────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 22

It was a very harsh declaration to say towards the lord of an estate.

Fernaha Glencia is a cheerful young man with scarlet hair and freckles on his cheeks, but even he frowned when he heard Reinhardt’s embarrassing words.

“100,000 Allanquez is not enough.”

“I think that it is more than enough.”

Reinhardt was sitting on her office chair fixed on one position looking arrogant. It was because she had no intention to accept Fernaha Glencia’s offer in the first place. The sooner the negotiation finishes, the better.

However, it was the first time for Fernaha Glencia to be treated like this, so his face flushed in embarrassment. Thus, he protested.

“With 100,000 Allanquez, the Luden Estate can be supported for 10 years.”

“Sir Glencia,” she looked indifferently at him, “How can a buyer calculate the amount of money he wanted to give in front of the seller and say that this would be enough?”

“…… I’m sorry if I offended you.”

The man sighed. Reinhardt shrugged and smiled.

“Yes, our estate is poor. It is to the extent that I, the Lord, was even concerned by how much straw your horse eats.”

“….”

“But I don’t think that the ransom of the knight that killed the barbarian war chiefs can only be amounted to as much as 100,000 Allanquez.”

“…… Then how much do you want?”

Fernaha Glencia sighed. He had only one reason to stay here. As Reinhardt had predicted, Marquess Glencia also coveted Wilhelm.

He even mentioned that he was displeased when Wilhelm only killed the war chief’s son. Of course, Reinhardt was able to obtain this piece of information from the money she earned selling the marsh.

‘But I’m sure that everyone would covet the knight who decapitated the head of the war chiefs.’

Sir Glencia wanted Wilhelm to be a knight in his estate, not just a rental knight.

There were originally only two ways to recruit a knight belonging to another territory. You could either pay the lord for the price of the knight to recruit him or make the knight himself take the three oaths of Chevalier traditionally.

The three oaths of Chevalier originated from the first emperor Amaryllis and her knights. The knights of Amaryllis were originally knights serving other lords, but to serve Amaryllis, they vowed to give up their former lord and dedicate their life to Amaryllis. Chevalier’s oath is an oath where the knight risks their life to break their loyalty to their former lord and pledge utmost loyalty and allegiance to their new lord. But this method wasn’t very popular because it required a knight with extreme loyalty.

So all Sir Glencia could do was negotiate a ransom with Reinhardt for Wilhelm.

“Sir Glencia, I’m sure you know very well what am I saying.”

But Reinhardt had no intention of selling Wilhelm. Selling him once was enough. From the beginning, she was reluctant to give up Wilhelm, and the results were disastrous.

Of course, it’s not just the results. There was no reason for her to lose the Empire’s war hero, Bill Corona, just for monetary gain.

If it’s money, she can get it from selling the marsh and slightly increase manpower using that money. For the first time this year, she decided to powder corn as the number of migrants increased. Although the estate had slow growth, she will find another way. There were countless ways to make money, but people were irreplaceable.

“…… If you’re talking about the imperial family, I know….”

“Yes, though it is useless now. I am saying that I can’t sell someone I am fond of for 100,000 Allanquez.”

Although it was a bit shameless of her when she sent Wilhelm as a rental knight, what does he know?

It was already a thing in the past, and Fernaha Glencia was too noble to use the vulgar tactic of whining, ‘Why can’t you just rent him out like last time and sell him!’ He was given the nickname ‘the Fox of Glencia’ because he was a resourceful person though he was only a knight. However, that fox also couldn’t keep up with Reinhardt’s method.

No, go back. There’s nothing you can do because I won’t sell him. He’s sold out. I won’t sell him no matter how much you give me.

There is no point in discussing negotiations with a merchant who does not offer goods.

“Then….”

“I don’t have any thoughts in selling him.”

Reinhardt just cut him off. Fernaha Glanced to the person behind her with perplexed eyes.

It was none other the main topic of their conversation, Wilhelm. She already knew what Fernaha Glencia was about to say, so she deliberately brought Wilhelm.

Wilhelm had stood behind the two of them talking, expressionless the whole time. This is what Dietrich would have done. A knight of the territory, protecting the lord.

As soon as she thought of that, her focus seemed to drift away but she clenched her hands. She felt slightly relieved when she felt her nails dug on her palms.

