WSNTM 13

13. He Won’t Call Off the Marriage Now, Will He?

“Nice to meet you, my lady. I am Alisa Bayricseed.”

Before the marriage, formal household education began in earnest.

The tutor Ryan had brought was the lady of the Bayricseed family, Alisa, whose noble family had once held status but had now fallen into commoner life.

Though she was of a mature age, she was still a newcomer in the household tutor world, having only recently started her work, and was not yet well-known in the industry.

Claire had received her education directly from Lady Hilbrin, the most renowned etiquette teacher in the estate, but Riley couldn’t have the same privilege.

Even if Riley’s position differed from Claire’s, Lady Hilbrin, who frequently visited the estate, was well aware of Riley’s circumstances in the Eadalin household and refused the role of tutor.

Moreover, most nobles began their education at a young age, so the vast majority of tutors were accustomed to teaching children.

Unlike children, adult women were not easy to control, and few tutors wanted to take on the challenge of teaching fully grown women.

“Though her experience is short, she was born into nobility, so the quality of her teaching should be sufficient,” Ryan noted, keeping a wary eye on Riley in case she resented the inexperienced choice.

However, Riley welcomed Lady Bayricseed genuinely.

“I am Riley Eadalin. I have had delays in my learning due to circumstances, but I will do my best.”

“Speed and timing are irrelevant when it comes to learning. The important thing is the willingness to learn. If you trust me and follow diligently, I will teach you everything I know to the best of my ability.”

After formal greetings, Ryan stepped aside, leaving them to converse.

“Given the limited time, we’ll focus on the essentials for your education,” Lady Bayricseed explained.

“Yes,” Riley responded.

“We will cover court etiquette, foreign languages, writing, and reading aloud as basics. If desired, I can also teach singing, harp, or dancing. For anything else, you might need a separate tutor.”

“Time is tight, so let’s prioritize court etiquette, foreign languages, and dancing.”

While most nobles could play one or two instruments, there wasn’t enough time for that now. Focusing on court etiquette and internal refinement through writing and languages was more efficient.

“Please teach me as best as you can, as quickly as possible,” Riley said earnestly.

A month later, the capital’s scandalous gossip had reached Lupla.

“Master, I believe you need to see this,” the head butler, Leo, urgently reported to Ryan. Riley, who had stepped out for water, witnessed the scene.

“What is this?”

“It’s a gossip sheet that circulated in the capital a month ago.”

“Why are you giving this to me? Could it be about the marriage being reported?”

Taking the paper, Ryan’s expression darkened.

“What is this… some melodrama of the century? What nonsense is this article?”

“It seems the news leaked that the eldest daughter had been engaged to Count Ermeints,” Leo explained.

“What? They’re already broken off! Why is this being reported?”

“I’m not sure either…”

“Did the Tower Master issue an official statement?”

“No. From what we gathered, there was no statement—he simply ignored it.”

“Then it has to be that old Count Ermeints! The marriage was supposed to be secret. If this didn’t leak through him, how else could it have gotten out?”

Ryan, fuming, crumpled the tabloid and tossed it to the floor, where it happened to land at Riley’s feet.

Riley picked up the crumpled paper and began reading.

The article claimed that on the day of the reception, the woman who had fled with the Tower Master of Horizon was none other than the daughter of a baron, secretly married to Count Ermeints, who had apparently shared a romantic encounter with her.

Riley’s face turned pale.

“The real scumbag isn’t him… it’s Count Ermeints.”

Claire approached the shocked Riley, snatched the gossip sheet, and, oblivious to the tension, burst into laughter.

“You should have known better! You’ve embarrassed the Tower Master because of this!”

“……”

“If you’re going to flirt, at least break off the engagement first! Flirting before breaking off an engagement is adultery! Isn’t that common sense? Thanks to you, the Tower Master of Horizon is now dishonorably labeled as the lover who stole someone else’s fiancée! It’s your fault!”

Ryan, seeing this, yelled furiously.

“Claire! Go straight to your room!”

Startled, Claire ran upstairs.

“Who did she take after… I wonder,” Ryan muttered, brushing his face as he sat down, his gaze shifting to Riley.

At that moment, while Riley worried about Givnen, Ryan’s concern wasn’t for her safety—it was something else entirely.

“He won’t call off the marriage now, will he?”

Ryan realized he had voiced his concern and quickly cleared his throat, embarrassed. Even amid all this, he worried the hard-earned marriage might fall through. Riley, clutching the crumpled tabloid, went upstairs.

“…For a moment, I thought the same thing.”

She was worried about Givnen, but she also feared the marriage might be canceled. Her current privileges existed solely because of her engagement to Givnen Lianster. Thinking this way felt selfish, just like Ryan, and she hated herself for it.

“…It’s because of me.”

Riley closed her eyes tightly. He had only helped her. He had been drawn into this by chance. Without him, she might already be dead beneath the Tower.

Her benefactor had become entangled in a filthy scandal overnight.

Of course… she was technically engaged to Count Ermeints, but still…

“I wanted too much.”

Givnen had given her two choices: marriage or guardianship. Though he seemed to prefer marriage, perhaps she should have chosen guardianship. That would have spared her from this scandal.

Riley picked up her quill.

‘Even if the marriage is called off now…’

It wouldn’t be a huge problem. Guardianship would still be fine. The procedures were complicated, but not impossible for him.

Riley pressed the quill to the paper, then hesitated.

“…No.”

She didn’t want to call off the marriage.

Even if selfish, her feelings were firm.

“He was the one who proposed the marriage first, not me…”

If the situation were truly awkward, he would call it off first. She hadn’t even suggested canceling yet, so there was no reason to act out of guilt.

