Chapter 108
The moment the High Priest conferred the title of Marquis upon Theodore, the applause that erupted was similar to the one when he returned after five years. Among all those clapping, there was one person who did not join in—Charlotte. She was holding Aria in her arms, and even if her hands were free, she would have been too stunned, staring at Theodore to do anything. Charlotte quietly murmured:
“Theodore Arbelche, Marquis.”
It was a title she had spoken many times before the conferral ceremony, but the tone felt completely different before and after he officially received it. Charlotte gently patted Aria’s head as the girl clapped enthusiastically, waiting for the High Priest to complete the ceremony by raising the ceremonial sword to Theodore’s shoulder.
But the sword wasn’t among the items the assistant priest carried. Only the decree and the honorary brooch were present. For a moment, it puzzled her, until the High Priest removed the white robe he was wearing and handed it to the assistant priest. Beneath it, Silbert’s attire became visible. She had assumed it was a ceremonial outfit, but looking closer, it wasn’t.
Charlotte tilted her head slightly, noticing that under the robe, the High Priest was wearing a white uniform—not new, but clearly preserved. It resembled the garb worn by paladins, though with small differences in design and ornamentation. Ash, who was watching, also sensed something unusual.
“That outfit. And…”
Ash observed Silbert drawing the sword from his waist. That was not an ordinary ceremonial sword. The swords used in ceremonies were not dazzlingly bright under the lights, and they were not sharp or perfectly maintained since they were not meant for combat. Ceremonial swords were usually decorated with jewels or gold, but this sword had none of that—only a pendant hung from it, and though well preserved, it showed signs of use.
“A familiar pendant.”
It was a pendant Ash had seen somewhere before—a round amethyst decorated with a red gemstone. As he traced his memory, his eyes widened.
“Marquis… that sword is…”
Ash trailed off, then smiled faintly.
“So that’s why you went to meet the High Priest?”
“Yes.”
The Blanche Marquis nodded, recalling a memory with Ronan.
[When Theodore receives his title, the conferral should be done with my sword, not a ceremonial one. And I will give it as a gift. Just as my father gave me his sword when I became the paladin commander, I will give my sword to Theodore.]
It was the sword Ronan had used in his lifetime. The pendant on the hilt was designed to reflect the red hair and violet eyes of his wife, Leila.
In the small training yard of the Blanche Marquis, Ronan had taught Theodore swordsmanship, constantly assuring him: “Theodore will become an exceptional paladin. He will be a hero everyone looks up to.” And always, he had promised that when Theodore became a noble, he would hand over his sword instead of a ceremonial one.
To fulfill his son’s wish, the Blanche Marquis had visited Silbert and entrusted Ronan’s sword to him, requesting that he wear the attire he had donned as a paladin rather than ceremonial robes.
“Ronan would have been so happy if he were alive.”
Grief for a deceased son, and a bitter sadness. But Charlotte set aside those feelings to celebrate Theodore’s achievement with joy.
“Theodore.”
Because he had been bowing his head, Theodore assumed the sword on his shoulder was ceremonial. When he heard the High Priest’s call and raised his head, he was greatly surprised. He immediately recognized that the sword in Silbert’s hand was Ronan’s.
When the High Priest signaled for him to rise, Theodore stood, still gazing at Ronan’s sword. The High Priest smiled gently. The assistant priest fastened the honorary brooch onto Theodore and stepped back, and the High Priest whispered quietly:
“Did you go to see Ronan?”
“…Not yet.”
“You waited until you received your title?”
“Yes.”
Though he had had ample time since his return, he deliberately had not visited. Hearing that the conferral ceremony was decided, he wished to see Ronan as a proper noble. Partly, he wanted to stand beside Charlotte as an equal, but also for his deceased friend.
The High Priest returned the sword to its place and handed it to Theodore. Still astonished, Theodore hesitated. Seeing this, the High Priest placed Ronan’s sword directly in his hands.
“Ronan would be proud of you.”
Theodore gripped the sword tightly. For a fleeting moment, his expression twisted with sorrow. He recalled the messenger delivering the tragic news of his mentor, and the grief from that time still lingered, causing a sharp pang in his chest. But soon, a solemn determination filled his blue eyes.
With Ronan’s sword at his waist, Theodore proclaimed in a resonant, dignified voice:
“I, Theodore Arbelche, as Paladin Commander and Marquis of Arbelche, will protect the Argent Empire from the forces of dark magic.”
Once more, the applause filled the grand hall. The High Priest nodded, pride evident on his face. At his signal, the orchestra, waiting at one side of the hall, readjusted their instruments.
