Olivier saw Lily as a maiden in love.
If she had only taken a liking to Jared based on information, Olivier would have considered kicking her out of the mansion. However, if Lily had faced him directly and come to realize her feelings, Olivier hesitated to speak too harshly.
Still, there were things that needed to be said.
“It’s not ideal to have more consorts. You know how much my Mother suffered, don’t you?”
“Yes. I understand why you’d think that, given your position.”
“To Jared, Yeny is like a little sister, and I’m not even sure how much romantic feeling she has for him.”
Olivier vividly remembered Yeny when she first appeared, wanting to become a consort. The girl’s earnest wish to not be separated from Jared was dazzling and deeply moved her. However, Olivier couldn’t clearly discern whether Yeny’s affection was that of a woman yearning for a man, or that of a sister loving her brother.
Perhaps it was because she was still young, Olivier thought, but maybe she herself hadn’t clearly recognized her own feelings. Nevertheless, Olivier didn’t believe the pure devotion she had shown since childhood was mistaken. In noble society, marriages sometimes occurred based on such vague feelings as Yeny’s. After all, nobles couldn’t easily fall in love, making it difficult to even judge if their own emotions were romantic.
“I understand well that she genuinely cares for Jared, and she will always be a dear sister to me, so I have no objection to her becoming a consort. But—”
“What is it?”
“As you know, Lily, many families wish for their children to marry Jared.”
“Of course, nobles, but also families that have produced Magicians, and merchant families – he’s in high demand. If only he weren’t Olivier’s fiancé—if he were even Yeny Daum’s fiancé, I think it would have already become troublesome.”
Lily, a Secretary Officer as well as a daughter of a Ducal Family, had also heard talk of people wanting to form a connection with Jared. From an outsider’s perspective, the Duke Rüdiger’s Family was just one of the clans seeking such ties. No matter how pure Lily’s feelings for Jared were, the timing was terrible. Given that the Duke Rüdiger’s Family and the Alway Ducal Family were outwardly rivals, it was easy to suspect Lily had been sent to lure away a promising young talent.
If mere rumor could spread simply because she became a Secretary Officer, one could only imagine what would be said if she were to become a consort. Of course, Lily was prepared for anything and wanted to be by Jared’s side.
Not a few noble families wished for their introductions to the Duke Rüdiger’s Family, with whom they had connections through their Secretary Officers. While Hugo, who was fond of Jared, politely refused such requests, Lily knew he was inwardly weary of them.
“It’s already more than enough trouble now. I don’t want to bother Jared with something like this,” Olivier said.
“Does Jared know nothing about this?”
“That’s right. I don’t want to tell him. I handle marriage proposals as much as possible. For those that are truly difficult, I’ve even asked Father. As a result, he’s probably made many enemies.”
“Enemies? That doesn’t sound very peaceful.”
“Don’t worry, I haven’t been directly threatened. But there are voices telling me to break up with him. I receive an overwhelming amount of letters. Most of them are from families related to Magicians.”
Lily understood Olivier’s sigh. Magician families generally placed great importance on being Magicians. While blood ties were important, those without talent tended to be easily weeded out. To put it bluntly, talent was everything.
To these Magician families, Jared Murphy was an exceptionally talented individual, someone they would covet. His Mother was a Former Court Mage, and he himself was set to become a Court Mage. He possessed the rare earth attribute and could even use ancient magic. From a Magician’s perspective, it was unacceptable for a family of warriors, even a Ducal Family, to try and incorporate such a promising young Magician into their own lineage.
If this marriage were truly against Jared’s will, the Mage Association would likely intervene on his behalf. However, because of their close ties with the Association, they knew that Jared and Olivier were in love. Therefore, the Mage Association would not interfere, even if the Magicians made a fuss.
“Their way of thinking is different from Magician supremacy; they have a philosophy exclusive to Magicians. Well, they won’t commit acts of terror, and their ideas are self-contained, so it’s fine… but from their perspective, they must be dissatisfied that the fiancée of a young Court Mage is an aging Non-magician.”
“Don’t call me aging! That’s rude. I’m amazed at how they could write such things in their letters – calling me aging, or telling me to step aside and they’ll introduce someone else!”
“Hahaha, what a predicament.”
Seeing Lily chuckle as if it were someone else’s problem, Olivier’s cheek twitched.
“To me, you are quite the predicament yourself!”
While Lily’s presence wasn’t a nuisance to Olivier, she was a headache. Lily, perhaps surprised to be called a predicament by her childhood friend, protested with a resentful tone.
“Is that how you treat an old friend?”
“Besides, aren’t you Jared’s Secretary Officer? Isn’t it problematic for your position to become a consort?”
“I’ve considered that, of course. Even if Olivier forgives me and Jared accepts me— my position will remain unchanged until Olivier officially marries. And if the time comes when I have to step down as Secretary Officer, it will only be after I’ve secured a reliable successor.”
“If you have to look for a successor, please choose a man,” Olivier said.
“Fufu, understood,” Lily replied.
