Chapter 43

‘Shit.’

Shawn swore as he sat on the chair in the study and stared blankly at the ceiling. Every time he closed his eyes, Vivianne’s beautiful face always came to mind. In his mind, she frowned slightly while still looking pretty and gave him a reproachful look.

[‘You must have forgotten your promise to me, Sir Shawn.’]

She did not raise her voice, but she was very upset about the situation.

[‘If I accept your proposal, you will never touch him in the future. You promised me that.’]

Bang. Shawn couldn’t contain his growing irritability and kicked the desk. His face contorted relentlessly.

Even before his family fell to ruin, you were already having a hard time finding a marriage partner anyway.

The Redford family went down the path of collapse overnight for treason and created problems for those who were close to them, and even the Richconnell family, who had an in-law relationship with them, was no exception.

Vivianne, the ex-fiance of Edwin, the son of a traitor, was mentioned for unsavory things in social circles just for her relationship alone. For the first time in her life, people would frown upon her name. There were also dangerous rumors circulating that she might have known about the treason early.

Once upon a time, the Richconell mansion, where many people came and went until the threshold was worn out, now had fewer guests. And when they became increasingly isolated, it was Shawn’s family, the Duchy of Rowani, who secretly reached out to them.

As the situation changed, the Duchy of Rowani took the place of the Redfords and emerged as a new powerhouse in the social world. Marquis Richconell, whose position was unstable, could not refuse their help. Even if the price was to give his precious daughter to Shawn, who was known as a social mess.

‘I have no reason to be intimidated.’

Shawn clenched his fists and ground his teeth. But he couldn’t help it. It wasn’t because he didn’t know.

From the first time he met Vivianne, proposed to her the first and second time, and even up to the moment where he was able to take her fiance’s place, he still couldn’t completely replace Edwin in her heart. After all, he was the one who stole her heart, so it was expected that it was not going to be that easy.

How the hell did she find out? He enforced a thorough crackdown so that his visit to the Jenner family did not spread far.

Although he hated to admit it, Shawn was afraid of being hated by Vivianne. He was terrified that she would go against her father’s will and declare a dissolution behind his back. His stomach twisted at the thought that the only way to prevent that was to leave Edwin alone.

Too many people cared and worried for him, so Edwin was untouchable even with his current status.

‘Is there any other way to get rid of him?’

Knock, knock. There was a knock on the door. Shawn, who was leaning on the chair and pulling his hair out, straightened his back and hurriedly fixed his messy hair.

“Come in.”

When he permitted the other person to enter, the door opened with a click, and a middle-aged man entered the room. He was one of the servants working in the Rowani household. He bowed slightly towards Shawn and said,

“The Duke is looking for you.”

* * *

“I’m going to die of a headache. His Majesty is also very worried about this.”

Duke Rowani walked around the room. He looked so unstable that he couldn’t even sit still. Shawn sat in the parlor chair in front of his father and put on a sulky expression.

“What’s the matter, Father? It’s a diplomatic marriage to Velicia. Isn’t that something that should be rejoiced?”

Velicia. It was a far richer and more powerful country than Brimdel, and it was in the ranks of the Empire. The Velicia side had first asked for a diplomatic marriage to Brimdel. He doesn’t know the details, but in Shawn’s eyes, this must have been good news.

“It would be, normally. But the other person should be a normal person.”

Duke Rowani sighed deeply.

“The other person they are proposing is Prince Bernard. Prince Bernard. You’ve heard the rumors about him, haven’t you?”

Bernard Cenchilla Shane Pascourt. He was the second son of the current King of Velicia and was a famous playboy and fighter despite being a prince. He likes women and has flirted with numerous women every day, and because of his fierce temper, he was also famous for pulling out a knife even if something bothered him a little.

He was even nicknamed the ‘Prince of Disaster’ because it seemed like a violent typhoon hit him wherever he went.

Shawn gave his father a look of understanding when he realized what his father was agonizing about.