“Then let the feast begin.”
After Theodore’s title was conferred and the orchestra began playing, the nobles eagerly surrounded him. Theodore became slightly flustered by the sudden crowd. Charlotte suppressed a small smile at the rare scene. Dealing with all these people would take some time, but recalling how no one approached him when he joined the Paladin Order, this was a heartwarming sight.
“Marquis, where are you going?”
At that moment, Aria called Ash.
“Where are you going, Ash?”
It seemed Ash was heading toward the main entrance.
“Actually, the Snow Mountain Scouts are attending today. But they’re late, so I’m going to check on them.”
“Pedro and Edmond too?”
“Yes. They were rewarded for defeating the monsters and capturing the Kenis couple.”
“What reward?”
“The Snow Mountain Scouts aren’t knights. They were originally servants of the Valian family, now performing the same duties as knights. So a petition was made to officially recognize them as knights.”
“Oh! Then we should now address them as ‘Sir.’”
“Exactly.”
Charlotte, who had grown close to the Snow Mountain Scouts, was delighted to hear that they were being recognized as knights.
“If I’d known earlier, I would have prepared a gift.”
“That’s fine. You were busy with the ceremony.”
“We should congratulate them once they come to the hall. When will they arrive?”
“They should have arrived earlier, but since they hadn’t, I thought it strange. I’m checking on them now.”
“Could they have gotten lost?”
“They’ve traversed the snow mountains; it’s unlikely… but we’ll bring them along.”
Ash laughed lightly at Charlotte’s question, then closed his mouth and began walking briskly toward the grand hall.
Charlotte glanced around. Theodore was still surrounded by people, and her grandfather stood with the High Priest. Nobles hesitated to approach Charlotte, perhaps because she held Aria, or unsure of what to say. Then, someone unwelcome appeared in her view again.
‘Norman.’
Rieta was laughing and chatting with the Duke of Winteryle, while Norman stared at Charlotte, seemingly about to approach. Charlotte ignored him and kissed Aria’s forehead.
“Aria, shall we rest on the balcony?”
“Going to the second floor?”
“Yes. Let’s go see the balcony.”
As Aria beamed, Charlotte turned toward the stairs leading to the second-floor balcony.
“Charlotte.”
A familiar voice and a shadow fell over her. Turning, she saw Theodore standing, having made his way through the crowd that had hemmed him in.
“Going to the second floor? Come with me.”
“Why are you here already?”
It was a message: now that he was a noble, he should build relations with other nobles. But Theodore shook his head and patted Aria’s hair.
“I’m not fond of crowds, and right now, I want to be with you.”
He smiled brightly, smoothing the strands of Aria’s hair he had messed up.
“Sir!”
“Aria, now you should call him Marquis.”
“Marquis! Amazing! You shone like a star!”
Aria, pleased by the gentle touch, suddenly remembered something. She reached into her jacket pocket, given by Anna in case she got cold, and pulled out a small gift box.
“Marquis, Marquis.”
“?”
“This!”
Charlotte peered at the gift box in Aria’s hands, surprised:
“Aria, where did you get that?”
“Anna brought it from the carriage!”
Theodore tilted his head.
“What is it?”
“…A brooch.”
“A brooch?”
“I was moving it to send to your castle with other gifts, but Aria brought it.”
Charlotte replied in a quieter voice:
“Aria, give it to Mom.”
“Isn’t it for the Marquis?”
“It is, but…”
The gifts had overlapped. She had overlooked that Theodore would be receiving an honorary brooch. The brooch from the Monte Rion Jeweler was made of gold, but compared to the honorary one, it seemed trivial. She couldn’t give this as a congratulatory gift to Theodore. Yet, Theodore quickly took the box.
“Theodore!”
“It’s my gift. Isn’t it okay to open it now?”
“Here?”
Before Charlotte could stop him, Theodore opened the box and revealed the brooch wrapped in sky-blue silk.
Made with deep sapphire and pale yellow pearls, it looked like a street-market imitation compared to the honorary brooch. But Theodore, unable to look away, held the honorary brooch up to the chandelier’s light.
“Nice brooch. Shall I put it on now?”
Before she could intervene again, Theodore brought the brooch to his chest, then noticed the honorary brooch and paused.
“Aria.”
“Yes?”
“This is an important brooch. Keep it safe, okay?”
The honorary brooch already adorned the right side of his chest. She had expected he would gift the other one later. But without hesitation, Theodore removed the honorary brooch.
“It suits Aria better than me.”
He pinned the honorary brooch on Aria.
