Chapter 80 - Episode 79: Your Daughter to Me? ②
Since I had already said I would consider the engagement positively, it would be strange to refuse a meeting with the intended partner.
Thus, following the flow of the conversation, Noein ended up meeting Arnold's youngest daughter.
Arnold stepped out of the room for a moment and returned shortly with two women.
"Lord Arqvist, you have met my wife, Eleonore, once before, have you not?"
"Yes. Lady Eleonore, I am delighted to see that you are continuing to enjoy the utmost health and prosperity."
"It has been a long time, Lord Arqvist. I trust you are doing well."
Noein first exchanged greetings with Arnold's wife, Viscountess Eleonore Koenitz. The Viscountess should already be over forty, but she possessed a beauty such that even if she were told she looked ten years younger than her actual age, it would not feel out of place.
He had met her two years ago, when Noein first visited the House of Viscount Koenitz to pay his respects. Since then, his meetings for business had been only with the head of the house, Arnold, so it had been a long time since they had spoken like this.
"And this is Eleonore's and my fourth daughter, Clara."
The woman Arnold introduced was slightly taller than Noein, yet she still retained a certain girlish innocence.
Wrapped in a calm and gentle aura, her features were indeed well-formed enough to be called beautiful, just as her father, Arnold, had said.
However, her expression was somewhat anxious and unreliable. To put it kindly, one could say she possessed a modest and refined atmosphere, but that quietness looked more like a manifestation of her own lack of confidence.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Clara. I am Noein Arqvist, having been granted territory to the west of the Viscount Koenitz lands by His Majesty the King. I am truly happy to be able to meet you today."
"...It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Clara Koenitz. I have heard of your achievements, Lord Arqvist, from my father Arnold on a daily basis. I am honored to meet you."
While delivering these formal words, Clara looked at Noein, then shifted her gaze to Matilda standing behind him—and her expression darkened slightly. Although she maintained a smile for the time being, she did not look happy by any means.
It was obvious what Clara thought upon seeing Noein and Matilda. While cursing Arnold inwardly for not having convinced her at all, Noein continued to face Clara with a smile on his face.
"Oh my, I wonder if Clara is nervous. She must be shy after seeing Lord Arqvist's wonderful presence."
"Not at all. I am but a youth who still lacks the dignity befitting the head of a noble house. I may have disappointed Lady Clara."
Whether she sensed the heaviness of the air or not, Viscountess Eleonore Koenitz threw out a lifeline, and by Noein taking it, the atmosphere of the place finally became somewhat more relaxed.
.....
Afterward, the tea party with Clara, including the Viscount Koenitz couple, ended without becoming particularly lively.
Since it had not been a planned event and was merely a greeting-level tea party intended for Noein and Clara to meet for the first time, it was not a problem if it didn't become exceptionally joyful.
However, it was easy to tell even in the short time it took to drink a single cup of tea that Clara was not very pleased about an engagement to Noein, who already had a lover named Matilda.
While his spirits sank thinking of the future, Noein promised Clara that they would have another occasion to interact soon and left the Koenitz estate.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Henrik. Sorry it took longer than planned."
"Nah, nobles surely got all sorts of talk and it's a tough job. Ain't no need to apologize to me."
As he approached the private carriage of the House of Knight Arqvist parked in front of the estate, Noein spoke to the young man serving as the driver, Henrik.
Since he couldn't have his squire, Bart, serve as the carriage driver forever, Noein had newly hired this Henrik starting this spring. One of the migrants to the Arqvist territory, he was originally the second son of a small-scale farmer and was skilled in handling horses; he now served as the driver for the carriage and took care of the horses Noein owned.
"Thank you. I have no more business in Retovik today, so head straight for the capital, Noeina."
"Understood."
After telling Henrik, Noein climbed into the carriage with Matilda and finally took a breath.
"Sigh... that girl Clara, she's clearly not keen on this engagement."
"That is true. It seemed Lady Clara was indeed concerned about me... though I did not feel any hostility being directed my way."
"Right. Rather than being displeased with me and Matilda... it felt like she had given up on her own situation of being forced into this engagement. Like she had accepted, in a bad way, the fact that she must sacrifice herself to a political marriage."
Clara did not seem to harbor any disgust toward the very existence of Matilda, who was a beastman slave.
That meant that if Noein and Matilda could each find an appropriate distance with Clara, it would be entirely possible for them to spend their time together reasonably well without hating each other in the future.
That said, when someone is wrapped in such a negative aura, it makes the person interacting with them feel heavy-hearted as well. How to break the ice and get her to show a bright face would be a future challenge.
"...Still, suddenly talking about my engagement, I've let Matilda hear some unpleasant news. I'm sorry."
"There is no need for Noein-sama to apologize. I understood that one day, such talk would come to Noein-sama."
Seeing Matilda direct a smile toward him with a softened expression, Noein's guilt only grew larger.
Noein was a territorial noble. He had to take a partner befitting his status as a wife and produce an heir. That was Noein's duty to maintain the peace of the territory and protect the happiness of the people.
Matilda, a beastman who faced deep-rooted social discrimination and could not bear children with a human like Noein in the first place, could not become the public partner to fulfill such a duty for Noein.
Even so, the talk of Noein taking a wife could not possibly be pleasant for Matilda, who had monopolized Noein's affection for many years.
"...If only my shitty father hadn't pushed this peerage onto me."
"Please do not say such things. Noein-sama has saved many people and brought them happiness as a lord. Besides, I am more than fulfilled just by being allowed to stay by Noein-sama's side."
"...I'm sorry. I'll work hard so that you can keep saying that from now on."
Even though Matilda offered her best words, Noein's expression remained dark.
At that moment, Matilda realized. The reason Noein was worrying so much about the engagement was none other than the fact that Noein himself feared marriage—and the changes that would arise from it.
Noein was afraid that once Clara stood by his side as his wife, his relationship with Matilda might change because of it.
Because of that, he was anxious that one day Matilda's heart would drift away from him, and she would follow Noein only out of a sense of duty as a slave.
That was why Noein uttered words like "I'll work hard so that you can keep saying that," with such a lonely look on his face.
"...Then, Noein-sama. If I may be so bold, may I state my own wish?"
"A wish... yes, I want to hear it."
Matilda moved from in front of Noein to his side and pressed her body against him.
"Even after Noein-sama welcomes Lady Clara as your wife in the future, please continue to keep me by your side as a special slave. Please promise that you will accept me as the one and only existence who offers her entire body and soul to Noein-sama. I want a position that is different from anyone else, one that will never change for the rest of my life, and is mine alone. If I have that, I can love Noein-sama forever."
What Noein wanted right now was a conditional promise: "If I do this, Matilda will continue to love Noein for the rest of her life."
Rather than a passive relationship where he was loved by Matilda unconditionally without doing anything... Noein was seeking the reassurance that "as long as I continue to keep this promise, I will continue to be loved by Matilda."
No matter what happened, there was no change in the fact that Matilda would give everything to Noein, and Noein should have understood that in his head, but even so, just for now, Noein wanted something tangible to hold onto regarding Matilda's love.
That was why Matilda spoke as if she were requesting a condition herself. Even if it were something fundamentally unnecessary, she did so if it meant Noein could feel at ease.
"...I understand. Matilda is a one-and-only special existence to me, different from a wife, a subordinate, or a citizen. That will never change for a lifetime. I will love Matilda forever. So please stay by my side always, and keep liking me... I'm begging you."
"Of course, Noein-sama. This is a vow between just the two of us, which will not change no matter what happens."
While strongly embracing Noein, who spoke as if clinging to her with an anxious face, Matilda spoke.