Chapter 81: Vows and Fangs

A letter arrived from the Royal Palace.

The sender was the Fourth Prince, and the contents were filled with expressions of regret and unreasonable demands.

‘What is this guy’s problem?’

It was about the engagement, but the message was a strange mix of subtle mockery and forced congratulations. It was clear that he wasn’t happy about the fact that Evan was getting engaged to Elisa.

‘A nuisance has attached himself to me. I’ll have to ask about this later.’

Just in case, Evan checked the rest of the letters one by one.

‘Nothing special.’

Fortunately, everything else was normal besides the letter from the prince. Most of them were filled with nothing but flattery.

‘They probably can’t say anything because of the prestige of the Count Kerthen Household.’

At most, only royalty would be able to pick a fight with the family. Evan skimmed through the contents of the letters to confirm them all. Then, he pushed them into a corner. He found writing invitations tedious, so he decided to leave the task to Alburton.

Evan turned his attention back to the book lying on his desk.

‘This is…’

It was the worn-out book that Clyd had handed over. It bore the heavy marks of time. Evan recalled the words Clyd had spoken.

‘Family members to protect…’

He hadn’t even been able to protect his own younger brother. Of course, many comrades had died by his side after that as well. He had always been the one to survive, burying their sacrifices in his heart and walking his path alone. When he thought back to the events of his previous world…

‘I don’t have the right to…’

Evan couldn’t finish his sentence and gave a bitter smile. It was too late to be having these thoughts now. To save Hyunseong, he needed to earn Merit Points, and to do that, he had to move toward the center of the world. In other words, becoming the Count was the fastest way. For the sake of his goal, Evan had to become the Heir.

‘I’m having too many useless thoughts.’

Now was the time to run toward his goal. Regrets could wait until later. Evan picked up the book.

‘The Memoir of Illudan Kerthen. The founder of the Kerthen Family.’

It was a record log left behind by the first head of the Kerthen Family.

‘Why did Clyd give this to me?’

Would he be able to understand Clyd’s intentions if he read this journal? Evan carefully opened the Memoir and began to read. However, the content from the very first page was unusual.

Ten absolute rules of the family.

Whether they were left for the sake of the family or not, a list of special rules was written out. Among them, the most prioritized rule was as follows.

‘First, the condition for becoming the family head. A Geumje shall be placed on the family head for the sake of the kingdom.’

A Geumje.

Why had Clyd given him this book? It didn’t take long for him to realize the meaning behind it.

***

The next day, Evan moved to the large banquet hall in the Mansion. Servants were moving busily throughout the hall. It was all for Evan’s engagement ceremony.

“Hey, there’s a mark on that glass! Clean it up quickly!”

“I— I’m sorry!”

Evan watched them leisurely as he passed by.

‘They’re certainly making a lot of noise.’

From social debuts to engagement ceremonies, the servants were fussing about everywhere as they prepared. Evan turned his head and moved toward the center of the hall, where Darwen and Elisa were waiting. Since there were many things to prepare before the ceremony, Elisa had decided to stay at the Marquisate for a short while starting today.

“Young Lord!”

Darwen greeted Evan warmly as soon as he spotted him.

“Have you been well?”

Elisa, who was standing beside him, also greeted him with grace. Watching the scene, Darwen laughed heartily and spoke.

“Don’t just stand there awkwardly. Go take a walk together for a bit.”

Pushed by Darwen, Evan led Elisa outside. They began to walk together around the grounds of the Mansion.

A moment of silence passed. Evan was the first to break the silence.

“I was originally going to ask the Marquess, but… Lady Elisa, do you know anything about the Fourth Prince?”

He was the individual who felt uncomfortable with the relationship between him and Elisa and had sent a letter about it. Evan suspected there might be some connection to Elisa in one way or another. Sure enough, Elisa’s expression darkened.

Evan bowed his head as an apology.

“I seem to have brought up something disrespectful. My apologies, My Lady.”

“Oh, no. It’s alright. I was just a bit surprised because I heard it so suddenly.”

“A letter arrived from him yesterday. Something felt a bit strange.”

Elisa spoke firmly.

“It’s best to ignore the Fourth Prince.”

“He said he wanted to come to the engagement ceremony. I couldn’t exactly refuse since he is royalty.”

Elisa let out a deep sigh and fidgeted with her hair.

“That jerk— I mean, the Fourth Prince, was the main culprit behind pushing our family into a corner. You have no idea how hard it was because of him… and he kept annoying me by sending ridiculous letters. I’m worried. I wonder how he’ll act at this engagement ceremony.”

From what he could gather, it seemed the Fourth Prince had a crush on Elisa and had been chasing her.

“You don’t need to worry. No matter if he is a prince, this is an engagement ceremony. If he dares to throw flirtatious remarks as the host of this event, I will not stand idly by.”