Riley clenched her fist and lowered her head. She didn’t want to give up what she had been given. Even if selfish, she couldn’t help it. Could she go back to the way things were before, losing everything she had gained from being engaged to him? Could she adapt?

If he chose to be her guardian instead of her husband, her uncle might try to marry her off to some other family. Husband and guardian were two very different things. It wouldn’t benefit him at all.

If Givnen stepped in as a guardian, she could foresee the tremendous opposition from her uncle.

Riley let out a bitter laugh.

“…Truly despicable.”

Even now, her selfish desire to prioritize her own safety made her feel sick. She didn’t think of herself as entirely good, but she couldn’t ignore the plight of others.

Riley suppressed her guilt and shame and ultimately didn’t pick up the quill again.

A mere gossip sheet could spread across the entire estate so quickly thanks to long-established connections.

Count Ermeints, notorious for his perverse habits and involvement in countless scandals, had inevitably maintained strong relationships with people in the media.

The networks he had built with considerable investment proved useful now.

“Well done. The payment will be completed by tonight,” one said.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Hahaha, now I feel relieved.”

“But is it really okay…?”

“What do you mean?”

“The exposure included your broken engagement; surely it will damage your reputation.”

“Who cares, compared to the thief who stole someone else’s woman?”

The journalist swallowed his objection and forced a smile.

“Then we look forward to working with you in the future, sir.”

“Yes, you’ve done well.”

“I’ll take my leave.”

“Wait, one more question.”

“Yes, please.”

“Is it true he’s actually marrying that woman?”

“No, of course not. That part was sensationalized to provoke interest.”

Inflating truths with falsehoods was a common tactic used to tarnish someone’s reputation.

“I see. Got it.”

Right. What would he want with the daughter of some minor baron?

“…I must be getting old too. All these useless thoughts…”

The scandalous report, much like the other women around him, had been trivial entertainment. The woman was clearly beyond Givnen’s grasp.

“Did Horizon respond?”

“They’ve consistently ignored it.”

“No statement issued?”

“Yes.”

“Not worth responding to, then.”

“Exactly, they’re dismissing it as gossip.”

Good. Let it remain a gossip. His reputation was already intact.

The real objective was separate.

“I will repay the humiliation that woman caused me.”

This scandal wouldn’t harm her. Nor would it greatly harm Givnen, but it clarified something.

By ignoring both scandals and gossip, it was clear that woman had been a one-night affair for him. He couldn’t have progressed into a serious relationship, having only met her that day.

Then, why let her go unpunished?

“If she’s just someone he spent a night with, I can deal with her however I please without considering him.”

“She said she’d rather die than marry me? Damn it. Then she shall die!”

This alone wouldn’t satisfy his anger.

For Count Ermeints, this would suffice as revenge, but the insignificant woman… her life must be taken. Perhaps then some of his bottled-up rage would dissipate.

Count Ermeints slowly stood.

“Gather everyone immediately!”

A month later, Givnen frowned at Count Ermeints’ suspicious actions.

“Did he book a teleport to Soboster?”

Sak nodded and continued reporting.

“Yes, multiple bookings under various names, all apparently paid for by Count Ermeints.”

“Soboster is part of the Kiev Marquisate, right?”

“Yes, near the borderlands.”

Despite his age and illness, the count had traveled far, with multiple people in tow—a considerable burden even with teleportation.

“Why would the count go there?”

“Unknown, but they departed two hours ago.”

Givnen lowered his pen and leaned back.

A bad feeling. A very bad instinct.

He considered all possibilities before thinking of Riley.

“Destination?”

“Soboster.”

Right. That had been the teleport destination.

But Riley’s residence…

“The Eadalin baron lives in Lupla, not Soboster.”

“Yes? But it’s nearby.”

“Nearby?”

“Yes, Lupla, where the Eadalin baron resides, is near Soboster.”

The Kiev Marquisate wasn’t a place of interest to Givnen; he only knew that the Eadalin baron lived there.

“Is the Eadalin baron a minor lord there? Why not Soboster?”

“The administration divides territories among several minor lords. Lupla is likely the smallest district and probably lacks a teleportation system.”

So they passed through Soboster to reach Lupla?

“Did the Eadalin baron secretly arrange this?”

No. If it were marriage-related, the old man wouldn’t travel that far himself.

Moreover, considering Count Ermeints’ obsession with inexperienced women, he’d have no reason to force the marriage. After all, he had already staged the scandal, making the broken engagement appear real.

The Eadalin baron confirmed that Ermeints had announced the engagement was broken.

Then…

“Revenge.”

Not impossible. The count was rumored to act cruelly toward women, with his ex-wives either dead or missing.

“I’m going out.”

“What? Where are you going suddenly?”

“To meet my wife.”

“…Alone? Shall I come?”

“No, easier to go alone.”

“Wouldn’t at least some guards be prudent?”

Sak persisted. The previous Tower Master had just died. Naturally, he worried for his master’s safety.

“Even the great wizard Jung was killed by another. I cannot allow you to travel alone.”

“My will…”

“You cannot change this. It’s my duty.”

“Then come with me. Instruct the knights to be ready and keep Horizon’s teleport open.”

“Yes, I’ll prepare and follow.”

Better safe than sorry. If the old man harbors ill intent, disaster could strike.

“Then, let’s go meet my lovely wife.”

He strode ahead cheerfully, prompting Sak to sigh in disbelief.

…The man who claimed marriage was mere business looked genuinely happy.

“He wants to see Lady Riley but is rationalizing it under the pretense of meeting Count Ermeints…”

This concludes the chapter.