Chapter 144

“What?”

“You’ve always been like that since you were little. Seeming to act freely without fear of the world, but always busy looking at Yurina’s reactions after doing what you wanted. You’re grown up now, but you’re just like when you were little, how curious.”

The Marchioness looked at the two children with nostalgic eyes. They were cute and lovely, reacting to every single one of her words, all tensed up like children who had done something wrong.

They may think they’re all grown up, but in her eyes, they were still small, delicate children who needed to be cared for with love.

She remembered the first day Yurina brought Reynard.

Just like today, both children were very tense.

Yurina introduced Reynard with a worried look, wondering if the Marchioness might kick him out, and Reynard was trying to act confident but gulping down dry saliva.

They were so cute and pretty. Even now, just thinking about it made her laugh.

These little children had grown up so much.

Had they just grown up? They were now trying to step forward in search of their own lives. She didn’t know it would turn out like this at the time, but as long as the two were happy, that was enough.

Their laughter, their chattering voices, their lips that painted pretty smiles. If she could just protect that, what couldn’t she do?

But she felt a little sad at the thought of letting these children go.

‘They could stay a little longer in my arms.’

But what can she do? If this is what the children choose, she has to accept it.

However, she felt like teasing these cute children a little more. Marchioness Carthia erased the smile from her face and put on a stern expression again.

While Yurina seemed to have regained her composure, knowing her heart, Reynard was tensed up, sitting straight.

“You called for a meeting but haven’t said anything. Didn’t you come here to tell me something?”

“Ah…”

Reynard swallowed his dry saliva, clenched and unclenched his fist. He had perfectly sorted out what he was going to say in his mind before coming here, but now he couldn’t think of anything. His mind was white, and his sight was pitch black.

Marchioness Carthia was fond of him from the first day she saw him. Not only did she not harbor prejudice against his red eyes, she treated him as family beyond a mere servant.

She seemed similar to Aunt Marie at first glance, but was clearly different. Aunt Marie was a close friend of Reynard’s mother, so it was understandable that she treated him like her own son.

But Marchioness Carthia was different.

She was born a noblewoman. Raised seeing and hearing only good things. She was a person who, although kind to her employees, couldn’t mingle with the common people.

Considering that she’s the mother of Yurina, whom she treasures, it was already unusual for her to treat Reynard like a family member.

Would she even allow him to marry Yurina? Frankly, he wasn’t sure.

Treating someone like family and actually becoming family are different things. No matter how unpretentious Marchioness Carthia is towards him now, the moment he says he wants to marry Yurina, she might harshly cast him out.

Yurina assured him that wouldn’t happen, but honestly, to Reynard, the possibility of being cast out seemed greater than being easily permitted.

Reynard is about to receive a baronet title and join the ranks of nobility. Curtis has even promised to give him a higher title once he becomes Emperor.

But the people of the esteemed Carthia family, who have a reputation over generations, may not approve of Reynard, a commoner who has just become a noble.

‘So what?’

He steeled his resolve.

Was he going to give up just because the people of Carthia oppose it? Absolutely not. He had to make an effort to get permission somehow.

If he couldn’t get permission until the end, he would just run away with Yurina to a place where the Carthia family couldn’t follow.

But he couldn’t do that. Reynard could be happy if he only had Yurina, she was his whole world, but Yurina wasn’t the same.

It was painful to acknowledge that he couldn’t be her everything, but he knew all too well how precious her family was to Yurina.

He was confident that he could run away and live happily with Yurina alone in his hometown, but Yurina wouldn’t.

So he wanted to get permission from her family in an upright manner. He wanted to make Yurina smile in the blessings of everyone.

Reynard firmly held Yurina’s hand, adorned with a ruby ring, and spoke confidently.

“I know this may seem abrupt. But, madam, I have loved Yurina for a long time.”

His voice came out clear and steady, unbelievable for someone who was just tense.

“I wish to marry her after her birthday next spring.”

The Marchioness didn’t respond. She poured tea into an empty teacup as if she hadn’t heard anything and started drinking again.

Reynard felt a burning tension in his throat.

Without realizing, his trembling hands were held tightly by Yurina. When he turned his head, Yurina smiled and nodded as if to say it was okay. He felt encouraged.

“I know it sounds cliché, but I am confident that I can make Yurina happy. No matter what happens, I can protect Yurina. And…”

He interlocked fingers with Yurina and steadied his voice.

“Yurina needs me.”

At the same time as he said this, there was a clink, the sound of a teacup being set down. It was a noise made by the Marchioness setting her teacup down.

It was hard to believe that the meticulous Marchioness, who always instructed about manners, made such a sound, and Reynard, forgetting what he was about to say, watched her.

