85 – 17. …… Engaged?
Tap, step, step.
“……………….”
“……………….”
Hector Arthur, with a solemn expression, takes the lead, and I follow.
Has it been a little over a minute since I walked like that?
The mansion was so large that it was ridiculously large, and even though I walked down the hallways, I couldn’t see the end.
“…I said I was a duel agent.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The silence continues, but at some point a conversation begins.
Still, there was nothing awkward about me or Hector.
A guy who intentionally makes you follow him and kills you, or a guy who smiles as if he’s used to such political maneuvers.
It was our first time seeing each other, but we quickly realized what kind of people we were.
“Give up now, Namgoong Min.”
“Well, it’s not my will.”
“……Huh, really.”
It is not my will. In other words, Hector, who was clearly confirmed that this duel was Lane’s will, let out a laugh.
A rare sight of a nobleman laughing as if not even a drop of blood would come out when pricked with a needle.
Nevertheless, Hector and I did not stop walking.
“It’s unexpected.”
“Which one do you mean?”
“Everything, everything.”
Well, everything.
It was an arbitrary decision, but I thought the engagement itself would go through if you didn’t come out of the room, right?
In fact, if I hadn’t intervened, the engagement would have been announced as is.
Let alone whether the marriage will actually take place.
“Can I ask you one thing?”
“Not permitted.”
“What were you thinking when you decided to get engaged?”
“I guess you said it was not allowed?”
“Are you sure you want the White Rose that much?”
“……………….”
Why, since I hit the nail on the head, I have nothing to say?
It may have been a bit twisted, but in the end, this matriarch has one goal.
To attack the Whiterose family and create a justification for merging them.
And that too, Arthur’s perfect justification that no one can refute.
“……I see.”
Hector Arthur stopped walking, and I followed suit.
He had been walking only looking ahead until now, but now he looked back.
Looking down at me with cool, yet surprised eyes.
“I didn’t hear your name. Can you tell me?”
“I am Namgoong Min, from the unified Korean Empire.”
“Namgoong Min, Namgoong Min…….”
It’s worth remembering.
I swallowed what I was saying, but I know very well what Hector Lee means when he asks for my name.
Asking for a name means it is worth remembering.
It also means that I was recognized by this guy.
It is also something worth being wary of.
“How did you know?”
“I have a personal relationship with Kite Blackwood.”
“You wouldn’t know from that alone.”
“He’s definitely good at hiding his intentions. But he’s not good at leading a conversation.”
Kite Blackwood said:
I like Lily White Rose.
That would be true. However, there is a different intention.
“Why the Blackwood family? No, you chose ‘Kite Blackwood’, not the Blackwood family.”
“……………….”
“Why Kite Blackwood? Of course it’s because of me.”
“…Are you saying this?”
“Matriarch, you made a mistake earlier. You already mentioned my name, but you asked for it. It seems like your brain has hardened from staying away.”
“……….”
The whole story is simple.
The first was three people who invaded the fortune teller’s house, pretending to be gangsters.
‘Hwang Jin-woo said. He said he was instigated by someone.’
I am absolutely certain that it will either be Kite himself or Gregory.
Honestly, it doesn’t really matter who it is.
The important thing is that Kite Blackwood is connected to the matriarch, and the matriarch cares about me as much as she tried to test me by having him do that.
Why? Why was the nobleman, the head of Arthur’s family, so wary of me, who was merely a fortune teller?
The answer is easy.
“Did you really hate me becoming friends with Raine?”
“……….”
“No, no. Even if there was no problem with becoming friends, the problem would have been with Lane changing.”
Let’s look at Lane’s character event.
[Character Event: – Lane Arthur
Reine Arthur is the daughter and legitimate daughter of the Arthur family, but her life was not blessed.
The head of the family, Hector Arthur, did not deserve a daughter who was born as a
Superpower＞ Rather than an , And treated her more as an object of the family than as a member of the family.
Strong and weak. She said Hector thoroughly gaslighted her lane, manipulating and molding her into the direction he wanted her to be.
Although she became an adult, to Lane, her family and her father were absolute and to be obeyed.
However, she is different now. She feels a change in her heart because of you.
For the first time, Lane began to show her hatred towards her father rather than her submission.
It’s the first opportunity in her life, and if she does it wrong, it could be her last resistance.
Whether she knows it or not, her matriarch and her family are trying to use her today as her ‘object’.
Go to Europe.]
