156 – Shadowed Face
engagement.
It was not a heavy word to listen to while leisurely chewing a snack. Surely you didn’t do something grandiose? Is engagement an insignificant thing in the imperial aristocratic society? It’s an important matter that will determine the fate of at least two people, right?
‘Is it okay to say it so lightly?’
While many thoughts were rushing through his mind, Shiron calmly put down the teacup he was holding. A frown was drawn at the corners of Eldrina’s mouth at the sight of a clearly different appearance from the rough and even vulgar way she spoke and acted a moment ago.
“You’re not embarrassed. I thought you would stutter your words even if you don’t spit out the tea that was in your mouth…”
“Isn’t it barely an engagement? Your wife clearly said it wasn’t anything grand.”
“So? Then the story will be fast.”
Eldrina smiled and looked at Siron, and Siron glanced at Latera, sitting next to her, trembling.
“What you mean by the fact that the story is fast… is that this is a matter that can be decided just by expressing my opinion?”
“Of course.”
“You already asked Siriel’s doctor a long time ago…”
“Oh, that’s not it.”
Eldrina waved her hand, asking what he was talking about.
“This is solely my opinion.”
“…”
“But, as you know, Siriel would not only want to get engaged but would also want to get married right away. In other words, this engagement is similar to a surprise gift.”
“…okay.”
After hearing the story, Siron closed his eyes and sank deep into the chair. The woman in front of me, Eldrina, is not normal. It’s something I’ve been feeling for a long time, but right now. The thoughts that had been rolling around in my head gradually became more and more certain.
‘No, am I the one who isn’t normal?’
Arranged marriage.
The words that pop into my head summarize what has just happened.
Without even asking the parties’ intentions, the superior decides who will be the child’s betrothal. What’s more, treating an act that only happens once in a lifetime as a gift? Siron, who only did things befitting a nobleman by not being tied to money and frequently hanging out with high-ranking people who put a lot of strain on their necks, felt distant from Eldrina and the aristocratic society she belonged to.
“great.”
but,
Aside from that, Siron did not find Eldrina’s proposal uncomfortable.
“If you look at my intentions alone, it’s not like I don’t have feelings for Siriel. I’m looking at this engagement positively.”
“…That’s a good thing.”
Eldrina shook her head a few times and then opened her mouth. And for a moment, Eldrina’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Siron.
“But… you’re saying you don’t have a heart?”
Eldrina felt uncomfortable because Siron seemed to be speaking ambiguously.
“For now, can I just accept that I’m feeling attracted to you?”
“Why are you doing that?”
“I’m not saying that I like him, but I’m just concerned that he even brought up the possibility of denial.”
“I think you can just pass it on.”
“I haven’t even seen you for a day or two. I think it’s a good idea to point out even the smallest details just in case.”
Eldrina did not laugh anymore. He removed the fan that was covering his mouth and faced Siron with a stern face. A sight that is never seen in social settings. However, this is a reaction that comes from Eldrina’s understanding of the person named Siron to some extent.
Her husband’s nephew, Shiron Prien, was not the kind of person who acted with the back in mind for Eldrina. Sometimes they act cautiously according to the surrounding situation, and at other times they act unexpectedly and impulsively. Eldrina understood it as a warlike tendency peculiar to the old samurai.
And Eldrina knew how to deal with them.
Somehow clarifying the facts, leaving room for preparation so that you can deal flexibly in future situations. To do so, she took some of the pretense off.
“I wish for Siriel’s happiness, and I can’t stand to see the engagement twist later and even break off.”
“…Well, I understand your concerns. Can I be a little more explicit about it?”
“You mean explicit?”
“If you hear this, you may feel uncomfortable or angry. I am a person who grew up in an environment where I was repeatedly successful even when I did not try to say it.”
“I have a big heart.”
Eldrina smiled and answered. When it came to Hugo, she was more thorough than any other woman and was aware that she was like a sword, but other than that, she thought that it could be said that she had a big heart. Of course, Siron agreed with him.
Over the past six years, Eldrina has not interfered much with Siron and Lucia. To put it negatively, it was indifference, but since most people listened to what they wanted, Siron had no choice but to agree with Eldrina’s words.
“It’s because I’m a person who worries a lot.”
“Oh my, it didn’t look like that.”
“As much as I worry, there are also a lot of things I haven’t taken care of. You can’t be concerned about swarming ants when you’re facing a tiger, right?”
“A more important issue has not been resolved than becoming engaged to Siriel… Is that okay to understand?”
“yes.”
This is not a situation where you can fully focus on dating. A compromise that would not hurt Siriel and build Eldrina’s pride. Siron was saying those words in the most dignified manner possible.
“Have you ever thought that the world could end tomorrow?”
“Well… I’ve thought about it a few times wishing it would fail. If it turns out to be true and not just a thought, then it’s understandable that I can’t be completely concerned about my engagement to Siriel.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Now the Macal Mountains have not collapsed, and Lucia and Glenn are alive. Even if the demon wakes up from its long sleep, it will be able to endure for a while.
“But… that’s not the only reason I gave an ambiguous answer.”
“Is there any other reason?”
“…It’s because it’s sudden. I’m saying that because I don’t know much about noble culture, but do engagements usually come around this time of year? No, since it’s an engagement, I don’t think it’s too late.”
“Um… I hope you don’t feel bad about this.”
After saying that, Eldrina called someone and ordered them to bring a certain item. And for a moment. In her hands were several envelopes with letters tied with twine.
“What is that?”
