TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 43
The office of Meliocan Hardenhartz, the eldest son.
Meliocan smiled as Jenica arrived, followed shortly by Bianca.
“It’s been a long time since the family gathered like this.”
Jenica remained silent.
Meliocan was someone who prioritized the family name over individual family members.
Being the eldest son destined to lead Hardenhartz, he had been educated that way from a young age.
So whenever he brought up such matters, Jenica knew it was almost always about the family.
“The reason I called you here today is because of family matters.”
As expected, the word “family” came out of Meliocan’s mouth.
He was serving as the Patriarch Proxy in place of Douglakan, who was currently absent.
Thus, he had the authority to discuss family affairs.
“What is it about?”
Jenica asked with a slight edge in her tone.
It was because being in the same room as Bianca made her uncomfortable.
“It’s about Balheim’s fiancée.”
Jenica tilted her head.
Was there really a need to bring up Balheim’s fiancée again?
“Jenica, we need to replace Bianca with you as the fiancée.”
But the next words made Jenica’s eyes widen in shock.
For a moment, she was so taken aback that she couldn’t speak.
It was as if they were outright selling her off in a political marriage.
“Are you out of your mind…”
“No.”
Before Jenica could even voice her opposition, Bianca spoke up firmly.
Meliocan, who hadn’t anticipated this, turned to Bianca with a surprised expression.
“Bianca?”
“No. Mr. Kraush’s fiancée is me.”
Her eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly in defiance.
But Meliocan, who usually paid no attention to facial expressions, didn’t notice.
Jenica, however, was different.
“Bianca, you…”
As much as she disliked Bianca, Jenica was the only one in Hardenhartz who had closely observed her.
Jenica realized that Bianca was showing traces of emotion.
“Bianca, this is family business. Your opinion doesn’t matter here.”
“Then tell me—where does my opinion matter at all?”
Until now, Bianca had never expressed her thoughts anywhere.
She had lived her entire life being ignored by the family.
There had never been a space for her to voice her opinion.
Perhaps because of this knowledge, even Meliocan was caught off guard.
This was the first time Bianca had actively expressed her stance, leaving him at a loss for words.
However, the decision had already been made during the meeting.
A decision once made could not be overturned.
“No. Stop acting like a child.”
“I am a child. I was back then, and I still am now.”
But Bianca didn’t back down.
“So I will throw a tantrum. A child says they want what they want.”
Bianca stared directly at Meliocan.
“And the one thing I’ve always wanted to protect is being Mr. Kraush’s fiancée.”
In Hardenhartz, there was no place where she felt at ease.
The only place where she could be comfortable was one.
By Kraush’s side.
Kraush, who was similar to her, was the only person who truly understood her.
Thus, even if it was a family matter, she was determined to stubbornly remain by Kraush’s side.
“Bianca!”
Meliocan shouted at her, his frustration boiling over.
He glared at Bianca with a furious expression.
“Sigh… This is not your place to interfere! This is a critical family matter. Kraush Balheim’s true lineage has recently manifested. That means he will play a significant role in Starlon as a proper Balheim. Do you think you can remain by his side? It will only make things harder for you.”
Children easily grow attached to those beside them.
Meliocan judged Bianca’s attachment as nothing more than youthful greed.
“With the curse you bear, you will eventually be abandoned by him too.”
It was as if he was trying to hammer reality into her.
“Brother, wait, that’s too harsh!”
Even Jenica flinched at his words, which were inappropriate to say in front of Bianca.
But Meliocan frowned as he turned to Jenica.
“It’s not harsh. I’m merely stating the facts. Jenica, you should feel the same. Considering what you’ve done to Bianca, it’s only right for you to go to Balheim for her sake. Instead of prioritizing the family as an adult, all you’ve done is indulge yourself.”
Meliocan covered his face with his hand and let out a long sigh.
His two younger sisters were truly vexing.
“Both of you, take this as final. Leave now. I need to draft the letters that will be sent to Balheim.”
At his command, Jenica scowled deeply and glared at him.
However, despite his stern words, Bianca didn’t even flinch or rise from her seat.