The character event clearly states, ‘There is a change in feelings because of me.’
And there is no way that the head of the family, who would receive the information through Gregory or Kite, did not know that.
This is because the crab has engraved her strong and weak points on Lane, and that means she knows her psychology better than anyone else.
You must have noticed that Lane was gradually changing, and you must have noticed that I was the cause.
That’s right, Lane began to change after an outsider named me approached her, so there’s no way she wouldn’t know.
“It must have been really difficult. Ever since she was young, she put in all her efforts to make Lane a tool for the family and the matriarch, but now she’s trying to confront the matriarch.”
“……….”
“Isn’t that why you planned this incident to train Raine and get her away from me?”
The easiest thing would be to get rid of me, but that would be difficult even for Artur.
I was at the Romance Academy, and the Academy is a place where Arthur’s influence does not apply much.
Moreover, it would be too risky to assassinate or kidnap me, who seems to be getting along well with the rich man, the princess, the prince, and the entire special occupation class.
‘So you just tried to separate Lane and me through the engagement.’
So it was an arbitrary decision.
To show that no matter how hard Lane tries and how much he tries to rebel, nothing will change.
Not even a family name, but just to let you know that your life is determined by the command of the head of the family.
And to expel me from the academy under the pretext of being engaged, and to create physical distance between Lane and me.
Actually, it worked quite well. Because as soon as she heard about her engagement, Lane locked herself in her room.
It must have been part of the plan that Kite came to me under the pretext of her engagement.
Originally, if I were to make a hasty move after hearing the news of the engagement, I guess they would have locked me up somewhere.
It’s just that I was more thorough than the head of the family thought.
Because I didn’t move alone, I dragged Liu and the princess into it.
“That’s an interesting guess.”
However, Hector did not move an eyebrow.
Well, it’s even more strange that the head of a great family is embarrassed just because he guessed one thing.
…… It could also be said that Lane’s resistance was so unexpected that he was so embarrassed.
“But, why does White Rose appear? It’s so strange.”
Um, so you’re going to listen to this story until the end, right?
Okay. I’ll hang out with you.
“Kite Blackwood is under the matriarch’s command and is an easily controlled puppet.”
“That’s a bit harsh. It’s not wrong.”
“The matriarch must have known that he liked Lily Whiterose. And that they were childhood friends.”
“……………….”
He said he was a childhood friend of Lily, so I did some research and it turned out that he was really a childhood friend.
At least we became close friends for a short time when we were five or six years old.
“Now then, a thought comes to mind. What if Lane and Kite get engaged?”
“……Hmm.”
“Of course, this is an engagement that neither Raine nor Kite want. However, if the head of the family says just one word to Kite, the story will be different.”
──First get engaged, then break off the engagement.
Anyway, it would be enough to use the engagement as an excuse to expel Raine and return to her family.
“Is that the end?”
“No way, then he whispers to Kite that she will let him marry Lily Whiterose. Oh, of course, not in the form he wants.”
The political picture is clearly drawn.
Kite breaks off his engagement with Lane for ‘unknown’ reasons, and he runs away for love with Lily Whiterose.
From the perspective of Arthur, who views marriage as a part of expanding his power, it appears that the Whiterose family ordered Kite to play a trick on Arthur.
At best, you wouldn’t expect a small family like Blackwood to break off the engagement with Arthur and marry Whiterose on their own.
Of course, no one would know that Hector Arthur was behind him.
‘Of course the Arthur family is angry. To both Blackwood and Whiterose.’
Then what happens after that?
Blackwood will be easily exterminated, and what remains is an all-out war with Whiterose.
And looking at the weight class and power, the winner will of course be Arthur.
Kite Blackwood caught in the middle?
Wouldn’t they just be roughly swept away and thrown away on the mountain behind? I don’t think I’ve even thought about that future.
Maybe he was just thinking about marrying Lily.
“On the surface, the insignificant family called Blackwood suddenly breaks off the engagement with Arthur, which should have been an honor. While Arthur is confused, what if Blackwood suddenly marries Whiterose? It’s as if they were making fun of the important means of marriage, of course. Arthur can’t help but be angry at the Blackwood and Whiterose he sees.”
“……………….”
“Then is there anyone in Europe who doesn’t know what marriage means to Arthur? With the perfect justification for torturing marriage, Arthur attacked and annexed Whiterose. In the end, he grew in size.”
Ultimately, he expanded his power through marriage.
With this plan, the family gains four things.
