Chapter 134: It’s Not a Difficult Request (2)
‘This bold brat came with a plan from the start.’
Marquis Branford couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. Ghislaine’s audacity was truly admirable.
Under normal circumstances, he would have reprimanded anyone showing such intentions immediately, but this situation was different.
Tap… Tap… Tap…
Marquis Branford tapped the armrest with his fingers.
The people in the war room waited silently for his response.
The Marquis had never taken on anyone as a guardian before.
After all, his honor and authority built up until now could crumble in an instant.
Seeing the Marquis deep in thought, Ghislaine clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘He said he’d do anything. Why is he contemplating so much?’
With a pout at the corners of his mouth, Ghislaine was met with the Marquis’s indifferent gaze.
‘This guy is greedier than I thought. Becoming a guardian will surely bring about many headaches.’
Marquis Branford closed his eyes and sank deeper into thought.
‘But… among the young nobles I’ve seen lately, he certainly stands out.’
He had heard reports of Ghislaine’s activities following the war, but he thought perhaps those were good reviews compared to his reckless days.
However, witnessing Ghislaine’s antics firsthand made him feel that those reports had underestimated him.
‘There are some off-putting aspects, but… I think it’s okay to lend him a hand.’
With the cosmetics industry involved, Ghislaine would undoubtedly grow into a force that no one could ignore in just a few years.
Moreover, Ghislaine’s father, Baron Perdium, had already absorbed Digald’s territory.
Just by providing a little more support, it would be quite beneficial for the Crown Prince Faction.
After much deliberation, Marquis Branford slowly nodded his head.
“Alright.”
Everyone in the war room was taken aback by the unexpected answer.
No matter how he promised, he would actually accept such an outrageous request!
Regardless of the people’s shock, Marquis Branford straightened his posture and spoke firmly.
“As a witness to everyone here, I, Marquis Branford, shall support Ghislaine, Baron Penris, as his guardian. The enemies of the Baron shall be my enemies, and anyone dealing with him must remember that I stand behind him.”
“Anyone who deals with him must remember that I am behind him.”
Marquis Branford asked the last question with a piercing gaze.
“You must also consider my honor in all matters you handle. Will you agree?”
“Yes, I will always act in a way that does not harm your honor, Marquis.”
Ghislaine, with his head bowed, wore a significant smile.
‘Got it!’
Now that he could receive help from Marquis Branford, it was time to handle the important matters that had been postponed.
‘That guy wouldn’t just accept because I promised. He must think there’s a benefit to teaming up with me.’
Marquis Branford was a seasoned politician who had been through it all.
If he truly didn’t want to accept Ghislaine, he had plenty of excuses he could use.
Yet, he must have had his reasons for accepting him.
‘Maybe he’s thinking of using me as a pawn for the Crown Prince Faction.’
There was also the possibility of placing Ghislaine directly in a position where he would confront the Duke Faction.
But Ghislaine had already become enemies with them.
Even if the Marquis intended to use him, there was no reason to avoid it.
In fact, it would be better as he now had a valid excuse to openly seek help from the Marquis.
If Marquis Branford publicly supported Ghislaine, it would be quite difficult for Duke Delphine to make a move in Perdium Territory.
‘This gives me a little more time. They must be quite flustered, huh? Hehehe.’
They wouldn’t last long. In his past life, the Crown Prince Faction had ultimately been devoured by Duke Delphine.
But for now, Marquis Branford would serve as a sturdy shield for him.
Marquis Branford looked around and said,
“Retainers, also remember that when dealing with Baron Penris, I am behind him. Butler, inform the royal family and all the nobles about this.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The butler bowed in response.
Ghislaine glanced around at the retainers of the Marquis.
On their faces were expressions of shock, distrust, and displeasure, all sorts of negative emotions.
As Ghislaine examined the retainers’ expressions one by one, a sly smile appeared.
“Let’s get along well from now on. But why does it look like none of you are particularly fond of me…?”
Before he could finish speaking, the retainers all lowered their heads at once.
“Oh, you don’t even want to meet my eyes…?”
Ghislaine playfully questioned back. The retainers turned pale and quickly lifted their heads again.
“Ah, so that wasn’t the case! I thought everyone disliked me!”
“Ha, ha… No way.”
The retainers concealed their dissatisfaction and forced a smile.
It was hard to believe these were people who would once boldly hold their heads up high in front of the capital’s nobles just because they were retainers of the Marquis.
Ghislaine nodded haughtily with a satisfied smile.
Marquis Branford watched this spectacle, laughing in disbelief.
‘What a strange guy.’
In all his years, he had never seen someone so blatantly shameless.
‘But if he’s that gutsy, it might be fun to back him up.’
If he was asking for a guardian, it likely meant he had high expectations of him.
If she’s requesting this, she must have high expectations for herself.
When I was about to discuss that, the soldier guarding the door spoke with a trembling voice.
“Ah, the Young Lady has arrived.”
Marquis Branford raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“…Didn’t I tell her to come back later?”
“I certainly conveyed that…”
The butler replied with a perplexed expression.
