A Brighter Future (Kuroinu)

“Claudia?”

Rhodes’s voice trembled a bit because Claudia now gave him a strong sense of intimidation. The aura emanating from her made him feel an intense chill throughout his body. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was something like murderous intent.

“Haha… haha…”

But soon, Claudia began to breathe heavily, controlling the intense killing intent she had unleashed. Her overly strong emotional response inadvertently put her in a state that usually only occurred on the battlefield.

“Sorry… Rhodes, I got a bit too excited just now. I unintentionally scared you.”

Claudia looked apologetic as she gazed at Rhodes. After all, the sudden revelation had momentarily overwhelmed her, causing an abnormal reaction due to her inability to accept it immediately. This was the first time Claudia had experienced such a situation, and she almost couldn’t control her actions, following her subconscious thoughts.

Thinking about it, Claudia felt a bit scared herself. She had contemplated harming Celestine, which was unforgivable. However, considering that Rhodes, who was supposed to be with her, ended up in this situation because of Celestine’s sudden interference, it was difficult for Claudia to accept. At the same time, she felt the unfamiliar sensation of having something important taken away.

“I’m fine, but are you okay, Claudia? Your reaction just now was really frightening. What happened?”

Rhodes asked with concern, not being scared by the recent turn of events. Claudia breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a mix of happiness and discomfort. Even though Rhodes wasn’t scared by her appearance, the result wasn’t what she had hoped for—being the one taking care of Rhodes.

“It’s nothing. That situation was just a physical reaction. Let’s talk about what happened just now. Are you planning to be with Lady Celestine?”

“Yes, Celestine said she wants to personally take care of me, so she doesn’t want me to marry you.”

“Is that what you think too, Rhodes? I may not be worse than Lady Celestine. While I usually fulfill my duties as the leader of the Holy Knights, I can handle other things equally well.”

Claudia wanted Rhodes to understand her a bit more. Perhaps this could change the situation.

“With your talent, you can join the Holy Knights, and it’s entirely possible. When that happens, even when executing the duties of the leader, I can take care of you.”

Facing Claudia’s explanation, Rhodes wasn’t surprised by the situation. He had already seen the effects of Celestine’s abilities before. However, even with this knowledge, he still found the situation somewhat challenging.

“I understand, Claudia, you also want to take good care of me, right? But now the problem is with Celestine…”

“Rhodes, you should consider yourself more about this matter. Why do you currently think Lady Celestine is good? It’s because since coming to this world, you’ve only been in contact with her and taken care of by her. That’s why you think that way.”

“Well, you can say that…”

“So why not give yourself a chance to try something else? This way, you can clearly feel the difference and know which one you really want.”

Claudia’s persuasion made Rhodes furrow his brows slightly. The current situation is obviously not something that can be resolved by talking like this. Moreover, if he can’t get the cooperation of the other party to deal with Grave, the result is evident.

“… I understand. But in the current situation, we can’t directly talk about marriage or anything like that. Do you have any way to delay it, or maybe find a way to solve the problem?”

“For now, no.”

Claudia shook her head in response. Even if she had a way, she wouldn’t say it now. If possible, she would directly want Rhodes to marry her. In this way, there would be no obstacles.

“But you can directly engage now, and temporarily let Father not worry about this issue. The reason can be that you hope to achieve some achievements, build up merits, and use a better identity to be with me. If you use this reason, Father will definitely accept it, and he might even be happy to support you.”

“Huh? Using this reason? But what about in the end?”

Rhodes felt there was a big problem with this. Once things were decided this way, how could he change his mind later?

“This might require thinking about it later. For now, this is the only way to delay. Moreover, I can take advantage of this opportunity to properly take care of you, and the good relationship with Father can be maintained, right?”

Claudia’s heart was somewhat nervous. Everything she said now was just preparation for paving the way for herself. After the news of her engagement to Rhodes spread, even Celestine might find it challenging to intervene without causing strain between them. This plan seemed to offer numerous benefits for Claudia.

“Well…”

Rhodes was hesitant, but considering the lack of alternatives at the moment, he didn’t have much choice. The impact of his decision was the primary factor in making a difficult choice.

“Sigh… Let’s go with your plan.”

In the end, Rhodes agreed to Claudia’s suggestion, bringing a happy smile to her face. Now, she could start to turn the situation in her favor.

“By the way, Rhodes, I want to ask you. Do you like women like Lady Celestine, or do you prefer elven women?”

Claudia wanted to understand Rhodes’s preferences. She believed she had good qualities in terms of physique and appearance, not inferior to Celestine. Moreover, the issue of identity was not significant, as Rhodes’s own status neutralized any differences in background. That left only the factor of race.

“It’s okay, but race does add some bonus points.”

Rhodes nodded in agreement. This result left Claudia somewhat helpless. If that was the case, there was nothing she could do. Changing her own race was out of the question, and she needed to think of another way to approach the situation.