Hoping For My Death

 

“Your strength is still as great as ever.”

He sounded like he was talking to his grandson.

Randall regained his composure at the voice and relaxed his grip.

Looking up and confirming the face of the person before him, he let out a chuckle and spoke.

“Marquis Seikren. It’s been a while.”

“Malta Seikren pays his respects to the Lord of Belfort. Have you been well, Your Grace?”

The middle-aged man with reddish-brown hair and blue eyes smiled benevolently.

He was Malta Seikren, one of the leading vassals of the house of Belfort.

Randall stood up from his seat and embraced him lightly, welcoming him.

“Marquis, have you been well all this time? And how is Philia?”

“Don’t even talk about her. It was already absurd for her to venture down south claiming to observe the war. This foolish child, once she returns, I’ll give her a good scolding.”

The Marquis shook his head, muttering in an exaggerated manner.

Randall couldn’t bring himself to stop him and remained silent.

Philia Seikren, his daughter and Randall’s childhood friend, was currently absent, claiming she wanted to observe the ongoing conquest war in the south.

To think that the young lady, a daughter of a Marquis no less, would go to watch a war.

The Marquis had jumped up and practically confined Philia to her room in an attempt to restrain her, but she eventually managed to escape from the mansion on her own and left in a hurry.

Yet, despite all that, she diligently sent letters to inquire about their well-being, which was even more exasperating.

“Still, upon hearing about Your Grace’s marriage, she did promise to return. Since I didn’t offer any support, it might take her a bit more time to come back to the North.”

Marquis Seikren let out a deep sigh.

To ease the elderly Marquis’s anger, Randall subtly changed the subject.

“How is the situation in the south?”

“It’s nearing its conclusion, they say. The crown prince is going wild as if he’s completely gone mad.”

“

Ahem

.”

Randall almost burst into laughter at the blunt remark, but quickly stifled his expression.

However, he couldn’t prevent the corners of his mouth from twitching upward.

In normal circumstances, such expressions could lead to charges of insulting the royal family, but this was the North.

A place where one could express some resentment toward the royal family without much consequence.

Facing each other, Marquis Seikren and Randall shared a sneer naturally at the crown prince’s expense.

Meanwhile, Sylvia, who had been interacting with the vassals, glanced back at Randall hearing his laugh.

‘… He looks good.’

Randall was engaged in a conversation with the middle-aged vassal, showing a genial laughter that was both gentle and not superficial.

Sylvia occasionally, or rather quite often, found Randall’s appearance intriguing.

Normally, when individuals hold high positions, they tend to emphasize their differences from others.

However, despite being at the pinnacle of nobility, almost equivalent to royalty, Randall remained simple.

It wasn’t that he lacked the dignity or grace befitting a lord.

It was more like… he treated the person in front of him as a genuine human being, without pretensions.

Whether they were commoners or nobles, it felt like he simply saw the person in front of him for who they were.

Because of this, Sylvia honestly often felt ashamed in front of Randall’s gaze.

Clearly, that person doesn’t know much about me.

But just standing in front of him feels like he could read right into the depths of me.

That might be why I want to avoid his gaze even more.

He’s so upright and straightforward, unlike someone like me who’s twisted inside out.

‘I wish I could finish my duty quickly and not have to face him.’

Sylvia swallowed an embarrassed sigh.

Being around him, she often found herself forgetting her own purpose, which put her in a perplexing situation in many ways.

But right now, she was in front of the vassals.

To avoid unnecessary friction, it was necessary to show a harmonious relationship with Randall as much as possible.

Sylvia gathered her thoughts and once again put on a picturesque smile.

The nobles waiting for their turn came forward, bowing to her and offering greetings.

“Congratulations on your marriage, Duchess. I am Garnet Glevor.”

Standing before Sylvia were a middle-aged man and a young woman with identical blonde hair.

Realizing that they were one of the important vassals of Belfort, as Thelma had informed her before the banquet, Sylvia smiled broadly.

“Thank you, Marquis Glevor. And this is young lady Glevor?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Sylvia shifted her gaze to the woman standing beside the man, who seemed to be of her age.

Her long blonde hair cascaded down to her waist, her vivid purple eyes glistening. Her posture was impeccable, standing tall with a straight back.

She seemed like a woman who embodied the very essence of the word ‘noble’ in every aspect.

The woman gracefully offered a curtsy with her beautiful face.

“Rubea Glevor greets you, Duchess.”

And that was the end of it.

The lady rose to her feet again, assuming a perfect posture as she stood there.

“…..”

Sylvia’s eyes narrowed, sensing a subtle shift in her demeanor.

