The Marquis of Rodian and The Iron Wall Lady

Alpheus couldn’t believe what he heard.

“What did you just say?”

In the midst of a busy search for prey, Knight Commander Dart had become contemplative. At first, he had asked without even turning around, wondering what it was, but the tone of the voice he heard was unsettling.

Thinking it might be nothing serious, he had initially given it a cursory glance, but his expression quickly turned to surprise. Behind Dart stood a young boy who had been introduced as his squire.

Though the Rodian Forest was significantly tamed and not as dangerous, it still remained a secretive land. Most squires, lacking the ability to defend themselves adequately, were usually left outside. So, when the boy had come all the way here, Dart had speculated that perhaps something had happened at the castle and a messenger had arrived. When he inquired about the matter, the answer he received was…

“Is it true that Edith followed along and is now missing? And that she seems to have entered the ‘true forest’?”

“I apologize, Your Excellency.”

“No need for empty apologies.”

Alpheus spat out coldly and turned his attention to Dart’s squire, who was now trembling in fear.

“You were the last one with her. When did she disappear?”

“Your Excellency… It was when you and the commander entered the forest.”

“After that, was there no one who witnessed anything?”

“We’ve inquired as much as we could, but no one knows anything, Your Excellency.”

If so, it should have been more than two hours already. Alpheus clenched his molars. An unpleasant crackling came out one after another.

It was a situation that he could understand with his head. The Rodian Forest was known as a place of low risk because it was much pioneered and organized.

It had been treated as an easy place to quickly learn how to find your way after coming in a few times. But knowing the true nature of this forest, he did not forget his fear, even though he had been in and out hundreds of times. Otherwise, why would there be a reason to bring all the regular knights under the commander of knights to the hunt. The hunt for silver foxes was just as dangerous.

It might have been better to not find it at all, rather than accidentally disturbing a significant group and having to exert the strength equivalent to bears or wolf packs to survive. So, after thoroughly organizing the surroundings, he had planned to take the shortest route in and out quickly… But for Edith, who knew nothing, to have entered the ‘true forest,’ it’s a story he couldn’t hardly believe. Alpheus confirmed once again.

“Is there a possibility she went in a different direction?”

“We thoroughly searched the area on our way here, but there’s no trace suggesting that,” Dart’s squire replied.

“Your Excellency, we need to search quickly.”

“I know that. Bring in the experienced.”

“All right.”

With the urgency at hand, there was no time to debate such matters. Alpheus kept only weapons capable of inflicting lethal wounds and lightened his load.

Meanwhile, Dart gathered the knights who had experience with the “true Rodian Forest.” Each of them wore a tense expression.

“Did you hear the story?”

“We are all aware of it, Your Excellency.”

“Good. You should be familiar with the instructions when encountering the silver fox.”

“Of course.”

“We’re going in.”

Until now, the knights had been scouring the outskirts of the well-trodden path. Though no people resided here, it was also not a suitable habitat for beasts of prey, and the most dangerous location they knew of was the nesting site of the well-known snow fox.

Even an unarmed man was unlikely to get into trouble unless he was very unlucky. However, Edith was dragged into a new place that she didn’t know, and the place where Alpheus tried to enter to find her was completely different.

That place was indeed the true Rodian Forest that had remained untouched for over a thousand years, a realm where the unfathomable mysteries of the unknown thrived. It was also the domain that everyone half-regarded as a legend—the realm of the silver fox.

The silver fox was a being of the Silverwood, a symbol of the Rodian lineage, and a captivating monster that entrapped and devoured humans. It was a sinister beast that fed only on the hot blood of its prey, a malevolent predator.

Existing long before the name and authority of Rodian came into being, the creature had struggled against humans, yet it tenaciously survived and maintained its position as a predator.

How could she have ventured into that territory? Alpheus felt unease settling in and quickened his pace. Annoyed by the vines creeping up over his knees, preventing him from sprinting at full speed, he felt frustrated.

Nevertheless, he was the fastest at kicking the ground and digging deep into the forest, and the knights had to speed up in order not to miss their master. After going in silently for a long time, the group stopped for a moment at a point where the feet became soft and a subtle scent rose up.

