Chapter 31
---Leon POV---
When Angelica and the others awoke, they looked around my apartment with confusion. The last thing they recalled was standing outside the Men’s Dormitory, shivering. As they attempted to stand, their bodies refused to obey, and a burst of pain shot up their backs. Their faces contorted in agony as I stepped out of the kitchen with bowls of porridge in hand.
“I wouldn’t push yourselves. Your bodies are exhausted from standing outside all night.” I set the bowls down and offered a soft smile. “Are you able to move your arms?”
At my inquiry, they tried to lift their arms, but nothing happened. Left with no other choice, I sat down before them and began feeding them. Their faces flushed red, but they ate the meal without complaint.
“Thank you… Lord Aremus.” Angelica hung her head, fresh tears tracing down her cheeks. “You shouldn’t waste your energy on wretched women like us. It will only sully your name.”
“Angelica is right. Now that our misdeeds have been exposed, stay away from us.” Clarice stared at me, her eyes puffy and dark. “Had we used your help better, maybe we could have avoided this outcome. All that awaits us now is—”
I slammed my fist onto the coffee table. Their sadness was understandable, but I refused to tolerate their self-deprecation. While Stephanie and the fifth woman were questionable, the other three were peerless. If not for the cruel manner those fools used to end the engagements, suitors would flock to them with marriage proposals.
“Mourn the loss of your engagements to your heart’s content, but stop the self-loathing. You are not garbage. The five of you are incredible women. Don’t let society dictate your worth.” I looked into Angelica’s, Clarice’s, and Deirdre’s eyes, my tone softening. “If Julius and the others want to sever connections with you, that is their loss and my gain. I know the timing is terrible, but I want you to know I am interested in exploring a relationship with the three of you.”
The sudden declaration left the room in shock. Each one had been readying herself to be wed off to random noblemen to stabilize her house’s situation. Uncertain if I was trying to comfort them, they scrutinized my face for any sign of falsehood. When they realized I was serious, the three women blushed deeply.
“You… You would consider marrying women like us?” Angelica stared into my eyes. “Even though we would bring you trouble and hardship?”
“Would it help if I knelt and proposed right now?” I grinned, reaching out to brush a stray lock of hair from their faces.
While small, the gesture touched their hearts. Throughout their lifelong engagements, they had longed to experience this closeness. To receive it from someone other than the men they had dedicated themselves to left them conflicted, but they did not pull away.
Stephanie cleared her throat, clearly unhappy with the direction of the conversation. “And what of us? You said we are incredible women, too, so why do you only pine for them? As the future heads of our houses, we can offer you far more than they can.”
“Hold on a moment. If you are going to plead your case, you should have the decency to tell him the truth.” Deirdre gave her a pitying look. “The titles you claim are hollow. All of your houses’ assets and territories were stripped away by the Crown during the purge. What you were left with are the debts and obligations.”
Remembering this reality, the fragile light in their eyes vanished. They had banked on merging their houses with their husbands after marriage. Now that they lacked partners to rely on, they faced mountains of debt to pay off with no means to earn revenue.
Stephanie’s face turned ashen as she hung her head. “Haha… It is no wonder we are not worthy of note to you. If I had known this would happen, I would have taken the second option and joined the military.”
“Likewise.” The fifth woman slumped onto her side. “Could we convince you to kill us instead?”
I released a sigh. We were making progress moving past the trauma, and she dragged us right back into despair. Now that we were back at square one, at least for two of them, I had to switch tactics.
“Listen, I hold Angelica, Clarice, and Deirdre in high regard because I have heard a great deal about them from their fathers. Whenever we are not discussing politics or war, they always go on about how splendid their daughters are.” The three women turned crimson with embarrassment. “I know next to nothing about you two, except that your families were corrupt. You have shown you differ from them through your actions, but that is only one aspect of your character. If you want to stick around, my feelings may change, but I cannot promise anything. At the very least, I will help you find suitable partners who are not fat or old men.”
“For now, that will work.” The fifth woman forced herself upright. “Since you know nothing about us, I suppose proper introductions are in order. My name is—”
A knock came from the door, cutting her off. Certain of who it was, I walked over and opened it. Bernard, Henry, and Vincent darted past me, pulling their daughters into warm embraces. The other two men, servants assigned to Stephanie and the fifth fiancée, shuffled past to check on their mistresses.
