Chapter 61:
The Tale of the Wicked
Maiden’s Foiled Engagement
It was well after the Crimson Vow had returned from their journey of self-improvement to work in the capital of the Kingdom of Tils, their original home base, when one day, upon arriving at the Guild to receive a mark for a newly finished job, they were hailed by a guild employee.
“Oh, Miss Mavis! There’s a letter here for you.”
Mavis received the letter and turned it over to see who the sender was, then immediately stowed it away into her breast pocket. It was unthinkable that anyone besides her own family would be sending her letters, and she wasn’t about to go opening a private communication in a wide-open room, surrounded by strangers, after all.
“………”
After returning to their inn, Mavis pulled the letter out and read it, then froze in place. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, and did not appear to be following the letters on the page at all.
“Hm? What’s wrong, Mavis?” Mile asked, concerned.
As Mavis turned to look at her, one could practically hear her now-frozen joints creaking.
“Th-there’s going to be a wedding…”
“Oh, one of your brothers is getting married? That’s wonderful news! Though I’m sure it’s a bit of a shock for a bro-con like you, isn’t it, Mavis? But still, it’s not that…”
“No…it’s…”
“Hm?” Mile asked, unable to make out Mavis’s whispered reply (which had seemed to utterly ignore Mile’s implication of a brother complex).
This time, Mavis answered clearly.
“Apparently, I’m the one getting married…”
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?!”
Lacking the willpower to even explain the situation, Mavis merely held out the letter and slumped down into a chair. The other three took the note and read it over…
Evidently, a marriage proposal had come suddenly from the second son of the family of some marquis. Even if he was the second son, his family still ranked highly, and furthermore, the boy’s own father was ranked second within their family. That made the father a viscount, a station that this second son would inherit. In addition, the family was of good standing within the Austien family’s personal faction. The young man was a perfect match…as far as Mavis’s family was concerned.
Apparently, Mavis’s own opinion of him did not factor into this in the slightest, but then, well, that was rather standard for the marriage of a daughter of a noble household, wasn’t it?
“Congratulations, Mavis!”
Smack!
Mile’s stupid joke immediately earned her a smack to the back of the head from Reina—a very hard smack, which made a rather splendid sound.
“So, what’re you going to do?” asked Reina.
Mavis was silent, unable to reply. According to the letter, the Austien family, given their alliances and social standing, was not in a position to refuse this proposal. And of course, as much as her father and brothers said that they would never give her up to marriage, it wasn’t as though they intended to keep her forever, forcing her to live her life as an old spinster. Being the wife of a viscount within the family of a marquis was actually quite a promising prospect. Thus, while her brothers were probably still grousing, her parents were surely eager to see this marriage take place.
“Could you just ignore them and skip out on the meet-and-greet?” Pauline proposed.
“If I did that, it’d be like spitting in the face of the man I’m supposed to meet, and the house of Austien would fall into ruin. It would be trouble not just for our family but for all of our followers and retainers as well…” Mavis answered sullenly. “As it stands, my father has already received the formal proposal, which means that this second son and I are now as good as husband and wife. Even though his acceptance is only provisional—even if we had no reason to accept the proposal—it’s not as though we can really refuse. My opinion doesn’t factor into it in the slightest…”
Mavis’s shoulders slumped. The other three were silent.
Situations like these were not ones that could be altered by a noble daughter’s will alone. Moreover, as the family’s honor was on the line, Mavis’s father could not excuse her from this role, no matter how much she might be the apple of his eye. And of course Mavis, the daughter of a noble who loved her own family just as dearly, could never simply run away and ignore her duty. More than aware of this, the other three girls wore dark expressions.
“So, you’re saying that it’s already too late for the Austien family to refuse?” Pauline confirmed.
“Yep…” Mavis replied in a sullen voice. “As the daughter of a noble household, it’s only natural that my betrothal would be arranged for the sake of my family. Even if it’s a mistake, I can’t allow anything to happen that would cause trouble for my family or other relatives. This is the duty borne by all those in a noble household. It’s the price we pay in exchange for the luxuries we enjoy and the world-class education we receive.
“And so, even if I’ve never met the man, even if it means giving up on my dreams, I must be wed, and bear children, and look after the estate, and bear more children, and mingle at parties, and bear more children, and think about all the dreams I was never able to…a…chieve…” A soft trail of tears dripped down Mavis’s cheek as her voice petered out.
