Chapter 55
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Ambiguous Harmony
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Mueller? Isn't that Ernst's maternal family? Why send a marriage proposal to you, young master? It isn't a trap?"
"It could be a trap. Or it could be internal strife."
Lize tilted her head.
"Internal strife?"
"The Krushteins aren't all one united front, so the Muellers probably aren't either."
The mainstream Muellers would back his brother, but it wouldn't be strange if some fringe member reached out to ally with him.
There were other standout names on the list too.
"A princess too?"
"The emperor has more than one or two kids."
"What about this princess?"
"The fourteenth in line. Low in the pecking order, but her maternal family is military. They earned merits suppressing the southern rebellion."
"This one's Duchess Clara's granddaughter?"
"That's right."
"Isn't she the one who sent the poisoned sandwich? Sending her granddaughter to the guy she tried to kill? It doesn't make sense."
That was the logical take. If you thought logically.
But the noble houses of this empire often ignored logic entirely.
"It's nothing special in this world."
"She tried to kill you, young master."
"It was an attempted assassination by Duchess Clara. But what about our father? Do you know how many Mueller family members he's personally killed?"
"No idea."
"Fifteen, and that's just the recorded ones."
Lize's eyes widened.
In reality, it was surely more, not less.
And yet the Muellers had sent their daughter, and father had accepted her.
"That's how noble houses work. They don't forget grudges. They just join hands when interests align. Compared to that, sending one or two assassins is basically a greeting."
"What a scary world."
"And none of these proposals on the list are serious anyway. They're just testing the waters."
He set the documents down on the table.
A brief silence.
"What about you, young master?"
"What?"
"What do you think?"
"I'm eleven. That's a problem for later. There are more urgent things than my marriage."
"Sir Heinrich?"
"Yeah. The falsified war record from fifteen years ago. Ernst hasn't let it go."
"They're aiming for two things."
"Tell me."
"First, undermining Sir Heinrich's credibility. He was a key witness in capturing Georg."
"Right."
"Second, making it look like you can't protect your own people. To discourage anyone thinking of siding with you going forward."
She was sharp as ever.
"Spot on."
"Do you have a plan, young master?"
Lize was a genius when it came to military talent.
But this kind of fight was a bit different.
He had a slight edge in these battles.
Not because he was a genius. Just experience.
From his past life and this one combined.
"I'll be straight with you. This is the enemy's mistake."
"Mistake?"
Lize tilted her head again.
"Listen up. In fights like this, winning or losing isn't about whose facade is shinier."
"Then what?"
"It's about whose gains are greater."
"I don't quite get it."
Lize blinked. She didn't fully buy it yet.
That was fine. She'd see for herself in a few days.
"Let's go pick out a dress tomorrow."
"A dress?"
"It's your brother's engagement party. We have to go."
Lize's eyes narrowed. She'd caught on that something was up.
"I'll show you something fun."
As the business took off, money started rolling in.
It wasn't quite on par with a typical noble house's revenue yet, but it was more than enough for a single noble scion.
At least enough to buy what he wanted.
"This is expensive."
Lize's eyes went wide at the dress price tag.
"Can't show up to your brother's engagement party looking shabby."
"Still, twenty gold coins."
"It's money you earned. Spend it."
It was the largest clothing shop in the ducal territory.
The clerk bowed at a perfect ninety degrees the moment they entered.
After trying on a few, they settled on a black dress.
The black fabric paired strangely well with her silver hair.
"What about your clothes, young master?"
"Gotta pick something for me too."
He chose a deep navy suit.
Not flashy, but not shabby either.
After settling the bill, they left the shop.
"What's the plan?"
"Go congratulate him and come back."
"That's it?"
"Yeah, that's it."
Two weeks passed.
As the carriage stopped, light poured out from the manor annex.
"Nervous?"
Lize asked.
"Why would I be?"
"It's been a year. Seeing your brother again."
"He'll be the nervous one."
The door opened.
Sir Heinrich and Sir Wolfram stood on either side.
Two mountain-like figures. No armor, but swords at their hips.
"We're ready."
He nodded and stepped down from the carriage.
Lize followed. The hem of her black dress brushed the ground.
Laughter and string music leaked from the annex entrance.
