17 – Chronic Illness
My father and one other person were waiting in the study.
A man who wore a white suit.
“Ah…”
I heard the weak voice murmur from behind me.
And then I knew it.
(So this is the man…)
“Ah, there you two are. I’m glad you are here.”
My father said as he looked at us.
“This is your first time meeting him, isn’t it, Aize? I will introduce you. Mikhail Fravault. Mimi’s betrothed.”
The man had blonde hair and a graceful smile as he bowed.
He seemed like a nice person at a glance. However, there was something odd about him as well.
“In spite of his age, he is the owner of a new and successful company. And he is quite handsome as well. Don’t you agree, Mimi?”
“…Yes.”
My father smiled joyfully as he boasted.
Yes…at least on the surface, he could not be more different than the man who I had almost married.
(Still…there is something else…)
I could not say what it was for sure.
It was possible that reading Mimi’s diary was affecting my perception.
But I felt…that I had to stay on my guard around him.
“I have one question.”
I said quietly to the man—Mikhail Fravault.
“What is your reason for marrying my sister?”
After reading Mimi’s dairy, there was one thing that bothered me.
…The terms.
He had used his influences and tried to prevent me from becoming a noble. It was possible this was not true, but it didn’t matter. I just wanted to know why he needed to go to that extent in order to marry Mimi.
“We are a poor family. I don’t know how wealthy you are, but surely there is no advantage for you in marrying her.”
“Aize…!”
My father stood up with a frantic expression, but I stopped him with a look.
He must have felt the rage in my eyes, as he groaned and sat back down.
“Hmm… What if I said that it was love at first sight?”
“She is only fourteen. Are you admitting to falling for a young girl?”
“Haha. No, I would not say that.”
He chuckled and shook his head.
“While I am not without affection, it is true that I have other reasons.”
He held his hands behind his back and stared at me.
“As you know, I am a man of business. To be specific…the weapons business. Though, my success is only quite recent.”
“…I have heard of the Fravault company.”
Fravault Industries was a new maker of firearms. I had seen them mentioned in a magazine.
They were still small, but were gaining traction as a company that sold weapons at low prices.
“You are a student at a military academy, after all. Perhaps you will be a future customer.”
“…I’m sorry, but I don’t use guns.”
“I see. That is too bad.”
He paused and then continued.
“Regardless, selling weapons has many disadvantages. High taxes, and being monitored by the government. And rival companies bother us incessantly. All we want to do is provide products at low cost… In order to protect the people of the empire.”
“…What does that have to do with my sister?”
“Being a noble has value. And restrictions… But as someone who intends to die in the empire, and serve it…I do not see it as a limitation.”
…That made sense.
Having power came with such side effects.
However…
“If that is your reason, then any other family would do.”
“…Well, you can call it fate. I just happened to have the opportunity to meet your father, and we got along.”
“That’s enough, Aize.”
My father said in an angry voice.
“Really, this is no way for a lady to behave. Unbelievably rude. I did not raise you to be like this!”
(…You did not raise me at all.)
He himself had never behaved like a proper noble.
This whole family could not have been more distant from proper, noble society. And we had not even thought about trying to behave like the others.
We were satisfied. To live on this land with the people here.
“…Nobles. How ridiculous.”
“What did you say?”
Eventually, my parents became obsessed with it. And it was all they ever talked about… Everything changed.
“Mikhail Fravault.”
I turned to the man who stood next to my father.
He was just smiling.
As if he knew everything. As if telling me that there was nothing that I could do.
“I challenge you to a duel. …Over the withdrawal of your engagement to Mimi.”
Chapter 5 of MC’s vacation.
Thanks for the chapter.