As expected, the marriage meeting was immediately put on hold. After all, the Third Princess Lobelia had been attacked by the Great Warrior.
Lobelia got up soon after as if nothing had happened, but with blood pouring from her entire body, it was impossible to pretend nothing had occurred.
However, the Ether Duchy was unlikely to be held accountable for this incident.
That was because it was obvious Lobelia would settle the matter on her own.
From a common-sense perspective, it was a huge incident, but Lobelia getting injured wasn’t exactly a rare event, and the Empire wasn’t so leisurely as to make a fuss over something like this.
Of course, this also depended on Emperor Abraham’s opinion…
Fortunately, Abraham maintained his stance of not intervening in the succession struggle, so he did not use this incident as a pretext to pressure House Ether.
And so, after some time had passed for things to calm down—
“Good grief, I can’t live in this exhausting capital. Once everything’s over, we’re heading straight back, so take care, Johan.”
“You really don’t spare a thought for your son, do you?”
“What’s there to be fond of in a guy who caused a scene at the marriage meeting?”
“It’s not like I said anything wrong. Be honest. Do you really think you can protect the territory if things like that happen every week?”
“Tsk… Do things like that really happen every week?”
“Yes.”
At least recently, they had.
If I thought of it as paying the price for a peaceful year in the cradle, it felt a bit unfair…but not completely beyond understanding.
Still, it was a bit depressing that despite going through such intense events, I hadn’t grown at all.
“Hmm…”
That day, when I used magic to save Ariel, it had gone well…but maybe it was just a fluke. Ever since then, I hadn’t been able to use advanced magic again.
I was starting to feel impatient, but I knew I couldn’t afford to rely on luck.
Once this marriage issue was settled, I planned to ask Ariel to teach me magic.
She wasn’t exactly the best teacher, but it was still better than nothing.
“Johan, I think we’ve arrived.”
“Finally, this damn marriage issue is about to be resolved.”
I stretched and loosened my stiff body.
Today was the day to reconsider the matter that had been left unresolved in the past.
The trip had been arranged in secret, and more importantly, today’s meeting was to be held at Duke Ether’s mansion. There shouldn’t be any mishaps like last time.
Still, perhaps the idea of going to the Ether Duchy’s mansion felt too burdensome, so Mother and Chris stayed behind.
To be exact, only Mother found it burdensome, and Chris had simply chosen to stay by her side.
Phew, my little brother’s all grown up now.
…He really was.
Even more than me.
“Welcome. We’ve been expecting you, Count Damus.”
“Ahem! Thank you for the warm welcome.”
This time, the head butler personally came out to greet us.
It definitely felt more formal compared to last time.
“This way, please.”
With that, we followed the head butler and the other servants.
“There’s such an overwhelming atmosphere… Is this what a duke’s house is like…?”
“Right? But honestly, this feels a bit over the top… Stay sharp, Father.”
“Phew…”
They said they’d treat us with respect, but since we were the ones canceling the marriage, there was a chance they’d demand some sort of compensation.
We’d have to negotiate carefully.
Led by the servants, we eventually arrived at Tronius Ether’s office.
Tronius Ether was reviewing a mountain of documents, and beside him stood Ariel, quietly composed. When she saw me, she gave a small smile.
“Forgive me for greeting you during work hours. I’m pleased to meet you, Count Damus.”
“How could I not know how hard the Duke works day and night for the Empire? It’s quite all right.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
My father who was usually stiff with his words and further tense because of the situation spoke with a rigid tone.
The air was suffocating.
“Hello, Count Damus. And welcome, Sir Johan. I hope your journey went smoothly?”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Ariel. There were no problems.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Then Ariel who was smiling softly helped ease the tension in the room.
After politely greeting us, she stepped back, and Tronius Ether opened his mouth to speak.
“Johan Damus.”
“Yes, Duke Ether.”
“I understand what you said last time. Rascal may have gotten ahead of himself, and sending the bridal gifts might have felt like silent pressure to you. I want to apologize for that as well.”
“…It’s all right.”
“And Count Damus. I dragged you all the way here despite how busy you must be managing your lands. I also apologize for that.”