“Take it.”

Alpheus was handed a palm-sized pouch by Dart. Inside the leather pouch, there were mint leaves and cloth, which were held in the mouth and covered the nose with a thick cloth.

Everyone did the same thing. Wildflowers that bloom regardless of season were a sign that showed that they were in the domain of silver foxes and poisonous weeds that caused hallucinations and caused sleep.

Edith, who came in without prior information, must have been exposed to this scent. He was in a hurry when the thought reached him. Alpheus raised his voice as he went inside ahead of the knights.

“Edith! Edith Argyle!”

“Lady Argyle! Where are you?”

If he knew this would happen, he would have told her in advance, he regretted it belatedly. He wished he had told her about the silver fox, and the real purpose of the hunt.

It was rare in his life to regret, but since he met Edith, he had regretted everything related to her. It wasn’t entirely his fault that things went wrong, really. The dowager queen pressed him. In short, he was to choose his marchioness from among the ladies she had brought with her.

「If you don’t have a child you like, tell me because there are other candidates.」

「Your Royal Majesty, no, Auntie. Stop it.」

「I have no intention of withdrawing my will. And you’re not really engaged to Edith.」

「…What are you talking about?」

「Don’t make fun of me, nephew. I don’t want to disgrace you by digging all over. And I don’t want to harm Lady Argyle.」

「…」

At that point, the dowager queen stopped because she mentioned Edith. The dowager queen’s tone was elegant and soft, but the content of the words was a blatant threat.

「The punishment for royal deceit is not light.」

It didn’t mean that he went in with a bow. If he had done so, it would have been like denying Alpheus Rodian’s past life. He took only one step back. There was a decisive card in hand that had been obtained in accepting Catherine Derrick’s proposal.

By revealing and utilizing it, he would undoubtedly strike at the dowager queen’s back, but it would guarantee the protection of his relationship with Edith. So, until that moment, he had decided to deceive her.

「…All right.」

「So you’re going to propose, right?」

「Yes.」

「Good. I will send an envoy to Her Majesty to request the approval of the marquis’s betrothal.」

「Do as you please.」

It might be reasonable to have doubts about her nephew’s suddenly docile attitude, but the dowager queen did not drag on the story further as if she was satisfied enough.

It was a relief. If she had asked exactly who he was going to propose to, he would have told a full-blown lie. Coming out of the dowager queen’s room and closing the door, he made a firm determination.

He would propose to Edith. He intended to argue that she was the only one who could stand next to him according to the traditional way of the family so that no one could object. However, the idea of informing the person who would receive the proposal in advance and asking them to wait seemed rather odd.

「Is it okay to leave her feeling upset like that?」

「She’ll find out soon enough.」

Even though Edith’s annoyance was clearly evident, there was a reason he had to go ahead with it. He wanted to surprise her by proposing in a polite and grand manner.

That was all there was to it…

Even if things went wrong, they went quite a bit wrong. He thought it would be like this. He circled the beautiful tree, suppressing his rising emotions.

Although he did not believe all the legends that the silver fox built a nest and created a forest, all the trees around him were enormous trees.

The sensation of these trees, which had endured for nearly a thousand years, watching him, and the feeling of wildflowers crushed under the soles of his boots, were unpleasant.

He must have had a similar thought as the Rodian family founder, who set out to subdue the silver fox that harmed the people of Silverglen.

With a deep furrow between his eyebrows, Alpheus, who had been walking with determination, suddenly stopped. He saw something ahead. It was a person, sitting on the ground rather than standing properly. He could only see the back, and the attire was different from usual, but he recognized her at a glance. It was her.

“Edith!”

He called her. But anxiety struck him as she only flinched a little and did not turn around. He began to move, calling once more. But then something sweet came up over her shoulder. Pointy, large ears, grotesquely shining dark green eyes, brilliant hair. He opened his eyes wide. The silver fox had already captivated Edith.

It was fortunate that there was only one animal that happened to be encountered within the area, but it was a situation where he could not be relieved. Indeed, the silver fox, who made eye contact with him, opened its mouth as if to show off.