After a few moments of silence, Pauline spoke up again. “In that case, we have to force them to retract the proposal—or make something happen that makes it okay for your family to refuse!”
“Huh?”
Dark laughter began to bubble from Pauline’s mouth. Reina and Mile began to grin also.
“If we can’t pull our friend out from between a rock and a hard place—”
“Then what are allies for?! What are friends for?!”
“We are the Crimson Vow, allies bound at the soul!”
“And we’re gonna smash that proposal to bits!!!”
***
It was several days later, at the main estate of the Austien family, back in Mavis’s home territory.
“Father, I have returned…”
“Oh, my Mavis! You’ve come back to us! Just as we planned, in two days’ time we will be receiving a visit from your betrothed and his pare—Oh, you brought your hunter friends along, too?”
“Pardon the intrusion!” chorused the other three.
Apparently, the count had the wild thought in his mind that Mavis might simply abandon her party members and come home all alone. Once the first meeting with her betrothed had taken place, she would have to begin her preparations for marriage, so it made little sense to have them along. Surely, she did not intend to be going back with them…
“Since this gentleman is to wed our precious friend,” said Reina, “we intend to make fully certain that he’s worthy of her.”
“Uh… Ah, I see…”
A commoner speaking so frankly to any noble, much less to a count, might be punished by death for such frankness. However, from hearing Mavis’s tales of her family over and over again between their days at the Hunters’ Prep School and now, Reina knew that the Count was not the sort of person who would do such a thing. She thought of him as her friend’s father before she ever thought of him as a noble.
Of course, in truth, it was only by accident that she had slipped into her normal speech patterns, without thinking. Thus, the moment she stopped talking she slammed her mouth shut, with a face that said, “Oh crap!”
However, the Count had not been paying attention to what Reina had said at all. Of course, he thought, it’s dangerous for a young lady to travel alone, so they came all this way with her to see her off. What good friends you’ve surrounded yourself with, Mavis…
Indeed, though they were rather shrewd as far as nobles went, the members of the Austien family were really not such bad people.
Mavis spent the two days until the meeting with her betrothed undertaking special lessons with a private tutor to remind her of all the etiquette she had begun to forget. Reina and the others meanwhile, with nothing else to do, toured the Austien family lands and further developed their schemes. Naturally, they did not stay at the Austien family estate, but at an inn in town.
Mavis’s family and the tutor alike had conspired to make Mavis wear a wig to hide her short hair. However, Mavis argued that the proposal had already been made with the knowledge that the Austiens were a martial family line and that Mavis had been making a name for herself as a rookie hunter for the past months. Besides, any sudden movement would dislodge the wig, causing their plan to backfire spectacularly. In the face of these protests, they all seemed to have a moment of clarity and abandoned the wig plan entirely. Once she had been all dressed up, Mavis was very pretty anyway, short hair or no.
***
And then, the day of the meeting finally arrived.
Naturally, there was no reason for the other members of the Crimson Vow to be present. Attendance at this event was limited to the two key parties and both sets of parents. Brothers and sisters were not included under this umbrella, either.
“P-pleased to meet you… I am Jusphen, the second son of the family of Marquis Woitdein.”
“And I am Mavis, the eldest daughter of the family of Count Austien…”
Jusphen was an earnest-looking young man in his early twenties. As far as looks went, one could do much worse. Considering the fact of his parentage, and that he was next in the line of succession to a viscount, this really was an extraordinary proposal. For the Austien family, acceptance was the obvious course of action. Excepting the particularly rare girl who was aiming for crown princess or bust, a normal young noble to be leaping for joy at the prospect of a proposal from someone like him. In fact, leaping for joy would nearly be expected.
Unfortunately, Mavis was by no means “a normal girl.”
As it stood, she valued self-improvement over romance. She wanted not a jeweled palanquin, but knighthood. When it came to marriage, she pictured a grand epic of being bound by deep and inseparable love to a fellow knight, alongside whom she rode in defense of the kingdom…
Mavis was a maiden of vast and wild dreams.
In fact, the first time Mavis had told the others about this dream of hers, the other three members of the Crimson Vow had felt their souls fly out of their mouths.
