Please Marry My Son

Chapter 5

 “This is all… what?”

Eric made a disgusted expression as he looked at the constant stream of gifts coming from the Russell Manor.

“These were sent by the Madam. She instructed you to take them as gifts.”

“All of this?”

“Yes.”

 Eric finally covered his face with his hand in bewilderment.

He knew it, but his parents always went above and beyond in whatever they did.

“Goodness. Madam has put a lot of effort into this. Be careful with them. They’re going to someone very important!”

Unaware of Eric’s feelings, the butler nervously fretted over the gifts, fearing they might be mishandled. 

With an incredulous look at the butler, Eric wordlessly walked to his room, feeling shaken.

“Ugh. How did things escalate to this point?”

The more he thought about it, the more incredulous he felt. It seemed like everyone in the world was acting irrationally except for him.

He recalled receiving the invitation from Lady Lancaster just a few days ago, and how it had left him feeling completely bewildered.

“Why did this invitation end up in my hands? Surely Mother had something to do with it. But then, how did Mother convince Lady Lancaster to send the invitation?”

Just thinking about it made his face flush with anger, as if he might explode at any moment. 

“Why did I get all emotional back then?”

He sighed involuntarily.

“I should’ve just let it go. No, saying it like that makes me feel weird. Alright, let’s respect their feelings… But really, what’s the difference?”

He found himself caught in a loop of self-justification, and it was infuriating that he still couldn’t shake off the confusion.

Whether it was about pride or honesty, if he had just spoken up honestly back then, it would’ve been the end of it. 

“Argh!” 

He grabbed his head and tossed on the bed.

His biggest enemy seemed to be his past self, and there was an old saying that couldn’t be more accurate. 

As the carriage approached the Lancaster Manor, Eric began to feel increasingly tense.

Even when he first stood before countless knights as their commander, he hadn’t been this nervous.

“Hmm?”

As they entered the estate, the view outside the window had a different atmosphere than he had expected.

While the mansion had an old-fashioned charm, the front yard seemed unexpectedly barren.

There were no lush gardens or decorative trees typically found in such estates. Instead, there were only large, age-old trees and neatly manicured lawns, giving off an aura of timeless elegance.

When he stepped out of the carriage and looked up at the mansion, he felt the same peculiar sensation.

Despite the elegant appearance, there was something subtly different about it, as if it held a unique atmosphere beyond its antiquated charm.

“Seems a bit worn out.” 

It was clear that the estate was well maintained.

 While it had an air of historical significance and elegance, there was also a distinct feeling of age.

 Upon reaching the entrance, a butler who appeared to be from the Lancaster family greeted them with courtesy.

“Welcome, Lord Russell. We’ve been expecting you.”

“Thank you.”

Guided by the butler, who seemed experienced and seasoned, they entered the mansion.

“Considering the size, there don’t seem to be many servants around.” 

“Welcome.” 

As they explored the unfamiliar interior, a familiar voice caught their ears. It was Alicia.

Though feeling embarrassed to meet her gaze, Eric managed to smile and handed her the bouquet of flowers they had carefully placed in the carriage to prevent them from getting crushed.

“Thank you.”

She smiled broadly, but to Eric, it still seemed awkward.

“She probably won’t be too thrilled to see me.” 

Feeling a wry smile at what seemed like the expected reaction, Eric chuckled softly.

“Welcome, Viscount Russell.”

Unlike Alicia, Lady Lancaster greeted him warmly with a bright smile.

“You didn’t have to come out yourself, but thank you.”

Returning her smile, Eric gladly handed her the large bouquet of flowers, and she happily accepted, taking in their fragrance.

“Oh my, they’re so beautiful. Thank you. Shall we go inside?”

***

“Did you get startled by the sudden summons?” Lady Lancaster asked kindly, seeing his awkward smile.

“Oh, no, not at all,” Eric replied, slightly perplexed by her demeanor.

Lady Lancaster seemed gentle and delicate, but there was a subtle forcefulness about her that caught his attention.

 “Is the countess doing well?” he asked.

“Oh, yes, she’s doing very well,” Eric replied, thinking to himself, ‘She seems to be doing incredibly well, possibly better than I’ve ever seen her.’ 

Mumbling to himself, he raised his teacup and awkwardly smiled as he met the gaze of Lady Lancaster.

Lately, he seemed to be using up ten years’ worth of smiles all at once, making his face feel as though it would cramp.  

“Please, have some. I prepared fruit since I figured you might not care much for sweet desserts, but I’m not sure if it’s alright.”

“Yes, of course.”

In truth, he didn’t feel like eating anything, but he politely greeted her and took a piece of fruit.

“My parents have caused quite a bit of trouble in various ways.”

“Oh dear, not at all. I enjoyed it too.”

He smiled kindly, extending his hand.

“Because of my health, I’m not very good at going out, but it was so delightful of you to come.”

“Are you not feeling well?”

“I had an accident a while back.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” 

“Oh, no, it’s quite alright. That was a long time ago.”

Alicia looked surprised as her mother brought up the accident first, then glanced at Eric.

For some reason, Alicia’s mother had been friendly to Eric from the start. She was generally a kind person, but it seemed even more so than usual.

 “Oh, right. By the way, if it’s alright, I’d like to introduce my son.”

“You have a son?”

“Haven’t I mentioned that during the course of our conversation?”

