Chapter 135
Chapter 135 Difficult Request (3)
Rosalyn was slightly taken aback by the unexpected response and continued speaking.
“If I just let it slide without paying a price, I won’t have any face left. You can speak freely without any burden.”
“It’s really fine. Just your presence is enough for me, Young Lady.”
Honestly, I didn’t want to get further entangled with this scary woman. The treatment was finished, so there was no need to see her again.
What I needed, I could get from Marquis Branford, who had become my guardian.
But Rosalyn pretended not to hear Giselle’s words and said with a thoughtful expression, as if she had come up with a great idea.
“Even if my father pays a price, I’m the one who has received favor. Ah, then I will become Baron Penris’s personal sponsor from now on.”
At that, the retainers were surprised.
Despite living in hiding due to her illness, Rosalyn had continued managing the organizations she was sponsoring before.
With her connections and resources intertwined with those organizations, she could paralyze roughly half of the capital’s economy in an instant.
‘If the Young Lady moves, not only the Marquis but also her maternal family will back her up.’
Rosalyn’s mother, the Marchioness of Branford, was currently separated from the Marquis.
Her father was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, and her brothers were royal administrators and chief judges in the capital.
Having grown up in such an impressive family, the Marchioness couldn’t endure her husband’s cold demeanor.
However, since the marriage had been a political arrangement, divorce was impossible.
In the end, the Marchioness had no choice but to stay in her parental home.
Still, she regularly sent Rosalyn good medicines and exchanged letters.
Rosalyn’s maternal grandfather, the Prime Minister, cherished his granddaughter immensely.
Having Rosalyn as a sponsor meant she could receive help from her maternal family as well, which was a tremendous thing.
“How about it? Would this be an acceptable repayment?”
With an exuberant expression, Giselle once again firmly rejected her offer.
“I’m grateful for your words, but I must decline.”
Giselle understood her background but didn’t feel the need for her assistance.
After all, Marquis Branford would be the one helping from now on, so what could Rosalyn provide?
Accepting might earn some funds, but it was evident that entangling himself with Rosalyn would lead to trouble. He thought about drawing a line here.
Rosalyn seemed genuinely intent on repaying and said with a sad expression.
“Don’t you have a lot of plans arranged? I could help with those.”
“Really, it’s fine…?”
Swoosh!
Before he could finish his words of rejection, another fan opened up.
“Ugh…”
As if suppressing her boiling anger, she took a deep breath for a moment, her eyes now glaring at him.
“Will you accept it?”
An aura of danger radiated from her.
Giselle inwardly sighed. He thought he was avoiding trouble, but it looked like refusing her would only lead to more.
“I… thank you.”
It was true that I had insulted her by dragging her here under the pretense of completing her treatment within a period. Thus, I felt it better to accept this much.
‘Well, someday, I might need help. Having more options can’t be a bad thing.’
“Phew, you won’t be disappointed.”
Swoosh.
The fan folded, revealing her kind expression once more.
What kind of expression was hidden behind that fan?
The retainers could only swallow their saliva, saying nothing.
They wanted to protest, but Rosalyn was scary in a different way compared to Marquis Branford, so they were at a loss for words.
At that moment, one retainer whispered quietly to his companion.
“Was the Young Lady always like this? She seems to have changed too suddenly after recovering from her illness…”
“Shh!”
The other person turned their head in shock before the sentence was even finished.
The oblivious retainer, realizing the chilling atmosphere, slowly shifted his gaze.
And his eyes met Rosalyn’s, who was staring at him with a terrifying glare.
She was fiddling with the dagger strapped to her waist.
The very same dagger that nearly pierced Giselle’s head.
‘Ah, I messed up. She wasn’t genuinely kinder; she was just pretending to be nice in front of Baron Penris.’
The retainer quickly lowered his head, sweating coldly. He might involuntarily retire soon.
Giselle, awkwardly watching Rosalyn’s menacing back, cautiously called out.
“Um, Young Lady?”
“Yes, Baron.”
Rosalyn turned to him with an angelic smile.
Giselle felt suffocated as if he had eaten a sweet potato.
He clearly knew that this wasn’t her true character, yet she kept showing this unnaturally friendly and bright side.
‘Can’t see it, can’t see her real expression at all.’
“…”
“Why do you look like that, Baron?”
The sparkling gaze felt burdensome. Giselle slyly averted his eyes and mumbled.
“Uh, it’s nothing much.”
Rosalyn smiled, as if she understood his feelings completely.
Marquis Branford, who had been observing their conversation, said in a flat tone.
“It seems the thanks are about wrapped up. Well, given how insistently you approached me from the start, you must want something as my guardian, right?”
Giselle nodded willingly. Finally, the part that Penris territory lacked the most could be filled.
