“…….”
Zion was left speechless, staring at Hanette. She fumed for a moment before slowly calming down, realizing she might have overreacted. Taking a deep breath, she reflected on her outburst.
“Why… why are you looking at me like that?”
“Sis, do I seem like the kind of person who would cheat?”
“…No, you don’t.”
“Do you really think I let Oz Ternein go just because she’s pretty?”
“You probably have a reason, right?”
“Then why did you say that?”
“…….”
Hanette, still embarrassed, remained silent. It was a heat-of-the-moment comment with no real intent. She was just a bit jealous seeing Zion give Oz Ternein so much attention.
“You said something similar when we visited Duke Ternein’s estate, didn’t you? Do you keep needing reassurance?”
“It’s not that I want to ask. It’s just a… mistake.”
“Doesn’t seem like a mistake.”
“It was a mistake. But…”
Hanette trailed off, realizing she had to back down to end this. Continuing would only lead to more arguments with Zion.
“Does it seem like I’m overly protective of Oz Ternein?”
“It’s not that…”
“Sis.”
Zion slowly stood and approached Hanette. She stiffened, feeling an unusual tension fill the room.
“Do you not trust me?”
Zion was now face-to-face with Hanette. She wanted to turn away but found herself unable to move, feeling a strange fear holding her in place.
“I… I do trust you.”
“Then why say such things?”
“I said it was a mistake…”
“Should I prove my feelings to you here and now? Is that what you want?”
“…What?”
Hanette was caught off guard, a faint sense of unease washing over her. How did Zion intend to prove his feelings? She feared he might use this as an excuse to demand something from her.
“You said something once. Whether you marry first and then have a child or have a child and then marry, it’s all the same, right?”
“I did say that, but…”
Realization dawned on Hanette, and her eyes widened. Zion, his tone cold and serious, murmured.
“How should we proceed then? Should we marry first, or have a child first?”
“Wh-why are you bringing that up now?”
“If you want to believe me, I need to prove myself. I’ve given my all to you. Duke Adelaira told us to hold off, but do we really need to?”
Hanette felt a shiver run down her spine, instinctively drawing back. She realized she might have gone too far. She only wanted to understand why Zion seemed so protective of Oz Ternein, but she ended up provoking him instead.
“Isn’t it a bit too soon? We have so much to do, and with the Sylase Order…”
“If we had followed the schedule, we would already be married by now. Shouldn’t we do it now?”
“I-I’m not ready yet…”
“You’ll be ready once we start. Don’t you want to marry me?”
“Well…”
Hanette couldn’t think of an excuse, her face contorting in frustration. She knew she was getting drawn into Zion’s pace. She understood she had to marry Zion eventually, but she couldn’t accept it right now.
“…When did I ever say such a thing?”
Hanette regained her composure and stood up, deciding she needed to distance herself from Zion. If she could just naturally walk to the door, she could end this here.
“I get what you’re saying, so let’s leave it at that. You don’t want things to get awkward, do you?”
“You’ll bring it up again later, won’t you?”
“You brought this on yourself by doing something suspicious.”
“So, you’re saying you don’t trust me?”
“I would have stepped in if I didn’t.”
“Once you trust someone, shouldn’t you trust them completely?”
“I’m trusting you, that’s why I’m still here.”
“How does this look like trust?”
“I didn’t go after Oz Ternein, did I?”
Zion frowned, but Hanette glared back, clearly irritated.
“…If we stay here, we’ll just keep fighting.”
Hanette turned on her heel and quickly left the room. Zion watched her go before slowly turning away himself.
‘I had to do this to keep things quiet.’
Zion let out a bitter laugh as he sat down. It wasn’t that he desperately wanted to marry Hanette right then. He just felt he needed to show some genuine emotion since she doubted his actions.
‘She’s right to be suspicious.’
Hanette wasn’t wrong. There was no need to take the risk of letting Oz Ternein go. However, to fight the Three Great Kings, the Four Calamities, and possibly the Demon God, he needed to recruit all the Magic Sword users he could.
‘If it’s just jealousy, then it’s fine. It means she still has feelings for me.’
On the road to Duke Ternein’s estate in the capital of Alain Kingdom.
Oz walked slowly, having tidied up her hair and face as best she could. She couldn’t run away forever and had to keep her promise to them. Things might not go as planned, but she would act boldly if necessary.
‘I may not be forgiven, but I can show that I’ve changed.’