“Haha, it wasn’t so bad getting to visit the capital again after so long. Think nothing of it, Duke Ether.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
It looked like things might end smoothly. Tronius Ether seemed busy with his own work anyway. Maybe he didn’t want to spend too much energy on us.
If only it could all just end with a “let’s forget this ever happened!” clap clap clap and be done with it…
“Johan Damus.”
“Yes?”
It seemed the Duke still had something left to say to me.
“I heard that you saved Ariel. Not just during that last incident, but even back at the Cradle.”
“That’s… true?”
“……?”
I nodded instinctively at the sudden topic, but apparently I wasn’t the only one caught off guard.
Ariel, standing behind Tronius Ether, stared at him like he was some kind of strange person.
A moment that reminded me once again what kind of atmosphere the Ether family had.
“I didn’t even know Ariel had transcendence syndrome, but you not only recognized it…you also spent most of your time in the Cradle developing a cure, didn’t you?”
Father looked at me with a questioning expression, as if to say, “You did?”
Well, I didn’t really have anything to say to that.
It’s not like I ever expected to be praised this much.
“So I fully understand your feelings toward Ariel as well.”
“???”
“Turning that into something messy with power and politics would be… immature, wouldn’t it?”
“Father?”
Ariel looked surprised by Tronius Ether’s words, as if she hadn’t expected them. But truthfully, I was the more surprised one. At the atmosphere, that is.
Something was… something was definitely happening!
“Wait a moment, Duke.”
“Therefore, you shall be engaged to Ariel. However, this will not be made public until after graduation and for a few years beyond that.”
“Huh?”
I asked back.
But there was no answer.
“We’ll also provide support to the Damus County. Since the House of Ether can no longer expand its own power, it would be wiser to build an allied faction instead.”
“Huh?”
My father asked back.
Again, there was no answer.
Tronius Ether pushed a sheet of paper in front of me as if everything had already been decided.
It could be called a marriage certificate… or perhaps a contract.
“This seems like a conclusion everyone can be satisfied with. Don’t you agree?”
“Um, well…”
“Yes? Is there a problem? If there’s a flaw I haven’t noticed, do point it out.”
“No…”
“None from me either.”
I answered reluctantly, and Ariel nodded with a proud expression.
Only then did I finally understand how Tronius Ether’s mind worked.
He was acting under the firm belief that Ariel and I had mutual feelings for each other.
And with Ariel standing right there, responding like it was only natural, it was no wonder the Duke had never even thought to question it.
Father and daughter….both of them were a handful.
Worse still, I had already dodged this question once before. Back then, I gave a vague, indifferent answer that could be taken as agreement. Who knew it would come back to bite me like this…
“Of course, this is something the Count of Damus must handle well. What say you, Count? Can you do it?”
I looked at my father and quietly shook my head.
This was a poisoned chalice.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to marry. But that this was a gamble with enormous risk.
Even with the support of House Ether, there was no guarantee the Damus House would regain its former stature.
It all depended on how we handled it.
Calling it “support” was generous. This was essentially a contract, with marriage as its condition.
If my father were anything like me, just an ordinary man, he’d definitely turn it down…
“It’s not a matter of whether we can. It’s something we must do.”
“Father…?”
Well, when has the world ever worked the way I wanted it to?
I had a feeling this would happen.
***
I managed to avoid the marriage.
But I couldn’t avoid the engagement.
It was postponed in fact. But still, the situation was far better than before.
“Sir Johan.”
“Yes?”
Ariel personally came to see me off as I was leaving House Ether.
It seemed Tronius Ether was busy with work. Still, as a member of the household, she had probably come in his stead.
Not that it was particularly strange…
“S-Sir Johan!”
“Ah, yes.”
Watching Ariel fidget made me feel oddly uneasy.
“… h-husband? Darling? Um, which do you prefer?”
“Let’s just stick with ‘Sir Johan’, like usual.”
“Eh…”
Why did she look so disappointed?
Wait—was that what she wanted to call me?
“We agreed to keep the engagement secret, didn’t we? So we should act normal.”
“R-Right… but when it’s just the two of us…!”
“If we get used to that and slip up in front of others, it’ll be a real problem. Let’s just keep it normal.”
“Okaaay…”
Seeing Ariel droop like a rabbit with floppy ears made me feel strangely guilty.
