Kaon eventually boarded a carriage bound for the capital. His sister’s first order was to attend the regular banquet at the palace as her representative. She was the deputy head of the Ferdinands, and so Kaon was her deputy.
‘A deputy’s deputy, how ridiculous. This isn’t even funny at all! This is so annoying!’ Kaon thought to himself as he looked outside and saw the walls receding further and further away.
“What am I supposed to do when I get there? Why didn’t you tell me in advance?”
Kaon crossed his arms as he glared at Joseph, who sat across him. The sharp-eyed aide must have felt the unflattering glance, but he pretended not to and instead chose to simply concentrate on his book.
He looked up belatedly and responded, “Lady Leo asked me to inform you just before the event.”
“Joseph, who the hell do you serve, me or my sister?”
“I serve the young master of course, but Lady Leo pays my salary.”
Hmph.
It went without saying that the deputy had more authority than the young master who had just come of age. However, the realization of that obvious fact made his head spin.
He blinked his fatigue away before speaking again, “Forget it. Tell me about the Ingelos family. Did they really agree to the terms? Those naive mages?”
The two families equally despised each other. The Ingelos were a paragon of arrogance, a family of mages who looked down on anyone not born with mana, especially knights. For by their standards, there was no one more distant from intellect than a knight. The Ferdinands, of course, were the founding fathers of knights who were their enemies as far as the kingdom’s history went. It was no exaggeration to say that the phrase “arch-nemesis” was coined specifically for these two families.
There must have been a reason why they agreed to the terms. Kaon believed that he had the right to know their intentions as well. After all, he was the one who would eventually marry into their family.
“Ingelos is a family that has always been dedicated to the study of magic, as I’m sure you already know.”
Of course, Kaon knew that much. Not just him, but practically everyone else in the kingdom. Mages and research were inseparable, and they had the longest-running history with magic. Their fascination with all things related to magic was well-known across the land.
“All research requires significant funding, but magical research in particular incurs astronomical costs. It’s why they spare no effort to collect every penny.”
“Quite greedy, I must say.” Kaon gritted his teeth silently and thought about the countless negotiations his sister had with those money-hungry mages.
“But that family held the most resemblance with ancient mages, whether in a good or bad way.”
“Ancient mages?”
“In the sense that they are purely obsessed with power. Money and such are not among their priorities.”
Kaon paused. He had a vague idea of what Joseph was getting at.
“Are you saying they’re in financial trouble right now?”
He wasn’t sure, though.
Even though the Ingelos family hated the Ferdinands, they were still one of the seven most powerful families in the kingdom. It was hard to believe that they were facing financial difficulties. They were not some nameless family tucked away in a corner of the kingdom. They were a duke’s family, one of the most wealthy and powerful families in the land.
“Yes. It’s a very serious situation. They’re on the verge of bankruptcy.”
“What?”
A simple nod from Joseph confirmed Kaon’s suspicions. He further emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating that it was far from insignificant and, in fact, quite serious.
Kaon was genuinely curious. “How is that possible?”
The founding king of Gaios, Helios I, was a king who never forgot to recognize the contributions of the five families who helped found the country. Each family was granted a land of their choice and given vast amounts of gold and jewelry.
Of course, it was a story from a few hundred years ago, but even with that in mind, it was hard to believe that the Ingelos alone was on the verge of bankruptcy.
The situation of the other four families was more or less the same. Even their household was concerned about the future and looked for ways to prepare for it, but it was not like he was facing any major financial problems right now.
“I told you, they are the closest to the most ancient mages. What image comes to mind when you think of a mage?”
“Well… that they are eccentric and a bit grumpy? They are too private and selfish.”
It came out sounding like an insult, but there was a bit of truth in the stereotype. It wasn’t just the reputation, but the way mages actually behaved. Even the mages who were officially dispatched from the Magic Tower to protect the territory had neglected their duties, helping to reinforce the stereotype.
“Yes. There is probably no one else on the entire continent who can be more closed-off than them.”
“Wow. That’s really something, huh…”
“If their family only focuses on developing the individual prowess of their members and dislikes all other forms of socializing, wouldn’t there be a fundamental problem?”
“You mean there is no one making money?”
“Yes.”
There was nothing wrong with polishing intelligence and pursuing knowledge, but if everyone in the family focused on that, their abundant resources would have eventually depleted if nobody bothered to contribute to the pile.
“Weren’t there plenty of places that needed them? I heard that the Royal Court is always recruiting.”
“That’s not what they want to do.” Joseph shrugged his shoulders as if to say that there were many different kinds of people in the world.
“From what I’ve heard, it seems that His Majesty has also made an offer to the Ingelos. He said that he is willing to pay off the huge debt that the Ingelos owed to the central bank and even fund their research.”
“Aren’t they getting a much better deal than us?”
