Chapter 4.2

“Oh my, Young Master! What’s going on? Oh my!”

After spending a long time with Coda, Kaon was met with an unusual atmosphere in the mansion.

Baroness Robert, the Ferdinand household’s nanny and housekeeper, was weeping and wailing. She was also, by the way, the wife of Bronson, the butler, and Joseph’s mother.

Compared to their power-hungry uncle, she had been more like family to Kaon.

“Madam, you’re going to faint if this continues.”

“Does this make sense, Madeleine!? The young master, engaged to a random Ingelos?”

“Of course, it doesn’t! Anyone from here would agree to that.”

Kaon, who had been hesitating because it felt like he shouldn’t just pass by, finally figured out the situation.

Whether Joseph was coerced into telling his mother, or Leo had announced it herself, or whatever else happened, it seemed that the news of his engagement to Princess Ingelos had spread.

The first dukes of Ferdinand and Ingelos were a swordmaster and an archmage respectively, heroes who took the lead in helping the king suppress the monsters and restore peace. However, the two, who had once roamed the land as strong allies, began to show differences in various aspects as time passed. Their relationship deteriorated day by day, finally resulting in the swordmaster losing both his arms and the mage losing his powers and going into hiding.

Subsequently, their remaining descendants fought fiercely. No matter what the other’s opinion was, one would cast a negative vote first, and they did not hesitate to bare their fangs at each other.

It all happened a long time ago, but the generations of anger still persisted, just as it did right in front of Kaon’s eyes today.

‘I need to escape now…’

He took a step back, envisioning a tiring conversation ahead, but Baroness Robert approached too quickly.

“Young Master! I heard that those bastards didn’t keep their promise! Is it true?”

“Ah, that…”

Well, technically it was true. Agreements between families had always been important, and breaking them was terribly rude.

Kaon had also felt that anger while he was waiting.

“So it is true! Rude bastards! Do they think it’s fine to ignore Ferdinand?!”

“What do they think they’re doing?”

The problem was that silence was often seen as affirmation.

Kaon’s inability to deny what had happened led to Baroness Robert and Madeleine furiously gnashing their teeth.

“Did you at least receive an apology? Hah! I doubt those mannerless fools could even do that.”

“No, the princess…”

“Oh, Madam, mages have always been that way. They always think they’re the best in the world! Everyone else is insignificant!”

“She sincerely apologized…”

“Leo must know very well how much the duchess hated mages during her lifetime!”

‘I already said that I received an apology…’

Kaon tried to interrupt, but it didn’t work. The two women were so angry that sparks seemed to burst from their eyes. It didn’t even seem like they heard him.

“What wrong has our young master done? Why must he be engaged to someone he doesn’t even know?”

“Oh, Madeleine, I can’t believe Ferdinand’s young master must accept a witch as his wife. I can’t stop crying. What should I do…?”

As he glanced around, he saw the other servants nodding. Some were even holding back tears.

It was not that he didn’t understand them. Ferdinand was a territory that had suffered from the tyranny of mages for a long time, with the Ingelos family as their leader. Until a month ago, he would have agreed with them that mages were all rude and selfish, that the people of Ingelos were ignorant and reckless.

That was not the case with the princess whom Kaon faced. She was polite and kind, and she asked for forgiveness.

“She must have been vicious and ugly. What if she tries to possess our young master with evil magic, Madam?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

She wasn’t evil, and she wasn’t ugly either. With her hood down, she stood out amazingly even in a plain black robe. The word ‘vicious’ didn’t suit her either. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration on his part to say that he had a good impression of Alessia Ingelos from their encounter at the banquet, especially because she looked so kind.

But wouldn’t it be a little weird if he said that? It was an arranged engagement, so he didn’t really need to defend her, right?

“I can’t do this. I, Beverly Robert, swear on my name to say something to Leonida.”

“Huh?”

“Despite my weakness, I, Madeline, vow to help, Madam.”

“No, no. Please don’t do that,” Kaon said, thinking that he shouldn’t just stand by and let them storm into Leo’s office. “It was a decision that my sister made after much deliberation. In the end, it is all for Ferdinand.”

He knew as much, and he wasn’t lying, so he didn’t know why his throat felt dry.

“I can’t remain protected forever. As our parents are no longer here, I have to help Leo and do my part. Please, both of you, trust in my sister’s judgment. It will be more helpful for our family that way.”

“When did you become so mature, Young Master…!”

“Young Master…”

Baroness Robert sobbed, moved by his words. Madeleine and the rest of the onlookers as well wiped tears from their eyes.

Kaon turned around, walking away from the praise and hearing the sound of a dying conscience.