Nasha, who had just finished pruning the dead branches, looked up. She wiped the sweat from her forehead as she suddenly heard the strange sound of galloping hooves.
Following the direction of the noise, she saw a luxurious, entirely golden carriage followed by a long line of the Knight Order. A Giant Eagle Badge hung on the carriage—a design only the House of Edmund was authorized to use.
An ominous premonition surged in her heart. Nasha rushed to inform the head maid before running toward the castle.
In the living room, Mia had not yet finished the dessert on the table, and Roland was still watching her.
However, Nasha’s sudden intrusion broke their leisure. Before she could even catch her breath after entering the door, she spoke in a frantic rush: “Miss… Miss Roland, the House of Edmund… the Grand Duke… has sent people again.”
“Huh?” Roland stood up from the sofa. “Didn’t they just send someone half a month ago?”
“I… I don’t know, but I saw the Grand Duke’s carriage coming this way.”
The tense atmosphere made Mia put down the dessert in her hand. She looked at Roland with worry.
“It can’t be helped. I’ll handle this.” Stroking Mia’s small head, Roland pretended as if nothing was wrong and said: “It’s not a big deal. Keep eating. I’ll come back to stay with you in a moment.”
After saying that, she led Nasha out of the living room. In the blink of an eye, Mia was the only one left in the vast room.
The girl lowered her head and stared quietly at the dessert. She felt as if she were utterly useless, nothing more than a burden who could only drag others down.
Mama was in trouble again.
If I become even more powerful than a Demon, would I be able to solve these troubles for Mama?
Mia thought of the voice in her dreams again. If she could become the “Son of Light,” would it mean no one would ever dare to hurt Mama again?
If, what if…
But there were not many “what ifs” in this world. She couldn’t even speak; how could she fantasize about possessing matchless power?
She was, after all, just a little girl afraid of being lonely.
***
When Roland arrived outside the manor, she indeed saw the carriage from the House of Edmund.
Nasha had not lied. But if she wasn’t lying, then what exactly did the Grand Duke want by sending people here?
The carriage stopped in front of Roland, and the knights riding behind it followed suit. A secretary who looked very refined, wearing single-sided gold-rimmed glasses, stepped down from the carriage holding a piece of official document.
The secretary spoke, asking: “You must be Miss Roland Mont Ackerman?”
Roland replied neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Yes.”
“I have brought the Grand Duke’s decree for you. Seeing as Rod Mont Ackerman is dead and has no legitimate male heir among his offspring, and since you are an underage female and do not possess the ability to manage the territory, the Grand Duke has granted special permission for you to enter into a marriage alliance with Baron Douglas to facilitate the management of the land. If there are any objections, you may raise them now.”
Special permission? Marriage alliance?
Roland found it hard to imagine how those two phrases could possibly be linked together. Furthermore, who was this minor character, Baron Douglas? What right did they have to force her into a marriage with a man she had never met?
Did this Grand Duke have a hole in his head? Did he really think she was some child who could be easily manipulated?
If she weren’t wary of the Knight Order standing before her, Roland would have pressed a fireball spell against the secretary’s forehead. However, she certainly wouldn’t let herself be pushed around.
“I have an objection.”
“Please speak.” The secretary’s tone was quite calm, appearing as if he didn’t care at all about what Roland had to say.
“Although I am female, I also have the legal right to inherit the title. Furthermore, unlike what you claim, I do not lack the ability to manage the territory. Therefore, you have no reason and no right to strip me of my land.”
“The laws of peerage inheritance are indeed as such, but that is the ideal case. Based on realistic considerations, we have no choice but to reclaim your title and territory and hand them over to someone more capable of management.”
“Based on realistic considerations? Is this so-called reality not just an excuse for you to hide your tyrannical behavior?”
“Please do not misunderstand. We mean you no ill will. However, if you insist on resisting, we will have no choice but to resort to more radical measures.”
By this point in the conversation, Roland knew the other party was serious; otherwise, they wouldn’t have brought an entire Knight Order.
If she were forced to abandon everything she currently possessed, she would certainly do so without hesitation. She would take Mia and go into hiding, waiting until she was strong enough to return to the House of Edmund and settle the score.
That was assuming it actually came to that point.
“Then what about the three-month time limit? Could the Grand Duke be so shameless as to go back on a promise he made personally? If that’s the case, don’t blame me for leaking this matter to the folks at the Adventurers’ Guild. I believe they would be very happy to see the reputation of a high-and-mighty great noble suffer.”
Threatened by Roland, the secretary’s gaze became dangerous for a split second, but he quickly suppressed it as if it were merely an illusion.
“Please watch your words, Miss Roland. As a noble, you should understand that every word you speak has a price.”
Roland sneered: “Oh? Aren’t you going to reclaim my title? Then saying these things fits my status as a commoner.”
“Just as you said, the Grand Duke’s promise remains valid. However, as a price for your disrespect, the time limit is shortened to two months. I hope you learn to keep your mouth shut next time. If the deadline passes and you cannot prove yourself, you will either be reduced to a commoner or enter the marriage alliance. Please be aware of this.”
After leaving those harsh words, the secretary led the Knight Order away as if he were simply dealing with Roland’s matter on his way elsewhere.
Nasha heard these words clearly. She knew well that Roland was a person of self-respect who would never agree to such a humiliating request, yet there truly seemed to be no better way.
“Miss Roland…”
But Roland was unexpectedly calm, not losing her head to emotion at all.
“Nasha, let’s go back. Act as if you don’t know what just happened. I will handle this myself.”
“Can you do it alone?”
“Don’t worry. At worst, I’ll sell off the family assets, take all the money, and run somewhere else to hide. One day, I’ll make them regret what they’ve done.”
There was nothing to fear. As long as the system was still there, she didn’t have to fear losing the chance for a comeback. Once she finished training Mia, she might even be able to rely on the Church of Light to vent her frustrations.
To the current Roland, what was important was no longer the home in her memories. The castle where she had once lived with her father was not worth sacrificing everything for, because she now had someone new and worth protecting.
Excluding the time that had already passed, she now had less than two months left. She had to produce results impressive enough during this time—not only to shock the Grand Duke but also to make sure word spread throughout the Empire, turning everyone into a witness that she was qualified to inherit the title.
If she couldn’t do it, she would sell everything in the castle. It would be best to sell the manor and the proof of title to some sucker. She would fleece them and then vanish, leaving the Grand Duke to worry in vain.
“Let’s go back.”
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