Unlike his cute appearance, his double-layered teeth were sharp and ferocious. Alpheus opened his eyes wide. If bitten by those teeth, paralysis poison would enter the wound.

It was a poison that made even a high-level knight sick for a month. It was a dangerous moment. As Alpheus charged, he pulled the trigger on his crossbow. The arrow that flew with a sharp piercing sound didn’t even reach Edith, but it was enough to make the surprised silver fox stop for a moment.

“How dare you!”

While it paused, narrowing the distance, he grabbed Edith’s shoulder with one hand and dug in between her and the silver fox.

The silver fox, who jumped out and stepped back, turned fiercely differently from when it approached Edith. When he became aggressive, his eyes also turned red, revealing his true self.

Kreureung. It was the silver fox that ate the same wild animals and livestock as well as humans. And long ago, when silver foxes were rampant, the one who protected the people of Silverglen and laid the foundation for people was the founder of the Rodion family.

It was not a well-known story. Over time, the population of the silver foxes had declined and has never been seen since Alpheus was a child.

Ironically, at the same time, the fall of Rodian began, but considering its origin, the silver fox and the family had been hostile to each other for their lives. Anyway, thanks to that, he knew how to deal with the silver fox. Alpheus lowered his posture and pulled out a thick-edged sword.

“Bring it on.”

Was it because of an instinctual awareness that the human standing before him needed a decisive outcome? The malevolent silver fox, with its fur puffed up and its fangs bared, aimed for Alpheus’s throat. Its silver radiance surged forth.

Alpheus shielded Edith’s body behind him and swung his short sword. The blade struck with all his might, slicing through more than half of the silver fox’s neck.

Blood spewed from the beast as it was thrown back. Upon contact with the ground, the silver fox’s spilled blood revealed its toxicity, emitting a sizzling sound and releasing rising fumes.

It was a vicious creature with qualities unimaginable from its outward appearance. Alpheus stepped back from the still twitching silver fox, sighing in relief. Edith, held tightly in his arms, emerged unscathed.

“Your… Excellency? Your Excellency!”

“The marquis is here!”

It wasn’t long before the knights scattered not far found Alpheus. He raised his hand and waved it.

Then he noticed that the forearm of his glove was torn and tattered. Sensing the threat to his life, the claws of the silver fox, which had scratched fiercely, pierced his hard tanned hide and cut his flesh.

Even though it was a fairly deep cut, he realized it late because the blood didn’t flow out and it clumped together like mucus. Of course, his claws were also poisonous.

As soon as he noticed, his arm, which was already tingling and paralyzed, did not move well. Alpheus clicked his tongue at the already dead silver fox.

Poisonous. The knights gathered around. Someone collected the corpse of the silver fox. It wasn’t a pleasant sight to behold, but it was the day’s hunting goal, so taking it was the right thing to do. And someone examined the condition of their lord, Alpheus.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

“You need first aid. Leave Lady Argyle to me.”

Dart said, taking out emergency medicine. However, Alpheus, holding Edith in his arms, strengthened his grip on her with his uninjured arm and shook his head.

“It’s okay. It’s the other arm, just go ahead.”

“It’s going to be very painful.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Having served him for a long time, Dart knew that trying to persuade Alpheus further when he spoke like that was futile. He supported Alpheus’s arm and skillfully cut away the torn glove that covered the injury.

“The wound is deeper than I thought. How did you get hurt so badly, especially when it comes to the silver fox? You’re more knowledgeable about it than anyone.”

“Knowing in theory doesn’t compare to actually encountering it.”

“That’s true, but… that creature, it seems to have just reached maturity, but its power is remarkable.”

“That’s why it boldly tries to capture and devour humans. Ugh.”

Dart pulled the cap off the disinfectant bottle, turned it over without hesitation, and poured it over the wound. There was no time to be prepared because it was a movement taken naturally during the conversation. Alpheus had to grit his teeth in the pain of the attack. He tried not to put strength on the arm that hugged Edith, but he couldn’t help but hug her tightly.

She tossed and turned with a faint groan.

“I’m glad Lady Argyle is safe.”

