The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 216

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Part 2, Episode 21
“I thought about it the moment he collapsed…… that eventually the arrow would come back to me.”
Gillab spoke with trembling lips.
“Everyone knows Divostan has maintained Nullification down through the generations. So he went around boasting to anyone who’d listen about how much more noble he was than everyone else. But if it turns out to be an ability he can’t even use, what’s the difference between him and the lowborn people I used to despise?”
I blinked.
It was an oddly unlucky statement, but at least it had some shame in it.
“You abandoned me then…… didn’t you?”
Gillab spoke with his shoulders sagging.
“I always took your side, but you left me to bear the family’s honor and ran away.”
Honestly, in that moment no one was thinking of Divostan’s honor at all. Gillab’s self-consciousness was overdone. But I decided not to point it out.
“But the Marquis Sears was different…….”
Gillab continued, muttering.
“He stepped forward himself before I could prove my honor. Even after rescuing Brisa. No one forced the Marquis Sears into such a role.”
I rolled my eyes.
That was Alpheus stepping forward to protect me. Because the Empress Dowager might say in front of people that “Brisa is necessary for the completion of the Dark Magic experiment.”
But because that secret had been kept far too well, it became a source of emotion for Gillab.
“……That’s when I understood.”
“Understood what?”
“The Marquis Sears stepped forward as a true adult to protect me as a child. Like when you told me before that children need time to grow.”
Gillab’s extraordinary self-protective instinct had reached a strange conclusion.
“You threw me into Death Ground……but the Marquis Sears, whom I had despised, saved me.”
Alpheus opened his mouth as if to say something.
“Ah, that—Oof!”
I stepped on his foot to stop the remark and whispered.
“Truth-telling forbidden.”
There was no good in letting him know the truth that “no one cared about someone like you back then.”
“B-but!”
Alpheus widened his eyes, so I issued another warning.
“Listening to conscience forbidden.”
“Even so…….”
“Living with complete honesty forbidden.”
In the meantime, Gillab spoke in a trembling voice.
“H-half of the Marquis Sears’ blood is noble anyway, isn’t it? Think about it. You both resemble the Former Marquis so closely. That blood must be far more powerful.”
As expected, his reasoning was strange.
I let out a scornful laugh.
“Ah, so Alpheus’ paternal traits are so powerful? Then I needlessly woke him up. He’ll just gamble away all the wealth I worked so hard to accumulate.”
As always, Maximus was far quicker to read the situation than Alpheus.
Maximus interjected smoothly.
“Alpheus is genuinely a friend with a noble heart and valiant spirit. It’s no accident he’s a War Hero. It’s only natural that people would be influenced by such brave and bold conduct.”
And he changed the subject as smoothly as flowing water.
“But don’t hate your family too much, will you? The Duchess must have been terribly worried about you.”
I watched him and thought, ‘Oh, he’s playing with him completely.’
‘He’s probing whether there’s discord right away, isn’t he?’
As expected, Gillab answered while catching his breath.
“That can’t be. He even praised me for feigning fainting so well!”
Gillab took the bait immediately.
“Then later when I said something, he got angry, saying I was making a fuss and that no one thought that much of it!”
Well, the Duchess wasn’t entirely wrong about that. Of course, I wasn’t someone who spoke all my thoughts honestly, so I simply kept my mouth shut.
“And it’s the same this time. Whether my territory ends up this way or that, clearly there’s no interest whatsoever.”
Gillab couldn’t hold back his sorrow and opened his heart.
“After all, I’m not the son to carry on the house, so it doesn’t matter. Mother sent people a few times, but the letters always contained only trivial things. I even doubt Mother wrote them herself.”
Maximus’ eyes gleamed sharply. His political question had extracted the answer he wanted.
“So I will protect my territory myself.”
Gillab declared breathlessly.
Remarkably, this statement moved Alpheus.
“Strong conviction about what needs protecting……. Boy, you’ve finally become an adult. You didn’t just grow in body.”
I muttered irritably.
“No emphasis on words like ‘boy.'”
I had a bad feeling about it for some reason.
Gillab looked at me and asked.
“You’ll help me, right, Brisa? Won’t you?”
Those violet eyes turned toward Alpheus next.
“This time too……will you help me, Marquis Sears? I won’t forget your favor.”
Alpheus scratched the back of his head as if troubled.
“B-but what could I possibly help with……. Picking flowers? Should I do my best to destroy nature?”
Even as he said this, he glanced at me. Clearly he wanted to help Gillab.
Well, it was a narrative Alpheus would be captivated by. A rude child growing into an adult who overcomes prejudice through some process…….
‘Though the process seems to be covered up by misunderstanding.’
Alpheus seemed to have moved past the strangeness of that process with ‘I suppose that’s how noble children are.'”
“Just taking a look wouldn’t hurt, would it, Brisa?”
In the end, Alpheus broached the subject quietly.
“Sigh.”
I had consistently planned to “show my face and return to Sears.” But I hadn’t anticipated Gillab’s change of heart.
‘Change of heart is the right word. It’s definitely not reformation.’
I never believed in reformation anyway. But his change of heart still had the effect of softening my heart a little.
“I even set fires before. But the flowers wouldn’t disappear completely no matter what.”
“Some plants thrive when burned. Seeds spread further with the wind.”
I spoke while shaking my head.
“Getting rid of weeds is never easy……. That’s why I didn’t respond to ‘they’ll never disappear no matter what’ in the first place.”
I sighed once and spoke.
“Fine, then I’ll just take a look. But know that I’m not a botanist.”
“Thank you, Brisa!”
Gillab beamed.
“Then since it’s late today, let’s sleep and start observing tomorrow, shall we?”
“……Observing?”
“Yes. Morning and afternoon, twice a day for a week.”
“What?”
I was taken aback.
“Why should I?”
“That much is worth seeing. You should witness for yourself what happens when the flowers are uprooted.”
“I said I’d take ‘one’ look.”
“Right. ‘One’ look at each environment.”
When I raised one eyebrow in displeasure, Alpheus stepped in.
“I’d prefer it if we did it that way. Brisa, there’s no urgent business in our Territory, is there? Let’s do it.”
Then Gillab immediately bowed.
“Thank you, Marquis!”
He wasn’t even stumbling over his words now.
“Truly grateful! I’ll do my best to treat you well!”
“Treat us to what? I’m not particularly hopeful.”
I sighed with my arms crossed.
“The Tomato Field I saw on the way here was also a mess.”
Maximus shrugged and offered a comment.
“It’s fortunate you two are here. If you’re bound together by the flowers, at least it won’t be boring.”

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