Noticing this belatedly, Meliocan turned to Bianca, his anger reigniting.
“Bianca!”
“Don’t shout. I can hear you just fine.”
Yet, even faced with his fury, Bianca remained unperturbed.
True to her nickname as the Snow Woman, she coldly stared back at Meliocan.
“I don’t care about the family at all.”
“What? Do you even realize what you’re saying? You’re a Hardenhartz!”
“There’s no place for me in Hardenhartz.”
She flatly rejected Meliocan’s assertion.
“This is Father’s, Brother’s, and Sister’s family. Not mine.”
Jenica’s body stiffened.
Her conscience, buried deep within her, pricked at her mercilessly.
“So I have no intention of backing down.”
And as Jenica watched Bianca, she realized something.
This child had changed.
“Even if I’m expelled from Hardenhartz or lose my title as fiancée.”
Bianca’s blue eyes shone more vividly than ever.
No one knew better than her how unwavering Bianca could be.
In this moment, she resembled him, articulating her thoughts more clearly than anyone else.
“I will remain by Mr. Kraush’s side.”
Just as Meliocan was about to raise his voice again,
Knock, knock—
The sound of knocking echoed through the room.
Meliocan, who was seething with anger, turned toward the door.
“I’m busy! Come back later!”
“Um, Meliocan, Mr. Kraush requests to speak with you.”
“What?”
Meliocan froze in place.
Even as the youngest of Balheim, Kraush was still a Balheim.
Though he currently bore the stigma of being a Half-Penny, it wouldn’t be long before his name became widely recognized.
Even if he was young, he could not be treated carelessly.
Meliocan suppressed the anger that had flared up.
His ability to clearly separate public from private matters showed he was qualified as the Patriarch Proxy.
“Mr. Kraush?”
In contrast, Bianca widened her eyes in surprise.
What could he possibly want by coming here?
“Let him in.”
At Meliocan’s words, the door creaked open.
There stood Kraush, walking in with his hands clasped behind his back.
Even as he entered the office, Kraush’s expression remained thoroughly composed.
From that composure, Meliocan could see it clearly.
That Kraush had begun to embody the traits of a true Balheim bloodline.
“I apologize for the sudden visit. I hope I’m not intruding.”
And then, Kraush spoke in a tone more polite than expected.
Bianca felt a chill run down her spine at his unexpectedly refined manner of speaking, which didn’t suit him in the least, but Kraush merely grinned shamelessly.
After all, Meliocan was the older brother of his fiancée.
As someone senior to Kraush, it was only proper to treat him as an elder brother.
“No, it’s fine. I should be the one apologizing for not paying you a visit sooner after the ordeal in Hardenhartz. My apologies.”
“Not at all. You even went so far as to provide treatment for me. Considering how busy you must be with the Hardenhartz situation, I’m the one who was rude to drop by unannounced.”
Meliocan thought that Kraush was more reasonable than he had expected.
From what he had heard, Kraush had been rather reckless in the past, but nearing adulthood seemed to have brought him to his senses.
“So, what brings you here?”
It was puzzling why someone like Kraush had come to see him.
After all, there was no apparent reason for Kraush to deliberately seek him out.
“Ah, I have a simple request to make.”
Kraush glanced briefly in Bianca’s direction as he spoke.
“I have no intention of getting engaged to someone who makes others miserable. So, forget about switching fiancées.”
At that moment, Meliocan froze in place.
The same was true for Jenica.
“W-What did you just say?”
Meliocan asked, seemingly flustered.
But Kraush’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.
“Just what I said. The fact that I defeated the Butcher Dog in Hardenhartz can lead to two possible outcomes.”
Whether Meliocan was flustered or not, Kraush carried on with his reasoning.
“One is that Kraush Balheim stepped forward to save his fiancée, losing an arm in the process but protecting her and even defeating the Butcher Dog.”
This was a favorable story for Hardenhartz.
It would signify how much Kraush cherished his fiancée.
The engagement between Hardenhartz and Balheim would only grow stronger.
Assuming Kraush didn’t abandon Bianca, that is.
“The second is that Hardenhartz’s security is so lax it failed to stop the Butcher Dog’s infiltration, putting Kraush Balheim, a member of the direct line, in mortal danger.”
