Fortunately, there was no major threat to his life, but equally devastating news awaited Roman. The injury to his ankle was particularly serious, and they couldn’t guarantee whether he could fully recover.
When he saw Roman wake up after a few days, Kailton couldn’t help but feel gloomy. Though a knight was originally someone who risked their life to protect someone, the two had a bond beyond a simple lord-vassal relationship.
When Kailton asked if there was anything he desired—though it was hardly adequate compensation—Roman made a shameless request without a moment’s hesitation. He wanted to try running a guild.
The reason was simple. Since he’d been affiliated with a strict training institution before he even came of age, he wanted to enjoy a free-spirited life even now. Also, Roman was the youngest of three brothers. Since the family title and property would mostly be inherited by his brothers, he also needed a way to support himself on his own.
Two years later, looking at the guild building registered under his own name, Roman was very satisfied. But his father, Count Frang, thought differently. When he heard his son say he would ‘try running a guild,’ he flew into a rage.
After his body recovered to some extent, Count Frang had patiently endured and waited even while watching his son wander here and there like a wastrel. This was because he believed that once he pulled himself together, he would return to the knights in some way. But to throw away all the prestige and pride he’d built as a knight and do something only nouveau riche would do was absurd.
However, the saying ‘like father, like son’ existed for a reason. The shameless son never bent his will in the end, and Count Frang eventually reluctantly arranged a compromise through his wife’s mediation.
Don’t even think about inheriting the family property, keep quiet about being of noble birth, and absolutely don’t do anything illegal or that would become subject to gossip.
Compared to initially trying to sever father-son ties, this was considerable compromise on his part. Roman readily accepted the conditions and had been faithfully keeping his promise for over ten years now.
“I’m sure you’re handling things well on your own, but… you must never do anything dangerous or that could earn others’ resentment.”
“Of course.”
Rumors circulated among the public that he would ‘do anything for money,’ but that wasn’t true. Having already accumulated enough wealth to last a lifetime and more, there was no need to invite danger by taking on sketchy work.
Anyway, since work talk had come up, Roman naturally brought it up.
“There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
“A request?”
“Yes. I’d like you to hire a young lady as a helper.”
The young lady was of course Emily. Roman’s visit to his family home today was partly to see his mother after a long time, but also to bring up Emily’s matter.
A few days ago, after receiving Emily’s request and agonizing over it, Roman concluded he would arrange a job at the mansion. He really didn’t want to send her to an unfamiliar place, and for Diego’s sake too, he felt he’d be reassured if Emily was somewhere within sight.
However, the problem was that his mother’s perceptiveness was no joke.
“Did you owe that young lady something?”
Whenever someone asked about the youngest son’s current situation, Count Frang cut off the other person’s words with a firm answer that he was ‘doing well.’ After the attack incident, Roman had hidden his whereabouts for a while, and because of that, speculation circulated among the nobles that he was living in seclusion or even that he might already be dead.
In fact, during that time, Roman had enjoyed free travel to the fullest. When he returned after two years, he immediately moved out independently, and since then, he never revealed that he was a member of the Frang family. But seeing him make a request he’d never made before, Lady Selena thought there must definitely be a reason.
But her guess was wrong. Roman smiled and belatedly answered.
“If I owed her something, it would be troublesome to repay it with something like this. She’s the family member of a guild member I’m quite fond of.”
Since it came up, Roman praised Emily a bit more. Lady Selena looked at her son with an intrigued expression.
“Seeing you speak so highly of her, my expectations are high. I’ll inform Natalie myself.”
“Thank you.”
The meal ended in a reasonably harmonious atmosphere, and the two left the dining room side by side. As he walked slowly matching his mother’s pace, an expression as if something had just occurred to her turned toward him.
“Oh, come to think of it, today Ireta…”
The moment she got that far, the old butler approached and announced.
“The young lady of the Labia household has arrived.”
Roman rarely frowned. …Was that what you were about to say just now? He met eyes with his mother, who nodded with a knowing smile.
‘If I leave through the back door even now…’
Almost simultaneously, a booming voice was heard from afar.
“Aunt!”
