"But I'm not part of the Imperial family. I move between the tower and the outside. And to be more precise, I'm more aligned with the Ankertnas. Magicians may not be familiar, but they're gradually being accepted now, and everyone knows this castle is magically impregnable."
"I heard this is the only place where teleportation magic is forbidden."
"Yes, that's why I always have to dismount far away and ride a horse for a long ti to get in."
Awen sighed deeply before continuing,
"The Imperial family wants that power too. But it's tricky and difficult to form connections with magicians. Magicians have their own rules."
"I've heard they're hard to persuade because they can't be moved by money or power."
Arthur said, and Awen nodded.
"But Arkana seems tied to the Ankertna family, so forming a connection with the Ankertnas makes it easier to gain magic. And that's already been proven to other families, right? Like the Illisaines, Daenums, Alters......"
Awen said with a sigh, and Serena frowned and said,
"But it's not like there's any great magic cast on them? And they definitely received compensation."
"Arkana won't do it even if they offer compensation."
"Unless Mother asks."
At Arthur's words, Awen smiled and said, "You know well." Awen made a strange face and then sighed again before saying,
"There's no magician as strong as Arkana right now, though there is one more in a different field......"
"Who?"
When Arthur asked, Serena answered,
"Isn't it Aunt Sika?"
"Ah—"
Arthur understood, and Awen faintly smiled and said, "That's right." Arthur said bluntly,
"Then there's no need to go as far as marriage, is there? They could just ask Mother."
"They want to command."
"Command?"
"Yes. And— they want to hold us as collateral too."
"Our lives, you an."
Arthur smiled coldly, and Serena burrowed deeper into Awen's embrace. She thought with a sigh,
'I understand why Arthur doesn't want to inherit.'
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Brin inherited his parents' blonde hair intact. His blue-green eyes were much more saturated than his father's, seeming to sparkle on their own.
Both Marie-Chez and Alkerto were of the opinion 'Why do we need many siblings?' so neither objected to having just one child.
So Brin was the only son and sole heir of the Daenum family. When he was young, he often dressed in won's clothes accompanied by his mother's cries of "Ah, I can't stand it!" but after the age of ten, such incidents stopped, and now if asked to na the best-dressed man, everyone would put Brin Daenum in their top three.
And now, this Brin Daenum was struggling to swallow his tea while looking at Arthur smiling brightly in front of him.
"What is it, just say what you want to say."
Finally unable to bear it, Brin spoke, and Arthur promptly said,
"Keep your hands off other people's little sisters."
At those words, Brin frowned.
"Little sister? You an Serena?"
"Don't tell
you were trying to put your hands on Ellie?"
"No, wait. When did I ever lay hands on her?"
"I heard you complinted her, saying her black hair was pretty."
"Should I have said it was strange?"
Brin exclaid, exasperated. A year older than Arthur, he knew he was no match for Arthur in terms of physical strength.
But that doesn't an he can't speak his mind.
"She tells
she envies my blonde hair. She envies your silver hair too. So I just told her black hair is attractive too. And it is attractive, isn't it?"
"Did you have to add that last part, Brin Daenum?"
"What can I do if it's true? Besides, I can't go against Serena."
"Why?"
"I don't like not having a dance partner."
At those words, Arthur sighed, "Ah." Arthur sank deep into the sofa and said,
"Still?"
"Well, I barely manage to squeeze in. Along with whispers of 'That's the eldest son of the nouveau riche Daenum family who bought their title with money.'"
"That's really tireso."
"I'm used to it now."
Brin said, shrugging his shoulders. Arthur said, "I admire you for getting used to that too," as he leaned on the armrest. Brin squird and said,
"But I'm not used to this."
"To what?"
Arthur asked as he set down his cup, and Brin sighed and said quietly,
"Being stared at like this."
At those words, Arthur looked around. The won in the café quickly turned their heads away. Arthur looked back at Brin and smiled.
"I don't notice it."
"As if you don't."
