Chapter 20: Thorns in the Garden of Lies

Darwen was so shocked that he couldn’t speak.

“Is that even possible?”

Darwen smacked his forehead with his palm, wearing an exasperated expression.

“That was reckless. If you’d made one wrong move, you could’ve died! You must’ve suffered serious mana overload.”

“I’m fine. I’ve been training for this moment all along.”

“Ha! Unbelievable. You’re saying that’s possible just by training…?”

His worry faded quickly, and Darwen stared at Evan with a curious gleam in his eyes.

He was intensely interested in what kind of training had allowed Evan to accomplish this.

The technique alone had tremendous value for magical research.

But that could wait—there was a more urgent matter to take care of first.

“In any case, it’s good to see how much you’ve changed. This will make it much easier to come up with a reason.”

Darwen beamed and pulled out a rolled-up scroll of luxurious parchment from inside his coat.

He handed it to Evan.

“What is this?”

Evan unfolded the scroll and scanned through it quickly.

But he couldn’t quite understand the contents.

“A… vow?”

Darwen nodded.

“It’s an official engagement contract, certified by the kingdom. I had it prepared in a hurry. You’ll deliver it to the Count.”

“What? Engagement…?”

Evan was caught off guard by the completely unexpected statement.

Darwen gave a small chuckle at Evan’s flustered reaction and waved his hand like it was nothing serious.

“From now on, we’ll say we’ve been discussing an engagement. Of course, it’s just for show. Think of it as a formality.”

After finishing his explanation, Darwen turned his head.

Evan followed his gaze.

***

A young girl was sitting quietly, gazing straight at him.

She had long black hair flowing past her shoulders and burning red eyes.

Her outfit was simple and unadorned.

Yet even in such plain clothing, her stunning beauty stood out.

Her overall demeanor was the complete opposite of Darwen’s—cold and stiff, like a sculpture carved from ice.

“Introduce yourselves. This is my daughter, Elisa. She’s not much of a talker, so I hope you’ll understand.”

At Darwen’s introduction, Elisa rose gracefully from her seat and gave a bow.

“…It’s a pleasure to meet you, young master. I’m Elisa Armeria.”

Though her greeting was brief and concise, her posture was elegant and dignified.

A noble lady through and through.

Evan responded with a short, polite greeting of his own and finished the introduction.

He turned back to Darwen.

“But… are you really okay with this engagement?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already discussed it with my daughter, and she agreed. It’s only a formal engagement anyway. And it gives us a perfectly natural reason to be in contact.”

Evan fully agreed with Darwen’s reasoning.

“True. No one would be suspicious of an engagement. In fact, we could use it to throw everyone off.”

It also justified Darwen’s visit and made the meeting seem completely natural.

“But there is one thing. I need you to help with something.”

Darwen gestured toward the engagement contract Evan was holding.

“On the surface, we’ll spread the story that I arranged this engagement for the sake of reviving our family. Political marriages like this are common among nobles. But we’ll still need a believable reason for how you and my daughter first met.”

Evan nodded.

“Actually, I wanted to bring that up as well.”

“You have something in mind?”

“Yes. Let’s say I came to you for help due to a condition affecting my body. Thanks to your exceptional magical abilities, you helped me eliminate the mana poisoning, which allowed me to regain my current health.”

“Hmm…”

Darwen stroked his beard and nodded slowly.

“That’s not bad. We could even say I used that meeting as an excuse to try and use you for my benefit.”

Evan looked slightly concerned.

“Would that really be alright? It could damage the reputation of the prestigious Armeria family.”

Darwen shook his head.

“We’re in the same boat now. And frankly, I have no reputation left to lose. The family has nothing left.”

For Darwen, who had no other options, such concerns were irrelevant.

The real issue, if any, would be on Evan’s side.

“The only thing that might be a problem is if the Count opposes the engagement. That could complicate things.”

“No, I doubt anyone would object after seeing such a remarkable young lady. And as you can see, there’s no other noble lady lining up to propose to me. The head of my family would likely be pleased.”

“Hmm. You think so? Then I suppose we have nothing to worry about.”

Darwen collected the engagement scroll and began to prepare to leave.

“Oh, one last thing. From now on, my daughter will be the one coming here in my place. I’ll be busy with matters at the Mage Tower, and it would look more natural for her to visit instead of me. Think of her as my representative.”

“Understood. Unless it’s something truly important, I’ll hear it from her.”

Evan glanced over at Elisa once more.

Her red eyes were still locked onto him with an intense stare.

It was hard not to feel uncomfortable under her unblinking gaze.

She hadn’t shown a single change in expression—just calmly listened to everything being said.

“It’s about time. I’ll go speak with Count Kerthen now. In the meantime, show my daughter around the estate. Make sure you’re seen by as many people as possible.”