Even though they agreed to her terms, she knew they wouldn’t fully trust her. They might keep her under constant surveillance and use her as a Magic Sword user. However, they were not cruel, choosing not to return her to Duke Ternein.
‘Hanette Adelaira will probably hate me forever. Why did I do that…’
Oz never planned to show herself to anyone until the end. She didn’t intend to harm or seal Hanette when she attacked. However, her identity was revealed, and Hanette’s reaction was nothing but scorn.
‘We probably won’t ever be close.’
Oz halted, her eyes filled with sadness. While staying at Duke Ternein’s estate, she had never had the chance to meet or speak to Hanette. The two Dukes were hostile towards each other, and Hanette was known as the Crazy Young Lady, rarely attending social gatherings. They never had a chance to meet.
‘Have I come too far?’
To escape Duke Ternein’s control, she had to make a decision. She sought an alternative path to grow stronger quickly, leading her to seize La Bler and rapidly ascend in power. Even if given another chance, she might choose the same path again.
‘I want to join the Sylase Order, but…’
Oz had always been interested in Hanette and was curious about her fiancé, Zion. She had heard about their skills and knew they had fought the Shadow Dragon with the Sylase Order. Yet, joining the Sylase Order seemed increasingly difficult now.
‘They’re probably testing me.’
Zion Laird and the White Apostle decided to give her a chance but postponed her admission to the order. They couldn’t trust her yet and wanted to avoid friction with Duke Ternein. They also wouldn’t hand over the Wind Magic Sword until they were sure.
‘Am I being punished for my misdeeds?’
Oz shook her head, reflecting on her past. Despite her life, she rarely committed outright evil acts. She just followed her father’s wishes, smiling falsely as a tool for political marriage.
‘This isn’t punishment. It’s a trial to overcome.’
She wasn’t denying her sins. She deserved to be reprimanded and needed to seek their forgiveness. If she could endure and earn their trust, she might achieve her goals.
‘If I bond with the Wind Magic Sword, I can become stronger. Joining the order would allow me to make a significant impact.’
Bonding with the Wind Magic Sword would unlock its full power for her. With the Sylase and Sylase Orders, she could achieve great things. She needed them to fulfill her ambitions.
‘Ternein is no longer necessary.’
Oz looked up at Duke Ternein’s mansion with a bitter smile. They wouldn’t let her go easily. They might deploy soldiers or use connections to capture her. However, without substantial skill, they couldn’t pursue her effectively.
‘I have to give it my all. This is a trial too.’
Third floor hallway of Duke Adelaira’s mansion.
Dyn Adelaira, upon hearing interesting news, made his way to the third floor. His sister didn’t have many connections, so she probably wouldn’t be aware of such information in time. Though his brother-in-law was around, he was always with his sister, so he was in the same boat.
‘Did my sister ever meet the daughter of Duke Ternein?’
Dyn knocked and entered the room. Inside, his sister and brother-in-law were talking. The scene was so familiar that they seemed already married.
“Sis, when are you getting married?”
“There you go again. It’s still a while off.”
“Maybe I should ask brother-in-law? What do you think?”
“…It’s a bit early. We have a lot to do.”
Dyn watched them with amusement. They seemed nervous about each other. A wedding and one night together should be easy, but they seemed hesitant.
“I have some interesting news. Want to hear?”
“You heard something strange at a social gathering again, didn’t you?”
“This is really interesting. The daughter of Duke Ternein has returned.”
“…….”
Hanette and Zion exchanged glances, staying silent. If this was true, it meant Oz Ternein kept her promise. However, since Dyn found it amusing, the outcome might have been unexpected.
“Why are you quiet? Did you know?”
“Uh… no, we didn’t. So, what happened?”
“She came back but didn’t enter the mansion.”
“Why not?”
“She said she’d wait until Duke Ternein came out. Doesn’t that sound suspicious?”
“…It does.”
Hanette looked at Zion, puzzled. Zion remained deep in thought.
“Do you know what she said to Duke Ternein? She said she’d renounce her name and live alone. Can you believe it?”
“What did Duke Ternein say?”
“The obvious. He ordered the knights to capture her.”
“…Did they?”
“Haha! Here’s the twist, she beat the knights by herself. Then she said to bring more knights if they wanted. She wasn’t afraid of getting captured.”
Hanette gave up trying to understand, and Zion realized there was no point in overthinking it. If it ended like this, then it had been resolved one way or another.
“So… what happened next?”
“In the end, she defeated all the knights. Duke Ternein, seeing this, allowed her to live alone and even gave her money, promising not to interfere. Isn’t that hilarious?”