Chapter 6 – Part 10

“As I said, I can’t have an heir.”

It was a big deal as the Marquis of Grit, but Eli made it sound like no big deal.

“That’s why I’m planning to pass the Marquis of Grit’s seat to someone else soon.”

“You mean there’s someone else with Marquis Grit’s blood beside you?”

“Of course.”

The guests were already shocked by the conversation so far, but there was more to be surprised about when Eli suggested plausible speculation that there might be an illegitimate child of the late Marquis of Grit.

“There are others who carry the bloodline of the Marquis of Grit, not just me—Emily Grit and Eve Grit.”

“That’s ……?”

Eli explained to the vassals, who pretended not to understand.

“Unfortunately, Eve Grit is talking about marrying Earl Ron, so it’s unlikely she’ll become the next Marquis. Therefore, I plan to make Emily Grit the next Marquis.”

With that said, Eli looked at Emily. However, she was still unable to recover from the previous shock and did not catch his gaze.

“That’s ridiculous! Lady Emily is a woman. Besides, she hasn’t even received succession education!”

Only the loudness of the vassals’ voices brought Emily back to her senses. Then she met the eyes of those who were watching her with an intense gaze.

“That’s why I said “soon.” “

“It’s the same even if she receives succession education. How can a woman lead our family!”

“How strange.”

Eli was impressed by the vassals’ vehement protests.

“Wasn’t today’s family meeting discussing the succession of the Grit Marquisate’s lordship between my mother and me? Yet my mother is accepted, and Emily isn’t?”

“That, that……”

The meeting itself was merely a means to sway Eli, but they couldn’t tell him the truth behind it.

They had no choice but to keep their mouths shut, not knowing what retribution would befall them if they did.

“As you’ve seen, my mother has led the family in place of me, who couldn’t inherit due to my age. Isn’t there a record of my mother unsuccessfully leading the family despite not receiving a succession education? My mother didn’t receive a separate succession education either, but she managed the family’s difficulties splendidly. So isn’t it not entirely impossible?”

It was a very different assessment from the one he’d just given Marie.

But it was Eli’s sincerity. As a child, Eli had admired and liked that about Marie.

There was a part of him that believed her until the end.

Maybe that’s why he felt so betrayed by her mother.

“That wasn’t urgent back then.”

“I don’t think it’s much different now.”

“The Marquis is alive now, isn’t he!”

“How does that relate to the current situation!”

The voice that had been meant to soothe him was now a harsh protest. The vassals shouted at him to stop the puns.

“You didn’t understand me at all.”

Eli lowered his voice even further.

“As someone who can’t have a successor, there’s a disqualification reason for me to be in the lordship position. Apart from that, I also have no intention of staying in this position. I don’t have any more desire to stay as the Marquis Grit.”

“Marquis, is this because we’re holding a family meeting, and if so, we apologize.”

“We made a mistake, Marquis.”

The vassals apologized in unison, feeling that they had to change Eli’s mind somehow.

Eli’s words had come too suddenly and too forcefully for them.

“However, this is not an issue to be decided impulsively.”

Now it was a soothing, pleading voice.

“I’ve gone through all the cases I could think of, expecting you to come out here. Even the nobility laws of the Luben Empire.”

The vassals all stiffened at that.

The fact that Eli had gone so far as to look up cases of noble law in advance meant that he had been planning to leave the marquisate from the start.

Emily realized that perhaps her brother had been preparing for this ever since he had taught her how to read documents.

“It says that anyone who has the blood of the family or is recognized by the family can ascend to the position of head of the household. There’s no gender restriction there. It’s just a convention that everyone has been following. I think it goes without saying that ‘recognized by the family’ means that the current head of the family chooses who will succeed him.”

The vassals realized that he hadn’t asked for their opinions in the first place, but rather to make a declaration.

“Since we’re all here, I’ll make it official: Emily Grit will succeed me as the next Marquise of Grit.”

Eli confirmed the thought.

There were murmurs of disapproval, but Eli didn’t care; he knew it wouldn’t be easily accepted.

“From now on, Emily Grit is to be treated as the heir to House Grit, and if anything is said to the contrary, you all know what will happen.”

The vassals could say nothing. They were in no position to argue, and there was nothing they could say.

Their gazes turned to Emily. Even though she was hearing Eli’s decision for the first time today, their eyes were glaring at her.

