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And that extremely rare opportunity was no other but me so no wonder Ortzen indulged me so much. Even if I make any problems in the future, he wonât say anything.\n\nâHow about Captain Jullius? Do you want to become a Count?â\n\nHe seemed hesistated a bit before finally replied to my question.\n\nââŚ, not really.â\n\nâAre you not interested in becoming a noble?â\n\nâI just like things as it is.â\n\nI sat next to him and nodded.\n\nâI also think that kind of thing is bothersome.â\n\nThe more authorities you had, then there would also be as much duties that followed. Luckily itâs my husbandâs tasks, not mine, then does it mean that Captain Jullius will do the tasks as a Count? He would have a hard time then.\n\nâYou donât have to do it if you donât want to!â\n\nNo need to bother about trivial things like that. Somehow my words made him more depressed instead.\n\nâIâm not interested with the Count title⌠but I hate being seperated from Miss Epheria.â\n\nâWhat? Why would we seperateâ uh, itâs not like that!â\n\nCome to think of it, did Captain Jullius think that if he didnât become the Count, it also meant that we wouldnât get married? I was flustered and waving my hands in denial.\n\nâI donât mean to say that Iâm going to marry another man, ermm, how about we return the title and keep it as a secret from Ortzen?â\n\nâReturn the title?â\n\nâThatâs right. The title can be returned to the Imperial Family if thereâs no one to inherit it. Weâll just take the properties and discard the title away.â\n\nOrtzen would definitely be furious if he came to know about it, but Captain Jullius said that he didnât like it. If I return the title there will be a compensation for it so in the end Iâll get more money.\n\nââŚ, even so, I think Ortzen shouldnât have prevented those who wished to meet you like this. Perhaps there might be someone you will like amongst them.â\n\nâEi, they are just some flies who are after my title and wealth anyway.â\n\nI donât think there will be any decent man amongst them.\n\nCaptain Jullius slightly tilted his head and looked at me then asked.\n\nâWhat kind of man do you like?â\n\nâEmm⌠Iâm not sure either.â\n\nWhat I see in a man is⌠First of all, my look was the best so leaving the matter of appearance aside, I wish he could accompany me to train my swordmanship for more than half an hour every day. I donât care about his wealth because I have a lot of money and I hope his personality match with mine. And also⌠emmâŚ\n\nâA man who I can rely on in the battlefield!â\n\nYup, thatâs it. My ideal type is a man who has a good skills, nice personality, and trustworthy.\n\nâIâll try my best.â\n\nâIf itâs Captain Jullius, I think youâre already good as of now.â\n\nâIs that so?â\n\nâYup.â\n\nI think I can do anything I want and believe in him that he will protect me. Not bad. I reached out my hand and carressing his black hair then calmly said,\n\nâThatâs why you donât have to concern yourself too much about Ortzenâs scheme. If I feel displeased by it, I can just run away on my own. Iâm confident that whatever that man schemed against me, I get away from it. If my ability isnât enough to face him, then Captain Jullius will certainly lend me a hand right?â\n\nâYes.â\n
âThen itâs all good. Donât think too much about it.â\n\nAlthough Iâve said so, I still felt that itâd be better to have a talk with Ortzen. Most of all, I doubted that he propelled me to marry Captain Jullius just to get the Count title. Iâm not sure if I could properly pry into his motives but at least I should try asking him.\n\n\n                                    ***\n
Ortzen stayed in his office room. When I knocked on the door and went inside, Ortzen was rummaging through a drawer in the middle of the bookself then he turned his body around right away and saw me.\n\nâEarlier, the thing isââ\n\nâItâs fine. More importantly, have you placated him?â\n\nâYes.â\n\nâThank you. From now on, Iâll also depend on you a lot to take care of him.â\n\nHe asked me to sit while maintaining a mild smile. This was unexpected because I initially thought he would at least nagging a bit because we left him in the middle of the conversation before. Did he want the Count title so bad? As soon as I sat down on the sofa, Ortzen took out a box of chocolates from the cabinet and served it whole for me.\n\nâCan I eat all of these?â\n\nâAs much as you want.â\n\nI was still uncomfortable for his over indulgence on me, but he gave me this box of chocolates so of course I would take it. I knew this chocolatier trademark. Itâs very expensive.\n\nâWhat ifâŚâ\n\nI took a piece of wave-shaped chocolate into my mouth then said,\n\nâOh, deliciousâno, I mean, if I return the title to the Imperial Family, will you still wish for me to marry Captain Jullius?