Chapter 622: 684

‘… Eh…?’

My thought process became suspended as soon as I heard King Albion’s proposal. The confidence I had built up, and the rational line of reasoning that followed from that confidence seemed to evaporate.

The question he posed had me stuck in one position—one confused stance.

‘What the…?!’

I watched the entire Throne Room become very lively, as several Nobles looked at me in amazement. Some eyed me enviously, while others nodded in approval—those of the latter were more than the former, by the way.

However, whether or not they liked the deal was inconsequential. There were so many things to consider. For example—

‘M-Maria…?’

Glancing to my side to see the facial expression of the girl beside me, I was surprised by her reaction. It was… utterly blank! She made no expression at all. It was simply a stoic, unmoved, and utterly bland look.

And the worst part? I couldn’t even tell what she meant by her lack of-expression.

‘Is she angry? Anxious? Worried? At least look at me or something, Maria!’ I panicked internally, but the girl maintained her completely unfazed position.

It almost felt like I was all alone in this decision.

“What do you say, Jared Leonard Alphonse Sereth? Will you have my daughter be your bride?” King Albion once again pressed me on the matter, causing me to shiver slightly.

My eyes turned to the princess—a way to distract myself from her father. Unfortunately, her highness also had a charm that made her irresistible.

She looked splendid, to be honest. Perhaps it was because she was decorated in royal apparel, and she had this luxurious appearance, but her attractiveness seemed to radiate all around her. I still thought Maria was more beautiful, but at the moment it was no secret to determine whose appearance dominated the large hall.

“I… I do not subscribe to an arranged marriage. Have you discussed this with her highness, Celestine Lestrome Indiavel, prior to this meeting?” I asked with the most respectful tone I could muster.

I didn’t want to step on King Albion’s toes—not simply because he was a king, but also due to his position as a father. What kind of father would be glad if he offered his only daughter and she was rejected?

I needed to be smart about this, or else—

“Indeed. She is thrilled by the idea of being your bride. Why not hear it from her lips directly?” King Albion’s words broke my defence, and he nodded at his daughter—signalling for her to give the finishing blow.

“It would be an honour to be your wife, Jared. I honestly feel that way.” She bowed slightly and gave me a charming smile.

‘It’s possible she’s pretending, using the face of etiquette. Mum taught me all about that as a kid…’

I didn’t want a situation whereby she was going into marriage by force. That would be tragic on both accounts. However, on the likelihood that she was indeed willing, there was no problem on their end. It was simply me who had to make the decision.

But why did it have to come to this?

‘King Albion seems like a smart guy. He should know that I won’t do anything to harm the Eastern Kingdom. He should also know that I have this place’s best interest at heart. I also possess more influence than him at this point. This, looking to take over the throne by marrying the princess wouldn’t even be an option I would consider…’

That narrowed down the reasons quite a bit.

‘If I am to follow my hypothesis, I’d say… he just wants to render his gratitude? Maybe he feels the Kingdom just hasn’t done enough for me? If that’s the case, as a father… he wants to offer what he values most.’

I sighed internally, finally understanding the rationale behind the King’s offer. Unfortunately, I didn’t subscribe to it.

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“I apologize profusely, but I’ll have to decline.” My tone was firm while being as respectful as I could make it.

I could see an expression of shock on the face of the princess, and I indeed sympathized with her. It wasn’t a good thing to be rejected so openly, after all. This was why it took me a while before I finally decided to refuse.

As for King Albion, a soft smile appeared on his face. It was a bit creepy, but I stood my ground on what I said. This was no time to be a coward.

‘Doing so would only make things worse.’

“May I ask why you refuse?” His Majesty asked, still maintaining his friendly attitude.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem like anyone was offended. The princess’ smile returned to her face—though something about it felt strained. I could also hear hushed whispers among the nobles.

My father, whom I had been monitoring for some time now, had a neutral expression. He simply wanted me to make my choice freely.

‘He was brought into an arranged marriage, so he knows how it feels…’

I wouldn’t say my parents didn’t get along, and neither would I say they loved each other unconditionally. My father was born into High Nobility, and my mother was born into a Mage family—she even spent some time away as an Adventurer. It was evident that there would be some dissonance between them, and the older I grew, the more I noticed it.

‘Father and Mother are not the ideal couple.’

They were able to create a happy marriage and birth me, so it had been a success. However, if even one of them had decided not to put in as much work and understanding as the other, everything would have collapsed.

‘I don’t want to take that kind of risk… at least not for just anyone.’

In any case, I needed to answer the King’s question.

“It’s simply because I do not desire the princess. I also do not want to be tied down. I want to marry someone I can have an adventure with—who shares my passion for Magic, and is willing to travel the world with me.” I smiled.

The Princess could try her hardest to be that person, but we had to face it… she most likely wasn’t very adept at Magic or rough combat. Her expression proved my point nicely.

“I see. Interesting take. However, from your words, it seems you already have someone else in mind. Or am I overthinking it?” King Albion grinned.

“I do.”

My words caused all of my audience to gasp or murmur. Many stared at me curiously, and my father gave a somewhat complicated smile. I already knew we would have to discuss this privately.

However, my immediate situation remained unchanged.

*

*

[A/N]

N-no way… Is Jared finally going to be a man?!

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