And the second option was the worst-case scenario.
It would not only cast doubt on Hardenhartz’s defenses but also highlight that Hardenhartz nearly killed a direct descendant of Balheim, leading to an engagement annulment and significant political fallout.
“As the Patriarch Proxy, Brother Meliocan, I’m sure you understand which outcome is better.”
Kraush smiled as he asked which rumor Meliocan preferred to spread.
Hearing this, Meliocan nearly erupted in anger but barely managed to hold it back.
“…What do you want?”
There was no reason to sour relations with Kraush unnecessarily.
And Kraush likely thought the same.
The fact that he was pushing so aggressively now meant he had something he wanted.
So, Meliocan decided to grant his request without making it a point of contention.
“It’s nothing major.”
Kraush turned to look at Bianca.
“Let Bianca do what she wants.”
Whether it meant continuing the engagement or breaking it off, whatever it was.
As long as she could have her way, that was enough.
Bianca’s eyes widened in surprise.
Meliocan looked at both Bianca and Kraush and let out a deep sigh.
‘…I completely overlooked this aspect.’
It was an engagement that had lasted barely a year.
Judging by Bianca’s personality, it wasn’t likely she thought the Half-Penny of Balheim would treat her well.
That’s why he’d rushed to set the arrangement in motion.
But it turned out the relationship between those two was deeper than he had thought.
‘I had assumed Bianca was just throwing a tantrum because she didn’t want to stay in Hardenhartz. But could it be mutual?’
Ironically, Meliocan felt relieved.
At least he now knew the engagement between Hardenhartz and Balheim wouldn’t fall apart.
“…Bianca is under a curse.”
So, Meliocan asked Kraush again, just to confirm.
Could he truly bear the burden of Bianca, who was under a curse?
“You don’t seem to understand family very well.”
It appeared that even during their earlier conversation, Meliocan had failed to grasp Bianca’s emotions.
Meliocan looked at Kraush, puzzled by his seemingly nonsensical remark.
“The curse has never mattered to me.”
At Kraush’s firm declaration, Meliocan let out a long sigh and slumped into his chair.
“…Very well.”
Meliocan decided to comply with his request without further resistance.
Bianca’s wishes may have been important, but Kraush’s were even more so in this matter.
Since Kraush had made his stance clear, Meliocan had no intention of opposing him further.
Still, the thought that Kraush’s calculated reasoning, crafted purely to achieve his objective, felt far from childish left an unsettling impression on him.
“Then, I’ll be going.”
Kraush turned as if he had said everything he wanted to, then stopped.
“Ah, come to think of it, may I share one more thing?”
“What is it?”
Meliocan felt a sense of foreboding, unsure of what Kraush might say next.
“Could you report that my arm was successfully treated by the cleric invited to Hardenhartz?”
He gestured to his empty right arm as he spoke.
Meliocan showed a hint of doubt at this statement.
What was he talking about? The arm hadn’t been healed.
“You’ll see the results in two days. After that, feel free to report it to Balheim. Since there won’t be any costs associated with hiring the cleric, I believe it’s also beneficial for Hardenhartz.”
Two days wasn’t too short a time to wait.
Whatever Kraush was planning, it didn’t seem like he was bluffing.
“Very well. Let’s discuss it after seeing the results in two days.”
“Thank you.”
Kraush truly seemed to have finished what he came to say, walking out of the room.
Watching him leave, Meliocan turned toward Bianca after the door closed.
“…Bianca.”
“Yes.”
“Do as you wish.”
Even though everything had already been decided earlier, Meliocan’s reiterated approval made Bianca leap from her seat.
“I will.”
With that, she immediately opened the door and dashed outside.
Though her behavior lacked even a trace of the decorum expected from the daughter of Hardenhartz, Meliocan did not stop her.
Instead, he simply turned to Jenica and asked.
“…Jenica, has Bianca changed somehow?”
It was unlike her to run off like that.
Her recent actions had been far more emotional than usual.
“She has.”
Jenica stared blankly at Bianca as she spoke.
“And drastically at that.”