“So, who did they name as the bride?”

“No one was specifically pointed out, but it must be a woman from the royal family who inherited His Majesty’s blood. But, among His Majesty’s daughters, the only one who has reached marriageable age and is still single is Princess Leisha.”

Duke Rowani felt deeply sorry for the princess. Princess Leisha, who was known for being pretty and smart, was the pride of not only the Brimdel family but of all the people of Brimdel. If she was going to be wed to someone with a bad reputation like Bernard, then it was understandable if the king was fuming inside.

“If they don’t like it that much, why not just say no?”

“Did you think it’s that easy? Recently, the situation has been unstable due to reports that the Kustan guys in the north are acting suspiciously.”

Duke Rowani shook his head.

“I wish there was a daughter, an illegitimate child hidden from His Majesty at the very least.”

He rubbed his forehead and lamented. He was stuck in a dilemma.

Shawn looked at his father and thought. An illegitimate daughter, huh. He thought about the appearance of the current king.

The king had soft brown hair and pale amber eyes. Considering that most of the kings in history were blonde and had blue eyes, it was evident that the current king was an unusual case. Because of that, there was a lot of talk about the authenticity of his lineage.

He wondered if there was even a story that said that the people from the Redford household were more similar to the previous kings than the current king.

Then, Shawn opened his mouth.

“If they don’t have an illegitimate daughter… Can’t we just make one?”

“What do you mean? Make one?”

Duke Rowani asked. His eyes opened wide when he realized what his son was trying to say.

“Are you trying to set up people with lies now?”

“That’s right, father.”

“It sounds dangerous! If we are discovered, we will not be able to escape from Velicia’s wrath!”

“Well, there’s nothing you can’t do, right? If our side insists on that, how will Velicia know?”

Shawn shrugged his shoulders.

“And even if things go wrong, we can just use our connections before they even find out the truth.”

“…”

Duke Rowani seemed to be shaken by his son’s confident attitude. He still thought it was an absurd plan, but he decided it wasn’t bad to hear what Shawn was planning.

After a while, Duke Rowani asked.

“Who is it? Is there someone you are considering?”

The corners of Shawn’s lips rose crookedly at the question.

* * *

Shortly thereafter, a messenger visited the Mackenzie mansion. He introduced himself as a messenger from the royal family of Brimdel. The royal family. The Mackenzies were filled with trepidation as they welcomed the unexpected guest.

The messenger handed Baodor a letter he had brought. Baodor untied the string that had bound it and unfolded the letter. In the lower right corner of the letter, the royal coat of arms was engraved in large letters.

{My dear people and faithful subjects, House Mackenzie.}

The first words of the letter began.

“What does it say?”

Rose, who was standing next to Baodor, asked curiously. But Baodor did not reply, and his eyes moved faster as he scanned the text. His hands began to tremble, and his breaths became harsh.

“Baodor, my love?”

Noticing that something was wrong, Rose cautiously called out to her husband. Baodor crumpled the letter he was holding and lowered his arm. He glared at the messenger with a fierce look.

“What does this mean? Conscription?”

‘Conscription?’

Rose was startled by the unexpected word. Isn’t it a system that forcibly imposes obligations on a specific person to defend the country? She hurriedly grabbed Baodor’s arm.

“Baodor. What do you mean? Are you saying that the royal family has given you a conscription order to go to the battlefield?”

Baodor turned to look at his wife. She was looking at him with eyes full of fear. He knew what she was worried about. He bit his molars tightly. How should he answer?

Then, he slowly shook his head.

“Rose. I am not the target of conscription.”

“Not you? If it’s not you… then who is it?”

Rose was confused. There was only one person who could be drafted from the Mackenzies. No, of course, she believed there was only one. But when it finally dawned on her, she turned as white as a sheet.

Hugo Mackenzie.

The kingdom ordered the next Viscount Mackenzie, who was only twelve years old, to render military service.