Elisa shook her head with a surprised expression.

“No! There’s no need to go that far…”

“I’ll be fine. Regardless, he’ll have a hard time if he falls out of favor with His Majesty.”

After checking the Fourth Prince’s letter, Evan had looked into King Rupes just in case. Fortunately, the royalty of this kingdom didn’t have particularly strong power. All authority was concentrated solely on the King, and the current King Rupes was little more than a tyrant. It was said that he had even executed his own family members without mercy for the sake of power. If he stood out too much, the Fourth Prince wouldn’t be safe either.

“And it seems this engagement ceremony will be held on a large scale.”

The fame of the Count Kerthen Household and the heated interest in Evan’s existence meant that all eyes were on them. In such a place, who would dare to act recklessly? It would become a topic of gossip for a long time. Evan also reminded himself to be careful that day.

Time passed quickly, and three days went by. During that time, they busily prepared for the ceremony, and today, a grand engagement ceremony was being held in the banquet hall. Evan, wearing the formal uniform of the Order of Knights, and Elisa, in a light white dress, lit up the hall. While the ceremony proceeded, everyone could not take their eyes off Evan and Elisa at the center of the hall.

“Ah…”

“Is that Young Lord Evan?”

“Wait. If I had known sooner, I would have reached out first.”

“Oh my! He’s much more handsome than the rumors suggested.”

Seeing Evan’s striking appearance, everyone— regardless of age or gender— couldn’t stop talking in surprise. Watching this, a smile spread across Elisa’s lips.

“My Lady?”

“It’s nothing. I just found people’s reactions amusing.”

Evan replied as if he understood.

“I suppose so. Since I haven’t shown my face at any official events until now, such reactions are only natural.”

“That is true, but I don’t think that’s the only reason…”

Even as they conversed, they looked like a perfect match. And there was someone watching the two of them from afar with a proud expression.

‘I was so worried, but this is truly a relief.’

Darwen was sitting quietly by himself in a corner of the hall. If possible, he would have liked to be with his wife, but she was currently conducting research in the far North on his behalf. It was a shame they couldn’t share this happy news together.

Time flew by. It was now time to wrap up the ceremony.

“It’s starting.”

At someone’s words, the people’s gazes gathered in one place.

*Step, step.*

Clyd Kerthen.

One of the strongest Sword Masters in the kingdom and the master of the Count Kerthen Household, he was walking forward. He was dressed in the traditional robes of the Kerthen Family, holding a ceremonial sword in one hand. Clyd stood before Evan and Elisa. He carefully gripped the sword with both hands and held it forward.

“Offer your vow upon the sword to the partner who will become your family.”

Clyd exuded an atmosphere that was more dignified and heavy than ever. Evan knelt on one knee before Elisa and made his vow, just as knights pledge their loyalty to a King. Then, Evan and Elisa exchanged the Ring of Flames, and the engagement ceremony came to an end.

With the start of the music, the banquet hall transformed into a ballroom. The young nobles and ladies did not miss the opportunity and moved to introduce themselves to one another. While the official reason was to attend the engagement ceremony, the primary goal was to establish social connections. And among them, there was one person receiving the most concentrated attention.

It was Evan.

However, because of the unique aura Evan exuded, people couldn’t easily approach him. Amidst all that, someone walked boldly toward Evan.

“Who is that?”

“What business does he have with Lord Evan…?”

As he walked forward, people whispered and cleared a path like the parting of the sea. Evan looked at him with an amused expression, while Elisa’s face stiffened.

It was a man with brown hair, a large nose, and shifty eyes. Evan greeted him lightly.

“I greet Prince Leon. It is an honor to have you here.”

“Young Lord, congratulations on your engagement.”

The Fourth Prince, Leon, gave Evan a casual greeting. However, his gaze was fixed elsewhere. Evan moved his head to follow his line of sight.

Leon was staring at Elisa, who was standing beside him. Moreover, he was scanning Elisa with a strange expression. Evan stood in front of Elisa, blocking the prince’s view, and asked.

“What business brings you here, Prince?”

For a moment, Leon’s brow furrowed, but it quickly returned to normal.

“It’s nothing special. You two look so good together that it’s a pleasure to see.”

Leon replied with a bright smile. His tone was surprisingly calm. But having dealt with many people, Evan could tell exactly how dangerous Leon was. One look at the sinister glint hidden behind that smile revealed exactly what kind of person he was.

“Forgive us, Prince, but we shall take our leave now. We must rest as today’s schedule has been quite exhausting.”

“Already?”

Leon clicked his tongue and was blatantly displeased. Then, he realized that the eyes of those around them were focused on him. This was, after all, Evan and Elisa’s engagement ceremony. He couldn’t afford to act rashly.

