Ch.62Debutante (4)

“We froze at Bartlant’s sudden strike. No matter how modest Chester’s mansion might be, it wasn’t poor enough to allow such a chilling wind. Yet we stood like fish left in a freezer for hours.

“Marriage… is it?”

“Marriage… you say.”

Those were my and Irefi’s responses in order. Perhaps finding our soul-departed mumbling unnatural, Bartlant expressed his confusion.

“Haven’t you two been flirting all along? Now that you’ve overcome trials and confirmed your feelings, you should consider marriage. An engagement ceremony would normally come first, but marriage should be on your minds.”

“Flirting? What are you talking about…!”

Bartlant dismissed Irefi’s protest indifferently.

“I misspoke. You burned with lightning-fast passion. You’ve been… rather aggressive in expressing your affection.”

“Kuh?!”

‘It’s embarrassing because it’s not wrong.’

From the imprisonment at the Marquess’s manor to the request at the Imperial Palace, and finally the battle as the Destroyer—memories of our past played like a film reel in my mind.

Irefi’s aggressive expressions of affection, like her Splitting Heaven and Earth technique, were terrifying enough to make me feel death. If I experienced it one more time, I felt my soul might be shaved away.

“Do couples normally talk about marriage right after becoming lovers?”

“Well, there’s no precedent for the head of a wealthy house like the Justitia family, with their marquess title, having a love marriage. As is typical among nobles, strategic marriages are the norm.”

“Will you do that too, Young Lord?”

“The Chesters have always had love marriages. Several family heads even married commoners. That’s how the Four Great Ducal Houses are. Strategic marriages have essentially lost their meaning.”

‘Is that what happens when a family becomes too powerful?’

I wondered if the Imperial Family didn’t check the Four Great Ducal Houses. If just one of them threatened the Imperial Family, great chaos would ensue. Though the ducal houses kept quiet, it wouldn’t be strange if they declared independence as principalities and pointed swords at each other.

‘Hmm.’

While suppressing my questions, I looked at Irefi. Her crimson-tinged cheeks seemed to speak to me, urging me to kiss her so she could expand her territory further.

I resisted such temptation with desperate resolve. I placed my finger under my chin and decided to ask directly.

“Irefi. Are you willing to get married?”

“What, Nepy?! Marriage…!”

“You don’t want to?”

“No! I don’t dislike it. But… it doesn’t seem like the right time yet.”

“You mean the timing is completely wrong? I suppose winter isn’t really the season for marriage.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Irefi’s voice lowered.

After a slight pause, having completely calmed her excitement, she said:

“Everything isn’t over yet, is it?”

“Not over… Ah, I understand.”

“Yes. The threat from Feita, with Zikharun at the forefront, still seems to be active.”

“I agree. In fact, Zikharun disappeared after saying the next would be a survival competition between the Empire and Feita.”

“Those Feita folks, seems like they still have many remnants left.”

“That would be prudent to keep in mind.”

Bartlant nodded readily. Meanwhile, Irefi hung her head low as if ashamed. Her face clearly showed she was at a loss with guilt. Puzzled by the reason, I blurted out a question.

“Irefi, why the sudden change in your expression?”

“I think… I should tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“When Netion… when Nepy broke the Holy Memory, I suffered considerable internal injuries. And in that state, I delivered the final attack.”

Irefi started to mention Netionphis’s name but became conscious of Bartlant’s presence. Thanks to her trailing off appropriately, Bartlant didn’t seem to notice anything amiss.

“At that point, I acquired semi-permanent aftereffects from the recoil. I probably can’t fight like before. No, actually, I shouldn’t fight at all. The madness inevitably drawn out in battle would stimulate the Malice.”

“That’s right. If you have to fight, all our efforts would be in vain.”

“Indeed, that would be problematic. It would be right to plan our future strategies excluding the Marquess Justitia’s combat power.”