“You foolish girl! How could you risk your health and life for that ungrateful brat?!” Vincent tugged on Angelica’s cheek after releasing her. “As I have said countless times, he is unworthy of your devotion.”
“Don’t you ever do something so reckless again!” Bernard gave Clarice a tearful look. “I already lost your mother. Please do not make me bury you alongside her. This old heart of mine cannot take another heartbreak.”
With heads bowed, the women apologized for their reckless behavior. For the future, they swore to prioritize their health and safety above all else. Satisfied with this, the men turned back to me and lowered their heads in unison.
Upon learning what had transpired during the night, they dropped everything and rushed over. Blinded by worry, each of the men had run straight to the dormitory without bothering to wait for a carriage. Seeing that the five of them were alive and safe, their fears finally subsided.
As the men raised their heads, I snapped to attention and bowed deeply at a sharp angle. “I intended to speak with you about this in private, but I have changed my mind. Lord Atlee, Lord Redgrave, Lord Roseblade, I request your blessing and permission to court your daughters with marriage in mind. Julius, Jilk, and Chris were fools for tossing aside such incredible women. If you allow me this honor, they will want for nothing and be cherished the way women of their caliber deserve.”
The three fathers froze. All three had suspected this day might come, but they had not expected such raw sincerity. While their initial reaction was to accept on the spot, they hesitated. Their previous insistence on strengthening their political positions had led to this nightmare. They could not in good conscience force their daughters to shoulder more burdens for the sake of their houses. United by this thought, they looked to their daughters for input.
“What do you think, Angelica?” Vincent gave his daughter a soft smile. “No matter what you decide, I will respect your wishes. Do not worry about the family. You have given up so much for us; now it is your turn to be selfish.”
Angelica glanced at me, her face turning crimson. “I… I am not opposed to marrying Lord Aremus. In the brief time I have known him, he has shown me nothing but kindness. If I am being honest, I feel unworthy to stand by his side. Could we delay the formal announcement so we have time to get to know one another better?”
“We would like that as well.” Clarice and Deirdre joined Angelica’s request.
The three men nodded. If all they wanted was to delay a formal announcement by a few months to be certain of Leon, that was perfectly fine. They trusted Leon to take responsibility for them.
“If getting to know me is what you want, join my adventurer’s party. Whenever I am not in class, I spend my time conquering dungeons.” I extended a hand toward the women. “What do you say?”
“Yes, of course!” Smiles crept onto their faces.
With the decision made, the men carried the women away to receive medical treatment. Once they were gone, I released a pleased sigh and sat down in my recliner. Now that I had said my piece, all that remained was to solidify my place in their hearts.
Luxion materialized next to my head. <I have an update on Miss Lafan’s declaration from yesterday. My drones have located the building where she was held captive. It is on the eastern outskirts of the capital, on the edge of the slums. No guards have been dispatched to investigate because the Academy leadership felt it was unwise. If there were any truth to what Marie claimed, it would shatter the fragile peace remaining in the capital.>
“Bureaucracy at its finest.” I shook my head in disgust. “Who owns the building?”
<The company leasing the structure went bankrupt three years ago, and the landlord passed away from old age around the same time. Since then, it has sat vacant until a shady group took up residence. I attempted to send drones inside to investigate, but an invisible force prevented them from entering.> Luxion projected an image of the rundown storefront.
With the drones unable to penetrate the barrier, the task fell to me. The reputation of my future fiancées and the safety of our world were paramount. My grades were flawless, so skipping a few classes to investigate this morning would not hurt.
I rose to my feet, pulling my blade into my hand with telekinesis. “Alright, Solaris. Feel up to rooting out a few scumbags?”
<Rawr!> The biomechanical raptor bobbed his head, flicking his tail.
“Spacehog, I won’t be taking you this time. The element of surprise is necessary.” I looked out the window at the hover-bike parked on my balcony. “If we need backup, I will give you a whistle.”
VROOM! VROOM!
Spacehog revved its engine in confirmation.
With that, I threw on my adventurer’s gear and slipped out with Solaris.
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