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“In my time, marriage was a sacred duty. Is there any ritual as sacred as becoming family with someone who doesn’t share a single drop of your blood?”

A statement that would have made any modern Korean man furious, but this is a fantasy world. I had no choice but to quietly listen to Arthur’s nagging.

“Due to the unfortunate events that have plagued our family, marriages haven’t been easy to arrange. But thanks to your great achievements, the family’s reputation has been significantly restored. Now, when your value is at its peak, is the perfect time for you to marry.”

As Arthur said, the Ruelberta family, despite being a high-ranking count family, had been distant from marriage due to its notorious reputation and ominous rumors. Except for a few nobles who sought to elevate their social status by marrying into the Ruelberta family, it was almost as if the family line had dried up.

Moreover, the Ruelberta family was actually cursed. A curse passed down through generations of family heads, bringing misfortune not only to their spouses but also to the children born as the next family head.

Arthur, unaware of the curse, had once urged me to marry, thinking the unfortunate events were mere coincidences. Back then, I managed to avoid it, but now that the curse is lifted, I can marry and have children.

Of course, such a future sounds good. I, too, want to settle down and live a stable life.

However, I am currently in an awkward position. I wanted to prevent any relationships until I saved this world.

And honestly, I feel like getting married at my age is a bit too early.

‘Even if medieval nobles married earlier…’

I am just a young man in my early 20s. Well, in terms of maturity, I might be ready for marriage, but that’s only in my previous life.

Now, I am Tristan in my early 20s, a fresh young man. Marriage? What’s that?

So, I decided to put marriage aside and think about it slowly after saving this world. But I never dreamed that Arthur, my uncle, would pressure me like this.

“You have nothing to worry about. As your uncle, I promise to make your wedding grand.”

“…Aren’t you jumping the gun a bit?”

“Jumping… what? What do you mean?”

“I mean you’re getting ahead of yourself.”

I sighed and picked up the teacup in front of me. A small, trembling hand began to pour tea into my cup.

“Co-congratulations on your marriage, Count… Sniff… You must be happy…”

Wendy, thinking my marriage was already decided, had tears in her eyes. Her forced bright smile made my heart ache.

“I’m not married yet.”

“R-really?!”

“Not yet.”

“Sniff… Sob…”

Like riding a rollercoaster, Wendy laughed and cried, clearly upset at the thought of me getting married. Maybe she felt like a daughter seeing her father remarry. Marrying might make me neglect her, so she might be worried about that.

I decided to reassure her with the softest smile I could muster.

“Don’t worry. Even if I get married, you’ll still be my exclusive maid.”

“Sniff… That’s not it…”

“Huh?”

What? Did I misunderstand something?

“You don’t seem to realize it, but there have been many marriage proposals coming in for you.”

“Huh?”

“Look. So many nobles have sent me letters with marriage proposals.”

It seems my reputation has risen. The stack of letters Arthur pulled from his pocket was quite thick.

“Really. It’s surprising how many people are interested in you, Count.”

And Helga, who took the letters from Arthur, subtly tried to tuck them into her own pocket.

“Give them back.”

“Eh… No, Count. I need to check if these letters are poisoned first…”

“If there’s a poison that kills by reading, I’d be curious.”

“At least let me check the names so I can take revenge later…”

“I won’t say it twice.”

“Yes.”

Helga reluctantly handed the letters back to me. She still looked disappointed but didn’t refuse my order.

“Of course, I respect your wishes, Tristan. I believe you can find a suitable bride without my interference.”

It’s nice that Arthur is letting me choose my partner. But why isn’t there an option to not marry…?

I shook my head.

“I don’t plan to marry anytime soon.”

“That’s your opinion. Everyone in the family, including me, wants you to marry.”

Wait? A moment ago, you said you respected my opinion…

At this point, even I felt something was off. There must be a reason why the marriage talk is so urgent.

“But why are you so eager for me to marry?”

“Didn’t I say earlier? Marriage is a sacred duty. And now is the perfect time for you to marry…”

“That’s strange. You’re not usually this hasty. There must be a reason.”

“Ahem… You’re sharp. It’s hard to hide things from you.”

As I suspected.

“Do you want to know the reason?”

“Yes.”

“Why else? I want to see my grandchildren, you fool!”

