Episode 7
I intended to wait until he spoke again, but there was no time.
“My brother—no, my guard knight—is waiting outside.”
Since I had already revealed my identity anyway, there was no need to hide who Dean was.
“If it takes any longer, he’ll think it’s strange. So, are you going to accept the commission?”
“I think I need a little more time to think.”
“As I said, I’d like you to decide quickly.”
“Look, little lady. Not knowing when your uncle will return means we don’t know how long the commission will last, right? To accept such a long-term commission, it’s only natural that the deliberation takes time.”
“That’s true. But things are urgent on this side too, so I’d like you to decide as soon as possible.”
“Alright. I’ll make a decision as quickly as I can. Where should I contact you?”
I gave him the name of the inn where I was staying.
“Then I’ll be in touch soon.”
“I’ll be waiting!”
“Right. And since you’ve come all this way, make sure to eat something delicious before you go.”
Having concluded the conversation like that, Marcus gestured to Anya.
I followed her back to the table where Dean was waiting.
“Va… no, Vivi! You said you were just going to take a quick look; why did it take so long? Do you know how much your brother worried?”
“Uh-huh, it was because there was so much to see. By the way, you haven’t eaten?”
“How could I eat leisurely when you haven’t come back?”
Dean glared at Anya to express his protest. Anya smiled non-chalantly and took the plates, saying she would reheat the food that had gone cold.
Listening to Dean’s nagging, I ate the food Anya brought back. The food was more delicious than expected. However, because my mind was elsewhere, I couldn’t properly savor the taste.
‘Please…….’
Under the table, I folded my hands neatly and prayed without Dean knowing.
I hoped Marcus Olden would accept the commission.
* * *
There was no word from Marcus, who said he would think about it, even after several days had passed. As each day went by, I felt like my blood was drying up.
‘Now there is only a month and a half left until the deadline…….’
For a noble of the Rosild Empire to get married, they had to receive authorization from the Emperor. Even if it was a nameless noble from the provinces, there was no exception.
The problem, however, was that the Emperor was not a man leisurely enough to grant authorization quickly.
Of course, if it were a high-ranking noble who maintained a close relationship with the Emperor, the authorization would drop in a day—no, in an hour. But for nobles who weren’t like that, it took a month at the earliest.
To go through the formal inheritance procedures on top of that, the marriage permit had to be submitted soon.
Perhaps Mother and Mr. Christopher also felt a sense of crisis, as they had been going out early in the morning and returning late at night these past few days.
Anxiously pacing around the room, I picked up a pen to send a reminder letter to Marcus Olden. It was when I had half-written the letter while trying hard to suppress my anger.
“Vivi, are you inside?”
Mother came in. I quickly hid the letter and welcomed Mother.
“Mother, you’re back early?”
But Mother, who returned sooner than expected, was for some reason smiling brightly.
What’s going on?
“Vivi, Mother has someone to introduce to you.”
“Who is it?”
“I’ll explain as we go.”
I followed Mother down to the first floor. Standing there with Mr. Christopher was a man with brown hair.
For a moment I thought it was Marcus, but looking closely, it was someone I had never seen before.
“You must be Valery. I am called James.”
The man who introduced himself as James welcomed me warmly. I looked at Mother with a face that said I needed an explanation.
Mother looked at me with tender eyes and explained.
“Vivi, you said you were sad because you didn’t have a dad, right?”
“Huh?”
Before I found the memories of my past life, I had said something like that. That meant it had been at least several years ago.
So why was Mother suddenly bringing this up?
“From now on, Vivi will have a dad too.”
Aha. So that’s how it is.
I understood Mother’s words belatedly.
‘So, does that mean this man is the husband candidate Mother found?’
Since finding a marriage partner wasn’t easy and they were pressed for time, it was good news that someone to marry Mother had appeared. However, I couldn’t just be happy. My head was in a muddle.
Where on earth did Mother bring James from? Another information guild?
If that was right, under what conditions did Mother contract with this person?
Is he even a trustworthy person?
Is it okay to let Mother marry this man as things are?
