Chapter 3. Taking Aim
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“Miss Marienne Rose woke up and finished her meal just now. There was a small commotion last night, but it was nothing significant.”

The gray-haired butler reported the night’s events to Nigel as he set down a teacup on the office desk, brushing back his hair.

“By commotion, do you mean the scream from last night?”

“She said she had a nightmare.”

Nigel snorted and unfolded a map of the continent.

“It must be her first meal in three days.”

“That’s correct.”

“And she slept in until the afternoon.”

The butler, holding a silver tray, listened attentively to his master’s words with a solemn expression.

“Seems she’s getting comfortable.”

Nigel gestured for the butler to leave.

The butler bowed respectfully and quietly withdrew.

A gentle breeze blew in through the open window.

The soft wind that rustled the curtains also stirred Nigel’s hair as he held a quill pen.

The nib scratched peacefully against the parchment, in contrast to the brutality of the mock battle unfolding in the master’s mind.

Nigel marked locations where the Heath army might have invaded or could soon launch a surprise attack, and thought about tactics to counter them.

Not capture, but annihilation; merciless slaughter and massacre.

In his plans, the monster army of Heath was being trampled ruthlessly.

As it had always been.

Nigel’s gaze turned to Rockshield, the fertile land of the Grencia continent.

The place where his family’s main castle was located, where his mother resided.

Due to the ongoing conflict with Heath, Nigel mostly stayed in Louer in the north.

He visited Rockshield only a couple of times a year, and even that was becoming less frequent.

Nigel’s quill stopped over the mark of the main castle.

Rockshield…

In that place, like a holy ground for the family, he was both the sole heir and an ugly monster that shouldn’t exist.

The desperate tears and blood-curdling screams were soaked into every corner of the castle, which sometimes made it hard for him to breathe when he entered.

A drop of ink precariously formed at the tip of the pen.

Suddenly, his father’s last words, lodged like a stake in his heart, came to mind.

‘Nigel, promise me. That you’ll survive and protect your mother and the family. Endure, even if it’s painful. Persevere, even if you feel like dying. And remember. Even if my body is broken and scattered, I will watch over you as you carry the family.’

Nigel didn’t notice the quill touching the map.

The ink spread, covering the main castle of Rockshield in black.

At that moment, the door opened and Aaron entered.

“So you were here. I knocked several times, but there was no answer. I thought you had forgotten our appointment.”

Nigel looked up, having cleared away the emotional debris.

“What did you find out?”

“It’s as we expected. His Majesty the Emperor intends to strengthen his royal power by marrying off his only daughter, Princess Elizabeth, to Your Grace. Count Godwin is expected to visit Louer soon with the engagement contract.”

Nigel raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair.

“That womanizer?”

“He’s eloquent and always eager to serve His Majesty, so he’s perfect for the job. But this puts us in a difficult position. With His Majesty personally involved, we lack a proper reason to refuse. Though marrying wouldn’t be a loss for you.”

“What else?”

As Nigel changed the subject, Aaron persisted.

“Your Grace, if you receive healing from Miss Rose regularly, a married life becomes possible. The situation has changed now, please consider it. Wouldn’t it be better to form an alliance through marriage rather than continuing to oppose His Majesty the Emperor?”

Nigel lowered his gaze to the continental map.

Aaron was about to say more but gave up.

When it came to women and marriage, his lord put up an iron wall.

Aaron felt both sorry and frustrated for his stubborn master, thinking he could now dream of a happy future.

Moreover, what a person the princess was.

She was no less than any noble lady, and above all, she admired his lord.

“What about Marienne Rose?”

“That’s quite strange. Adam Rose isn’t making any moves. I thought he would at least submit a petition to His Majesty, but he’s not doing anything.”

Watching Nigel’s expression, Aaron cautiously added.

“I found out that Marienne Rose is an orphan, raised by a tanner for a while before being adopted into the Rose family. It’s not for us to say, but isn’t it heartless? They say she was treated like a daughter, but look how ruthlessly they cut her off when trouble came. She’s a pitiful woman. So I was thinking…”

“I understand. You may go.”

At the cold dismissal, Aaron urgently suggested.

“Please at least let her out of the room. She’s been locked in there for three days already. What if she turns her back on us? If she has an attack, we’ll be the ones at a loss. You should use her. With her around, you can be free from pain, can’t you? She’s also beautiful, so why not make her your mistress, a bella…”

“Leave.”

“There are guards stationed tightly all over. At least let her walk around inside the castle.”

Nigel shook the call bell on the table forcefully.

Soon, a servant entered and bowed.

“Call the knights to the archery field.”

Aaron, trying to resolve the matter, persisted again.

“Your Grace, please allow Miss Rose to move around inside the castle! This request comes from my sincere concern for Your Grace!”

Nigel frowned as he was about to stand up, faced with the persistent request. Judging by his face, Aaron seemed ready to crawl under the bed and keep talking all night if necessary.

Knock knock.

A servant knocked on the carriage door, waking Count Godwin.

“We’ve arrived at Louer Castle, Count.”

After a long journey, Count Godwin, carrying the Emperor’s engagement contract, arrived in Louer.

The Count, who had brought four wagons of luggage, yawned as he stepped out of the luxurious carriage.

Count Bernan Godwin. He was an unscrupulous man who deceived the Emperor’s eyes and ears with honeyed words and profited by sowing discord among the noble families.

His face, which enjoyed wine and women, was flushed, and his protruding belly jiggled pitifully over his thighs.

An emerald pendant gleamed on his neck, and a ruby ring flashed on his fat fingers as he twirled his mustache.

He walked between the lined-up employees and looked up at Louer Castle.

“How grandiose. Does he think he’s royalty, that arrogant brat?”

As Count Godwin muttered curses, Nigel and Aaron approached him. The Count spread his arms wide and flashed a broad smile.

Grand banquets were held for days on end.

With news of Count Godwin’s visit, the Emperor’s confidant, nobles from nearby flocked to the castle, making it bustling with activity.

While not only the guests but also the servants of Louer enjoyed the rare feast, only Marienne in the westernmost room was sunk in gloom.

With sunken eyes, she stared blankly out the window.

Although she was told she could send letters, she had given them to the maid three times, but there was no reply.

Rahta approached Marienne, who was curled up in the corner of the bed.

“You’ll get sick like this.”

Marienne had changed after meeting Nigel. She would often sit listlessly by the window or on the bed after giving her letter to the maid. Coaxing and comforting were of no use.

“Go for a walk. Get some sunlight.”

“……”

“You fool, you’ll only hurt yourself if you get sick like this.”

“Rahta.”

Pleased that she had finally spoken after a long time, Rahta scurried over to Marienne.

“If my brother or mother had read my letter, they wouldn’t have not replied. That means something must have happened to them. They might have fallen ill with worry about me, or else…”

“Or else?”

“They might have been robbed of the shop and banished from the territory.”

“Oh, come on. Nigel isn’t that vile.”

“I wonder.”

Marienne, who had been muttering expressionlessly, stood up as if she had made a firm decision.

“Your Grace. This is unjust. Don’t you know?”

Nigel reluctantly agreed, though he didn’t like it.

“Do as you wish.”

“A wise decision. As always.”

Putting on his archery gloves, Nigel snorted at the flattering compliment.