TGW Chapter 19 Part 3

 

After the broken engagement, Joseph shut himself away in his bedroom. It felt like the whole world was mocking him. He spent his days lamenting his fate, drinking until he passed out, then waking up only to drink more.

He opened his eyes, feeling a splitting headache, and saw that the day was bright. He couldn’t tell the exact time. It had been nearly a month since he had lost track of time.

“Ugh…”

He clutched his head, staggering as he climbed out of bed. His appearance, soaked in alcohol, was haggard, but the bedroom, which had been in a mess before he slept, was now spotless, cleaned by the servants.

He picked up a water bottle from the table, intending to pour it into a cup, but instead brought it directly to his lips. Water gushed out, soaking his shirt, but he didn’t care.

Wiping his wet mouth roughly with his sleeve, he let out a grim chuckle. Then he hurled the water bottle with all his strength. It shattered loudly into pieces.

“Damn it…”

He collapsed onto the floor. After more than a month, the shame that had made him want to die back then had faded.

Joseph didn’t have the courage to throw away the rest of his life in despair. He was quite satisfied with all the rights he enjoyed as a noble. Social gatherings and parties were the pleasures of his life.

“What do I do now…”

He had become a disgrace to his family. Because he had broken off the engagement over an illegitimate child, it would be difficult to find another decent marriage prospect.

Neither his grandfather nor his parents would try to rescue him from his dire situation. Joseph wasn’t the only descendant of the Duke's family. He had lived like a recluse for nearly a month, and no one had come to see him. Now that he was deemed useless, he was abandoned.

He sighed heavily and stood up. He opened the window and stepped out onto the balcony. The wind was chilly, but it helped clear his head.

From the balcony of his bedroom, Joseph could see the entrance to the mansion. Leaning against the railing, he absentmindedly watched a group of people entering. As they drew closer and he could roughly make out who they were, Joseph’s eyes focused.

The man at the front, who seemed to be leading the group, was someone he recognized.

“The Marquis of Raad…”

The Marquis was dressed like a knight. Each time the black cloak draped over his shoulder billowed in the wind, the red lining was revealed. A long sword hung diagonally from the belt at his waist.

He looked perfect. Joseph found himself staring at him, entranced. Just then, the Marquis looked up, gazing directly at where Joseph stood.

Startled, Joseph ducked below the railing. After some time, he cautiously peeked out again, but no one was there.

‘The Marquis of Raad must have been seeing off the diplomatic delegation... Ah, he must be back now.’

Joseph summoned a servant known for being well-informed about various matters.

“The Marquis of Raad, you ask? He’s currently the most famous person in the capital.”

The servant eagerly shared the latest news about the Marquis of Raad. He told Joseph about the new investigative office established at the guest palace in the imperial court, where the Marquis of Raad had been appointed as the chief officer. He mentioned how the emperor had entrusted the Marquis with full authority over all appointments to the investigative office, and how the nobles of the empire were desperate to even have a word with the Marquis. All these were things that had happened while Joseph had been holed up in his bedroom.

The servant, being astute, refrained from mentioning the subtle rumors about the relationship between the Marquis of Raad and the Silver King. But even if Joseph had heard, he would have resigned himself to accept it humbly.

When he had been the Silver King’s fiancé, he could stand tall before the Marquis, but now, he was nothing. Joseph was someone who conformed to the hierarchical order.

‘Yes… If it’s the Marquis of Raad, he’s the one who can surely help me get out of my current situation. He’s the only one I can rely on right now.’

Joseph blamed himself for the foolishness of having been wary and standoffish towards the Marquis in the past.

‘The Marquis never denied the rumor that we were friends. Maybe he genuinely wanted to be close to me back then.’

Since the Marquis wasn’t originally from the empire, he had no established base here. Having a noble from the empire as an acquaintance would be the best way for him to integrate into the world of the empire’s nobility.

Joseph was about the same age as the Marquis, the grandson of a duke, and a well-known figure with many connections in society. Joseph thought that he was a suitable match as a friend for the Marquis.

Currently, the Marquis of Raad was the most talked-about figure in the social scene. If Joseph could satisfy the curiosity surrounding him, he could successfully return to society, overcoming the scandal of the past. A ray of hope shone on his once bleak future.

“What brings the Marquis of Raad here?”

“Well, how would I know?”

“What is he doing right now?”

“He’s meeting with the Duke.”

“Let me know when the Marquis leaves. And bring me a change of clothes and a basin of water on your way out.”

“Yes, sir.”

