Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Generational Change (2)
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Isabel lounged obliquely on the sofa, humming a cheerful tune as she tilted her wine glass.
A sight of her enjoying herself this much.
It was the first time Lian had seen such a scene since coming to the mansion.
"Hee hee. It's a bit of a shame I didn't get to see that damned old man's face in person."
Imagining the lord's face twisted in rage and humiliation, she downed a glass of wine as an appetizer.
"But what about those Rajur guys?"
"I've handled that side too. Now you just sit back and watch them shove the blame back and forth and sell each other out."
"Excellent. Somehow you seem far more like a magician than that old hag."
"You're too kind."
There was no need to worry about the trial flipping everything at the last minute.
The last remaining variable, the court magician, seemed already prepared to welcome the new lord.
"Still, it irks me a bit that Leon came out ahead from this mess."
"If this leads to a good relationship between you two, it wouldn't be so bad."
"Hmm. Do you really think so?"
Isabel's perpetually grinning face hardened slightly.
"You keep a proper distance from that cunning vulture too. He stirs up trouble from afar, watches safely, and picks up whatever scraps fall."
"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."
Lian nodded quietly, suppressing a laugh.
An utterly spot-on assessment.
Looking back on Leon's past actions, it was clear as day.
"Right. I should prepare some reward for you regarding this matter."
"Already? It's not fully wrapped up yet."
"So what? Have you ever disappointed me?"
A soft smile spread across Isabel's flushed, alcohol-warmed face.
A single phrase brimming with trust toward Lian.
Words she would never say under normal circumstances.
"Why don't you open that box there?"
Following Isabel's words, Lian approached the side table where the box sat.
As soon as he lifted the lid, a sparkling golden glow greeted him.
"This is...?"
"Three hundred gold coins. Take them."
"Feels like a familiar amount."
"Just the right sum for you, isn't it?"
Isabel chuckled playfully as she refilled her empty glass.
Lian gazed down at the box of gold coins, lost in thought for a moment.
When would he next see Isabel in such high spirits?
This might just be the chance to make his dream come true.
"Actually, there's something I want more than the gold..."
"What is it? Tell me anything."
Lian knelt before Isabel and took her hands in his.
No hallucination warnings rang out.
"Would you please allow me to become your partner?"
"Oh my?"
"You said any form would do, as long as I could stay by your side... but I want to stand proudly beside you."
At Lian's sudden proposal, Isabel's eyes widened like a rabbit's.
Then, as if pondering, she rolled her eyes side to side.
"Well, I suppose it's about time I started worrying about a successor."
Soon, she beamed and intertwined her fingers with his.
"Unexpected. I figured you'd spend every last coin while you were still alive."
"Yeah. That was the original plan."
Lian couldn't help but give a wry smile, knowing she wasn't joking.
When he'd reviewed the old ledgers.
Whenever she earned 100, she'd blow 70 or 80 of it.
Of course, not anymore.
Unlike before, it was hard to do even if she wanted to.
"But then someone came along earning double whatever I spent, every time."
"Oh dear. That's troubling."
"So naturally, I have to make the one who created that situation take responsibility, right?"
Isabel laughed as she stepped down from the sofa, leveling her gaze with the kneeling Lian.
Then, she gently pressed her lips to his.
"Yes. I'll accept your request."
The dream Lian had cherished since childhood was finally coming true.
The marriage of a world-renowned tycoon.
One might expect a grand, lavish ceremony, but reality was the polar opposite.
'How should we do the wedding? Skip it. Too much hassle.'
The bride, already married once before, dismissed the idea outright.
Still, some minimal formalities were needed, so they invited a priest to the mansion and exchanged rings and vows before him.
The guests amounted to no more than the maids and guards working at the mansion.
Of course, the true wedding festivities didn't end there.
Word of Lian and Isabel's marriage spread, and guests poured in daily to offer congratulations.
"Ha... I don't think I could go through this twice."
"Haha. Never thought I'd hear you whining. Marriage isn't easy, is it? Here, have a drink. Welcome to the world of married men!"
Leon handed a glass to Lian's weary, fatigued face.
When Leon showed up to whisk Lian away, Isabel's expression hadn't been pleased.
Even so, it gave Lian a breather, making Leon's appearance welcome for once.
"Anyway, congratulations on the marriage, Lian."
"Congratulations to you too, Lord Leon, on becoming the new lord."
"Still just acting lord for now. Won't know if I inherit the title until the trial's over."
But Leon's face showed little worry as he said it.
"Think there'll be any surprises?"
"Who knows. The court magician spilled all my father's crimes so easily, so probably not."
A remarkably swift change of stance.
Perhaps that's the savvy needed to be a court magician.
"More importantly, that old man seemed very interested in you..."
"Did he?"
"Heard you're called the Magic Hunter these days? Probably that."
"Pardon? That nickname... it's spread that far?"
He thought it'd fade quickly.
Apparently, it would last longer than he'd imagined.
Or maybe a lifetime?
"Lian, any interest in magic?"
"Hmm. A bit."
"In that case, how about I set up a meeting with that old man for you? What do you say?"
A completely unexpected proposal.