â\n\nâYes.â\n\nOrtzen firmly replied right away without any hesitation.\n\nâHow come?â\n\nâI think that both of you suit each other very well.â\n\nâI-is that soâŚ?â\n\nâYes. Thatâs why I still hope you two will get married even if without the Count title.â\n\nâŚ, do I really make a good couple with Captain Jullius? Well, Captain Jullius and I both have similar way of thinking though.\n\nâBut of course I would like you to keep the title as it is. Itâs not just for Captain but also for your own good.â\n\nâFor me too?â\n\nâThe disparity between having a noble title and without a noble title is vast. First of all, the law discriminates the commoners and the nobles.â\n\nâThatâs right. But, Captain Jullius is a semi noble. There isnât much difference except the rights to own a land and the rights to inherit a title, though?â\n\nAlthough those two things were utmost importance but thatâs for other people, Captain Jullius wouldnât want any of it. Rather than that, the responsibilities that followed were just as troublesome as it could get.\n\nâI mean, for now itâs still fine. But a knight wonât be a semi-noble anymore upon retirement.â\n\nââŚ, ah.â\n\nI never thought that far. A holy knight would devote all his life to serve the church as long as one didnât commit severe mistake, but itâs different with ordinary knight. If he suffered serious injuries until he wasnât able to continue his job or if heâs already old, itâs common to resign from his post.\n\nâHence I hope both of you will keep the title and it might come handy in the future. Maybe you can call it as a retirement plan of sorts? A noble title will be a good shield in many ways.â\n\nIt would be easy to manipulate Captain Jullius who wasnât a member of Special Task Squad anymore in the future.\n\nâBesides, the interference from the upper echelons would be less than now if Captain Jullius became a Count. As of now, many people looked down on Captain Jullius. Even the vice-captain of Special Task Squad doesnât respect Captain Jullius at all. Itâs all because Captain Jullius is just a semi-noble. In fact, amongst all the captains of any Imperial Knight Squads, Captain Jullius is the only one who doesnât have noble title other than his knighthood. Even His Majesty is pretending to be ignorant because Captain Jullius who doesnât have any noble title can be assigned with any tasks without those nobles who wary about Special Task Squad noticing his moves.â\n\nâHis Majesty?â\n\nâYes.â\n\nWhat, thatâs outrageous. I never thought His Majesty was someone like that, Iâm very disappointed in Him.\n\nâThen we have to get married.â\n\nâThatâs good. Itâs not a bad thing for you. As a woman, Miss has to get married to secure the noble title. Based on your personality, if youâre to become a wife of ordinary noble gentleman, itâs obvious that Miss will feel frustated.â\n\nâHmm.â\n
Heâs right. I could avoid any nagging that required me to act as how a Countess supposed to be if I married Captain Jullius. Was there no other way besides marrying Captain Jullius if I didnât return to the church as a clergy and wished to have a leisure life while keeping the noble title?\n\nâCoincidentally, Captain Jullius and I also have come into an agreement to get married if we have to do a political marriage.â\n\nâThatâs right.â\n\nâRight?â\n\nâOf course.â\n\nâWe will just get married then.â\n\nâIf youâre all set, Iâll have it prepared as soon as possible.â\n\nAs I listened to Ortzenâs words, the thoughts about I had to get married increased and I became more convinced to get married, but⌠I was still caught in the âloveâ matter. I felt like somehow I was being rash for getting married without any love.\n\nâThereâs still plenty of time so I would like to think about it some more.â\n\nâActually we donât have much time left.â\n\nâHuh? Why?â\n\nâA title canât be left vacant for more than half a year of time.â\n\nâR-really?â\n\nI was completely clueless about that. So itâs half a year.\n\nâIf the suspension period is over, the title will naturally return to the Imperial Family or owned by the husband of Miss Roanne Epheria.â\n\nââŚ, Roanne?â\n\nAfter some thoughts, sheâs also the Countâs daughter. Unlike her younger brother Vires, sheâs probably the daughter of the late Count. Perhaps.\n\nâIf that being the case, Iâll marry Captain Jullius if in the half a year timeframe I donât find any other suitable suitor.â\n\nâCan you promise, Miss?â\n\nâI promise.â\n\nItâs such a waste to miss the Count title, so Iâll just get married then. After I made that simple promise, I left the room while bringing the box of chocolate with me.