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Chapter 46
“That meeting doesn’t have to end as a one-time thing, you know!”
A meeting at home could lead to a meeting outside. And then, one day, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t lead to a meeting in bed as well.
“? I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying.”
Even at this moment, Lianel remained calm.
Only then did Asil realize there was a significant difference between his way of thinking and Lianel’s.
For that to be the case, one assumption had to be in place.
“Do you think Norman Rikel would refuse a marriage proposal?”
“Of course—”
Before Lianel could answer, the office door suddenly swung open.
Other members of the Special Tax Bureau burst in, panting.
They had run so urgently that their faces were flushed red.
“What is this? Chief… are you arranging another political marriage?”
“And who this time? How much tax did he evade?”
Wilbrin leaned over Lianel’s desk, and Tildo joined in. There was a visible glint of dopamine-driven excitement in his eyes.
“I think there’s a misunderstanding. This marriage proposal was submitted by me.”
Everyone’s expressions twisted oddly.
“Why? Why on earth would you do that?”
Not long ago, you said you would dedicate yourself to the Special Tax Bureau. So why?
“Because that person is the principal of the bank.”
A short, definitive answer.
Wilbrin was shocked.
“Seriously, how obsessed with money are you?!”
It took a little time for their misunderstanding to clear up.
And there was one more person who was shocked.
“This is absurd.”
It was Duke Vincenheim, who had rushed over after hearing the news.
He pushed the office door as if to break it down and immediately reached Lianel’s desk.
Asil, of course, and the other Special Tax Bureau members had no chance to intervene.
Thanks to his restraint, he hadn’t struck the desk.
“Why would you marry that old man…!”
“‘Old man’ is an inappropriate term. The age difference between President Rikel and the Duke is only seven years.”
“Even more, you want to marry someone older than me! Are you in your right mind? Do you really feel no problem with this? And that man has a son!”
“I am aware. He has a son who turned fourteen this year.”
“And you still want to marry him?”
The Duke looked up at the ceiling in frustration.
Asil, coming out of the director’s office, froze awkwardly. He saw in himself the same posture he had used to corner Lianel earlier.
“Why did you submit the marriage proposal to him? Money, I suppose?”
“No.”
The Arman Bank was on the verge of bankruptcy, so Norman was actually economically weaker.
“Then tell me—what are his merits?”
“He is competent and has excellent financial acumen.”
“Even though the bank was nearly bankrupt?”
“Ah.”
Lianel, rarely contradicted, corrected herself.
“That was in the past.”
“Are there no merits in the present?”
Lianel thought for ten seconds.
“He is more mature than I am.”
“Of course! Naturally!”
How old is that man!
Like the others from the Special Tax Bureau, the Duke went through the five stages of acceptance.
Initially unable to grasp the situation, going through denial and anger while venting, he now slumped in despair.
Of course, even after understanding the situation, he hadn’t fully accepted it.
“Aren’t you thirsty? Shall I get you some water?”
At that moment, Asil, observing the situation from inside the director’s office, stepped forward.
He intended to earn points with the Duke for the future. Unaware of Asil’s motive, the Duke nodded immediately.
“Do so.”
The Duke gulped down the water and prepared for round two.
“Did meeting President Rikel have to involve a marriage proposal?”
“That was the most efficient method. Above all, it guaranteed a response from the recipient.”
The Duke exhaled heavily and rubbed the back of his neck.
“…If you had told me, this could have been solved more easily.”
Lianel stared at him for a few seconds.
“If you had submitted the proposal yourself, you would have received a rejection without even reaching President Rikel’s residence.”
“Not that way!”
The Duke felt his suppressed anger rising again.
He knew Lianel’s thinking was flexible and free of prejudice, but this was too much.
“You could have explored other options. For example, summoning him under the Minister of State’s name.”
“People must live independently. I am already of age, so I have the duty to consider and decide how to resolve problems myself.”
“Still! How can you make such a major decision without consulting me? What do you think I am? Am I really your father?”
“Biologically, yes, you are my father.”
The Duke’s face flushed so red that his natural skin tone was invisible.
Meanwhile, the Special Tax Bureau members observing this conversation felt uneasy.
They respected Lianel’s privacy and hadn’t intervened, but the unusual conversation made them subconsciously perk up their ears.
Still, it would have been rude to intervene, so they pretended to work, spreading out paper and quietly exchanging notes.
‘By the way, Duke Vincenheim seems so different from what I imagined. I thought he was someone who only indulged in pleasure and shirked responsibility.’
‘Indeed. Right now, he looks more like a father struggling to get close to his daughter.’
‘Honestly, the Chief is being too harsh.’
Even with bad feelings, there’s no need to talk to someone who came out of concern like that in such a way.
Tildo, having received paper from Mel, scribbled a line below:
‘Of course, she’s just stating objective facts…’
Still, being able to hit someone with the truth without distortion is a skill in itself.
They admired Lianel while continuing to eavesdrop.
“But leaving me isolated in the mansion was your doing, wasn’t it, Duke?”
“That is…”
The Duke, unable to respond, fell silent. The writing on the paper became denser.
‘This is why you shouldn’t interfere in other people’s family matters.’
‘Exactly.’
As third parties, they only saw a snapshot and couldn’t know the full story.
If they were careless, they could have judged based on appearances alone.
The Duke let out a deep sigh.
“Alright, you won’t forgive me.”
“No, I cannot forgive you.”
Lianel’s words meant she wasn’t really Lianel, but to the Duke, it sounded like a cold severance.
He pressed his brows together to calm his emotions.
Since nothing could be undone, he decided to reach the final stage: acceptance.
“Fine. But you cannot go alone.”
At the same time, he proposed a compromise.
“As your father, I have the right to be involved in your marriage proposal.”
“Very well.”
“Really?”
“I was planning to go with others anyway.”
The Special Tax Bureau members, discreetly eavesdropping beyond the partition, shared awkward smiles when their eyes met the Duke’s.
“….”
Feeling slightly deceived, the Duke’s face twisted subtly.
Of course, not everyone went to Norman’s house.
“Your Highness, it’s best you remain here.”
Princess Tyren pouted.
“Hmph…”
It was fine for the princess to come from the royal palace to the tax office, as it was within the palace and not far.
But going outside the palace was different. Royal movements required guards and attendants, and beyond the Emperor’s approval, several formalities were needed.
The princess knew this, so she nodded obediently.
Even without the princess, the number of people heading to President Rikel’s mansion was considerable.
Including the Minister of State and the head of the Special Tax Bureau, there were fourteen in total.
When this large group arrived at the mansion, the Rikel family butler opened the door with a stunned expression.
“W-who are you…?”
“I am the one who submitted a marriage proposal to President Rikel.”
Lianel stepped forward to speak on behalf of the group.
“…All of these people?”
The butler was horrified.
The private life of my master, which I didn’t know, had become excessively public.
