“So troublesome…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ suggests that if it’s too bothersome, why not just send them all away?]
I can’t do that. It’s true I have no intention of marrying any of them, but this is essentially like the influential families sending love calls, asking me to join their factions.
If I shut the door in their faces, I’d make enemies of every power except the Empress’s faction.
So, I need to refuse them as politely as possible, avoiding any future complications…
“Sniff, sniff! I’m Iris Marso, the third daughter of Count Marso. I-I’ve come suddenly to discuss the marriage proposal I mentioned earlier. Sniff, sob!”
“…”
These people aren’t being polite at all. She’s breaking down in tears while introducing herself.
If you take this scene out of context, it looks like a family defeated by the Demon King’s Army, offering their daughter as a hostage.
I should be feeling quite uncomfortable in this situation, but… Oddly enough, I’m not upset.
‘Ah, this way, I don’t have to forcefully reject her. I won’t sour relationships with influential families, and I don’t have to worry about strange rumors that I’m impotent or something.’
Actually, this is a benefit.
If a guy in his prime rejects an onslaught of marriage proposals, rumors that he’s impotent are bound to spread.
But here, it’s just women crying and saying no to the marriage. So if anything, my reputation might improve, not worsen.
“Stop crying. Look me in the eyes when we talk.”
“Sniff, Sniff!”
“Miss Iris.”
“Sniff!”
“Miss Iris.”
“Sob!”
“Hey! How long are you going to keep crying?”
“Waaah!”
“I’m going to lose my mind.”
The woman looked into my eyes and hiccupped in surprise.
Is it really that bad?
Even when facing monsters, people don’t react this way.
Come to think of it, Charlotte and Julia were somewhat similar at first.
But now, stories of my good deeds have spread across the country, leaving no room for infamy.
It’s unfair.
Finally, the woman stopped crying.
Once she seemed a bit calmer, I decided to speak again.
“How old are you?”
“I’m twenty-one this year…”
“I’ll ask you directly. You don’t want to marry me, right?”
“W-What!? No…! I, I… like , I…”
“…”
The woman started stammering.
She must be too scared to say what she really feels.
“You can be honest. I value my partner’s feelings above all.”
“I-I swear, I’ve never thought I didn’t want to… marry… I really want to…!”
Then her face went completely pale, and she averted her gaze.
She must think I’m testing her or something. She’s gritting her teeth and spouting things she doesn’t mean.
This is driving me crazy.
“Do you think I can’t tell you’re lying? It’s better for you to just tell the truth.”
“T-The truth is, I don’t want to get married…!”
A slight tone of pressure, and she immediately confessed, on the verge of tears.
I’ve got what I needed.
Since I’m a civilized person who values my partner’s feelings above all, the moment she says no, the proposal is off.
It’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped.
“Alright, good. Then let’s just draw up a simple confirmation. It’s just a document certifying that you’ve expressed a firm refusal toward the marriage. Sign here. Also, stamp your seal. Alright, good. You can go now.”
“I-I can really leave…?”
“Yes. Don’t forget to collect a parking voucher from my guard on your way out.”
“I really don’t have to marry? Then…!”
Once the paperwork was properly signed to avoid any future disputes, I told her she was free to go.
Her tearful face lit up with joy for a brief moment.
She seemed to catch herself, realizing she shouldn’t show such happiness in front of me, and quickly stiffened her expression again.
Then she dashed off, running as if someone were chasing her, disappearing from my sight in no time.
Alright.
One down in a minute.
“Miss Number 2, please come in.”
Let’s get this over with.
The thought of relaxing with a massage from Charlotte afterward was already recharging me.
“You said I can leave!? No take-backs!”
I sent the second one off with the same routine.
“Thank you so much! At least you have a little conscience!”
“…”
Then the third, the fourth, the fifth… all the same. At this rate, I might be able to send them all away in an hour.
Thanks to their surprisingly low interest in me, I was able to breeze through this task.
“My Lord, you look quite happy. Have you finally lost your mind from the great emotional wounds you’ve suffered…?”
“Are you the one who’s gone mad? There are things you can and cannot say to your master. Currently, Vermont is close with the Emperor, to the point where he even treats us specially. There’s no way I can form alliances with other factions.”
