âI think this the first time that I revealed to you that I am Marquis Garth.â
Valia was stunned for a moment, while Shuden pressed on.
âYou werenât fazed in the least. Who tipped you off?â
Valia bit the inside of her lips slightly. She didnât realize her mistake. As soon as she realized how obviously stupid she was, she quickly began to formulate various responses in her mind.
âShould I say that I already heard it?â
But over the past few days, Valia encountered too few people in her area of activity. She would get into trouble if Shuden investigated the people around her and found out that she lied. She didnât want him to have any suspicions. For some reason, she thought that if she gave Shuden a reason to doubt her, she wouldnât be able to die peacefully.
âNeither Sean nor the Great Holy Priest have ever directly said that he was Marquis Garth.â
They only ever called Shuden âYour Excellencyâ, but they never called him âYour Excellency Marquis Garthâ. It would be understandable if she was born in the Ghel Empire, but Valia was an aristocrat from the far-off Lisa Kingdom. She wasnât even Ghel noble, so if she could recognize that he was Sir Garth just by hearing his title, she would have been a psychic, not a marchioness.
[The one who will be my husbandâthe Marquis, that isâis he scary?â]
As her previous question to her, she realized that she shouldnât have mentioned the rank of marquis. At the time she said it without much thought, without realizing that it would lead to this. Valia began to get nervous.
âShould I just say that I just donât get surprised easily by natureâŠ?â
She was someone who would be surprised even by broken plates while doing the dishes. The chances of a marchioness having to do dishes in front of a marquis was so low that it was the same as jumping into the battlefield with a baby bottle, but the Valia right now wasnât in the position to argue that.
âI havenât been invited to tea parties often,â Valia finally answered.
It was fortunate that she had a talent for improvisation. In addition, it was obvious that she did not receive invitations to the social circles often, so even if Shuden investigated the people, he wouldnât be able to even find a single breadcrumb. That meant nothing would be revealed even if he investigated.
âSoâŠIâve never heard of Your Excellencyâs reputation before,â she lied.
Of course, it was true that Shudenâs name was never mentioned at tea parties held in small kingdoms, but even the nobles of Lisa Kingdom would know how high the position of the Marquis of Gel Empire was. But what could be done if Valia insisted that she really didnât know?
ââŠShould I have been more surprised?â she asked cautiously.
Shuden shook his head. âI was just curious, so thereâs no need. Itâs not a household thatâs great enough to spread to other kingdomsâ social circles.â
Lies
, Valia muttered inwardly. Even from the memories of the past, the Garth household had achieved great fame. It was originally known for having tremendous wealth, but in this generation, the householdâs reputation increased for its military accomplishments.
The young Marquis Garth. He was truly a prodigious knight. In every war he fought, the Ghel Empire banner waved in victory. He had an amazing resourcefulness and military force that completely devastated the enemy camps. Later, it was said that he even received a promotion to duke, but the Marquis rejected it for some reason.
Was that the reason why there were always many people around him? Even at an Imperial Family banquet, a circle of humans would form centering around his reddish-blond hair.
âGood.â
Unaware of Valiaâs thoughts, Shuden was inwardly happy that she didnât know much about the Garth household. Ranks were like a double-edged swordâthey could hurt oneself by simply wielding it. The position of Marchioness Garth was a position that anyone would covet, especially Valiaâs status and position in the social circle, which would become unparalleled. As long as she desired it, she could reign at the top of high society.
Besides, she didnât have any other proper title other than Marchioness Garth. The only Duchess of the Ghel Empire was twice as old as Valia, so the age gap didnât match. When Valia would become Marchioness Garth, she would certainly sit at a high position among the noble ladies that were her peers.
Shuden, perhaps out of condescension, did not even consider the other aristocratic wives of the other marquis on the board. Although he knew the families held the same rank as marquis, there was a considerable distance in power between him and them.
In truth, Shuden was usually not interested in the affairs within the social circles. However, if the daughter of a small kingdomâs knight became Marchioness Garth, he guessed that the repercussions would be enormous. Those who subsisted on bream crumbs would be better off than her. The nobleâs envy and motivation for conspiracy would be beyond imagination.
âI canât see how Iâd be able to withstand it.â
His face was as still and calm like the moon reflected on water. Would Valia, the daughter of a small kingdomâs knight, be able to adapt well in the social world where cold power-seeking was rampant?
âYour Excellency?â Valia said apprehensively. She felt the burden of his stare on her, and she called his name.
For a moment, Shuden thought that Valiaâs voice was a good fit with her silver-gray eyes, which was reminiscent of a dawn sky.
âWhy are you being so formal this time?â he asked. âYou called me by my name before.â
ââŠThatâs becauseâthat situation called for that.â
When Valia had looked at the arrogant princess, she noted there were some things she needed to take note of. In the past, there were not just one or two people who looked down on the status of Valiaâs father. Ridicule was basic and an insult was a bonus. After going through such hardships, Valia became hardened enough that she wouldnât burst into tears, but that did not mean that she didnât feel offended. To be honest, when she saw the princess trembling, she thought that she deserved it.
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âThat was a situation that called for it,â
Shuden murmured inwardly to himself and tilted his chin. To others, it looked as if his expression remained unchanged, but it was different for Valia. She could subtly sense that he was amused.
âThen would you only call my name in that kind of situation?â he asked.
âOtherwise, itâd be against formalitiesâŠâ
âIs it in your nature to follow formalities? Thatâs why you dressed like that on our first meetingââ
Valia winced. The embarrassing situation replayed in her mind all over again. However, it was confusion that dominated her mind. In her memory, he was a blunt and not talkative man. Even if he didnât open his mouth, people around him who tried to talk to him would be in a commotion. However, the Shuden she saw up close was very different from what she expected. She thought heâd never made a joke in his life before, except that he made jokes well. Interestingly enough.