I was dumbfounded by Arthur’s outburst.

“Last time, Albert bragged about his granddaughter so much! He even boasted that she would become a great artisan like him.”

Come to think of it, Arthur is an old friend of Albert Groble, the workshop artisan. And Albert’s granddaughter must be Vanessa Groble, who works at the workshop.

In short, Arthur was jealous of his friend’s bragging about his granddaughter.

“Yonseok. How long must I endure this humiliation?”

“…It’s not really humiliation, is it?”

“Eh. It is humiliation. Arthur is absolutely right.”

Huh?

Helga chimed in.

“Arthur must have been embarrassed. If only you had children, Count, you could have boasted too.”

“Oh, yes. Helga, you understand me well. I don’t want to live being outdone by that guy.”

“Hehe… Of course. So, Arthur, how many grandchildren would you like?”

“Hmm? The more, the better, right?”

“Ah… How about five?”

“Ha! Five? Ten would be great!”

“Oh my.”

Having ten children would be a miracle if they didn’t fight over succession.

But Helga has naturally blended into our conversation. Her audacity is unmatched, and she surprisingly charms the elderly. Arthur also likes Helga’s straightforward and refreshing personality.

Certainly, I can’t deny that. She’s a bit reckless, but her personality is indeed straightforward.

However, knowing her well, it’s creepy to see her act innocent in front of Arthur.

Thinking that, Helga whispered as she cleared my teacup.

“If we’re going to have that many, I need to step up my game~.”

“……”

Right. She’s not just crazy; she’s innocently crazy.

“By the way, Tristan. I met Duke Fred a few days ago.”

“…Duke Fred?”

I tilted my head at the unexpected name from Arthur.

Fred, Bella’s father, is a man who once squandered his fortune due to a gambling addiction.

I heard he recently stopped visiting our family’s casino… People can change, right?

“Ah, I know what you’re thinking. He didn’t come to gamble. The Duke came to see me on business.”

“Don’t tell me he wanted to borrow money…”

“Haha. Sadly, no. It seems they are also considering a marriage alliance with us.”

It seems my rising reputation has made the Izakhel Duke family anxious. Officially, I canceled my engagement with Bella, but unofficially, there’s a chance we might rekindle it.

If Bella marries me, the debt-ridden Izakhel family could recover instantly, which would be great for Fred.

“He suggested you remarry the Princess. I also think Bella Izakhel would be a perfect match for you…”

Far from lacking, she’s too good for me. Among the women I’ve met, she was the most beautiful, noble, and always stood on the side of justice, shining brightly.

It hits me again how mismatched we are. The Saint of Izakhel, with her light magic, and me, the descendant of demons and the Demon Lord. If she is bright light, I am pitch-black darkness.

“But didn’t Duke Fred send you a letter?”

“…A letter?”

At that, I looked at Helga. She usually handles my mail.

“Really? I don’t recall seeing such a letter. I always deliver important letters to you, Count.”

She’s not even trying to hide it now.

I guess I’ll have to check my mail myself from now on. As I thought that, Wendy, standing by the window, spoke up.

“Ah… Count. A guest…”

“Huh?”

Getting up, I looked out the window and saw a white carriage at the mansion’s entrance. The distinctive carriage was a familiar sight.

Helga, who also recognized the carriage, chuckled.

“Hmm… Our Princess must be in quite a hurry.”

*

“From now on, you have to ask me out on a date at least seven days a week.”

“…Seven days a week is every day.”

“Shut up. I was going to say ten days but decided to be lenient.”

“……”

I was about to say something but kept my mouth shut.

Bella and I had just finished a simple meal at a cafe in the capital.

The cafe had an antique-like interior, reminiscent of Instagram hotspots. It was quite popular, bustling with people.

What was surprising was that most of the customers were commoners from the capital. The menu was affordable, and the tables were quite close together.

Considering our status, we could have gone to a more upscale place, but Bella’s frugality likely led us here.

Still, the cafe wasn’t bad. The menu was nostalgic and clean, and it felt like a hidden gem.

The only thing bothering me was that Bella and I stood out too much, drawing everyone’s attention.

And it seemed like a date spot, as all the other tables were occupied by couples.

Well, except for the table next to us with Helga, Blanshe, and Wendy.

No matter how much attention we drew, their gazes were the most intense.

