NOVEL NEXT #23
#23
Jersian, who had just left the Marquis’s office, immediately headed to his own room. His face was full of irritation, as if he had heard some displeasing news.
Kain Starchis, who had been waiting outside the door, followed behind Jersian. His footsteps were so quiet that Jersian, walking ahead, didn’t seem to notice.
“…Come in for now.”
Jersian seemed to realize that Kain Starchis had followed him only when he reached his room. Kain nodded briefly and took up a position at one of the windows in the corner of the office. Curious about why Jersian was angry, Kain sat by the window and subtly observed Jersian’s face and actions.
Jersian called several people to his office. They were figures he usually trusted. Among them was Peter, the captain of the knights.
“Young master, you called for me.”
Peter, who had rushed over at Jersian’s call, seemed slightly surprised to find Kain Starchis leaning against the office window. Realizing this might be impolite, he quickly gave a subtle eye greeting. He nodded his head with a slight smile, pretending to be familiar, as ordinary humans do.
…What does that mean?
However, Kain Starchis, receiving a human eye greeting for the first time, just stared intently at Peter’s face. Peter looked momentarily confused, as if this wasn’t the reaction he had expected.
“What are you two doing standing there?”
Jersian’s rebuke flew at Peter, who hadn’t come further into the office doorway.
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Peter quickly seemed to come to his senses and walked swiftly into the room. Noticing that his gaze had been directed at Kain by the window until then, Jersian spoke first to the people in the room. It was an addendum for those who weren’t present that night when he met with the knights.
“That person over there is my guest, so don’t mind him.”
He was getting ahead of the situation, disliking the idea of others having separate thoughts or asking questions.
As Jersian lightly gestured towards the window with his chin, all those gathered at his command turned their gazes towards Kain Starchis. Everyone had been curious about the identity of the figure sitting comfortably by the window. After all, there were few in the continent who could occupy Jersian Gerold’s office so casually.
“…This is incredible news.”
When Jersian briefly mentioned what proposal he had heard from Marquis Gerold, the expressions of all those surrounding him turned serious. They were all people who had joined forces for their own reasons to achieve Jersian’s goals together.
But suddenly, an engagement?
In the silence, Peter, the captain of the knights, asked with wide eyes, oblivious to the mood:
“What are you going to do?”
“Obviously, I have to refuse.”
“But…”
Merheim, Jersian’s subordinate who had experienced Marchioness Elmerila Gerold’s tactics up close for years, spoke with a troubled face.
“You won’t be able to refuse without a reason that can convince the Marquis.”
“That’s why we need to come up with a reason as quickly as possible. We can’t let this issue interfere with our plans.”
“…It’s not such a bad proposal. It’s just an engagement after all, and if it doesn’t lead to marriage, it’s creating an ally to protect young master Jersian. If it’s with royalty from another country, it could be a great help.”
Jersian shook his head from side to side, his chin resting on his hand.
“I told you. An engagement is absolutely out of the question. Moreover, for the engagement ceremony, I’d have to leave the empire for a while.”
Jersian mumbled to himself, his forehead pressed against the table.
“Do you have to go to the Kingdom of Tesena?”
“Of course. It’s an engagement after all, I’d have to show my face at least once.”
“…”
Still, it’s an engagement with royalty.
Peter, who had watched over Jersian since he was young, always wished for the young master’s happiness. Succession rights to the empire or whatever, Jersian doesn’t know about a normal life where one naturally meets someone and gets married, away from this headache-inducing, dirty world. That he too has the right to such a life. Maybe it’s because he’s getting older, but Peter always felt regretful about this. Unconsciously, Peter reflected his true feelings in a mumble.
“If it’s just for a few days…”
“Captain, the engagement ceremony in the Kingdom of Tesena takes place over almost a year. In their culture, they consider it the highest virtue to grandly entertain a new guest of the family, so it could even be longer than that.”