“I will briefly greet the lord and then return. Please continue with your greetings.”

In the meantime, Marquis Glevor moved away, leaving her and Sylvia behind as he went to greet Randall.

The way Randall greeted him so casually reminded her that he was an important vassal.

Turning her gaze away from Randall, Sylvia looked intently into Rubea’s eyes, without saying a word.

The other person, in turn, did not avert her gaze, as if trying to explore her.

It didn’t take long for Sylvia to detect a familiar determination in her eyes, and she smiled inwardly.

‘A headstrong woman.’

Through numerous reincarnations, Sylvia had encountered many people. 

Among them were those whose loyalty to their masters was so strong that they would even go against their master’s will.

Rubea had exactly that kind of look in her eyes.

The gaze of someone blinded by loyalty, charging ahead without considering the will of their master.

Because of this, it wasn’t too difficult to anticipate what words would come out of her mouth.

‘I suppose I wouldn’t be to her liking.’

At that, Rubea smoothly lifted the corners of her lips into a smile.

It wasn’t a warm smile.

“Duchess. May I dare to ask you one thing?”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you happen to know the number of people dying in the North in a year?”

Sylvia only looked at Rubea with an unreadable expression.

As if not expecting a different answer, Rubea politely continued, her voice gentle.

“I assume you wouldn’t know. After all, you’ve lived a life devoid of any connection to the North.”

“…..”

“Currently, His Grace is in dire need of support. Marriage is a good means to expand influence. However, the Duchess’s lineage is that of the King’s most loyal subject. Can you dare to fathom how great an opportunity the North has missed due to this marriage?”

Rubea’s gaze remained steady, without a hint of wavering.

Her purple eyes smoldered faintly with a mix of contempt and anger.

There was no denying the truth in her words.

The North’s position was not secure. It was as precarious as a candle before the wind.

With the king constantly monitoring and constraining the North, their only way to safeguard themselves was to solidify their influence through means like marriages.

Among them, the position of the Duchess of Belfort was particularly crucial.

A person who grew up in the harsh reality of the North, where monsters and demons are rampant, and who is capable of leading and controlling this barren North.

As the mistress of the Belfort family, the master of the North, it was only fitting that an esteemed young lady of a family who could be of the greatest help to the North should be chosen for the position.

It could have been herself, or even someone like the notorious troublemaker, Philia Seikren.

However, the one who ended up taking the position of the Duchess of Belfort was a delicate woman who seemed as though she could be blown away by a gust of wind.

What’s more, that woman happened to be an individual from a family trusted by the king, Belfort’s adversary.

How could someone in the position of a Belfort vassal accept this?

It was absolutely impossible.

‘Just conveying this much should be enough for her to understand. If she truly cares for the lord, she should step back now.’

Rubea looked at Sylvia with a gentle smile.

After all, she gave the impression of a woman so fragile that she could be carried away by the slightest breeze, like a dandelion seed.

This level of criticism should be enough to make her flustered.

And she would feel guilt, no doubt.

If by any chance she couldn’t bear my words and collapsed, it would serve as an opportunity to show her weakness to those gathered here.

Rubea was convinced of that.

However, that conviction was soon overturned.

“So?”

“… Pardon?”

“Does telling me about it make this marriage something that never happened?”

Rubea momentarily doubted her own ears.

But Sylvia was laughing.

With that laughter that seemed to constrict a person’s throat, Rubea found herself involuntarily shuddering.

‘What is this?’

It was when the atmosphere around Sylvia suddenly changed that she inwardly felt flustered.

Sylvia playfully twirled the glass in her hand and spoke.

“If you cannot acknowledge me as the Duchess, then you should directly convey that fact to His Majesty. He is not one to blindly silence dissenting voices just because they differ from his intentions.”

“That’s…!”

“Blaming me even though you know that it was not me or my husband who orchestrated this marriage is a cowardly act.”

Rubea froze and tensed up as if struck by lightning upon hearing those words.

Sylvia continued calmly, looking at her, who seemed shocked by something.

“And can you only see the unity of the North as something purely positive?”

“…..”

“Stagnant water is bound to eventually rot. From that perspective, could it be that I’ve brought in a new current at just the right time? Unless one intends to turn the entire kingdom into an enemy, that is.”

Rubea’s face contorted abruptly. 

The aloof smile that had been on her face the entire time crumbled.

It was the moment Rubea was about to part her lips to retort.

Suddenly, a faint light emerged in the empty space between Sylvia and Rubea.

Before either of them could react, characters swiftly raced across the emerging light, forming a circular magic circle in the air.

