### Chapter: 253
[ Well, that sure was quite the scene. ]
After wrapping up his chat with Aria, Kraush heard a voice from Crimson Garden as he strolled down the hallway.
Just as she said, he really did make quite the spectacle.
Speaking against Balheim from within Balheim itself?
Whether they liked it or not, the higher-ups would catch wind of it eventually.
But honestly? Kraush couldn’t care less.
As he mentioned earlier, he didn’t think too highly of Balheim itself.
“Let them interpret it however they want. They can’t kick me out, especially not with my tie to the Imperial Family.”
On top of that, his presence in Balheim was growing steadily stronger with each passing day.
Now teetering on the edge of turning 16, the achievements Kraush piled up were definitely worth discussing.
Naturally, Balheim couldn’t afford to treat Kraush like they used to when he was just some nobody.
What really worried him, though, was Bianca.
Before heading back to Rahern Academy, he figured he should meet up with Bianca first.
And just as he was about to make his move, he sensed someone approaching from ahead.
When he lifted his head, he was greeted by a familiar face.
“Lilish noona!”
“Kraush!”
It was none other than his half-sister, Lilish Balheim.
Seeing her again after quite a while, Kraush couldn’t help but crack a brief smile.
Surprisingly, he had grown taller than her now.
Perhaps that’s why Lilish stepped up to him with a look of shock.
“Kids sure grow up fast, huh?”
With a pretty decent age gap between them, she was amazed by how quickly her little brother had matured.
“I’m not a kid anymore; I’m practically an adult.”
“That’s right.”
Lilish wore a nostalgic look as she took in his appearance, only to spot the tie he was wearing. A little smile tugged at her lips.
“You’re wearing it well.”
That tie was a gift she had given him for entering Rahern Academy.
No wonder she wore a proud expression.
“You look like you’re doing better too.”
“That’s thanks to our little brother. Hearing about him puts a smile on my face.”
Lilish beamed with pride for her younger sibling.
Seeing that smile eased some of the bad feelings Kraush had after talking to Aria.
Lilish reminded him that family matters.
“By the way, I’ve heard a bit about the engagement.”
Kraush noted that Lilish, who often stayed busy with her activities, had returned home for a reason.
It seemed to revolve around him.
“From what I gathered, Balheim has already accepted it.”
A displeased look crossed Lilish’s face.
She had personally witnessed the bond between Kraush and Bianca.
Thinking about the two growing up together and eventually getting married brought her joy, but the notion of it being used for family gain just didn’t sit right with her.
“Typical elders… Looks like I’ve got some talking to do.”
Lilish rolled up her sleeves, ready to step in.
However, Kraush shook his head.
“It’s fine. I expected as much. I’ve already issued my warnings, so they won’t get too out of line.”
“…If you say so, I guess I’ll believe you.”
With a slightly disappointed face, Lilish raised her hand and gently ruffled Kraush’s hair.
Given how tall he had become, she had to stretch quite a bit to reach.
“But if you need help, let me know.”
“Sure, I’ll let you know right away, sis.”
Content with that response, Lilish nodded.
After catching up with her about recent events, Kraush bid her farewell as he left the main house.
His destination? Green Pine Hall.
He hadn’t visited in a year and had only dropped by twice, so Kraush was loaded with snacks he had prepared.
“Alisha, I’m off to see Bianca. You spend some time with Aliod.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
Unlike before, Alisha, Kraush’s personal maid, was now eagerly accepting his kindness.
With a quick goodbye to Alisha, Kraush set off to find Bianca.
‘At this hour…’
He wondered if she was training or just resting.
Kraush’s first stop was the training ground.
However, it was completely empty—no sign of life.
There were clear remnants of training, meaning someone had been there not too long ago.
He decided to ask around and soon learned that the last sighting of Bianca was near his old room.
‘If it’s my room…’
Kraush returned to his room for the first time in ages.
The door was firmly shut, and it was quiet inside.
He gently pushed the door open.
Instantly, a flurry of various sounds erupted from within.
It was definitely Bianca’s voice.
As Kraush stepped inside, he spotted someone on his old bed in the distance.
Her long, white hair, which now started to cover her back, and her beautifully curled eyes were unmistakable—it was his fiancée, Bianca Hardenhartz.
‘Looks like she was training and then napping.’
Inside the covers, he noticed her shifting.
“Mmm.”
She seemed a bit fatigued, furrowing her brow as she stirred.
Watching her like that brought a smile to Kraush’s face and completely cleared his own fatigue.
The blanket had been tussled as Bianca moved around.
Barely peeking out of the covers, she was in the full bloom of adolescence—her limbs were longer, and she held a much more feminine figure now.
