I Regret The Kindness I Gave You - Chapter 42

A secretive and gentle, yet more fearsome voice. With that final utterance, the voice disappeared.

The sound of waves that had been ringing in her head also ceased abruptly, as if erased in an instant.

“……”

Only then did Merche come to her senses.

The surroundings were still quiet.

Pegasus and Nike remained in their previous docile posture, heads bowed, while a light breeze whistled over the muddy garden trampled and struck by lightning here and there.

And belatedly, a pair of eyes met Merche’s with an intensity that could pierce through her.

It was Fabio. For some reason, his face was covered in wounds and his body was in poor condition as he glared at this place.

…Or rather, it seemed closer to being dumbfounded than glaring.

Fabio could not take his eyes off Merche, as if gazing upon something he worshipped.

But just as she was about to become dazed by the passionate gaze falling upon her.

“What are you looking at? Don’t you have eyes?”

“Ugh…!”

A rough hand grabbed Fabio’s hair and pushed it down.

Suddenly forced to bow with his face to the ground, Fabio shook his head vigorously, but the hand large enough to cover more than half of his head did not budge.

“That’s right. Keep your snout planted in the dirt like that. You never know. An unfortunate worm might crawl by and bestow a kiss on your stinking snout.”

“Ughh. Mmph!”

“Oh. Try to act tough. No matter what, you’re not even worth a worm.”

“…Mmph, gack! Let, go of this!”

The struggling head finally escaped from the grasp.

But it was immediately suppressed by something else and shoved back into the ground.

He was a man with an obviously extraordinary physique.

He stood with his foot trampling on the pure white hair that looked so noble, and leisurely straightened his upper body.

The shirt, with buttons torn off during the intense fight, had long since ceased to serve its purpose.

Between the open collar, firm and smooth muscles were clearly visible.

It was a sensual, even erotic sight.

His dark skin, as if tanned, gleamed in the sunlight.

Leading a body like a living sculpture, the man strode right up to Merche, who had become rigid.

With such long legs and large strides, not many steps were needed.

It’s close enough for breaths to intermingle. Merche’s blue eyes, wavering aimlessly, gradually became distant.

“Hello. It’s been a damn long time, hasn’t it?”

My savior. My Merche.

“I almost died missing you. Nearly kicked the bucket from lovesickness.”

“……”

“Ah. Right, this first. I heard before coming here. That weakling proposed to you, didn’t he?”

Rude deliberately turned his back exaggeratedly to glance at Fabio sprawled on the ground.

Stupid bastard. Someone with even less in his head than him who gets cursed out every day for having no thoughts.

Unless he’s dying to die, how dare he. Who does he think he is to covet someone else’s when he should be eating dirt?

He wanted to kill him right away, but held back since Merche was watching.

How long he had waited and longed for this moment. He couldn’t ruin this important and grand moment because of a guy like that.

Phew. He took a deep breath, suppressing the rising murderous intent.

Then, very slowly, so as not to startle Merche, he took out a small laurel wreath from his bosom.

Ridiculously, the moment he grasped the laurel wreath in his hand, his mouth dried up like a parched land.

“Merche. Listen. I’ve become incomparably stronger than I was a year ago.”

“……”

“You saw me throw that weakling, right? I’m at least that strong now. So, Merche.”

Grasping Merche’s unresponsive hand, he desperately proposed.

“Marry me.”

Lest she find his words hard to believe, he added breathlessly.

I’ll do everything you want. If you want to side with those guys, I’ll do it, and if there’s anything you want, I’ll buy it all for you. Also…

“Rude.”

The woman who had been quietly watching his antics finally opened her mouth.

Rude forgot what he had been saying as if he had never said it, and hurriedly met her eyes.

“……”

Anxiety overtook him. A feeling he wanted to deny crept in.

Those eyes he had drawn countless times while attaching sapphire buttons and cufflinks like a fool.

Those beautiful eyes.

The ones that once made him feel like he owned the world, and at other times plunged him into despair as if he had lost everything. The eyes of a cruel woman.

That cool gaze fell upon Rude.

As if sensing something, Rude let go of the hand he had been holding.

His raised eyes flashed with a fierce intensity.

“You, you need to form an alliance with that weakling’s family anyway, right? To create that faction, you need me too, right?”

“…Rude.”

“You need me. If that smart head of yours isn’t filled with nonsense, judge well. Know what’s at stake in your answer right now.”