A brown-haired girl clutching her skirt with both hands began approaching almost at a run. It was Ireta, Roman’s cousin.
“Hello, Aunt.”
“Welcome, Ireta. You look good being so spirited today too.”
“Thank you. You’re still beautiful as always, Aunt.”
He thought they exchanged such dialogue well without changing their expressions at all. Should I leave even now? The moment he thought that, Ireta’s gaze turned this way.
“Long time no see, brother. Have you been well?”
Smiling with narrowed eyes, she was a fox if there ever was one. When she was a little kid, she was quite cute even if she was a tomboy, but who knew how she’d grown into such a shameless young lady.
“You said you had something to say to Roman?”
“Yes, Aunt.”
“Then have a cup of tea and talk comfortably.”
Only then did he see his mother’s intentions. She’d definitely deliberately informed him late that Ireta would come today, at this time. Unlike her blunt sons, she was very fond of her niece who was full of charm.
Ireta, who had been reading the room, quickly approached and linked arms with Roman’s arm.
“Let’s go, brother.”
True to being a Benic, her strength was good too. Roman was led almost forcibly into the reception room. In fact, he could have shaken her off if he wanted to, but even with a stiff expression, he followed along pretending to be unable to win.
As soon as they sat on the sofa, Ireta immediately began pestering Roman.
“Can’t you do it just once?”
“……”
“Please, I’m begging you, brother.”
“……”
Roman wordlessly conveyed his refusal. But Ireta didn’t know how to give up and continued pestering him.
Ireta’s request, which had started two months ago, was for him to escort her at the upcoming debutante ball. Usually one entered with one’s father or older brother, but it wasn’t entirely unheard of for a close relative to substitute.
“Brother~ Please?”
“Haah…”
A sigh flowed from Roman’s mouth. Thick wrinkles were etched between his brows.
It wasn’t that he didn’t understand Ireta’s feelings. Since it only happened once in a lifetime and was a day when all eyes were on you, he understood the desire to enter while being escorted by a dominant Neo.
But he wasn’t inclined to do it at all. He’d been away from the country for a while, and since then, for convenience’s sake, he’d lived in the commoner residential area, so almost no one knew that the Master of Fohens Guild was the son of Count Frang. Also, Roman was well aware of the numerous scandals surrounding him.
The rumor of being a noblewoman’s lover was the least of it. Talk that he was the sleeping partner of an old baron, or that during Bloody Cycles he rolled around with two or three people at once, also circulated quite often. He’d left it alone without caring, and as a result, rumors added to rumors and swelled like a snowball.
Roman didn’t care at all either way, but when family was involved, the situation changed. Count Labia loved his only daughter Ireta very much. But if his opportunity to escort his daughter was taken by his nephew, and she even became subject to worthless gossip because of it, it was obvious it would become troublesome.
The immature lady Ireta didn’t seem to think that far. She pestered her aunt Selena, and recently had even been sending servants to the guild. In her own way, she was doing it under the guise of formally requesting a commission, but from Roman’s perspective, it was just a bothersome matter.
Meanwhile, Ireta continued clinging without knowing how to give up.
“Please? Just do it once.”
“It’s only once anyway. I’ve never heard of anyone having a debutante twice.”
When he indifferently hit the nail on the head, she bit her lip as if upset. Tears began welling up in her big eyes. Roman let out a soundless sigh and soothed his cousin in a calm voice.
“It’s not that I don’t understand your feelings. But I can’t do it.”
“Why? Brother and I are, *hic*, relatives, so there’s no prob, lem.”
Finally tears streamed down. Looking at Ireta sniffling, Roman laughed as if he couldn’t help it. Acting like this, she looked like an immature child even though she’d be seventeen soon.
“Your uncle will think differently.”
“Father also said it was, okay.”
As if he really meant it. There was a time recently when the back of his neck suddenly felt cold, and thinking about it now, it seemed it was probably because of Count Labia.
“Of course he said it was okay. But was that really sincere?”
“……”
“He must be very disappointed, so tell him today that you’ll enter together. Instead, I’ll go that day and congratulate you.”
Or else he wouldn’t even show his face—did she understand?
