Chapter 77: It's an Honor, Your Highness

One common trait among small-town folks is their lack of exposure to the wider world. Despite living two lifetimes, Ethan still fell into this category. He had never met the mayor of his own city, let alone knew their name. In Maro City, he hadn't even seen Duke Stein in person. Now, he was about to meet a powerful Grand Duke who commanded hundreds of thousands of troops and ruled a vast territory spanning the entire Aldoria continent. Saying he wasn't nervous would be a lie.

Many people might find such nervousness laughable, viewing it from an outsider's perspective as unnecessary. Ethan would say these people had a "platypus personality." What is a platypus personality? In short, it's people who are soft all over, including their bones, except for their mouth, which is absurdly tough.

Actually, Ethan himself had this trait. But he remembered a famous quote: "No matter who you are facing, as long as you don't owe them anything, there's no need to be servile." Ethan kept repeating this to himself to ease his nerves. Despite this, it didn't help much. Even with no one watching him, he didn't dare move around freely. It was like visiting his girlfriend's parents' house for the first time, sitting upright and waiting nervously.

He waited for what seemed like an eternity, but the Grand Duke didn't show up. Not only did the Grand Duke not come, but not even a servant appeared. Finally, after an indeterminate amount of time, he heard footsteps. Ethan immediately stood up, ready to greet whoever was coming. He frowned slightly because, although he hadn't seen anyone yet, he sensed the approach of a man and a woman walking side by side. The woman seemed to be slightly ahead.

This was puzzling. Who could walk ahead of the Grand Duke?

As he pondered this, the door opened, revealing a man and a woman. The woman had slightly curled golden hair elegantly pinned back, her face delicate, skin porcelain white, makeup flawless, and figure tall and graceful. She wore a blue and white gradient palace gown, exuding nobility in every detail. The man had long brown hair casually draped over his shoulders, a handsome and rugged face with a light stubble, and a constant smile. He wore a pure white noble's robe with a snow fur cloak, exuding mature, elegant charm.

The two entered, chatting and laughing, then abruptly stopped and scrutinized Ethan with smiles, not saying a word. As they assessed him, Ethan also observed them, his gaze shamelessly lingering on the woman's prominent chest. It wasn't lust; rather, it was the emblem on her chest—a white background with a blue dragon in flight, the royal crest of the Aslan Empire, worn only by royalty.

This meant the woman was likely an imperial princess. The man's crest was that of an eagle knight, confirming him as a member of the Grand Duke's family.

Realizing their identities, Ethan couldn't help but think how different their circles were. His circle included Lily, Andreev, and Tibers, while the Grand Duke's circle included an imperial princess. The contrast was stark.

Lost in thought, Ethan was jolted back to reality when the princess spoke to the man beside her, "Why did you bring me to meet a commoner?"

"Commoner?" the man chuckled. "My dear Princess Fiona, the man before you, Knight Ethan, is no commoner. His father earned his title through distinguished military service and died heroically in the Battle of Varican. You must have heard of that battle's ferocity. Our Eagle's First and Second Knight Regiments lost over half their men. The regiment his father served in, the 13th Royal Aslan Guard, was entirely wiped out at the Doran Valley, holding their ground to the last man. Calling him a commoner would insult all the soldiers of the Royal Aslan Guard."

Princess Fiona's expression turned remorseful. "Oh, dear! I didn't realize." She stepped forward, opening her arms to give Ethan a gentle hug, as if to comfort him. She then took his hands, saying, "I'm so sorry, Knight Ethan. Your short hair misled me. Please forgive my rudeness."

Their sudden display of theatrics left Ethan confused. He didn't understand what they were doing or why they were there. Worse yet, by imperial etiquette, knights must kneel on one knee before royalty. Ethan, having never encountered royalty, had only practiced this in school, where boys would jokingly kneel and kiss the hands of girls. Some boys even extended their tongues, causing chaos with girls screaming and slapping.

Remembering these antics made Ethan want to laugh, but he suppressed it, his face contorting awkwardly. To mask his discomfort, he quickly knelt on one knee and lightly kissed Fiona's hand, resisting the temptation to do anything inappropriate.

"An honor to meet you, Your Highness," Ethan said.

Fiona pretended to help him up, smiling. "Rise, Knight Ethan. It's an honor to meet a hero of the empire."

Ethan stood, nodded to the princess with a smile, then looked at the man with a polite but uneasy smile.

The man, understanding Ethan's discomfort, stepped forward with a smile. "I'm Nolan. Nolan Hawke. It's a pleasure to meet you, Knight Ethan."

Ethan's smile froze upon hearing the name but quickly returned to normal. "A pleasure to meet you, my lord. Did you both come specifically to see me?"

Nolan, ignoring the question, tilted his head slightly. "Knight Ethan, your short hair looks quite good. I think I'll adopt this style. Though it looks a bit singed. Was it because of the recent attack?"

Ethan grew even more confused, unsure of Nolan's intentions. Before he could respond, Princess Fiona exclaimed, "Are you crazy? You want to cut your hair short too?"