Ines, seen from afar, was very gentle. She didn’t make people nervous like when she was standing close.
“So you should go quickly. What if you keep leaving Lady Graham alone?”
“She has other escorts.”
“Still, you have to work harder at times like this. They are the ones who allowed you to receive the title of Baron. Aren’t they?”
“...”
“Go ahead.”
Joseph tilted his head with an innocent face and bowed to Ines. However, he couldn’t move away right away and kept clenching and unclenching his fists.
She noticed that he wanted to hug her and took another step back from him. He couldn’t bring himself to come close to her and moved away from Ines with a face dripping with regret.
Ines quickly followed Joseph before he was out of sight. Since he had met her and gone back, she would definitely tell what had happened between them.
At that time, Carson was not far from the two and was listening to their conversation. The fact that the Graham family’s escort had followed her because he didn’t want to harm her was rather disappointing.
A lover of low status who was opposed by her family.
It was a common story.
Judging from the fact that he had earned the title of Baron for his merits, he was clearly a knight of commoner origin. He didn’t know how the two met and fell in love, but he felt a little bored with the story it was more cliche than he thought.
Should I say it was something cute that a swindler from a country estate would do?
Maybe it was because he had assumed there was a special story since her actions had been so different from other women.
However, there was something that didn’t make sense.
If he had read their conversation in print, it would have been very natural. However, the emotions they shared felt awkward.
A snicker escaped Carson’s mouth as he pondered the air that had been flowing between them. That too was just an illusion he had created.
Carson, who returned to the banquet hall, did not go to the center but instead took the stairs in the back to the second-floor lounge. Since it was a place where only those with a Count or higher status could enter, there was a high probability that no one would be there.
As expected, the space was empty. He was annoyed by the bright lights in the room during the banquet, so he turned off all the lights except for the lamp near the sofa where he would sit. Soon, a servant appeared and asked if he wanted something to drink, so he ordered strong liquor to be brought.
The maid who received the order from the servant brought the liquor and food, but he only took the bottle and glass and ordered everything else to be taken away. He told her not to wait around because she didn’t need to wait on him, and then he filled his glass with liquor. He couldn’t bear the banquet that had been boring since a while ago.
“Yeah, it’s not bad.”
He let out a sigh and buried himself deep in the sofa. He threw his head back as far as he could and relaxed his tense shoulder muscles with the hand that wasn’t holding the glass. A high-pitched woman’s laughter was heard. And soon after, a low man’s voice followed.
Carson frowned in frustration. He didn’t want to say hello to anyone right now. Before he could decide what to do, their presence came close to the door. Carson quickly got up and hid behind the pillar before the door opened wide.
Feeling the corners of hia lips slowly curling up, Carson leisurely leaned against the balcony railing to admire the mysterious woman. The more he looked, the more mysterious the woman became, and she kept taking the path toward the back garden.
“What is this?”
At that moment, Carson doubted his eyes because of the man following her. What he was seeing was clearly the escort knight of Count Graham’s daughter.
A man who was slightly taller than the others and had a neat body was chasing her with long strides. Raymond hurriedly left the balcony.
Ines had no choice but to give Joseph a look to see her separately because he kept staring at her openly. Joseph showed his longing feelings to the point of seeming oblivious. Since they had promised to meet at the back garden, he would follow her soon.
“Ines.”
Joseph called her name very affectionately. She barely managed to put on a smile and turned to him. The expression she had barely managed to create began to go wrong because of the man who approached her as if he was going to hug her at any moment.
Fortunately, Joseph stopped right in front of Ines. He let out a deep breath as if he had just emerged from deep water.
“I can finally stand face to face and talk.”
Had he longed for her this much in her past life? Ines shook her head. He had been affectionate, but not as reckless as he was now.
“That’s right.”
“How have you been?”
When she nodded, he immediately looked disappointed.
“I couldn’t eat or sleep properly.”
“I couldn’t have been comfortable either. But I have to be careful.”
