Chapter 18
18. Even If We Made Such a Promise2021.10.31.
Julius Mansion, Arthur’s private reception room. Arthur summoned a few knights he trusted along with Tristan and spoke.
“The door to the bridal chamber was breached far too easily.”
He conveyed to his subordinates his desire that such incidents—visitors knocking and barging in at all hours despite his reluctance—should never happen again.
“Make sure it doesn’t.”
“Understood.”
“Leave it to us.”
His men bristled with stiff expressions of outrage. Such occurrences meant that Arthur, who had essentially rolled in from outside, hadn’t yet properly secured his position in the marquis’s household, and that he was vulnerable. They argued there was a need to establish him as the heir and lord with his own respected domain within the marquis’s mansion. To that end, they decided to bring Arthur’s knights into the mansion and set up their own quarters. The goal was to have Arthur’s people moving about inside the mansion, to naturally display the knights standing guard, and to accustom the household to the presence of the legitimate heir with his rightful authority.
“Good.”
Arthur grinned.
“As you all know, we have to head to the capital. Make sure my position here doesn’t get messy in the meantime. Prepare well.”
“Yes. Don’t worry.”
Before they departed, he needed to firmly establish himself in this marquis’s household not as a guest, but as the heir. Leaving the mansion for the capital shouldn’t look like a guest stepping out. Arthur had to position himself as swiftly as possible as the family’s ruler, on equal footing with the marquis. Otherwise, returning and reestablishing his place in Julius would be twice as hard. Lukan, the knight from a mercenary background, grumbled.
“Even with the imperial guarantee on the marriage contract, we can’t let our guard down.”
Another knight, the adjutant Kay, flipped through the notebook in his hand and said,
“No helping it. The heir position as a son-in-law is inherently unstable.”
He continued explaining.
“Looking at historical precedents from other families alone, there are plenty of sons-in-law who got screwed over—for lack of heirs in the countryside, for the daughter’s death, even unilateral broken engagements, all sorts of reasons.”
Lukan, who had been listening quietly, pursed his lips and suddenly asked Arthur,
“Your Excellency. You made sure the marriage contract is airtight, right? And everything else too.”
Arthur didn’t answer the pointed question. Instead, Kay replied.
“Fortunately, thanks to the imperial side, the contract won’t cut off your nose. If Your Excellency serves under the Julius name for over six months, Julius can’t unilaterally break the engagement. If over two years, even if ‘Christina’ dies or goes missing, your rights as heir are recognized.”
Flipping through the pages of the notebook where the contract’s contents were copied verbatim, Kay continued.
“And if you achieve distinguished service on the battlefield in ‘Julius’s’ name, it grants joint authority in the family equal to that of the ‘family head.’ …This clause is so generous it’s almost too much from the imperial side. Wonder how the marquis managed to accept it.”
The knights chattered excitedly, chewing it over.
“He probably thought you wouldn’t come back alive.”
“They must’ve held funerals praying for your death, only for you to return with ‘distinguished service’ right in their faces. How embarrassing.”
Kay smirked and leisurely turned the page.
“Of course, ‘distinguished service’ is open to interpretation, but for now…”
Savoring the thrilling aftertaste on the knights’ faces, Kay continued at a relaxed pace.
“If Your Excellency falls in battle, the marriage is treated as never having happened, and the dowry is fully returned. A bit of a sore clause, but it’s already meaningless now.”
The knights giggled like little devils, looking smug and satisfied. The discussion continued about solidifying Arthur’s status as a ‘joint ruler’ equal to the marquis within the mansion, while also getting another legal consultation on the marriage contract.
“…….”
Meanwhile, letting the knights’ talk flow in one ear and out the other, Tristan was lost in slightly different thoughts. Just moments ago, even while recounting that unpleasant incident, Arthur hadn’t seemed particularly upset. Of course, Arthur was the type who smiled consistently whether in good humor or bad, whether coaxing or threatening an opponent. But Tristan, who had been with him a long time, could sense Arthur’s mood fairly accurately.
‘……Why does he seem in such a good mood?’
Tristan eyed the door behind Arthur suspiciously—the one leading to the bridal chamber.
「I’ll keep the lady by my side for a while.」
「You treat her with utmost courtesy too.」
Tristan hardened his gaze with a serious expression.
「To match Lady Christina Julius’s station.」
“…….”
He’d thought there must be some deeper meaning to it… but what if… this was a dangerous situation? An alarm rang in his mind. He’d warned him that she seemed like a woman with a history of lovers, to be careful… Should he have been more direct and explicit? She might be a woman trying to fleece a duke. She might be seducing to manipulate. She could be a femme fatale leading you to ruin.
“…….”
……Surely Arthur wouldn’t be that naive? But he couldn’t be certain. He respected and trusted Arthur, but he couldn’t shake the thought of how easily a lonely man could fall head over heels for a fox.
“…….”
What if Arthur was that kind of case? Tristan stared at his hands in his lap, unable to show the rude anxiety and worry. If the reason for His Excellency’s good mood was that woman, it was dangerous. But he didn’t know how far he could interfere in Arthur’s family history or woman troubles. Arthur handled sieges and defenses flawlessly, but could one expect the same perfection in locking away his own heart? Even though they’d been apart for so long due to the war, as a man with a wife and child, Tristan knew the importance of finding a trustworthy spouse, and it worried him. Especially for Arthur, with his complicated family background and lonely life—he seemed like a child left by the water’s edge, cause for concern.
