Chapter 95
Theodore’s title conferment ceremony was in fifteen days.
If she were simply going as an invited guest, that would be one thing, but she would be attending as his partner. That meant she couldn’t go in her usual simple, lightly decorated attire. Since this was the event where Theodore would be awarded a title for his accomplishments, she intended to dress properly in a way that suited the occasion.
However, to have a new dress and accessories custom-made for the ceremony, she had to return immediately and contact a dressmaker. Places as famous as Dolores Atelier were probably already fully booked, so she needed to quickly look for another atelier. And this time, not just one outfit—she had to order a dress for Aria as well, totaling two dresses. The schedule was quite tight to prepare comfortably.
“Theodore, did you prepare your formal wear for the ceremony?”
“…Prepared…”
Unlike her, who had only returned from Nostri recently, she assumed Theodore would have arranged his ceremonial attire long ago. It was the outfit he would wear on the glorious day he became a noble—surely he would have entrusted it to the best atelier and the finest designer. But for some reason, Theodore didn’t answer immediately. He stalled, eyes shifting back and forth.
“…I didn’t.”
Charlotte stared at him, shocked.
“The ceremony is in fifteen days, and you haven’t prepared anything?”
“I was too busy.”
“Busy or not, this is the moment you’re finally being rewarded for all your effort and time. You have to look more magnificent than anyone. And the ateliers must already be fully booked by now.”
Theodore only kept smiling, as if he wasn’t worried at all. Meanwhile, Charlotte began agonizing over which atelier could possibly complete Theodore’s formalwear perfectly within just fifteen days.
The conferment ceremony wasn’t only for Theodore; the holy knights who served alongside him, high nobles, social figures, and even the Klagen would attend. Everyone would witness the moment Theodore, who started from the very bottom, rose to a high position. She wanted them to be impressed by how splendid he looked—especially the Klagen, who had scorned and belittled him for being born in the slums. She wanted to see their faces twist.
When Theodore received the surname Arvelche, he should have received a title as well. But the Klagen opposed it, saying, “He has not yet achieved enough to receive a title,” and so it was dismissed. As if they even knew what “accomplishments worthy of a title” truly meant. They just never intended to give Theodore one. Charlotte still remembered how upset she had been.
“What kind of dress are you planning to wear?”
“Hm?”
“Pure white? Or silver? Oh—sky blue would be beautiful. It will suit you.”
“That’s my question. It’s not my ceremony.”
“But you’re my partner. We should match.”
Since she was the one who received the offer to be his partner, Charlotte should be matching Theodore. He definitely knew that, yet he focused on her dress anyway. No matter how she tried to redirect the conversation to his formalwear, he kept returning to her attire. Eventually, they agreed on a coordinated dress code.
“The holy knights wear white uniforms, right?”
“Yeah, mostly white.”
“Then bright colors like white or cream would look good for your outfit. And decorations…”
“Hmm. How about blue? Both of our eyes are shades of blue.”
Charlotte gazed at Theodore’s eyes. Even though the sun had already set, his irises were still as clear and pale as shimmering water. She slowly pictured him in a clean white uniform adorned with blue gem ornaments. It wasn’t something she had seen—just something she imagined—yet it suited him incredibly well. Maybe she should gift him a sapphire or blue spinel brooch.
“Alright, let’s go with that. Oh, do you know what title you’ll receive?”
“No. I think they’ll tell me on the day of the ceremony. At minimum, it should be above Earl. If I’m lucky, Marquis. I won’t receive Duke.”
“Because it would increase the number of ducal houses connected to the Temple?”
“Exactly. The Arzent Empire has three ducal families, and two are tied to the Temple. If it increases to three, even the Temple-friendly imperial family won’t be able to avoid keeping them in check.”
“Then you’ll be awarded the rank of Marquis. Your achievements are too significant for a mere Earl.”
Charlotte whispered with a bright smile:
“So now you’ll be Marquis Arvelche.”
“I’m so used to being called Lord Arvelche that Marquis feels strange.”
“Then I’ll call you that until you get used to it.”
Marquis Theodore Arvelche.
His name suited the title so well. The Arvelche Marquessate created by his effort and achievements would be remembered for generations. Even though she wasn’t the one receiving the title, Charlotte felt strangely happy. Maybe because Theodore was a precious friend to her, she found herself talking more than usual about the ceremony fifteen days away.
“If the High Priest asks you to become a Klagen, will you accept it? They usually offer the position at least once to holy knights who receive a title.”
