kscans

Chapter 125 - Master... How Did It Come to This

"Master… Master… how did it come to this?" Mireille collapsed in tears, clutching Ariel’s hand.

Ariel, lying in the bed, was so emaciated that anyone who saw her would be taken aback. Even knowing it was Ariel, her appearance was hard to believe. And this was after she had passed the crisis.

Leonhard gently placed a hand on Mireille’s shoulder.

"I had no idea the situation was this terrible."

Mireille had brought several High Potions, but apparently, it was better for Ariel to generate her own magic from this point on to reduce the recoil. The fact that there was nothing she could do was unbearably painful for her.

"Once she can eat, she’ll put on a little more weight. Her responsiveness has improved quite a bit. I would be happy if you could come by often and talk to her, Mireille." Adrian spoke gently to the weeping Mireille. Then he gave Leonhard a pointed look.

"…You know, if you’d like, I could prepare a room for her here."

The gaze he directed at Leonhard…

Is this a warning?

"She’s not married yet, you know. When Ariel wakes up, I could even introduce her to a better man."

His words were like little jabs, intentionally provocative.

"Dear, you’ll make them dislike you."

When Eleonora glared at him, Adrian wilted. "Oh?" All traces of his usual demeanor as the chancellor were gone. He was nothing more than a henpecked husband.

Leonhard was surprised.

Eventually, Adrian signaled with his eyes, and Leonhard was led to another room. Is he going to keep making sarcastic remarks? He’s like a daughter’s father.

He was nervous, but once they were alone, the atmosphere changed.

"For your work this time, you will likely be made an earl. You played a central role, after all."

"…All I want is to be with Mireille. So I would like to decline the promotion. My title of Knight Baron was only granted so I could become a unit captain… If I’m not returning to the Knight Order, I’d like to renounce it."

When he was a Knight Order captain, he was treated as an equal to a viscount, but as a commoner-born Knight Baron for a single generation, he thought that marriage to Mireille would be permissible. If he became an earl now, it would only be an obstacle to their marriage. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened to Darius.

"I understand how you feel. But you are one of the Knight Order’s aces, alongside Julius. For you to refuse a title would be a loss for the country."

Adrian took a breath and continued.

"My wife and I discussed it, and we are thinking of adopting Ariel as our daughter."

"…!"

Leonhard’s eyes widened in surprise.

"We are a marquis family. Ariel would be a marquis’s daughter, and Mireille would be his granddaughter. If you are an earl, there would be no problem with your marriage."

"Does that mean…"

"If Ariel wakes up and agrees, the path for her to be with Darius would also open. Of course, if Darius chooses another woman, that’s fine too. But many nobles were saved by her. Even if she is past the marriageable age, there will certainly be those who desire her."

Adrian smiled faintly, as if reminiscing.

"Darius is not so foolish as to miss such a chance."

Leonhard was troubled by this unexpected development.

"I want to discuss it with Mireille. If she becomes the granddaughter of a marquis and the wife of an earl, she won't be able to avoid noble society. Even if she could continue her alchemy in secret, she wouldn't be able to move about as freely as she does now. Besides… even if the obstacle of social status is removed, can Ariel really be with Darius? From reading her diary, she seemed to lack confidence not just in noble life, but in a normal life as well."

In the first place, the reason Ariel was bound by the king and the mage Rainer, and fell into the queen’s trap, was because she believed her existence was a hindrance to Darius and Mireille.

"I believe that can be managed."

Adrian put a hand to his chin, thinking.

Darius’s devotion was unshakable. Ariel was a girl who could act more precisely than anyone if given instructions. He had instilled the knowledge in her himself. If he gave her a to-do list, she would handle it without difficulty. As for ballroom etiquette, if she were taught, she would likely master it within a week once her physical abilities recovered. If he made her think of it as part of combat training, he would have her.

As for the battlefield of women, the number of people who would pick a fight with the wife of a duke’s second son and the daughter of the chancellor and marquis would be limited. And if it did happen, Eleonora would protect her.

The problem was that video.

She had reacted strongly to the scene showing Darius at a social gathering. How much of a trauma had that become?

Adrian’s eyes were deep in thought.