“Yes…”

Alpheus sighed as he looked down at her. It wasn’t an inert answer, but since she was all right, everything else didn’t matter anyway.

He didn’t want to dwell on anything else.

~~~~

“It’s all right.”

“This isn’t the time to talk like that.”

Alpheus frowned and turned his head. It meant that he was tired of repeating the story all day long. Edith, of course, guessed his intentions, but did not recant her argument.

“It’s a waste of time waiting for a doctor to come to this remote place.”

“Edith.”

“It happened because of me…”

She was rescued from her unconscious state and emerged from the Rodian Forest, then awakened in a cottage nearby.

Alpheus, who had been leaning against the wall with an unnatural posture, noticed her regaining consciousness and called for assistance.

Until that moment, she believed that their absence from the marquisate was her fault. She had thought so, especially because a maid who had been waiting outside had forced a foul-smelling potion down her throat.

However, there was a separate reason why this large number of people stayed overnight in a narrow villa.

“It’ll take a few days to recover. It’s already much better than yesterday.”

“Still, with that arm, you can’t use it freely, can you?”

Alpheus tried to raise his arm. But in reality his arms could not escape paralysis, and his skin had become strangely hard, unable to move freely as usual.

It is said that permanent damage was avoided thanks to first aid, but it is not certain when it will return to normal. As a natural result, he felt pain and dropped his arm. Edith gathered her eyebrows and had a worried expression.

“It might be better for you to return to the marquisate and see a doctor halfway there.”

“It’s fine. Just think of it as a vacation and stay here for a few days.”

“But here? With knights and squires bursting at the seams?”

“If that’s the problem, then we can send them back first. Is anyone outside?”

Before Edith could answer anything, Alpheus knocked on the wall and called the guards. An answer was immediately heard, and in a few seconds the door opened.

The knight who came inside greeted Alpheus first and then gave a short nod of acknowledgment toward Edith. She was slightly taken aback as the knight went as far as bowing to her. While there were features of etiquette, it wasn’t common for them to be so formal. However, the knight’s demeanor was remarkably respectful, almost as if addressing a marchioness.

“What is the matter, Your Excellency?”

“Well, I’ll have the knights return first. Tell Sir Dart to come in.”

“I shall carry out your command.”

In no time, the knight went out and Dart came in. Seeing Edith sitting up, he raised his eyebrows in delight and spoke to Alpheus.

“I had a feeling you would ask us to return, so I was preparing. Shall we depart right away?”

“Yes. As of this moment, I order the entire knight’s order to return to the garrison.”

Dart, who had been expecting it, nodded without saying much. But Edith opened her eyes wide.

“All of them?”

“Why?”

“You’re not leaving any of your personal guards behind?”

Alpheus grimaced slightly, staying silent. Dart rose to his feet, saluted, and chuckled before responding.

“There’s really no danger, you know.”

“Still…”

“All right then, how about leaving a few at the entrance of the villa? Your Excellency, would that be acceptable?”

“Well.”

The villa was quite far from the marquisate and was placed on a hill quite far from the nearby farmhouse. As the people who had entered the room in an uproar went out in an orderly manner, the original lonely scene was immediately revealed.

Moreover, it was winter. She felt strange when she heard the crackling of wood in the fireplace. Edith leaned against the window sill for no reason and looked out the empty window.

“Edith.”

He called but she did not readily answer. The fact that the two of them were left alone in an unfamiliar space was unbearably awkward. Edith clenched the window sill where she had placed her hand.

Her shoulders were stiffened with tension. What should she do? It was no use pretending not to hear him again. She side-eyed the distance to the door. Mustering the audacity she had left, she considered flipping things around and rushing over there… But what would happen then?

“Edith.”

“Eep.”

However, Alpheus, who noticed the suspicious look, was faster to approach. He stretched out his all-right arm and grabbed the window frame and Edith’s hand in one hand.

She froze. She was caught dead. She couldn’t see his face because she was so close to his back. On the other hand, the feeling of his lips, which were about to touch her ears, was too distinct, and the heat from him covered her body from head to toe.

“Why is there no answer?”

“That…”

“Are there things you’re avoiding?”

“That, there are but…”

