With the debt issue resolved, it was time to deal with the spies in Green Shade Territory.
Lian had attended several nobles' family banquets in a row and discovered three wives with the [SPY] tag.
They all had one thing in common: they were young and beautiful.
Lian wrote down all their names, planning to compile a list of spies and round them all up in one fell swoop.
He took a bath and changed into a new formal suit made by Annie. It was a deep blue tailcoat paired with a Ruby Tie, giving him a noble and elegant look.
Compared to the six outfits Annie had made before, this suit was a remarkably good fit.
Lian noticed that the style of Anna and Annie's maid uniforms also differed from the other maids, with special detailing. He figured the sisters' clothes were also made by Annie herself.
'An assassin who doesn't want to be a tailor isn't a good maid.'
Annie was, without a doubt, a very good maid.
After volunteering to attend to Lian's bath two or three times, she had finally gotten his measurements right to create the perfect suit.
Lian got into the luxurious carriage, accompanied only by Anna and Annie this time.
As the Guardian Witch, Sophie couldn't always be by Lian's side; she had her own mission.
Besides, Lian was now a One-star Assassin Knight. He could hold his own against an ordinary assassin. With the High Level Assassin Annie protecting him, and being within the High Wall where monsters were rarely seen, his safety factor had already reached 99.99%.
The Lord's carriage stopped at the entrance of a luxurious manor belonging to Romayada, the wealthiest man in the territory.
Romayada came to welcome Lian personally, with his family in tow.
He was accompanied by his lavishly dressed and slightly plump wife, two young and beautiful mistresses, two well-dressed sons with thick hair and high-bridged noses, two daughters who were just as striking with the same thick hair and high-bridged noses, and a younger daughter who had yet to blossom.
Seeing them, Lian finally understood why Moria had said Romayada had nothing but wealth.
Judging from appearances alone, there was a 50% chance that these five children weren't his.
Adding the fact that Romayada's wife and mistresses all had the [LOVES TO CHEAT] tag above their heads, the probability increased by another 30%.
So there was an 80% chance that none of the five children were his biological offspring.
That was until he saw Romayada's steward, Lu'an Schroeder, who also had thick hair and a high-bridged nose.
The remaining 20% was accounted for.
Poor Romayada. As widowed and lonely as Moria.
Looking at the green formal hat Romayada was wearing, Lian asked, "Do you enjoy wearing green hats, Romayada?"
"Not often. But today is a special occasion. With our Lord visiting, I simply had to wear a green hat."
Romayada said with a smile.
In Green Shade Territory, green was a symbol of nobility.
When nobles met distinguished guests, they would choose dignified black or noble green, though some opted for passionate red.
Romayada had happened to choose the noble green today to express the high regard in which he held Lian.
Lian's lip twitched. 'Your green hat has nothing to do with me.'
"I suggest you change your hat," Lian reminded him kindly.
"If the Lord dislikes this color, I will be more mindful next time."
Romayada touched his formal hat.
Romayada's wife also subconsciously touched her own exquisite, veiled hat. It was also green—emerald green, in fact.
She exchanged a look with her eldest daughter. Fortunately, her daughters hadn't chosen the green that the Lord seemed to dislike.
Romayada's wife hoped Lian would enjoy himself today and, most importantly, choose one of her two elder daughters to be his future wife.
If they could become in-laws with the Lord, the Romayada family's fortunes would only continue to improve.
Although the Romayada family was the wealthiest in Green Shade Territory, their actions were often restricted because their title was merely that of a Baron, the lowest rank.
That was why, despite having the most money, their name wasn't first on the list of those to invite Lian Moria.
Before them, the new Lord, Lian Moria, had already visited the homes of several other nobles.
Romayada, for his part, hoped to introduce all three of his daughters to the Lord as potential fiancées, so he had them dress up specially for the occasion.
"Come, my distinguished guest, the family ball has already begun," Romayada said with a smile.
Surrounded by the crowd, Lian walked into the magnificent manor.
Though it was a family ball, there were still quite a few guests. They were all more or less related to Romayada and members of the Yada Clan.
They all glanced at Lian, politely raising their glasses in greeting.
The young ladies who couldn't get close to Lian gathered together, whispering and discussing the old Lord's promiscuity versus the new Lord's handsomeness.
"This is my eldest daughter, Suri. She is an excellent dancer. You must have a dance with her later. Only then will you know that the best dancers in Green Shade Territory are not the performers on stage, but our noble ladies," Romayada praised without a hint of modesty.
Suri wore a magnificent, wine-red gown. Her waist was slimmer than her two sisters', a ruby necklace adorned her pale neck, and all ten of her fingers were covered in dazzling gemstone rings.
"Father, please don't compare me to those lowly performers," the proud eldest daughter, Suri, said.
[ARROGANCE] [IGNORANCE] [GREED].
Lian saw the tags above her head and shifted his gaze to Bella, who stood beside Suri in a yellow gown.
She also wore jewelry on her neck and ears, but it was clearly not as extravagant—just a simple pearl necklace. Her posture was also more graceful.
Realizing Lian was looking at her, she lifted the hem of her skirt, lowered her head, and curtsied.
"Greetings, Lord."
[HARPIST] [NAIVE] [HOPELESS ROMANTIC]
'Distracted… Does she already have her heart set on someone else?'
'It seems Miss Bella has no interest in being set up,' Lian mused, then heard Romayada introduce her.
"My second daughter, Bella. She is skilled with the harp. I will have her play 'A Story of Spring' for you."
"A Story of Spring?" Lian asked, puzzled. 'Is it *the* Story of Spring I'm thinking of?'
Romayada nodded. "If you don't like it, she can also play 'Nightfall' or 'The Lark's Movement.'"
"No, I like 'A Story of Spring.'"
As he spoke, Lian looked at Romayada's youngest daughter. Dressed in a fluffy pink skirt, the girl looked to be not yet fourteen. She was petite with a bit of baby fat still on her face—a classic loli. She resembled her mother, but lacking her flirtatious charm, she could only be described as cute.
"Ah, my youngest daughter, Riel. I'm afraid she's without any particular talent, but she is still my dear daughter," Romayada said in his introduction.
She peeked at Lian cautiously before shyly lowering her head.
She looked just like a young, naive girl who had yet to see the world.
However, the tags above her head piqued Lian's interest.
…