 When Lady Lancaster asked Alicia, she realized there hadn’t been an appropriate time to bring it up.

Feeling embarrassed anew, they both awkwardly chuckled.

At that moment, they heard a knock at the door, and a boy entered.

“Hello.”

A stiff, tense-looking boy walked in.

Alicia was surprised to see a boy who seemed to be in his early teens, younger than she had expected. 

“Hey, there. I’m Eric Gloucester.”

Feeling awkward, as if he had never spoken to a boy of this age before, he extended his hand for a handshake and greeted him awkwardly.

“I’m Edward Lancaster.”

Still tense and stiff with awkwardness, Edward politely shook Eric’s hand.

However, the boy’s eyes were sparkling to the point of being slightly overwhelming.

“Our Edward here wants to become a knight. That’s why he wanted to meet the Earl of Russell.”

“Ah, I see.”

Only then did Eric nod and carefully observe Edward.

Although he was a little thick in stature for a boy, he resembled Alicia so much that one might think this is how she would look if she were younger.

“Wow, I really wanted to meet you.”

It was a gaze of pure admiration, with an attitude of passionate respect.

“Thank you.”

No one had dared to approach because of the malicious rumors, so meeting someone who had the courage to come forward directly and express themselves like this was a first.

It was awkward and embarrassing, but not a bad feeling. 

“So, you want to become a knight?”

“Yes!”

“Then you’ll be going to the officer’s academy?”

“Yes!”

Generally, there were two ways to become an official knight in the Empire.

One was to go through an officer’s academy like Eric and be commissioned directly as an officer, and the other was to pass the Knight Order examination to join the ranks. However, nobles often tended to graduate from officer’s academies. 

“Work hard. If there’s anything I can help with, don’t hesitate to ask.” 

“Really? Then, would something like a recommendation letter be alright?” 

“A recommendation letter?”

It was a casual remark, thinking that maybe writing one recommendation letter wouldn’t be a big deal. But a recommendation letter? That was a bit awkward. It didn’t seem like there would be any need to see him again in the future.

However, Edward’s eyes were sparkling so brightly that it felt rude to outright refuse.

“Edward, asking for that is rather presumptuous.” 

“Ah…”

Sensing Eric’s embarrassment, Alicia quietly interjected, and Edward, visibly disappointed, offered an apology.

“I’m sorry. I got too excited and was rude.”

His manner of apology was quite sincere, so after briefly exchanging glances with Alicia, Eric lightly tapped Edward’s shoulder and made eye contact with him. 

“?”

“It’s okay if it’s just once. But keep it a secret from my sister.”

“Really?”

Following Eric’s lead, they both glanced at Alicia, whispering softly.

“?

Curious about what they were whispering about, Eric and Edward turned their heads simultaneously. Then Edward smiled brightly and whispered something.

Observing their interaction, the Countess smiled and called Edward over. 

“Alright, shall we leave so you can have a chat with my sister?”

“Yes.”

Edward glanced at Eric again before following the Countess out.

Turning her head even as she followed her mother, Alicia met Eric’s gaze, smiling brightly before hurrying out of the room. 

“What were you talking about?” 

“It’s nothing important.”

“Really?”

“Just something Edward wanted to hear.”

Though said casually, Eric understood it was to accommodate Edward. 

“How thoughtful of you.”

“…”

He was taken aback, having never heard such words before.

 Trying to shake off the strange feeling quickly, he changed the subject.

“Hmm. I’m sorry for making it awkward.”

“?”

“I was sure about my feelings regarding this matter, and I intended to properly discuss it with my parents. However, they seemed to have such high expectations that it wasn’t easy to find the right moment to talk.”

At that moment, someone had come here briefly to make space for a fitting in the dressing room.

Given Eric’s likely awkward situation, Alicia nodded as if to indicate her understanding. 

“It seems like you think a lot about your parents.”

“…”

You hear all sorts of things in life. Lately, the most common thing Eric heard from his parents was about his filial piety.

Trying to shake off this strange feeling once again and to emphasize what needed to be said, he opened his mouth.

 “Things will be sorted out soon, so I hope you can bear with us until then. We won’t create any more worries.” 

“Thank you for saying that. Honestly, it was quite surprising.” 

“I imagine it was.”

“Well, I’ll keep that in mind then.”

Acknowledging Eric’s courteous attitude, Alicia nodded in agreement. 

“You’ve been through quite a lot, getting caught up in this.”

“Oh no, it’s the Countess who’s been through a lot.”

“I never expected things to escalate to this extent.”

Of course, his own past mistakes played a significant role.

“It seems like your parents really want the Countess to get married.”

“Sigh.”

Eric couldn’t help but sigh at her words.

 “There have been several instances where I’ve been taken aback due to their pushing, regardless of my intentions. This incident is no exception. And to think they would go so far as to arrange something like this with the Lancaster Count, despite having no connection whatsoever. Truly, their drive is admirable…”

Realizing what he was saying, he closed his mouth. He felt embarrassed, covering his face with one hand.

After getting entangled with Alicia, he couldn’t understand why there were so many instances of being taken aback.

‘Here, too, there’s a lot of suffering because of my parents.’

 Feeling a sense of solidarity with Eric’s situation, Alicia nodded in agreement without realizing it.

But Alicia also had something she needed to say to Eric, perhaps today being the last chance for them to face each other, she hesitated but decided to speak up.