Chapter 216
Chapter 216
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 216
Chapter Title: I'm Half-Handsome
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An awkward silence flowed. If not for the chirping of birds coming from somewhere, one might have mistaken it for time having stopped.
Serro looked at Jin and Romandro in bewilderment. Ian, the person in question, was sitting quietly, so why were those two reacting so intensely? Romandro, snapping back to his senses, cleared his throat and apologized politely.
“My apologies. I was just so startled for a moment.”
“Me too, me too, I was startled.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Serro bowed his head at the prince’s apology. In response, Ian gracefully set down his teacup. The clinking sound rang out especially loudly in that moment.
“…If you mean your younger sister, is it the lady I met at the New Year’s banquet? Her name was Arenara, I believe.”
“Oh, yes! You remember.”
“Of course. Like Lord Serro, she was the first lady I spoke with at the imperial palace.”
Ian remembered his sister!
Serro couldn’t hide his excitement at the unexpected situation. Arenara might be a bit wild and scatterbrained, but at least her beauty was unmatched anywhere, which was a relief. He patted his collar, trying to maintain his composure.
“By any chance, do you know? Your name, Lord Ian, comes up quite frequently among the nobles.”
“Because you’re right in the middle of the storm at the palace.”
“No, not that—”
Serro glanced at Ian. He couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all, given the same expression he’d worn since earlier. Instead of continuing, he took a large sip of tea.
‘Perfect marriage material aside from his commoner origins. Striking looks, a mage, wealth, and so on. It’s a shame he’s only a viscount, but serving Prince Jin closely makes promotion a matter of time.’
At that moment, Jin and Romandro’s eyes met. What now? Romandro snorted softly in response to Jin’s silent question. Better to stop him. Jin furrowed his brow again. How? For a brief moment, Romandro rolled his eyes back, sending some incomprehensible signal.
Finally, Jin mustered his courage and raised his hand.
“…Lord Serro, I have a question.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Ask away.”
Serro hastily set down his teacup and bowed politely. The prince seemed to have made up his mind, his lips set firmly as he asserted himself.
“Don’t you know? Lord Ian hasn’t undergone his coming-of-age ceremony. He’s still too young for that!”
“Yes……?”
“You’re too young!”
“Ah…….”
Serro blinked vacantly. It didn’t seem like something a ten-year-old prince should say, but he couldn’t retort disrespectfully. Serro calmly cleared his throat to steady his voice.
“Yes, Your Highness. I know. That’s why I’m proposing an engagement. Among nobles, it’s common for engagements to be set even for infants.”
“Th-that’s true, but.”
“Actions speak louder than words. It’s the best way to show that Lord Ian has the House of Serro’s back. Even a limited-term one would do.”
The idea was to bind them under the Serro family name for now. No one knew when, but by the time the contract was dissolved, society would already view Ian and his sister’s relationship as a done deal. And by then, they’d have become a prestigious house surpassing Haiman.
What plan could be more perfect? It was entirely Serro’s delusion, but far from impossible.
“Limited term?”
“Yes. Until Haiman’s influence fades as much as desired. That would suffice. Of course, if I may propose with sincerity, I truly wish to become family.”
Jin glanced at Romandro as if pleading for help. He fiddled with his beard uselessly, groaning. He wanted to refuse politely on the spot, but there was no justification. No justification.
Swish.
Ian smiled faintly and gestured lightly. It was a command for Romandro to stop groaning.
“Lord Serro. It’s truly an honorable proposal. As her brother who raised her with love, I understand you can’t easily let go of your sister.”
Raised with love? That wild child? It sounded like something out of a fairy tale. Serro paused for a moment but quickly composed his expression.
“However, I worry that when the contract is dissolved, Lady Arenara might be heartbroken.”
A union between families based on contract was akin to a business venture. Success or failure would breed gossip in society, so Ian feigned concern, subtly indicating his reluctance.
“It’s something all nobles must endure. I’ve heard your parents are in the capital as well, Lord Ian. If possible, I’d like to arrange a modest reception.”
“Yes. Understood. I’ll convey it to my parents. I’ll consider it deeply.”
A refusal. Though worded as consideration, Serro instinctively knew Ian’s answer. But with major events looming for both sides, it was better to leave some ambiguity rather than force a firm rejection. He hadn’t expected it to succeed on the first try anyway.
Serro placed a hand on his chest to express gratitude.
“With the trust Lord Ian has shown, I will rebuild House Serro anew.”
The family’s survival hung in the balance, but this was undoubtedly an opportunity for House Serro. It was a natural, dignified acceptance of the proposal, gracefully bridging the gap between viscount and count, power player and follower.
“I look forward to it.”
“I’ve heard rumors that the Grand Council will convene soon.”
“That’s right. Once the indictment against Haiman is submitted, it begins. I’ll send a servant to Serro within the next day or two, so prepare the requested documents carefully.”
