Chapter 157
After Ludwig was seated at the head of the table, the atmosphere in Halbern was different than before.
Valar vs Ludwig was the new betting theme of the Knights of Saren these days.
“But isn’t this our lord’s right hand?”
“The thrill of a reversal of fortune. That’s what I’m betting on the Regent.”
“Stop betting, you madmen.”
“Who will win today’s fight?”
It was Regent Ludwig, the lowest ranked man in Halbern’s hierarchy at number six, but strangely enough, Valar, number three, was the strongest.
The knights of Saren were divided on this phenomenon.
“What could be the reason?”
“Yeah, why?”
One of the knights clapped his hands as he pondered.
“Isn’t it because always the one arguing with the lord and the regent is always the one taking it?”
“Ho-ho, come to think of it…?”
“Because the lord is always arguing over nothing, he sometimes loses the argument!”
Valar, who was supposed to be locked in the portrait room again today, wandered out for some reason and argued with Ludwig.
“Are you idle?”
“You look more free than I do.”
“I can be free.”
“…?”
Before Ludwig could question what the hell Valar was talking about, Mehen, the mansion’s second-in-command, who happened to overhear the shouting, smiled wickedly and arrested Valar.
“What madness are you talking about so proudly, My Lord, is this your time for leisurely play? Come with me.”
“Oh, my ear, wait, Mehen, it hurts!”
“Swordmaster, what are you talking about? Do you think your thumb will work?”
“It hurts!”
Ludwig rolled his eyes quickly as Mehen grabbed Valar.
It was time.
“Arellin-!”
Ludwig, who had rushed to claim Arellin for himself while the others were out of earshot, had pulled out a conversion trick.
A gift attack, that is.
“What’s all this…?”
“Your favorite things.”
“…?”
Arellin scratched her head, then realized.
‘Oh.’
Back when she was imprisoned in Castle Locke and trying to attack the Regent in every way possible.
Arellin remembered the items she had requested.
‘For some reason, they’ve been giving me things lately.’
Was that it?
“Do you like it?”
“Uh, what…”
Arellin nervously responded with a half-hearted smile.
Halbern’s power trip.
The nurturing group, whose only proof of anything is the number of praise stickers they receive, is in motion.
To a nursery that recognized only Mehen for comfort and saw even the Archduke of Halbern, Valar, as a competitor for their affections, Regent Ludwig was a new and unnecessary competitor, a check on them, and someone they needed to educate.
“Your Excellency, my lady doesn’t like that kind of thing.”
“Look at that. She’s got that look on her face that says, ‘Oh, more garbage.'”
“The lady doesn’t like to be bothered.”
“You know that, right?”
“…”
Ludwig watched the nursery laying out the trash with clear eyes that for some reason had a hint of madness in them.
This couldn’t be happening at Castle Locke.
But.
“I see…”
Ludwig had no choice but to agree. If he said a word to these cheeky little bastards, Arellin would glare at him.
Besides, they weren’t wrong.
“So what do we have to do to make her happy?”
Ludwig asks the parenting group, quite desperate for advice. But Yuni chuckled and replied.
“You’ll have to pay from here, sir.”
“For your information, we don’t take money!”
“Only an exchange of information. New information about the lady!”
“Do you know anything?”
“…”
Ludwig was slammed in the door before he could make a deal.
***
A peaceful Halbern mansion.
Waking up in the morning, eating a healthy but tasteless meal, going for a walk for exercise, playing her violin, watching two immature adults bicker pathetically, and then settling down with Mehen.
It was a carefree life of 120 percent satisfaction, but there were a few problems.
“When do I get to go to a collection meeting?”
After the last time he’d been caught sneaking around, Pession hadn’t come to Halbern Mansion twice since he’d been scolded.
Instead, she’s been in frequent contact with the comms center, and lately, she’s been getting a lot of calls asking when she’s coming to collect.
“What do you say when Pession asks you when he coming?”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Dinner time.
Everyone was present, and Mehen looked up from his meal to look back at her dad with a serene gaze.
Dad was still smiling his smug smile, and beside him, the Regent was silently siding with him.
Hmph. Those two don’t even get along, and yet they can agree on things like this.
“By Pession, you mean the Crown Prince of this country?”
“You know him well.”
“Why are we talking about him here all of a sudden?”
“Because the kid likes my daughter.”
“…”
Even if he spoke softly, there were two people talking in this restaurant, so he was bound to be heard.
Dad rolled his eyes and said softly.
“We can’t go out yet. What if she falls down again?”
‘You’re suddenly attacking my face here?’
‘I can’t take this anymore, Dad, I’m not going to do your bidding!’
Just as she was barely holding on, the Regent entered the fray.
“I don’t want to disagree with him, but I have the same opinion. I think it’s too early to go out yet.”
Dad’s smile deepened as he realized that even though the regent had only about 0.1 percent of the power in this house, the apparent disagreement between the two of them was significant.
They just don’t want Arellin to leave.
She was staring at the two of them pathetically.
“Are you frustrated, Arel?”
Mehen, her mom, the one who had the real power to blow away those two pathetic people’s opinions, asked her.
She pondered.
“No, I’m not frustrated.”
“Then…”
“But I miss my friends.”
She was both embarrassed and amused at herself for feeling this way whenever she was bothered, but it was honestly how she felt. She wanted to play with kids too.
‘I don’t remember ever playing with kids my own age.’
Shs remembers playing with Pession and the twins and Aaron, and she guessed it was fun.
She liked it better because playing with them made her feel like a normal kid.
“I want to play with my friends, can I…?”
“Yes!”
Her dad, who was the first to object, immediately knelt down. He was holding his forehead, looking defeated.
Defeated by what?
“That…”
Ludwig, the godfather, who had been quietly burying his father, was silent, too.
After an eerie silence descended, Mehen patted her head and said.
“Empress Ageni has told me that she’s going to be reorganizing the Boys’ Club soon.”
“Hmm?”
“She’s going to change it to start on His Highness Crown Prince Pession’s birthday, and I think Arel can go back then.”
Mehen smiled.
“It’s my lady’s birthday, too.”
“My birthday…?”
“Do you want anything?”
She couldn’t think of anything off the top of her head. Want something? Is there such a thing?
“… Mom’s love?”
“…!”
Mehen’s eyes widened.
“I only have my mom.”
“I only have Arel, too.”
She slipped out of her seat and wrapped her arms around Mehen, and the room erupted again.
“I want my dad in this!”
“Who’s daddy is daddy, uncle, on the subject. Arel, put in your godfather, bound as proof of faith.”
“Include? An imperative?”
“Put on… I want you to give it to me.”
“Now, let’s not listen to the unblooded.”
Mehen’s axe eyes widened at Valar’s words.
“Are you sniping at me, My Lord?”
“No, not that.”
“Then you shouldn’t be listening to a man with no blood in his veins.”
“Dad, that’s too much.”
As Dad sulked, Regent Ludwig unnecessarily joined in.
For some reason, he felt like his image was being tarnished, but it must be his mood.
“Arel is the only one who thinks of me, after all.”
“Of course, Mother!”
“Honey, are you doubting my heart?”
“It’s doubtful, it’s navel-gazing, just go out and die.”
“The fact is, honey, I know you love me.”
Mehen’s mental assault on Valar’s mind caused him to throw a knife, which Valar caught lightly.
The dinner table quickly descended into chaos.
In the midst of it all, the Regent, the only one left standing, glared at Mehen.
“…”
Did he read something in those eyes?
Mehen struck first.
“No!”
“What.”
“No matter what!”
“…”
Ludwig grunted in disappointment.
What was he really trying to do?
