Pirate Kingship-Chapter 658 - 459: Duke of Demons, Future Sister-in-Law (6400)_3

Duke of Demons? If your entire back were tattooed with an image of me, I wouldn't dare open my eyes, fearing *you* couldn't handle it.

Richard never would have guessed that while he only wanted a share of the profits from this Great Loyalist, what this "Great Loyalist" wanted was his principal and his life!

After chatting for a few more sentences, one condescendingly amiable and the other offering "end-of-life care" without any scruples for his creditor, they naturally got on very well, even feeling as if they had met too late.

At that moment, Richard caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. He apologized to Byron with a smile, saying, "Excuse me for a moment," and hurried away.

Byron watched him walk towards a noble young lady who had just arrived at the banquet hall, his gaze also fixing on the newcomer.

The next moment, his pupils suddenly constricted.

Is it her?!

The girl was probably just over twenty. She was tall and slender with fair skin, her black hair coiffed and adorned with a sapphire tiara. Her blue eyes, characteristic of the Bayfolk, nonetheless held a hint of indifferent aloofness, as if her heart had died from sorrow.

Even though she was slightly less impressive than Catherine, she was still an exceptionally rare beauty.

Her beauty or lack thereof wasn't the key.

The key was that this girl was the only daughter of the Marquis of Neville, and also the... fiancée of his cousin Edward!

Due to their long family history, extraordinary foundation, and strong economic and military power, the Neville Family had always been the leader of the Neutral Faction.

The marriage alliance with Lancaster was intended to unite the Neutral Faction and gain their support.

However, they had only just gotten engaged and hadn't had time to hold the wedding when Lancaster was annihilated, and cousin Edward became separated from his fiancée by life and death.

Thus, Miss Anne Neville had narrowly missed becoming Byron's sister-in-law and cousin Edward's widow, and then being locked up in a Monastery with his aunt, the former Queen Margaret. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Of course, although it was a standard political marriage, the two, being of similar age, had known each other for a long time and shared a good relationship. Many of the love letters Edward sent her during their courtship were delivered by Byron himself.

After the night of their family's annihilation, the Neville Family, with its considerable strength, ultimately avoided being purged and was instead re-accepted by the victorious York Family.

Anne's father, the Tier 4 Hero Marquis Thomas Neville, now also held the position of Court Officer for Edward IV.

But his style remained the same; he was unwilling to intervene too much in the disputes between the Royalist Party and the Earl's Party.

Byron reflected on the intelligence he had gathered, his eyes flickering.

Now, seeing Richard's attitude towards Anne, could it be that the York Family wants it all—the people, the wealth, the power, and the lands? To others, cousin Edward is already dead, and this prospective sister-in-law Anne will have to marry someone sooner or later. Richard of the York Dynasty has an impeccable identity and capability, but his appearance... simply does not match the flower-like Miss Anne. And with his foul reputation and his sensitive, cold nature, what decent girl wouldn't be jumping into a pit of fire by marrying him? However, the Neville Family's current stance towards the York Family remains to be seen.

In Byron's original plan, the Neville Family, whose influence was enough to sway the political situation, was a priority for courting. Privately, he did not wish to see his cousin Edward become a pitiful Beastman.

Though my brother is dead, he isn't completely gone. A Lich, apart from being a bit cooler, harder, and slightly less powerful, has nothing but advantages. The most crucial point is that my brother is handsome enough! Only slightly less so than me. And the shelf life of our handsomeness is... permanent. Isn't that a thousand, no, ten thousand times better than that dwarf?

At this time, [Devil Duke] Richard had already approached the girl and, believing himself graceful, performed a bow, "Miss Anne, I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting you for the opening dance at the ball later?"

A barely perceptible flicker of annoyance passed through the indifferent blue depths of her eyes.

However, as a lady from a prominent family, she did not neglect her etiquette. She meticulously returned the bow, yet her words clearly conveyed a polite distance, "Your Grace, I appreciate your kind offer, but I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well today. My family doctor advised against dancing. I only came here for a small gathering with a few sisters. Excuse me, I must take my leave."

After speaking, she bowed again and quickly walked toward a few young girls at the other end of the banquet hall who were waving at her. Most of them were descendants of Neutral Faction nobles with considerable family power, eligible to hedge their bets.

"Haha, it's alright, no problem. Your health is what's important," Richard laughed dryly twice, masking the embarrassment of being rejected.

Inwardly, however, the veins on his forehead throbbed fiercely. His eyes became extraordinarily cold, and the anger in his heart was almost too much to contain.

Woman, you dare to look down on me?!! This is the third time. No one can ignore my goodwill repeatedly without paying a price. You have squandered your last chance.

But when he looked up again, his face had already regained the harmless smile from before. Like countless times in the past when he had harmed others in secret, no one detected his abnormality.

Byron's attention also shifted to his former prospective sister-in-law, particularly to the sapphire back necklace hanging from the back of her dress. That was the Miracle jewelry his cousin Edward had given his fiancée, a custom piece by a Grand Artificer, the only one of its kind in the world.

Unexpectedly, she was still wearing it.

Then he also noticed Anne's dress and jewelry. Coloured primarily in black and white, they stood out starkly against the other flamboyantly dressed noble young ladies.