Chapter Thirty-six: An Advice and a Deal
The party was set to begin around nine-thirty in the evening. At some time, Sieg went to greet the guests. He was probably standing in the entrance hall with Alise now.
Karen, left with nothing to do, was spending an awkward time with Julius in Sieg’s room.
“There’s something I want to discuss with you.”
Julius suddenly began. The silence had been unbearable, so Karen welcomed any topic of conversation.
“What is it?”
“After you finish your first dance with Sieg today, I’m going to propose to you.”
“…Pardon?”
Julius smiled at Karen, who couldn’t believe her ears. It wasn’t his usual teasing smile—his eyes were serious.
“You know about the rumor that spread, saying you initially accepted Sieg’s request wanting marriage to me as compensation?”
“Yes. That’s why we’re holding this recovery celebration.”
After being escorted by Julius and receiving the invitation to the recovery celebration, Karen found herself in quite a predicament. First, she was scrutinized by all the neighbors. Honestly, Karen was good at handling that, being as worldly as she was.
Even the aunties who had tried to arrange extremely dangerous marriage meetings cheered her on, saying "Cling to him whether you’re the tenth wife or the hundredth!" The good-natured uncles teased her but still congratulated her. She managed to deflect detailed questions by citing an alchemist’s confidentiality obligations. There actually were such obligations.
But then, from somewhere, the rumors took on a life of their own, growing more exaggerated with each retelling. The story goes that Karen had used Sieg’s life as leverage to force Julius into marriage, and when Sieg fortunately recovered, Julius had no choice but to deal with Karen’s advances. "Karen is a con artist! She’s a menace holding back the greatest warrior of the three kingdoms!" Due to such malicious rumors, she couldn’t stay at home and fled to the Ehlertt estate.
For the time being, being presented as a benefactor at this party seemed the best way to calm the gossip.
“The issue is that while we of the Ehlertt family gave you what you truly desired, others don’t see it that way.”
“Oh… Is that also becoming a rumor?”
Julius nodded.
Karen understood how disadvantageous such rumors were for the Ehlertt family.
“To show that we haven’t refused marriage, I’d like to propose to you. I’ll say that although you ultimately chose different compensation, I cannot stop my heart from being drawn to you.”
“How would you like me to respond?”
“Marriage would be best.”
“Huh…?”
Karen had already received her compensation. Therefore, there shouldn’t be any reason for Julius to marry her. While she could understand a proposal to dispel rumors, marriage? As an unexpected possibility arose, Karen’s face turned bright red.
“C-Could it be that you like me, Master Julius?”
If that were true, she might have hurt him by talking about compromise. Julius looked puzzled for a moment, then smiled gently.
“If you desire my feelings, I’m prepared to surrender my whole heart, Karen.”
“That way of putting it means you don’t actually like me…”
Karen covered her face in embarrassment. She was sure her entire body was turning red. Julius said apologetically:
“I could have lied, but I thought it would damage our trust when you eventually found out it wasn’t true.”
“Yes. I’m a coward, so I wouldn’t recover from something like that.”
Even though Lyos hadn’t actually lied to her, it was already painful that she’d mistakenly thought he was in love with her. If someone deliberately lied to her, Karen’s self-esteem would be shattered.
“I’ve come to value your skills as an alchemist, and I very much want you to become a part of Ehlertt Earldom.”
“Ah… I see…”
It must be about the panacea. While she couldn’t recreate it, the people of the Ehlertt family knew she had the potential to make it. According to them, even the royal family would try to acquire her if they knew. While she was grateful to be acknowledged as an alchemist, she could only give halfhearted responses due to her embarrassment.
“Even if you’re not enthusiastic about it, could you not refuse the proposal? You don’t have to accept it, just keep it pending.”
“Am I not allowed to refuse?”
Marriage would be more than just a distraction. Karen was romance-brained. Without a doubt, her entire life would become colored by Julius. She was the type of woman whose hobbies changed with each boyfriend. Her true desires would probably be blown away in an instant.
“If your abilities were to be exposed and you received… requests from parties you couldn’t refuse, having me as a prior commitment would protect you.”
It was completely a proposal for Karen’s benefit. Thinking about it, having Julius’s proposal pending didn’t seem to benefit him at all.
“I have no intention of interfering with your progress as an alchemist.”
If he wanted Karen as an alchemist, he would promote her advancement in that field.
“I won’t force you to marry me. But please don’t refuse.”
“The more I hear, the more it seems like I’m the only one benefiting. Is there any advantage for you, Master Julius?”
“I can maintain first negotiating rights with an alchemist of rare ability like yourself.”
“By negotiating rights, you mean marriage?”
“Yes, Karen. If we can maintain such a level of distance, wouldn’t we be able to continue to have good business relationships in the future?”
Julius nodded with a smile.
While their views on marriage were too different for Karen to fully understand, she did want insurance for when she might accidentally create another panacea. After all, she truly had no idea how she’d made it, so she didn’t know how to avoid making it either.
“I thought you were trying to make me fall for you just to reject me cruelly.”
“That’s quite a misunderstanding, isn’t it?”
“I felt like you were seducing me, but I thought it was revenge because I said those things about not wanting to compromise, speaking down to you.”
“Come to think of it, you did mention revenge. I was simply trying to close the distance between us.”
Julius’s golden eyes sparkled with amusement as he said this. It seemed he had only valued her as an alchemist. Even now, Julius was weighing Karen’s value as an alchemist and proposing this deal.
Everything made sense now, and it was an incredibly favorable deal.
“…Honestly, this feels like a very good deal for me.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Being proposed to by you and keeping it pending—I’m sure women will both envy and resent me. I’m a bad person who would enjoy that feeling. I’m quite worldly, you see.”
“If having me by your side makes you feel accomplished, then I’m glad. I was worried you might find it painful to be glared at by women who fancy me.”
Julius actually showed relief at her response. It was an unexpected reaction for Karen, who thought he would be put off. It seemed that for someone as handsome as Julius, a strong-willed woman like Karen was actually appreciated. A rare case, indeed.
“…But I have no intention of marrying you, Master Julius. Absolutely none.”
“Because your brain would melt?”
“Yes.”
“That is troubling.”
Was he troubled by her having no intention to marry him? Or by the fact that her brain would melt if she did? While Karen was vaguely wondering what he meant, Julius lifted a lock of her hair and kissed it.
Karen swallowed her scream.
“For now, that’s fine—I just want you to give me the right to protect you.”
“I… understand.”
Pierced by Julius’s earnest gaze, Karen, her face bright red, found herself answering before she even realized it.
Julius smiled brightly.
“Then we have a deal?”
Julius took Karen’s hand and forced it into a handshake. Karen stared blankly between their joined hands and his face. She was dumbfounded.
“I was overwhelmed by that too-perfect face…!”
“Ahahahaha!”
Julius laughed out loud in amusement. His smile was so innocent that his bewitching beauty faded. At that point, Karen finally managed to glare properly at him.
As Julius laughed even more, Karen squeezed his hand back through her gloved fingers.
Julius’s hand was large, and while it made her heart flutter slightly, now that the deal was settled, Karen composed herself as an alchemist.
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