Marian spoke, smiling at Dantalian with her elbows resting on her desk and her head resting in her hands. "Well done, Dantalian. I was truly surprised by how quickly you managed to resolve the situation my elven friends were facing."
Dantalian sat in a simple wooden chair, which seemed too plain to receive such an important visitor. With a fake smile on his face and his hand placed on his thigh, Dantalian replied, "Of course, when I set out to do something, I go and do it. By the way, have you seen your daughter? She arrived safely, and from our conversation, she seems eager to see you again." Dantalian touched his chin and continued, "She mentioned something about being a naughty girl and how the world is terrifying."
Dantalian clicked his tongue and shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe she almost died because of the illness that plagued the elven kingdom."
Before Dantalian could say anything else, Marian, who had previously looked radiant with a captivating smile, suddenly turned apathetic. "What are you doing, Mr. Dantalian? Stop talking nonsense."
'Thank you for taking the bait,' thought Dantalian, immediately shifting his hand to the side and feigning confusion as he spoke, "How strange. I made it clear that Miss Echidna should address this matter."
'What? Does he know about the letter? No, did he help write the letter?' Marian pondered.
"Why did she avoid talking about it? From my conversation with her, she seemed like a very obedient daughter. Whenever the girls asked about you, she only had good things to say," Dantalian chuckled and continued, "Sorry, I remembered the expression Amanda made. She really wanted to talk to you after those little conversations with Miss Echidna."
Dantalian looked at Marian lost in thought, biting her thumbnail. 'What did she tell him? Did she only hide the fact that she fell ill? I need to talk to that insolent girl.'
"Don't dwell on it too much, Miss Marian. I've thought about it, and it actually makes sense for her to have avoided talking about the illness. After all, she truly is an adorable girl."
'Come on, keep going. Stop thinking about what she said. After all, you know she can't say anything, so there's nothing to worry about,' Dantalian smiled, observing Marian's expression.
'Wait, he's right. Why am I acting like this? It's not like me,' Marian looked at Dantalian, smiling without moving a muscle. 'Did he do something?'
Marian sighed. "You're right. There's no reason for her to hide anything from me. Maybe she simply forgot."
"There's no way she could forget, considering she was with her throughout the entire production of the fourth... hahaha, what I meant to say is that because she is so obedient and speaks so highly of you, she just didn't want to worry you."
'Really, you don't care about your daughter, do you? You can't even think clearly about her actions,' Dantalian thought.
Marian smiled, returning to her "normal" state, and said, "It's great that you've become such good friends with my daughter at this level. She's very closed off and hardly speaks to me, you know? Despite being so obedient, I don't think she likes me at all, and I don't know why." Marian's smile faded, revealing clear sadness.
'Apart from the fact that you're a sociopath, there are other things I can think of now,' Dantalian thought.
"Being a mother is really difficult, isn't it? I don't know what I'll do when I become a father," Dantalian pulled his chair closer, with his knees almost touching Marian's desk.
"But now is not the time to talk about that, Mr. Dantalian." Marian picked up the teacup in front of her, took a sip, and continued, "Regarding the reward for what happened, I don't think you would want to be my son-in-law, right?"
"Hahaha, you like to get straight to the point, don't you?"
Marian placed the teacup on the table and said, "I'm a woman who doesn't like beating around the bush, and I've already wasted enough of your time. So, even though you already know, would you like to be my son-in-law?"
Dantalian pointed to the tea pot, smiling.
"Oh, of course, let me serve you. It's good for you to feel proud of it. A regular duchess would bite her tongue before doing something like this," Marian grabbed the tea pot, simultaneously displaying her assets discreetly as she pressed her breasts with her arms. After filling Dantalian's cup, she ran her hand behind her ear, adjusting her hair. "Enjoy, Mr. Dantalian."
'I'm definitely enjoying, and it's quite a pleasurable sight,' Dantalian thought, picking up the cup to take a sip.
