The Useless Prince Is A Gangster
Chapter 140. Speech

Chapter 140: 140. Speech

Thalia smiled sharply and knowingly as she leaned back. "Now, Adrian, do you understand why I said nothing?"

Adrian nodded, understanding as he kept his eyes on Leo and Alric. "I understand. The Duke had the option to name the heir discreetly, but he decided on this particular time."

Erin’s voice was sure and low, and she had a cunning smile. "Exactly. During the banquet, he used the opportunity to reveal to everyone Leonhardt’s true self—no lies, no uncertainties, just the facts."

Leo stood there with his shoulders pressed down by the weight of his new title, a chain he had never desired. The Dragger vanished into his item space.

The Dukedom didn’t really appeal to him. Finding Chloe and creating a safe haven where they could flee the violence were his only goals.

However, he required a title, a means of obtaining the authority, assets, and clout to dismantle the cult. He would then leave everything behind and give it to Lucian, the legitimate Caulem heir. Because he wasn’t Leonhardt Caulem. He was Reo Carter, a stranger who was inhabiting a different person’s body."

He raised his glass, the amber liquor glowing like liquid fire, and faced the crowd.

"I’m Leonhardt Caulem, son of Duke Alric Caulem and the late Duchess Seraphina Caulem."

Bold and unflinching, he looked around the hall, meeting the eyes of the nobles, some curious, some doubtful.

"I am aware of your remarks regarding me. feeble. Coward. Sadist. Crybaby." His lips formed a tiny, derisive smile.

"However, I stand here now, years before I take that seat of Duke, I swear: I will show that my father made the right decision."

His words held all the nobles still as the hall fell silent.

The silence was then abruptly broken by a single, clear clap. Princess Thalia stood up from her velvet couch and everyone looked at her. She clapped once more, her blue eyes glowing with approval. "Congratulations, Leonhardt Caulem. An audacious beginning for a future Duke."

Erin clapped in agreement. Usually silent, Adrian nodded respectfully, his hands adding to the noise.

As nobles stood and their claps reverberated throughout the hall, the applause increased, first slowly and then more forcefully.

Rin stood beside him, her pink eyes glowing with pride, her lips parting to speak. However, before she could, Leo was encircled by a flood of silk and flattery as a wave of nobles rushed forward.

One said, bowing low, "My name is Marquess Eldrin Svane, Lord Leonhardt."

A baroness purred, her cunning smile suggesting more ambitious plans, "A fine speech, my lord."

Others pressed in, their voices more audacious. A countess alluded to a niece "worthy of the future Duke," while a viscount declared, "My daughter is of age, Lord Leonhardt—a perfect match for the Caulem name."

He was overcome by the crowd’s unexpected acclaim, their previous mockery lost in the radiance of his new status.

Rin’s smile faded, a pout forming as the nobles crowded Leo, their voices drowning out her chance to speak.

She turned with a quiet sigh, picked up a flute of sparkling wine from a tray that was passing by, and slipped through the crowd.

Lucian leaned over Velmera on the dais. With an admiring grin, he whispered, "Big Brother is stealing the show." Velmera gave his hand a squeeze. She whispered, "He’s proven with one speech."

Velmera’s other hand is being held by Vivien. She chirped, "Big brother words are great!" Lucian concealed a laugh as Velmera laughed and ruffled Vivien’s hair.

In a corner a group of noble ladies huddled together, their jeweled fans fluttering like colorful fans as they whispered behind them.

Among them stood Duchess Maria, her calm face standing out against the sharp words they shared. Their fans hid more than just their faces, their voices low but cruel.

"Such a pity, Duchess Maria," one lady purred, her fan snapping open with a quick flick. "Your husband chose his first son over your Lucian. The boy’s been robbed of his birthright."

"Indeed," another noblewoman added, her eyes gleaming with spite, leaning closer. "And to think, Maria, you were merely a concubine before Seraphina’s passing. How it must sting to see her son take what should’ve been yours."

The words cut like hidden knives, but Maria stayed calm, her lips curving into a faint, unreadable smile.

She glanced across the hall, where Vivien stood with Lucian and Velmera, the three laughing softly.

Maria’s fan paused, her voice low and steady, barely audible behind the emerald silk. "I was jealous of Seraphina once," she admitted, her tone even but touched with a quiet pain.

"As a concubine, I envied her position. And yes, I gained it after her death. But now... I’m jealous again." Her gaze shifted to Leo, who had slipped away from the crowd, now carrying a full tray of amber liquor he’d taken from a server.

"She bore a son every mother dreams of," Maria murmured, a wistful smile on her face. "I wish I were his mother."

Her words silenced the ladies’ cruel remarks, their fans slowing as they followed her gaze to Leo.

Leo reached Rin, She raised a brow, her pink eyes teasing as she saw the tray. "You’re back already?"

Leo muttered, setting the tray down with a clink, "Damn, that’s why I hate attention." He grabbed a glass and drank it in one quick gulp, the liquor burning his throat.

Rin chuckled, her smile softening the moment. "But you deserve it," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, a playful spark in her eyes. "Of course, I also hate when you get it."

"You say something?" he asked, his tone careful, noticing the change in her mood.

"No, nothing."

"Gotta refresh after Father dropped that bomb on me," Leo said, grabbing another glass, the amber liquid catching the light.

Rin took one too, raising it with a grin. "Congratulations, Leonhardt. I mean, Duke Leonhardt."

He chuckled, and clinked his glass against hers. "Thanks," he said, their eyes meeting briefly before they both drank.

As the glasses piled up, the alcohol hit Leo harder than he expected. His vision blurred, a sleepy fog creeping over him.

He muttered, his words slurring, "Wait, I didn’t feel anything like this..."

In his past life, he could drink bottles and stay sharp, but now, Leonhardt’s body couldn’t handle the liquor, his limbs growing heavy.

He looked at Rin and saw that her eyes were glassy and her cheeks were flushed, but she was standing straight and somehow balanced.

As he swayed, Rin wrapped her arms around him, her touch holding his unsteady body straight. Her sapphire gown brushed against his coat as she laughed and pulled him into a soft embrace. Warm against his ear, her voice faded to a whisper. "Come on, dear, how could I resist you if you’re like this?"

The words—Chloe’s words, the ones she’d used so frequently, taunting him with that same gentle affection—made Leo’s eyes widen and his heart leap. His vision darkened as his lips opened to speak.

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