MTMD 9

Chapter 9

Before beginning wedding preparations in earnest, there were several problems with this marriage.

Other matters could be overlooked since they did not affect the possibility of marriage, but the fact that imperial law required a marriage certificate bearing the seals of both families was certainly a problem.

And there was no way a marriage certificate made out to Eloise Flodel and Castian von Edgart could exist.

In short, it meant they needed to obtain a new marriage certificate using the Flodel family’s seal.

Just as Eloise reached that conclusion, Castian asked.

“The Flodel marriage certificate, you mean.”

“Yes.”

Eloise, who had been looking over the list of families to receive invitations, looked up at him.

“Will you go and receive it yourself?”

By custom, that would be proper, but.

At those words, Eloise pressed her lips firmly together.

The marriage Flodel wanted was one with the Eden Marquess. There must have been an agreement with the Eden Marquess.

Now I, who shattered that, appear and ask them to grant permission for a marriage with the Duke?

Apart from whether they would enjoy riding on the Duke’s coattails, the situation of having to lower herself before them was hardly agreeable to her.

And she didn’t know what they might demand in return.

“Is there another way?”

A marriage certificate only took effect when stamped with the family seal.

At Eloise’s words, Castian raised the corner of his mouth.

“The one you chose is not so incapable a person.”

He continued.

“If you delegate everything related to it to me, I will bring the marriage certificate without you needing to see them or bow to them.”

The man, who seemed not to care at all about customs, held out his hand.

“Three days should suffice.”

In Castian’s tone was a confidence that did not even consider the possibility of failure.

How does he intend to do it?

Three days was, in fact, a tight timeframe bordering on impossible considering the speed at which noble families processed documents.

However.

“Understood. I’ll delegate everything to you.”

The Castian von Edgart Eloise knew was not a reckless man who displayed confidence in uncertain matters.

That was why she willingly delegated.

Even if he failed, she was already under his protection, so there would be no fatal impact.

“Good.”

He answered lightly and rose from his seat.

Watching him, Eloise thought.

It seemed it was time for this side to move as well.

That night.

—Tap.

In the study, Castian, having finished writing a letter, sealed it and thought.

Marrying or being about to marry would not change much.

Since childhood, people had always been things that approached him fleetingly and then vanished of their own accord.

So marriage would be no different.

One person comes, and someday goes again.

To somewhere he cannot grasp.

He was narrowing his eyes at that thought when.

—Knock, knock.

“Your Grace, it is Khandela.”

He heard the voice of his trusted aide seeking him.

The voice of one seeking the Head of the Family.

At that voice, he quickly corrected his expression.

Into the twisted, leisurely predator he always presented—the Duke of Edgart.

After that, he pulled the bell cord and organized the envelope.

—Click.

He heard the sound of the door opening.

Even without looking ahead, Castian could perfectly read Khandela’s movements simply from the vital energy flowing through his body.

As one to whom he had shared his vital energy through the covenant, he felt it clearly.

He raised his head only when Khandela’s movements stopped before him.

Then he handed him the envelope.

[Recipient: Viscount Flodel]

It was a letter addressed to the Viscount Flodel’s household.

Khandela received it and bowed his head.

“Here is the information on the Flodel family you mentioned previously.”

As he said this, he courteously held out a file.

“Ah.”

The face of his bride-to-be flashed through Castian’s mind.

A woman fragile to the point of having not a single drop of vital energy flowing through her body, yet who displayed a strange power.

She who had not bowed even before Dofran, who possessed powerful magical power, was certainly…

—Crash!

Even when escaping the carriage, she had shown an interesting sight.

He flipped through the untitled file.

Perhaps because he had been so curious without realizing it, the documents about her caught his eye far more than other work.

Among them, the most striking content was.

[The Flodel family, several generations ago, possessed the ability to see ghosts…]

“Ghosts.”

When he muttered, Khandela bowed his head again.

“The head of the Flodel family three generations ago is said to have been able to see ghosts.”

Castian recalled the stale information he had shoved into a corner of his mind.

The rumor about those who see ghosts.

The reason he had not bothered to dig into it, when it was merely circulating as social gossip, was because he had thought seeing ghosts would change nothing.

What can the dead do?

But that ability seemed to have more varied uses than he had thought.

As he lowered his gaze while listening to the report, other content caught his eye.

[There was an incident caused by ghosts…]

“From what I have investigated, an incident occurred due to the ‘anger’ of ghosts, and afterward the Flodel family was expelled from high society.”

The anger of ghosts? An incident?

At the string of concerning words, Castian glanced at Khandela.

“It happened at a small social gathering, but it is said to have become a major issue.”

If ghosts truly exist, that would make sense.

Castian narrowed his eyes.

If someone asked him whether he believed in ghosts, he would answer that he did not.

If they exist, and if they can influence this world.

Moreover, if conversation with them were possible.

I suspect there would be quite a few ghosts with things to say to me.

He raised the corner of his mouth.

“How credible are the rumor and the ability?”

But to his question, Khandela gave an unexpected answer.

“…Quite high.”

As Castian closed the file, he continued.

“There are many who saw it, and above all, I found several witnesses who remember the incident of the Flodel family and secured their testimony.”

There are even witnesses.

He set the file down before Khandela and leaned back in his chair.

Khandela’s report continued.

“The incident that occurred in the banquet hall that day was caused by neither magical power nor vital energy, they say. I am gathering more detailed information on it. However, separately from that,”

Khandela paused briefly, then continued.

“I have also obtained information that there was an intentional effort to erase rumors about her.”

“What kind of information?”

It would be hard to find a person without a single flaw they would want to conceal.

But which among them?

“Information that the ability to see ghosts, which seemed to have died out several generations ago, has manifested again.”

Oh.

Castian’s eyes glinted.

According to Khandela’s report, in the Flodel household, the matter of Eloise Flodel seeing ghosts at age seven was called only an “incident” and hushed up.

All the servants who had seen it were removed under various pretexts.

“If they were removed, where did you hear the testimony you received?”

At Castian’s question, Khandela answered immediately.

“There was a maid who faked her death and escaped at that time.”

Khandela summarized briefly.

To fail while trying to conceal information. They pretend to be thorough but are utterly sloppy.

Castian concluded.

And muttered.

“The ability of ghosts.”

He didn’t know what could be done with it, but something came to mind immediately.

—Neigh!

“Catch her!”

The sound of a horse from afar and the shouts of knights mixed with dismay.

Piercing through them, riding a horse and charging while holding some iron rod, was the figure of a frail-looking young lady.