Chapter 70

The House of Marquis of Portus. Known as a prestigious family located in the eastern region of the Alexus Empire, it’s also recognized as a noble clan of the Empire. The eastern part of the Alexus Empire, with its coastline and abundant fertile lands, is home to the largest estate of the Marquis of Portus. The vassal family, the Taron family, possesses the Empire’s biggest port, Taron Port, while another vassal, the Aliyah family, controls the Empire’s largest grain-producing area, the Aliyah region.

With such rich lands, one could easily choose to be independent. That’s the situation for the Marquis of Portus, but the family has historically been content with the position of the Empire’s chancellor. It’s quite puzzling for outsiders to see that a family in such a significant role would insist on remaining as marquises. After all, the chancellor is the second-most important person after the Emperor himself. Why would a family that regularly ascends to such a position settle for being marquises? It’s due to a pact between the first Marquis of Portus and the inaugural Emperor.

Though the details of that agreement remain unclear, the first Marquis and the first Emperor made a solemn vow, leading the Marquis to decline the title of Duke for generations. This current Marquis of Portus also declined a promotion to Duke, which the Emperor ceremonially accepted.

That being said, it does raise questions about prestige, so the Marquis’ family typically marries into the imperial family. After all, there’s no nation that would disregard a chancellor when he has such connections to the imperial family.

The current Marchioness was the younger sister of the current Emperor, notorious for her rambunctious personality, possibly due to being the youngest and a late bloomer. The Marquis initially refused to marry her but eventually succumbed to the Emperor’s persuasion and pressure.

It’s no surprise that these two ended up together, so their marital relationship felt obligatory, resulting in their daughter, the Young Lady Lilian. The Alexus Empire recognizes female nobles, and after the Young Lady was born, the couple’s relationship essentially ended. Whether it was the cause or just how she was, the Marchioness began throwing wild parties every night, exhausting the Marquis who subsequently turned a blind eye to the mansion’s affairs.

Occasionally, he would return and cast a glance at the Young Lady. That was about it. Thinking about it, it seemed the Marquis did have some love for her, even if he was a typical cold father. Of course, just because he didn’t express it didn’t mean it wasn’t child abuse or anything.

His intention to marry the Young Lady not to an imperial prince but rather to a prince from the Endain Duchy likely arose from his desire to prevent her from following in his footsteps. In fact, Prince Bellus had a pretty decent reputation. Although he belonged to the radical faction, he wasn’t the type to openly discriminate against commoners, and his character and appearance were quite favorable.

On the other hand, what about the imperial princes? They are blinded by power struggles, scheming against one another. The first prince, Meyer Selvius, is a devious and inscrutable character, while the second prince, Jae Ron Selvius, is thoroughly pompous. While Jae Ron is certainly a better candidate than Meyer, he is destined to marry Yulia, who will later become a saint.

Well, whatever the Marquis thinks is just speculation anyway. As I gently tidied up Lilian’s hair, who was peacefully sleeping in the rattling carriage, I gazed out the window. Despite pretending otherwise, it must have been exhausting to deal with the ongoing investigations. Plus, with only one meal a day for several days, she had to be more tired than ever. That’s probably why she was sleeping like a log.

Not dead, surely. When I held my finger to her nose, I felt warm air. She’s alive. I thought, reclining in the carriage. I had been sitting upright while Lilian was awake, but let’s be real; I was human too! It was uncomfortable to remain in that position for long.

Staring blankly at Lilian’s face, I stealthily closed my eyes. I intended to catch a little nap. We would probably reach our destination in about a day, and I wanted to recharge a bit before then. That thought led me to doze off right there.

“…Are you asleep?”

Lilian was startled when Catherine touched her hair. Even when Catherine gingerly caressed her hair and placed a finger under her nose, Lilian remained as still as possible and soon sighed quietly as she noticed Catherine’s soft breathing.

Now that she put her head down, though, Lilian thought as she gazed out the window. Although it was summer, it was still early summer, and the weather wasn’t too bad. The eastern part of the Empire has distinct four seasons, but it doesn’t feel overly hot or cold like where she used to live. Just moderately warm and moderately cold.

Perhaps it was because the window was open in a moving carriage, but it felt even cooler. As Lilian absentmindedly stared out the window, she glanced at Catherine. Catherine was sleeping soundly, almost as if she had just dozed off into a deep sleep.

Was she tired? I mean, during our ride, I hadn’t seen her rest properly, so it was somewhat expected. Thinking this, Lilian gradually moved closer to Catherine. Positioning herself by Catherine’s head, she gently rested it on her lap.

Catherine’s brows furrowed a little when her head was lifted, but soon relaxed. Seeing this, Lilian softly smiled and quietly gazed at Catherine’s face. Even with her eyes closed, Catherine’s long lashes were still noticeable. Her cute little nose and seemingly tender lips. Lilian simply stared at them before lightly brushing her fingers over Catherine’s lips.

Warmth traveled up her fingers. The sensation sent a slight shiver down Lilian’s spine as she absentmindedly gazed at Catherine’s lips. Like some kind of spell, she found herself unable to tear her gaze away, slowly inching her lips closer to Catherine’s.

“Mmm…”

“Hah.”

At that moment, Catherine let out a tiny moan. Realizing what she was about to do, Lilian quickly jerked her head up. Did she wake up? No way? She glanced at Catherine, who still breathed steadily, only releasing a sigh of relief as she placed a nearby cushion under Catherine’s head instead of her lap.

Feeling the heat flush to her cheeks, Lilian fanned herself while gazing out the window. Yet even as she looked outside, Catherine’s rosy lips lingered in her mind.

“Ugh…”

Stifling a yawn, I stretched my body. I got up, and it was already evening. Looking out the window, I saw we were nearing the familiar scenery of home. I gently shook the still-sleeping Lilian.

“Ugh…”

“Young Lady, we should be arriving soon.”

“Ugh…”

Struggling to respond, Lilian, still caught in a sleepy haze, I wet a handkerchief and gently wiped her face. Regardless of the fact that we were heading home, at least some decorum should be maintained. With that in mind, I smoothed out the creases of her dress. By that time, Lilian seemed to have regained her senses and was staring at me with a dazed expression.

“Young Lady? Is there something you want to say?”

“Huh?! Oh, no. Um, nothing.”

She was stammering more than usual, which raised some suspicions, but it was probably nothing, so I continued adjusting her appearance. Being in a carriage and lacking proper materials made it tricky, but I could manage to make her look presentable.

“Young Ladies, we have arrived!”

“Thank you.”

The coachman we hired from the Academy announced our arrival, and Lilian and I stepped down from the carriage. After tipping generously, the coachman left with a broad smile on his face.

“It’s been a while.”

“Indeed.”

As I gently held onto Lilian’s hand, we slowly walked toward the front gate of the mansion. The two guards immediately recognized us and greeted us warmly.

“Ah, Young Lady! Catherine! Long time no see!”

“Is the Academy on break?”

“Yes.”

Even though they were guards, they were knighted, so they greeted Lilian quite casually. She nodded back to acknowledge their greeting. While it could be seen as rude, it was just how Lilian was, so the two men simply smiled happily without any further thought.

“This is great timing! The head of the family has returned.”

“…Father?”

“Yes.”

Whoa, the Marquis of Portus is home? I certainly didn’t expect that. Both Lilian and I stiffened, having assumed no one would be around. While I was lost in thought, Lilian spoke up with a cold expression.

“Would you mind opening the door?”

“Oh, yes.”

The guard sheepishly scratched the back of his neck and opened the door. With that, Lilian and I stepped back into the House of Marquis of Portus after a long time.