Mavis had no intention of purposely conducting herself in such a way as to make the young man hate her. She was fine with telling lies to deceive evildoers, but telling a lie in a situation such as this would be in violation of her own personal code. Furthermore, to behave in any obviously boorish manner would only cause trouble for her family. It would mean trouble not only for her father’s station but for that of her brothers, who would take up the family line after him.
Plus, Pauline had informed her that, “None of that will be necessary.”
And so, Mavis greeted the newcomers like normal. Jusphen, who desired her mainly because of her status as the daughter of the house of Austien, was apparently also somewhat aware of her martial skill. It seemed he had met her once before, when she was around fifteen, and had become smitten with her, a girl who appeared at the time to be a slight and sheltered maiden, with long, golden locks. He had heard rumors that she had run away from home, registered as a hunter, and done all sorts of outrageous things, from the fights at the prep school graduation exam to the “red mark” jobs she had taken on. The more he learned, the more smitten he became…
He knew that she had fled from home, and that she was an egregious tomboy, and yet he still desired her as a wife… Lord Jusphen appeared to be skilled in many areas himself also. Truly, she could not hope for a better match…
The more he heard about the young man, the more enthused Count Austien became at the prospect of their pairing. As the conversation blossomed without a hitch, both sets of parents looked on, grins wide upon their faces.
Then, after a fair bit of time had passed…
“Well then, why don’t we call it a day? You will join us for luncheon tomorrow, won’t you?” said Count Austien, drawing the day’s proceedings to a close.
Naturally, the Woitdein family had already approved this next meeting, which had been on the schedule from the start. Because first meetings usually involved a lot of awkwardness between both parties, the true event would begin with meeting for lunch the following day. And then, Mavis and Jusphen would have some time alone, just the two of them, before coming back together with everyone again for dinner. After that, they would all have some mild drinks and enjoy the easy atmosphere together. Because of this, today’s meeting was to be short—just introductions, to take place around the second midday bell (about 3PM), and broken up before evening fell.
Mavis herself could not recall the party where the pair had met once before, a few years prior, but both Count Austien and Marquis Woitdein busied themselves with so many social events in the capital and gatherings at the palace that the fathers had become fairly well known to one another. They had even exchanged words now and then.
Then, just as the Marquis moved to stand from his seat…
“Um, if everyone would be so inclined, why don’t we all dine together for supper tonight?”
“Hm?”
Both the Count and the Marquis found Mavis’s sudden proposal suspicious. The Marquis and his family had already planned on taking dinner at a restaurant in town, thinking that too long a first meeting would put too much stress on the young couple, causing them to grow tired of one another. The evening meal for tonight was supposed to consist of both families eating separately, no doubt comparing notes on their own. The Marquis found himself thrown for a loop at this sudden change to the agreed-upon plan.
The Count, meanwhile, completely lost his cool at this new proposal.
“N-now, now, Mavis, suggesting such a thing out of the blue would be an enormous inconvenience to the Marquis’ family, I’m sure. Besides, we haven’t made any preparations…”
Indeed, extending an invitation to normal folk was one matter, but making preparations to entertain someone of a higher status than oneself, such as a marquis, took time. There was no way that they would have the suitable ingredients on hand nor the means to prepare them on such short notice. He was, of course, thrilled to hear Mavis making such a proactive suggestion of her own accord, but on a practical level, the notion might be a bit more trouble than it was worth.
“Well,” Mavis continued, “we wouldn’t have to entertain them here. The hunting party that I travel with accompanied me here to see me off, and I was thinking how desperately I wished for everyone to meet them… It would be at a low-class establishment, a restaurant frequented by commoners, but if you wouldn’t mind that, then…”
Hearing this, the Woitdeins suddenly understood. Ah, they thought, it makes sense for a young girl to want to introduce our son to her friends to reassure them, no matter who that son might be.
They had heard that the other party members were all young ladies, and speaking with them would give the family a good idea of the sort of person that Lady Mavis was. Imagining this, the Marquis was happy to accept the proposal.
“Yes, of course! We accept!”
“Well, if the Lord Marquis agrees to it, then we shall as well…”
“Ah, actually… I was only inviting the Lord Marquis and his family. Father, Mother, you won’t be attending.”
“Wh…?”
Count Austien and his wife were lost for words.
“Well, you’re already acquainted with my companions, aren’t you, Father? Plus, I recall that you were rather displeased with the fact that I am a hunter, yes? That is why I’m only inviting the Lord Marquis and his family to this meal.”