Alpheus chuckled softly. Just from that, it was hard to accurately gauge his mood. The low laughter and warm breath tickled her ears and sent shivers down her spine. At the same time, her face felt flushed from the front. Edith craned her neck and covered her face with her free hand.

“Could you step back a bit before you speak?”

“I don’t want to.”

“I’m uncomfortable… Eek!”

“Since I don’t know where you might dart off to, I have to hold on.”

“I guess there’s nothing to say about my thoughtless behavior.”

“You’re quick to admit it.”

Every time they exchanged words, the echoes from their bodies were transmitted through the parts they were in contact with. The feeling was both strange and calming. That said, the situation wasn’t very comfortable either, but it was enough to talk coolly at the usual pace.

“Because there were sins committed.”

“Hmm?”

“Quick recognition is important to expect fair consideration. There’s nothing to say since my foolish actions put us in danger.”

He didn’t say much, instead, his hand covering hers tightened slightly, waiting for her to finish speaking.

“I even think I lost my mind at that moment. It was something that could have waited, but why did I do that? No, I know why. I wanted to see for myself what you were hiding from me.”

Thanks to this, Edith was able to say everything she had suppressed inside.

“It’s frustrating not to know about the affairs of the marquisate, and looking at the context, it seems to be related to your proposal to Lady Derrick. I know it’s not a real proposal, but seeing you go through the traditions of the Rodian lineage was bewildering. Finding out at any time wouldn’t be pleasant, but it wouldn’t be good to find out late. I felt like I would lose my place if I stayed as I was.”

“…”

“I’m sorry.”

After pouring out her thoughts nonstop, the last sentence ended with a sigh. Her feelings were truly complex. Even as she spoke, she couldn’t stand her own pathetic state. Edith let her shoulders slump and turned away. But then, a hand gently held her waist, not forceful but with a resolute determination, turning her back around.

“Why, why?”

“Isn’t it my turn to talk?”

“You could just say it…”

Alpheus, as if there was no room for argument, firmly supported Edith’s lower back. Their postures and angles were locked in a state where they had to look into each other’s eyes. How embarrassing could this get!

She tried to avoid his gaze by any means possible, but his gaze captured her first. The intense light of his nearly emerald black eyes, peering relentlessly into her. Edith had to unflinchingly look into her own face reflected in those eyes, stripped bare to the floor, drained of strength, her face unable to hide her embarrassment, almost on the verge of tears.

“Edith.”

But he said something completely different.

“I’m sorry I’ve made you feel the need to apologize.”

“…What?”

“I was mistaken. I didn’t know it would hurt that much.”

Such a clear and genuine apology. Edith blinked her eyes a few times. Only then did Alpheus’s expression become visible. On one hand, his face appeared resolute, as if he had reached a certain decision, while on the other hand, his expression was containing suppressed emotions, holding back as if struggling with something. The deep furrow between his brows revealed that his feelings were far from smooth.

“I have no intention of reproaching you for what you have done.”

“But you’re hurt. I messed up what you planned. You hate that…”

“Everything is fine.”

Edith knew he was speaking from the bottom of his heart.

She could see his expression from up close for years. He was saying that it was really all right, that the qualms she had in mind were irrelevant.

“I had no intention of holding anything against you as long as you were safe. And that hasn’t changed.”

“But.”

“My impulsive action caused the mistake, so don’t blame yourself for anything.”

“…What did you do?”

The man who always maintained his composure and even appeared authoritative, suddenly speaking like this, caught her off guard. Despite not intending to reprimand her, the words came out with a chilly tone.

“That.”

To her surprise, Alpheus hesitated a little.

Who would have thought that the person who lived so gracefully would choose his words carefully and stall for time! Edith could only stare at his lips, not even considering urging him on.

Feeling her gaze, he licked his lips with a slightly anxious expression, which caught her off guard once again. And secretly, she felt a little pleased.

As far as she knew, no one else had ever managed to coax such an unsure demeanor out of Alpheus Rodian, the renowned and confident nobleman. Even the elderly marquis, who remembered him as a young marquis, regarded his arrogance as something inherent from birth.