“Yes, I know. But I have good news, so I wanted to see you as soon as possible.”
“Good... news?”
When Ines narrowed her eyes, he took a deep breath, puffing out his chest.
“I’ve been given the title of baron.”
“Ha.”
Ines sighed as if she was sighing, lowered her head, and smiled with her shoulders trembling. It must have seemed like a gesture of overwhelming emotion to him.
Why on earth would he go to such lengths to marry her? No, why on earth would Count Graham want Joseph to marry her?
Not only did he disguise a commoner knight as a knight of the Count’s guard, but he also gave him a barony.
In the Keynes Empire, a noblewoman had to give her husband a considerable amount of dowry to get married. At that time, Joseph was a commoner knight, so she was not obligated to give a dowry. However, her father supported the two of them with a house to live in, ten years of living expenses, and two maids as dowry.
If the wife died during the marriage, half of the dowry could be returned and she could return to her parents’ house. However, if the husband died, it was a different story. The wife continued to live with her husband’s surname, his property, and the dowry she had brought.
In the case of the Ines family, if there was no one else to inherit the title, Ines Benoit could have received the title of the House of Swenden.
However, in that case, she would become Ines Swenden Benoit, and only her direct descendants could inherit the title. Therefore, a woman would only temporarily hold the title until it was passed on to her direct descendants.
If she had no direct descendants, the family would be cut off from there.
But what if the wife had committed adultery and killed her husband? She would have to give him not only the dowry but also the condolence money and compensation for the damages. Even so, the title was a different matter.
After her father passed away, the most natural thing to do would have been to give the title to someone among the distant relatives of the House of Swenden. However, it was not easy to understand that the title was given to the family of his dead son-in-law, of all people.
At the time, Ines's crime was a huge issue that shook the entire empire.
People shouted in unison that she should be burned at the stake for brutally murdering her husband to have many governments.
But Joseph had a twin brother, and he had returned to Keynes from a distant continent just in time. Perhaps the Emperor of Keynes was trying to smooth over the social chaos by giving the title of having the family for the sins of a reprehensible woman.
“But you’re becoming a Baron...?”
Joseph, mistaking Ines’ appearance for something else, took a step closer to her.
“Don’t cry, Ines. Of course, even if I become a Baron, Viscount Swenden will still oppose our marriage. But now that I’m a noble, he won’t be able to stop me.”
Yes, that’s right. Even when he was a commoner, her father had not been able to stop Ines from making up her mind.
“How?”
“Yes?”
“How did you get the title of Baron? It’s not something that happens so easily and quickly.”
“Ah...”
Joseph blushed as if he were truly humbled by his accomplishments.
“Actually, I saved the life of Count Graham’s daughter.”
“Really?”
“You know Lake Brida in Lesonia?”
“Of course I do.”
“Lady Graham fell into the lake while boating a while ago.”
“You must have saved her.”
“Yes.”
He smiled brightly, proudly.
“There must have been a lot of people there.”
“Yes. That’s why things went faster. The Empress quickly gave her approval.”
“Yes, you did a great job.”
“Thanks to that, I got to protect Count Graham’s daughter.”
“And he gave you a title, too.”
“Yes, as soon as I receive the title of Baron, I plan to formally propose to the Ines family.”
Ines looked at him in silence. Fortunately, her expression, with her back to the light, would not be visible.
“But, Ines...? Aren’t you surprised by what I said?”
“Surprised.”
“Aren’t you happy...?”
“Happy.”
Just by joining the knights of the Count’s family, a commoner had reached the pinnacle of his life.
If he were to receive the title of Baron and send a marriage proposal to the family, her father would not object much. Then, she would marry him sooner than in her original life. Would the terrible future that awaited her come a little sooner?
“But, Joseph?”
“Yes, Ines.”
“Shouldn’t you just go?”
“Yes?”