"Let's go."
The hall buzzed with festive cheer.
The clink of champagne glasses.
A violin melody drifting from somewhere.
Smiles played on the nobles' lips.
Sir Heinrich entered first.
Conversations cut off.
Sir Wolfram followed.
Glasses halted mid-air.
Then he appeared between them. Lize stood half a step behind.
Murmurs spread.
"Why is Adrian here…?"
"They must have invited him. But no one expected him to actually show."
"Bold personality, just like the rumors."
"Bold? The kid's got guts."
"Three escorts? No, two. That girl's his partner."
"But with Wolfram and Heinrich as escorts… Makes sense he'd only bring two. Aren't they both directly under the duke? Since when did they serve the boy…?"
"Since last year, I heard. Went voluntarily."
The crowd parted.
Like the miracle of Moses. No one ordered it; people just stepped aside.
A man strode through the gap.
Ernst von Krushtein.
His brother's face after a year.
A leisurely gait. Shoulders back, chin held just right. The perfect heir.
But his fingertips trembled faintly. Muscles around his eyes were tense.
Different from a year ago.
Back then, he truly had been at ease. Certain there was no need to mind a much younger bastard.
Adrian's own life plan had been to stick to that man and reap the benefits.
No longer.
"Long time no see, brother."
Ernst spoke. His voice warm, like a brother welcoming kin.
He bowed. Just enough. Polite, but not servile.
"Congratulations on your engagement."
"Thanks. Didn't expect you with how busy you must be."
"How could I miss my brother's big day."
A heartwarming sibling reunion.
That's how they played it. Both of them.
Ernst's gaze drifted past his shoulder.
To Lize.
The silver-haired girl in black, standing half a step back, staring straight ahead expressionless.
"Looks like you're putting that gift to good use."
Gift.
A word for objects. Deliberate.
Lize didn't change expression. Blank. Not even a blink.
"Thanks to it, I've been getting a lot of help."
Ernst's eye twitched. For a split second, but he caught it.
He continued, smile still plastered on.
"Having received such a fine gift, I failed to prepare a birthday present for you."
He feigned regret. As naturally as possible.
"No worries. I didn't get you one either."
"You're busy with public duties."
Ernst smiled. Lips only.
"You've grown so much. In just a year."
He extended a hand. A natural handshake offer.
He took it.
The moment their hands met, mana flowed. From Ernst.
Subtle, but unmistakable.
A common silent flex among nobles. Look what I can do.
He scanned him head to toe with mana sensitivity.
Muscle density. Mana pathway thickness. Dan reserves.
To outsiders, just brothers shaking hands.
Scan complete. He let go.
A year ago, he'd have been impressed by the growth.
But now he knew.
Sir Heinrich. Sir Wolfram. Even in middle age, their growth curves outpaced young Ernst's.
A prickling at the nape.
A gaze. Someone watching him.
He turned slowly.
Beyond the champagne-holding nobles, a man stood.
Count Mueller. Ernst's grandfather. Ringleader of the rebellion twenty years ago.
Their eyes met.
No greeting. No smile. Just staring.
As eyes locked with Mueller—
Something registered.
Mana sensitivity reacted on instinct.
Pressure rolling in from the hall entrance. Heavy, slow, immense.
Sir Heinrich. Sir Wolfram. Ernst.
Several times denser than all three combined.
Mueller's gaze shifted away. He'd felt it too.
Of course. Even without sensitivity like his, it was obvious.
The man approaching now was on another level from everyone else here.
Even with two chaff claiming his blood, bickering over who was better. Meaningless before his overwhelming might.
A thought from one of those chaff.
The hall fell quiet.
Champagne clinks faded.
Laughter died. Only the violin played awkwardly.
People parted to the sides.
A man walked through.
Slow steps. But each one crushed the floor.
No one blocked his path. No one even thought to.
"Father."
Ernst stepped forward. As if to greet.
He passed Ernst by.
Didn't even glance at his son. Didn't slow. Just brushed past.
Walter stood before Mueller.
Father-in-law and son-in-law.
A relationship that called for decorum.
One demanding honorifics by custom.
But the strongest man here seemed to care nothing for such trivia.
"Old man. You pinned some bullshit frame on our youngest, huh?"