Chapter : 152
When the three-way meeting began, Valer tilted his head disdainfully.
“Anything to go over?”
“Quite a lot. You wouldn’t know, since you’ve been idling away.”
Valer was momentarily struck by Mehen’s sharp remark, narrowing his eyes.
“Mehen, short on pay?”
“No, it’s the working conditions that are terrible.”
“Ah, I see.”
Valer smiled faintly, pretending to be resigned, which made the vein on Mehen’s temple bulge—but he managed to hold back.
Stay calm. If this meeting falls apart, he’s the only one who’ll benefit.
Seeing Valer’s outright uncooperative attitude, Mehen pulled out his final weapon.
“Arellyn.”
“……!”
“I’ll be telling …”
There was no need for further fuss about whether he would back down. Just the mention of Arellyn’s name was enough.
Mehen watched calmly, smiling slightly, and Valer’s expression immediately froze, his brow furrowing in shock.
“How could you stoop to such a dirty trick?”
“Who started the dirty trick first?”
Mehen had handled the previously unruly and disgraceful member of their household with ease and now looked toward the other side with a more relaxed expression.
Fortunately, Ludwig, who they thought might be just as challenging as Valer, remained cooperative and calm, contrary to expectations.
Even that alone increased Mehen’s favorable impression of the Regent Duke.
“Shall we get to the main point now?”
“Yes, please, Regent Duke.”
Ludwig fixed his gaze on Valer.
“Duke Halbern, withdraw your forces from the border.”
“No.”
“There’s no reason to linger there any longer, is there?”
Valer smirked and crossed his legs the opposite way.
“Well, if you get out of my way here, I’ll make sure you do.”
Ludwig snorted.
“Do you think that will make me leave?”
“Yep.”
“……”
Their eyes met midair. Not as deadly as before, but still burning with intensity.
Mehen sighed at the stagnant exchange.
These people…
Finally, Mehen stepped in.
“My lord, His Imperial Majesty, the supreme Emperor Albrecht, wishes to hear a direct report regarding this matter.”
“Oh, really?”
“You’ve been avoiding it under the excuse of Arellyn’s health, but now that she has recovered, there are no more excuses. I recommend you attend promptly.”
“And withdraw the forces while you’re at it.”
“Yes.”
Valer’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, but such pressure had no effect on Mehen.
Do you know how much the deployed forces cost?!
One problem handled.
Having received the data from Dylan, Mehen now turned to Ludwig.
“Regent Duke, what will you do about the international lawsuit? The Remren Kingdom has requested attendance for the trial concerning Arel’s parental rights.”
Ludwig’s expression slightly tensed.
“I’ll handle that on my own.”
“Being unusually compliant?”
Valer sneered, but both Ludwig and Mehen ignored him completely.
“I’ll be visiting the Remren Kingdom in person soon.”
“Your courtesy is appreciated, but is it really necessary to go in person?”
“I have business there as well.”
“Very well, if that is so.”
With the two most pressing matters resolved, Mehen nodded, more at ease.
“Then you will continue to reside in Albrecht?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Well, there shouldn’t be any until an issue arises, I suppose.”
Although a figure of power who would typically be given a separate wing and special treatment even in the imperial palace, using only a secondary pavilion in Halbern as his residence for an extended stay was something that weighed on Mehen’s conscience.
If he’s satisfied, I suppose it doesn’t matter.
Ludwig stared intently at Mehen.
A genius commoner aide, the right hand of the Duke of Halbern, the Duke’s proxy.
Since Valer succeeded the Duke of Halbern, he had reorganized all of Halbern’s systems and had lost the surveillance of many who monitored the Duke’s family. Meeting him in person felt extraordinary.
So the “mother” Arellyn wanted to see so desperately… was Mehen.
That someone had suddenly become Arellyn’s “mother” was still hard to comprehend.
Well, when young, children tend to want family play.
The Regent Duke felt only envy—especially over the absolute affection Arellyn bestowed.
“Why are you staring at Mehen like that all of a sudden? Move your eyes.”
Ludwig glanced at the Duke of Halbern, who was picking a childish fight, and asked:
“What exactly is your relationship?”
“Ordinary lord and subordinate.”
Mehen replied immediately.
He meant to quickly shut the conversation before any nonsense could arise, but it had little effect.
“Mehen is…”
Valer curled his lips smoothly and said softly:
“Family.”
Mehen, not even registered officially, pressed Valer with a sharp glare.
“Our blood didn’t mix, but we raised the child together.”
“…….”
“Right, darling?”
“Do you want to die?”
Mehen clenched his fist, then sighed and pressed his forehead. His emotions slipped briefly, revealing a reaction. Valer chuckled with delight.
Mehen addressed Ludwig.
“Please ignore my lord’s nonsense.”
“Nonsense? That’s disappointing.”
“If you continue like this, I won’t stay idle either, my lord.”
“How have I acted?”
“You’ll really die.”
“If it’s by your hand, I don’t mind dying.”
“Ugh, die! I said die!”
In an instant, the office was in chaos.
Mehen chased Valer with a fountain pen while Valer dodged expertly. Ludwig watched, stroking his chin.
So this is what their relationship is like.
Mehen tried to set boundaries first, but Valer paid no mind. What caught Ludwig’s eye was not just a lord and subordinate, but a complexly intertwined relationship.
The atmosphere was completely unlike the strictly hierarchical Loque Castle.
Ludwig found Valer, showing no dignity as a duke, both pathetic and astonishing in his comfort with someone.
No matter how he behaved, Valer remained Duke of Halbern, with all vassals and servants serving him absolutely.
“Shadow.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“I’ll take this chance to monopolize Arellyn. Where is she now?”
“……”
Shadow paused, then fulfilled his duty.
“I will guide you.”
Magic Tower
The tower’s resident wizards, stars on their shoulders, sighed heavily, darkening the already gloomy atmosphere.
The reason was as follows:
“How did they prepare this?”
“We were ready to be scolded by our master and went through with the operation…”
“But the target was taken first.”
Despite preparing meticulously to abduct Arellyn over just a few days and expending overflowing magical talent, they failed.
“No wonder the castle seemed chaotic…”
“The guards weren’t tight because the Regent Duke of Loque wasn’t there.”
The Duke of Halbern had infiltrated first with a few knights and taken Arellyn. The wizards realized this too late, striking the ground in frustration.
They almost rushed into Halbern’s mansion themselves.
“Breaking news! Miss Arellyn has collapsed!”
“What?!”
Shocked by this thunderbolt-like news, the wizards finally calmed down.
“The healer called to Halbern’s mansion said Miss Arellyn is very ill! She’s recovering now!”
“Is she weak?”
“She supposedly has a chronic illness.”
“Judging by the records of her needing healers regularly, that seems likely. But what’s wrong exactly?”
Normally indifferent to worldly affairs, the wizards gathered, reading the records of healers they magically obtained.
“Can’t tell from this. We’d need to see her to know how serious it is.”
“But none of us can use healing magic, right?”
“Can’t the master do it?”
“Oh? Speaking of which, where has the master gone?”
The whereabouts of the archmage, adored by all the wizards, became the topic of discussion.
“Didn’t he enter the library?”
“Library?”
The library, known as the Infinite Archives, stretched endlessly, almost like another world, one of the tower’s wonders.
“Then it’ll be hard to see him for a while, right?”
“Even better.”
Everyone welcomed the absence of the only one who could restrain the impatient wizards.
At that moment:
“Attention! We’ve received a reply from Halbern!”
“Oooooh.”
“Read it quickly!”
It was their response to the “courteous visit request.”
“Huh? They’re asking us to come?”
