Chapter 41
Translator: void
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Chaers’ jaw fell out while Duke Kyron asked him coldly.
“The castle tower?”
“We have restricted access just like you ordered. As soon as the festival is over, the repair work will begin.”
“Good. Don’t interfere with the festival and drag the construction as slowly as possible.”
“Yes, Duke.”
Chaers stepped back from Duke Kyron’s desk before stopping once again. Since I could be seen straight from that position, I stared out of the window and endured the burning gaze at the back of my head. However, my upper body gradually sunk down under my desk.
“Hmm.”
Chaers left that short sound before leaving like that. Although it was just a short sound, I could feel his disapproval conveyed clearly to me. I relaxed on my seat only after I heard the door closing.
Suddenly, I felt that it was unfair.
Why can’t I look at his face? Why should I avoid him?
However, despite my thoughts, I knew deep down that seeing Chaers’ face would always remind me of falling down during the group dance. It seemed like it had become my trauma. It hurt my pride that I had shown Chaers such an embarrassing appearance after he had asked me for a dance for his punishment. I did not come out to wear such pretty clothes just to do something like that.
When I realized that I had become extremely timid, I felt something.
Has Arielsa always lived like this…
I shook my head to clear my thoughts away.
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“Arielsa.”
“Yes, Duke!”
“A drink.”
“Yes.”
It was still midday.
But Duke Kyron just smiled when he saw me making a strange face as I brought the alcohol to him.
“I knew it for a long time. It’s just… I had no choice but to know.”
I immediately understood what Duke Kyron was saying. He was talking about the Emperor’s hostility towards him.
“But I did not want to admit that my loyalty is being questioned. How to say this… I feel like my pride has been hurt.”
Only then did I realize that Kyron Harpel was a man who had never once fought to be recognized by anyone. So, I felt a bit surprised.
He was born as the heir to the Harpel Family, the family that owned the North for generations, and was a man who used his feats to build his family’s reputation by expelling the demonic beasts beyond the barrier.
Ever since his birth, he was given the responsibility of protecting the land from demonic beasts. He had never once questioned this responsibility. His only ambition was to fulfill his duties to the best of his abilities. And he succeeded in doing so.
The name ‘Great Man’ was a praise that he had received from protecting and maintaining the barrier while preventing the demonic beasts from crossing over. It was also a title that was given to him from protecting, feeding and making the people of Harpel live in abundance and peace.
But the stronger he was and the more faithful he was to his responsibilities, the more the Emperor doubted him and even his measures to keep him in check had become fiercer. It was definitely bound to make a splash even though he hid it in the corner of his mind.
“This is because His Majesty, the Emperor, is a fool.”
“……”
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His eyes widened in shock when he heard me say those words bluntly. A short burst of laughter suddenly came from his mouth. It was good to see his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he laughed with his chin pointing up to the sky.
He had set fire to one of his castle towers to avoid the Emperor’s invitation. It was clear as day that he was feeling very disturbed right now but I felt like I was someone pathetic for feeling depressed and admiring my own beauty in front of a person who was feeling like that.
“Haha. You’re so weird, Arielsa. No… Stranger.”
He smiled calmly at me. The current situation was certainly not good. But the moment he called me a stranger, I felt like the smoke that had been covering me had been cleared and I felt like I was truly myself in that moment. It felt like he was truly spending his time with me for a short while. It was a bit bitter yet still slightly sweet. A taste that I truly wanted to save and remember.
I smiled as I spoke.
“That’s not a very pleasant thing to say but I’m going to count that as something good since you’re laughing.”
I laughed too.
The air in the room quickly heated up just like the spring sun grazing us of its presence.
“Did I tell you about it?”
“Yes?”
“The clothes that you wore during the festival were worth a lot of money.”
Damn.
I bit my lips tightly. It felt unusual to hear Duke Kyron saying ‘It’s worth a lot of money.’ so it seemed like Belia’s remuneration was much bigger than what I thought. I couldn’t help but feel scared.
“Uhm…”
My hands were covered in sweat and I couldn’t decide where to look. But Duke Kyron spoke softly.
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“It means that it’s pretty.”
“Ah…”
I tried to move slowly and move away from the table as I tried to think of ways to hide my blushing cheeks. But even though he was not looking at me, my embarrassment still grew bigger and bigger with each passing moment.
“Sit.”
“……!”
“It’s not fun drinking alone.”
Please!
I stuttered as I spoke to answer him.
“It’s still early. I should go and call Sir Chaers―”
“―Do you want to receive punishment?”
“Yes?”
“I prohibited you from going out except for your room and the office.”
