HRNGDS 75

~Chapter 75~

Alphonso began talking non-stop.

“From a young age, you were nothing short of brilliant. You’re much better than the chefs of the Rikeion ducal house, Delphina. You don’t know how much I’ve missed you. But strangely, I had no strength, and speaking or moving felt so difficult. Ugh… But why am I fine now? No, that’s not the important thing—the important thing is that I’ve seen my Delphina again. How many years has it been? I missed you so much, but for some reason I couldn’t move my body.”

Elcayan looked baffled. It was hard to believe this was the same man who just moments ago had a stern, silent expression.

Elcayan thought, ‘I understand now why Delphina and Sir Calix said something was off.’

Someone with that kind of personality being silent would naturally seem strange.

Alphonso quickly walked up to Delphina. Elcayan tried to stop him, but Delphina shook her head.

Alphonso had a habit from when she was young—he lifted her up and spun her around.

“Ha ha ha! Delphina! I feel great! I’m strangely so excited!”

“I’m getting dizzy, Grandfather.”

He immediately set her down. Delphina chuckled. Now he truly felt like the grandfather she remembered.

“Ha ha, Delphina. We’ll talk more about how you’ve been later. For now, this old man has something to do.”

Alphonso’s eyes suddenly turned red. The overwhelming aura he released was directed at everyone except Delphina.

His gaze met Elcayan’s. A strange light flickered in his eyes when Elcayan let that powerful aura pass without resistance.

That meant Elcayan’s skills were at least above the minimum Alphonso demanded.

‘Not bad. My Delphina certainly has good taste. Still… he’s not enough for her. Delphina deserves the best.’

It was confidence without basis.

“Grand Duke… we’ll discuss my granddaughter’s engagement later.”

Alphonso slowly turned around. Duke Rikeion was quietly stepping back.

“You brat!”

The duke was startled and fell on his backside.

“You spew nonsense so easily. Delphina’s will? If that were true, you should have stopped it yourself! I thought I told you long ago—Dianko doesn’t matter, but if Delphina or Ivelina were to get engaged or married, they needed my permission. And what? Delphina’s engaged? To the North? Sure, the Northern Grand Duke might be handsome, skilled in martial arts, and have decent character, but compared to my Delphina, he’s nowhere close.”

His reaction was like a fire-breathing dragon. This was one of the reasons the duke feared Alphonso—his nagging was unbearable for most.

“F-Father, why are you suddenly so angry?”

“Why am I asking you? You’re finished as of today. When I return to the ducal house, I’m convening a family meeting immediately. I still don’t understand why I entrusted the family to you in the first place.”

“D-Delphina, say something! Didn’t you go North because you liked the Grand Duke?”

Alphonso looked at Delphina, knowing how much she cared for her uncle. If she said it was fine, he wouldn’t have much reason to punish the duke harshly.

Sensing this, Delphina smiled.

“It’s true that I like the Grand Duke.”

Her words brought relief to the duke’s face, while Alphonso’s turned sullen.

“But that doesn’t mean I wanted to be engaged from the start. I already had a fiancé named Kassen. But then Kassen had an affair with Ivelina.”

“What?”

“In that situation, I was basically sold off to the North. So, regardless of my feelings for the Grand Duke, it’s also true that my uncle forced me into an unwanted engagement.”

“What?!”

As the story went on, Alphonso’s face twisted with demonic fury.

“It was really hard. The Northern people were all kind, thank goodness, but if they hadn’t been… I probably would have cried myself to sleep every night.”

That was the last straw. Alphonso’s eyes completely changed, and he turned to Duke Rikeion with a deadly expression.

“Alright, let’s settle this today.”

He grabbed the duke by the back of the neck and began dragging him out.

Calix watched with satisfaction.

“Now that’s the Alphonso I know. The duke looks like he won’t even be able to stand properly after this.”

He continued, “Alphonso’s wild temper has always been famous. Acting without thinking of the consequences is something we have in common, ha ha ha. Lady Delphina now has another strong ally—how can this not be called a celebration?”

But Calix didn’t stop there. He patted Elcayan’s shoulder firmly.

“But for you, it’s not such good news. Do you see that sky?”

He pointed to the window, where heavy, dark clouds were gathering.

“That’s your future. Alphonso will probably keep testing you endlessly.”

Elcayan couldn’t deny it—he had just felt Alphonso’s piercing gaze a moment ago.

“Now that Alphonso’s body is younger, he’s as strong as me. Elcayan, to be worthy of Lady Delphina, you’ll have to defeat him.”

Calix’s expression was deadly serious as he burst out laughing. Like Alphonso, he also found Elcayan unsatisfactory.

Even if Elcayan was exceptionally strong for his age, Calix wasn’t content.

‘To stand beside our Lady Delphina, he’ll have to be stronger than me at the very least.’

Calix declared in a grave voice, “In short, you must become the strongest! If you don’t want to end up like that gloomy sky, you’d better do it right!”

Delphina looked at the system window above her head.

<The god Frad sighs with pity at Elcayan’s upcoming trial, but quietly agrees with Calix’s words.>

She turned to Elcayan, expecting him to show no reaction.

But Elcayan was quietly making up his mind.

“Don’t worry. I won’t be a man unworthy of Delphina. I’ll defeat both Sir Calix and Lord Alphonso and earn recognition.”

Delphina blinked in surprise.

‘Even in front of Calix, he’s sticking to the contract.’

Hearing him vow to defeat the strongest people in the world for her made her heart race.

Calix grinned, amused.

“Well, time will tell. But for now, what’s important is that we have a show to watch.”

Delphina agreed.

“Let’s go with Grandfather to the Rikeion estate.”

She also wanted to see how Alphonso would handle things.

When Alphonso returned to the ducal estate, he literally turned it upside down. The first thing he did was summon the council of elders.

From his robes, Alphonso produced the ducal seal. Even when he handed the dukedom to his second son, he had never given up the seal until now.