“Kasion, now that the war is over, don’t you think it’s time for you to get married and settle down?”
Kasion looked down at the emperor, who was signing documents, with slightly indifferent eyes.
“Does this mean you have no intention of waging any more wars?”
“Even if I do, I shouldn’t send you. After all, Pertelian has no heir.”
Kasion’s lips twisted slightly. “Even if I get married, I should delay having an heir.”
“Hahaha, you’re something else. Don’t make me sad by thinking that way. You know how much I value you.”
Kasion returned to his expressionless face. Unlike Kasion, who wasn’t very affectionate, the emperor continued to act warmly toward him.
“So, when do you plan to get married?”
“I have no plans yet.”
“Before the war, you acted like you’d got married as soon as you returned.”
The emperor chuckled, but Kasion’s face remained stern.
“By the way, I’m worried that my Diana still doesn’t have a match. Marquis Mellin, a fine son-in-law, was snatched away by some unknown woman.”
“How about the crown prince of the Western Empire? Forming a marriage alliance with them might not be a bad idea.” Kasion didn’t give any ground.
The emperor felt somewhat disappointed by the young duke, who pretended not to understand his intentions, but there was nothing he could do.
The pact made by the first emperor and the first duke. Because of this, the emperor could neither kill the duke nor use him as he wished. The only opportunity he had to tame the duke was by sending him to the battlefield. It seemed to have failed spectacularly.
“Yes, I’ll consider that. I hope you find someone to marry soon.”
“Thank you.”
The emperor began to recount what had happened in the empire during the two years Kasion was at war. Although this current duke was a bit stiff, he was also the most reliable supporter of the imperial family. Moreover, Kasion, despite his young age, was someone the emperor had to ally with.
“I’ll take my leave now.”
After finishing the conversation, Kasion stiffly bowed to the emperor and left the room.
“He’s even harder to deal with than his parents.” The emperor shook his head.
* * *
After leaving the imperial palace, Kasion headed toward the bustling city. He had an appointment to meet Serhen’s fiancée. It was Lady Soler who had requested the meeting.
“It seems the emotional barrier is a bit high. I think we need to change our strategy.”
He was deep in thought.
As he had done on the battlefield, he began by targeting those around his main objective. The problem was that his target wasn’t responding to any advice. Moreover, the upcoming Harvest Festival ball was making him particularly anxious.
“By the way, it looks like Lady Ariel will be attending the ball with Lord Serhen.”
A man who would take his sister to a ball, even when he was about to get engaged? It really didn’t sit well with him.
Just how long did Serhen intend to interfere like this? Even his visits to check on Ariel when she was sick had been turned down with various excuses. He couldn’t even remember when this kind of avoidance started.
When Kasion had saved young Ariel, they had been like an inseparable family. If only Serhen had shown his dislike openly, at least then he could have fought back.
Gritting his teeth, he inwardly cursed his friend and urged his horse forward. A good idea to provoke his friend came to mind. If he was lucky, he might even get a reaction from her.
“Hyah!”
He cut through a shortcut. If he passed through the alley, he would soon reach the main street where Veloire was located.
“Kasion!”
Something shiny caught his eye from afar. Golden hair shining in the sunlight, eyes as blue as the sky, and a smile so pure it sparkled. The only person who made him smile in the fierce and suffocating war zone.
Ariel was waving her arms energetically at the end of the alley. She seemed fully recovered from her illness.
“Oh my, Kasion! What a coincidence to meet you on the street like this. It must be fate.”
Kasion found himself frowning.
Ariel’s face had grown gaunt. Was his friend so absorbed with his own marriage that he no longer cared if his sister was sick? And why was she wearing such thin clothing?
Kasion felt like replacing all the servants in the marquisate. Or better yet, taking Ariel into his home to protect her, just like before.
“Ariel, did you block my way just to say that?” He asked, curious about her reaction, which was different from what Serhen’s fiancée had mentioned.
Sure enough, Ariel’s eyes darted nervously. He had known her since she was young, so he understood what that meant. She had either lied or was about to lie.
“No, it’s not that…”
“Then what?”
“Please take me as your partner to the Harvest Festival ball in ten days!”
It didn’t sound like she truly wanted this.
Trying to gauge her carefully, his face twisted slightly. “What about Serhen?”
“Come on, I’m not a kid anymore. It’s time I enjoyed myself with a handsome man.”
At the mention of a handsome man, his nose twitched.
“A handsome man? Did you say that to Serhen too?”