Joseph quickly washed his face, combed his hair, and changed into the clothes the servant had brought. He couldn’t hide the bloodshot look in his eyes from drinking, but at least he finally looked somewhat presentable. He was checking his appearance in the mirror when the servant entered.

“Young Master, the Marquis is now…”

“I understand.”

Before the servant could finish speaking, Joseph hurried past him. The servant watched as Joseph’s figure rapidly receded into the distance and muttered the rest of what he hadn’t had a chance to say.

“He’s walking out together with the Duke as they talk…”

 

 ***

The Duke of Rouk appeared to be in a bright mood. The attendants, who remembered how his expression had hardened when he first heard of the Marquis of Raad’s visit, now looked at him with puzzled eyes.

Walking side by side with the Duke, the Marquis spoke.

“Thank you for agreeing to my difficult request so readily.”

“It is the Emperor’s command, after all. It is only right to follow it.”

“Even though His Majesty has entrusted me with authority, I do not dare to think of it as my own power. It simply grants me the privilege to ask for help.”

The Duke of Rouk chuckled softly and nodded. Contrary to his concerns, the young Marquis knew how to lower his head.

‘He doesn’t act arrogantly. He’s serious and courteous.’

The Duke was relieved to see that the Marquis was someone he could communicate with. He began to mentally go through the faces of his granddaughters who were of marriageable age and might be a good match.

Originally, the Duke of Rouk did not have a good impression of the Marquis of Raad. It was impossible for him to. His grandson’s engagement with the Silver King had been broken off due to the issue of an illegitimate child, and the Marquis’s knight, Sir Kali, had played a significant role in that.

Sir Kali’s decision to protect the mother and child had drawn even more attention to the matter, making it impossible to manage the situation early on. It didn’t help that the Marquis of Raad was not in the capital at the time, making the situation even more difficult.

The Duke couldn’t indirectly pressure Sir Kali by expressing his discontent to the Marquis. The stubborn knight had stood his ground, proclaiming justice. In the end, the engagement was broken off.

When the Duke received word that the Marquis of Raad wanted to visit the ducal house today, he was very displeased.

The Marquis had sent letters requesting cooperation from all the noble families as he began his official duties as an investigator. The first place he chose to visit was the Duke of Rouk’s household. The Duke felt insulted as if the Marquis were looking down on his family.

However, the Duke’s tangled emotions were nearly unraveled as he spoke with the Marquis. Contrary to his expectations that the Marquis would be arrogant while riding on the Emperor’s authority, the Marquis behaved respectfully, even humbly, and asked for favors.

The Duke belonged to the older generation, the type to cluck their tongues and mutter, “These young ones nowadays.” Though he knew he had no higher to climb, he didn’t want to be pushed aside by the younger generation rising from below. Naturally, he felt favorably towards a promising young man of power who acknowledged his authority.

“I will open the archives within a few days. If you need anything else later, let me know.”

“Yes, thank you, Your Grace.”

Most noble families had archives where they stored family records. These were generally kept private from outsiders, and even within the family, access was restricted based on one’s position.

The Marquis had requested access to documents from the Duke’s archives related to a past incident he was investigating.

Since the Emperor had commanded full cooperation with the investigator, refusal was not an option. However, there was a world of difference between storming in with “It’s an order!” and bowing one’s head and saying, “Please, I ask this of you.”

Moreover, the Rouk family hadn’t been deeply involved in the incident at the time. They had nothing to hide.

“Send my regards to Sir Kali.”

The Duke offered his greetings with a smile, but the Marquis’s face clouded over.

“Once again, I apologize. I should have managed my subordinates better…”

“Don’t misunderstand me. I didn’t bring it up to blame you, Marquis. It’s already in the past, isn’t it?”

The Duke had tried to contact Kuhn while he was returning to the capital by ship after failing to persuade Martin. However, they were unable to reach him because they couldn’t locate the fast ship the Marquis was on.

The Duke had no idea that Kuhn had deliberately avoided the Duke’s messenger, knowing everything that had happened.

As soon as Kuhn returned, he expressed his regrets, saying, “I apologize for my subordinate’s interference in the affairs of the Duke’s family.” He handed over the mother and child Martin was protecting to the Duke’s household and sent Martin to apologize. However, by then, the engagement had already been broken off.

The mother and child were currently residing peacefully in the accommodations provided by the Rouk family. Even though the existence of the illegitimate child had been widely known, making it infuriating to the family, they couldn’t do anything about it. Furthermore, the child was still of the family’s blood. They couldn’t just abandon them.