Merheim quickly informed them of the most important fact, having heard Peter’s mumble. It was easy for people unfamiliar with Tesena’s culture to think like Peter.
“…I guess an engagement is out of the question then.”
The knight captain finally nodded with a gloomy face. When the huge man with a white beard drooped, he looked extremely pitiful. All of Jersian’s close associates felt this, but unable to voice it, they once again racked their brains on how to solve this problem.
No good solutions are coming out.
Jersian, seated at the head of the large table, looked around at the people seriously pondering, when his gaze fixed on someone sitting by the window.
It was Kain Starchis.
Their gazes met in mid-air.
“…?”
He tilted his elegant face, which didn’t match this serious atmosphere at all.
Hmm, Jersian narrowed his eyes. It seemed like he had a good idea, but whether it was really a good idea needed more consideration.
“…”
An elf with pointed ears and long platinum hair. Surely, his mere existence would be revered anywhere on the continent. Such a being had come of his own accord, claiming to be a “destined partner”. If he could use that somehow…
As Jersian was lost in thought while looking at Kain Starchis, someone at the table called out to him.
“Young master?”
At that voice, Jersian immediately snapped out of his thoughts.
“…What?”
“I said we should look into how previous cancelled engagements or weddings were handled and what processes they went through.”
Hearing Merheim’s words, Jersian nodded. He hadn’t expected a clear solution to come out right away in this meeting anyway.
“Right, for now I’ve put it on hold saying I’ll think about it, so we have some time.”
“Yes, and though it might be presumptuous advice…”
Merheim watched Jersian’s reaction for a moment before continuing.
“Saying that there’s someone else you’re considering for marriage could be one way. If so, even the Marquis wouldn’t be able to push too hard.”
“…”
That was a method Jersian had been considering as well. When Jersian didn’t say anything, Merheim hastily added more.
“Of-of course, you’re not seeing anyone right now… but that can be easily solved by finding a temporary partner. We’d also make a contract ensuring they never reveal this.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about right now.”
Jersian shook his head. What they were pondering now was how to make the Marquis’s family reconsider their own decision. For that, a direct approach was the only answer.
“The other party is royalty from another country. For my aunt to find it acceptable, it needs to be someone at least of that level. And even if we find the perfect person, they’re unlikely to agree to just a temporary engagement that suits my purposes.”
“…It would be difficult, but not entirely impossible.”
“Yeah, try looking into it.”
Jersian nodded with a face that didn’t seem too keen. As he rose from his chair, the rest of the people also shuffled to their feet.
“…”
Jersian pressed his forehead with a troubled expression as he watched the backs of his subordinates leaving the room, remaining in his office.
It was then.
“Does your head hurt?”
A bright voice came from behind. It was Kain Starchis’s voice from the window.
“I know of some herbs that are good for headaches… though I’m not sure if they’d work for humans.”
“It’s fine. This isn’t a headache.”
“Then?”
Immediately, Jersian’s sharp gaze turned towards Kain. It meant don’t bother me, especially when I’m already irritated.
However, Kain Starchis wasn’t the type of person who could pick up on such meanings.
“If not that, then? Ah, is this engagement thing such a troublesome matter?”
“…Haa.”
Jersian waved his hand in the air.
“Forget it. I don’t even know how many times I’ve said that word today.”
He looked extremely tired, as if worn out from the day-long ordeal.
“What exactly is this engagement thing anyway?”
Kain Starchis tilted his head and mumbled to himself. Jersian, who was sitting at his personal desk in the office with his chin resting on his hand, frowned and went “Huh?” upon hearing Kain’s words.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know what an engagement is?”
“Actually, I don’t.”
“…”
Well, elves and humans wouldn’t have the same cultural norms. Ha, Jersian laughed briefly and then shrugged.
“And yet you followed me around all day without a care.”
“Will you tell me now?”
“Tell you what?”
“What exactly is this thing called an engagement?”