“B-but that’s…”
The Count appeared distraught, but Mavis ignored him. Though she had returned to the mode of speech she used to use with him before running away from home, the Mavis she had become now was not the Mavis that she was back then, and she would not be moved by the tears glinting in his eyes.
“Now then, I shall lead the way. If you would come with me…”
After a short ride in the Woitdeins’ awaiting carriage, Mavis arrived at what was one of the top three restaurants in the capital town of the Austien territory. Of course, even if it was a top-three restaurant in an important town, this was still the country fiefdom of a count. It could not compare to the sorts of restaurants that nobles would visit in the capital. Nevertheless, it was at least sufficient to entertain the nobility who might pass through now and then.
Mavis gave the receptionist her name, and they were led to a private room… Though giving her name was a bit redundant, as there was no way that anyone running a shop in the capital would not know the face of their lord’s only daughter.
In the room they had been led to, they found three young ladies awaiting them. Naturally, all three of them rose from their seats to greet the nobles.
“My, my…”
Because nobles only chose beautiful women for their wives and lovers, all noble women, from children to the elderly, were typically lovely creatures. However, to see such well-formed young women among a party of commoners surprised the Marquis enough that he unconsciously let a comment slip. It was not that they were impressively attractive as a set; though among the group was a girl with imposing, impish looks, a young and well-developed maiden who seemed gentle and kind, and a young girl who gave off a calming atmosphere—the sort of girl you’d want to protect. There was something about them each that one rarely saw among the daughters of nobles. Quite the fascinating bunch…
As the Marquis evaluated the trio, they each gave their greetings.
“I am Reina, a C-rank hunter,” said Reina, bowing her head politely.
“I am Pauline, likewise a C-rank hunter, and eldest daughter of the Beckett Company,” said Pauline, bowing her head.
“Likewise, I am the—never mind. I am Mile, a C-rank hunter and the only daughter of a viscount.” Mile greeted them with a curtsy.
The Marquis and his family were speechless, mouths half-ajar.
Pauline was not especially worthy of note. Her family must be fairly successful as merchants to have their own company, but as far as the Marquis could observe, she was a commoner who had little money to her name. However, the sole daughter of a viscount was a different matter.
If she was the only daughter, and one were to take her for a bride, then one’s child would inherit the viscount’s title. In other words, the ranking members of each family line would be able to join forces, strengthening both factions. Plus, one could not underestimate the value of being connected to a noble from another country when it came to international negotiations or the off chance that one or the other might someday end up in exile. Furthermore, this girl had charming looks, seemed well mannered, and had a smile that put one at ease.
“Now, why don’t we all rest our feet?”
“O-of course…”
At Mile’s urging, the Marquis’ party took their seats. As the food and drinks were carried in, the evening began.
“…And then, Mile blew the enemies away with an attack spell…”
“Hm? But I thought that Mile was a sword wielder?” Jusphen interrupted Reina’s story.
Mile replied, “Yes, well, I’m actually a magic knight?”
“A magic knight?” the nobles echoed.
“Yes, I can use both magic and swords equally!”
“What???”
The nobles’ eyes were wide. They had never heard of such a job title. However, hearing the explanation of Mile’s position forced their eyes even wider.
As in the case of the Austiens, magic ability manifested only rarely within the Woitdein line. Even the ones who did happen to be born with the gift were not particularly skilled, able to use it only for practical conveniences. Furthermore, the rare few who did have more skill were still only good enough to become mages of a rather middling level.
Therefore, the idea of there being anyone reckless enough to try and master both the paths of magic and the sword was unthinkable. Mastering even one of these required a Herculean effort. Even this world had proverbs along the lines of, “He who chases both rabbits, catches neither.” There were plenty of swordsmen who could use a little bit of magic and mages who could use a sword well enough to defend themselves, but no one had ever heard of a warrior who could use both magic and a blade capably in battle.
“I-I’d love to see that sometime…” Jusphen muttered.
“Oh, certainly. I’m free tomorrow morning, so why don’t we meet somewhere where I can give you a demonstration?”
“W-would you?!”
Mile had him hook, line, and sinker. The Marquis looked to be brimming with curiosity as well.