“If you are truly sorry, perhaps Sir Kali could instruct my knights? A single training session would suffice.”

“Yes, that wouldn’t be difficult.”

“Oh, is that a promise?”

A look of joy crossed the Duke’s face. Martin Kali’s skill and reputation were such that he was not just considered an ordinary knight. The Duke had a keen interest in developing his own order of knights. This made him envious of the Marquis, who had such a strong knight as his subordinate. And also…

‘Is there a way to obtain the Desert Armor through the Marquis of Raad?’

The Duke of Rouk wasn’t the only one who desperately wanted that armor.

As they conversed, the two men and their entourages descended to the first-floor hall. It was rare for the Duke to personally escort a guest this far, especially considering his age.

As Joseph hurried into the hall, the Duke caught sight of him and frowned. Upon noticing his grandfather, Joseph stiffened and bowed.

“What are you doing here…”

“Lord Rouk, it’s been a while.”

The Duke was about to angrily tell his grandson to get lost, but he closed his mouth when the Marquis of Raad greeted Joseph.

Joseph glanced nervously at his grandfather as he responded.

“Yes, Marquis. Have you been well?”

“It’s good that we met. I’m planning to host a small gathering at my residence soon. I don’t know many people. I’d like you to attend, Lord Rouk.”

Joseph’s face brightened. He had been racking his brain to find a natural way to strike up a conversation, but the Marquis himself had extended the invitation first.

“Thank you for the invitation. I would be delighted to attend, but…”

Joseph glanced again at his grandfather. The Duke cleared his throat and replied gruffly.

“It won’t do for a man to stay cooped up at home.”

“Yes… Grandfather.”

Even though he referred to the Duke as “Grandfather” in front of everyone, the Duke had no objections. Joseph couldn’t help but bite his lips to suppress a smile that was threatening to spread across his face.

“I’ve heard you have quite a wide circle in society, Lord Rouk. I’ll send a few invitations, so feel free to bring along any acquaintances you’d like to introduce.”

“Yes, Marquis.”

The Duke’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at his grandson. Perhaps the rumors about his grandson being close to the Marquis of Raad weren’t entirely baseless after all.

‘That boy is good at making friends.’

The Duke decided to reconsider the value of his grandson, who he had been thinking of as a discarded card.

“My grandson can be a bit rash, so I worry he might make a mistake in important settings.”

“You’re being modest. In fact, I’m the one in a position to receive help. Well then, I’ll be on my way. There’s no need to see me off any further, Your Grace.”

The Marquis bowed deeply, more formally than the lighter nod he had given earlier. The Duke felt quite pleased. It was a good show in front of his retainers.

“I’ll see you out to the end.”

The Duke allowed his grandson to follow behind the Marquis.

‘There’s no need to antagonize the Marquis of Raad. It’s better to stay on good terms.’

He had no intention of severing ties with the Rimon family. However, it was true that the broken engagement had caused a cold breeze to blow between the two families.

Even if the Silver King became the Emperor, the Iron King would remain the first in line to the throne until a successor was born and reached the age of seven to claim the right of succession.

For at least the next seven to ten years, if the Silver King, who had become Emperor, met an untimely end, the Iron King would ascend to the throne. The future was unpredictable. Moreover, if the Marquis of Raad remained steadfastly by the Iron King’s side, it was clear that the Iron King’s influence would only grow stronger.

---

The carriage carrying the Marquis of Raad and his entourage departed from the Duke of Rouk’s residence. The carriage was headed back to the Imperial Palace. Inside the moving carriage, Kuhn was lost in thought.

‘It seems the bait is properly set…’

The rumor about Joseph’s illegitimate child had been spread by Levi. The rapid spread of the rumor was orchestrated by Levan. Levi was unaware that another force had intervened.

The matter didn’t end with the broken engagement. Joseph had to engage in a mud-slinging battle with Levi, who was the next most likely candidate. However, Joseph’s seclusion at home in the wake of the engagement’s collapse wasn’t part of the plan. If he gave up like this, it would be problematic.

Kuhn’s official reason for visiting the Duke of Rouk’s residence today was to request access to the archives, but in reality, it was to provoke Joseph.

From Joseph’s expression, Kuhn had discerned that he was looking for an opportunity to bounce back. Joseph, who had once tried to confront him on equal footing, now looked like a dog with its tail between its legs.

‘What a shallow man.’

Of course, this worked out well for Kuhn. Joseph would undoubtedly use the invitations to the Marquis of Raad’s party to make a triumphant return to society.

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