No suspicious hallucinations, so it didn't seem like a trap.
Even the possibility that the court magician, having lost his apprentice, had his eye on Lian as a new one...
"Why bring this up to me?"
But just because it wasn't a trap didn't mean it was the right answer.
"Even as a foreign noble, I believe that bloodline deserves respect."
"Pardon...?"
"I'll open that path for you. Reclaim your rightful status. It'd be much easier if you became a magician."
Lian was momentarily speechless.
This man truly believed the rumors about Lian's origins.
The sacred lineage opposing dark sorcery and all that.
'Should I just come clean right now that I'm a serf-born?'
And a noble killer to boot!
But reflecting on the past year, which sounded more believable: serf or noble origins?
Undoubtedly the latter.
People already assumed noble blood from his looks alone.
Plus, he'd shown extraordinary talent in all sorts of ways...
"And what do you gain from this, Lord Leon?"
But unmotivated favors were the bait crooks used most.
Suddenly offering to make him a noble was highly suspicious.
"To be frank, I desperately need allies right now."
Not a lie.
No suspicious voices even when he listened closely.
"Nobles only?"
"Yes. Most local families backed my father. The opposition... well, you can guess."
"The ones assassinated by the Delico Matron..."
"And that wasn't the only incident."
The recent family massacre was just the tip.
Beyond the 32 murders listed in the indictment, there were likely purges by all sorts of methods.
"Anyway, even if I become lord like this, I'll be surrounded by enemies. I'm sorely lacking in supporters."
Leon let out a faint sigh, his face grim with despair.
Revealing his weaknesses like this showed his desperation.
"Frankly, I don't even fully trust that court magician old man. I need someone to succeed him soon."
"And you'd prefer that be me."
"Exactly."
A very tempting offer.
Why pass up a chance at elevated status?
Not to mention the opportunity to learn magic!
"Truth be told, getting you means gaining the entire south harbor as my ally. So I'll do whatever it takes to bring you to my side."
"Aren't you hyping up a mere merchant who was a slave until recently?"
"Haha. Humility unbecoming of you."
Lian's heart was already racing.
How long since escaping slavery, and already rising so steadily.
The joy of talent and effort being recognized.
Finally receiving compensation for what his past life denied him.
"But it's so sudden... Sorry, could you give me a little time to think?"
Then, Isabel's warning to keep distance from Leon flashed in his mind.
Leon’s offer was sweet, but chewing it over, it wasn't all good.
He'd ultimately use Lian as a bulwark in political infighting.
"Sure. Just don't take too long."
A merchant above all knew there was no such thing as a free lunch in the world.
The blue moon hung over the terrace in the early evening.
Lian lay on the bed with his exhausted body and let out a long sigh.
"Think all the guests who matter have come now? Starting tomorrow, we chase them away at the door."
Isabel flopped down beside him.
Her face equally drained.
"That's why I told you to brush off those flies."
"Didn't expect dozens every day for days on end..."
He was completely wiped out.
Entertaining this many guests would turn an extrovert introverted.
In the end, keeping the ceremony minimal had been wise.
A full lavish affair would've meant far more guests.
And the wedding day itself?
He had to admire the savvy of someone with experience.
"Finally some time to be alone with you."
"Yeah. These past few days were so hectic, my memories are hazy."
"Seriously, those pests bothering us in the name of congratulations. I barely held back."
"...You held back well."
It was their honeymoon, after all.
Lian fully understood her resentment toward the intrusive guests.
"Tomorrow, let's go through the gifts and unwind."
"They're probably all junk anyway."
"Haha. To prepare gifts you'd like, they'd all go bankrupt..."
Smack smack—
Isabel playfully swatted Lian's mouth with a pouty face.
"Calling me 'milady' again! We're married now, stop that."
"Sorry. It's just habit."
"Hmph!"
Isabel's petulant, sulky face.
Who'd have thought he'd see such an expression from her usual sharp-tongued self.
Lian couldn't help but grin.
They said even cute girlfriends turned scary after marriage.
For him, it felt the opposite.
"Forgive me just once, Isabel."
"Do it again, and you're done."
"Got it."
As Lian teasingly kissed her, a smile finally spread on her lips too.
"Oh right! What'd you talk about with that vulture earlier?"
"Lord Leon? Just that even becoming lord soon isn't all good for him."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
"He even said he wants to make me a noble and take me as a close aide..."
He'd hesitated at first, since Isabel disliked Leon.
But family should discuss and decide major matters like this.
"And? You didn't accept, did you?"
As expected.
Isabel's tone cooled, her coquettishness vanishing.
"Told him I'd think about it."
"Hmmm. Reaaally?"
"The more I think, the more it seems like a ton of hassle. Doesn't add up financially."
Isabel let out a small chuckle at his answer.
"Guess trading really is your calling."
"You think so too, Isabel?"
"But if you really want to join hands with that vulture, I won't stop you."
"Pardon? You're serious?"
For a moment, Lian wondered if the hallucinations had stopped.
It was just too much like something Isabel would never say.
"Of course."
Isabel leaned in close with a slightly sulky face.
"Think I'd hold you back? My pride wouldn't allow it."
But she was clearly sincere.