The conversation continued on, but for some reason, the bulk of the Marquis’ questions seemed to be directed toward Mile. Excluding the name of her family and the name of the country from which she came, Mile more or less answered his questions truthfully and directly. Indeed, she was quite frank about herself, and the fact that there were no civic issues within her lands, that they were currently being looked after by the king and queen, that she herself was the successor of her line, and that she had no fiancé…
Not one bit of this was a lie. She was in fact the successor—though she omitted the part where she technically had already succeeded her parents. She could of course, never tell a lie when it came to matters of peerage, as such a thing was considered to be a grave taboo.
Furthermore, while Mile was a bit lacking when it came to matters of common sense in this world, she excelled at matters that were “outside of common sense.” Thus, she was able to speak eloquently on matters of agriculture, taxes, and commerce, topics about which she had a wealth of secondhand knowledge, thanks to all the books she had read in her previous life. Whether or not such ideas suited this world, and whether they could actually be implemented here, was a totally separate matter. But the Marquis was thoroughly impressed by her ability to even consider such matters.
Jusphen raised many topics with Mile as well, and Mile replied to each thread of conversation with a smile. All the while, the other members of the Crimson Vow continued to sing Mile’s praises whenever they had the chance…
***
The next morning, in the forest a little ways out of the capital, the Woitdeins and the Crimson Vow were assembled.
The Woitdeins had explained to the Count that they wished to take a morning stroll, with Mavis as their guide. The Count, thrilled to see Mavis getting along so swimmingly with the Marquis’ family, agreed without a second thought.
“First off, I would like to show you my famous ‘Copper-Cutting Trick,’” said Mile. “Could I ask you to throw a copper piece up in the air for me?”
“Ah, of course,” the Marquis replied, drawing a copper piece from his purse and tossing it.
“Hup!”
As usual, Mile swiftly swung her blade in a cross-slash, and four equal pieces of the copper coin fell down into her palm, which she held out for all to see.
The Woitdeins were speechless.
Next up, she made light work of Mavis and her True Godspeed Blade in a sparring match. After that, she faced off against Jusphen and then the Marquis, at their insistence. Though she held back on them so that the matches would not be entirely one-sided, it was clear that the Marquis was holding back on her as well.
After that, she demonstrated how she could block an attack spell from Reina and how she could launch a powerful attack of her own without even an incantation, stunning the Marquis and his family all over again.
“M-Mile, a-are you certain that you don’t have a fiancé right now?” asked Jusphen.
“Indeed, I have neither fiancé nor lover. My parents won’t be pushing me into any engagements, so it’s up to me to find a spouse on my own!”
Again, this was true. Both her parents had already left this world for the next, so they could not possibly force her to do anything.
Overhearing the exchange between Mile and their son, Sir and Lady Woitdein’s eyes began to glimmer.
***
After returning from their long walk, the Woitdeins declined Count Austien’s invitation to tea, instead shutting themselves away in their guest room to continue a hushed conversation.
Finally, lunchtime arrived.
“We would like to shelve the matter of the proposal.”
“What…?”
The Marquis’ sudden declaration left Count Austien too stunned for words.
“I’m sorry! I’m so truly sorry, but we must ask you to humbly accept our withdrawal. Please excuse us!”
All three Woitdeins stood, bowing their heads.
For a brief while, the Count was frozen in place, until he finally stood up, red in the face, and shouted, “Don’t toy with me! D-do you intend to make a fool of my daughter? Of the Austien family?!”
To speak to a person of superior rank in such an impertinent way was a rudeness of the highest order, but there was no one who would persecute him for it in this case. The one who had truly been rude here was the Marquis. His actions were an unforgivable slight against a fellow noble household.
However, the insult did not seem to be intentional, nor did the Marquis appear to bear the Austien family any ill will. Seeing how apologetic he was, the Count began to calm down—just a little.
“At least allow me to ask the reason!” said the Count, still red-faced and trembling.
However, the Marquis only bowed his head, again and again.
“I’m sorry, please forgive us! The blame here is all ours. You can scorn us as much as you like or disparage us as you see fit! But please…”
The Count’s anger still had not subsided, but if the other party was no longer interested, then there was no point in continuing with the engagement. Even if he were to force the matter, it would not contribute to his daughter’s happiness, and so, he had no intention of continuing the conversation.
“Please do not think that I will accept this insult to my daughter so easily.”
