Chapter 42 He Is Like This and Still Wants to See Me
Holden left the Virlet estate even faster than he'd arrived.
He had originally hoped to avoid seeking an audience with His Majesty and handle everything directly through Anne, but now he had no choice.
Fortunately, the Virlet family's territory was close to the royal capital. He stopped in a nearby town to change clothes—his outfit was torn and dirty from the beating. The guards at the gate almost turned him away, thinking he was a vagrant. Holden explained he'd been in a fight and promised no trouble, so they let him through.
At this point, he didn't dare mention he was from the Titan family—doing so would only invite more ridicule.
Throughout the journey, Holden wavered about whether His Majesty would agree to see him. But thinking of his military achievements, and that there were only one or two knight commanders in the Soth Empire who could match him, he regained some confidence.
However, after standing outside the palace for three hours with no response, someone passing by deliberately approached him to chat.
Holden had tried to maintain a dignified appearance, but one sentence from the man shattered his composure.
"Is this the knight commander Holden who rejected the noble Duke Virlet to pick up a whore instead?"
Holden's head snapped up, glaring at the nobleman. "Show some respect. She's not a whore—she's a knight commander of the Soth Empire!"
The young nobleman startled, then sneered dismissively. "Knight commander or not, didn't she get there by climbing into your bed? What kind of decent woman has an affair with a married man on the battlefield? Calling her a mistress is being generous. A woman who spreads her legs for any man—what is that if not a whore?"
"Especially on a battlefield—who knows how many men have had her. Only someone as blind as you would treat her like a treasure!"
The vulgar insults made Holden's eyes turn red with rage. But this was the palace entrance—fighting here would surely displease His Majesty. So despite his fury, Holden gritted his teeth and held back, though he couldn't help retorting.
"You don't have the courage to go to war, hiding behind the lines living it up as a useless nobleman. What right do you have to slander soldiers who've contributed to the empire? If this were the battlefield, those words would be enough for me to cut off your head and use it as a ball. Want to try?"
The nobleman was somewhat intimidated, but pride won out. He forced himself to speak through his fear. "This is the royal capital, not a battlefield. His Majesty is right inside. Touch one hair on my head and face the consequences!"
"Oh, wait."
Something seemed to occur to him, and a smug smile returned to his face. "I don't even need to lift a finger. Your divorce from Duke Virlet has caused such a scandal that even His Majesty had to order it. Aside from low-level nobles with no connections, who would want to befriend you after you've offended the Duke?"
"His Majesty clearly favors the Virlet family. How long can you last? Better go back and think about what you'll do when you're completely knocked out of the nobility. Can't have the women in your family doing the same leg-spreading business as your bride-to-be!"
Holden could barely contain his rage. These nobles casually insulted him and Candy, and even his family—who could tolerate that?
Just as he was about to lose control and strike the nobleman, a young servant ran out from the palace and called loudly to Holden, "Knight Commander Holden, His Majesty summons you inside."
Only then did Holden shoot one fierce glare at the insolent nobleman before turning and striding into the palace.
The nobleman's legs had long gone weak with fear. His servant behind him couldn't help asking, "Sir, how did you dare provoke him like that? He's a knight commander—if he'd actually attacked, how could you have endured it?"
"Well, I just can't stand them."
The nobleman snorted, leaning on his servant's hand to barely straighten up. "Going to war is supposed to be serious business, but they create this kind of mess on the battlefield—disgusting. Everyone in noble circles knows about the Titan family's dirty affairs. Who would want to associate with them?"
"He actually dares to petition His Majesty. I want to see just how thick his face is to ask for help!"
Having walked away, Holden naturally didn't hear their conversation. Following an unfamiliar young servant, he couldn't help asking, "Is Lord Conor not with His Majesty today?"
The servant replied, "He is."
Holden was puzzled—then why hadn't Conor come out to escort him to the audience?
But he didn't voice this question, quietly following the servant into the palace hall and kneeling on one knee before the desk.
"Holden Titan, here to see His Majesty."
Behind the desk, Rolf's face showed faint impatience. "State your purpose."
Even someone as obtuse as Holden could sense His Majesty's displeasure, so he spoke somewhat nervously, explaining how he'd invited nobles to his wedding but no one was willing to come.
After finishing, worried that Rolf might think he was making a big deal out of nothing, he hesitated before adding softly, "Since I used my military merit to get Your Majesty's permission to marry Candy, this wedding is essentially Your Majesty's gift to Holden and the Titan family. For the nobles to collectively refuse the invitation like this..."
Holden didn't dare spell out that they were defying the king's orders. After all, this matter could be viewed as major or minor. Taken seriously, it could be seen as nobles showing contempt for royal authority. Taken lightly, it was just Holden's wedding—if those families didn't get along with the Titan family, their absence didn't really matter.
It all depended on how His Majesty saw it.
Rolf, seated above, felt the veins in his forehead throbbing. The man before him had made a special trip here, and Rolf had thought it was for some important matter, or perhaps to request orders to go to the eastern front. But it was just for this.
And between the lines, there was this implication that Anne had deliberately made things difficult, conspiring with various nobles to ostracize them. He didn't stop to think about how the Titan family's actions were a massive affront to those high-and-mighty nobles.
Never mind rejecting the noble Anne to insist on marrying a woman of humble birth—he'd even wanted to send the Virlet family's only heir to a sanatorium!
What kind of place was a sanatorium? Nobles of higher bloodlines wouldn't even allow such dark and corrupt places to exist in their territories, because in their view, even death should come in the most dignified manner—no one could be allowed to defile their bloodline and dignity.
Yet the Titan family had wanted to send a duke's daughter to such a place. Even though they hadn't succeeded, once this news spread, the upper nobility would practically never include them on their list of acceptable associates.
Even with Holden's military achievements and unlimited future prospects, he was destined never to enter that circle.
As for the minor nobles, seeing the aristocratic lords they courted and flattered all ostracizing the Titan family, how could they possibly side with them?
This was why no one was willing to accept the invitations.
His Majesty was furious—and Holden had the nerve to come to him about this?