It’s unknown how much power Irefi has lost. The only clear fact was that if Irefi were to go berserk, it would create a fatal situation of internal and external crises.

“So… Nepy.”

“Yes?”

Irefi gently grabbed my sleeve. It was a careful action, like handling a block tower about to collapse. The way she shyly lowered her gaze made my heart flutter.

Her delicate lips beneath her distinctly flushed cheeks, reminiscent of cherry blossoms, moved quietly.

“Let’s get married… after all our worries are resolved. Is that okay?”

“Huh, umm! Let’s do that, Irefi. Yes. That’s right. Yes.”

What is this? A proposal? Should this be considered a proposal? Does a marriage proposal just casually pass by in this kind of atmosphere?

By my standards, this was out of bounds in many ways. First of all, as someone with traditional masculine values, I believed proposing was entirely my role. Above all, I wanted to ask her to be my partner in a proper, impressive way in a place just for the two of us.

Not in Chester’s mansion with Bartlant staring at us…

As I was unreasonably glaring at Bartlant, who had done nothing wrong, I noticed a round, golden glint peeking out and floating from a distant corner.

Looking closely, it was Miren’s eye. With a smile spread across her face as if finding this all very interesting, she cheerfully asked:

“Elder Sister Elfi, Brother Nepy. So when will you two get engaged?”

“Miren, how long have you been there…!?”

I had been so distracted by the marriage talk that I hadn’t noticed Miren’s presence. She wore a warm smile like cotton blooming under the winter sky.

Even in this confusing situation, Irefi remained composed.

“Engagement… that’s right.”

Irefi gazed into empty space. It was as if she were examining a transparent calendar to find an auspicious day. After a brief silence, she made her decision.

“The engagement date…”

◇

Time passed relentlessly like a cart wheel crossing a plain. It flowed at a constant pace, neither too fast nor too slow, like a gently flowing stream.

Today’s weather was fitting for the auspicious day set by the Imperial Family. The shadows cast by the occasional low clouds blocking the sunlight were refreshing. And the spring breeze would gently caress the tip of my nose playfully before running away.

Carriages lined up one after another to enter the Imperial Palace’s banquet hall. We were also part of this long crowd. Miren was already waiting at the palace for her debutante, while we were closer to the role of guardians.

Since today was also Enella’s debutante, Miren would be staying at the palace with her by now.

“Not a nostalgic sight at all.”

She frowned as if disgusted. I knew well what memories prompted Irefi’s sentiment.

“I suppose. It was all work for you, after all.”

“Yes, absolutely terrible. While the banquet itself is led by experts in that field, security is not. Every time I had to discuss object placement with those stubborn people, frustration would build up.”

“I think the security checks would have been the hardest part.”

Though it was just a casual remark, Irefi’s reaction was priceless. She let out a sigh so grand it could be called magnificent, then proceeded to vent her complaints without even taking a breath.

“Haa! Without exaggeration, I could talk non-stop for seven days and nights about it. When knights, especially those of commoner origin, conducted security checks, all sorts of ridiculous things would come out of their mouths! I was already busy enough, and I felt like drawing my sword and splitting the carriages in two! The old ones were petty in their own way, and the young ones were reckless in theirs—it was so absurd!”

“Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Irefi. It’s Bartlant’s job now. Life is a comedy when viewed from a distance.”

“And when viewed up close?”

“…A tragedy.”

In reality, I could vividly hear the scene of power harassment. A noblewoman’s sharp, piercing scolding was skillfully pressuring a knight. The noblewoman’s abuse, which seemed like it would continue with character assassination for a lifetime, soon met its end.

“That’s enough.”

At Bartlant’s solemn intervention, the noblewoman quickly shut her mouth. Following this came a resounding, majestic declaration that shook the Imperial Palace.

“From this moment on, anyone who defies the knights’ instructions or wastes others’ time with unnecessary claims—I will not stand by and watch!!!”