She would soon be turning 15, stepping into adulthood.
A ring he gifted her was shining on her left ring finger.
Kraush pulled the blanket higher up to cover her.
“Huh?”
Sensing his presence, Bianca finally opened her eyes.
She gazed at Kraush with half-asleep, dreamy eyes.
Kraush locked eyes with her, maintaining the moment.
Then, Bianca tilted her head to the side, her long white hair cascading down.
“What are you doing here?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No, it’s nice.”
Straightforward response. Just the way you’d expect from Bianca.
After replying, she turned to snuggle her head against Kraush’s shoulder.
Unbothered by her action, he wrapped his arms around her head and gave her a gentle pat.
“You’re warm.”
“Well, I am a Lunar Body, so I’m not particularly warm.”
Recently, he had absorbed the energy of the White Dragon King, which further lowered his body temperature.
“That’s because you’re warm, Kraush.”
“Not really something I hear a lot in life.”
Kraush chuckled softly.
Why was it that he felt so at ease around Bianca?
Even after admitting to his feelings for her, it still felt new every time.
Maybe it just meant his affection for her was growing.
“Did you hear about the engagement?”
“You mean the one with the Fourth Princess?”
So she had heard.
Realizing he had inadvertently troubled Bianca with something, Kraush swallowed a bitter smile.
“Sorry for worrying you.”
“It’s fine. I was expecting something like this to happen around you anyway.”
“You expected it?”
Even Kraush felt like that was a bit out of the blue.
Seeing his puzzled expression, Bianca gazed up at him while nestled in his arms.
“There are many people after Kraush.”
“…I’ve noticed it a bit lately.”
He had been getting some strong advances from various directions.
It was like catching a glimpse of the struggles Arthur must have gone through.
“It should just be me, so why are there so many?”
Bianca lightly tugged on Kraush’s collar, making a show of her sleepy demeanor.
Kraush took her face in his hands, feeling the soft warmth against his palms.
Just like a sweet rice cake.
“Careful there.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Calming the grumbling Bianca wasn’t half bad.
A little while later, Bianca finally shook off her sleepiness.
She rubbed her eyes, then stood up and plopped down right next to Kraush, snuggling his arm.
They fit together perfectly, given that while Kraush was built pretty tall, Bianca hadn’t really grown, still quite petite but definitely more feminine.
“Why were you sleeping in my bed?”
“Because I wanted to see Kraush.”
Always blunt, just like usual.
But she looked a bit shy, the tips of her ears slightly flushed.
“I’m about to turn 15.”
“I know.”
“Next year I’ll be enrolling in Rahern Academy.”
“You think you’ll pass the entrance exam? It’ll be pretty tough.”
“No problem. I’m strong.”
She gave her delicate white hands a little flap.
Though her thin wrists made her arms look fragile, even Kraush could feel how much she had toughened up.
Just like she said, getting into Rahern Academy shouldn’t be an issue.
“And, um, about the wedding…”
Struggling to find the words, she fidgeted her legs nervously.
It was an adorably shy reaction.
“Are you talking about getting married?”
As he brought up the subject, Bianca froze for a moment, then rubbed her cheek against Kraush’s shoulder.
Seeing that, Kraush couldn’t help but smile.
Indeed, striking back at the forced engagement between the Ephania Imperial Family and Balheim was a perfect opportunity.
“Let’s have the ceremony next year.”
His thoughts about marrying Bianca had already formed long ago.
There was no reason not to marry since they were already engaged anyway.
The moment Kraush spoke, Bianca snuggled closer, leaning into him.
Even just seeing the top of her head, he could tell her face was lit up with gleeful happiness, like a little white chick flapping its wings in joy.
“Is that really true?”
“Yep, it is.”
Bianca immediately began to observe her own body with excitement, shifting all over.
As she did so, she absentmindedly fidgeted with her arms.
“I think I need to lose some weight.”
Honestly, she looked slim enough as it were, but talking about going on a diet?
“Really?”
“I need to look good for you in my wedding dress.”
Kraush chuckled as he gently pressed his chin onto her head.
“Forget about that and just eat well. I worry since you’re so thin.”
“I eat plenty every day.”
“Eat more. If you want to grow taller, you need to eat more. At this rate, I might not even recognize you later.”
“I’m not that short!”
As their conversation meandered nowhere in particular, Bianca finally lifted her head.
Kraush caught on to what she was hinting at and leaned in to press his lips against hers.
Satisfied, Bianca broke into a soft smile and settled back against Kraush.
Next year was the year Kraush would turn 16.
Bianca would be arriving at Rahern Academy.
At that time, who knows what kind of ruckus would unfold at the academy?
Little did he know what lay ahead.
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