“Well, since she’s come all this way, there’s no need to send her back. Let her in.”
Screech.
The soldier cautiously opened the grand hall door.
Standing at the entrance was Rosalyn, elegantly dressed and proudly holding her chin up.
Ghislaine slowly turned to look back.
Had she done her makeup? Rosalyn’s face was clean, without a hint of redness.
Her cold gaze and tightly pressed lips exuded a strong personality.
In fact, her aura was strikingly similar to that of Marquis Branford.
Step.
Rosalyn gracefully made her way inside the grand hall.
The butler ran forward excitedly.
“Oh, my lady! You’re already moving about! Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s been so long since you dressed up and wore makeup; you look truly beautiful!”
“Why are you embarrassing me… Never mind, thank you. You’ve had a tough time.”
Rosalyn replied briefly with a faint smile and then bowed to Marquis Branford.
“Father, I’m so flustered that I couldn’t greet you properly. Have you finished talking with Baron Penris?”
“Yes, I agreed to become that guy’s Guardian as a reward for healing you.”
At that, Rosalyn’s eyes widened as she looked at Ghislaine.
Ghislaine was the first person to earn such a reward from her father.
‘She really is an extraordinary human.’
With a subtle smile, she approached Ghislaine.
As Rosalyn got closer, Ghislaine wore a suspicious expression.
That inscrutable smile was quite concerning.
‘Not grumbling like usual makes her seem fishy. She doesn’t look like someone who’s here to express her gratitude; what’s on her mind?’
Ghislaine suddenly recalled what she had said during the treatment.
— You bastard, you quack!
— I’m going to kill you for sure.
— You won’t die easy; I assure you.
‘Hmm, that seemed pretty serious. She isn’t really planning to attack, right?’
Without her father Marquis Branford’s power, her influence was still formidable.
If she was still harboring ill will toward Ghislaine, things would get quite exhausting.
In a world where many crazy people kill others just because their pride was hurt, even after being helped, it was nerve-wracking.
Moreover, Ghislaine had acted just as boldly as she had spoken.
‘Well… I guess I could endure a slap or two.’
Thinking about it, she was still a noble lady, so being too harsh might not be ideal.
It was in her nature not to care about such things, but the other party may not feel the same way.
‘But still, I did all that for the sake of treatment. The mood was decent at the end, right?’
While Rosalyn moved, everyone remained tense and silent.
As Jiselle moved, everyone remained tense and silent.
In an instant, Rosalyn seized the atmosphere and looked at Ghislaine as she spoke.
“Baron.”
She paused for a moment, then placed a hand on her chest and slowly bowed her head.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to escape the illness that had chained me like a curse.”
The sudden expression of gratitude shocked everyone watching.
‘Oh, the Young Lady is apologizing!’
Ghislaine also pulled back slightly with a wary expression.
‘Why is this woman acting so out of character?’
Rosalyn looked up with an innocent face, scanning her surroundings.
“Oh? Why is everyone looking at me like that? Is something wrong? Ah, I guess it’s been a while since you’ve seen my face. How embarrassing!”
Her audacious behavior, as if she truly knew nothing, left people blinking in disbelief.
Ghislaine couldn’t hold back and asked playfully.
“Um… are you really okay?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Just yesterday, you said you wouldn’t leave me alone…”
“When did I say that? I don’t use such harsh words.”
“You said you would definitely kill me…”
“Oh my, it must have been really tough during the treatment. You might have heard things that weren’t there.”
Rosalyn turned to the maid who followed her and asked.
“Did I say something like that?”
The maid replied with a perfectly expressionless face, not even blinking.
“No, you did not.”
“See?”
Ghislaine gaped in astonishment.
‘You’re acting like it’s nothing, but I still vividly remember you trying to stab me with a dagger! Is this a new form of torment?’
He spoke in a tone full of grievance.
“No, you called me a quack and said you’d tear me apart and kill me!”
Swish!
Before Ghislaine could finish, Rosalyn opened her fan and covered her face.
Hiding her twisted smile behind the fan, she peered out with just her eyes.
“Oh dear, I’ve never said that, have I? If others hear that, they might misunderstand! No matter how much of a benefactor you are, it’s inappropriate to tarnish a lady’s honor like this.”
Her voice was sweet, but a terrifying killing intent radiated from her eyes.
Seeing those fiery eyes, Ghislaine awkwardly chuckled.
“Y-yeah. I must have misunderstood.”
‘I get that you want to brush it under the rug, but… does it even matter now? It seems pointless.’
Swish!
Having received the satisfactory answer, Rosalyn closed her fan and said gently.
“If I have been rude during the treatment, please forgive me.”
“…It’s fine. The fact that you endured such extreme pain is impressive in itself.”
She had withstood treatment that even most sturdy men couldn’t handle, so that much had to be acknowledged.
Pleasantly surprised by the response, Rosalyn smiled slightly.
“I will definitely repay you for your kindness in healing me. I will use all of my abilities to do so. If you need anything, please let me know.”
“I don’t need anything.”
Ghislaine replied firmly.
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