Then, Marchioness Carthia started laughing again. It was a bigger and more joyful laugh than before. At the same time, the previously stiff atmosphere softened like marshmallow.

Reynard blankly watched as the Marchioness wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. The Marchioness, who was catching her breath to hold back her laughter, had her usual warm and gentle expression.

Her previously cold expression was nowhere to be seen.

“Oh, dear. Are you asking for marriage permission, or bragging about yourself? Well, it is just like you.”

It sounded like a reprimand, but her voice was not. She spoke with a voice mixed with laughter.

“It may be fine for me, but when you go back to the mansion and speak to other family members, it would be better to leave out the last part. It won’t be easy to get permission from those men, and saying something like that could get their hackles up. They still think that Yurina likes them the most, and bringing up such a thing might make them jealous. Well, I find such talk cute though…”

Reynard, who had been nodding and engraving her advice in his head, opened his eyes wide at her last words.

“So…”

“Before that, may I ask one thing?”

“Yes.”

“Why does it have to be next spring? You’ll be busy once you get a title, and Yurina will also be busy socializing and going places once she becomes an adult… Couldn’t you just have an engagement ceremony and take your time with the wedding?”

Yurina had asked the same question. They were both still young and had plenty of time, so why not do what they wanted a bit more and marry a little later?

Reynard answered her without hesitation. Even now, he could give the same answer.

“I want to become a family with Yurina as soon as possible.”

He knew that he was still close to Yurina. However, he wanted their relationship to be a bit more solid so that no one could deny it. He was also worried about other men targeting Yurina.

Whether his answer was unexpected, Marchioness Carthia widened her eyes in surprise and spread her arms.

“Come here. Let’s hug.”

Reynard looked at Yurina, and when he saw her nod, he got up from his seat nervously.

Marchioness Carthia turned her attention to Yurina.

“Yurina, you too.”

Yurina, who had been smiling at Reynard’s back, also got up from her seat late and approached her.

The Marchioness was on the small side. Even with only Yurina, it seemed burdensome to hug both Yurina and Reynard at once, but she stretched her arms as far as possible and embraced their shoulders.

“So, are you happy?”

Her voice asking so was soaked with emotion. Yurina felt a sudden surge of emotion at the soothing touch on her shoulder and swallowed hard, nodding.

“Yes. I’m very happy.”

The satisfied Marchioness then asked Reynard.

“How about you?”

“I’m happy too.”

“That’s good, then.”

Marchioness Carthia nodded.

“There is no parent who wins over their child. If you two are happy, I’m good with that.”

Finally, the permission dropped. Reynard, not believing it, made a startled face, then nodded heavily as if determined.

“I’ll do better from now on.”

* * *

After Reynard left, Yurina stayed in Marchioness Carthia’s bedroom. It was because the Marchioness had suggested they sleep together before she returned to the mansion tomorrow.

Unlike Marchioness Carthia, who was lying on the bed with a relaxed face, Yurina couldn’t easily get into bed.

Even if she now felt like her real mother, it was a bit awkward to lie down and sleep side by side in one bed.

Since they had never slept in the same bed when she was young, it felt even more awkward. Yurina, who was hesitating by the side of the bed, carefully lay down on the bed at the Marchioness’s urging.

“When you were a child, we often slept together like this, and now you’re of marriageable age.”

The Marchioness murmured to herself as she covered Yurina with a blanket.

The ‘childhood’ she was talking about was before Yurina was ten years old, that is, before ‘Yurina Carthia’ was possessed. She had never slept with her since she came here.

“Do you feel very awkward?”

“No.”

She tried to speak calmly, but her voice was a little strange. The Marchioness smiled softly.

“You seem very awkward. But understand. Once we return to the mansion, we’ll be busy preparing for the wedding, so I wanted to spend time together like this before we go.”

“There’s still plenty of time until next spring.”

“It might seem like that now, but once you start preparing, you’ll think next spring is fast. Time really flies without a chance to blink.”

She moved closer and gave Yurina a pillow to lie on. Marchioness Carthia’s arm pillow was quite different from Reynard’s.

Although his big, chubby arm was more stable, and his wide, warm chest was more comfortable to lie on, strangely, the Marchioness’s arms and chest felt much warmer.

Yurina shook off her awkwardness and buried her face in her bosom. Marchioness Carthia, who was patting her back, suddenly murmured.

“But I’m already worried about tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Your brothers. They’re sure to be shocked when they hear this news… especially the twins, I can’t even imagine how much they’ll jump.”

Yurina, who was about to fall asleep, suddenly felt a flash of consciousness. It was because she remembered the future that she hadn’t thought about because she was relieved that she was recognized by the Marchioness.

‘My brothers…’

She was already afraid of tomorrow coming.