"Surely you must be tired from the journey. Please, come to dinner. It was specially prepared for you."
said Rilia's mother calmly, wearing an elegant, flawless smile.
The family gathered around the dining table.
I feel like this is the hardest dinner of my life… I might actually throw up…
Rilia thought amid the suffocating atmosphere.
"My dear brother… you have no idea how much this sister has missed you ♥︎,"
the aunt said with a wide smile.
"I felt the same," he replied indifferently. "But I believe we all had reasonable causes to keep our distance."
"Haha… you are right," she answered awkwardly.
"It seems my brother-in-law hasn't changed at all," the count remarked while cutting his meat.
"Well… my husband prefers stability over change and unpredictability," the mother murmured coldly.
Silence fell upon the table.
The aunt then turned her gaze toward Rilia.
"Rilia… I have been thinking a great deal. I believe it is time to strengthen our family bonds. Wouldn't it be better to consider a future that brings us closer together?"
Rilia lifted her head and looked at her aunt.
"What do you mean, Aunt?"
Suddenly, her father's voice cut in, filled with anger.
"Beatrice, I don't believe this is the right time."
"I agree," her mother added firmly.
"On the contrary — this is the perfect time! Many noble families are doing this these days. We must secure the future."
"Yes, I believe so as well," her husband insisted.
Their persistent pressure pushed Rilia's father to interrupt and dismiss them.
"It is getting late. You should return home early so you can prepare for your journey back to the county tomorrow morning."
"B-But, brother—" Beatrice tried to continue, only to be stopped by her husband.
"I believe you are right… brother-in-law," he said, signaling her to stop before matters worsened.
Aunt's family finally left…
Rilia muttered inwardly after finishing their farewell.
But… what exactly did she mean?
She sat on her bed, replaying everything in her mind — especially her mother's warning.
"No way… that's impossible!"
At last, she realized her aunt's intention: to arrange a marriage between her and her cousin.
"Are they serious?! We're only eleven! What is wrong with them?!"
She pressed a hand against her forehead, overwhelmed by shock.
Then she remembered—
Mother and Father refused.
Their firm rejection eased her slightly.
Of course, their refusal was not born from love or concern for her.
It was simply fear — fear of losing her and the enormous profit they expected to gain from her future marriage.
Despite their coldness toward her, they were well aware of Rilia's beauty. A face like hers could become the wife of a marquis or even a duke, especially with her refined manners and vast knowledge.
That would bring an immense price.
—At least, that was what Rilia believed.
"But what if Aunt and Uncle find a way to force Father into agreeing…?"
That snake would never abandon her schemes so easily.
"I must stay wary of that woman's tricks," she whispered, her voice trembling with fear of the unknown future awaiting her — and uncertainty about whether she could face it.
Her thoughts did not calm until she finally closed her eyes and surrendered to sleep.
...…
At last, Tuesday morning arrived — the day Rilia had been waiting for.
A storm of emotions gathered within her: nervousness, excitement, and fear of failure.
Yet none of it shook her determination. She told herself these feelings were only natural for someone attempting a job for the first time.
At breakfast, she finished her entire meal — unusual for her.
As they say, excitement and nervousness increase one's appetite.
She walked through the mansion, greeting the servants with a bright smile. Though they did not know the reason behind their young lady's unusual enthusiasm, they returned her smiles warmly, hoping her good mood would last.
Eventually, she reached the knights' training grounds.
More precisely, the place where the knight from before usually stayed.
Fortunately — and unexpectedly — he was alone this time, sitting on the ground while polishing his sword with a cloth.
"Good morning, Sir Knight~," Rilia said in a friendly tone as she approached.
Upon hearing her voice, he turned.
"Oh… Lady Rilia. Greetings,"
he replied calmly, surprise faintly evident in his voice.
"I came to hear your answer. Five days have already passed."
"My answer…"
he murmured, then stood up.
Rilia braced herself for rejection — but instead—
"From this day forward, I shall devote myself to accompanying and protecting Lady Rilia."
The knight knelt on one knee and spoke those words while looking straight at her.
Relief washed over Rilia's heart, and her positivity returned stronger than before.
"I look forward to it. Please take care of me, Sir Knight," she said gratefully.
The knight smiled faintly before standing again.
"By the way… my name is Zik. Zik Zumer. There's no need to call me 'Sir Knight.'"
Rilia blushed slightly, realizing how childish her previous way of addressing him sounded.
"A beautiful name, Sir Zik."
"I'm glad you think so."
"Then, Sir Zik… today at three in the afternoon will be your first escort mission with me. I'll inform Father as well. Agreed?"
"Of course. Whenever you wish."
At 2:45 PM, Rilia finished preparing herself and informed Isabelle that she was going for a walk in the central capital garden.
Isabelle found nothing unusual — walks were one of Rilia's favorite habits.
Only one task remained.
She had to go to her father.
"The hardest mission so far…"
she muttered, her expression darkening.
The moment she thought of the man called her father, all the positivity she had gathered since morning seemed to vanish.
But she had no choice.
She had to ask his permission to leave.
_______
Aioshaa backk 💥 I'm so sorry for this long delay, but I had several circumstances that caused the upload to be delayed. I'll try to set up an upload schedule from now on, so please leave your suggestions in the comments.