IWBCAS 13

Chapter 13

“Why are you here again, Your Grace?”

Nikolai did not look happy to see Grand Duke Kalhail at the Count’s mansion again. This was already the second time he had come without notice, as if he had left all his manners in the North.

Kalhail looked around the mansion as if trying to guess where Reina’s room might be. He raised one eyebrow and asked,
“I heard you locked up Lady Reina?”

Nikolai jumped as if burned.
“Locked up?! I only told her to stay home and reflect for a few days.”

“That’s just locking her up with a different name.”

“I’ll say it again: it wasn’t locking up, it was asking her to be cautious. And even if it were locking her up, that’s our family’s business. It’s not something you should interfere in, Your Grace.”

Nikolai looked very upset. Kalhail narrowed his eyes.

“So, you don’t like me coming here?”

“How can I welcome someone who treats my daughter and our family so lightly?”

The scandal between Reina and Kalhail hadn’t died down even after several days. Too many people had seen them kiss. And because Kalhail was known for living like a monk, his sudden bold behavior caused an even bigger stir.

‘Why would a man who lived like a saint suddenly do that to my daughter…?!’

And then he didn’t say a single word for three days? Now he suddenly appeared, and Nikolai was furious.

While the two men stared each other down, Reina, who had heard Kalhail was there, came running down the stairs.

“Your Grace…? Why are you here?”

Reina also didn’t look happy to see him.

‘I waited for him all morning and skipped lunch… and he came here instead?’

Kalhail’s eyebrow twitched.

“You’re asking because you don’t know? You broke our promise, Lady Reina.”

Promise…? Was he talking about the kiss?

“I sent a message saying I couldn’t meet today.”

“Oh, that scrap of paper?”

Kalhail pretended to remember, but his face said he didn’t take it seriously at all.

“I was expecting a person, not a piece of paper. You broke our promise.”

‘Is he acting like a debt collector because I didn’t kiss him? He can’t be this obsessed with a kiss, right?’

Reina was too stunned to respond for a moment.

To him, kissing me might be like getting medicine from a pharmacy. But to me, it’s not!

“You came all the way here just to talk about that promise to someone who can’t even leave the house?”

Just as Reina responded sharply—

“Promise? What promise, Reina?”

Nikolai had quietly come closer and was now squinting suspiciously.

“Ah! You startled me!”

Reina had forgotten he was even there. When she jumped, Kalhail also looked at Nikolai in annoyance.

“Nikolai. Are you just going to stand there?”

“Of course. This is my house. And what if I leave and something bad happens again?”

“Something bad?”

“You know exactly what I mean!”

After what happened, Nikolai couldn’t even sleep at night. And yet, the one who caused the problem looked like he didn’t care at all.

“I don’t know what bad thing you’re talking about.”

“What?! You don’t know?!”

Nikolai’s face turned bright red with anger. Kalhail clapped his hands as if he finally understood.

“Ah. That.”

“‘That’?! That ‘thaaaat’?!”

He looked like he was about to grab Kalhail by the collar, so Reina quickly grabbed her father’s arm.

“Father…”

Reina’s words helped calm Nikolai down. He took a deep breath and began explaining in a serious tone.

“Your Grace, this isn’t something to take lightly.”

“Then?”

“Whatever you think about my daughter, she has lost a lot of honor because of this.”

“Lost honor…?”

“For three days, our family has been surrounded by ugly rumors! Do you know what people are saying about my daughter?!”

Disgusting rumors came to Nikolai’s mind. Just thinking about them made his blood boil.

“You can just go back to the North and forget all this. But Reina can’t.”

“Hmm…”

“The noble society may look open-minded these days, but this scandal will stick with her for the rest of her life.”

It was a permanent stain on a daughter he had raised with care.

Even if she married someone else later, people would whisper behind her back. That thought made Nikolai deeply upset.

But Kalhail didn’t look the slightest bit sorry. In fact, his lips slowly curled into a smile.

“There’s a way to solve all those problems.”

When Kalhail finally spoke, Nikolai’s anger strangely melted away.

“Lady Reina can come to the North with me.”

“What? What did you say?”

Nikolai rubbed his ears, wondering if he heard wrong. It sounded like a marriage proposal. But Kalhail’s tone was more like saying, “Hey, want to go grab a sandwich?”

Wait, was he saying—

“You want to hide her in the North until the rumors die down?”

Nikolai asked to be sure. Kalhail laughed as if amused.

“You think I’m just offering to hide her? No, Count Filon.”

“Then what—?”

“Marry me. I’ll take responsibility for Lady Reina.”

Nikolai blinked like his brain had stopped. Reina, on the other hand, screamed,

“What?! Why would I marry you, Your Grace?!”

She sounded like she’d just seen a cockroach. Kalhail frowned and stared at her.

“Is marrying me such a shock? I already mentioned it before.”

He did? Maybe when he told Aisen they were getting married?

‘Wait… was he serious back then?! I thought he just wanted to scare Aisen away!’

No, look at his face. He looked way too satisfied, like he’d just solved a puzzle.

Reina shook her head.

“That’s crazy! Don’t even joke about that, Your Grace.”

“Crazy? I think it’s a very logical solution.”

“Logical??”

“If we get married, all the rumors will disappear.”

He wanted her to marry him just to stop rumors?

Marriage is supposed to be between people who love each other. Even if some nobles marry for benefits, marrying someone who pressured and bullied you didn’t make sense.

And the North, of all places.

“Ugh…”

Reina shook her head again.

“No way. No.”

“No? Why not?”

“I really don’t like the cold.”

“I’ll put double fur in your room.”

“I heard there are a lot of monsters there. I’m scared of monsters.”

“Do you think the soldiers of Lautzen, who protect our winters, would let you even see a monster?”

What the heck? Neither reason worked.

Fine. Time to use the “Dad doesn’t approve” trick.

“My father wouldn’t allow it. He said he’d never forgive you.”

Reina stepped behind her father and gave him a pleading look.

“Right, Dad?”

But her father didn’t answer.

“…Dad?”

Nikolai, who had stood still listening, suddenly had a new look in his eyes.

“Marriage, huh… That might actually be a good solution.”

“What?! Dad?!”

Weren’t you just saying you’d destroy Kalhail? That you’d report him to the emperor?

Reina was speechless. Nikolai leaned in and whispered,

“He didn’t say he wants to marry you.”

“He doesn’t want to marry me! He said so himself!”

“But he just said he does.”

“That’s…!”

“All the noble families cut off their proposals. But now there’s one decent man who does want to marry you.”

“And that’s Kalhail?!”

While Reina whispered with her dad, Kalhail chimed in from afar.

“I don’t mean to brag, but I’m quite the ideal husband.”

He then added with a sly look toward Nikolai,

“Also, if we become in-laws, I can double the supply of magic stones to your family.”

“Magic stones…!”

Nikolai, shocked, suddenly burst into a big smile.

“Those valuable magic stones?!”

His whole attitude changed. Earlier, he was like, ‘Marriage wouldn’t be too bad.’ Now, he looked like he must make it happen.

“Oh dear, it seems I wasn’t a very good host. Do you need anything?”

Nikolai smiled warmly. Kalhail also changed his tone to be polite.

“I would like to speak with Lady Reina alone, Count Filon.”

“Why are you suddenly being so formal, Your Grace?”

Surprised, Nikolai asked. Kalhail replied smoothly,

“It’s only right to show respect to my future father-in-law.”

Nikolai’s smile stretched even wider.

“I’ll go prepare some tea, then.”

Reina’s jaw dropped at her father’s sudden change. Meanwhile, he happily walked out of the room with light footsteps.