The swordsman Arthur surely had better senses than him, there's no way he wouldn't notice. The two beautiful young n, looking as if they'd stepped out of an illustration, were currently boosting the café's sales significantly.
Brin lifted his cup, subtly shielding his face, and said,
"Anyway, that's why I don't have any noble ladies to dance with besides those from my parents' existing connections. Serena is a precious talent among them."
"Why don't you dance with the Imperial Princess?"
At those words, Brin laughed.
"With Her Highness Princess Lucy? Wow, just thinking about it gives
chills. Wouldn't I get challenged to a duel and die that day? How dare a re upstart dance with the Imperial Princess?"
"That's ridiculous. Anyway, you're still going to beco a baron."
Whether one beca nobility through rit or money, the fact that they paid the price remains unchanged. Brin grinned and said,
"Besides, I'm thinking of officially starting to run a trading company."
"Hey, that's really going to get you kicked out of high society."
"Is it really?"
"It is."
"Well, Jin said the sa thing."
At the ntion of another friend's na, Arthur nodded. Jin Illisaine was the sa age as Arthur.
"By the way, why didn't Jin co out today?"
"Rehabilitation therapy."
"Ah."
At Brin's words, Arthur closed his mouth. Brin glanced at him cautiously and carefully opened his mouth, but Arthur sighed and said,
"I've already told you, it's not possible."
"But—"
"We can't make a crippled leg perfectly healthy. Magic isn't omnipotent."
It was a phrase Arkana always had on his lips, and Arthur had grown accustod to saying it too. People expect miracles from magic. But magic can't create miracles.
"Well, it's already a miracle that it wasn't amputated."
"I told you, it's not a miracle."
Arthur said with a bitter smile at Brin's words. Brin shrugged.
"Anyway. He's much better now, he can walk and run, and you can't tell from the outside. It seems to hurt when he walks for a long ti though."
"That's good."
As Brin nodded, Arthur turned his gaze. Then he frowned. Brin looked in the sa direction and smiled brightly.
Arthur chided,
"Don't drool."
"Oh, co on."
Though he complained, Brin stood up with a smile.
"Seri."
"Who are you calling Seri?"
Arthur said in a low voice. But Brin paid no attention, and Serena approached with a smile, placing her hand on Brin's outstretched hand. Brin kissed the back of her hand and said,
"You look beautiful today as well."
"Ugh—"
"Arthur, please."
"Thank you, Brin."
"It's nothing. Sit down."
"No, I just stopped by for a mont. I have a carriage waiting outside."
Serena said, shaking her head. She had her hair completely tied up and decorated, wearing a slim-fitting blue dress.
"Where are you going all dressed up so prettily?"
At Brin's words, Serena replied, "To et Cassie." Brin glanced at Arthur and said,
"Shall we go together? It would be nice to see Jin too."
Arthur nodded and stood up. Serena chuckled and said,
"Now it looks like I'll be taking all the bla from the ladies here."
Arthur lightly kissed her forehead and said,
"They say you live longer if people curse you."
"After what you just said—"
Serena said, hitting his chest lightly, but her face was smiling. Brin paid the bill—'Money is all I have,' he grinned—and the three left the café.
Marie-Chez had given birth to a child, but maintained a figure almost indistinguishable from her maiden days. Marie-Chez glared at Sigrid and said,
"Why don't masters age? Seeing Siri makes
more conscious of the wrinkles around my eyes."
"Marie, you don't look like you've changed at all."
"What do you an I haven't changed, look at my eyes! The wrinkles!"
Marie-Chez said, pointing to the corners of her eyes. Sigrid said seriously,
"They're practically non-existent."
"That ans they do exist."
Grumbling, Marie-Chez lightly hugged Sigrid and then let go. She smiled and said,
"So what wind blew you to the capital?"
"Well, I have so things I wanted to talk about."
At Sigrid's cautious tone, Marie-Chez gestured for the servants to leave.
"Shall we sit down first?"
"Yes."