“If they ask me, I’ll retire on the spot.”
Theodore’s expression scrunched immediately. It seemed he liked the idea of receiving a title but hated the thought of becoming Klagen.
Charlotte laughed softly. Then she remembered the Klagen who asked her that rude question at the joint council meeting.
“Theodore, do you know which Klagen has deep violet hair?”
“You mean Count Rezorus? He’s a priest who was recently promoted to Klagen. I heard he’s discussing marriage with Lady Linda. Why?”
“…Oh. Nothing.”
Some priests in the Temple still weren’t fond of Charlotte. But since she was Ronan’s daughter and the Blanche Marquis’ granddaughter, none dared show open hostility.
But Count Rezorus had brought up her mother and her birth with a straight face at a joint meeting her grandfather attended. She had wondered whether he had someone powerful backing him.
“What did he do to you?”
“He didn’t do anything.”
“…So he did something.”
Theodore immediately sensed something was wrong. His expression cracked. She hadn’t been planning to tell him, but since he clearly noticed, she relayed the incident from the council meeting.
“Since I was involved in all four monster attacks, I attended as a witness. During questioning, he brought up my birth.”
‘…Is he insane?’
Theodore nearly cursed aloud.
Just because he had snagged a chance to become Duke Linda’s future son-in-law, did he think he had the right to look down on Charlotte? It made his blood run cold. The marriage wasn’t even confirmed—just discussed. The so-called virtues of being devout and good-natured were pure fiction. In reality, he was nothing but a stupid, rude man.
He was furious that someone he cared for had been spoken to that way, but first he checked her expression. She had struggled with rumors about her birth since childhood. Even if she spoke calmly now, he worried she might have been hurt.
‘I should have noticed earlier.’
Of course, he hadn’t been present at the council, and Charlotte hadn’t told him, so it wasn’t his fault—but he still blamed himself. Fortunately, she seemed well enough; she even smiled faintly behind her hand.
“Honestly, I had to hold back from laughing.”
“…?”
“There are always people like that—those who look down on me because I was born from a cursed mother. Rezorus seemed like one of them. He was probably curious how I would react if he mentioned my birth. Did he think I wouldn’t notice? It was so obvious.”
He must have thought she would break into a cold sweat or freeze in panic. And although the glances and baseless rumors that had followed her since childhood were still difficult things to carry, strangely, that moment had not hurt her at all.
Maybe because her grandfather had been there. Because Aria was beside her. Her first thought had been:
If I show weakness here, Aria might become his next target.
She couldn’t allow that.
Her mind clear, she saw right through the intent behind Rezorus’ question. It had been absurd. On a public stage, without knowing what was appropriate, he had spoken recklessly. There was no need for her to respond—he would face the consequences of his own rudeness.
So compared to Theodore’s worry, Charlotte truly was fine.
Count Rezorus… was it?
But Theodore did not intend to let it go as lightly as she did.
I should half-kill him.
Rezorus would soon learn the price of touching Charlotte—at the hands of Theodore and the Blanche Marquis.
Just then, Charlotte, walking one step ahead, suddenly stopped. Theodore halted as well.
They had arrived at the castle gates. A carriage awaited her, and beside it stood a man with ash-gray hair—Ash.
“Duke Valiant.”
She thought he had returned after the council meeting, but apparently not. Had he been waiting? But the meeting had ended in the afternoon, and now the sun was setting. Did he wait this whole time? Perhaps he had something to say.
Charlotte opened her mouth carefully.
“Ah, Your Grace. This is Lord Arvelche. Theodore. This is Duke Valiant, lord of Nostri.”
Theodore had heard about Ash from Marc—even though he had never seen him in person. He turned to face him—then flinched, shoulders jerking involuntarily.
The moment he met Ash’s silver eyes, his breath caught. For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether the man before him was human or something else. A chilling, alien sensation crawled up his spine—one he had only felt once before, on a battlefield crawling with monsters.
Just then, Charlotte stepped forward toward Ash—and Theodore seized her wrist, pulling her behind his back.
“Theodore?”
Ash looked at the hand gripping Charlotte’s wrist, then slowly lifted his gaze to Theodore. A deep smile spread across his lips.
“Ronan’s disciple, I see. You’ve got good instincts.”
“—!”
Instinctively, Theodore reached toward the sword at his waist. But before he could touch the hilt, someone stepped quickly between the three of them.
“What are you two doing here?”
It was the Blanche Marquis.