Ines had intended to calm Joseph down enough and send him away, but she couldn’t bear to look at his face. Even now, she felt like she wanted to draw the sword he was carrying and cut off his head.
“You came to escort Lady Graham, didn’t you?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“What is this?”
At that moment, Carson doubted his eyes because of the man following her. What he was seeing was clearly the escort knight of Count Graham’s daughter.
A man who was slightly taller than the others and had a neat body was chasing her with long strides. Raymond hurriedly left the balcony.
***
Ines had no choice but to give Joseph a look to see her separately because he kept staring at her openly. Joseph showed his longing feelings to the point of seeming oblivious. Since they had promised to meet at the back garden, he would follow her soon.
“Ines.”
Joseph called her name very affectionately. She barely managed to put on a smile and turned to him. The expression she had barely managed to create began to go wrong because of the man who approached her as if he was going to hug her at any moment.
Fortunately, Joseph stopped right in front of Ines. He let out a deep breath as if he had just emerged from deep water.
“I can finally stand face to face and talk.”
Had he longed for her this much in her past life? Ines shook her head. He had been affectionate, but not as reckless as he was now.
“That’s right.”
“How have you been?”
When she nodded, he immediately looked disappointed.
“I couldn’t eat or sleep properly.”
“I couldn’t have been comfortable either. But I have to be careful.”
“Yes, I know. But I have good news, so I wanted to see you as soon as possible.”
“Good... news?”
When Ines narrowed her eyes, he took a deep breath, puffing out his chest.
“I’ve been given the title of baron.”
“Ha.”
Ines sighed as if she was sighing, lowered her head, and smiled with her shoulders trembling. It must have seemed like a gesture of overwhelming emotion to him.
Why on earth would he go to such lengths to marry her? No, why on earth would Count Graham want Joseph to marry her?
Not only did he disguise a commoner knight as a knight of the Count’s guard, but he also gave him a barony.
In the Keynes Empire, a noblewoman had to give her husband a considerable amount of dowry to get married. At that time, Joseph was a commoner knight, so she was not obligated to give a dowry. However, her father supported the two of them with a house to live in, ten years of living expenses, and two maids as dowry.
If the wife died during the marriage, half of the dowry could be returned and she could return to her parents’ house. However, if the husband died, it was a different story. The wife continued to live with her husband’s surname, his property, and the dowry she had brought.
In the case of the Ines family, if there was no one else to inherit the title, Ines Benoit could have received the title of the House of Swenden.
However, in that case, she would become Ines Swenden Benoit, and only her direct descendants could inherit the title. Therefore, a woman would only temporarily hold the title until it was passed on to her direct descendants.
If she had no direct descendants, the family would be cut off from there.
But what if the wife had committed adultery and killed her husband? She would have to give him not only the dowry but also the condolence money and compensation for the damages. Even so, the title was a different matter.
After her father passed away, the most natural thing to do would have been to give the title to someone among the distant relatives of the House of Swenden. However, it was not easy to understand that the title was given to the family of his dead son-in-law, of all people.
At the time, Ines's crime was a huge issue that shook the entire empire.
People shouted in unison that she should be burned at the stake for brutally murdering her husband to have many governments.
But Joseph had a twin brother, and he had returned to Keynes from a distant continent just in time. Perhaps the Emperor of Keynes was trying to smooth over the social chaos by giving the title of having the family for the sins of a reprehensible woman.
“But you’re becoming a Baron...?”
Joseph, mistaking Ines’ appearance for something else, took a step closer to her.
“Don’t cry, Ines. Of course, even if I become a Baron, Viscount Swenden will still oppose our marriage. But now that I’m a noble, he won’t be able to stop me.”
Yes, that’s right. Even when he was a commoner, her father had not been able to stop Ines from making up her mind.
“How?”
“Yes?”
“How did you get the title of Baron? It’s not something that happens so easily and quickly.”
“Ah...”
Joseph blushed as if he were truly humbled by his accomplishments.
“Actually, I saved the life of Count Graham’s daughter.”