Marie-Chez offered the sofa, newly upholstered with the striped fabric currently in fashion. The entire mansion was decorated to Marie-Chez's taste, and her taste set trends and was flawless, so noble ladies, while whispering, couldn't help but acknowledge her taste.
Sigrid sat on the sofa and imdiately got to the point.
"We received a marriage proposal from the Imperial family."
Marie-Chez, who was about to offer tea, froze in place. With her navy blue eyes wide open, she stared at Sigrid for a long ti before finally managing to utter a word.
"Really?"
She blurted out and then shook her head.
"No, it must be true. For whom? Serena?"
"No, for anyone."
They want to marry into our family, regardless of who.
At those words, Marie-Chez chuckled and said, "It's truly political," and Sigrid nodded. Marie-Chez set down the tea set herself and said,
"So? What do you want to do, Siri? Since you're asking, I guess you don't want to do it."
"It's supposed to be natural for nobles, and Lowengrin and Hatien worked out well too... but if the kids don't want it, I don't want to do it. But I wonder if it's okay to leave such an important choice to children of that age."
"So you want to postpone either way."
"That's right."
"Why don't you tell Beramund to talk to them?"
When else are you going to use your direct line to His Majesty?
At Marie-Chez's words, Sigrid shrugged and said, "He's actually gone to do that now." Marie-Chez watched as she brewed the tea and asked,
"What about you, Marie?"
"Hm?"
"I an Brin. Isn't it ti for a political marriage for him?"
"Siri, look at
and Al. And Brin can't have a political marriage."
"He can't?"
Marie-Chez laughed lightly, almost like a sigh, and said,
"Of course, I'm the daughter of a count. But Alkerto was a commoner, and though he gained the title of baron— the rumors are widespread, and there are no long-established families who would enter into a political marriage with us. If we accept a political marriage, they're likely to only be after our money. And personally, I'm against such marriages."
"I see. But I was a commoner too."
"Ah, Siri. It's completely different with you, a master. Besides, your husband is a Lunatil. The second son of a ducal family. You've even risen in status twice. In this marriage market that looks at parents' bloodlines, there's a significant difference between a count's daughter and a duke's son, and whether it's the father's status that's low or the mother's."
Marie-Chez poured tea into Sigrid's cup, and Sigrid nodded, saying, "I see."
"Then how should I refuse?"
"Well, I think Lowi would know better than
about that. The most innocuous way would be to say it's not possible due to health reasons?"
"We've already shown how healthy we are. And Lowi said she doesn't have ti during the day because she has a public lecture."
"What? So you ca to
as a substitute?"
"Of course not. Do you think I wouldn't listen to Marie-Chez's opinion?"
"I suppose not."
At Sigrid's words, her eyes wide, Marie-Chez nodded with satisfaction.
"Besides, your mind is already made up, the problem is finding a way to refuse."
At Marie-Chez's words, Sigrid nodded. She lifted her teacup and said,
"I never thought I'd be having this kind of conversation with Marie."
"I know. I never imagined it either. Talking about children's marriage issues with Siri."
Marie-Chez nodded deeply in agreent. Sigrid shook her head and said,
"When I was that age—"
"You were probably swinging your sword like a madwoman."
At Marie-Chez's retort, Sigrid nodded.
"I never even thought about marriage."
"For , it was around the ti I turned the household upside down saying I wouldn't have a political marriage, and started sword training."
At Marie-Chez's words, Sigrid nodded, saying, "I see." Marie-Chez chuckled lightly and said,
"Well, Beramund will handle it well."
At those words, Sigrid promptly replied, "Yes."
"Then shall we catch up on the society news we've missed in the anti?"
At Marie-Chez's words, Sigrid nodded. Marie-Chez cleared her throat and began her story.
Serena gracefully stepped out of the carriage, holding Arthur's hand.
As the three children rushed into the entrance, Jin ca out to greet them. Jin, with his mahogany-colored straight hair neatly tied back, was leaning on a cane in one hand.
"Jin."
Serena greeted him with a smile, and Jin faintly smiled back in greeting. Then he looked at the two boys standing behind and said,
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