And yet, he showed this peculiar side of himself only to her. It was too noticeable to be dismissed as something casual. Having been in close proximity for several years, she had learned to understand the significance of these unusual moments.

“What’s with that expression?”

“What have I done?”

“It’s the same expression you had when you received the special reward.”

Of course, Alpheus could easily read Edith’s expression as well. She involuntarily lowered the corners of her slightly upturned mouth and looked bewildered.

“It’s nothing. So, are you going to tell me what you did?”

“First, take a look at this.”

Alpheus produced an old-fashioned leather scroll.

“What is it?”

“What Catherine Derrick offered as she offered a deal.”

Edith accepted the scroll, which exuded an air of value even without her removing the slightly dubious expression on her face. She unfolded it to find a few lines of elegant and dignified handwriting. As she read through the content carefully, she suddenly lifted her head in surprise.

“Is this for real?”

“Of course.”

It was unbelievable to say so. Edith read aloud the contents of the scroll in her hand.

“In the name of the king, we bear witness that the union of these individuals in matrimony has been solemnized and consummated in all due sanctity and fairness, under the authority of the Noble Registry Compilation Bureau and the Ministry of Justice… Is this for real?”

“It’s an official document, and it has its designated classification.”

“I understand what it is, too. This is a marriage approval document. In other words, it’s a marriage certificate.”

Her words were accurate. It was a document issued under the king’s authority that granted nobles the privilege of bypassing the various procedures leading up to marriage.

“If you sign here, it means an immediate engagement, and if you submit it to the Royal Court, it signifies the establishment of the marriage, right?”

“That’s right. And take a look at the bottom.”

“What’s at the bottom…”

Edith opened her eyes wide and put her face to the scroll with the force of putting her nose on it. By law, the nobles of the Dunkeld Kingdom could marry only if they were approved by the higher lords.

It was the right of the king to approve the marriage of the noble, such as the duke and marquis. As the climate of aristocratic society changed, the refusal of approval disappeared, but the cumbersome process still remained.

The fact that Dowager Queen Griselda was able to strongly oppose Alpheus’s marriage was also not unrelated to the marriage system. Unless he used special methods such as marriage certificates, he had to go up to the royal capital and report his marriage. The dowager queen was able to exert a strong influence in the process.

However, if the two married signed an empty marriage certificate, the marriage will be established immediately. The dowager queen couldn’t argue about her nephew’s marriage, which had already begun.

“Lady Derrick gave this to you? Where did she get this?”

“Look at the seal at the bottom.”

“By His Majesty, not the current but… Oh, Cedric IV?”

Cedric IV was the queen’s grandfather, whose queen was the daughter of the Galloway family. Edith’s head went round quickly. Catherine Derrick is an extramarital child of the Duke of Galloway, and the Duke of Galloway is the brother-in-law of Cedric IV, and Catherine Derrick’s mother and the Duke of Gallaway were about to marry but did not. If that’s the case…

“Did the Duke of Galloway give this to Lady Derrick’s mother?”

“To be precise, he agreed to give it and then secretly took it back, but it eventually ended up in his daughter’s hands.”

“Oh.”

“Yes, a disgusting human being.”

The Duke of Galloway did not write his name on the marriage register. Catherine Derrick’s mother was a naive lady who believed in him just based on the existence of the marriage certificate, only to be cast aside later. Edith shivered as if shuddering from the inside out. The duke’s actions, despite not knowing his face, sent a chill down her spine.

“These high nobles.”

“…”

“Oh, I’m not saying it about Your Excellency.”

“I know. More than that, what did you just call me?”

“…Well, Alpheus.”

In this atmosphere, Alpheus might not spill out fervent words like he did back then, but the memories of their shared experiences were vivid. Edith quickly called his name, and he displayed a satisfied expression.

“But this…”

“Oh, Catherine Derick transferred all rights related to this document to me. I accepted it with the intention of using it right away.”

“What?”

It wasn’t that Edith didn’t understand Alpheus. However, the implications were very meaningful to her, so she had to ask him again.

She looked at him with wide eyes and a half-smile that seemed to convey a sense of humility.

Within an hour, she was witnessing expressions from him that she thought she might never see in her lifetime.

