Chapter 43
In the office of Meliochan Hadenharts, the firstborn son.
As Jenica arrived and Bianca came in a bit later, Meliochan smiled.
“It’s been a long time since the family gathered like this.”
Jenica remained silent.
Meliochan prioritized the family’s reputation over personal connections.
As the firstborn, he had been raised this way since childhood.
So when he brought up such a topic, Jenica knew it was mostly about the family’s matters.
“Today, I called you here because of the family business.”
Sure enough, the word “family” slipped from Meliochan’s lips.
He was currently acting as the head of the family while their father Douglas was absent.
He had the authority to discuss family affairs.
“What is it?”
Jenica replied brusquely.
She felt uncomfortable being here with Bianca.
“It’s about the engagement to Valheim.”
Jenica tilted her head.
Did they really need to bring up Valheim’s engagement again?
“Jenica, I think we should change the engagement from Bianca to you.”
But the next sentence made Jenica’s eyes widen.
She was momentarily at a loss for words.
It felt as if they were selling her off for a political marriage.
“Wha—”
“I refuse.”
In that instant, it was Bianca, not Jenica, who expressed her opinion first.
Meliochan seemed surprised, glancing at Bianca with an astonished expression.
“Bianca?”
“I refuse. I am Kraush’s fiancée.”
Her eyebrows twitched slightly, but Meliochan, who usually ignored her subtle expressions, didn’t catch it.
Jenica, however, noticed.
“Bianca, you….”
As much as she had loathed her, she was the only one to pay attention to Bianca in Hadenharts.
Jenica realized she could sense fragments of emotion from Bianca.
“Bianca, this is a family matter. There’s no room for your opinion.”
“Then where can I express my opinion?”
Until now, Bianca had never stated her opinion anywhere.
She had lived her life being ignored by the family.
There was no way she ever had the chance to voice her thoughts.
Perhaps that was why Meliochan was taken aback.
It was the first time he had seen Bianca express her thoughts so assertively, leaving him speechless.
But this was already a decision made during the meeting.
There was no way to reverse a matter that had been decided once.
“That’s not allowed. Stop acting like a child.”
“I am a child. I was back then, and I still am now.”
But Bianca did not waver.
“So, I will throw a tantrum. A child is at the age where they can express what they want.”
Bianca stared directly at Meliochan.
“And the only thing I want to keep is to be Kraush’s fiancée.”
In Hadenharts, there was no place where she felt at ease.
The only place she could feel comfortable was right beside Kraush.
Because he was the only one who understood her like no one else could.
So, regardless of the family business, she was determined to remain by Kraush’s side.
“Bianca!”
Seeing her determination, Meliochan erupted.
He glared at Bianca with a furious expression.
“Haah, you have no right to interfere! This is a significant family matter. Kraush Valheim has recently awakened the latent powers of the Valheim bloodline. Do you think you can stay close to him? You will only be in harm’s way.”
Children easily become attached to those around them.
Meliochan dismissed Bianca’s feelings as childish desires.
“You, with your curse, will eventually be abandoned by him as well.”
To shake her back to reality, Meliochan said it like that.
“Brother, that’s too harsh!”
Even Jenica gasped at his words; they were not something to say in front of Bianca.
But Meliochan turned to Jenica, frowning.
“It’s not harsh. I’m just pointing out the facts. Jenica, the things you’ve done to Bianca until now should make you think that it would be better for her if you go to Valheim instead. You, now that you’re an adult, shouldn’t prioritize the family.”
Meliochan sighed heavily, covering his face with his hand.
His two younger sisters were nothing but headaches.
“Both of you know this; now go. I need to draft a letter to Valheim.”
When he dismissed them, Jenica glared at him with her eyebrows furrowed.
However, Bianca didn’t even react to Meliochan’s command; she didn’t even stand up.
Realizing this late, Meliochan turned to Bianca, and his anger flared up.
“Bianca!”
“Don’t shout. I have ears, you know.”
But Bianca didn’t flinch at all, her face as cold as ice as she stared at him.
“I don’t care about this family at all.”
“What? Does that even make sense? You are Hadenharts!”
“There’s no place for me here in Hadenharts.”
She outright denied Meliochan’s words.
“It’s your father’s, your brother’s, and your sister’s family. It’s not my family.”
Jenica flinched.
The conscience buried deep in her heart jabbed at her painfully.
“So, I won’t bend my will.”
And as she spoke, Jenica realized something.
This girl had changed.
“Even if I am exiled from Hadenharts, even if I am no longer engaged.”
Bianca’s blue eyes sparkled brighter than ever.
Because she knew best who wouldn’t bend in any situation.
Like Kraush, she firmly expressed her thoughts at this moment.
“I will stay by Kraush’s side.”
Just as Meliochan was about to shout again, a knock echoed through the room.
Meliochan, furious to the brim, turned to the door.
“I’m busy right now! Come back later!”
“Um, Meliochan-nim, Kraush-nim requests to speak with you.”
“What?”
Meliochan stiffened.
Even if he was the youngest of Valheim, Kraush was still Valheim.
Though he currently bore the stigma of being a fool, it wouldn’t be long before his name made waves.
Despite being young, he couldn’t be treated carelessly.
Meliochan subdued his rising anger.
His ability to distinguish between public and private matters showed he had the qualifications to act as the head of the family.
“Kraush?”
Meanwhile, Bianca’s eyes widened.
What could he want?
“Let him in.”
As Meliochan said this, the door creaked open.
In walked Kraush, casually striding in with his arms crossed behind his back.
