After dismissing the vassal with an annoyed face, Belreck was left alone in the office and brought his hands to his face with a mixed feeling.

“But Louis Gargell, why is this western country bumpkin rushing suddenly? It’s annoying.”

He already had a headache thanks to Deborah, but Louis Gargell’s arbitrariness made Belreck’s mind even more disturbed.

A few days ago, he had exchanged letters with Louis Gargell several times with the meaning of introducing his sister.
In the process, he had received some silver as a reward, but it was a kind of a custom.
It was also common for an older brother to introduce his younger sister to those around him.

‘I thought it would come to nothing.’

He tried to arrange an occasion, but he was so busy with research that it was delayed day after day; and Louis Gargell’s side was also vague.

However, after hearing the news that Deborah was doing well, the Gargell bastard suddenly changed his half-hearted attitude and started a gift offensive.

Amid this, he couldn’t quite understand what Deborah was thinking when she suddenly accepted the gifts from Louis Gargell.
Didn’t she like Philap?

He thought she would throw away the gifts from the western country bumpkin without even looking at them.

While he was feeling bitter, his vassal rushed into the office.

“Prince.”
“What is it?”
“Duke Seymour is calling you to his office right now.”

***
Belreck, who rushed from the Wizardry Association to the main building of the mansion through a magic circle, was bewildered by the strange atmosphere.

“Sit down.”
“Yes.”

The expression on his father’s face was especially unusual today.
There was a deep wrinkle between his brows, and his cold silver eyes showed signs of anger.

Feeling the pressure, Belreck lifted the hot teacup with an anxious feeling.

“Belreck.”
“Yes, Father.”
“I have heard rumors that you are trying to set up the eldest son of Count Gargell with Deborah.”

Although he was indeed going to try something like that, why did it suddenly get rumored that it even reached his father’s ears?

Duke Seymour spoke to Belreck, who looked suspicious, with a displeased expression.

“I heard that the reason Deborah can’t throw away his gift is because of your honor as a facilitator.”

‘She was never one to care about my feelings, so why is she suddenly using me as an excuse…’

Belreck felt deeply baffled.
Also, he wondered why his father was giving off such a bloody atmosphere.

In the past, when Deborah harassed a young lady who was hovering around Philap and even demanded money from the opposing family, his father said this with a tired expression on his face.

“Even though he rejected her marriage proposal, for how long is she going to go on and on about that Montez guy? It’s terribly embarrassing. If you have another young man in mind, introduce them quickly!”

So Belreck thought that there was nothing wrong with his actions.
Above all, Deborah is also of marriageable age.

“It is common for an older brother to introduce a good young man to his younger sister. Deborah is also old enough to think about marriage…”

Before Belreck could even finish speaking, the Duke of Seymour immediately gushed out.

“Hey, you punk! Is it normal to entrust your sister to the Count’s family in the west, which is the farthest from Seymour’s estate and, on top of that, is in the countryside? Why on earth are you doing something stupid that I didn’t even tell you to do?”
“T-The Gargell family owns a large silver mine. Father also told me to introduce Deborah to a young man before…”
“When did I? I never did that!”

Belreck almost dropped the teacup in his hand because of how his father denied it so confidently.

‘This is crazy. You clearly said that around this time last year.’

However, if he uttered such tactless words, the situation would be worse than it is now; so only Belreck’s thin lips were trembling.

‘You used to be the most level-headed and objective person.’

His father, who looked pathetic about Deborah, had disappeared.
In front of him, only a good-for-nothing person who has lost his reason remains.

‘Something is wrong ever since you bought her the pink diamond.’

How did things get like this?

As he held back his confusion, Duke Seymour, who had calmed his anger a little, cleared his throat several times.

“Anyway, don’t bother yourself with Deborah’s marriage. Do you understand?”
“Still, if she continues not having someone to get engaged to, wouldn’t it be better for me to step in?”

Although Deborah was demonstrating Seymour-like abilities for the first time, his desire to remove her from his eyes as soon as possible didn’t change.

‘Because of Deborah, I have lost one of my vassals that I had put in the library.’

For how long will he criticize him?
However, even if he pushed ahead with it, the marriage would only take place if the head of the family gave permission; but his father only got angry.

“Really, you think you are doing a good job, but your meddling is unnecessary! I don’t know if it’s because you’re stuck every day in the Wizardry Association that you have no sense… Come on, tsk!”
“I was just worried about my sister as an older brother…”
“I’m more worried about you, but if you still want to be nosy, bring me a better ice wizard than me. Then I’ll consider it carefully.”

‘Is this a joke?’

Is there anyone in this world who can surpass his father in his ice magic?

‘You must mean that you want to have an excellent wizard as your son-in-law. Are you serious?’

“That… I’ll keep that in mind. I am sorry for disturbing Father’s mind with my rash actions.”
“If you understand, you can leave.”
“Yes.”

Coming out of his father’s office with a tired expression, Belreck let out a long sigh.
It feels like things keep getting twisted.

‘When I was a child, whenever I caused unnecessary trouble, I had this eerie feeling.’

And his ominous premonition was quite correct.

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