Chapter 4 (Part 4)

After the storm had passed, Reinis sat down on the spot, her head hanging low like a criminal.  

No matter how much she tried to escape, the shackles that she could not break free from seemed to grip her ankles once again, and fear surged within her. The moments of happiness she had experienced felt distant, like a sweet dream she had once dreamed.  

“Oh my, Ren!!”  

Chloe shouted as she tried to hold onto Reinis, but it was no use.  

While Reinis was drowning in despair, Rio, preoccupied with watching Theodore to prevent him from acting rashly, couldn’t approach her.  

On the other hand, as soon as Theodore confirmed that Earl Plarad had fled, he turned his gaze directly to her. The moment he saw her sitting there with her head down, he immediately ran to her side.  

“Are you all right?”  

Even at his question, Reinis remained submerged in despair, unable to pull herself out.  

‘If I don’t get my mother and father’s permission, I won’t be able to marry the Commander… My parents have always said that the family’s honor must be upheld and that promises between families must be kept. No matter how much the other person is a Duke, they wouldn’t be able to break the promise made with Earl Plarad…’  

Indeed, the Baron and Baroness had always emphasized to Reinis the importance of promises between families. They frequently warned that breaking such promises would not only tarnish the family’s honor but could also lead to severe consequences if things went awry.  

However, the reason the Baron and Baroness had said such things was from a time long before the marriage proposal with Earl Plarad had even been discussed.  

It was back when the Baron first managed to align himself with a high-ranking noble family—when their interactions with the Teyshire Marquisate had begun.  

They had constantly indoctrinated Reinis, who was like a bridesmaid meant to highlight Chloe, to ensure she didn’t develop any other thoughts. Because of this, Reinis believed that the Baron and Baroness would never be able to break the marriage arrangement, which they considered a promise between families, with Earl Plarad.  

“Lady?”  

Theodore, noticing that Reinis was not in a good state, placed his hands on her shoulders. He could feel her trembling, as if overwhelmed by fear.  

‘Damn it, for the lady to be this terrified of that bastard… I should have sent him off, missing at least a leg.’  

Barely managing to suppress his rising anger, Theodore called out to Reinis again.  

“It seems Ren has been deeply shocked. If I had known Earl Plarad was someone like that, I would have risked my life to ensure he never received the invitation… I’m so sorry.”  

At Chloe’s words, he let out a sigh and opened his mouth to speak.  

“I apologize in advance for touching you without permission.”  

With those words, Theodore lifted Reinis into his arms.  

As her body suddenly rose into the air, Reinis, who had regained her senses, looked at Theodore with a bewildered expression.  

“C-Commander?”  

“I’ll take you to your room.”  

“I can walk! I’ll go on my own!”  

“You seem to have been quite startled.”  

After finishing his words, he looked at Reinis with a smile.  

Chloe, left standing blankly in place, stared at Theodore’s receding figure, unable to control her pounding heart and flushed cheeks.  

‘How can such a handsome man exist?’  

* * *  

“His Highness the Prince was there? What on earth was His Highness doing in that place?”  

“He said he had something to discuss with the Duke… From what I saw, it seems he’s been staying at the Duke’s manor for quite some time. And Lady Teyshire was also at that gathering. Honestly… there’s no one we can trust anymore!”  

After leaving the Duke’s manor, Plarad headed straight to the Martin Barony.  

He seemed unashamed of the disgrace he had suffered and poured out all his grievances to the Baron and Baroness. Throughout his tirade, the Baroness, Elina, maintained an unpleasant expression, but Plarad needed someone to whom he could vent his frustrations.  

“The reason I gave such a large sum to the Martin family was to marry the young lady. If the marriage doesn’t take place, I trust you both understand that the money must be returned.”  

Ending his statement in an irritated tone, Plarad adjusted his posture into a slightly arrogant pose. Although his attitude was unpleasant, there was no better marriage prospect than this for offloading the troublesome Reinis.  

Handing a piece of paper to the boastful Plarad, the Baron, Jackley Martin, spoke.  

