Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence-Chapter 247 - 241: Ah! You’re Count Raylo?
’Old and ugly?’
’More than a hundred young girls?’
The muscles on Raylo’s face twitched.
’Where are these ridiculous rumors coming from?’
Avril, completely oblivious to the subtle change in her "benefactor’s" expression, continued her indignant tirade.
"I’d rather die out here or be captured by pirates than marry a scumbag like that! He can dream on!"
Raylo’s expression darkened.
He took a deep breath, deciding it would be best to keep his identity under wraps until they reached Baisha Port.
Just then, a familiar cry echoed from the sky ahead.
A squad from the White-headed Sea Eagle Guard was speeding toward them, with Duncan at its head.
They had clearly followed their trail. Now, seeing Avril safe and sound next to Raylo, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Duncan steered his Sea Eagle closer. He didn’t even have time to greet Avril before he turned eagerly to Raylo, gave a crisp Knight’s salute, and spoke in a booming, grateful voice.
"Count Raylo! My Lord! Thank you so much! You’ve found Miss Avril!"
The air instantly froze.
Avril’s ranting came to a sudden stop. The anger and disdain on her face froze as her eyes widened, slowly, bit by bit. She turned her head in disbelief to look at the serene young man beside her.
’Raylo...’
’Lord Earl?’
’Which Count?’
’The Northern Territory... Black Stone Territory...’
’That old, ugly, cruel-natured scumbag with over a hundred playthings?’
In an instant, every word she had just spoken transformed into the sharpest of daggers, stabbing viciously back into her own heart.
She could almost hear her own face burning with shame.
WHOOSH! A rush of hot blood surged to her head. Avril’s cheeks, neck, and even the tips of her ears turned a visible, furious red, like a boiled shrimp.
The atmosphere on the way back to Baisha Port was terrifyingly silent.
Duncan and the other guards wisely kept their distance, escorting from afar and not daring to approach the center of the low-pressure zone.
Avril wished she could shrink into the feathers of her Dragon Eagle mount and hide from the world forever.
Turned to the side, she stole glances at the man beside her from the corner of her eye.
A chiseled profile, a straight nose, and deep, distant eyes gazing calmly ahead.
He rode the magnificent Storm Griffin King, his posture as straight and tall as a pine tree. How did he resemble the ’old and ugly’ man from the rumors in the slightest?
As for ’cruel-natured,’ he had just saved her life and hadn’t even called her out on her vicious slander.
Every time she recalled the things she had said with such righteous indignation, Avril’s cheeks would burn uncontrollably.
Raylo said nothing, nor did he look at her.
He simply flew on in silence, as if the conversation—one that would have made anyone else die of embarrassment on the spot—had never happened.
But the calmer he acted, the more tormented Avril felt.
This silence was more humiliating than any mockery or interrogation ever could be, leaving her wishing the ground would swallow her whole.
Baisha Port soon appeared on the horizon.
As one of the most prosperous ports on the West Coast, its harbor was a dense forest of masts from countless ships. The city was built along the coast, its white buildings gleaming under the sun.
The group flew directly toward the Marquis’ Castle, which sat nestled on the mountainside.
A tall, imposing, middle-aged man was pacing anxiously on the grand plaza before the castle.
He wore the magnificent daily attire of a Lord, his hair meticulously styled. He was none other than the Lord of Baisha Port, Marquis Orlando.
When he saw the group in the sky—especially his daughter, safe and sound beside the Storm Griffin King—he let out a visible sigh of relief.
As Raylo’s party landed smoothly, Marquis Orlando immediately strode forward to greet them.
He shot his daughter a fierce glare first, his eyes filled with unconcealed reproach and lingering fear. But he quickly turned to Raylo, his expression shifting to a sincere and warm smile.
"Count Raylo! I cannot thank you enough. If not for your timely aid, I dread to think what might have happened!"
Marquis Orlando grasped Raylo’s hand and shook it firmly, his gratitude plain to see.
"You are too kind, Lord Marquis. It was a simple matter."
Raylo replied with a smile.
Marquis Orlando nodded, then his expression hardened. He turned to his daughter and said gravely,
"Avril! Get over here, thank Count Raylo, and apologize!"
Avril stiffened.
Under her father’s stern glare and Raylo’s impassive gaze, she shuffled over, her head hung so low it was nearly buried in her chest. Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Th-thank you, Lord Earl, for saving me. And... about before... I’m sorry. I... I was spouting nonsense..."
By the end, her voice was choked with tears. Her eyes were red-rimmed with humiliation and shame.
"It is of no concern."
Raylo’s voice was as calm as ever, betraying no emotion.
"Miss Avril merely heard some untrue rumors. One cannot be blamed for what one does not know."
His casual dismissal of them as "untrue rumors" only made Avril more ashamed.
Marquis Orlando sighed. He led Raylo into the castle, smiling apologetically as they walked.
"My apologies for the spectacle, Count. I’ve spoiled this child rotten since she was little, and now she’s completely lawless. I’ll be sure to teach her a harsh lesson."
After they entered the castle’s reception hall and took their seats as host and guest, Marquis Orlando returned to the matter at hand.
"Lord Earl, regarding the marriage alliance we discussed... what are your thoughts?"
He asked tentatively.
Raylo lifted the cup of black tea a servant girl had brought, blowing gently on the steam, but he didn’t answer right away.
The atmosphere in the reception hall grew delicate once more.
Standing behind her father, Avril nervously clutched the corner of her dress, her heart in her throat.
She didn’t know whether she wanted him to refuse, freeing her from this predicament, or for him to agree, because...
Because the man himself was so vastly different from the person described in the rumors.
Just as her thoughts were running wild, Raylo finally spoke.
"I am, of course, very tempted by the Lord Marquis’s proposal."
Raylo’s expression turned serious as he said,
"However, marriage is ultimately a matter for two people."
He looked at Marquis Orlando.
"An alliance between Baisha Port and Black Stone Territory would benefit us both; it is imperative. But there is no need to rush things if it goes against Miss Avril’s wishes. I have no desire for a Countess in my territory who is perpetually unhappy. That would be a disservice to both our houses."
His words were both reasonable and fair. They affirmed his commitment to the alliance while deferring the final choice to them, a clear display of his magnanimity.
Marquis Orlando nodded in approval. He knew Raylo was giving him an honorable way out of the awkward situation, while also giving Avril a choice.
