CH 113

Brian’s father, Count Chersis, was the most upright figure of all that Herwin knew.

He didn’t like the free-spirited Brian, and once he made up his mind, he was hard to break. He was incomparable to John now.

Maybe he could take a hint from this, Herwin thought, swallowing hard and pushing himself up.

“……What is it, that look in your eyes?”

“Brian.”

“Why.”

“I want you to tell me the secret of how you got your father’s permission.”

“What?”

Brian shuddered, thinking it was some kind of fat joke, but Herwin’s expression was too serious.

“Well, I don’t think I can help you much.”

“It’s okay, I just want to know the trick!”

“Only then…….”

Finally, Brian remembered what he had done.

“Once I heard that Christine was going to do meet-ups, I met my father as soon as I got home.”

‘Dad, I have something to tell you.’

Even if they were rich, their relationship was such that they hardly talk once a month. 

It was the first time Brian had spoken to him since he was a child, and the Count of Chersis was taken aback.

‘There is a woman I love, and I want to marry her.’

The Count was stunned to hear Brian, who was always dating this girl or that girl, say that he was seriously in love with someone.

Brian calmly explained his situation and his desire to confront Christine. Apparently, a confrontation is usually organized by the patriarch.

“My dad wasn’t in favor of it from the beginning, not because he didn’t like Christine, but he said there’s someone else he thought of beforehand, so I did.”

‘If I didn’t love Christine, I would have stood up to that girl like you wanted me to. But, Dad, it’s Christine or nothing now.’

Brian was firm. Once he had made up his mind, he had no intention of breaking it.

Still, when Count Chersis showed signs of distress, Brian drove the nail in the coffin.

‘I beg you, Father, I’ve never asked you anything before.’

Count Chersis said nothing more as he bent down to show his desperation. 

At first, Brian wondered if the obvious emotional appeal would work on his cold-blooded father, but thankfully it did.

‘……Yes. This is the first time you’ve ever asked me for a favor.’

The poisonous tone of his voice caught Brian off guard, and he suddenly realized that his father’s gaunt, frightening face was much older than it used to be.

So Count Chersis did as he was told and sent the letter to House Diores.

‘This is all I can do for you. What happens after is up to you. Do you understand?’

True to his word, the rest was up to Brian. 

So Brian somehow managed to get through to Christine’s first candidate, convinced him to cancel his appointment, and then confessed his feelings to her.

Of course, he hadn’t heard back yet.

“That’s it. I told you there wasn’t anything that could help you.”

“……Yes.”

The conversation was interesting, but it was hard to find any tips or tricks. When Herwin wilted again, Brian spoke up.

“Still, if you want to change the Count’s mind, there is a way.”

“What’s that?”

“Sincerity.”

It was the obvious thing to say, but it was also the hard thing to say.

“I’m not asking you to appeal to his emotions, just show him how you really feel about Lucia, and how you want to marry her.”

“……Sincerity.”

Herwin mulled over the word sincerity and finally smiled.

“I see. You’re right. Thank you.”

“Whatever.”

As Brian shrugged his shoulders, he heard a slight commotion in the distance. He turned to see Lucia coming over, holding Christine’s hand.

Behind her, Christine was struggling to keep herself from coming over.

“Don’t you think you should at least talk about it?”

“Ha, but I think it’s a little early now… Aaaaah! I’m just going to leave for the day, please let me go!”

From the looks of it, Lucia had been dragging her along, and when Christine looked like she was about to fall flat on her face, Lucia, who lacked the strength, finally had to stop.

Brian, who had been watching, stood up.

“We’re not going to be able to talk together. I’ll take Christine. You and Lucia can have a private date tonight.”

“Okay, fine. You go ahead. I’m rooting for you.”

Brian’s eyes narrowed at the blunt but sincere words. Then he walked over to Christine and Lucia.

Christine’s cheeks flushed red and she tried to run away, but Brian was faster.

After a few moments of arguing, the two left, leaving only a battered Lucia behind.

“Phew.”

“Good job.”

Herwin handed her the cool drink he’d requested from a servant. Lucia downed it in one gulp and sighed.

“Christine’s not without a heart, either, so why does she try to avoid it so much?”

“Oh, so Christine has a heart?”

“From what I can see, yes. Even when she went to the bathroom just now, she kept bringing up Brian’s name unconsciously, and she was sneakily asking me about him.”

“Really? She didn’t tell you that they met?”

“She did. Apparently, she couldn’t quite remember what she did the day of the confrontation, but she went on a date and went home.”

“It’s already over.”

“Right? You think so, too, right?”

“I think she’s confused because the guy she thought was her friend suddenly says he likes her, and I wonder if he’s going to come back and tell her they’re getting married.”

“I hope so, they look great together.”

“Besides, there’s no one to hold Christine or Brian back.”

The two of them watched Brian and Christine’s love story from across the river.

“Still, we’ll be the first ones to get married, and no one can take that away from us.”

Lucia, who had seen his efforts over, leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him.

“You just have to try a little harder, I think my father is warming up to you.”

