The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 126

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 126

Especially since Alpheus had declared in front of everyone, ‘I will absolutely never arrange an engagement for you.’

While he was happy that she had gained such a reliable protector, Leopold was surprised at himself for feeling slightly disappointed.

It was surprising that Hilberry had discussed remarriage without consulting him, but the truth was…

“Unlike that milk-smelling Nogen Vice Duke, I will protect the young lady until the end.”

If what Maximus said was true, and he had broken off the engagement without knowing anything, putting Brisa in a difficult position.

If it was a situation where an ‘engagement with the Nogen Vice Duke’ was necessary, even if only on the surface.

Then he thought he could get engaged again a hundred times for her sake.

However, at the end of that thought, his own selfish desires were ultimately settled.

At this rate, how was he any different from Maximus?

As he fell silent, Brisa spoke quietly.

“I’m sorry, Leopold. I want to sincerely apologize to you.”

Leopold smiled faintly and withdrew his finger from the cucumber flower.

She would probably say, ‘I’m canceling that thing about being 101st in line. I said it without knowing anything.’

He shook his head nonchalantly to ease her burden.

“What are you talking about? It’s fine.”

“It can’t be.”

Brisa sighed once and then continued slowly.

“In the Eastern Region… I mean, when we were talking about that second son of the Divostan family, I said that. Who would want to be engaged to a monster?”

Leopold frowned and looked up at Brisa.

Now… then what she’s apologizing for is…

“I think it must have hurt you deeply.”

“What… You said it without knowing, Brisa. Besides, it wasn’t wrong either.”

“It was wrong.”

Brisa looked straight at him.

“At least for me.”

Leopold’s heart dropped with a thud.

If the words ‘who would want to be engaged to such a monster’ were wrong for Brisa…

“Don’t do that.”

Leopold said with a bone-cutting feeling.

“Marquis Sears is right. You’re still young, and your thoughts won’t be eternal. You might think it’s okay now, but… you never know. Every time I transform, I keep getting bigger…”

He sighed and lightly scratched a nearby cucumber with his fingernail. The cucumber immediately split in half.

“Now I’m like this even normally if I don’t control my strength. I don’t really know what kind of monster I’ll turn into as time goes on.”

After bringing out his deepest fear, he let out a deep sigh.

Brisa quietly looked at the cucumber split in half and muttered.

“…Wow, you’ve got some strength… You could easily carry five bags of plastic leaves.”

“That expression is somewhat insulting, Brisa.”

Leopold criticized aristocratically.

“Ten bags would be possible too.”

“You’d be on par with Alpheus. If His Grace kicks you out over this incident, come to Sears. I guarantee three meals a day and a cozy bed.”

“I’d appreciate it if you could save such blatant temptation for seven years from now, Brisa. As you said this morning.”

After exchanging cynical conversation, they silently looked at the cut cucumber for a moment.

Just like on their engagement day, when they had nothing particular to do and looked side by side at the engagement contract between them.

“Leopold.”

It was Brisa who finally broke the silence.

“Why don’t you ask me any questions? Delmia’s curse was lifted. That… it was thanks to you telling me about the folklore from another world. Thank you, even though it’s late.”

“Really? That’s good.”

At Leopold’s short answer, Brisa asked carefully in a dejected voice.

“Don’t you ask how I did it, whether I can quickly lift your curse too, things like that?”

Leopold answered matter-of-factly.

“I don’t ask.”

If she knew the proper method, she would have offered to lift his curse first. But seeing that she couldn’t bring herself to say such things…

It was obvious that she had somehow solved it, but didn’t know the exact method. So he didn’t want to burden her unnecessarily.

He continued indifferently.

“From what I can see, you seem down because you don’t know how to lift curses either… That’s why you could only come in second, Brisa. I was originally in charge of information from the beginning. I should be the one looking into it.”

“What?”

Brisa stared at him as if she couldn’t believe it.

Anyway, her emotions changed from gloominess to anger. So Leopold was satisfied.