Still, there was no need to put up walls like I used to… This had already become something I couldn’t avoid anyway.
“Then I’ll see you at the Cradle, Ariel.”
“…Yes! See you tomorrow, Johan!”
It probably wouldn’t seem suspicious if we were just on a first-name basis.
Still, I got into the carriage feeling a strange, ticklish sense from doing something I normally wouldn’t.
Why, though?
“I’m exhausted…”
The mental fatigue was no joke.
***
By the time everything had wrapped up and the carriage had entered the city—
“Father.”
“What is it?”
I spoke to my father, who was absentmindedly gazing out the window.
“Why did you accept it? The burden must be overwhelming. It’s not like you’re trying to restore our family’s past status or crave political power, right?”
“Why do you assume that’s not the case?”
“Because that’s not the kind of person you are.”
“Well, that’s true.”
He let out a short laugh.
As I thought, this whole decision had been for my sake.
Whether it was truly for my sake, I wasn’t so sure… but at the very least, it weighed heavily on me.
“Son.”
“Yes, Father?”
“I’m still your parent. Did you really think I didn’t know you still haven’t gotten over her?”
“You didn’t just suddenly think of that after hearing about the transcendence syndrome cure?”
“…That too. But staying trapped in the past forever won’t do you any good, will it?”
“So you’re saying this was some kind of shock therapy?”
“I know better than anyone that you’re not the type to respond to that. I just thought… if this could be a turning point, maybe that’d be enough. She seemed like a good match, too…”
“That’s it? That’s your whole reason?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“……”
He gave up his retirement just to give me a “turning point”.
When I thought of it that way, I had nothing more to say.
“Repay me properly, you ungrateful son.”
“Seriously…”
Fine, I give up.
They say no parent can win against their child, but I’m starting to think that might’ve always been a lie.
***
After the Damus family left the Ether Duchy,
Tronius Ether sat down for a chat with his younger brother, Rascal Ether, who had come to visit.
“Is this for real?”
“Read it as it is.”
“You’re seriously offering this much?”
“Yes.”
“…Huh.”
Rascal Ether clicked his tongue as he read the support proposal for the Damus family written by Tronius Ether.
He didn’t particularly oppose the idea of supporting the Damus family.
What surprised him was that Tronius Ether had gone that far.
“Wow, compared to this, the scraps I sent over look like toys.”
“It was necessary.”
“No, I get it… To make sure the name ‘Count’ actually means something, this much is needed. Especially for a house out on the frontier.”
Rascal Ether shrugged in agreement.
Tronius Ether’s calculations were a bit generous, but overall, they were reasonable.
“Still, I can’t wrap my head around you making a decision like this. Looking at this, someone might actually think you’re a father who loves his daughter.”
“Is that how it looks?”
“No. That’s what makes it more surprising.”
Rascal Ether had seen Tronius Ether’s transformation up close.
As a child, his older brother had been righteous and emotional. But the man who returned from the battlefield was worn down and hardened.
“I’ve seen too much to love or hate anyone.”
War changes people.
And it had changed Tronius even more. He who had been sent again and again into the fiercest, most horrifying battlefields at the Emperor’s command.
“I saw corpses with my eyes, and screams rang in my ears.”
“……”
“The smell of burning flesh stung my nose, and the blood and meat stuck to bare skin was hot and sickening.”
All five senses pointed to death.
And it had been his doing.
“I saw people forgive those they once hated, and people kill the ones they once loved.”
He had seen far too much—
So much that change was inevitable.
“I don’t even know what emotions are anymore. Or more precisely… I gave up trying to understand them out of fear.”
“Brother…”
“But Rascal.”
Tronius Ether looked at Rascal with dry eyes and smiled.
A smile that seemed almost programmed into his body.
It should have felt unsettling, but Rascal Ether felt only a deep sense of conflict.
“I remember that I used to be someone who could love. Even if emotions have worn away, the memories haven’t faded.”
Only then did Rascal understand—
What it was that still moved Tronius Ether.
What went on in the mind of a man merely going through the motions of life.
“That’s why I’m trying to take responsibility for the things I once loved. It’s a promise I made to the person I used to be.”
Responsibility.
That was what drove Tronius Ether now.
For his house and his family.
Because it was the only thing left in a life that had long since lost its color.
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