The Duke's confusion only added to the fears of his disguised daughter, but he nodded in acceptance. "Of course. Appearances are no major concern to ."
But the Duke hadn't realized that Wolfe had seen through the spell disguising his daughter, and Countess Dewinter was just as confused. It was her lack of knowledge that seed to set the Duke at ease, assuring him that this wasn't a trap. At least right until Wolfe broke the spell on the Duke's daughter, who found herself back in her own body, in a suit that was both oversized and too tight, to the point that it ripped at the chest and hips.
Wolfe quickly burnt the tattered suit to ash with Unholy Fire, while creating a new gown for the Duchess in waiting to wear.
She could almost pass as Cassie's clone, if it wasn't for the difference in faces. They had the sa height, weight, build and hair colour, but the transford girl's hair was a ss from not having been styled while disguised.
"Ah, this is so much better. While I do appreciate bringing a lovely young lady to make my acquaintance, disguising her as a man was an odd choice. She is much more lovely in her own body." Wolfe inford the Duke with a smile.
The girl's father blinked slowly as his mind froze, unable to adjust to the idea that Wolfe knew his largest secret. But then the Duke's daughter let out a low moan as Wolfe trailed a hand up her side, and he snapped back to reality.
If he didn't do sothing, this Saint was going to take his daughter as a trophy, in public no less.
"Perhaps we should switch seats, Saint Noxus. It might be seen as inappropriate for a young lady to be in such a position." The Duke stamred.
The irony of his statent was not lost on Wolfe. For if he hadn't been riding along, it would have been the two apparent n alone with the Countess Dewinter in the carriage.
The Duke's daughter was patting herself everywhere, eyes wide open and a stunned look on her face.
"How did you do that?" She finally managed to stamr.
"I'm a Saint. It's not a big deal to break a basic disguise spell. I can change you back at the end of the day if you truly want, but I do think that you're more lovely this way." Wolfe replied.
The Duke sighed. "There was a good reason that she was transford. Like the Countess Dewinter, there is no son in my family, and the lineage would naturally pass to my nephew instead of my daughter. But as the world knows her as my son, she would be able to inherit my estates upon my passing.
If the courtship had been successful, I would have explained everything, and arranged for a stud to ensure that both families could still have legitimate blood heirs."
Countess Dewinter snorted. "All that planning, and you still managed to co across as so creepy and demanding that I was looking for ways to politely prohibit you from my property."
The Duke blushed, while his daughter smiled softly.
"How long has the ga been going on?" Wolfe asked, unable to restrain his curiosity.
"Since birth. Nathan has always been raised as a boy, and the spell was put in place when she reached puberty and a haircut and suit were no longer going to fool anyone." The Duke sighed, ntally envisioning everything that he had built crashing down at the hands of his irresponsible nephew.
Stephanie dug her claws into Wolfe's shoulder to get his attention.
[I could make her a real boy.] She suggested.
[Maybe later. I'm having fun with this right now.]
"There might still be a way that this can work out in your favour. What are the rules for inheritance if a lone daughter is already married? Does the title still pass to the next male kin?" Wolfe asked.
"Only if he is stronger magically than the daughter's husband. Power is everything, and we're trying to create a more powerful magical society." The Duke explained, wondering why Wolfe didn't know this.
He might be foreign, but he should at least still understand the basics of inheritance, as he was a Saint himself.
Cassie glared at Wolfe. "I know what you're thinking, and we're not on a quest to leave heirs everywhere you go. And no, you can't just keep collecting cute wives. You have enough."
Wolfe laughed. "It doesn't necessarily have to be . It just has to be soone more powerful than the nephew. How strong is he? I t too many people last night, and they all blurred together in my mory a little."
Countess Dewinter looked intrigued. Alone, she didn't have the leverage to push for a marriage alliance with soone that powerful, who would have her estate's best interests in mind. But with the interference of Wolfe and the Duke, they might be Countess Dewinter looked intrigued. Alone, she didn't have the leverage to push for a marriage alliance with soone that able to arrange sothing.
But they were already at the first of the fields, and their attention was drawn to the people already out working in the early morning light.
"Ah, the potato farms. They're looking superb this year. If you look out in the distance, you can see all four corners of my peerage from the top of the hill here." Countess Dewinter inford them as she rang a bell for the carriage to stop.
"The corners are marked with purple painted trees so that it is clear where the land borders are, without having to fully fence the property. That is a nuisance to everyone, and not a popular option here, but the purple is my Family's colour, and if you look at the next trees over, you will see another colour or a placard marking the property next to ours."
Wolfe opened the door and stepped outside to see the property. A touch of Gravity Magic took him a hundred tres in the air, where he could clearly see everything, as well as the small village and the factories.
[What do you think, Stephanie? Can you enhance the entire property with my assistance?] He asked the small black kitten on his shoulder.
[Not a problem. I will make it subtle, so it looks like they just have the best crops every year, and you can arrange sothing for the village to make them feel special.]
Wolfe nodded, and took a mont to pet her head before returning to the carriage.
[We will put it in the village, with a mana gathering array, so they never know that there is a charm active on the whole Peerage. Then I will give them a defensive spell and Cassie can cast a mild renovation.]
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