CHAPTER 172: A WARM WELCOME

Rafine rolled her eyes at Nolan’s confident remark.

This man really loves lying to his sister, she muttered, clearly annoyed.

The Austin family mansion had stood since the family’s founding.

Its value was enormous—so high it was hard to calculate. Still, Rafine once heard her father say that if the mansion and its grounds were ever sold, they could fetch between two and four billion Sharn.

Even for Rafine, that was a staggering amount. After all, the average income of a Marquis family over six months was only around one to two billion Sharn.

In other words, it would take an entire year’s income—without spending a single coin—to afford the mansion.

And yet, Nolan had just confidently claimed he would give Elina a mansion equal in grandeur to the Austin estate.

Rafine couldn’t help but be amused. Although Nolan was a prince, there was no way he had that kind of money.

If Nolan had known what she was thinking, he would’ve burst out laughing and said mockingly, "Forget this mansion—even if it were in the eastern region, I could still afford it!"

But of course, he had no idea—and there was no way to find out.

They continued walking toward the grand building that stood at the far end of the courtyard.

Even from a distance, its splendor was undeniable.

Once they arrived, only Nolan, Elina, and Luvistar stepped inside, while the soldiers were escorted to another building by the Austin family guards.

The entrance hall was spacious, with several guards standing at attention.

When they saw Nolan, Elina, and Luvistar following behind Rafine, their eyes widened in surprise.

They quickly bowed and greeted them respectfully, "Welcome, Prince Nolan, Princess Elina, and General Luvistar."

Elina smiled and gave a slight nod. "Thank you."

They continued walking, passing through the towering gold-colored door.

But before they could go any farther, a voice called out from ahead.

"Welcome, Prince Nolan, Princess Elina, and General Luvistar."

The three turned their heads toward the voice and saw a tall, red-haired man with a striking appearance. His slightly muscular frame was evident beneath the red robe he wore.

Elina returned his smile and responded politely, "Thank you for the warm welcome, Duke Austin. I’m sorry for troubling you by coming to greet us personally."

"Hahaha!" Alvaron laughed heartily and shook his head. "Not at all, Princess Elina. It’s no trouble—I’m honored to welcome you."

His gaze lingered on Elina, filled with genuine admiration.

Had his guests been anyone else—even princes—he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to be so warm.

After all, as a Duke, his status was equal to that of princes and princesses.

However, Elina was a different case altogether. She wasn’t just any princess—she was someone special, protected by the most powerful and feared man on the entire continent: the Singularity of Chaos.

His status as a Duke meant nothing. He was certain that even if he were the Emperor, the Singularity of Chaos still wouldn’t spare him a second glance.

For that reason, he wouldn’t dare risk being rude—let alone pretentious—in front of Elina.

If she ever took offense or became upset, it wouldn’t be unthinkable for that black-cloaked figure to appear in the eastern sky and turn everything upside down.

"Brother Nolan!"

Just then, a soft, sweet voice—gentle as warm milk—called out from their right.

Before Nolan could react, something small and light latched onto his right leg. When he looked down, he saw Masha hugging his thigh.

A gentle smile formed on Nolan’s face as he lifted her into his arms and lightly pinched her cheek.

"It’s been a while, Masha. How have you been? Are you okay? Have you been a naughty girl?" he asked softly.

"Hehehe..." Masha giggled proudly. "I’m fine, Brother Nolan! And I’ve been a good girl too!"

She then pointed at Rafine and added, "If you don’t believe me, you can ask Sister Rafine!"

Rafine rolled her eyes in irritation.

So this is the reason behind this little girl’s change, she muttered bitterly.

Ever since they returned from the Emperor’s birthday party a month and a half ago, Rafine had begun to notice a change in her sister.

The once naughty and unruly girl had become obedient—rarely even talking back when given instructions.

At the time, Rafine assumed Masha was simply maturing, and she was genuinely pleased.

After all, since Masha couldn’t relieve herself on her own, Rafine had always been the one to care for her.

Naturally, she had taken the change as a sign that her efforts in raising Masha were finally bearing fruit.

But now, that pride had soured into resentment.

What she once believed to be her own accomplishment was, in truth, the result of that infuriating man.

Nolan could barely contain his laughter as he sensed Rafine’s blend of anger and disappointment, but thankfully, he managed to hold it back. Otherwise, she might have chased after him later.

"Masha, sweetheart, don’t run like that. If you fall, it’ll be a problem."

A soft, concerned voice came from their right—it was Anastasia.

Nolan turned his head, unable to hide his admiration. No matter how many times he saw her, Anastasia’s beauty and grace never failed to captivate him.

"Good afternoon, Duchess Anastasia," he greeted warmly.

Elina, standing beside him, offered a polite nod in greeting.

Anastasia smiled at Nolan, clearly pleased, but quickly regained her composure.

"Ahem! Welcome, Prince Nolan and Princess Elina. I’m glad you arrived safely. I hope you’ll be able to adjust quickly to our living environment," Anastasia said softly, tugging lightly at the hem of her dress and offering a graceful curtsy.

Nolan and Elina responded with small nods and polite smiles.

Alvaron was pleased to see how naturally his wife and daughters interacted with Nolan and Elina.

He had previously worried they might feel uneasy—or even take offense—but it seemed his concerns had been unnecessary.

"In that case," Duke Alvaron said, turning to Rafine, "please escort Prince Nolan, Princess Elina, and General Luvistar to their rooms."

"Yes, Father," Rafine replied respectfully.

Anastasia then turned to Masha, who was still in Nolan’s arms, and gently coaxed, "Come here, sweetheart. Prince Nolan wants to rest, so don’t disturb him, alright?"

But Masha shook her head stubbornly. "I don’t want to part with Brother Nolan!"

She tightened her arms around Nolan’s neck and rubbed her cheek against his in an affectionate pout.

Anastasia looked visibly displeased and nearly scolded her, but Nolan quickly raised a hand, signaling her to stop.

"It’s alright, Duchess Anastasia. Let Masha stay with me. I’d like to spend some time with her too," he said gently, stroking the little girl’s soft hair.

Hearing that, Anastasia didn’t dare argue further. She simply nodded, though a hint of hesitation remained.

"Alright. But if she starts bothering you while you’re trying to rest, please hand her over to the maid, okay?"

"Okay," Nolan replied with a light nod.

Rafine shot her sister an annoyed glance but said nothing, then began leading Nolan, Elina, and Luvistar to their rooms.