“But, Sir Wilhelm.”

“…… Yes.”

Wilhelm answered in a low voice. Fernaha Glencia put his hands together like a poor man pleading for sympathy.

“I know it is rude to say something like this, so I don’t want to, but the Luden Estate….”

“Then you shouldn’t say it if you know it is rude.”

“…… You have no soldiers! What is the use of a knight without a commander!”

“You’re rude,” Reinhardt said, quickly cutting off his words. Despite the interruption, Fernaha Glencia ignored her and continued.

“Since my warhorse has been causing unprecedented damage to this land anyway, wouldn’t it be okay if I add a little bit more of rudeness to my actions?”

Reinhardt raised her chin and laughed at his actions.

‘Will he run away if I stabbed those freckles with a needle? He has such a way with his words.’

Reinhardt shrugged with that thought in mind. What Fernaha said was something she didn’t want to think about.

Alright.

Although the population increased, there were still only 42 guards in the Luden estate. At least the number of those returning from the war had increased to 42.

If it goes like this, Wilhelm will be the captain of Luden’s 42 men – nothing more, nothing less. Besides, private armies are something you can buy with money. Of course, raising a private army would take a long time. Moreover….

“Call me Sir. Now there is no hierarchy between us.”

“Yes, Sir Glencia. I hate it.”

Wilhelm, who had Fernaha Glencia as his superior before the war, quickly and swiftly turned down his offer. Fernaha had a desperate expression on her face.

“Why! Aside from the amount I will give the Luden Estate, I will also pay you 5,000 Allanquez every year as a reward! My sister is also beautiful!”

Ha-

Reinhardt unconsciously let out a sharp sigh and opened her eyes widely. With that being said, Marquess Glencia was indeed coveting Wilhelm as his son-in-law. Reinhardt tapped her finger on the table. She seemed to be very nervous.

‘So this was your main motive, yet you kept on bargaining and pretending to be pitiful. Besides, did you even ask your sister?’

Reinhardt raised her eyebrows, but Wilhelm interrupted them.

“I am not interested.”

“Is it the former or the latter? If you’re wondering if I think my sister is beautiful because she is my sister, rest assured because she is already a public figure….”

“I’m not interested in either one of them.”

“Aaaah.”

Fernaha pretended to be pitiful and pretended to cry. Even the freckles on his face darkened. Reinhardt grinned.

“I’m sorry, but Baron Nathantine said something similar. And I, of course, turned him down.”

“Then, rent!”

Reinhardt was ready to kick out Fernaha Glencia.

“That is even more impossible,” she replied. She continued by telling him to leave the estate within three days.

Sir Glencia drooped his shoulders as he trudged out of the door. Then the door closed.

“That Glencia fox is such a busybody. It must have been difficult for you to have such a person as your superior,” she said towards Wilhelm.

Returning after closing the door, Wilhelm widened his eyes then smiled softly.

“It was fine.”

Oh, Wilhelm.

Reinhardt looked at the boy’s, no, at the young man’s face and smiled at him. His face while dealing with Fernaha the other day was stiff and suffocating. Is it because his eyes were sharper because of his age? Even Reinhardt was shaken with his cold attitude when Wilhelm said he wasn’t interested in Fernaha Glencia. It reminded her of the purple eyes she met in her previous life in Bill Corona.

But when Wilhelm turned around after closing the door, she saw a youthful beauty that she had never seen before. Just like when he was 16, Wilhelm had an innocent and lovely face that he only showed to her. Reinhardt was relieved as soon as she saw that face.

‘He was rather popular on the battlefield because of that.’

It was only then that Reinhardt could completely change her mind about the abyss-like darkness she had seen in Wilhelm’s eyes the day he returned. Perhaps it was because, for the first time in his life, the inexperienced boy didn’t know how to deal with the void of sadness it surrounded him when he said goodbye to the person he loved.

“Umm, what about you?”

“…… Me?”

Wilhelm stood by her desk and tilted his head with a mysterious and innocent expression. The young man was wearing freshly tailored clothes and a shirt made of high-quality cotton fabric that suited him well. His shoulders and chest had gotten wider, and he became taller, so the clothes she had tailored for him in advance didn’t fit him, so she had to call a tailor in a hurry.