“There’s no need to worry. As you can see, the marriage permit has already been prepared, so as soon as the girl returns, we’ll proceed with the wedding immediately.”  

“Isn’t that the problem? That! Those ruthless knights of the Duke’s manor are guarding the place like a fortress. Do you have any brilliant ideas for bringing her out of there?!”  

Plarad, bursting with frustration, shouted at Jackley, the Baron, as if he were someone of great importance.  

‘If that man hadn’t declared that Reinis wouldn’t be allowed to leave the Earl’s territory, I wouldn’t have to endure this humiliation! Who would pay money to take such a troublesome girl off my hands? A girl with no influence in society. I’m only letting her go because someone is willing to buy her, even for such a small sum. Otherwise, there’s no reason for me to put up with this!’  

Though cursing inwardly, Elina greeted Plarad with a smiling face.  

At first, he pretended to be polite and friendly, but when things didn’t go his way, he showed his true colors.  

There had been countless times when Elina had wanted to throw a pouch of money at him and kick him out after seeing him arrogantly demand that the money be returned. But now, knowing Plarad’s temperament all too well, she realized it was quicker to calm him down and send him away rather than argue with him.  

“Earl, as upset as you are, my husband and I are equally angry, as though we’ve lost our daughter. Not being able to see her… it’s truly heartbreaking. The Baron has also expressed how deeply distressed he is.”  

“Is being angry and upset enough? I, too, am furious and heartbroken over losing my wife! I’m asking what measures we should take!”  

“Of course, of course. We are her parents, after all. We are currently working on a plan to bring her back to us, so please take care of your pressing matters in the capital while you wait, Earl.”  

Thanks to Elina’s soothing words, Plarad left the Baron’s manor after saying he would return later.  

Already troubled by Reinis, Elina felt chills of anger at how complicated the situation had become.  

Jackley Martin, who stood silently without saying anything to Plarad, did not look the least bit admirable in her eyes.  

“Baron! Shouldn’t you be the one to handle Earl Plarad’s affairs?! How long do I have to keep catering to the Earl’s whims? You could have calmed him down and sent him away yourself!”  

“Didn’t you say you’d take full responsibility for everything concerning that child? This matter is about her, so you should handle it.”  

“What?! How can you say something so irresponsible……!”  

Jackley dug one finger into his ear as if Elina’s sharp voice annoyed him, grimacing all the while. Just as Elina was about to shout again, seemingly irritated by the Baron’s attitude—  

“I arrived, and yet no one came out to greet me. Were you all in the drawing room?”  

A voice rang out.  

Turning her head at the familiar sound, Elina’s face brightened instantly, as though she hadn’t been angry moments ago, and she ran toward the owner of the voice.  

“Oh my! Adolf! I thought you’d arrive this evening, but you’re here already?”  

It was her son, Adolf Martin. Hugging the plump Adolf tightly, Elina carefully examined him to make sure he hadn’t been hurt anywhere.  

Her demeanor and gaze were entirely different from how she treated Reinis.  

“I wanted to get home quickly, so I kept telling the coachman to drive at full speed. But no one came out to greet me. What were you all doing here?”  

“Some trouble came up because of that girl…”  

“Trouble? Did that wench cause some kind of accident?”  

Even though Adolf, who was only ten years old, referred to Reinis as “that wench,” neither the Baroness nor the Baron said a word.  

“It’s nothing you need to worry about. You must be tired from traveling such a long way, so let’s head to your room. Should I have some snacks brought out? Oh, no—perhaps I should have a meal prepared? With all the meat you like.”  

Elina hurriedly led Adolf out of the drawing room, trying to distract him.  

‘It’s already academy vacation time. I wanted to resolve this before Adolf came home, but now it’s become such a headache. I need to finish Reinis—that wench’s—affairs as soon as possible. There’s no way I’ll let that crazy Earl drag my son into this mess!’  

With that thought, she resolved to submit the marriage permit for Reinis and Earl Plarad as soon as the sun rose.