He tried to suppress his expectations. This was truly different from what Serhen’s fiancée had said. In fact, lately, it was Ariel who had been clinging to him.
“No. You don’t like it?”
Ariel crossed her arms, tilted her chin slightly, and looked at Kasion. She was like a rabbit pretending to be a lion. It was a rather amusing sight.
“Excluding my brother, I was going to give you the opportunity to be my first partner, Kasion.”
She glanced toward the boutique. At that moment, something clicked in his mind.
“I don’t know.”
He had to test her.
“I’m not sure if Serhen will allow it.”
“I’m old enough not to need my older brother’s permission.”
“You still need to grow a bit more to make dancing less tiring for both of us.”
Her lips, which he wanted to devour, pouted.
“I’m fully grown! And there are so many good high heels these days!”
But he couldn’t reveal his true intentions. A predator always crouches lower before striking.
“Fine. If you don’t want to, I’ll just leave!”
“If you want it so badly, I’ll go with you.” He spoke in a somewhat languid tone, watching to see how Ariel would react.
“It’s too late now.”
As expected. Ariel was so easy to read, especially when it came to Serhen.
“Is that so? Then I’ll just have to ask Lady Soler to be my partner as originally planned.” He added a line that he was particularly pleased with.
“Alright! I’ll do it! I’ll be your partner!”
Kasion’s guess was right. His refreshing lemon-like lady hadn’t changed at all.
“Yes, that’s the spirit.”
Serhen’s fiancée was wrong. Even if he did nothing, Ariel was naturally gravitating toward him. There was no need for any complicated plans.
A spring breeze touched the corners of his mouth.
“By the way, Ariel.”
“What?”
“Let’s have one of our promised tea times tomorrow.”
“Yes? All of a sudden?”
Ariel’s face stiffened. As if she sensed that the predator was slowly revealing its claws, ready to devour her.
“We need to discuss matching our outfits and talk about the dance as well.” Kasion pretended he had no claws, smiling charmingly.
“Do we really need to do that?”
“I think it’s necessary. It’s been two years since I attended a social event.”
“Ah… right.”
Sympathy spilled from Ariel’s eyes. Kasion quickly took advantage of the opportunity.
“I’ve been rolling around in a cruel and brutal battlefield for so long that I’ve even forgotten how to dance. So, I need to practice. I’m also curious about how things are in noble society these days.”
Kasion was good at pretending to be pitiful. That was the secret to his survival in the fight for his family’s succession.
“And you were the one who first made the promise, weren’t you?”
Of course, he was good at making threats as well.
“I-I get it.”
As expected, innocent Ariel was destined to fly into Kasion’s cage on her own.
* * *
After agreeing to Kasion’s request as if under a spell, I found myself frowning deeply.
What was this unsettling feeling? Surely I had recovered from my illness, but I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. Like a rabbit encountering a snake with its mouth wide open on the road.
“Come to my house for lunch tomorrow.”
The rabbit’s small, dainty feet were already inside the snake’s jaws.
I didn’t mind losing a foot. If that was the price to push Kasion away from Serhen and his fiancée.
“Yes, I get it.”
“Alright, then I’ll be off.”
He turned his horse around. The direction it faced wasn’t toward Veloire but back the way he had come.
Great. I had once again built an impenetrable wall.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“Home? Weren’t you headed somewhere else?” I asked casually to confirm.
Maybe he realized I had been blocking his advances lately and was planning something else. That’s how meticulous Kasion is.
“No, I’m busy, so I should head back. I have a lot to do.”
He truly left, giving up on making Lireania his partner.
I had changed one of the events in the novel!
“Kyaaa!”
My heart swelled with excitement, feeling like I had just narrowly averted the shadow of death away from Serhen. Curling up my lips, my feet tapped the ground excitedly.
“Milady!”
Even Selvia running toward me looked especially beautiful today. The sky was so blue that it seemed like the whole world was celebrating my success.
I had uprooted the seed of his obsession. As long as no other variables arise, everything should end well.
“Shall we go meet my brother now?”
I hope his proposal went well.
Leaving Selvia, I walked towards Veloire. My heart flutters slightly at the thought that I might catch them in a romantic moment. Quietly, I approached the door where the two were.
“Lireania, are you serious?”
“Lord Serhen, can’t you trust me? No matter how I think about it, I believe he’s the right one.”
“No, I don’t like it.”
Oh dear, it seemed they were about to have a lovers’ quarrel. Love grows stronger through arguments, after all.
I turned around to give them privacy.
“Why should Kasion come between us?”
Those words made me turn back again.
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