CH 117

The Baron stared down at Tiana, his eyes narrowing.

“Are you telling me you’ve just accepted her as your daughter-in-law?”

“……….”

“Hahahaha, how ridiculous, you were so unwilling to recognize my daughter in the past, and now you’re accepting her as your own, what a farce!”

“You can’t even be happy as a father when your daughter is recognized by a marquis, yet you sneer at her.”

The hidden barbs in Tiana’s words were staggering, and the Baron’s eyes nearly rolled back in irritation.

“Yes, I should congratulate her as a father. But when your child fails to fulfill the duties of a child and treats you as if you don’t exist, how do I take that?”

“……….”

“Celine! You tell me! Have you ever told your family about your marriage? Who was the one who treated me like a puppet every time and kicked me out even if I came to see you because I missed you?!”

Celine’s body trembled like an aspen tree. She squeezed her eyes shut and squirmed in Bern’s arms. Finally, Bern spoke up.

“What would have been different if she had told you?”

“What?”

“You would have run up debts in Celine’s name, as you did before, and if that didn’t work, you would have sold the marquis’ honor. You say she’s a spoiled brat, but have you ever been a proper father for once?”

Bern’s voice grew furious.

“You persecuted Celine at every turn, you even treated her like a maid instead of a child, and you even sold your daughter to pay off the debts you owed. How can you call her your child?!”

The more Bern spewed out the truth, the more Celine’s eyes filled with stagnant tears. At first, the people who had been gossiping about Celine fell silent and glared coldly at Baron Jayson.

The mood shifted, and the baron shrank back.

In the heavy silence, Tiana spoke.

“Since Miss Celine is married to Bern, she is now a member of our House of Casper. If you run amok any further, I will deal with you sternly, no matter if you’re her father.”

Even Tiana protected Celine. Celine couldn’t hold back her tears as she wrapped herself up, who had disapproved of her until just before the wedding.

“Come, take him away now.”

“Yes!”

Tiana commanded the knights again, and this time the baron was dragged away helplessly.

The Baron stared at Celine in Bern’s arms in fascination, but then his face slowly contorted. Then, with a scream, he began his rampage again.

Everyone frowned as his behavior escalated from bad to worse. This time, the knights struggled to keep him down, but the Baron had a sword in his hand.

He snatched the knight’s sword from his holster.

They all screamed as they saw the Baron stagger and swing his sword.

“I don’t think I can stand by and watch!”

Although he didn’t immediately lunge at Celine, he swung his sword in a trance-like state, making sure no one got near him. 

It was intimidating enough for Lucia and Christine, who were a short distance away.

“Lu, Lucia, we need to get out of here.”

“Yeah, let’s just go somewhere else…….”

“I’ll kill them all, I’ll kill them all, I’ll kill them all!”

Just then, Baron Jayson spotted Lucia and Christine in the periphery, and when he made eye contact, Lucia felt a chill run down her spine.

He was only three meters away from them, just a few steps away. Moreover, he was wielding a sword, so the distance was even shorter. 

“Kaaaah!”

Christine screamed as the baron charged at her, swinging his sword. Lucia and Christine didn’t even have time to escape before their legs gave out and they fell to the ground.

Boom!

They heard the sound of something breaking before the Baron approached. They looked up to see a bowl smashed into the Baron’s head. Herwin, now closer than ever, knocked the baron’s hand away, snatched his sword, and tackled him to the ground.

“Argh!”

“Christine, are you okay?”

Brian, who had been in the distance, suddenly approached Christine, a plate in his hand, and it seemed that he was the one who threw the bowl at the baron.

“How dare you……!”

Brian cursed, cradling a sobbing Christine in his arms. It was the first time she’d ever seen him so angry.

Meanwhile, the screams continued to come from Baron Jayson’s mouth. Turning her head, Lucia flinched.

The baron’s arm was deformed and twisted. Herwin stared down at him, his face cold.

“How dare you brandish a sword at my woman. You must be delusional to want to die.”

Herwin was as angry as Brian. There was more to him than anger.

“This will never end like this.”

Herwin’s foot stomped down on the Baron’s twisted arm. The Baron screamed more, then shook his head. He had passed out.

Herwin hurried over to Lucia as he stepped over the stunned Baron, and he checked her carefully for injuries.

“Hah, thank goodness you’re not hurt.”

“……Herwin.”

“Don’t fall off my side in the future. I never thought this would happen.”

Herwin pulled Lucia into a tight hug. Lucia’s eyes narrowed, but she relaxed and leaned into him.

Her hands were trembling, and she was shaken. Her heart was beating unsteadily, though not as fast as it had with the orcs.

She could hear his heartbeat as she leaned against his chest, and she was grateful that he had come to her once again.

“Thank you, Herwin.”

“Of course. No one can lift a hand at you.”

Behind Herwin came the men hurrying to take the fainted baron and try to sort things out.

“Lady Agnes!”

Just then, Celine came up with Bern, her tear-stained face spilling over with sobs, and she clutched Lucia’s hand weakly.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Really, because of me……!”

“I’m sorry, Lady Lucia. This was an oversight on our part. We’ll take steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“And what are you going to do about him?”

Herwin’s eyes narrowed, and he glanced at Baron Jayson, who was being dragged away. He looked as if he would take matters into his own hands if he didn’t do something about it.

Bern swallowed hard and gritted his teeth in response.