“Yes. I understand that marriage is a risky tightrope at this point, but I thought you’d be feeling down after seeing the opinions of the eligible maidens regarding you.”
“Why should I feel down? Would you feel hurt if a passing wild dog suddenly told you, ‘You are not my ideal type’?”
“Ah, I see now. I completely understand your mindset, my Lord…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is greatly impressed by you.]
You can only feel disappointment when you have expectations.
Since I don’t even view the noble ladies as potential marriage partners, their negative opinions about me only slightly affect my mood.
But what if Charlotte or Julia looked at me with genuine disdain?
Ah, just imagining it makes my heart ache.
“Stop dawdling and let the next one in quickly. At this rate, it’ll be meal time. I don’t want to waste a meal on them.”
“Yes. I’ll speed things up.”
I can’t have my pleasant mealtime with Charlotte and Julia interrupted.
Understanding my intent, Sylvia also began to act swiftly.
The noble ladies came in and out quickly, and a pile of confirmation documents was stacking up on one corner of the desk.
“My name is Louis Marceau.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Do I just sign here?”
“Yes, also stamp your seal. Alright, it’s done.”
“Goodbye.”
Eventually, the process got streamlined, and it took less than 30 seconds per person.
Let’s finish this quickly. What number are we on?
Anyway, it was around the middle of the numbers when…
“It’s an honor to meet you, Count. I am…”
“Yes, nice to meet you. Just sign here and you can go.”
“What is this…?”
“This is a confirmation that you do not wish to marry me. Once you fill this out, you can end the marriage discussion and go home.”
“Hehe. Who would come all the way here to discuss a marriage proposal and then want to end it themselves?”
“…?”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is astonished to learn that there is a woman who wishes to marry you.]
A woman covering her mouth and giggling softly.
Her reaction was completely unexpected, leaving me just as startled as Kali.
This could be disastrous.
Now that I think about it, this woman isn’t avoiding my gaze at all.
She doesn’t even seem scared of me. Her reaction is entirely different from the others.
“What is your height and age?”
“Um? I’m 151 centimeters tall and seventeen years old this year…”
“Oh, I misspoke. What is your name?”
“I’ll give you my introduction that I couldn’t finish earlier. I am Emilia Tales. I’d like to formally propose to the Count… no, propose to you.”
“…!?”
The woman places her hand on her chest and bows politely.
Her unexpected surname made my eyes widen. Tales.
A family I’m quite familiar with, even from just Chapter 1.
After all, the Tales family was decimated by Irene Vermont and became her puppet afterward.
On the surface, they appear to hate Irene Vermont and seem to sharpen their swords for revenge.
In reality, however, the head of the Tales family and the entire council are under Irene’s thumb, making resistance impossible. So, this woman coming to propose to me also means it’s Irene’s will.
“I didn’t receive any letters from you.”
“I thought it would be incredibly rude to discuss marriage through a letter without even knowing your face. No matter how much a marriage is a union between families, the feelings of the parties involved are the most important. Isn’t it better to meet in person and discuss it face-to-face?”
“…”
The woman smiles brightly, her smile reminiscent of someone who has captivated many men.
But I won’t fall for her beauty.
I know well that beneath that smile lies Irene’s scheme.
“I didn’t expect you to propose a marriage without going through your father first. You’re a rare, proactive woman these days. I’m intrigued. How about we have a detailed discussion?”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
Why did Irene approach this woman?
This might be a perfect opportunity for me to uncover Irene’s weaknesses through a spy she has planted in my vicinity.
I cannot let this opportunity go to waste.
‘Perhaps this woman also possesses a secret weapon like Laura’s Eye that Irene has. I must remain vigilant.’
I absolutely cannot let Irene find out that I need Neomium.
I should not give anything away while extracting as much information from her as possible.
I must avoid even the slightest mistake in my words and actions.
Just as I was carefully continuing the conversation…
“…Is that so? That’s truly impressive. How did you come up with such an idea?”
“…”
“Count?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Please continue.”
The door cracked slightly, and I began to feel eyes on me.
Huddled together.
It seemed four pairs of eyes were peeking through the crack in the door.
These people…
