The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 227

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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 32
“……You’re better than your half-brother. Your mental age is far more mature.”
I offered the praise sincerely.
“At least you’re old enough to live apart from Mother.”
The moment Marcelle’s name came up, he wrinkled his nose in irritation.
“That doesn’t mean I’m taking that bastard’s side. It’s just…… the world isn’t divided into only two camps.”
The boy who had once glared at Alpheus and spouted about “lowly blood” had indeed grown into a man. He had stepped away from the “our side” camp that had pestered me so relentlessly to join.
I stared hard at Gillab, then let it out bluntly.
“I support you.”
Truly, the ways of the world were unknowable.
I’d never once imagined I would say something like this to Gillab.
But then Alpheus suddenly asked.
“Say, where has Leopold really gone? Did he really run away because I terrify him?”
He scratched the back of his head as he muttered.
“Running away without even confronting it once—his character does seem weak…… Even if overcoming something looks difficult, if you take it one step at a time, a solution should reveal itself…… .”
“Stop interpreting everything through your own lens.”
As I warned him, Gillab shrugged.
“But there’s no reason to overcome anything…… is there? It’s just a political marriage, after all.”
At Gillab’s words, both Alpheus’s face and mine went rigid at once.
Now that I thought about it, this wasn’t the first time Gillab had said something like this. He’d definitely mentioned it before…… .
“I’m simply saying that marriage should be approached carefully, with due consideration. Like you and Leopold.”
I crossed my arms and fixed Gillab with a sharp look.
“Why are you so certain? What do you know about my engagement?”
“Certain? Is there any certainty about it? Isn’t it just something everyone knows?”
Gillab’s expression grew uncomfortable, but he pressed on earnestly.
“Marquis Sears lost consciousness, and the Grand Duke Nogen offered to become your guardian, so he proposed the engagement again…… And Leopold left right away anyway.”
It seemed to be a rumor circulating in high society.
I wanted to hear what Gillab had to say to the end, so I stepped firmly on Alpheus’s foot just as he started to protest.
‘I’ve been in hiding this whole time, so I didn’t know about rumors like that.’
Isabela had been too busy with affairs in the Northern Region, and Delmia had no time to show her face in society with children chasing after her.
“The Western Region thinks of itself as indebted to you…… so they want to repay it this way.”
Gillab continued, flustered.
“Besides, even when you were engaged as children, you two were distant with each other, and when it was broken, you both seemed fine about it.”
From an outside perspective, it could certainly be interpreted that way. And yet, the Western Region was skilled in information gathering—they couldn’t possibly have missed this rumor…… .
‘Grand Duke Nogen deliberately feigned ignorance.’
Realization struck like lightning.
‘In case Leopold never came back…… .’
If something happened to Leopold in Sebon, the fact of two engagements might become an obstacle to my marriage prospects. He had shown consideration for that.
The thought of his only grandson’s death alone would have brought him anguish, and yet he was still concerned with me…… .
“Well, now that Marquis Sears has regained consciousness, rumors will probably spread that the engagement will be annulled soon, won’t it? It seems Marquis Sears dislikes this engagement…… .”
Gillab spoke carefully, watching my reaction.
“There’s really no reason for you to stay engaged to Leopold.”
At this, Alpheus actually grew angry.
“What’s wrong with Leopold? Why does everyone think like that? He’s not that terrible.”
It seemed Alpheus believed he alone had the right to speak ill of Leopold.
“Wasn’t the reception day rather touching in its own way?”
“……What?”
Gillab’s eyes went blank, blinking.
“Leopold didn’t even come out when the Empress Dowager was causing a commotion. It was the Marquis and that strange dog who risked their lives for Brisa!”
I shot Alpheus a look that said I knew he’d misspoken.
While Alpheus flustered and rolled his eyes, Gillab asked.
“Ah, Brisa. Right. What was that dog anyway? Its size kept getting bigger and smaller…… .”
I answered vaguely.
“It was an animal subjected to Dark Magic experiments.”
“Really? Where is it now?”
I lied without hesitation to salvage the situation.
“It died.”
