Chapter 55: Understanding the Situation

“Yes, that’s right, young master. Previously, the lord refused this marriage proposal, but now they have come to propose again.”

The lead maid respectfully explained to Ian.

“Propose again?”

Upon hearing the maid’s words, Ian found it hard to believe.

‘Normally, after one refusal, they wouldn’t come again, right?’

‘After all, they’ve already been rejected once. It’s obvious the next time would also be a rejection.’

‘To save face, they usually wouldn’t come to propose again.’

So when he heard the lead maid say that Count Raymond’s family had come to propose to Aetherinra again, Ian was in a daze.

“Why? Did something happen?”

Ian asked the lead maid in confusion.

“It should be because of the food problem.”

The lead maid explained to Ian.

“What could be the problem with food?”

Ian raised an eyebrow at the maid’s words.

‘These days are the harvest season in Far East City. There shouldn’t be any problems.’

“It’s said that a torrential rain a week ago flooded the farmland of Far East City, causing no harvest this year.”

“What?”

Upon hearing the maid’s words, Ian then remembered that after he had borrowed Yeyue’s power to subjugate the labyrinth, it really did rain heavily.

But he didn’t expect that rainstorm to destroy Far East City’s farmland?

“What does Count Raymond’s proposal have to do with the food problem?”

Ian continued to ask.

“The moment the lord learned the farmland was destroyed, he immediately sent requests for aid elsewhere.”

“But aside from Count Raymond’s family, no other nobles could provide extra food.”

“And one of the prerequisites for Count Raymond’s family to provide food was that the Duke’s mansion agree to their marriage proposal.”

The maid said helplessly.

She was also very dissatisfied with this demand.

After all, they were all of the Human Race, and Far East City shouldered the responsibility of being the frontline against the Demon Race.

Far East City protected them from the Demon Race’s harassment, but when Far East City fell into crisis, they either stood by or took advantage of the situation.

How could the people living in Far East City accept this?

“Is Father going to agree?”

After hearing the maid’s answer, Ian finally understood the whole story and continued asking.

“No, the lord refused again, but the young lady…”

The maid fell silent at the end.

“Did Aetherinra agree?”

Ian asked doubtfully upon hearing the maid’s words.

“No, the young lady said she still needs to think about it.”

Upon hearing this, Ian fully understood the current situation.

Because the labyrinth subjugation caused the heavy rain, which flooded the farmland and led to a failed harvest, Count Raymond’s family took the opportunity to propose to the Duke’s mansion.

‘This is a blatant act of taking advantage of someone’s misfortune!’

Ian complained inwardly.

‘No way. I absolutely cannot let Count Raymond’s family succeed. Otherwise, how can the future plot proceed?’

‘After all, Aetherinra plays a very important role in the later storyline.’

So Ian absolutely had to stop this proposal.

Fortunately, Aetherinra hadn’t agreed yet; she said she needed to think it over.

This was very characteristic of Aetherinra — she was just that stubborn.

She might think in her heart that the rainstorm was caused by her labyrinth subjugation, so she wanted to bear all the consequences.

But Ian knew that even if Aetherinra hadn’t run out in the night to subjugate the labyrinth, when later on Deere formed a mage group to do it, the heavy rain would still have flooded the farmland.

So none of this had anything to do with Aetherinra!

“Young master, we want to ask you to stop this proposal.”

“Although we know that as servants, we should not presumptuously discuss matters of the nobles.”

“But at this point, we don’t care about that anymore.”

“That eldest son of Count Raymond’s family, An Ke, is a pervert.”

“We don’t want Miss Aetherinra to walk right into the tiger’s mouth, so we want to ask you, young master, to stop this proposal.”

“Young master, only you can do this.”

After the maids finished speaking, they nervously lowered their heads, not daring to look at Ian.

Although Ian’s image in the Duke’s mansion had improved a lot recently.

That was also the reason they dared to approach Ian.

But they didn’t know Ian’s opinion on this matter, nor whether Ian could tolerate them, as servants, discussing their master’s affairs.

But no matter what, they had to try, just because they didn’t want Aetherinra to walk into the tiger’s mouth.

Seeing the maids with their heads lowered, Ian sighed.

‘I didn’t expect Aetherinra to be so well-liked in the Duke’s mansion.’

‘These maids actually dared to risk their lives to come to me for help.’

‘On the Continent of Phalloran, where class distinctions are so strict.’

‘Commoners absolutely cannot discuss nobles, or they will be put to death.’

‘But who is Ian?’

‘He is a twenty-first-century youth who traveled from Blue Star. He absolutely wouldn’t care about these damn rules.’

“You don’t need to say it. I will also stop Count Raymond’s family.”

Ian comforted them.

After all, he didn’t want to lose such a valuable ally as Aetherinra later.

Moreover, if Veronica woke up to find that Aetherinra had married someone else, she might lose the meaning of life, right?

‘That absolutely cannot happen. I’m counting on Veronica to defeat the Demon God.’

“Ah.”

Upon hearing Ian’s words, the maids looked up at Ian in shock.

They hadn’t expected the young master to think that way.

Originally, they thought that even if Ian agreed, he would still punish them as servants.

After all, in the Farah Empire, where class was above all else, their actions were overstepping.

It was something no noble would tolerate.

They had already prepared themselves for the consequences.

But they never expected Ian to have no intention of dealing with them.

“Young master, aren’t you going to punish us?”

Seeing that Ian showed no sign of punishing them, the lead maid couldn’t help asking.

In her opinion, punishment was inevitable.

Maybe Ian was just thinking about how to punish them.

So rather than waiting for Ian to issue a punishment, it would be better to voluntarily request one.

That way, the punishment might be lighter.

“Why would I punish you?”

“You have this kind of heart. I am very gratified. You truly care about Aetherinra and don’t want her to sacrifice herself. Why would I punish you?”

Ian replied.

“But we overstepped!”

The maid replied.

“If the young master doesn’t give us some punishment, it won’t be proper.”

“No, there’s no such thing as overstepping. In my opinion, all people are born equal. It’s good that you have this kind of heart.”

Ian continued.

“All people are born equal?”

Hearing Ian’s words, the maids were stunned for a long time.

This statement severely impacted their worldview.

In reality, even the lowest-ranking viscount did not regard them as people.

Let alone that this statement came from the mouth of Ian, the son of a top noble duke.

So they were utterly shocked.