“…….”
Was Arthur immune to women? ……Really?
“…….”
Watching Arthur, who somehow seemed in high spirits, Tristan kept a wary eye on Reina. What if some lowly fox was baking the lonely Commander His Excellency right now? What if she tried pillow talk like, make me your wife instead of Miss Christina, wasn’t it good for us…? What if lonely Arthur fell for it completely…? Tristan could never forgive himself if he failed to prevent such a thing.
「I’m happy too?」
The image of her smiling calmly rose in his mind, and Tristan’s heart ached.
“…….”
Not satisfied even with Christina Julius. For a con artist hanger-on from Julius to aim for the spot beside him. If that happened, Julius would crow triumphantly, we’ve got his weakness now. And it would tarnish the hero’s honors Arthur rightfully deserved. Tristan’s eyes grew cold. He would absolutely not let that happen. After the other knights withdrew to make preparations, with only Arthur left, Tristan spoke.
“Reina and Taylor Lorenson. Which one first? The info on ‘Reina’ is still a bit thin.”
Arthur paused slightly before saying,
“Reina first.”
* * *
Reina glanced at Arthur ever so slightly. It was just a quick peek. But Arthur, who had just boarded the carriage, somehow knew and asked with a laugh,
“Shall I wear a mask?”
Click. The carriage door shut. Reina ducked her head in embarrassment.
“Ah, no……”
……Good. His mood seemed to have cleared. He was teasing her like that, but……
「……Still, it bothers me a bit that my wife won’t even meet my eyes.」
“…….”
Recalling Arthur smiling with his mood clearly lifted, Reina cooled her flushed cheeks with the back of her hand. Arthur raised his hand and tapped the carriage ceiling twice. The coachman started the carriage.
“…….”
Enduring the awkwardness and embarrassment, Reina looked at him.
Arthur grinned, leaned back against the carriage, propped his chin, and met her gaze. His eyes crinkled in a smile.
“…….”
It was a bit embarrassing…… but she didn’t hate it. For Reina, knowing for sure he wasn’t angry was a huge relief. He liked it when she met his eyes like this. She felt like she understood that now. Arthur gazed at her silently for a moment before saying,
“You’re a beauty too. ……A great beauty.”
“…….”
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, color rose slowly from Reina’s nape.
“Well…… not to the point where I can’t even look at you.”
“…….”
Watching her fully ripened face, Arthur added in a deliberately joking tone, as if bestowing a favor.
“……Not that it means you’re any less beautiful. It’s just that my composure doesn’t get shaken by a woman’s looks.”
Reina sat still for a moment, then blankly opened her mouth and countered,
“Then does that mean I am that kind of person……?”
Arthur propped his chin as if pondering, eyeing her.
“Hm…… Is that how it comes across?”
“…….”
With his handsome face, he smiled playfully and added,
“Could be. Not a bad taste, though.”
“…….”
Seeing the indescribable expression on Reina’s face, Arthur covered his mouth as if holding back a laugh.
“You look wronged?”
“Because I am.”
“Really? Doesn’t it happen often?”
“It never happened before?”
“Never?”
“Never!”
Reina protested with her face red. Arthur, who had been watching her quietly, couldn’t hold back a smile tugging at his lips. He cleared his throat with a short hum, lightly touched the bridge of his nose, and tilted his head.
“……Not sure if I should thank my own good looks or your virtue for that.”
“…….”
Reina clamped her mouth shut, her face scrunched in complex injustice she couldn’t quite pinpoint, looking utterly aggrieved. Arthur finally burst out laughing. The carriage raced down streets dyed in autumn colors. · · · He knew what she feared. He knew he had to eventually return her to Christina Julius without ruining her life, without leaving too many traces on her. Still, it stung unavoidably that the marriage had been real only for him, while she had another man. After all, I’d thought of you for five years. Still, for that one moment, even if only in a dream, the man who had her was me, and that felt good. Just. No matter if she had a real lover. Even briefly, right now I was the husband by her side. Having my wife, sleeping soundly beside me, stolen even in a dream felt bad. I’d made a stupid misunderstanding, gotten inevitably angry and irritable, yet she mustered the courage. Even though I must seem scary and intimidating, she approached, worried she’d hurt my feelings with her mistake, and tried to apologize. At least in that moment, he saw her sincerity. Seeing her like that made him want to give her good times too. It felt like his duty to the person whose words had sustained him for five years. Even if she’d promised to find and offer up his weaknesses to return to another man’s side. It was already known anyway, so as long as he stayed cautious and kept boundaries, it was manageable.
「……Are you hurt anywhere?」
Her voice echoed, drawing a chuckle. After all, my wife could never have made a cunning spy. Still, in that moment, did she feel a bit betrayed?
“…….”
Truthfully, he wasn’t sure. About that. The fact that it had been a marriage only for him was the bigger shock.
“…….”
Unconsciously, Arthur lowered the hand that had been rubbing his eye. He had to let her go. It would be a short time anyway. He wanted her to look at him comfortably. To smile easily. So that when he could someday send her off safely, the time they’d spent together would remain a good memory. For her and for him.