“Are you listening? Count.”

“…Yeah.”

Snapping out of it, I stared at Bella across the table.

The more I looked at her, the more beautiful she seemed. Her mysterious silver hair and captivating eyes made me wonder if she was even human.

I was momentarily entranced.

“Honestly… You keep getting distracted? If you’re with me, you should only look at me.”

“I am looking at you now.”

At that, Bella noticed my intense gaze.

“……”

“…Hmph.”

What’s this? Suddenly, Bella is glaring at me as if challenging me.

Unintentionally, a staring contest began.

“You can’t take your eyes off me, can you?”

“……”

“Cheap. You’re staring at me without even blinking.”

As she said that, Bella’s eyes were bloodshot.

My eyes were starting to sting too. But I have superhuman endurance honed by ‘Patience.’ Sure, it’s overkill for a staring contest, but I didn’t want to lose.

Bella’s trembling eyelashes finally…

“Ugh…”

Bella blinked first.

I chuckled.

“…I won.”

“What? Are you bragging about winning a staring contest like a child?”

“You started it.”

“I didn’t! You were the one staring at me first.”

“You told me to look at you.”

“…Shouldn’t you be embarrassed saying that?”

“Sorry. I don’t know embarrassment.”

Of course, that’s a lie.

I was quite embarrassed when I found out Bella had sneakily kissed me while I was sleeping. That’s why I still can’t look directly at her lips.

“Hmph… Other men get flustered just making eye contact with me.”

“Is that so.”

“Playing it cool…”

It’s been a while since we talked like this.

Lately, I’ve been busy with the Emperor, traveling here and there, making it hard to meet Bella.

Anyway, since we’re maintaining a relationship beyond lovers but not quite spouses, we need to spend time together like this occasionally.

That way, Bella can also fend off the nobles proposing to her.

I guess that’s why she dragged me out today.

“You should be more aware, Count. Aren’t you neglecting me?”

“…I was busy, so it couldn’t be helped.”

“Here we go again. Even if I ask you out seven days a week, you’ll probably be too busy to even contact me once a week.”

“……”

She hit the nail on the head.

I was indeed a bit busy, so meeting Bella took a backseat.

“So, Count…”

“…?”

“Do you know what a Mojito is?”

I was momentarily speechless at the sudden question.

“A Mojito? Don’t you know?”

“Alcohol… right?”

“Pfft…!”

At my words, Bella suddenly covered her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter.

“Silly? Alcohol is Maldives. That’s common knowledge.”

“?? Mojito is alcohol, and Maldives is an island…”

“Hahaha…! Sorry, it’s just too funny… Hehe…”

For a moment, I thought it was ridiculous, but then I realized Bella was right.

In reality, I would be correct, but in this world, Bella is right.

Here, Mojito is a small island nation near the Empire, known as a vacation spot for nobles.

It’s a mix of Monaco and Maldives from reality, and amusingly, the famous drink there is Maldives…

I have a lot to say to Sora for this playful setting…

“You have this side too…! Hahaha… Did you want to go to Maldives and have a Mojito? That’s so cute.”

“No…”

Man, this is unfair.

If I can take Bella to reality someday, I’ll show her that Maldives is an island and Mojito is a drink.

But why did she bring this up?

As if reading my mind, Bella showed me a card-like item.

“His Majesty gave me a ticket for a passenger ship to Mojito.”

“…A passenger ship?”

“Yes. I’ve been tasked with delivering the news of our alliance to the King of Mojito.”

Come to think of it, other nobles of the Seven Stars are also visiting neighboring countries to deliver the alliance news. Bella was lucky to be assigned to nearby Mojito.

“Here, take it.”

“…?”

But then Bella took out another card and handed it to me.

“This is yours.”

“What?”

“His Majesty gave me an extra ticket for you to accompany me.”

Me? That’s news to me.

But the name on the card is clearly mine. Even the Emperor’s seal is stamped, so there’s no mistake…

Did Bella ask the Emperor for this…?

I sighed and asked her, just in case.

“…Can I refuse? Probably not, right?”

“You know it well, Count. You have no right to refuse. Hehe…”

Bella, who firmly rejected my refusal, looked happier than ever.

She waved the ticket and asked.

“Want to go to Mojito and have a Maldives?”

 

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