“Uhm…”
That was right. He never forgot.
He continued to speak coldly.
“I heard that you were belting out a song about cuties.”
“Ugh…!”
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I almost tore the skirt of my new dress from the shock.
Receiving his insensitive gaze and decided there and then to never go out in the future. Of course, I also decided to stop drinking.
I was forced to sing the Gwiyomi Song in front of Duke Kyron. With. The. Dance.
I decided to be thankful that he did not consider this as some sort of sorcery. I had to think like that… For my precarious mental health…
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Over time, the noise from the construction work for the repair of the castle tower spread all over the place. People worked from dawn to night as they busied themselves between farming, livestock raising and hunting. This was the vitality of the North.
I went to the drill hall by myself to meet with George. This was because there was something that had to be solved between us.
He had never come to see me ever since he got angry at me back at the dry goods store. I was concerned with how upset the middle-aged daughter-con was so I came out with the permission of the Duke.
George was walking back and forth as he yelled at the knights that were swinging their swords. I waited for him to look at me before waving my hand wildly. He sighed as he approached me. I quickly gave him a bottle with tea. There was nothing much better than drinking tea to recharge one’s energy after sweating. However, he just gulped down the tea while sighing deeply. I looked around while speaking.
“Daddy, you’re still angry?”
“……”
“Did you make up with Sir Chaers?”
“Hmph!”
The psychological war between Chaers and George seemed to still be ongoing. It seemed like he was still mad that Chaers carried me on his back that night. I looked gloomily up in the sky for a moment. It was clear that George thought that Chaers was flirting with me. That was why he was angry. But in fact, he was angry for another reason.
Despite Chaers rescuing the timid Arielsa, rumors that spread as fast as the wind still threw his reasoning out.
There were many people who had seen me and Chaers dancing, well trying to to dance, in the square during the festival. And now, rumors have become our fait accompli. In other words, George now had sufficient evidence to identify Chaers as his enemy.
That was also the reason why Duke Kyron laughed at me when I asked him to provide a place for their reconciliation. This was actually an unexpected reaction from the Duke especially since his most valuable vassals were fighting.
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“They have to see blood once in a while. Don’t mind them.”
“Yes? But still… No, regardless…!”
“You might know the future but you don’t know anything about the men of the North.”
I was left speechless when the Duke said this.
Anyway, with George’s personality, there was not a chance that he and Chaers would make up in just one go. In his point of view, Chaers was a wolf who was trying to snatch his precious daughter away.
I wanted to deal with this problem since we were able to safely refuse the Emperor’s invitation but seeing George huffing and puffing like that when I went to him in the drill hall made me feel nervous.
“Dad, did you have fun with Aunty Belia?”
“Cough!”
He grunted uncomfortably before coughing to clear his throat.
“I had a great time.”
“That’s great!”
However, he still spoke grimly.
“You must have wanted to go and have fun with the person you like. So, why can’t you do so? I can’t believe that I’ve blocked your happiness this long… I did not mean to be a father like this to you.”
Heok. Excuse me?
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It seemed like something worse was going on in his head than what I had thought.
“Daddy! I really like my dad! I’m also living a happy life with my dad!”
But George just shook his head sadly.
“I will give my blessings to you and Chaers.”
“…Huh? …What?”
“He’s just cranky but except for that… He has a good head since he’s the tactician. And he’s also good enough to protect you even if a demonic beast appears.”
Is this daughter-con who wanted to live with his daughter for the rest of his life suddenly jumped and wanted to marry off his daughter to Chaers?!
This was the only person in Harpel Castle who never accepted the fact that I was possessed. I was in such a hurry that I grabbed his forearm tightly and hung on him.
“Daddy! I’m not getting married!”
“……”
“Really! I’m telling you. I’ll live with you, daddy, for the rest of my life!”
Geroge smiled sadly as if his eyes were filled with defeat. I felt heartbroken seeing such an appearance on him.
Ah… ahjussi?
“You’re quite a nice child. It’s alright. You don’t need to comfort your dad.”
“It’s true! I’m not getting married! I also don’t like Sir Chaers!”
“H, huh…?”
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George struggled to suppress the happiness that suddenly appeared in his eyes as he stared at me.
“I won’t marry Sir Chaers.”
George’s face turned as bright as the sun. But my throat became stiff as I spoke hoarsely.
“Is that… so? You don’t like Chaers? But I’m sure that the punk has been fond of you for a long ti―”
“―Yes, dad. I don’t like him.”
I hurriedly said those words. I felt like my response was as fast as the wind just so I could stop him from speaking any further.
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