“Did I hold you up? Fine. If we happen to see each other next time, I’d like to treat you to something grand. Along with the Lady, of course.”

He subtly mentioned Elisa before turning around. Watching Leon’s back as he walked away, Evan quietly clicked his tongue.

“Thank you for helping. I was about to do something myself.”

Evan shook his head as he replied.

“It’s nothing. Besides, getting involved with him will only lead to trouble.”

In fact, Evan had felt Elisa’s Mana. It seemed she was about to fire some kind of magic at that disgusting prince. Given her personality, she likely would have done it subtly, but there were too many eyes here right now. It was better to let him go rather than create an unnecessary opening for trouble.

‘Is this the end of the engagement ceremony?’

The prepared procedures were finished, and the Fourth Prince had been sent away smoothly. All that was left was to see Elisa off and return to his room. That would have been the case if he hadn’t felt someone’s gaze.

‘Who is it?’

It was different from the gazes of admiration and jealousy he had felt all along. It was something more intense. Evan followed the trail of the gaze and slowly turned his head.

A man was standing there. It was a familiar face.

‘Delian? What’s going on?’

His expression was terrifyingly stiff. Did he have something to say?

“I think I need to go out for some fresh air for a moment.”

Evan asked for Elisa’s understanding. To create a situation where they could meet naturally, he would move to a quiet terrace.

“Yes. I’ll go rest by my father’s side for a bit.”

After saying goodbye to Elisa, Evan slowly moved toward the terrace. And as expected, Delian began to follow behind him. Upon reaching the terrace, Evan leaned his arms against the railing.

“What is it, Delian? Was there a need to follow me so secretly?”

He asked without even looking back. Then, Delian, who had been behind him, slowly stepped out onto the terrace. After hesitating for a moment, Delian asked Evan.

“…Did you know I was following you?”

Evan turned around and faced Delian.

“You were being so obvious, wouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t know?”

Trouble was written all over Delian’s face. As Evan had suspected, Delian had something he wanted to say. However, it wasn’t easy for him to find the words.

‘Because I don’t have the right.’

The rights Evan should have enjoyed as the eldest son, his value, and even the respect he deserved as a person— Delian was the one who had taken everything away from Evan. Even if it hadn’t been intentional, it was an undeniable fact.

Delian remembered the day his kind older brother had wailed in despair. It was the day he had been told he could no longer use Mana. From that point on, the relationship between the two brothers grew distant, and they were unable to even have a proper conversation. By the time Delian was old enough to distinguish right from wrong, Evan had already become a good-for-nothing.

In a way, it was easier. The pain his brother would have to endure while living with false hope would have been too great. He thought it wouldn’t be bad for Evan to live a life of pleasure like that. He would take care of the family’s affairs himself. That was what he had believed.

But at some point, Evan changed.

“…You are my brother, aren’t you?”

Those were the first words out of Delian’s mouth. There were many other things he wanted to say, but strangely, those words came out first. It was because Evan felt so unfamiliar to him.

Delian waited for an answer, but Evan remained silent. Delian gave a bitter laugh and apologized.

“Sorry. I’m talking nonsense.”

“No, there’s no need to apologize.”

Delian had wanted to talk with Evan for a long time, but he hadn’t expected the opportunity to come so suddenly. For a moment, Delian was at a loss for words, but he managed to speak with difficulty.

“I heard the news. That you want the position of Heir again.”

The bitterness on Delian’s face was soon replaced by a look of seriousness. Evan replied while looking at the solemn Delian.

“I see. So, is that why you came to see me?”

Evan’s response was firm. However, Delian did not waver as he faced him.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let that happen. That position doesn’t suit you, Brother.”

Delian’s words were sharp, but his expression said otherwise. Evan could guess his inner thoughts.

‘No. With a face like that, anyone could tell.’

He was acting a part, as if he were purposefully playing the villain.

“Do you even know what it means to be the head of a family? It’s not the kind of position you think it is.”

Becoming more heated, Delian continued to pour out his words.

“You’re probably just talking immaturely because of some vain dream. Give it up now. If you don’t give up until the end, you’ll have to defeat me with everything you—”

“Is it because of the Geumje?”

Evan threw out the comment casually. But the impact was enormous.

“How do you know about that…?”

Delian was flustered. The confident appearance he had shown just moments ago was nowhere to be found.

“A vain dream? How ridiculous.”

Evan scoffed. Delian still saw him as nothing more than the good-for-nothing stuck in his room. Such clumsy consideration, as if he were worried about Evan’s well-being, was absurd.

“Let me be clear, Delian Kerthen.”

Evan’s eyes were burning. He continued his words clearly, as if making a proclamation.

“The one who will become the Heir is me.”

“…!”

“Attack me with everything you’ve got.”