“I’m sorry…”
The Woitdeins bowed their heads deeply again and then swiftly left the Austien residence behind. Mavis hung her head and returned to her room, shutting herself away.
“Mavis…”
Count Austien was in deep despair. Had Mavis’s three elder brothers been present, the exchange would have ended in a far more heated manner. Truly, they would have had no choice but to slaughter the Marquis and his whole party. It was truly fortunate that they were all away, busy with their own
careers.
Meanwhile, in Mavis’s room, behind closed doors…
“I can’t believe it! It’s just like Pauline said! They broke off the engagement all on their own! I got off scot-free, and now the Marquis owes us! It’s just like magic!!! All right, now to continue as planned…”
***
“Father, you really did it!”
While riding in a carriage bound for the inn where Mile and the others were staying, the Woitdeins talked among themselves.
“Yes. What we’ve done to Count Austien and Lady Mavis is truly unforgiveable, but we shall think of some way to make it up to them soon. But more importantly, Lady Mile! We must absolutely welcome her into the Woitdein family!”
“Hear, hear!” replied his lady and his son in tandem.
She was the successor to a viscount from another kingdom. Besides the Marquis, who was the head of the family, the house of Woitdein also had a viscount of their own. Jusphen, as the second son, was already in line to inherit this title, but it didn’t hurt for his wife to have her own noble rank as well. Even if it was a courtly rank from another country, if his wife had a title, that meant that there was something for their second child to inherit. Moreover, this meant that the pedigree of the Woitdein line would now include both the title and territory of another kingdom.
The chance to marry a young lady who was in line to inherit her own title did not come by just every day.
First off, there were very few family who had no male heirs. Second, among the families that did have only daughters, how many of these young women could be eldest daughters of marrying age who were not yet engaged? If such a girl existed, young people everywhere would probably come crawling out of the woodwork.
“It really is quite the miracle that Lady Mile has yet to find a fiancé… Actually, I bet you her parents decided on the excuse that she had to choose her fiancé herself so that she would not be inundated with proposals and then they made it impossible to meet with her! I see, I see…”
Based on what he had observed, the Marquis had no trouble coming to this conclusion.
“Well, she may have a title, but that’s not the real gem here. If all she had was her inheritance, then there would have been no reason to practically spit in the face of the Austiens like we did. Here we were the ones to extend the proposal, and we acted in such a shameless manner, hurting even Lady Mavis… Yet Lady Mile is wise and knowledgeable. She has skill with the sword and with magic as well. We must induct her into our family. We need her abilities in our bloodline! Plus, of course, that wisdom of hers could help us develop our territory, her swordsmanship could be passed on to our elite troops, and she could help direct the mages… Blessedly, Lady Mile does not appear to dislike you either. Judging by the way she was with you last night and this morning, there’s no worry of that. I wonder if that’s because of my title, or because she’s never been courted by a man before and so is weak to any attention…”
“Father, you could at least say that it’s because of my charm!”
“Ha ha, let’s say that it is, then!”
“Honestly, you two…”
“Wahahahahaha!”
Not once did the thought ever cross the Woitdeins’ minds that Mile might turn down the proposal they were planning to make.
***
“Think it’s about time, then?”
“I’d say it’s about time.”
Just as Reina and Pauline weighed in with their predictions…
“Pardon me.”
The Marquis and his family arrived at their room, escorted by an employee of the inn. Apparently, once it was known that one was dealing with a marquis, there was no question with checking in with the commoners being asked after to obtain their approval. The Woitdeins were simply brought in on the spot.
“Lady Mile, it is truly inexcusable for me to launch into this talk so suddenly, but won’t you marry my son, Jusphen?!”
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!” the three girls cried out, their hands clasped to their mouths in shameless acts of surprise.
“B-but Sir Jusphen was going to marry Miss Mavis…” Mile pointed out.
“The proposal has already been dissolved,” the Marquis replied, a bit guiltily. “So there’s no problem now!”
“There’s a big problem!” Mile cried back. “I would never steal someone away from my dear friend and party member! You don’t expect me to betray Mavis, do you?!”
“No, but, we already got approval to retract the proposal from both Count Austien and Lady Mavis. Everything’s fine!”
“Even if you don’t have a problem with it, I still do! A huge one! Don’t you realize how horrible that would make Mavis feel?! Plus, I’m only thirteen years old! I have no intention of getting married right now!”