Shiron looked at the bundle of envelopes and Eldrina alternately with a gaze full of questions. Eldrina pulled out one of them and shook it.
“It’s a marriage story from Siriel.”
“Hon…dam?”
“Yes, as you know, Siriel’s looks are outstanding, right? I think her skills as a warrior are also excellent. Since she inherited the blood of the guy who is said to be the strongest in the Empire.”
“…”
“So I’ve been hearing this kind of stuff ever since I was very young. Of course I cut it all off.”
“…You’re having a hard time.”
“Of course, the hardships are not the only one. No matter how close the husband is to the emperor, the number of nobles who send marriage talks is very large. It’s troublesome.”
Eldrina let out a deep sigh. For a moment, when a shadow fell on her face, Chiron looked as if she had aged several years. After rubbing the nape of her neck a few times, Eldrina leaned against the armrest and spoke.
“I wanted to wait at least until Siriel matured a bit, but now that’s also very tiring.”
“Hmm… It’s a bit embarrassing. To think that such a story came and went without my knowledge.”
Siron crossed his arms and frowned. There was a possibility that Siriel, which I thought was a caught fish, would be outbid…
‘It wasn’t that I didn’t have a heart at all.’
Eldrina, looking at the young man’s distorted face, smiled slightly and calmed her expression.
“After saying this, it seems like they are rushing Siriel’s engagement just to make it easier for me.”
“…I fully understand your wife’s difficulties.”
“Just understanding isn’t enough. That’s why I’ve also prepared benefits for you by becoming engaged.”
“Benefits… you mean?”
“okay.”
Eldrina openly revealed a faint smile. She read the cloudy greed in Siron’s eyes.
“What you lack, I can make up for in my goodness.”
“What specifically?”
“For example, I can fill in the title of nobility that you do not have.”
Why Eldrina can have influence in the social world. This is not only because of Hugo’s prestige, but also because she is called the Countess of Eilus and is born with blue blood.
“No matter how much Siriel loves you, the world cannot live on love alone. So I will try my best to pass on the title to you. At the academy, there is no need to be looked at the same way as the beggars who graduate without even inheriting the title. “There is no such thing, right?”
“…”
“Even if you are the legitimate son of a great family called Prien.”
‘The meaning of deficit has disappeared.’
Siron thought of Lucia at the academy.
Since Lucia has become the head of the small family, unless something happens, Prien’s head will be Lucia.
“And that’s not all.”
Eldrina took out the stiff paper she had been carrying in her arms the whole time.
“You have a debt of 70 million shillings in front of you. I can pay this back somehow. Of course, it will cost me a lot of money.”
“Hmm…there was that too.”
“Are you really planning on leaving me like this?”
Eldrina looked at the theory she was talking about as if she had forgotten about it.
“That’s not true.”
Siron held a teacup and quenched his thirst. I couldn’t have expected that my credit card debt would come up here, so I burst out laughing without realizing it.
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“I wasn’t concerned about it because it was money that could be repaid at any time.”
“…bragging is not good.”
Eldrina narrowed her eyebrows. 70 million shillings is a large amount of money that easily exceeds the defense budget of a small principality. She didn’t understand the theory of laughing in this situation.
“I’m not bluffing. If you want, I can pay you back right away.”
“so?”
“Of course. I know a lot of ways to make money even if I do this.”
“If that’s the case… I won’t ask any more questions about that.”
Eldrina decided to take a step back from Siron’s confident remarks.
“Then we can take the engagement as positive, right?”
“If I talk more, will we just end up standing still?”
“good.”
Eldrina smiled with satisfaction.
“I guess I need to find out the size of my finger first.”
*
Meanwhile, at the academy, Lucia was leisurely strolling around the campus.
‘Why… doesn’t anyone attack me?’
Then she looked around. Now she has no regrets about studying at the academy. I was prepared to be expelled from school for truancy, so I went to the academy with the intention of putting a stop to any student who started a fight like usual.
but,
Strangely enough, no students attacked Lucia.
Just a few months ago, a group of classmates and upperclassmen came and challenged me to a duel. I was so disappointed that I gave up my desire to study.
“What? Is it okay?”
Good is good. Lucia thought so and headed to the restaurant to have lunch. And for a moment. Lucia was able to look at the familiar back.
“Gracie!”
“…Lucia?”
Gracie Versailles. The friend I made across Siriel looked back.
“What is it Gracie? What’s wrong with your face?”
But something was strange. The face of my friend, who called my name out of joy, looked so bad that I had to worry that something had happened, with dark shadows over his eyes and his shoulders drooping. The exact opposite of Lucia.
“Did you get hit by anyone?”
“…What are you talking about? Someone is telling me I’m being beaten around. Where on earth have you been and where are you now? You missed the school opening ceremony and classes.”
“Ah… that happened a bit.”
“…Day?”
“Yes. But don’t worry. Everything will be fine now.”
“…I’m glad. I didn’t feel at ease because it looked like it was going through a hard time.”
I didn’t ask what was going on. Because Gracie was truly worried about Lucia, who was involved in unwanted accidents every day, as a friend, she was able to smile with a sincere heart at her friend, who met her brightly again even though she had not been seen for a long time.
However, contrary to those feelings, Gracie’s smile had an uneasy edge.
“If I didn’t get hit… is there another problem?”
Lucia also noticed this, so she asked cautiously.
“Well… there is a problem. I’m not the only one. I wonder if I’m worried for no reason.”
“What is it?”
In response to Lucia’s question, Gracie looked around the entire restaurant. About half. Perhaps even more so, there were many children with darker faces.
“The summons has been issued.”