“…I tried to do at least one thing properly, since I’ve never really followed any order.”

Alpheus clicked his tongue as if disappointed, though not directed at Edith in front of him. Instead, it was aimed at himself.

“I proposed to the dowager queen and said I’d marry, but I didn’t specify ‘who.’ I had been thinking of you since then.”

“…Oh.”

“If that wasn’t the case, there wouldn’t have been a reason to go on a fox hunt like that.”

“I thought it was strange.”

“Should I say that I’m glad that you didn’t think I was very unfaithful?”

She didn’t reply, just smiled ambiguously. It wasn’t appropriate to say more at this point.

“Well, anyway.”

Alpheus knew it was his turn to speak, especially now when he had to get things perfectly right, with no room for error.

He took a step or two back from her and straightened his posture. Though his attire lacked the perfect edge it would have in the marquisate, his determination was clear enough to be seen. With tension building, Edith held her breath and swallowed her dry saliva. Finally, he knelt down on one knee.

“Lady Edith Argyle, the Lord of Silverglen, Alpheus Rodean, has made the silver fox forests safe for you. With your permission, I would like to continue offering you the peace of the northern lands in the future.”

The proposal words that had been passed down from generation to generation in the Rodian family, starting from the first marquis, were dignified and romantic. The tradition had continued through successive marquises, expressing the sentiment of the first Rodean who had transformed the rugged and perilous Silverglen into a livable place for the woman who had captured his heart. After defeating the threatening beasts in the territory, the words conveyed the intention to do anything for the beloved.

“Would you kindly honor me with your hand in marriage?”

Edith pressed her chest, feeling a slight ache. Had she ever wished for this? Well, she hadn’t really fantasized about marrying him.

She simply thought it would be nice to stay together since he was a good person. However, the idea of becoming a marchioness from a modest background and living as the head of a powerful noble family had never even crossed her mind. She knew there would be challenges ahead. She had to immediately face the wrath of the dowager queen, and there were likely more unexpected obstacles to come. Still…

“I will accept.”

Edith took Alpheus’s hand. As if to warm up his slightly chilled fingertips, she held his hand firmly. Slowly, he stood up, holding onto her hand as if to reassure her that he wouldn’t let go. Then, he pulled her close and embraced her.

“Thank you.”

With her face buried in Alpheus’s chest, Edith blinked her moistened eyes. It wasn’t that she shed tears of overwhelming emotion.

“Speaking of which, Alpheus…”

“Hmm?”

“This is how the fake fiancée role ends…”

“Of course.”

“How do I calculate my allowance?”

“…”

“If you look at this from a performance perspective, it doesn’t seem fair to me. It feels very unfair to me.”

“Edith.”

“The original contract was supposed to be until Lady Viola Galloway left. But then the dowager queen arrived and extended it. So, the original contract was completed, and then we entered a new contract with the same conditions…”

“Edith Argyle.”

“The contract is in two parts, so shouldn’t the compensation also be doubled to be fair? What do you think?”

“…Do you want to be fired as a treasurer?”

“No, not at all. That’s not what I meant. Those are separate matters.”

Edith chuckled softly. She oddly enjoyed Alpheus’s not-so-threatening threat. His words meant that she hadn’t been officially dismissed yet. She had thought it would be impossible to maintain her position even after becoming a marchioness. Not practically, though she could argue legally that according to the jurisdiction of the marquisate.

“Anyway, I… Uh-huh.”

She was talking excitedly, but she couldn’t finish her speech. It was because he looked down at her with a complex expression and brought his face down and kissed her.

The kiss didn’t stop at just lips meeting lips; it swiftly progressed to the stage of tongues intertwining. Amidst the moist, tantalizing sounds that went back and forth, whatever Edith had intended to say was devoured by Alpheus.

When they briefly parted, and she tried to protest with a flushed face, it was futile. He smirked and captured her lips again. Through the window, the dimming sunlight poured in, casting its glow over the heads of the two individuals who had overcome various obstacles to finally decide to marry.

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This was the last chapter of the main story everyone! Now there’s only the epilogue left. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed translating it.