This Time, I Became the Fiance of a Duke’s Daughter. But She is Rumored to have Bad Personality, and Ten Years Older – Chapter 232

Two weeks had passed since the people responsible for Liz Murphy’s suicide were captured.

On this, a truly summer-like hot day, Court Mage Seventh Seat, ‘Wind User’ Tres Brauer visited Jared Murphy.

He was a handsome young man with neatly trimmed flaxen hair. His gentle appearance was complemented by his kind, blue eyes, which held a strong will and a hint of melancholy.

Their acquaintance was recent. It began with a revenge plot initiated by Barnabas Kaif, a man who once competed with Tres and Adelina Bischof, a Court Mage not present here, for the position of Court Mage Candidate. Barnabas had been driven from the path of becoming a Court Mage by Tres’s father, Count Brauer.

It was still fresh in memory how most of the Court Mage Candidates, other than Jared, had been murdered by Barnabas. Tres, despite being a Court Mage, had narrowly escaped death at Barnabas’s hands, witnessing the brutal murder of his family. One of the deceased Court Mage Candidates was the master of Jared’s friend, Laurentz Herring, which inevitably led his friend to seek revenge. To stop a revenge against an unbeatable opponent, Jared had fought and killed Barnabas.

As a result of this incident, Jared was chosen to become a Court Mage, progressing from a candidate, a testament to the unpredictable nature of life.

His connection with Tres and others did not end there. In the battle against Cornelia Alway, the mastermind who had targeted the lives of Dolf Ein, who led Waalthe, and Jared’s fiancée, Olivier Alway’s mother, Hannelore, Tres had rushed to their aid with Adelina, providing crucial support.

Since then, they had maintained contact and exchanged letters. Tres was about ten years younger than Jared, meaning his fiancée was closer in age. Olivier and Adelina seemed to converse frequently via letters, but it was noteworthy how Jared’s fiancée wore a grimace each time she received one, as if chewing on bitter herbs. While he was curious about the contents, prying into women’s letters would be a breach of manners.

Through these events, their relationship gradually deepened, and Tres and his colleagues would become seniors to Jared once he became a Court Mage. They had verbally promised to support the inexperienced Jared.

Jared wasn’t the only one being looked after. Laurentz, who had lost his master, was being trained by Tres and Adelina. To learn from two Court Mages was an exceptionally rare opportunity.

Laurentz, envied and jealously regarded by not only the students at the Mage Academy where Jared attended, but also by members of the Mage Corps, subordinates to the Court Mages, continued to receive their tutelage with the awareness of his good fortune and his pure and ambitious pursuit of magic. Jared knew Laurentz had grown significantly as a magician in a short period, and he couldn’t help but rejoice at his friend’s development into an outstanding magician.

“My apologies for the sudden visit,” Tres said.

“Not at all. Olivier also said you’re welcome to visit anytime, and in fact, Adelina seems to have visited a few times without my knowledge,” Jared replied.

“Hahaha. She does have many things she wants to discuss with Olivier,” Tres chuckled.

“I’m glad if they are getting along,” Jared responded.

“…I wonder about that,” Tres mused.

“Yes?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s truly nothing. To get straight to the point, there’s a reason I’ve visited you today. That is—”

Tres moistened his throat with cold tea and hesitated slightly, as if finding it difficult to speak. Then, steeling himself, he opened his mouth.

“Do you remember Barnabas Kaif?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t forget the person I killed.”

“There was no other way to stop him. It’s not something you need to dwell on. Rather, I am ashamed that we burdened a minor like you with our failing.”

Tres had been severely injured and unable to fight. While he had recovered, he had not yet officially returned to his duties as a Court Mage. He was involved in paperwork, instructing subordinates, and commanding operations, but his only actual combat engagement had been the one time he rushed to Jared’s aid.

“Did something happen with Barnabas Kaif?” Jared asked.

“Honestly, I debated whether to tell you this. Adelina advised against it, but considering the possibility of you hearing about it through other channels, I felt it was better for me to tell you directly. —The remaining Kaif family is now in a precarious position.”

“That—” Jared began, unsure how to respond.

He was at a loss for words. Barnabas’s revenge. His anger was justified. However, it had undeniably gone too far. He had killed innocent people. Barnabas was dead, and the Kaif family had been declared uninvolved, but the resentment from the families of the victims must have been immense.

Count Brauer, the true instigator of the entire affair, had paid the price, yet his punishment—confiscation of private property and estrangement from Tres—was not as severe as it could have been. Even those involved in fraudulent acts within the Mage Association had been imprisoned. However, for the bereaved families, forgiveness was still out of reach.

Barnabas, who should have been held most accountable, was dead, killed by Jared. Consequently, it was inevitable that the families’ anger would turn towards the Kaif family. Jared suspected that, though he was unaware, anger might also be directed at himself, the Daum Barony, and the Alway Ducal Family.

“Is there anything I can do?” Jared asked.

“I knew you’d say that. Jared, you are kind. However, I hope that kindness doesn’t one day bring you suffering. Of course, I have no right to advise you, when I’m the one asking for your help,” Tres said, muttering self-deprecatingly.

He then composed himself and continued, “Regarding the Kaif family, Adelina and I are looking after them, so they’re not as much of a concern.”

The two Court Mages held noble titles. Regardless of their aristocratic titles, with them protecting the Kaif family, there would be few who would openly antagonize them.

“The problem is—Ernesta Kaif.”

It was a name Jared had heard before. Ernesta Kaif—Barnabas’s sister. She was reportedly part of the Mage Corps.

“In her case, she is a magician serving the country. Therefore, she is viewed with suspicion by those aware of the situation, being the sibling of a criminal, and is subjected to unfair treatment. We have tried to help her multiple times, but it proved counterproductive, and she herself did not wish for our assistance. It’s understandable—my father was the one who brought Barnabas down. Adelina also played a part, albeit under duress. For Ernesta, our presence must be unbearable.”

Barnabas and Tres had been friends. Therefore, Ernesta must have also been an acquaintance of Tres from long ago. While Jared didn’t know the extent of their relationship, he could only imagine Tres’s feelings for his friend’s sister.

“What am I supposed to do?” Jared asked.

“Are you sure? Even though I came here seeking your help, I must admit you’ll likely find yourself in a troublesome situation.”

“Please don’t worry about that. I owe you and Adelina a great deal for your help the other day. This is my way of repaying that debt. More importantly—Barnabas was someone I killed. If his sister is suffering, it’s not a matter I can ignore.”

“—Thank you,” Tres said, bowing deeply.

When he looked up again, he made his request.

“I would like Ernesta Kaif to become your secretary.”