“I’ve cut you some slack because he is part of Celine’s family, but this time I’m going to make sure he gets what he deserves. Don’t worry, I won’t let him get away with it.”

“You’re going to make sure it’s done properly so that something like today never happens again.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Oh my God, oh my God…….”

The sobbing voice made both Bern and Herwin’s heads turn. Celine was still in a panic; she was holding Lucia and Christine’s hands and apologizing over and over again.

Her sobbing, as if she were going to faint at any moment, was the only thing keeping them rational.

Seeing Lucia and Christine calming Celine, Bern stood up.

“I’m so sorry, ladies, that you had to go through such an unpleasant experience. We’ll make sure that it doesn’t happen again. The reception isn’t over yet, so please enjoy it to the fullest.”

Once the guests were calmed down, Bern took Lucia and Christine back to the mansion to be examined by a doctor.

They were unharmed, thanks to the arrival of Herwin and Brian to protect them before anything bad happened.

Nevertheless, Bern remained in charge of them until the end, running them through all sorts of tests and giving them time to rest.

Bern and Celine’s wedding ended up being marred by an unsavory incident.

For a brief moment, talk of Baron Jayson surfaced, but it was quickly followed by news of his imprisonment. 

It was said that this was the latest in a long line of corruption, tax evasion, and gambling charges that Celine and Bern had gathered. He was informed that he would not be allowed anywhere near the Marquis for some time.

They’re glad things ended on a good note, but on the other hand, it was a bit of a headache.

Everyone at the reception that night was talking about Herwin’s subduing of Baron Jayson.

It wasn’t a bad thing. It’s just that they were so moved by his defense of his fiancée that they blow it out of proportion.

“In the blink of an eye, they say, he was in front of Lady Lucia and stopped the baron.”

“They say he grabbed the sword with his bare hands?”

“No, I heard he subdued him without even touching him!”

“Not only that, but I heard he declared Lady Agnes as ‘my woman’! I’m so jealous, to be loved by a man as handsome as Phoenaeus……!”

It was enough to make any person swoon. In addition, as the previous Orc case was re-examined because of this incident, the story that Herwin could die without Lucia and could not live was gradually coming out.

The stares he felt whenever he went outside made him avoid going out. But Herwin seemed to relish the situation.

Lucia poked him in the cheek with her finger as he looked like a clown about to ascend.

“You like it that much?”

“Well, everyone seems to approve of our relationship.”

“Ah…….”

Herwin wasn’t complimenting himself, but he did seem to like the fact that Lucia was acknowledging his relationship with her. 

After all, there had been people before who had been sneaky and judgmental about their marriage.

“Besides, your father complimented me on a job well done the other day, so how could I not be happy to be recognized once more?”

A few days earlier, John, having heard the rumors, had patted Herwin on the shoulder and congratulated him on a job well done.

Even if John had recognized him earlier, Herwin was still uneasy.

“Yes, if you like it, I like it all.”

She stroked Herwin’s face, and Herwin smiled pleasantly, rubbing his face in his small hands.

It was very cute to see a six-foot-tall human being so affectionate, and eventually, Lucia took his face in her hands and kissed him.

Needless to say, the corners of Herwin’s mouth turned up even higher.

“You really do all sorts of things, guys. Have you forgotten we’re here?”

Friends and Lucas, who saw Lucia and Herwin’s affection from beginning to end, fluttered their tongues.

Today was the first time in a long time that they had gathered at Lucia’s house. Herwin and Lucia exchanged glances and smiled wryly.

“Well, you don’t know the feeling, do you, Christine?”

Among the unpleasantness, Brian was the only one smiling, and he was just as eager to show off his affection as Herwin and Lucia, clinging to Christine’s side.

Christine was embarrassed by the stares of her friends, but she didn’t avoid him.

It was the other way around. Because of Brian’s quick response, Christine fell deeply in love with him and, like Herwin, word spread about them, and no one approached Brian anymore.

Occasional women would approach him, but the sight of him with Christine would turn them away. The sight of Christine would make Brian’s eyes drip with honey.

“You’re even more slutty today than the last time I saw you. Anything good?”

Everyone nodded at Ethan’s question. They’d seen Brian clinging to Christine since the day they’d announced their relationship, but he’d gone a little overboard today. 

Brian chuckled, then raised his and Christine’s interlocked hands.

“We’re getting married.”

Everyone’s eyes went wide. Arista was so stunned that she rattled her teacup with a thud.

“Ouch, hot!”

“Arista, are you okay?”

“Arista!”

She spilled her tea on her pants. Everyone called out to her, but Lucas, who was next to her, quickly grabbed a handkerchief and wiped up Arista’s spill.

“Is it very hot?”

“Oh, no, not that much.”

Arista’s ears perked up as Lucas bent down to inspect her. He frowned at her soaking pants.

“Oh, no, get up. Let’s go change your pants. You might have burned yourself.”

“It’s okay, it’s almost cooled off, it’s not that hot.”

“Stop being so stubborn and listen to me. Guys, we’re just going to go inside for a minute.”

Despite Arista’s insistence that it was okay, she couldn’t help but let Lucas lead the way. It took a while for those who were caught off guard by what had happened to regain their composure.

They seemed to shrug it off as just another day. However, only Herwin looked meaningfully at the backs of Arista and Lucas as they disappeared.

“I wonder if she got hurt because of us.”

“Don’t worry, my brother will take care of her.”

Even Lucia didn’t seem to notice the suspicion. Herwin shook his head and finally tore his gaze away.