Chapter 38

Promise

Fortunately, things didn’t escalate to the point where the police had to be called.

Considering Kenneth’s profession, involving the authorities wouldn’t have done any good, and more than anything, the fact that he quickly came to his senses probably played a major role.

Of course, that didn’t mean he looked all that well.

Anyone could see that Kenneth, now conscious, was pale as a sheet.

“……”

“……”

Noel kept glancing around nervously, while Sisela and Kenneth trembled with ashen faces in a strange standoff that dragged on for a while.

Even just the fact that the strongest knight in the Empire had shown up at their house in person would have been enough to make them faint, but this was a household where both the father and the son were involved in professions they couldn’t proudly speak of.

It was only natural that Kenneth and Sisela were on the verge of losing their minds…

“This is the Tears of Sharelfinn. It’s the signature product of a winery that makes regular deliveries to the Imperial Palace.”

“……”

“I heard you enjoy alcohol, so I brought it with that in mind. Do you not like it?”

Whether he liked it or not wasn’t the issue.

‘…Isn’t this enough to buy a house in the heart of the Imperial Capital?’

Kenneth thought that as he received it with a trembling hand.

Just the fact that she brought something like this as a visiting gift made his sense of reality waver, but what was even more baffling was Noel’s demeanor as she handed it over.

‘Why is she the one acting nervous…?’

Naturally, Kenneth couldn’t help but wonder that.

She acted as if she were the one in the lower position, cautiously gauging their reactions.

“I’m always troubling Aiden, so I hope you’ll accept this without hesitation—”

“I, uh, I ask with all due reverence… what exactly is your relationship with my son…?”

He probably barely managed to squeeze those words out because Noel’s attitude really did suggest she had some kind of connection with his son.

“Yes. Mr. Aiden and I have had various interactions.”

“So, if I may ask… what kind of relationship…?”

“We’re getting married.”

“Daaaad—!!”

“……”

It took even longer for Kenneth to regain consciousness the second time.

He looked even paler, and his voice sounded like it might give out at any moment—enough that even Noel fidgeted anxiously.

“If I may be so bold, was that perhaps some kind of joke from the Lionhearted—”

“Noel is fine, Father.”

“……”

Out of consideration for Kenneth, who was clearly mustering superhuman mental strength to avoid passing out a third time, Noel quickly launched into an explanation.

She explained how she had abducted Aiden and what her intentions were.

It seemed to be effective. After hearing her out, Kenneth took deep breaths and managed to respond.

“…Did he have something that made him fit for a role like that?”

“…”

“There must’ve been so many other options you could’ve chosen…?”

“……”

Even taking family into account, this level of objectivity was beyond cold—it was frozen solid.

Still, if nothing else, he could give a firm answer to that question.

“There weren’t any.”

“……”

“Mr. Aiden has always been the one helping me. So much so that I want to stay by his side from now on.”

“……”

Who was this person even talking about?

That thought was written all over Kenneth’s face.

Let’s sum this up.

“So, Sir Noel, you’ve been receiving a marriage proposal from the prince.”

“Yes.”

“And in order to come up with a reason to refuse him, you picked my son as a fake marriage candidate.”

“Yes.”

“And now my son is doing a good job fending off the prince in that role…?”

“That’s exactly right.”

“……”

Blasphemous as it might be, the first impression that crossed Kenneth’s mind after hearing all that was the following:

‘That rascal shouldn’t have been a con artist—he should’ve aimed to become a son-in-law…!’

Just how far would he have made it then…?

“Uh, um…”

But clearly, Sisela’s reaction was entirely different.

“M-May I ask just one thing?”

She began to speak hesitantly, having sensed instinctively just how formidable the woman before her was.

Anyone would act like that in front of someone who held the power to determine their fate with a single word.

“Yes. As many questions as you like.”

“Then… when will my brother come back?”

“……”

Noel’s gaze swept over Sisela.

Her whole body was trembling like a tiny hamster.

And yet—

“I don’t think I can promise he’ll return in the short term. I’m sorry.”

“He—he’s not in danger or anything, right?”

The child, using all the courage in her little body—

Was speaking to the one who held the power of life and death over her.

“He’s not being taken away because he did something wrong, is he?”

Out of worry for her family.

“Miss Sisela.”

“I know… that my dad and brother are doing bad things.”

With tear-filled eyes, Sisela barely managed to continue.

“It—it’s all because of me. They’re both doing it because they have no choice…”

“……”

“If… if something goes wrong because of that, then I’ll take the punishment too… so please, just the two of them—”

“Miss Sisela.”

Cutting her off, Noel leaned toward Sisela.

As the girl flinched and backed away, Noel gently extended her hand forward.

From her fingertips, qi began to pulse.

“I swear on all my honor.”

Before long, the qi she had drawn began to form a trajectory and levitated an object.

“Mr. Aiden will definitely return to your arms.”

A pinwheel.

Noel had concentrated pure white qi as if crafting it into a fine jewel, creating a pinwheel that shimmered with iridescent colors as it rested in her hand.

The glowing particles of light radiated in all directions as the pinwheel slowly spun, drawing attention all on its own.

“—Would you accept this as a token of that promise?”

Sniffling, Sisela accepted it with teary eyes.

Her eyes sparkled with wonder at the sight of something she’d never seen before.

