Especially considering the last kidnapping incident, the situation seemed to be completely messed up. Looking at how he even poured out harsh sarcasm to Claire, it was clear that he was deeply upset.

‘Is he deliberately making me taste misery?’

The more the marriage process was delayed, the more it was only a loss for Ryan. If there was a reason for the delay, he could understand, but the continuous state of uncertainty made him angry.

At this point, it seemed like they were intentionally ignoring personal emotions. No matter what, they were going to become in-laws, so what kind of nonsense was this about ruining etiquette?

“Father, how about you subtly inquire if the wedding date has been set?”

“…I’d like to, but there needs to be a way.”

“You could go directly or send a message.”

“For some reason, I haven’t received contact from anyone recently. I went to the mansion a while ago and got the door slammed in my face. They said neither Riley nor Giben could meet me, and they told me to make an appointment and come back next time.”
“Then do we just have to keep waiting? No, isn’t this too much? Even if they claim to handle everything and prepare on their own, they should inform us about the progress and proceed by exchanging opinions together… It seems like they are intentionally rejecting us. Regardless of the difference in household status, what kind of etiquette is this ruining?”

In response to Claire’s words, Ryan pressed his throbbing forehead.

Arguing with a youngster, keeping an eye on Riley’s reactions—it felt like dealing with stress alone for ten more years.

Day by day, the anxiety grew. He even thought they might be decorating another scheme behind the smokescreen of marriage.

Although he managed to rush through the contract to proceed with the marriage with Riley urgently, the probability of Riley completely revealing the past was close to zero.

I can’t stand to see my family doing well.

If she were truly my biological daughter, I wouldn’t have these worries.

Legal family relationships can be legally invalidated. Perhaps… whether it’s now or in the distant future, it was obvious that Riley’s side would want to remove the label of this legal family relationship.

Ryan bit his nails anxiously.

‘I have to establish myself here as soon as possible.’

He never thought he could be with Riley for a lifetime. He thought Riley might use any excuse related to the past to seek revenge.

Once he gained strength after the marriage, he would immediately file a lawsuit to sever the family ties. Maybe he would use Giben’s power to carry out all sorts of despicable acts and harass them.

But it didn’t matter. He was the one who chose to marry her, knowing this. And anyway, he knew it was something that would happen in the far future.

Scratching the wound now would do no good for Riley. He was just waiting for her to retaliate someday. Until then, Ryan planned to create ‘his person’ and build a foundation to prepare for the future.

However, it was natural to feel irritated at wasting precious time like gold. In a moment of frustration, he complained about not being able to do anything right away.

“Master.”

“What is it?”

“Um… a letter has arrived for you. Here…”

Having received the letter, Ryan confirmed the sender’s name and became serious.

‘Why did Count Ermenz send a letter to me…’

After the reception, the relationship with Count Ermenz had completely soured. It had been a long time since Count Ermenz became a person with no reason or value to contact privately, from the moment Riley married Giben.

So, Ryan, without even reading the letter, was about to tear it up but hesitated. He wondered why the old man, who had been quiet for a while, sent a private letter all of a sudden. Unable to resist his curiosity, Ryan tore open the letter and examined its contents.
As Ryan read the letter, his eyes widened infinitely. After reading the entire letter, he glanced around and quickly tucked the letter into his pocket.

“Father? Why are you so surprised by the letter? Who sent the letter…?”

“You don’t need to know.”

Claire’s eyebrows twitched at Ryan’s stern reply. Whether he said something or not, Ryan, without examining his upset daughter’s feelings, quickly put on his coat as if being chased by something.

Then, like a person being pursued, he hurriedly left the mansion.

“You came quickly. You like everything fast.”

Ryan bowed his head and gasped heavily.

His breath felt like it was choking at the base of his throat, and his chest felt like dry, parched land splitting open. Enduring the pain of his collapsing lungs, he finally looked at Count Ermenz after calming down a bit.

“Why did you leave such a letter for me?”

“Just as it’s written there.”

“…Is it true?”

“Of course. By the way, you came here so fast. Seeing that you rushed over right after receiving the letter, it seems that scoundrel is mistreating you, just as I expected.”

Ryan growled, grinding his teeth. There was no mistreatment like this.

“So, what now? Do you have the heart to ride on the same ship as me?”