A teleportation magic circle.

“Why is that here…”

Rubea muttered in bewilderment.

The castle bells rang urgently.

A demon’s claw tore through the magic circle.

Among these three occurrences, it was uncertain which came first.

In that moment, Sylvia’s foremost thought was.

‘Will I die?’

Could this finally be the moment she had desperately longed for, the opportunity to reach the embrace of death?

“What are you doing?! We need to run now…!”

Sylvia stood still for a moment, staring at the demon, and then Rubea screamed and grabbed her, pulling her away.

The demon, having spotted them upon emerging from the teleportation magic circle, swung an arm as large as an adult’s body.

‘Ah.’

Time seems to slow down.

In that fleeting moment, Sylvia had various thoughts.

Was this the precise moment of her ‘death’?

Right now, there was a way before her that could confirm it, without offending the gaze of the gods.

Sylvia glanced at the demon’s claw reaching for Rubea’s back, then reached out and pulled Rubea away.

She swiftly turned around to face Rubea, and Rubea’s purple eyes widened in surprise.

Thwack

-!

“

Ugh

…”

In the next instant, the demon’s claw struck down Sylvia’s back. 

She clenched her teeth to suppress the pain that felt like her flesh was being torn apart, swallowing back her groans.

Everything had happened in the blink of an eye, and right after, a shout erupted from Randall.

“Sylvia!”

Randall’s voice thundered through the banquet hall as he rushed forward.

Reacting just as swiftly, Auston, his senses similarly heightened, cast a protective barrier over Rubea and Sylvia.

Thanks to that, the two were temporarily shielded from the onslaught of demons pouring out of the magic circle.

“

Shriiiiieeeekk

!”

“I-It’s, it’s, demons!”

“Take cover!”

The banquet hall turned into chaos in an instant.

Apart from the demon that had attacked Sylvia and Rubea, dozens of other demons appeared through the magic circle.

Randall attempted to rush towards Sylvia, but the continuous onslaught of demons prevented him from doing so.

“Move.”

He gritted his teeth, his eyes gleaming sharply.

The ornamental sword that had been placed beneath the duke’s seat sliced through the demon’s head in a swift motion.

Hearing the alarm, the knights who had rushed in worked to fend off the demons and evacuate the people.

Auston, too, did his best to separate the demons from the crowd.

Meanwhile, Rubea held the seemingly lifeless Sylvia in her arms, trembling.

“D-Duchess. Snap out of it! Duchess!”

She let out a sharp cry and tore her own skirt with trembling hands.

As a result, a small gem that had been caught in the edge of her skirt tumbled haphazardly to the ground.

Rubea was on the verge of fainting from shock, but she applied a clean cloth to Sylvia’s wound and tightly tied a torn shawl around her back as she had been trained to do.

At that moment, Marquis Glevor, who had disappeared to greet Randall, appeared with a shocked expression on his face.

“Rubea!”

The demons were focused on the retreating people and Randall, so Marquis Glevor could approach them closely.

“Why of all people is it you…!”

He sighed with a look of fear, quickly checking Rubea to see if she was injured.

However, Rubea’s gaze remained fixed on Sylvia.

“Duchess, you mustn’t close your eyes now. Duchess!”

At that moment, Marquis Glevor, who had been looking around, noticed a rolling gem on the floor and his expression hardened slightly.

“Damn it, how am I supposed to handle this situation?”

His words were almost like a muttered curse, that she couldn’t clearly hear the pronunciation.

But Sylvia, who was lying on Rubea’s lap with her face against it, frowned as she heard some of the words in her fading consciousness.

‘Handle the situation…?’

At that moment, a sharp pain shot through her back. 

Sylvia gritted her teeth and blinked, then looked over Rubea’s shoulder to see Randall running towards them after slaying a demon.

‘Ah.’

In that moment, Sylvia understood why people would treat Randall with familiarity but occasionally displaying a hint of fear.

‘So, you could also… make that kind expression.’

Right after Sylvia had that thought upon seeing Randall’s frighteningly stiff expression, she lost consciousness.

  Hello, everyone~!!! Eica here~ Thank you for having the time to read my translations.Due to my ongoing classes, I will provide updates once a week, specifically on Sundays, unless something unexpected happens.Despite my shortcomings in translating this, I hope everyone of you will have a good time reading this.For any mistakes, you can comment down below, or you can ping me at discord.You can support me on ko-fi. And please rate this on NU. Any comments of yours will be appreciated. And though I may not reply, rest assured that I'm reading and anticipating each and every comment of yours.Once again, thank you, everyone~!!! Happy reading~!!!