Marquis Woitdein was shaken by this unexpected reaction. She had shown no signs of disliking Jusphen, and even if he was the second son, he was still the son of a Marquis. With the backing of the main family, their household could hold as much power as a count’s. Plus, she had already heard the night before that Jusphen was poised to inherit the title of viscount. So it should have been clear to Lady Mile that they were not gunning for her simply because of her title. Considering all this, he had not expected her to refuse.
Even if he was a man of some years, the Marquis was still a noble, and thus had assumed that the notion of Mile choosing a spouse for herself was little more than a means of pest deterrent, never supposing that a viscount’s daughter might possibly refuse a proposal from the son of a marquis.
The daughters of nobles married for the sake of their households, and even if she herself was the one to inherit, having a father-in-law, and then a brother-in-law, who was a marquis—even if it was in the peerage of another kingdom—wo uld raise her own household’s status immensely. In the distant future, it would be quite the boon for her second son.
If her parents were present, they would have been certain to welcome this talk. With Lady Mile’s abilities, it would not have been at all strange for proposals to come even from the offspring of a count, though according to the previous night’s conversation, there were still few in her own country who were aware of the extent of her skill. It seemed that they would have to get an agreement from the girl herself. With this in mind, the Marquis pressed even harder.
“Well, of course, we would certainly need to meet your parents first and make an official proposal. If your parents were here, I’m sure they would…”
“But I haven’t any!”
“What?”
The Marquis was dumbfounded at Mile’s objection.
“I’m telling you, I haven’t any. Neither parents nor grandparents. They’ve all moved on to the next world. Therefore, not only am I the successor of my family’s title, but I have already succeeded them. I am the rightful head of my family. My family’s lands are under the governance of the offices of his Majesty, the King, until I come of age.”
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!”
Not one bit of it was a lie. After all, to lie about one’s rank was a grave felony, punishable even by death.
“Therefore, I have the final say in who I will take as my companion. And furthermore, I have no intention of stealing away the fiancé of my comrade and dear friend. I will swear that to the Goddess!”
All the color drained suddenly from the Marquis’ face.
Swearing to the Goddess was an absolute oath. Excluding extreme circumstances, that was a promise that one would not break, unless it was a matter of life or death. Naturally so—if one dared break one’s promise and incur the Goddess’s wrath, one had better be prepared for the divine punishment that would follow.
They had now lost all chance of Mile ever agreeing to the engagement.
“Please excuse us!”
The Marquis took his still-dazed wife and son by the arms and hurried out of the room.
And then, after a beat, Reina announced, “Let’s roll out!”
“All right!!”
“F-father, where are we going…?”
“To the Austien residence, obviously! We’ll get them to reinstate the engagement, even if I have to grovel in the dirt!” said the Marquis.
“………”
Did he really think that was going to work? His wife’s and son’s expressions were dark.
After they arrived at the Austien estate, following a rushed carriage ride, a butler guided the Marquis into an inner room where he bowed his head deeply to Count Austien.
“I’m sorry! You may redress me as harshly as you like, and if you would like me to get on my knees and beg, I shall! But I’m pleading with you! Please ignore everything that I said before, and let’s continue discussing the engagement as planned…”
As the Marquis pleaded desperately, Count Austien made a pained face and pulled a single slip of parchment from his breast pocket, which he handed to the Marquis. Upon the paper was written the following:
I’m going on a journey for a while to heal my broken heart. Please don’t look for me.
—Mavis
Surely, she would be traveling with her companions, so there was no need to worry about her. However, that did not temper the Count’s rage toward the Marquis—particularly when the man had the impudence to offer up his proposal a second time. That was more than the Count could endure.
“You will pay a dear price for this,” said the Count, with a voice that rang as though from the depths of hell.
The Marquis fell to the floor on his knees. He had not yet dropped into a full grovel, but it was still a pose that no Marquis should ever have to take in front of a Count.
“I understand,” he said, groveling. “Not only will you receive a great sum as my apology, but any reports or proposals that you submit to the higher-ups, I will back. I will concede to those of your faction and any other thing you wish! I can never truly apologize for the harm done to Lady Mavis, but please, is there any way you can forgive me…?”
