Chapter 159

Endure? I'll endure nothing! I don't even want the duke's title—why should I care about your family's stupid traditions?

With utter disgust, he glanced in the mirror at his face smeared chalk-white; the usually polite Li Ang finally rolled his eyes at the old steward.

I thought simplifying everything—compressing the lengthy succession ceremony into a single day—would save time, but even the most "simple" version was absurdly tedious; just dressing and makeup took over two hours.

Not only did I have to don the elaborate noble attire, but I also had to stuff special padding between my legs to puff out my crotch, supposedly to enhance masculine vigor.

On top of that, I had to wear a false wig, apply lip gloss, paint my eyes and face with makeup and facial wax, and even coat exposed skin on my forehead and neck with thick layers of lead powder—I refused repeatedly until they swapped it for harmless powdered honey-based pigment.

After enduring all that, I still had to board this carriage, hailed as deeply symbolic, ride down the main road of Redwood Avenue, and let the wheel prints leave "Lion's Footsteps," symbolizing the new Duke of Lionheart's arrival on his lands…

After all this nonsense, I was already seething—but the succession ceremony hadn't even begun yet!

Pure bullshit!

He dabbed his sleeve with water and scrubbed off the mess on his face, then twisted open the carriage door and leapt out in one motion.

I won't follow their rules anymore—if I do, who knows what other torturous absurdities await me later!

"Your Grace! Your makeup! Your makeup!"

"What makeup? I'm done with it!"

After yanking off the wig and smudging away the traces on his face, Li Ang glared at the frantic steward chasing after him and threatened:

"Either I go like this, or you find someone else to be duke. Pick."

I… do I even have a choice?

Seeing the new duke, his patience worn thin, throwing a tantrum right before him, the old steward knew he wasn't joking—he stomped his feet twice in frustration, then clutched his chest and pleaded desperately:

"I… I'll obey you, alright? But please, at least get back in the carriage…"

"I won't go back!"

Li Ang, his patience utterly spent, glared at the carriage behind him—jewel-encrusted, reeking of nouveau riche—and snapped:

"This carriage is idiotic, and it won't even fit on the road. Either give me another carriage, or find another duke!"

The steward shook his head frantically, face crumbling:

"Your Grace! This cannot be changed! Every duke must leave 'Lion's Footprints' on Redwood Avenue—that's tradition! If you replace this carriage, how will the Lion's Footprints…?"

"What damn Lion's Footprints? It's just wheel marks! Push the wheels yourself if you want prints—don't drag me into this!"

"This… this… this just isn't done! There's never been such a thing before…"

Having finally wiped off the pearl-infused honey paste from his face, Li Ang, now refusing any compromise, growled a threat:

"Either there's no tradition, or there's no duke. Which do you want?"

I… I want to die!

Watching the new duke stride away on foot, brushing aside his maids and guards, the old steward felt the world spin—he would have collapsed and wept right there if not for the need to maintain decorum.

Old Duke! You picked this lunatic and died happily, but now he's tormenting us! You… why didn't you take me with you?

As the steward clutched the carriage, face twisted in agony, pounding his chest, a voice called out from ahead.

"You! Come here!"

Just a few steps from the carriage, Li Ang saw a row of overturned carts lining the road.

He waved to the steward, and when the man finally gasped up beside him, Li Ang frowned and pointed to several shattered porcelain crates by the roadside:

"Look at what your lot has done—not only did you forcibly clear people off the road, but you smashed their goods! Who pushed them down? Pay them compensation immediately!"

"Your Grace… this… this wasn't us."

Hearing he might have to pay, one of the dark-skinned guards dared to speak up after glancing at Li Ang's expression:

"Those carts were already overturned before your carriage arrived—they were pushed off by the group ahead."

Before your carriage arrived, these wagons were already overturned by the roadside—likely knocked off by the group ahead of them.

"Your… Your Grace."

After catching his breath, the steward first asked a servant, then spoke with a pale face:

"The group ahead was Prince Joshua's carriage—the one that passed by us while we waited for you at the intersection."

Oh, so it was that bastard who nearly splashed me with mud.

Hearing this, Li Ang recalled the gaudy eight-horse carriage and let out a disgusted click of his tongue.

Nobles, royalty… damn, not a single decent one among them!

Glancing at the merchants weeping by the roadside, and remembering he wouldn't have to pay, Li Ang decided to be generous:

"Then pay them anyway! If they weren't delivering goods to your family, they wouldn't have run into him—your Lyon family should bear some responsibility."

Then at least pay compensation! If not for delivering your goods, we wouldn't have run into him; it's only fair for the Lyon family to bear some responsibility.

"What 'this'?"

Li Ang turned, eyes narrowed, his mood foul from poor sleep and endless torment, and barked:

"Either pay them, or find someone else to be…"

"Pay! Pay! We'll pay!"

After being threatened with quitting multiple times, the steward's heart now spasmed uncontrollably at the mere sound of "either."

Clutching his wildly pounding chest, the steward—who felt he'd just lost a decade of life—grabbed Li Ang's arm, legs trembling, and sobbed:

"Your Grace! I'll agree to anything you want! Just don't say 'either' again! The Lyon family can't survive without you! I'm… I'm old, my heart's weak—I can't take this anymore!"

Your Grace! I'll agree to anything you ask! Just please stop saying "either… or…"—the Lyon family cannot survive without you! This old man… this old man is elderly, his heart is weak, he truly cannot bear this…

Watching the steward's face turning faintly purple, gripping his arm like he'd collapse if Li Ang refused, Li Ang hesitated.

Logically, though the old steward wasn't a good man in the soul's view, his sins were schemes and political machinations—he'd never done anything outright monstrous. And he was so old… wasn't it a bit cruel to torment him like this?

But… he really had no intention of becoming duke. Once the ceremony began and everyone arrived, he planned to publicly reject the title. Would this man survive hearing that?

"There's… something I should tell you first. Don't get too worked up when you hear it…"

After a brief pause, Li Ang gently placed a hand on the steward's back and leaned close, whispering to the visibly stunned old man:

"Once everyone's gathered, I plan to publicly propose to the Princess—using the entire Lyon family as my dowry. That way, they can either replace me as duke… or get nothing at all. What do you think?"

Once everyone has gathered, I intend to propose to the Princess in front of all of them, offering the entire Lyon family as my dowry—so they must either replace you as Duke, or gain nothing at all! What do you think?

"Holy shit! Don't faint! Stand up! Hey! Why are you drooling?!"

"Fuck! Don't pass out! Get upright! Shit! Why are you foaming at the mouth?"