The village was buzzing with excitent.
Word had spread about Kyle's feat, and the villagers decided to throw a celebration in his honor.
Bruce was sent to deliver the invitation.
With a broad grin, Bruce approached Kyle.
"Young Master! The village is throwing a party for you! They want to honor you properly!"
Kyle glanced at him, unimpressed.
"If you have this much free ti, you should be using it for training instead."
Bruce flinched but quickly recovered.
"Co on, Young Master, this is a good thing! You've earned their respect! Plus, it would be rude to refuse."
Kyle sighed, rubbing his temples. He had no interest in celebrations, but avoiding them would only cause unnecessary trouble.
"Fine."
Bruce bead.
"Great! Let's go!"
The party was already in full swing when they arrived. The villagers were drinking, singing, and dancing around bonfires. Food covered the tables, and the sll of roasted at filled the air.
Kyle took a seat, and the village leader personally handed him a cup of alcohol.
"To Lord Kyle!"
He declared, raising his own drink.
Kyle took a sip.
The alcohol was strong, but thanks to his mana control, he didn't feel even the slightest buzz.
As he drank, he observed the village leader closely. Sothing about the man's deanor felt off—like he had a plan in mind.
Monts later, the village leader clapped his hands, and a young woman stepped forward.
Dressed in fine clothes with well-done makeup, she moved toward Kyle with practiced elegance.
"This is my daughter. She would be honored to serve you tonight."
The village leader said with a proud smile.
The young woman poured Kyle another drink, leaning in a little too closely.
Her fingers brushed against his hand, her smile sweet and inviting.
It was obvious what was happening—she was trying to seduce him. If he spent the night with her, the village leader could claim a connection to him and possibly demand responsibility.
Kyle smirked, seeing right through the ploy. Instead of rejecting her outright, he leaned back and looked her over.
"I appreciate the offer, but I prefer my won strong. Otherwise, I might break them too easily"
He said slowly.
The girl stiffened, her confident expression faltering. She quickly pulled back, looking unsure.
The village leader's face twitched, his pride wounded. But as a leader, he knew not to push further.
With a barely perceptible nod, he signaled for his daughter to step away.
lissa, watching from the sidelines, had been frowning the entire ti.
The sight of another woman flirting with her master had irritated her. But the mont she heard Kyle's preference, her mood shifted.
'Strong won?'
A spark of determination lit in her eyes. If that was what he liked, then maybe—just maybe—she had a chance.
Kyle continued to drink, but only enough to keep up appearances. After a while, he placed his cup down and looked at the village leader.
"I'll be retreating to my room. I have an early start tomorrow."
The village leader nodded respectfully, though disappointnt flickered in his gaze.
Kyle stood and walked away, his mind already moving past the evening's events.
This village was useful for now, but he wouldn't let himself get tied down by unnecessary attachnts.
The village leader let out a forced laugh, trying to keep the mood light.
"Ah, of course! My daughter can show you to your room, Lord Kyle."
He gestured toward the young woman, who stepped forward with a polite smile.
Kyle's expression remained unreadable.
"That won't be necessary."
His gaze moved across the people in the room, pausing for a second on lissa. Her breath hitched, heart pounding as she waited, hoping that he would call for her.
But Kyle looked past her.
"Bruce, help back."
He said,.
lissa felt a pang of disappointnt but quickly buried it.
She understood—her master was being careful. He wouldn't let himself be caught in a sche so easily.
Bruce, on the other hand, blinked in surprise.
", Young Master? You had plenty of choices, why—"
Kyle glanced at him.
Because this way, there won't be any accidents or mistakes."
Bruce fell silent for a mont before nodding. He didn't need to ask to understand what Kyle ant.
As they walked away from the party, Bruce hesitated before speaking again.
"You know, Young Master… I think the village leader wanted you to take his daughter as your mistress. She's a noble girl, quite beautiful too. Are you really not interested?"
Kyle didn't even flinch.
"No."
Bruce frowned.
"Why not? Even if you don't marry her, having a connection to the village could be useful."
"She would die if she stayed by my side for too long."
Bruce stiffened at the cold finality in Kyle's voice. There was no hesitation, no doubt. Just a simple, unshakable truth.
They almost reached Kyle's room before Kyle stopped walking and turned toward Bruce.
"That's enough ti. Let's head back out now. I have achieved what I wanted to."
Kyle told Bruce, leaving Bruce confused. But unlike before, he knew better than to question his master.
Since young master Kyle told him to head back out, that was what Bruce was going to do.
______
The village leader pulled his daughter aside, his grip firm on her arm.
His expression darkened as he leaned in close.
"You need to do better! A chance like this won't co again. If you can get close to Lord Kyle, our family's future will be secured."
He hissed.
His daughter lowered her eyes, shifting uncomfortably under his intense gaze.
"Father, I tried. But he didn't even look at . He's not interested."
She whispered.
The leader's grip tightened.
"Then make him interested! You're young, you're beautiful. Any man would want you—so stop making excuses and try harder."
He snapped.
She clenched her fists, her heart pounding. She knew her father wouldn't accept failure.
But sothing about Lord Kyle unsettled her.
He wasn't like the other noblen she'd seen.
His eyes were sharp, unreadable, and when he rejected her, it wasn't out of arrogance or cruelty—it was as if he truly didn't care about her beauty.
Still, she swallowed her hesitation and nodded.
"I understand, Father."
The village leader released her shoulder, his expression softening into a forced smile.
"Good. Don't waste this chance."
But deep inside, she wondered if forcing herself on Lord Kyle was a mistake.
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