“Really?”
“You know Lake Brida in Lesonia?”
“Of course I do.”
“Lady Graham fell into the lake while boating a while ago.”
“You must have saved her.”
“Yes.”
He smiled brightly, proudly.
“There must have been a lot of people there.”
“Yes. That’s why things went faster. The Empress quickly gave her approval.”
“Yes, you did a great job.”
“Thanks to that, I got to protect Count Graham’s daughter.”
“And he gave you a title, too.”
“Yes, as soon as I receive the title of Baron, I plan to formally propose to the Ines family.”
Ines looked at him in silence. Fortunately, her expression, with her back to the light, would not be visible.
“But, Ines...? Aren’t you surprised by what I said?”
“Surprised.”
“Aren’t you happy...?”
“Happy.”
Just by joining the knights of the Count’s family, a commoner had reached the pinnacle of his life.
If he were to receive the title of Baron and send a marriage proposal to the family, her father would not object much. Then, she would marry him sooner than in her original life. Would the terrible future that awaited her come a little sooner?
“But, Joseph?”
“Yes, Ines.”
“Shouldn’t you just go?”
“Yes?”
Ines had intended to calm Joseph down enough and send him away, but she couldn’t bear to look at his face. Even now, she felt like she wanted to draw the sword he was carrying and cut off his head.
“You came to escort Lady Graham, didn’t you?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“So you should go quickly. What if you keep leaving Lady Graham alone?”
“She has other escorts.”
“Still, you have to work harder at times like this. They are the ones who allowed you to receive the title of Baron. Aren’t they?”
“...”
“Go ahead.”
Joseph tilted his head with an innocent face and bowed to Ines. However, he couldn’t move away right away and kept clenching and unclenching his fists.
She noticed that he wanted to hug her and took another step back from him. He couldn’t bring himself to come close to her and moved away from Ines with a face dripping with regret.
Ines quickly followed Joseph before he was out of sight. Since he had met her and gone back, she would definitely tell what had happened between them.
***
At that time, Carson was not far from the two and was listening to their conversation. The fact that the Graham family’s escort had followed her because he didn’t want to harm her was rather disappointing.
A lover of low status who was opposed by her family.
It was a common story.
Judging from the fact that he had earned the title of Baron for his merits, he was clearly a knight of commoner origin. He didn’t know how the two met and fell in love, but he felt a little bored with the story it was more cliche than he thought.
Should I say it was something cute that a swindler from a country estate would do?
Maybe it was because he had assumed there was a special story since her actions had been so different from other women.
However, there was something that didn’t make sense.
If he had read their conversation in print, it would have been very natural. However, the emotions they shared felt awkward.
A snicker escaped Carson’s mouth as he pondered the air that had been flowing between them. That too was just an illusion he had created.
Carson, who returned to the banquet hall, did not go to the center but instead took the stairs in the back to the second-floor lounge. Since it was a place where only those with a Count or higher status could enter, there was a high probability that no one would be there.
As expected, the space was empty. He was annoyed by the bright lights in the room during the banquet, so he turned off all the lights except for the lamp near the sofa where he would sit. Soon, a servant appeared and asked if he wanted something to drink, so he ordered strong liquor to be brought.
The maid who received the order from the servant brought the liquor and food, but he only took the bottle and glass and ordered everything else to be taken away. He told her not to wait around because she didn’t need to wait on him, and then he filled his glass with liquor. He couldn’t bear the banquet that had been boring since a while ago.
“Yeah, it’s not bad.”
He let out a sigh and buried himself deep in the sofa. He threw his head back as far as he could and relaxed his tense shoulder muscles with the hand that wasn’t holding the glass. A high-pitched woman’s laughter was heard. And soon after, a low man’s voice followed.
Carson frowned in frustration. He didn’t want to say hello to anyone right now. Before he could decide what to do, their presence came close to the door. Carson quickly got up and hid behind the pillar before the door opened wide.
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