly investigates the mastermind behind these incidents…”

Will wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw Carver glance briefly in Eugenie’s direction.

“…we will postpone the subsequent engagement ceremonies and any further collaboration plans between the Hysterm family and the royal family. After all, I cannot entrust the Hysterm family or Will to your care under such circumstances. What does the Queen think?”

“Carver, this is practically canceling the engagement—”

“Hmm… but it’s not quite the same, is it?”

Before Anna could respond, Carver clinked his glass, as if sealing the agreement.

“Truly worthy of the Hysterm family head. Maintaining the appearance of a good relationship while avoiding any real commitment? Even if we find out a royal family member was involved, we won’t reveal their identity to you.”

“Oh? And yet, you still expect the Hysterm family’s support?”

“You—fine. We… will postpone it for now.”

Will watched the exchange closely.

Carver rarely showed such firmness.

But…

After carefully analyzing their words…

So this was still leading to a canceled engagement, wasn’t it?!

Everyone knew about the phenomenon of “postponed indefinitely,” often seen in delayed projects that never came to fruition.

Calling it a postponement was just a public relations move to smooth things over.

Once the current buzz died down, they could quietly announce the cancellation later. It was a common tactic.

“Even though I expected this outcome, it still feels like I wasted my effort…”

Will sighed.

But with this, the biggest conspiracy of the banquet had been resolved, and the most intense, confrontational moments were behind him.

It was time to enjoy the banquet (and the desserts).

If only his suit had a way to discreetly carry things, he would’ve taken some treats back for Eir, his greedy little maid, to enjoy the royal pastries.

As he thought this, he felt someone tugging at his sleeve from behind.

Tug, tug.

Treya, slightly taller than him, bent down slightly, looking up at him with a curious expression.

“Uh… Miss Treya~ what’s the matter?”

“Your clothes… they got some dust on them from the dummies. A bit dirty.”

She reached out and patted his back.

—Something about this attitude felt off!

“Well… is it clean now?”

“…Still a bit dirty.”

She rolled her hand into a fist and rubbed it against his back.

Will didn’t recall his back coming into contact with any dummies.

“You… don’t happen to have something you want to say to me privately but can’t bring yourself to, do you?”

Hearing this, Treya suddenly looked up.

The outdoor lights reflected in her icy blue eyes, making them shine.

For a moment, Will felt like his reflection in her eyes was glowing too.

She pouted slightly, nodding vigorously with a serious and expectant expression.

A half-elf princess using her looks to ask for something?

Truly unbeatable.