Even the Marquis, shrewd in the world of politics as he was, could only beg for an apology for wounding another family’s daughter so badly that she would run away from home. After all, he had daughters of his own.
“Very well,” said the Count. “What’s done is done. We shall furnish your food and lodgings for the night and will discuss this further later. However…”
“However?”
“I will have to insist that you be the one to explain the circumstances of the situation to my three sons when they return home. Whatever punishment they see fit to give you, I expect you to sit obediently and take.”
“I concede to your whims, good sir.”
***
“Pauline, you’re amazing! I can’t believe we managed to break up that proposal safely without doing anything but being ourselves! Plus, since they were the ones to break it off, that keeps my father out of a bad position. On the contrary, I think they’ll owe him a favor now. Just what sort of magic did you use?”
After reconvening at their agreed-upon location, the Crimson Vow were now heading back toward the capital.
The other three grimaced at Mavis’s question. Even Mile, for once, had fully grasped the circumstances of the situation. Mavis appeared to be the only one who did not understand. In order to keep Mavis, who was bad at keeping secrets, from slipping up, Pauline had informed her only of her own role, not bothering to illustrate the full shape of the plan.
However, now that everything was over, and because it would be troublesome for Mavis if their stories did not align the next time Mavis returned home, she decided this was finally the moment to spill the beans.
“What? You’re saying that the reason the proposal was broken off was that Lord Jusphen had his eyes set on Mile, and he wanted to go for her instead of me…?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Thus, the Woitdeins were the ones to break off the proposal. Mile does give off a very similar vibe to the portrait of you from your younger years that your third brother showed us. Given that Lord Jusphen was smitten with that version of you, we thought that might be enough to attract him. Plus, she comes with a title, and there’s the chance of her passing her sword and magical abilities on to her offspring… Furthermore, she has unique knowledge, and people find her pleasant. Honestly, she’s got you beat hands down!”
“Wh…?”
“Ah, of course, we never lied to them, so this wasn’t an entrapment. I mean, he’s not necessarily a bad person, but the fact is he was taken with you after only seeing you one time, a long while ago, which means that he made his decision based only on your appearance, not because he liked you for your personality or anything like that. So really, he’s a plain old garbage hound dog excuse for a man who judges women only by their looks!”
By now, Pauline had grown fed up with the disgusting men who could only stare at her chest when speaking to her, so she was critical of any man who would judge a girl’s worth from her looks alone.
“Plus, we can assume that what they were really thinking about was the fact that you are the daughter of a count; that you are a skilled swordswoman who has made a name for herself; and that, since they are part of a martial line themselves, you would be valuable as the wife of their son. Right? All they care about is status and what abilities are most convenient for their own ambitions, don’t they? Lord Jusphen was never smitten with Mavis, the woman herself, but with the abstract ideal of a woman who would be of practical value to him. And so, once we got his eyes to wander toward Mile, who has even more value to him, then hooking him was easy. He isn’t the sort of person who would ever worry about your feelings or regret his actions.”
Mavis seemed to be growing increasingly depressed, so Pauline tried to emphasize the fact that it was the Woitdeins, not Mavis herself, who were the bad ones, attempting to ensure her friend had no feelings of regret. However…
“You’re saying that I have less value than Mile as a marriage prospect? So much less value that someone would toss me away, just like that? That I am so much lesser than Mile, with her youth, and her height, and her body, and that vacant stare, and that complete lack of common sense?”
Mavis stopped in place, clutching her head in her hands. She looked as though she was about to cry.
“M-Mavis, don’t let it bother you! They don’t know anything about either you or Mile as people! If they got to know each of you a little better, it’s obvious who he would choose!” said Reina.
“That’s right! It would…be…you…” Mile began to add, eager to comfort Mavis, when she suddenly realized just what the pair had been saying about her. “W-w-w-w-wait just a minute! What was all that about?! Just what is it you all think of me…?”
Mile was incredibly indignant.
“Come on! Answer me!”
“Errrr…”
“Mile, Mavis is in a delicate place right now. You need to leave her be!”
“Let’s hear it from you then, Reina! Just which one of us is garbage on the inside?! Which one of us is the boor who no one would ever wed?!”
“I-I didn’t say all that…”
“You didn’t have to!”
“Now, now…”
Even with Pauline’s mediation, it would still be quite a while until Mavis could recover, Mile’s rage could subside, and the party could start moving again.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login