Realizing Darwen’s true intention, Evan gave a small nod.

No one knew about the engagement yet.

All Evan and Elisa had to do was stroll around the estate and appear on good terms in front of the other staff.

No sooner had Darwen finished speaking than Elisa stood up from her seat.

Watching her, Darwen let out a quiet chuckle.

“Well then, I’ll be counting on you. See you in a bit.”

“Understood. I’ll do my best to avoid any inconvenience.”

Evan guided Elisa out of the drawing room.

***

Kerthen’s grand mansion.

The place was unusually lively thanks to two particular individuals.

Every time Evan and Elisa passed by, they captured the attention of the staff.

Their exceptional appearances made it impossible not to notice them.

As they made their rounds through the mansion, briefly showing their faces here and there, the two soon stepped outside.

Now they were walking side by side along a long, straight corridor.

According to what Evan had heard from Alburton, this corridor led to the garden.

They decided to head somewhere quiet to get some rest.

***

Silence filled the space between them as they walked.

Naturally, neither of them was much of a talker.

But Evan figured they might not get another relaxed moment like this again anytime soon.

So he broke the silence first.

“Young Lady, are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine. I’m used to being stared at like that…”

The conversation seemed to pause briefly before Evan spoke again.

“Our next stop is the garden. I’m not sure if you’ll like it, but it’s a quiet place—good for a short rest.”

Elisa gave a quiet nod.

A little while later, they arrived at a gorgeous garden with a wide field of flowers in full bloom.

Elisa, who had been following Evan, stood in awe, captivated by the beautiful scene.

Her red eyes sparkled.

Even someone like her, who rarely showed emotion, smiled brightly this time.

It seemed she genuinely liked the garden more than expected.

With a lifted mood, she stepped closer to the flowerbeds.

Evan watched her and was surprised by her unexpected expression.

‘So she can make faces like that too.’

He quietly followed her into the garden.

At the center of the garden stood a grand and ornate statue of a goddess.

The flowerbeds radiated out in all directions from that centerpiece.

It was clear that a great deal of care had gone into maintaining this garden.

‘To have a garden this extravagant… I guess this is the difference nobility makes.’

“Young Master!”

A voice suddenly rang out.

Evan turned his head toward the sound, cutting off his thoughts.

Alburton was hurrying toward them from the garden’s entrance.

“What is it?”

“Second Madam and Hilton have just arrived.”

This was something Evan had asked Alburton about in advance.

He had asked to be informed the moment Heres and Hilton returned to the estate.

He had expected them to arrive the next day or later, but they had shown up far earlier.

“I see.”

***

After sending Alburton back, Evan turned to Elisa.

‘She’s still enjoying the view… but there’s no choice.’

Since Heres and Hilton had arrived sooner than expected, he needed to prepare.

Evan led Elisa back to his room.

“Please inform the Marquess. This is important.”

He immediately handed over the information regarding Heres and Hilton to Elisa.

“Hilton… he’s one of the people who tried to poison me. Not the legal wife’s son—he’s from the second Madam, along with Heres.”

Elisa nodded without a word.

Evan looked into her red eyes and continued.

“They’ve been up to something in Preha for a while. But the moment they heard news about me, they rushed back. Please investigate anything happening in that region under our family’s name—or look into Heres’s maternal family as well.”

After thinking for a moment, Elisa asked, “Are there others you’ve identified so far?”

Evan shook his head.

“Not yet. Or rather, I haven’t had the freedom to investigate. You’ve probably heard the rumors about me.”

Elisa tilted her head slightly as if trying to recall something, then nodded as if she understood.

Seeing her reaction, Evan gave a bitter smile.

“Nobody likes a notorious scoundrel. I don’t have a single ally inside this mansion. Even if I wanted to do something, it’s impossible.”

Until now, Evan had been preoccupied with just staying alive.

Because of that, he hadn’t had the capacity to worry about the state of the mansion.

Elisa, listening quietly, replied briefly.

“This place might as well be a prison…”

Her words reflected her genuine sympathy.

She now looked at Evan with pity in her eyes.

She could imagine just what kind of life he had lived.

Elisa was reminded of her own father, who had once walked a lonely and isolated path.

He too had been pushed to the edge.

He had dedicated everything to the study of ancient magic.

But no one took his research seriously.

People followed him only because of the family’s noble title, not because they believed in him.

Eventually, even the mages by his side abandoned him.

Watching her father struggle with guilt while the family crumbled was heartbreaking.

And now, this man in front of her had endured an even worse situation—his very life under constant threat.

Elisa bit her lip slightly and spoke.

“Yes. I’ll be sure to report this to my father.”

“Thank you. You should probably leave now, before they arrive. I need to go greet them myself.”

Heres and Hilton would surely come here first to confirm whether Evan was truly alive.

So he would greet them with the same formality.