“Then the House meeting is adjourned.”

The vassals stalked out of the hall, not bothering to bow properly.

Eli and Emily let out a small sigh.

“Brother.”

With everyone gone, it was just Eli, Emily, and Leton.

“Just think about it. Then we’ll talk.”

Before she could say anything, Eli, who had made up his mind earlier, patted Emily’s head and left the hall first.

His back looked tired, unlike during the meeting.

* * *

“We need to talk.”

As they stepped out of the hall, there was a voice that grabbed Eli. It was Arlen, who he thought would have gone back by now.

“If it were Mother, she’d be in her room by now, considering she left the meeting midway.”

“I’ve already talked with the Dowager.”

Eli looked at Arlen as if to ask why she was still here.

“I heard some strange rumors about you abdicating from the Marquisate… Is it true?”

Arlen asked Eli, remembering the conversation she had overheard between the Grit Marquis vassals.

[Can this be true, Lady Emily is ascending to the Marquisate?]

[I see the Marquis Grit is about to be ruined at last].

[We created the position but we can’t even refute it……]

[I guess I was wrong to listen to the Dowager and call a family meeting.].

She could tell how the meeting had gone by the way the vassals fought amongst themselves afterward.

“Why do you want to know that?”

“Of course, it’s important.”

“Why does it sway your resolve to marry me without a title?”

“What?”

“I am asking you if my title affects your decision.”

Arlen was surprised more by the fact that Eli knew about her intent to marry him than by the question itself. As far as she knew, the Dowager had never spoken to Eli about marrying Arlen.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”

The question sounded like a sneer, and Arlen bit her lower lip hard.

“I am asking …… if you were serious about it.”

Now that Arlen thought about it, it didn’t matter whether he knew or not. She just needed an answer.

“I mean it.”

“Why would you make such a foolish choice?”

Arlen genuinely couldn’t understand him.

“From my perspective, it’s not foolish. I apologize if I disappointed you.”

He apologized, looking not at all sorry. She couldn’t help but notice that the apology was Eli’s own sarcasm.

“Could it be because of the marriage rumors between our families?”

“What?”

Eli chuckled as if amused by the funny remark. There was also a hint of disbelief in his question.

“Did our rumored marriage influence your decision?”

Arlen repeated the question as Eli had asked it of her.

“Let me tell you straight, Arlen Miles, there was never any talk of marriage between the Marquis of Grit and the Lady of Miles. It was all a rumor you and my mother made up out of thin air.”

He explained it as if to teach her a fact she didn’t know.

“Nevertheless, to answer your question, it might have influenced my decision to some extent.”

She looked at him as if she didn’t know what to say.

“That’s ridiculous. Does it make sense to give up the marquisate because of my family?”

Arlen said it with a sour face, emphasizing each word.

The Duke of Miles was a family that any family would want to be associated with.

No matter how prestigious the Grit family was and even if they were old friends, this kind of ridicule was unbearable.

He said it playfully, but she knew it wasn’t a joke, which made her feel even worse.

“Well, the idea of a marriage without my consent is even more ridiculous. Did you really think this marriage would be possible?”

“…….”

“Or did you think that anything was possible if you decided it was?”

It was clear that Arlen still thought so, judging by the way she didn’t even try to deny it.

Eli knew that without having to ask.

“I think I’ve made it clear. I have no intention of divorcing Ruby. Are you the kind of person who can’t understand unless I keep repeating it?”

He looked down at Arlen. His eyes were full of his usual annoyance.
As soon as she saw them, she recognized them. The cold stare she was used to receiving was actually an emotionally controlled gaze.

“Arlen Miles, the influence you have had on my decision……”

Eli trailed off, his eyes scanning the air around him before turning to look at Arlen.

“A speck of dust here. That’s about it.”

Arlen’s brow creased impassively.

“Oh, you wouldn’t understand unless I said it again?”

“…….”

“It means that every decision the Marquis of Grit makes has nothing to do with you because my family has no reason to even think about you and the Duke of Miles in the first place. I always knew you were narcissistic, but I never thought it would extend to our family affairs.”

Rubbing his browbone lightly, Eli looked tired.

“And isn’t it strange to come here and do this, leaving His Majesty behind, It’s not like you didn’t know that I’ve been your partner at every party in the past at his request?”