Ian briefly explained the upcoming situation and corresponding countermeasures. Serro’s fountain pen flew across the paper as if recording a divine oracle.
Scratch, scratch.
Jin listened intently to Ian’s words, snapping to attention. For anything unclear, he asked Romandro, firmly etching Ian’s contingency plans into his mind.
“If there’s any chance of armed conflict with Haiman, retreat without fail.”
“Understood.”
“That should do it.”
“Mm, yes. Since we’ll meet again, let’s end it here.”
The sunlight streaming in from the ceiling had deepened into late afternoon. The sunset poured thickly across the sky. Not a cloud in sight, like gazing at a red sea. As Jin stared vacantly upward, Ian gently tugged his collar.
“…Your Highness.”
“Ah, right, right. Yes, let’s go together from now on.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll give it my all.”
When Jin offered a handshake, Serro grasped it with both hands and bowed deeply at the waist. Soon after, he left the greenhouse guided by the attendants. Once he was out of sight, Romandro flopped onto the sofa with a sigh of relief.
“Whew, what a day.”
“Lord Ian, are you really going to get engaged? Ha, if you are, let me meet her first! I’ll check if she’s genuine, and then we can proceed—it won’t be too late!”
As Jin clenched his small fist determinedly, Ian burst into laughter. Romandro wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, muttering as if Jin were absent.
“By the way, Serro—I didn’t peg him for it, but he’s got ambition. A political marriage to you, Lord Ian.”
“Indeed. I was a bit surprised.”
He probably couldn’t dare propose to Jin. As imperial blood and near heir to the throne, he was beyond a mere count like Serro.
But Ian? A magic department minister in title, but ultimately a commoner viscount. Worth pursuing, and as a current power holder, perfect.
“He seems like he’ll handle things properly.”
Ian turned to the two and tilted his head lightly. Honestly, he wasn’t thrilled, but with added conditions, it wasn’t a bad proposal for him. Serro would likely accept most demands.
“By the way, Lord Romandro. Do you know Lady Arenara?”
“No? I’ve never met her. Why?”
“You seemed strongly opposed earlier. Prince Jin too.”
Was there gossip in society? Better to know. At Ian’s question, Romandro snorted and shouted.
“I don’t know about gossip, but, well, isn’t it? For someone like you, Ian? Shouldn’t you announce across all Variel, seeking the finest in civil and martial prowess, diligence, frugality, wealth, beauty, family—everything? Se-rro is too good for you!!”
As Romandro excitedly slapped the table lightly, Jin nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Exactly. Someone like Lord Ian could marry a foreign princess.”
“Right? As expected of Your Highness.”
“I don’t know how great Lady Arenara is, but accepting right here is out of the question.”
“Quite right! Your Highness, that clears my mind! Unless she’s as wonderful as our Vivianna, absolutely not, no way!”
Romandro and Jin were perfectly in sync, taking turns opposing Serro. It was rare for a middle-aged man and a child to mesh so well, but Ian gestured to Shiao Shi, who stood quietly behind.
“You sit too. The guests are gone.”
“…Yes, Master.”
Even as attendants brought out refreshments, Romandro and Jin raised their voices in anti-Serro chants. Regardless, tap, tap, Ian drummed the table, deep in thought.
“Master?”
“Hm?”
When Shiao Shi asked worriedly, Ian looked up with a faint smile. He was recalling his past life as Emperor Ian. His fiancée, whom he’d never even seen, had died of illness before she could walk, and after entering the palace, he’d exhausted himself fending off power-hungry ministers vying for the empty empress seat. He acknowledged marriage as a political tool, but still……
“Shiao Shi, do you have any intentions toward marriage?”
“…Even if I did, Your permission comes first, Master.”
No matter how fine the clothes or how he sat here, a slave was a slave. Without the master’s consent, he couldn’t even form a household. At his answer, Ian seemed to realize something and looked at Romandro.
“Earlier, the officials speculated that Haiman might be funneling funds to foreign powers.”
“That’s right. What good is noble blood? It’s all for times like this, building connections.”
They couldn’t directly interfere in Variel’s affairs, but if Haiman actively requested, there could be external reactions. Best to set up a shield in advance.
Just as Ian was about to issue a command, an attendant entered the greenhouse entrance with a message.
Creak.
“Lord Ian. A messenger bird arrived from the Carbo Temple.”
“From Carbo? Let me see.”
The attendant placed a small note on a golden tray and presented it. It bore the temple’s seal. Romandro craned his neck curiously, while Jin showed interest at news of his maternal family after so long.
“What does it say?”
“The Carbo Temple says the light of the oracle has just set out. As requested, the priests who received the oracle at the time are coming along…….”
“And?”
Ian neatly folded the paper and handed it to Jin.
“They say another oracle came down at Carbo a few days ago. They’ll relay that one too.”
An oracle had come down—something Jin, who had never witnessed that glory, heard for the first time. His expression hardened reflexively. What if it was another curse against him this time?
Jin carefully unfolded the note.