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Inglis briefly considered confiding in Special Envoy Theodore about the matchmaking situation and asking for his intervention to shut it down. However, she realized that this could potentially create a different kind of problem. It might inadvertently spark a relationship between Rafinha and the envoy.
“Come here, take a look. People are most beautiful when they are desired. The best choices come when you’re at your best,” Aunt Irina urged, and Selena smiled in agreement. “You said the same thing when Marquis proposed to you,” Selena remarked.
“I did, and it turned out to be the right choice, didn’t it?” Irina replied, reminiscing. “That’s quite convincing coming from someone with more life experience. So, who are these potential suitors?” Rafinha and Irina began perusing the matchmaking pamphlets.
“Look at this. Some of them come from Marquises’ families, and there are even Dukes and Duchesses related to the royal family,” Rafinha pointed out excitedly. “Wow, there are even foreigners!” she added.
“You’re right. Ilrush in the south is quite close to Ymir, so their people are paying attention to us as well. It’s a testament to the magnitude of your achievement,” Irina explained.
“All our hard work is paying off ♪” Rafinha chimed in, clearly enjoying the process.
“Grrrr……!”
Inglis couldn’t contain her frustration. She wanted to shout and express her frustration openly, but she knew she couldn’t in front of her mother and aunt. If she weren’t being watched, she might have even smashed the table into pieces. Venting her anger on inanimate objects would have been a temporary relief. She had failed, plain and simple.
When Inglis made the decision to plan a fight against the Prisma, her first concern was to temporarily elevate her position to Commander of the Imperial Guard Order, considering Raphael’s position. She understood that if the credit for their victory was claimed by some random student, it would tarnish Raphael’s honor and the reputation of the Holy Knights order, potentially putting their position at risk. Inglis didn’t want to jeopardize her chances of participating in future battles, so she positioned herself to share the credit.
Her intention was never to climb the ranks, nor did she plan to stop being Rafinha’s squire. She prioritized Rafinha above herself, focusing on the immediate task at hand without considering the consequences.
The credit was meant to be shared among all participants in the fight, and everything was supposed to conclude smoothly. However, Inglis hadn’t anticipated the overwhelming flood of marriage proposals that followed. Her forwardness and active involvement seemed to have triggered this outcome.
What’s more, her insistence on being Rafinha’s squire had backfired, as the offers were now coming in for Rafinha as well. If she had known this would happen, Inglis would have chosen to remain completely anonymous. She could have borrowed Black Mask’s mask and appeared as Female Black Mask, hiding her true identity.
By doing so and defeating the Prisma, the Holy Knights Order would lose credit to the Ironblood Chain Brigade, and the Kingdom of Charalia would be shaken to its core, potentially leading to an all-out war against the brigade. However, Black Mask wanted to avoid that scenario, which is why he entrusted Inglis with the remainder of his power.
But Inglis didn’t care about any of that. She simply despised the idea of matchmaking. She regretted involving Rafinha in this situation and wished she had stepped forward alone.
“Come here, Glis. You need to look at them too. Come.”
Selena called Inglis over with a gentle tone.
“Come, let us look together, shall we?”
“Yes, Mother… There are quite a lot here, I see.”
Inglis responded with a sigh. The number of marriage proposals she received was more than double the amount Rafinha had received.
“Yes, it’s probably because it’s easier to send proposals our way.”
Rafinha’s family belonged to the Marquis rank, so there were limitations on who could match her in terms of position and family background. Only someone from a prestigious aristocratic family of equal or higher rank would be able to propose to Rafinha.
On the other hand, the Eux family, to which Inglis belonged, was connected to the Marquis’ family but fundamentally served as a Knight household. In comparison to Rafinha, their status was definitely lower. As a result, there was a possibility of receiving proposals from various backgrounds, or at least that’s what her mother, Selena, had explained.
In fact, there were applications from counts and viscounts, families of lower ranks than Marquises. Additionally, there were proposals from Knights of similar status and even from wealthy merchant families, similar to Lambert’s family from before.
Well, family background doesn’t really matter to Inglis. She had no interest in marriage or romance. Her focus was on honing her skills in the art of war and protecting Rafinha.
“Mother… Do I really have to go through with an arranged marriage, no matter what?”
Life may seem long, but it’s fleeting. It passes by in the blink of an eye. Inglis couldn’t afford to get entangled in such an unnecessary matter.
“Glis…”
Selena gently leaned over and embraced Inglis’ shoulder.
“Do you remember what I told you on the day of your baptism?”
She spoke in a hushed tone, making sure Rafinha and Irina, who were lost in their excitement, wouldn’t hear.
“Yes. You said you didn’t want me to possess a Special Grade Rune that would bind me to live and die for the sake of the people… And I told you that I don’t need a power that dictates how I should live.”
Inglis replied in an equally quiet voice. Selena’s intuition was eerily accurate.
The fate of a Holy Knight was just as Selena had described. Fighting against the Prisma for the sake of the people and meeting an inevitable death at the hands of the Hyrule Menaces.
Selena shouldn’t have known about that, and for her to say those words, she must have a keen intuition.
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