Even as he entered the office, Kraush had a remarkably relaxed expression.
Meliochan picked up on that ease right away.
It signaled that he was starting to embody the Valheim bloodline.
“I apologize for coming so suddenly. I hope I’m not intruding.”
Then, surprisingly polite, Kraush continued speaking.
Bianca felt an eerie chill from his tone, so different from his usual demeanor, but Kraush smiled warmly.
After all, Meliochan was technically the brother of his fiancée.
As the older one, it was only right to treat him with respect.
“No, it’s alright. It’s not like I could have shown my face after the crisis in Hadenharts. I am the one who should apologize.”
“No, you haven’t treated me unfairly. You have been quite busy with Hadenharts affairs, and I’m the one who barged in unexpectedly.”
Meliochan thought that Kraush was surprisingly articulate.
Listening in, it seemed he had been doing some foolish things, but now, on the verge of adulthood, he must have come to his senses.
“By the way, what brings you here?”
Now, Meliochan was curious about Kraush’s purpose for coming.
There was no reason for Kraush to seek him out unnecessarily.
“Ah, I would like to make a simple request.”
Kraush said this while glancing at Bianca.
“I have no intentions of marrying someone who bullies others. Please don’t think of changing my fiancée.”
At that moment, Meliochan’s body froze.
Jenica was equally stunned.
“What do you mean by that?” Meliochan asked, seemingly flustered.
But Kraush’s expression remained unchanged.
“I mean exactly that. The incident in which I took down the butcher dog can be interpreted in two ways.”
Kraush expressed his opinion, regardless of Meliochan’s shock.
“One could say that Kraush Valheim, despite losing an arm, fought to protect his fiancée and defeated the butcher dog.”
This would be good news for Hadenharts too.
It meant that Kraush cared about his fiancée, bolstering the engagement between Hadenharts and Valheim.
Assuming, of course, that Kraush did not abandon Bianca.
“The second interpretation suggests that Hadenharts had such poor security that they couldn’t prevent the butcher dog’s intrusion, risking the life of the direct descendant Kraush Valheim.”
And this was the worst-case scenario.
Starting from questioning Hadenharts’ defenses to nearly killing the direct descendant of Valheim would not only end the engagement but also pose a serious threat to Hadenharts’ political standing.
“I believe you, Meliochan, as acting head of the family, understand what’s good for everyone.”
Kraush, smiling, posed his question about which rumor should spread.
Upon hearing this, Meliochan nearly erupted but managed to suppress it.
“…What do you want?”
There was no reason for him and Kraush to fall out.
And surely Kraush felt the same way.
Kraush must have boldly approached him because he wanted something.
So, without getting flustered, Meliochan decided to grant Kraush whatever he desired.
“It’s nothing huge.”
Kraush glanced at Bianca.
“Please let Bianca do what she wants.”
Whether it’s to remain engaged or not, whatever she wished to do—it was enough for her to be able to choose.
Bianca’s eyes widened in surprise.
Meliochan realized he hadn’t considered this aspect at all.
It was just an engagement that lasted for barely a year.
Given Bianca’s disposition, he couldn’t see the valiant fool of Valheim treating her kindly.
So he acted impulsively.
This time, however, it seemed those two shared a more profound bond than he’d anticipated.
“He thought Bianca was just throwing a fit about not wanting to stay in Hadenharts when in reality, perhaps they both shared mutual feelings.”
Ironically, Meliochan felt relieved.
At least he knew the engagement between Hadenharts and Valheim was not at risk of breaking.
“…Bianca is cursed.”
So Meliochan reaffirmed, cautiously asking Kraush if he could truly handle Bianca, who was cursed.
“Oh, it seems you don’t know much about family matters.”
Meliochan seemed to have missed the emotional cues from earlier conversations.
He was bewildered by Kraush’s bizarre comments.
“Curses don’t matter at all.”
With Kraush’s statement, Meliochan sighed long and slumped into his chair.
“…I see.”
Meliochan decided to accept his words without complaint.
Kraush’s desires were more important than Bianca’s.
Now that Kraush stated this, he had no reason to oppose anymore.
However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the way he approached his goal seemed childishly naive.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
Kraush turned to leave, then paused.
“Oh, by the way, can I say one more thing?”
“What is it?”
Meliochan felt anxious about what he might say next.
“Could you let everyone know my arm has recovered thanks to the cleric that Hadenharts invited?”
He looked at his empty right arm.
Meliochan was puzzled by this point.
What was he talking about, healing a limb that hadn’t been cured yet?
“In two days’ time, the results should be conclusive. You can check back then, and it’ll be fine for you to report to Valheim. There won’t be any costs for employing a cleric, making it favorable for Hadenharts as well.”
In terms of time, two days wasn’t a long wait.
No matter his thinking, Kraush did not seem to be speaking empty words.
“Got it. I’ll report back in two days.”
“Thank you.”
Kraush left the office as if he had said everything he needed.
Once the door closed, Meliochan turned to Bianca.
“…Bianca.”
“Yes?”
“Do as you wish.”
Though he had already said this, hearing it again made Bianca spring to her feet.
“Okay!”
With that, she dashed to the door and ran outside.
She displayed no manners suitable for a lady of Hadenharts, but Meliochan did not stop her.
He merely turned to Jenica.
“…Jenica, has Bianca changed in some way?”
She wouldn’t normally act like that.
Her behavior just now had been overly emotional.
“She has changed.”
Jenica stared blankly after Bianca.
“Quite significantly.”
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