Chapter 181: The Reasonable Man

"Commander—"

Trevor, hearing Phoenix Lady's call, flung his cloak back and walked expressionlessly to the front of Phoenix Lady. "Madam, what else do you command?"

Previously, Phoenix Lady had summoned him to act as a pawn in driving away Redwood patriarch and Holy Light envoy. Although neither the Redwood patriarch nor the Holy Light envoy were particularly virtuous, being used still made Trevor feel very annoyed.

Phoenix Lady smiled gracefully, "Commander, why not sit down and have some wine?"

Trevor's lips twitched slightly, bluntly responding, "Duty calls, I cannot drink."

Phoenix Lady nodded in approval, "I knew it. Having Commander Trevor as the referee for this tournament will surely make things go smoothly. By the way, Trevor, do you know how the registrations for the tournament are going?"

Trevor was slightly taken aback, not expecting Phoenix Lady to ask about such trivial tournament matters. He then answered, "As usual, all the prestigious families of Stonerock City are participating—except for the Second Prince."

"Second Prince is tied up with official duties and will not participate in this tournament."

Phoenix Lady deliberately raised her tone, "I heard that a foreign Gold-edged noble has traveled thousands of miles to celebrate my birthday, and even brought me a Sixth Rank Fire Scorpion's heart. Why has no one introduced him to me?"

So that's it—the reason she asked about the tournament was to steer the conversation towards Rayan. Trevor, with a cold face, said, "Madam, forgive me, but I do not know who brought you the Fire Scorpion's heart. Perhaps you should ask someone else."

All eyes of the guests instantly turned towards Rayan; they all knew that the foreign noble Phoenix Lady mentioned was this young man who had been dancing with Lady Spring Rain.

Lady Spring Rain smiled as she introduced, "Madam, the foreign noble you're speaking of is Rayan of The Indestructible Flame."

"Oh?"

Phoenix Lady feigned surprise, "Does Spring Rain know him?"

"We met once, a year ago."

This wasn't exactly a lie; a year ago, Lady Spring Rain had indeed met Rayan, but only two other people were present at the time: the loyal servant Archer and Duncan, whom Rayan had killed. Besides them, no one knew exactly what the circumstances had been.

"Then please introduce him to me," urged Phoenix Lady.

Lady Spring Rain was about to speak when Marquis Hart preempted her, standing up with a smile on his face, "Auntie—no, Phoenix Lady, why bother the lady with such matters? I will call that young man over to you right now."

Phoenix Lady blinked, surprised that her foolish nephew had apparently matured, learning to mingle with influential figures.

"That would indeed be best. I'll leave it to you, Marquis Hart."

Marquis Hart, grinning broadly, said, "Not a bother at all, serving two ladies is my utmost honor."

With that, he stood up and walked towards Rayan.

Previously, Rayan had terrified him, and his volunteering now wasn't to make connections but, thinking he could stand tall under Phoenix Lady's banner, he hoped to use her name to humiliate Rayan—

Unfortunately, he forgot that his own status as the patriarch of Stonerock City's premier family meant approaching an obscure noble was inherently demeaning.

"Rayan, you see how formidable my aunt is, right?" Marquis Hart stood before Rayan, brimming with arrogance.

Rayan glanced at him indifferently, "The things I've seen, you can't even imagine."

"Such arrogance!" Marquis Hart said fiercely, "You still dare to talk big at this point! You must be wanting to taste my aunt's methods!"

The image of Phoenix Lady with her legs apart flashed in Rayan's mind, making him frown, "I'd rather not."

"Humph, scared now?"

Marquis Hart laughed triumphantly, "Good that you're scared. I'll give you a chance: bow down to me in front of everyone here. Maybe if I'm pleased, I'll introduce you to my aunt and say a few good words for you."

Clearly, it was Phoenix Lady who wanted to meet Rayan, but Hart was using this as leverage, thinking Rayan would value such an opportunity. Little did he know, Rayan would rather avoid it.

"If she wants to meet me, she can come here herself."

Rayan calmly picked up a jug and poured himself a glass of the aromatic and potent Royal Grin.

"You!"

Marquis Hart's eyes widened, "You're too arrogant! Do you know who my aunt is? The mother of the Second Prince, the future queen mother, and you dare to treat her this way? Asking her to come to you? Who do you think you are? The Lion King?"

Rayan lifted his glass, not even glancing up. He had once tied a naked Phoenix Lady to a bed, an act that was more than just slighting—probably something not even the Lion King had done.

He took a sip of wine and smirked, "The Lion King doesn't have my taste."

"What did you say, you dare—"

Before he could finish, Marquis Hart was intimidated by Rayan's cold gaze and took a step back, "I—I am a man of reason. I won't lower myself to argue with someone as uncouth as you. I am the patriarch of Stonerock Kingdom's premier noble family, the brother of the next Lion King! A true royal relative!"

