At the sound of that voice, Arthur's steps came to an abrupt halt.
He turned around and saw a young man, around twenty-eight years old, rushing toward him with frantic steps.
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he instantly recognized the figure.
'Jason? Isn't he Rudy Everhart's personal servant?' Arthur mused, chuckling softly.
Jason weaved past the noble sons and daughters before finally stopping exactly one meter in front of Arthur.
Panting slightly, he flashed a flattering smile and spoke in a tone brimming with gratitude, "Thank you for stopping, Young Master Avaron."
Nearby, Celine was startled to see him. "Jason? What are you doing here?"
However, Jason merely cast her a cold glance, refusing to answer.
If not for her, Arthur wouldn't have treated the Everhart family this way.
The thought crossed his mind—how could Lord Rudy, a man revered throughout the kingdom with such an extraordinary status, have a daughter as foolish as her?
Sensing Jason's cold and indifferent demeanor, Celine burned with fury. As the eldest daughter of Duke Everhart, she had always been pampered and had never been subjected to such a look.
Yet, she had no choice but to swallow her anger. Jason was no mere servant—he was her father's personal attendant and the butler of this mansion.
His status was incredibly high, just one rank below her father's. Even as the duke's eldest daughter, she couldn't afford to show him disrespect.
Ignoring Celine entirely, Jason turned to Arthur with unwavering respect.
"I, on behalf of the Everhart family, apologize for the disrespectful behavior of our eldest daughter, Young Master Avaron," Jason said, bowing his head slightly.
The noble sons and daughters behind Celine were stunned by the scene before them.
They all knew Jason—the personal servant of Duke Everhart, a man known for his stern and arrogant demeanor.
Yet now, the usually haughty figure was lowering his head to Arthur. The sight left them both amazed and terrified.
They were astonished by the sheer weight of Arthur's status, but fear crept in as they realized how close they had come to making the same mistake as Celine.
Fortunately, they had the sense to hold back and hadn't joined in mocking Sharon.
Had they done so, the consequences could have been disastrous—not just for them, but for their families as well.
Meanwhile, Arthur remained silent upon hearing the apology, as if contemplating whether to accept it or not.
A chill ran down Jason's spine, and fear gripped him. If Arthur refused to forgive Celine, the Everhart family's plan to collaborate with the Maple Leaf Trading House would be ruined—an outcome that would severely hinder their progress.
After a few moments of tense silence, Arthur suddenly smiled.
"Alright, I'll forgive her," he said. "But only this once."
He then turned to Celine, who stood nervously with her head lowered.
"I don't want this to happen again," he continued. "I came here at the request of Young Lady Vanessa, who was unable to attend. My presence represents her name and reputation. I trust you understand my meaning, Sir Jason."
His tone was casual, but anyone perceptive enough would sense the threat hidden beneath his words.
Jason's face flushed, but he didn't dare to argue. If it had been anyone else—even the king—he wouldn't have stayed silent when the Everhart family was challenged like this.
But this was Arthur, Vanessa's representative, and everything he said was true. In this situation, Celine, as the Everhart family's representative, had made a grave mistake by mocking Sharon, Arthur's companion.
With a heavy sigh, Jason gave a small nod and replied politely, "Rest assured, Young Master Avaron, it won't happen again. I guarantee it."
Arthur smiled in satisfaction, tightening his arm around Sharon's waist. "Good."
Unnoticed by everyone, a flicker of amusement danced in his eyes.
'Pfft! I didn't expect things to go this smoothly,' he mused with an inward chuckle.
Yes, everything had played out exactly as he had planned.
From Celine's mockery of Sharon to Jason's intervention, every step was within his control.
He had deliberately questioned Celine, acting as if he were unaware of Sharon's circumstances, leading her to insult her.
By doing so, he had gained a perfect excuse to pressure Celine and, by extension, the Everhart family.
More importantly, his true objective was to lure out the one acting directly under Rudy Everhart's orders.
Fortunately, everything had gone according to plan, and just as he had anticipated, Jason had stepped forward to mediate.
'Well, I have to admit, my methods were cunning and ruthless, using Sharon as bait,' Arthur murmured to himself.
Nevertheless, he felt no guilt whatsoever. One of the training exercises he had designed for Sharon was to strengthen her—shaping her into someone resilient, unaffected by the taunts of petty villains like Celine.
In a way, this entire situation also served as a lesson to harden her mental fortitude.
"Shall we head inside, Young Master Avaron?" Jason quickly broke the silence.
Arthur didn't refuse and nodded casually. "Of course. After you, Sir Jason."
With that, Jason politely led the way, accompanying Arthur and Sharon.
Feeling Arthur's grip on her waist tighten, Sharon's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Aron, can you loosen your hold on my waist?" she whispered.
"Hmm? Did you say something?" Arthur feigned ignorance, looking at her with innocent confusion.
Sharon pursed her lips in frustration, deciding against repeating her request.
Saying it again would only make her feel even more embarrassed.
Still… she had to admit—being held by him, being protected like that—it felt surprisingly sweet.
Watching Sharon's retreating figure, Celine gritted her teeth in fury.
'You bitch... Because of you, I was humiliated in front of everyone. I'll remember this grudge—and I'll make you pay a thousand times over.'
Meanwhile, Cassius, who had been observing from the sidelines, narrowed his eyes as he watched Arthur walk away.
'This man… he's truly dangerous,' he muttered under his breath, his tone laced with caution.
Although he hadn't seen every detail, he could still grasp the bigger picture—Arthur had used his authority as Vanessa's representative to pressure Celine and subtly threaten the Everhart family.
It was a bold and reckless move.
But at the same time, it made Arthur even more of a threat.
A man like him—unpredictable and willing to strike when least expected—was someone to be wary of.
Taking a deep breath, Cassius steadied himself, forcing his emotions back into check.
'Even so, I won't hesitate to face you head-on if you stand in my way. This…I swear.'