After Bartlant’s thunderous proclamation, everything proceeded smoothly. No one engaged in unnecessary power harassment, and those who had been showing disrespectful attitudes had long since disappeared as if hiding in a mouse hole.

“Wow… the Young Lord was a master key.”

“I’d forgotten because I got used to it, but Bartlant was the young lord of the Chester family.”

“And now he’s the captain of the Emperor’s guard.”

Bartlant Chester. The name of the Four Great Ducal Houses he carried on his back was a position of excessive weight. Moreover, he was the ruler of the frontier and the next head of the Empire’s foremost military group.

On top of that, he was the captain of the Imperial Guard, which could be considered the Emperor’s right hand!

“Come to think of it, isn’t the current Young Lord in the most powerful position since the founding nobles?”

“That’s not wrong. Depending on how it’s used, it’s a position that could easily manipulate the Empire.”

“It’s fortunate that it’s the Young Lord in that position…”

“I agree. Except for the occasional confusion with titles.”

“Haha…”

Irefi had to deal with a subtle cognitive dissonance since her memories of the future returned.

In the future, she had lived her life at odds with Bartlant, so there was no need for formalities. She had lived a life where she called him by name instead of “Young Lord.”

I soon guessed from the footsteps coming from the other side that our turn was approaching.

“It seems it’s almost our turn.”

Bartlant’s large figure blocked the carriage window, creating shade. Perhaps because the Justitia family crest was prominently displayed, he approached us warmly. Soon after, Bartlant bowed and greeted us with a smile.

“Welcome. We both have our sisters’ debutantes ahead, but please don’t be too nervous. Now, as I’m busy, I’ll take my leave!”

“Thank you, Young Lord.”

“Please take care.”

In Irefi’s eyes, as she watched Bartlant walk away, there was a sense of empathy. It was inevitable to feel the struggles of someone in the same line of work on a day like this.

Just to be sure, I asked Irefi:

“It’s Miren’s debutante, how do you feel? Nervous or anything?”

“More worried than nervous.”

“Worried she might deliver a Miren Kick to some villainous lady who picks a fight?”

“Puhah! A Miren Kick… what if I keep laughing when I think about it?”

“Then you’ll just become the target of the Miren Kick instead.”

“If that’s the case, it would be rather fortunate. I’m just… worried because Miren takes after me.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Since Miren is so pretty, all sorts of men will flock to her. Moreover, this time, members from the rest of the Four Great Ducal Houses, excluding the ruined Feita, will also attend.”

“The Meoric and Estern families?”

[Feita, Chester, Meoric, Estern]. These were the noble names that formed the Four Great Ducal Houses as descendants of the founding meritorious subjects. This debutante was a chance to see people from the Meoric and Estern families for the first time.

‘Will they be carbon copies of the first generation like Bartlant?’

The first head, Aselln Meoric, gave the impression of a pedantic scholar. Similarly, Rusheon Estern seemed to have the image of a strict corporate CEO.

While I was imagining their appearances at will, Irefi’s worried sigh deeply resonated.

“The young lords of Meoric and Estern are not much older than Miren. I’m worried Miren might end up stringing along the sons of the ducal houses…”

“Come on, no matter what, that’s not plausible…”

As I trailed off, two facts came to mind:

First, Miren was the cutest and most adorable lady in the world, and now she was the young marchioness of the Justitia family.

Second, Arnel, the second son of Chester, had already fallen head over heels for Miren. He had become a child who only looked at Miren, like a sunflower blooming in an autumn field.

Combining these two elements…

“It’s… plausible…!”

“Having too pretty a sister is troublesome.”

“Surely she won’t deliver a Miren Kick to the kids from the Four Great Ducal Houses.”

“I don’t know. Lately, it seems Arnel has been teaching her various self-defense techniques. I hope…”

“… Haha.”

“… Huhu.”

We could only manage lukewarm laughter. Though our lips curved upward, our eyes were flat and endlessly empty.

It was the beginning of a debutante filled only with worry.