“Lord Lupinus.”

Not Rude, but Lord Lupinus.

The words that clearly drew a line came from Merche’s lips.

A sharp gaze pierced as if it would overturn everything around immediately. However, Merche didn’t even blink.

“No.”

An eerie silence fell. In it, Merche spoke again with emphasis.

“No, Lord Lupinus. I will not marry you.”

[This is the timeline separator]

“How dare they…, on my land!”

Bang-! The table screamed as if it would break.

It had been a long time since she had seen her grandmother so enraged.

Carla observed the other vassals gathered in the conference room, glancing around cautiously.

The vassals wore extremely angry expressions, just like Mariette.

Some had so many wrinkles on their foreheads that their faces were about to crumple.

Even the aged vassal who always treated Carla like a granddaughter with a good-natured laugh was now grinding his teeth as if ready to kill someone.

“No matter how inevitable factions are, and despite our Benum being in a disadvantageous position, this is not proper. How can they cause such an outrageous disturbance?”

“That’s right. Moreover, the head of the Lupinus family barged in without even seeking permission to visit!”

“We must not stand idly by! We must demand an official apology and compensation from each family, my lord!”

Silence! Mariette struck the armrest of her chair.

Only then did the crowd, which had been raging like a pack of hungry wolves, hold their breath and focus on her words.

“We will demand an official apology and compensation from Ardor and Lupinus. However… we cannot drag this matter any further.”

It was a practical issue.

Soon, the six families would be divided into factions, tearing at each other like beasts. In such a situation, they couldn’t severely oppose houses like Ardor and Lupinus.

No matter what anyone said, Ardor was a strong family. The same went for Lupinus.

Mariette let out a low groan as she pondered.

Then, a minority of vassals who had been sitting quietly amidst the raging majority carefully put forward their argument.

“…In any case, we must join Ardor’s faction.”

What? Such a petty fellow! There were several stirrings, but when Mariette raised her hand to restrain them, it quickly became quiet.

The vassal who had swallowed a dry gulp continued speaking.

“Fondo will not extend a hand to Benum. Even if we reach out first, it’s uncertain whether they will accept. But Ardor is different. They lack the power to face Aquila. Only we, Benum and Lupinus, are suitable to fill that position.”

“……So?”

“I, I heard that Ardor’s Lord Fabio first proposed a marriage alliance. If what I heard is true, why don’t we arrange a marriage with the partner Lord Fabio desires?”

“What? Are you in your right mind?”

Though she had resolved to just listen, Carla couldn’t contain her anger and stood up boldly.

“How is that any different from selling off Merche, that child! What meaning is there in an alliance formed like this…”

“Carla!”

Her grandmother’s stern rebuke. Carla sat down, still fuming.

Mariette glanced at her granddaughter and quietly bit her lip.

Yes. That child is right. This is no different from selling off that innocent child.

…But it’s also true that there’s no other way.

She pressed her fingertips hard against her closed eyelids, then turned to the vassals.

“……We just received a new letter from Ardor.”

The vassals stirred. Before their eyes, a letter was tossed onto the table, seamlessly inlaid with ore.

It was a letter bearing Ardor’s crest, stamped with a clear red wax seal.

“The head of the Lupinus family has proposed marriage to Merche, a branch member of Benum.”

What? What did you say?

Immediately, the angry voice of her shocked granddaughter clung to her, but Mariette did not stop speaking.

“If this marriage is realized, Lupinus will form an alliance with Ardor. At the same time, our Benum will also belong to that faction.”

“…Grandmother!”

“I understand your intentions. Yes, this is a marriage that must be realized by any means.”

Carla’s face turned bright red and contorted. Her tear-filled eyes were moist, looking as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

While observing Carla’s unusual demeanor, the vassals murmured quietly.

That’s right. If that branch member, Merche or whatever, just gets married, it’s all over, isn’t it? What better solution could there be?

Everyone’s faces, except for Carla and Mariette, lit up with joy.

The small murmurs gradually grew louder, and it didn’t take long for them to come to a consensus.

They shouted in unison, filled with hope.

Let’s arrange the marriage! Let’s hold the wedding ceremony right away!

“No.”

Mariette scanned the dreamy faces one by one.

The smile on her wrinkled lips held an unyielding stubbornness.

“I will not arrange a marriage that the person involved does not want. If Merche does not agree, I will not cooperate with this marriage.”

“……M-My Lord!”

“This is absurd!”