First, the Whiterose family itself.
Second, keeping me and Lane apart.
Third, informing Lane, who has begun to rebel, of reality.
And fourthly, Kite, who knows the whole story of this, can be ‘eliminated’ for good reason.
It is a happy ending only for the head of the family and Arthur.
“Do you need further explanation?”
“…There is one.”
“What is it?”
“If what you say is true, how can you get Kite and Lily Whiterose to marry? How would Whiterose accept someone who broke off the engagement and was, at best, Blackwood?”
Why are people who know everything they need to know like this?
You are asking something so basic.
“Of course, there must be someone inside.”
“…The informer?”
“Isn’t there a confidant who promised to receive sweet honey in exchange for handing over White Rose to Arthur? Moreover, Lily is almost treated as a child given away by White Rose. Even for Kite, if she gets the confidant’s help, it won’t be difficult for her to get married. “I won’t.”
If there had been no insider in the first place, I would not have attempted it.
Now that I think about it, that bastard is the root of all evil? If I have to stop by White Rose, I’ll have to kill that bastard too.
Well, anyway.
“That’s it, Hector Arthur, who has hatched a dastardly plan.”
“…What a waste, what a waste…”
“……………….”
“It’s such a shame that someone as talented as you is helping a brat like that.”
…… A b*tch like that?
Are you talking about Lane’s mother?
“What do you think? Do you have any intention of coming under me even now?”
“……Hmm.”
“If you want, I’ll let you marry Raine. You’re worth it.”
Wow, I guess I really liked it.
But how can I accept that?
“Matriarch, have you forgotten why I wanted to meet you?”
“……………….”
“Please accept the white gloves. This constitutes a duel.”
“……….”
Hector kept his mouth shut when he was told to shut up and fight.
It didn’t take long for the anticipation and interest in his eyes to turn into hostility.
“…Do you know Arthur’s history?”
“I don’t know because the bag strap is short.”
“It’s a story that not many people know anymore, but Arthur was originally an executioner.”
Tap, knock.
Hector starts walking again.
However, this time I did not follow him.
“Do you know how lowly an executioner’s job is? At a time when Christianity ruled, the job of hanging or cutting someone’s head was despised as lowly. It was a job that was necessary for society, so it did not disappear and was just passed down from generation to generation in the family. “
“……….”
“However, Arthur has now become a great family that dominates Europe. The despised past remains only as Arthur’s own torture technique.”
“……………….”
I told you about Lucas and Charles Teddy Bear. Arthur’s torture is famous.
Is it because of the past?
“There were many reasons why Arthur was able to rise to the top. He was lucky enough to be born with a career that lasted several generations, he was lucky enough to make a lot of money, and he was lucky enough to enter aristocratic society by marrying a fallen nobleman. There was.”
“……………….”
“But, even though he passed hundreds of years, Arthur did not forget one thing.”
“……….”
“If he can’t be an ally.”
──I just exclude it.
Hook.
From Noble mtl dot com
“……….”
While I wasn’t even aware, Hector took out a bow from somewhere and fired an arrow, glaring at me.
Those eyes were now filled with only hostility and murderous intent.
…… Yes, Kite is also the type of person she tried to eliminate after her plan was completed, but there is no way she would let me live if she knows everything.
There was a note tied to the arrow stuck in the wall right next to my head.
“The place and time are written there. The engagement ceremony is just around the corner.”
“……….”
“Are you scared now? I want to see the skill with which you struck Gregory with one blow.”
Are you scared?
Are you afraid of the torture you will receive if you lose the duel?
No way.
“The duel has been concluded, so let me tell you one thing.”
“Do it.”
“You’re a sh*tty father, you’re a mean bastard, you abusive bastard.”
“……………….”
“Are you afraid? There’s only one thing I’m afraid of.”
I hope your pride is as high as your arrogance.
That way, your crying will be a little bit of comfort to Raine.
“I’m afraid you’ll run away, so don’t say unnecessary things and get ready to apologize to Lane.”
“……….”
“You have to kneel, so I’ll save you your legs.”
Hector remained the same despite my provocation. I also didn’t smile for no reason.
Everything will be proven in the duel anyway.
Come at me, bastard.
*
“Ugh, uhuh…Uuuhh……”
Somewhere in the Arthur mansion.
A girl who listened to the conversation between two strong men through her supernatural powers.
I shed tears constantly.
…… What do those tears mean?
The girl didn’t really realize it yet.