No matter how mature she might sound for her age, she was still a child after all.

It seemed Aiden’s advice that children would love anything that sparkled—was spot-on.

“Can you believe in me, Miss Sisela?”

At Noel’s question, Sisela nodded quietly while still sniffling.

“…Then, if you’re going to say that, could you put it in writing? As a contract?”

“……”

“I-I read in a book that legal binding power only exists when it's written down—”

…Even so.

She definitely was more mature than most children her age.

▣

Anyway, thanks to lightening the mood like that, the conversation that followed continued in a far calmer tone than before.

And having sent Sisela out for a moment gave them the space to have a more… ‘serious’ conversation.

“She really loves her brother. You calmed her down in one go. That’s impressive.”

“That’s something someone like my sister used to do all the time.”

To Kenneth’s remark, Noel responded with a bitter smile.

It was a technique the Warden of the Realm used to show her often.

To cheer up the young, immature, and frequently discouraged Noel during training, she’d often give her such things.

—Let’s keep trying. I won’t give up on you, no matter what.

—Got it?

A pinwheel made from supernatural power. She would always give it to Noel as a token of a promise whenever something happened.

Now that Teresa was gone, not a single one remained.

But the memory of her giving it was etched deep in Noel’s core.

“…She must have been a good person.”

“……”

To Kenneth’s hesitant words, Noel didn’t reply. Instead, she simply lowered her head slightly and took a sip of her drink.

Eventually, she quietly shifted the subject.

“The reason I came here today is because I wanted to ask something.”

“Yes?”

It was a simple question.

What is the ‘origin’ of Aiden Kellermain? Just what was the story behind those fifteen years missing from all records?

“I don’t know.”

Kenneth’s answer was just as simple.

“Both that boy and Sisela… they were kids I picked up off the street. I’ve never really asked about their past. Maybe that’s why we’ve all managed to get along so well.”

“……”

…Even after all this, she still couldn’t hear his side of the story.

As Noel furrowed her brows in thought, Kenneth calmly continued.

“Still, I can make a guess.”

“…Pardon?”

“That kid, he takes family seriously—too seriously, even. More precisely, anyone he considers within his ‘fence,’ he’ll go to any lengths to take care of.”

“……”

That was an accurate way of putting it.

Not just Kenneth and Sisela, whom he openly called family—he also never hesitated to jump in and help people like Noel or Katya, who were far more distant.

As if it were his duty.

“When you think about it, something feels off.”

Noel narrowed her eyes slightly.

“May I ask what you mean by that?”

Thinking it might be something negative, she began to feel irritated—until Kenneth waved his hands and responded quickly.

“Please don’t misunderstand, Lady Noel. I love my son. I’m also sure my son loves his family. But… once that kid snaps, he doesn’t see anything anymore.”

“……”

“If you look at it, it’s almost like a primal instinct. Like he genuinely believes protecting people is his duty.”

There was no refuting that.

Noel nodded while rubbing her chin, and Kenneth let out a sigh as he continued.

“Back in the day, there was this bastard who used to bully Sisela. He was tall and strong—he could probably toss a weakling like Aiden with one hand.”

“……”

A weakling?

That man?

‘…Well, I suppose that could’ve been true back then.’

Keeping that thought to herself, Noel remained silent as Kenneth calmly kept talking.

“Even with that huge difference in strength… the moment that bastard said something nasty to Sisela, Aiden ran right out and headbutted him. That idiot.”

“……”

“Of course, his jaw got shattered with a single punch. The doctors said he shouldn’t move for at least a month. No sudden motion, or he could die, they said. So, do you know what that idiot did next?”

“What did he do?”

“The very next day, he strapped on a jaw brace and went right back to headbutt the same guy. Told him to stop messing with Sisela.”

“……”

“That’s the kind of guy he is. Clearly not normal, right?”

“…That much is true.”

As Noel reluctantly agreed, Kenneth smirked and continued.

“Just from that, you can start to guess a few things about his past.”

“…Like what?”

“That boy’s lost someone before.”

And not just lost—he must’ve lost them in a horrifying way.

To the point that protecting the people around him had become something like an obsession.

Instinct is a form of desire. Desire comes from deprivation. And the greatest deprivation stems from loss.

“If that’s the case, it does explain why he goes that far.”

“……”

While Noel lowered her gaze, lost in thought, Kenneth added one more thing.

“He’s usually quiet, and if nothing stirs him up, he won’t even try to stand out… but I really hope you won’t let him get dragged into things like that.”

His voice was heavy with sincerity.

“Because once that switch flips, you never know what he’ll do.”

▣

…And somewhere else.

Aiden Kellermain was clearly proving that assessment in real time.

“What did you just say?”

The Sixth Princess of the Holy Crown Kingdom—Laila Bellode Craven—spoke in disbelief.

Even as sixth in line to the throne, she was royalty—one of the most important individuals in the country. She was someone who would be treated like nobility wherever she went.

And yet.

“You heard me loud and clear, so don’t pretend you didn’t, Princess.”

She wasn’t exactly in a position to be hearing such words lightly, especially while dispatched as part of a diplomatic envoy to another country.

“If you don’t want me to beat the hell out of you, apologize.”

“……”

“I’ll give you five seconds.”

…Had Noel been there to see this, she would’ve been reminded of the old saying: no one knows you better than your family.