I! Cleaner!
Chapter 185 - 185: 0160 Precision Stepping on Mines_1

*Time moved slightly backward to when the Lionheart carriage was still stuck on the road.*

Important guests had already arrived, but the crucial Lionheart carriage, bearing the new Duke, had yet to make its appearance. The new head of the Ryan Family and the only remaining elder were on the verge of losing their minds.

"Has old York gone senile!"

Unaware that his fellow "Ryan Three Elders," the old butler, had been tormented by someone's elementary school-style sentences to the point of a heart attack and was taken directly to the hospital, the rotund and plump family head, dressed in a specially tailored large tuxedo, couldn't help but complain,

"He said he's served the old Duke for so many years, been through all sorts of special occasions, and absolutely wouldn't mess up. That's why I agreed to let him handle it. But just taking people out and bringing them back by carriage, such a small matter—how did he manage to delay the time?"

"Don't worry, let's wait a little longer."

Compared to the new head of the Ryan Family, the family's elder was obviously more composed. After sending two chamberlains to urge him on, he frowned and said,

"Our new Duke is different from the old Duke. He's someone from the lower echelons who never received a noble's education. It's inevitable for him to make a mess in this kind of grand ceremony. We can only trust old York now and give him a little more time."

"Give him more time? Who's going to give us more time then?"

Peering through the gap between the curtain tassels, spotting some impatient expressions on the guests' faces in the hall, the Ryan family head let out a sigh and said, with a lamenting expression,

*"If I'd known this could go wrong too, I wouldn't have set so many procedures beforehand. It would have spared him from some troubles, and we wouldn't be on such a tight schedule, with no room to spare!"*

"Don't worry, the more at times like this, the more you need to keep your calm."

Taking a slow sip of the tea beside him, the Ryan elder pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket, wiping the tea stain from his white beard, and calmly advised,

"The new Duke is somewhat reckless, and he doesn't understand what it means to be a qualified noble at all. If we want him to cooperate with us willingly, we must first let him understand that even though he is the Duke of Lionheart, the Ryan Family cannot continue without the help of the three of us.

So, it's actually a good thing that the ceremony is complicated. It can temper his character and let him know our importance. Without us stepping in to arrange it, he wouldn't even be able to handle the inheritance ritual. This way, he will know his boundaries when dealing with us in the future."

"I suppose you're right..."

Somewhat persuaded by the elder's words, the Ryan family head hesitated for a moment, then eventually nodded.

"Alright! Then let's do everything according to the previous plan. You keep sending people to urge them, and I'll go to the front hall to calm down those impatient guests."

"Hmm, go ahead."

...

When the two Ryan elders reached a consensus, with one sending people to fetch the new Duke and the other trying to stabilize the guests, the time continued to pass, but the ceremony had yet to start. The guests on the main building's first floor were growing extremely impatient.

"Heh, our new Duke certainly knows how to make an entrance!"

Noticing the growing frowns around him, a certain Earl, known throughout the Capital City as a "petty nobility" because of Leon, couldn't help but sarcastically remark,

"Everyone here has marital ties with the Ryan Family. Many have been associated with the old Duke for a lifetime, and half are actually his elders, with some even older than him by two generations.

In light of the recently deceased old Duke, we, the elders, woke up at the crack of dawn to support him, traveled under the stars to attend the ceremony, and are we just going to wait like this?"

Although the Earl's remarks were blatant, almost as if he had "I'm stirring up trouble" written all over his face,

the truth was that everyone here, attracted by the stink of benefits, was a flock of crows drawn to feast on the Ryan's "corpse." They all knew each other's "credentials," so there was no need to fake nobility.

Secondly, having woken up early to attend the ceremony only to be left hanging like this was infuriating. When the Earl finished, not only was there no opposition, but someone even chimed in in agreement.

"Indeed, the Ryan Family did poorly this time."

"It's not that they did poorly; they didn't consider us affiliates, did they?"

"After all, they're one of the Kingdom's pillars. Why would they care about us minor nobles?"

Instigated intentionally by some and cooperated with by others with ulterior motives, when the Ryan family head emerged from backstage, the entire hall was already in chaos, full of candid criticisms and sarcastic comments.

"Everyone! Please, please calm down, and listen to me first!"

Hearing the uproarious accusations in the hall, the Ryan family head broke into a cold sweat, quickly raised his voice, and shouted,

"Sorry, sorry, today's ceremony was indeed arranged in haste. The Duke was delayed on the road due to certain matters. It's our Ryan Family's inadequacy, neglecting to host you esteemed guests properly.

But the reason for this is to express our gratitude for your attendance by preparing meticulously. Unfortunately, complexity often leads to issues. We hope you longtime friends and relatives will overlook it due to our longstanding relations.

Furthermore, besides you all, Lady Anne representing Prime Minister Leonard and Prince Joshua representing the Princess are also present. Please give them some face and bear with us a little longer. I sincerely thank you all for your generosity!"

As the Ryan family head completed his speech, the once noisy hall suddenly quieted down.

The reason was simple: though hurried, his words were highly effective in controlling the situation.

Without hesitation, he first apologized, acknowledged his mistake, and soothed emotions. Then, with a tactical turn, implied the delay was not intentional neglect but out of utmost respect for everyone, skillfully reclaiming the moral high ground.

He then pointed out the Prime Minister and the Princess's presence, implying that causing further trouble would disrespect them, suppressing instigators like the petty Earl. Finally, by thanking everyone for their tolerance, he completely blocked the option of "intolerance."

It must be said, the ability of the Ryan Three Elders to climb to power after the Ryan Blood Night, becoming the actual controllers of the Ryan Family, wasn't solely due to seniority but because they indeed had some skills. This hasty series of moves from the Ryan family head certainly proved his rhetorical prowess.

Unfortunately, although his words successfully appeased 99% of the people, they managed to anger the most troublesome person among them.

"I am no one's representative!"

Upon hearing "Prince Joshua representing the Princess," the elegantly dressed young man standing in front of the guests, engaged in conversation with the Prime Minister's wife, couldn't help but scowl. Ignoring the discreet tugging of his female companion, he unhesitatingly retorted,

"Watch your words! If you must mention representation, then I represent the royal family, not anyone else!"

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