It was a hard truth to accept, but Kaon understood that without a swordmaster, even a great and loyal knight family would not prove to be as useful as a mage family.
“However, it seems that His Majesty intends to take this opportunity to actively intervene by ordering regular training sessions and mandating them to conduct research projects.”
“So that was the catch.” Kaon sighed. Now that he’d heard this far, he understood why the Ingelos were willing to work with them.
The two families were in agreement to choose the lesser of two evils to avoid the worst. The political marriage would have been a pretext for that. A plausible excuse to gracefully decline the king’s offer while gaining an advantage at the same time.
“It seems too obvious.”
From the king’s point of view, it would seem that the two families had chosen to be his enemies instead of cooperating with him. Kaon thought that if he was the king, he would see it as a provocation.
“That’s what an excuse is all about. If the reason is convincing enough, he’ll have no choice but to play along with it regardless of what he feels.”
“That’s why I’m being told to play the role of a lamb.”
In exchange for two sacrificial lambs on the altar, both families would get what they wanted.
Kaon suddenly wondered who the pitiful lamb of the Ingelos would be.
***
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I told you to act as if you were in love with the eldest daughter of Ingelos.”
“In love…”
It was a series of unbelievable events. Kaon ruffled his well-groomed hair. The maid in charge of his grooming would have been horrified if she saw him, but he didn’t have time to care about that now.
“That is the second order that Lady Leo has given.”
Kaon felt his good mood instantly sink; somehow he had been overly cooperative since arriving at the palace, and it was all for nothing.
He’d been wondering why no one had complained about him wandering around as he pleased or not pestering him to train during his free time. So that was why!
“Do you think I’m crazy? I’m not going to do that!”
“I’m not saying that you should actually fall in love. I’m just saying you pretend to be.”
“I know, but still! I’m not doing it, so you consider yourself warned.”
Kaon cut him off curtly, feeling disgusted. He was not an actor in a traveling theater group, and the idea of pretending to be in love was something his pride would never allow him to do.
“I repeat, I am only relaying her orders. If you are displeased, then you should return to the manor and talk to Lady Leo.” Joseph responded calmly as if he had expected Kaon to react this way. He wanted to punch him in the face for the way he spoke.
“Didn’t you say the same thing on the way here? That you’re worried it would be too fake? Lady Leo is just worried about the same thing.”
“Does she truly believe I would demean myself in such a way? Does she have so little regard for my honor?”
Kaon was aware of his sister’s efforts. As a member of the venerable household, he also wanted to play his part and be cooperative. That was why he accepted the engagement to the daughter of an enemy family. He even willingly embarked on a twenty-day journey without knowing what he was supposed to do.
But this was too much, no matter what. At this point, Kaon wondered if Leonidas even thought of him as a brother.
“Of course not. You know very well how much Lady Leo cares for you. Besides, she does not doubt that you will become a great knight in the future.”
“Would you normally ask this of a brother you care about?”
Joseph gave Kaon a look, the gleam in his eyes ominous. “But Young Master. If you don’t do it, the young lady will have to do the pretending. Wouldn’t it be a great blow to the lady’s delicate heart, if you, a promising knight who will represent the household, cannot even show consideration for the lady from the start? Wouldn’t that go against the chivalry that we’re supposed to uphold?”
Kaon fell silent.
“With her remarkable foresight, Lady Leo likely anticipated this outcome. Her wish is surely for her beloved brother to follow the virtuous path of a knight.”
The sight of Joseph, usually calm and collected, now fuming with clenched fists and speaking with fervor, startled Kaon.
He tilted his head swiftly and raised an eyebrow. “How much did you get paid for this?”
“Your suspicions are misplaced. As your aide, I hope you will remember that I also think and care about your future. It’s insulting to think I’d compromise my principles for a few coins, even if Lady Leo herself offered additional compensation.”
He was certainly capable. Kaon doubted that he had any soul left. Even though Joseph always looked tired and weary, his eyes always shone at the sight of money.
“Well, if you’re so inclined,” Joseph added, “why don’t you just try asking her for a dance? I’m sure Lady Leo didn’t give the order to hopefully see a passionate courtship, but it would be nice to see you put in the effort to cultivate a harmonious marriage.”
“Fine! I’ll just dance. I’m not going to do anything else, so don’t expect anything and don’t try to make it a big deal.”
“Of course.” Joseph finally relented, thinking that they had reached an agreement. He looked at Kaon, who sat there with a thoughtful expression.
“You never know, maybe the young lady of Ingelos is so beautiful that you’ll fall for her at first sight.”
“Me? With an Ingelos woman? Don’t be ridiculous.”
The words were meant to be comforting, but they didn’t mean anything to Kaon at all.
‘Falling in love my ass.’
With a dismissive flick of his hand, Kaon shoved Joseph out of the room. His only desire was to complete his sister’s orders and be free of this obligation.
🍉🍉🍉