“Really? I thought maybe he didn’t like that I’ve been visiting so often lately…….”

“Well, you’ve certainly been coming around a lot, but I think he’d be a little bothered if you stopped coming around all of a sudden.”

There was a mystery in the words of his daughter, Lucia. Herwin clenched his fists in hope.

Lucia was smiling at him, and it was beautiful. Herwin casually cupped her cheek and kissed her.

After a brief flinch, Lucia threw her arms around his neck.

After a sweet, playful kiss, they burst out laughing.

“Ha, I can’t do this.”

“What?”

“I can’t wait to tell the whole world that such a cute girl is mine…….”

Herwin’s eyes began to glow with desire, perhaps sparked by the kiss earlier. Lucia stepped back slightly, afraid that she might break his hold on reason.

“That sounds like me.”

Then she whispered in a low voice.

“I’m the one who should be nervous when there are so many women out there looking at you right now.”

Her words were meant to reassure him, but in his eyes, she was flirting with him.

Eventually, Herwin had enough and pinned Lucia down and kissed her hard.

Lucia was embarrassed, but she couldn’t help but accept him completely.

On the carriage ride home, Lucia sighed at the reflection of her plump, swollen lips in the window.

* * *

“So there were monsters again?”

“Yes, this time they seem to be lower-ranked monsters than orcs, but there are more of them than last time.”

“Hmph, what a headache, we’ve barely calmed the monster ruckus and now it’s back again…….”

John, who was working for the imperial court, was troubled by the new headache.

No casualties so far, but it had to be put down before it became a hunting festival.

“Duke Phoenaeus happens to be down in the capital, so I think we can ask him for advice.”

John frowned involuntarily at the mention of having to deal with someone a bit difficult. However, he quickly regained his composure and moved on to the location of the monster.

For now, work came first.

He arrived at the forest a short distance from the capital’s outer walls. There was a group of troops gathered to slay the monster.

“Count Agnes, you have arrived.”

“What is the current situation?”

“The troops are all assembled, and as soon as the commander arrives, we will begin the slaughter.”

“I see, and the commander hasn’t come yet?”

“Yes, he’s on his way… ah, there he is.”

Hearing the sound of horses’ hooves and the rumble of the ground, John turned with his knight. 

He saw a man sitting on a horse, his dark hair flowing.

John, who thought it was Hail at first, was embarrassed to see his face getting closer.

“Greetings. I am Herwin Phoenaeus, your new commander.”

“It’s been a long time, Master Phoenaeus, and I hope you’ve been well.”

The knight greeted Herwin first, and Herwin returned the greeting. Then his gaze returned to John.

Herwin immediately smiled and extended his hand to John.

“I’m Herwin Phoenaeus, I look forward to your kind cooperation today.”

“……Yes.”

Even though they knew each other well in private, Herwin was as polite as if they were meeting for the first time in public. 

He had never seen him in public before.

It was a far cry from the way he’d come to their house a few days earlier, fidgeting for attention.

“I was told the general situation on my way. Can we talk about the details?”

“Sure, once you get over here…….”

Herwin chatted with the knight and began to share information about the monsters. 

The monsters that appeared this time were goblins, humanoid monsters that were slightly larger than children. They usually travel in groups. 

Herwin discussed the information the knights had gathered, as well as the footprints and tracks at the scene.

It was a little strange to see a child who seemed so young already doing the work of a man.

He also could command a group of people and had the charisma to win them over in an instant. It was clear to John that he had skills far beyond those of his age.

‘Come to think of it, he often went up to the north and helped subjugate monsters.’

Lucia would often relay such stories when talking about Herwin.

Even if he was a master swordsman, John doubted he’d be any good at it, but what he saw in front of him was enough to shatter his prejudices.

John studied him, unaware of the slight tilt in his mind.

“Let’s divide up the area, then. I’ve brought with me knights who have experience in slaying monsters from my family. First, we’ll divide the team into groups of five and spread out like a siege around the perimeter…….”

After assessing the situation, Herwin gave the plan one after another. The knights quickly organized themselves into teams and scattered.

“I’ll join the ranks then, and if there’s any trouble, I’ll send up a signal.”

“Yes, please.”

With the Templar leader gone, only Herwin and a few other knights remained on the field. As John looked around at the now deserted scene, he could hear people whispering about Herwin.

“He’s amazing. What was I like at his age?”

“And now he’s a Swordmaster. Good family, good looks, and good skills. He’s got it all.”

When a person is too good, you don’t even dare to think about being jealous. 

Everyone else in the room was looking at Herwin with envy.

John had to admit it now. He had to admit that Herwin was beyond compare.

He felt like he’d been looking at him through a pair of tinted glasses all this time. John stiffly approached Herwin.

“Ah, Count.”

Herwin, who was seriously looking at the map, smiled softly as soon as he felt the presence.

John suddenly realized. Herwin never smiled in front of others, but the cool expression on his face was unfamiliar to John.

‘I wonder why….…’

Whenever Herwin saw Lucia, he would smile like he had the world at his feet. John was used to seeing Herwin smiling because he always saw him with Lucia.