Rayan set down his glass, his piercing gaze fixed on him, and simply said, "Leave."

"Alright."

Marquis Hart nodded promptly, feeling a strange sense of relief that Rayan hadn't drawn his sword. As long as he could return to Phoenix Lady without losing limbs, all would be well. But as he was about to leave—

"Come back." Rayan commanded.

Marquis Hart's heart clenched, and he froze in place.

"Remember to tell her, she should come see me herself." Rayan's voice followed him.

Marquis Hart now regretted provoking this rogue! He hurried back to where Phoenix Lady and Lady Spring Rain were, finally catching his breath.

Seeing his expression, Phoenix Lady knew he had botched things. Still, she patiently asked, "What happened? Where is the person I asked you to bring?"

"He..."

Marquis Hart's face reddened, and he stammered, "He is too arrogant. He insists that Phoenix Lady you must go see him personally."

Phoenix Lady was slightly taken aback. "He said that?"

Lady Spring Rain, startled, quickly interjected, "There might be some misunderstanding here, Lord Rayan is not that kind of impolite person..."

Phoenix Lady suddenly burst out laughing, confusing both Marquis Hart and Lady Spring Rain.

Marquis Hart tentatively asked, "Aunt... should we send Imperius to cut down that young man's arrogance?"

Phoenix Lady ignored her foolish nephew and slowly stood up. As she left her seat, she whispered to Lady Spring Rain in a voice as soft as a whisper, "It seems you don't really understand him."

Lady Spring Rain's face turned crimson. She didn't know why Phoenix Lady was laughing or why she said such an enigmatic thing, but those words struck a sensitive chord. She stuttered, "Madam... I—we only met a year ago, of course, I don't understand him."

Phoenix Lady gently ruffled Lady Spring Rain's hair, "My dear Spring Rain, I mean, you don't understand him as well as I do."

Lady Spring Rain stood frozen. By the time she recovered, Phoenix Lady had confidently approached Rayan. Lady Spring Rain, worried about a potential conflict, hurriedly followed.

Phoenix Lady, swaying gracefully, called over to the stern Black Armor Commander, "Commander Trevor, come with us, please."

"Yes."

Seeing that this involved Rayan, Trevor did not hesitate.

Marquis Hart also followed behind Phoenix Lady, not wanting to miss the chance to see Rayan embarrassed. However, having learned from previous experiences, he was much more cautious this time, his arrogance noticeably subdued compared to Rayan's unshakable demeanor. He seemed like a servant who had stolen his master's clothes, lacking the poise expected of a family patriarch.

Other guests, seeing a figure like Phoenix Lady personally approaching Rayan, grew even more admiring of him.

Phoenix Lady stopped a sword's length from Rayan. Rayan hadn't expected her to actually come, and when their eyes met, he detected a flicker of playful mockery in her phoenix eyes—it was brief, but he saw it.

The scent of Phoenix Lady triggered a vivid image of her naked form in Rayan's mind, making the contrast between her dignified appearance and his memory all the more striking.

Marquis Hart hastily introduced his aunt, "Phoenix Lady, this is the foreign noble, Rayan. However, Lord Rayan, while engaging with a prostitute, lost his lineage document, so whether he's actually a noble might need verification from the prostitute."

Nobility hiring prostitutes was a dishonorable affair, and Marquis Hart did not miss the opportunity to ridicule him. After finishing, he laughed to himself, while Phoenix Lady remained unfazed.

Lady Spring Rain didn't laugh either. Knowing Rayan's real identity and that the prostitute story was fabricated, she just stood there, looking worriedly at Rayan.

Standing aside, Black Armor Commander Trevor also didn't laugh. Although he couldn't be sure of Rayan's real identity, he believed Rayan was not the type to be manipulated by a prostitute. His firm lips pressed into a tight line as he observed the unfolding scene.

Marquis Hart's self-laughter faltered when he noticed no one responding, and his smile curdled like sour milk.

"Is Royal Grin to your liking?" Phoenix Lady smiled at Rayan.

"Mediocre," Rayan replied calmly.

Phoenix Lady shook her head, "If a lady asks you that, you shouldn't say 'mediocre.' You should invite her to share a drink with you."

"I'm not that idle."

Rayan's response was chilly, "If you want a drink, go back to your own seat."

Truly a wild beast, more untamable than a lion!

Phoenix Lady inhaled deeply, her smile radiating, "I just came to thank you for the Fire Scorpion's heart, and also to see if there's anything I can help you with..."

She was beginning to close the net, ready to spring the trap she had prepared to capture this wild beast for herself—