“His Highness gave me new information, and the information agents sent to Sebon must have found out something else during this time, so I should compile it. Honestly, the information I urgently passed on to you was stuff that even I didn’t have time to review.”

Even saying this would burden her. But this was his best effort.

“Of course, since we’re on the same side, I’ll share it with you as soon as the information is systematically organized. The task division is already finished, so you just accept your harsh fate and focus on growing strawberries well in the meantime.”

“Straw…berries?”

“To be honest, I don’t really like strawberries, but you promised to grow delicious strawberries in Sears.”

Brisa looked at him as if amazed.

“Woof, don’t strawberries taste good? You don’t eat them much. This level should be delicious… Still, I’ll grow them more sweet and sour in Sears, so would you like to try them once more then?”

Actually, sweet and sour strawberries weren’t his concern. But he hoped Brisa wouldn’t feel unnecessary responsibility and feel sorry for him.

“This concludes my business, but do you have anything more to say?”

Would this convey the meaning ‘You really don’t have to solve my problem. So don’t feel burdened’?

Leopold thought some things were better left unspoken.

Especially when both could understand each other’s hearts without saying enough.

Just like how they had never once talked about what happened on their engagement day.

Brisa, who had been staring at Leopold intently, said.

“Let me ask just one question, Leopold. Did you also dream in the Forest of Sleep?”

“I did.”

“Was it a good dream?”

“It was good.”

“…May I ask what kind of dream it was?”

Leopold slowly closed and opened his eyes.

Then he answered slowly.

“During Academy days, the history teacher told us to research regional Santa folklore… and my partner from the lottery draw was you.”

“Huh? Then you just dreamed about something that happened in the past?”

During Academy days, Leopold tended to dislike group projects.

But after becoming partners with Brisa, he learned for the first time that working on projects with someone at his level felt quite nice.

It was a project that lasted the entire semester, so there was a short break in the middle.

“I’ll take care of bringing materials about Western Santa folklore during the break. There’s also a magic library in the west.”

“Ah… the Western Magic Library. I’ve wanted to visit it once.”

Up to this point, it was exactly the same as the past.

However, instead of just staying silent at that murmur, the Leopold in the dream answered like this.

“Really? Then would you like to come visit while we work on the project together? My parents would like to see you too.”

In the dream, they weren’t engaged. They were just acquaintances who got along reasonably well at the Academy and became close because of a group project.

Attracted to the Western Magic Library, Brisa came to visit Duke Nogen’s Residence like that.

“Oh my, you’re Brisa? My goodness, nice to meet you. Leopold has talked about you a lot.”

“Mother!”

“Well, it’s true. You said there’s a child who beats you by a hair’s breadth every day and she’s two years younger, and if she were the same age, you’d probably lose… The girl who sits at the innermost table on the west side of the library every day and has a habit of biting the tip of her quill pen, that’s Brisa, right? No wonder, when they announced the top student at the entrance ceremony, Leo, you couldn’t take your eyes off…”

“Oh, please. Stop it.”

When Leopold’s face turned red and he didn’t know what to do, Father stepped in.

“Ahem, ahem. Researching regional Santa folklore? Then you’ll have to start with Ubies Valley, right? I’ll take you there. Let’s eat first… Now, what does our little lady like? Vegetables? Cheese? Chicken? Black hair? Golden eyes? Pudding? Cake?”

“The library.”

He didn’t transform. That was also different from reality.

Instead of being trapped in a small warehouse, he interviewed elderly people to research regional folklore while bickering with Brisa.

I organized materials in the Magic Library and arrived exactly on the opening day without returning to the Academy later than scheduled.

“Well then, Brisa, come visit anytime later. It was really enjoyable.”

“Maybe later at a banquet, you and Leo could be partners… Ow! Stop it! Leo, you can’t step on Father’s foot like that!”

My parents dropped them off at the Academy, and Brisa seemed to be in a good mood thinking about getting top scores, even giving him a slight smile.

A normal daily life with my parents present, no curse that had to precede all schedules, and no artificial engagement.

It was just that kind of dream.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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