‘Then what about Marcus? What happens to my plan?’
There were many things I wanted to ask Mother. Mother and Mr. Christopher surely would have found a suitable person on their own, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease.
“Um, Mother……”
It was just as I was about to ask Mother to go to the room for a moment so we could talk privately.
“You were here, Rayna.”
I heard a familiar, yet unwelcome voice.
Looking toward the direction of the sound, Uncle Pascal, the person who should not be here, was standing there. Both Mother’s and my faces stiffened simultaneously.
“Pascal, how are you here……”
Uncle Pascal approached us while fiddling with his cane. I felt the anxiety seated in my chest grow larger.
‘Did he hear everything we said? But how did he find out about this place? When on earth did he come to the capital?’
Seeing the flustered faces of Mother and me, Uncle smiled broadly. That face was exactly the same as the affectionate face I usually saw, which made it even more hair-raising.
This situation felt like the calm before a storm.
“I went to the Arno mansion to see your face after a long time, and they said you had gone to the capital.”
Mother and Mr. Christopher had strictly forbidden the employees from speaking before leaving the mansion.
‘He received help from a spy again.’
This made it certain. Among the people remaining at the Arno mansion, there is a spy for Uncle Pascal.
“So?”
“I came thinking I might join you on your outing.”
“Outing?”
“Yes. Before Vivi was born, we often used to come to the capital to play together. I thought it would be nice for the three of us, including Vivi, to go around. But.”
Uncle Pascal looked at James with sharp eyes.
“Who is this?”
Mother smiled brightly.
“Meet him. This is someone I have recently started seeing.”
“Seeing?”
“Yes. Our hearts match well, so I am thinking of a serious relationship for the future.”
“A serious relationship, I see……”
Uncle Pascal laughed meaningfully. And the next moment, I couldn’t tell exactly what happened.
I only saw something flashing before my eyes, and Mother hurriedly hugged me.
Sharp screams were heard from the surroundings. With an ominous feeling, I lifted my head and checked over Mother’s shoulder, witnessing a tremendous sight.
‘Crazy…….’
The man called James was collapsed on the floor while clutching his shoulder. A massive amount of bright red blood was flowing from the shoulder he was holding, to the point that a large puddle formed on the floor in that short interval.
In front of him, Uncle Pascal was smiling while holding a thin sword. It seemed the cane he had been carrying was a disguised sword.
“Rayna.”
Uncle Pascal looked at Mother while wiping the blood on his face with the back of his hand. Mother hugged me desperately. Mother’s body trembled slightly.
“You were planning to marry such a pathetic man? Your standards have lowered quite a bit.”
Uncle Pascal snatched Mother’s arm hard. In an instant, Mother was dragged toward Uncle, and I was thrown onto the floor.
“You’ve been going around doing some quite cute things, but don’t provoke me anymore. Even I don’t know what I might do. You should have listened to me quietly when I said I would even take in Vivi.”
“Vivi is……. Don’t touch Vivi.”
“Is that so? But what can you do?”
It was the moment Uncle Pascal’s eyes turned toward me.
“Sorry to interrupt, but do you mind if I come in for a moment? I happen to have some business there.”
A low voice was heard, and then Marcus revealed himself. As soon as his eyes met mine while I was still sitting on the floor, Marcus frowned.
“Was it you? The one who pushed that child?”
A chilling aura began to crawl out from him. Uncle Pascal, who flinched slightly, growled while readjusting his grip on the sword.
“It’s none of your business, so get lost. Unless you want to die.”
“Well, I think it is my business.”
“Who do you think you are to interfere?”
“Me?”
Despite Uncle Pascal’s fierce voice, Marcus didn’t care and gave a smirk.
As Marcus gave a light flick with his hand to the tip of the sword pointing at him, Uncle staggered.
Marcus, with a sneer on his lips as if it were nothing, walked over and lifted me up in a heap as I stood there with eyes wide as a rabbit’s.
“This kid’s stepfather.”
In an instant, the surroundings became as silent as a dead mouse.
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