"Excellent tea. Did you make it yourself, just like the last time?" Dantalian asked, savoring the aroma of the tea.
"Yes, it was me. I'm glad you enjoyed it. But now, why haven't you responded yet? Don't tell me you're feeling shy," Marian spoke, placing her hand in front of her mouth, feigning surprise. "After all, my daughter is truly beautiful, don't you think?"I think you should take a look at
'What are you planning with this, Miss Marian?' Dantalian thought, placing the cup back on the table.
"Being straightforward, no, I don't want to be your son-in-law. Your daughter is indeed a sight to behold, but I require something else as my reward," Dantalian responded, observing Marian's discontented expression.
Before Marian could say anything, Dantalian continued, "Or could it be that you were unable to do something as simple as securing an invitation to a mere party?"
"What are you talking about? Of course, I can do that. It's easier for me than brewing tea," Marian replied, touching the rim of her cup.
"Haha, I see. Well, if you couldn't even manage that, I wouldn't feel bad about declining your previous reward," Dantalian widened his eyes, looking at Marian with a smug smile.
"Oh, so you wanted it? What a pity, hahaha."
"What are you talking about? I didn't say anything. Just give me the invitation, okay?" Dantalian glanced sideways, covering his mouth with his hand, pretending to cough.
'It's obvious that he wanted it, after all, he's a man, and his instincts will always be the same as everyone else's. If she's beautiful, he desires to possess her... It's just a shame that he's not like those foolish nobles. Only words won't make him fully agree.'
"Okay, okay, of course not. An honorable man like you wouldn't have such dirty desires," Marian spoke, opening the drawer of her desk and retrieving the letter containing the invitation that Dantalian requested.
The letter is made of aged white paper, giving it a slightly yellowed hue. A purple border encircles the entire letter, providing a majestic touch. In the center, an impressive emblem depicts a crown atop a shimmering diamond, symbolizing power and luxury.
'Old paper, I got the message, but screw you all. I'm going, and you'll have to swallow your tears when you see me, old grumps.'
One way or another, Dantalian was going to attend this party. After all, there was someone there whom he couldn't let wreak havoc by killing a certain arrogant prince.
"Thank you so much, this will help me a lot," Dantalian said, reaching out to take the letter when Marian pulled her arm back.
"Before I hand this over to you, there's something I would like to discuss with you, if possible. If not, I'll just give it to you and we'll say our goodbyes, but I'm sure you'll be pleased. I'm certain of it."
'I had planned to assign this task to someone else, but Dantalian seems much better suited, and now there's no reason for him to refuse the marriage with my daughter,' Marian thought, looking at Dantalian's anxious face.
"Oh, it seems you don't even need to answer, haha," Marian placed the letter on the table and continued, "Lately, various rumors about me have been circulating throughout the kingdom, all tarnishing my reputation. I honestly don't know what to do. I've tried to resolve it by telling the truth, but no one believes me. I don't know why. Everyone used to listen to me, but now they only attack me."
'Oh, good thing I had time to grab the letter... But I can't socially kill her.'
Dantalian stood up and disregarded the letter on the table, walking over to Marian's side to comfort her. "Why didn't you tell me this as soon as I arrived? It sounds serious, right? So why did you endure it for so long?"
"I just wanted to have a normal conversation. Recently, even my own employees started looking at me with disdain," Marian spoke with a dead look in her eyes.
'I'm sorry, Little Plant, but you'll have to wither her. It will be very important for me, so I hope you've absorbed all this hatred and suspicion,' Dantalian thought while comforting Marian.
"Dantalian, could you help me out of this pit? I don't have the strength for it," Marian said, rubbing her face against Dantalian's chest.
'Great, because of the recent incidents, he has certainly become very popular among the commoners, and when he finds the son of a bitch who spread these rumors... ' Marian thought as tears welled up in her eyes.
'So, Dantalian, save me and find out who did this.'
'Marian, I hope you like threads. I'll buy the best ones for you.'