“I have something I’d like your help with, my Lord.”
“From the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like an easy request.”
“Yes, but it won’t be difficult for you, my Lord.”
It was something only the highest power in the kingdom could undertake.
Otherwise, there would have been no need to request help in such a chaotic manner.
Marquis Branford raised an eyebrow slightly.
“I wonder what kind of words will come out of your mouth. Go ahead and tell me what you want.”
Giselle smiled satisfactorily.
No matter what, he loved this straightforwardness.
There was no need for lengthy explanations or wasting time.
“If it’s difficult for the people to hear, I can change the location.”
“It doesn’t matter; everyone will find out anyway.”
Everyone held their breath quietly, watching Giselle.
The purpose of asking for a guardian was obvious. It meant he wanted more than just a single request.
The first request would surely be the most important and urgent one.
As a retainer of the marquis, who would likely handle that task personally, they couldn’t help but be curious about what Giselle was thinking.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Giselle answered.
After finishing the treatment last night, he had thought long enough about what to ask the marquis.
“I need some people.”
Right now, the biggest problem in Penris territory was the lack of manpower.
Had the marquis not accepted the position of guardian, he would have asked him to solve this problem instead.
Marquis Branford tilted his head and asked.
“You need people?”
“The Penris territory was little more than a wasteland before I took charge.”
“I know that.”
“Since I started various projects to develop the territory, there are simply not enough workers to do the jobs.”
“I understand your sentiments, but increasing the population is not something one can do at will.”
Even a king cannot just create new people.
But Giselle shook his head, as if he had a method, and continued speaking.
“Please distribute some of the people from the royal direct territory to our land.”
At those words, Marquis Branford frowned. The marquis’s retainers began to murmur among themselves.
Demanding the royal subjects be given to him was an outrageous request.
One of the retainers made a displeased remark.
“The royal family will never allow that.”
Even as a guardian, making such an unreasonable demand from the start was absurd.
Faces in the room began to show mockery and disdain.
Rosalyn, who had been listening nearby, gave a curious look.
‘Isn’t that too big of a request to be a simple favor?’
Labor, taxes, and military force all come from the people living on the land. Thus, population directly equates to the lord’s power.
Who would readily share their own power without compensation?
Moreover, the royal family was focused on keeping Duke Delphine in check. They would never permit a reduction in their own influence.
But Giselle was undeterred by what others said, wearing a confident expression.
He seemed sure that the marquis would agree to his request.
Watching this quietly, Marquis Branford asked, perplexed.
“Though I am your guardian, there are matters that can and cannot be granted. Do you truly think it possible to ask for the royal family’s assets to be shared?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“Why?”
“If they’re going to support anyway, wouldn’t it be better to do so decisively? I’d like to be presented as the representative of the North. Not someone else. You don’t truly like where you’re thinking of sending them, do you?”
“Ha, ha, ha, ha!”
Marquis Branford suddenly burst into laughter.
Rosalyn, his daughter, and the retainers who had spent their lives together with him were taken aback by his reaction.
They had rarely seen the usually expressionless and cold marquis laugh so heartily!
It was even more bewildering because they couldn’t understand the reason for his laughter.
After laughing heartily, Marquis Branford suddenly shot a sharp glare at Giselle.
“How did you know? Did you plant a spy or something?”
“I just… pondered alone and made a prediction. I only confirmed my thoughts after seeing your reaction, my Lord.”
Marquis Branford raised his hand to dismiss everyone except his closest associates.
Though it had been a secret matter, all preparations were ready now.
Once the matter began to unfold, everyone would soon find out anyway.
Even Giselle, who had been lingering on the outskirts until now, seemed to have guessed to some extent, making hiding it meaningless.
‘No, if that bastard caught on, shouldn’t those who live in the capital know this too?’
Marquis Branford clicked his tongue while scanning the retainers with an unsatisfied expression.
Then, in a low voice, he asked Giselle.
“Tell me, which territory do you think I’m considering?”
“Isn’t it the Brivant territory, where the Tower of Bloody Flame is located?”
“Why do you think so? The North also has the great lords Raybold and Desmond.”
“Raybold is arrogant, and Desmond will be suspicious. Aside from them, aren’t they all wicked lords or paupers? They likely don’t meet your standards, my Lord.”
The marquis regarded Giselle with a gleam of interest in his eyes.
“Does that mean Brivant is worth supporting?”
“Brivant Count maintains a close friendship with the Crown Prince faction, and having a tower provides a defensive advantage. Thanks to the tower, they make good money and it’s quite affluent.”
Giselle explained nonchalantly. The marquis raised an eyebrow and asked again.
“Knowing that, you still want me to support you instead?”
“Yes, wouldn’t that be better for you, my Lord? On my side, it would also be easier for you to exercise your power as a guardian.”