When she gave him that shirt, Wilhelm said with a happy face that he would only wear this shirt.

“Alright, you look so handsome that you must’ve been very popular with the female soldiers. Don’t stand there and sit here. Your leg must be sore.”

“Oh, no….”

“Aren’t your legs sore?”

Wilhelm was slightly perplexed. His sparkling eyes were like fake jewels as they fluttered around looking here and there.

“It’s not that, about the popularity….”

“You’re lying. Anyway, your legs must’ve been sore.”

“My legs don’t hurt….”

“Sit down, for now.”

She urged Wilhelm to sit down and pulled out a large mirror from the inside. It was the copper mirror she had been using all along. She was going to cut his long hair just like when he was still younger. Wilhelm tilted his head when he saw the mirror in front of him, but soon after, her hands were already on his hair. He was so flustered that his shoulders stiffened.

“Your bangs are poking your eyes, so I’ll trim them a bit.”

“Okay….”

“I won’t make it like the new recruits’ hair from before, so leave it to me. I can cut other people’s hair pretty well now.”
(T/N: new recruit’s hair = simply military cut/semi-bald cut)

At best, she could cut the maid’s hair in the castle, and her skills have improved considerably over three years. She looked into the mirror and ruffled Wilhelm’s bangs. A startlingly beautiful young man was in the mirror.

She thought he had simply become a man, a handsome young man — but Wilhelm was an unexpressive person when she saw him shake off the sadness in his eyes under the daylight. His dignified appearance she briefly saw in her previous life seems to have been weakened from what she had seen from a portrait.

He can make hearts flutter, and he has a face that was seducing in a way. If Bill Corona looked strict with a lot of muscles, Wilhelm now had a slightly different atmosphere around him. His good and solid body remained the same, but he had sharp lines as if he had suffered a lot, and the tail of his eyes was long.

The lines falling to the nose and lips were alluring enough that even Reinhardt, who was not very interested in the young man, was a little thrilled. It means that it is enough to shake the hearts of women.

But it’s not the face that feeds you.

Reinhardt patted the young man’s head in a sullen mood, then ruffled it. Wilhelm was a little embarrassed by the repeated treatment he had when he was a boy but then smiled happily.

“Rein, did you know?”

“What?”

“I- I only thought of what you said and fought.”

“…… What do you mean?” Reinhardt tilted her head. “What did I say?”

“…… That I must come back alive.”

Did I say that? Reinhardt was bewildered as she rummaged through her memories.

There’s isn’t much in life. It is the end if you lag behind, understand?

Apparently, she said so.

Wilhelm’s eyes curved as he smiled and grabbed her hand as he rubbed it against his cheek. It was a cute act and made her feel as if she was raising a dog. Reinhardt smiled and unconsciously caressed his face. Wilhelm stiffened.

“Uhm, Rein.”

“Hmm?”

“I…… I have something I want.”

“What is it?”

“…… Can you give it to me?”

She tapped Wilhelm’s shoulder with her other hand.

“Tell me anything.”

“…… Still, it’s a bit difficult to say.”

“Why?”

“Just…… Just because.”

Wilhelm looked at her reflection in the mirror. The two were looking at each other through the mirror, and the dark eyes in the mirror were staring at Reinhardt tenaciously. Reinhardt, who was almost hugging Wilhelm from behind, was startled. Somehow, she got goosebumps.

“…… I will tell you later.”

“Well, it’s only natural for the lord to award a prize to a knight who fought well in war. But don’t wait too late to tell me or else it will no longer have an effect, alright?”

She deliberately laughed and joked with him. As she pinched Wilhelm’s face from above, the young man raised his head, smiling at her brightly, and whispered, “I’ll tell you before it’s too late.”

“Okay, you must.”

“Yes, definitely.”

The young man’s smile was so deep and seductive. Reinhardt thought it was like a summer rose on the wall of the city wall. The red rose that blooms at the end of a hot summer attracts people with its strong fragrance and large blossoms, but the moment you touch it, rough thorns hurt your hand. The strange longing that briefly caught the young man’s eyes was probably due to the long war, and she blamed herself again. Of course, even that was forgotten after the scissors started their work.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────