At that, Alpheus jumped up.
“That’s cruel, Brisa!”
It was a lie—what did cruelty have to do with it?
But accepting his point, I added belatedly.
“Well…… it lived reasonably long and passed reasonably.”
“Even more cruel!”
In the end, I glared at Alpheus with a warning.
“Why are you so attached to that dog? He’s mine.”
In the meantime, Gillab stammered as he cut in.
“That…… Leopold threw an Annulment Letter at you before without hesitation when your conditions changed. Who knows how he’ll act this time he’s returned.”
He took a deep breath, then straightened and made his declaration.
“If it comes to that again, just come to me.”
Alpheus and I stood in stunned silence for a moment.
After the silence, it was I who finally spoke.
“If you truly don’t want to live anymore, just go to your eldest brother. It wouldn’t make sense for Alpheus or Leopold to kill you.”
In the meantime, Alpheus countered.
“Why? Because it’s murder?”
“No. Because it’s a waste of talent.”
I tapped Gillab’s shoulder lightly.
“Let’s agree that what you just said slipped out by accident. Consider this as me saving your life. Understood? Don’t forget it as long as you live.”
After that, I dragged Alpheus by his mechanical arm.
“Anyway, we’re leaving. If Alpheus succeeds in adapting to the time difference and figures out you’re twenty-two, things change.”
And I quickly punched in Sears’s Coordinates.
* * *
I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them to see the familiar landscape of my territory.
Since I’d sent word ahead the night before, Langsi and Philip were already waiting near the Warp.
“Welcome back, my lady?”
Langsi’s eyes immediately drifted to the wooden box Wendy was carrying.
“We’ve brought everything you asked us to prepare. But that…….”
Alpheus tapped Langsi’s shoulder as if he felt left out.
“Langsi, don’t you see me?”
“The Marquis is clearly visible, but what’s inside the wooden box isn’t, so I’m asking.”
Langsi answered without even sparing Alpheus a glance.
“Usually when a young lady returns from an outing, new food arrives.”
Hearing this warmed my heart considerably.
I raised my chin and asked.
“How are the shrimp doing?”
The time I’d spent in the Eastern Region had been quite long. I’d put in the young shrimp before I left and hadn’t seen how well they’d grown, so I was curious about the result.
Alpheus also looked at Langsi and asked.
“Right. How’s the Shrimp Farm management going? Did it work out?”
Then Philip shrugged and muttered beside him.
“You shouldn’t assign important tasks to Langsi, Marquis. This man abandoned the ancient plum trees and is devouring one shrimp skewer a day—he’s a traitor.”
Alpheus showed interest in the new food.
“Shrimp skewer? How do you make it?”
“You stick them on a thin twig, sprinkle salt, and grill them—all done. Simple, right?”
And he regarded Alpheus’s mechanical arm thoughtfully.
“The Marquis could stick it on his fingers and grill it right away.”
At Langsi’s words, Alpheus immediately voiced his objection.
“I absolutely cannot agree with that suggestion.”
Then he pulled out his sharp mechanical fingernails and showed them off.
“See, I can extend my nails like this. Very sharp, right? Using these would be much better.”
“For the record, I didn’t name it the Shrimp Farm. It’s just the Shrimp Farm.”
Alpheus was quite dejected.
Thus Langsi disappointed not only Philip but Alpheus as well.
“And if anyone heard, they’d think you never eat shrimp at all, Philip.”
“That, that’s—!”
Philip stammered.
“Well, lately meat just doesn’t taste good…… .”
I sighed quietly to myself.
The Sears Territory was no longer a place without money. It wasn’t that we ate poor-quality meat because we were broke—it was simply that the quality of livestock circulating across the Continent had declined overall.
When supply decreased, there was no help for it. Prices rose, turnover fell, and meat aged…… .
“So, what if we built another Shrimp Farm?”
Langsi asked, his eyes glinting.
“I’ve already named it the Brisa Shrimp Farm.”
“Let’s think about that later. Just come with me for now.”
I raised my chin toward the two men.
“I’ll make sure you stop complaining about plums.”

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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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