DBOFS 94

Chapter 94

 “No, not at all.”

I answered before I even had time to think, not even realizing what I had said.

“…Not at all?”

That must have been why Harris’ expression seemed to sink slightly.

Had I said something wrong? Reflexively, I added an explanation.

“W-well, as I mentioned, I originally had a rare disease, right? I never knew when I’d die, so I never really thought about things like marriage…”

“Now?”

“Huh?”

A light hand lifted my chin. His crimson eyes, sharper and more vivid than any jewels, fixed on me.

“Now that you’re not a terminal patient who doesn’t know when you’ll die… how do you feel?”

“….”

I stared blankly into those beautiful red eyes, murmuring as if hypnotized.

“Even now… I don’t think it’s that different…”

“What?”

“Being in a position where you might die any moment isn’t much different, right? You always say you’ll kill anyone who betrays you.”

“….”

Though I hadn’t thought much about it, perhaps sensing some karmic retribution, the fingers holding my chin stiffened.

“By the way, why all of a sudden marriage?”

But with too many things to feel guilty about, I didn’t dig into Harris’ reaction.

‘The topic has shifted away from me.’

Meaning I hadn’t been caught for anything. Relieved, I casually asked,

“Is someone getting married?”

“Marriage?”

The word was so foreign that Harris missed the moment to react.

Whether it was his own or someone else’s, he thought formalities like weddings would never concern him.

“You’re also getting to the age where marriage is expected.”

The late Duke said it as if it were obvious.

“I give you permission. Marry that girl.”

Of course, the “girl” the late Duke referred to was Jade.

‘She’s young and has shown such devoted affection. You can’t ignore that forever.’

Unaware of the special agreement between Jade and Harris, the late Duke completely misunderstood their relationship romantically.

He wasn’t entirely unaware of guides and the existence of people with abilities. On the contrary, knowing it only made his misunderstanding worse.

‘Young men and women doing all sorts of physical contact just because of guiding? And before marriage?!’

For the conservative late Duke, this was enough to make him clutch his head and collapse.

‘Back in my day, we didn’t even hold hands before an engagement!’

He had left their relationship alone so far because he considered them eventually leaving.

But now that he genuinely accepted Harris as Godwin’s heir and his straightforward grandson, the late Duke decided he would no longer hold back.

“Even a simple engagement ceremony before departure will do.”

In a house as prestigious as Godwin, who had elevated his first daughter-in-law to a princess, deciding to accept Jade—a girl of so low status she seemed almost nonexistent—as a granddaughter-in-law was revolutionary.

‘But the partner is Harris.’

His grandson’s temperament was unthinkably obstinate. Expecting a normal, politically advantageous marriage like other nobles was a luxury.

‘Well, at least he has a partner.’

Having experienced much, the late Duke let go of many things.

Normally, if Harris were to take a wife of such humble status like Jade, it would have been cause for disowning him.

But Harris was no ordinary case. A child abused by his father and neglected by his grandfather.

Though the chance to care for his secluded grandson had come countless times, he had done nothing until Harris had grown into a capable young man.

‘…At the very least, I should help with the marriage.’

That was the only thing he could do.

It was also why the late Duke involved the Count of Redian in cleansing Jade’s status. Even if it wasn’t perfect, obtaining a minor barony in Redian’s branch gave her some legitimacy.

Having set the situation quietly behind the scenes, the late Duke already saw Jade as a prospective granddaughter-in-law.

“…Partner?”

However, whether the late Duke approved or not, Harris himself had not yet comprehended the concept of “proposal” or “marriage.”

“Partner… you mean, who—”

“Who?”

Harris’ oblivious reaction shocked the late Duke, who slammed his fist on the side table.

“Obviously, I mean Jade, the one you can’t live without!”

Jade. And marriage.

Those two words combined froze Harris’ mind.

“You shameless boy! Were you planning to abandon her and take another woman as your wife?!”

“No…!”

Without thinking, Harris denied it.

Abandon… the word triggered a memory like a button being pressed.

The day Jade had spoken of choices, saying that him abandoning her was an option.

The day he became certain that abandoning her was indeed a “choice” to her.

“….”

Harris’ expression hardened coldly.

‘Where is Jade now?’

There was no sign of her presence. The area he had set wasn’t wide, so if Jade moved beyond it, detection was difficult.

Shadows began to stir around Harris’ feet.

“…I’ll handle my own marriage.”

And he didn’t need that outdated heirloom.

Harris rose, needing to confirm immediately. Where was Jade? Why had she gone somewhere out of reach?

“Damn kid!”

The late Duke’s shouts faded behind him.

“At least take the ring! Do you know how precious it is? Historically—”

“I heard it’s a ring used by the Godwin family for generations.”

Exactly. He didn’t need it. Harris frowned.

“What’s the point of an old, dirty ring that’s passed through countless hands?”

“You…!!”

The indignant Duke struck the table again, standing abruptly.

The poor table, unable to withstand two hits, split apart, but neither the Duke nor Harris cared.

“Then stay as you please. I’m leaving.”

He left as if throwing a tantrum, abandoning the visitor.

“Hah!”

The exasperated Duke pressed on his neck as if dizzy.

‘Better to give up, better to give up…’ he muttered, sighing.

“Alright, if it’s unnecessary, it’s fine.”

Harris wasn’t entirely wrong. While the ring symbolically used in Godwin proposals held historical significance, many spouses had been uncomfortable with its power.

“A ring that tracks your location… I can see why someone would find that unsettling.”

The Duke muttered, and Harris paused at the door.

“…No.”

Harris shook his head slowly, producing a small box from his chest and presenting it abruptly.

“…?”

Why? Jade tilted her head in curiosity.

“Are you giving this to me?”

“…I picked it up on the way.”

Pick up a box full of precious metal on the way here?

Jade was skeptical but, seeing the treasure around them, understood.

‘Right, this is basically a treasure vault. Could happen.’

She opened the box. Inside was a vintage silver ring. And…

“Oh. It’s imbued with magic?”

“…!”

Harris flinched, but Jade, inspecting the dark red magic around the ring with interest, didn’t notice.

“Looks like it has some kind of spell. I wonder what it does?”

A casual question, yet Harris couldn’t answer quickly.

“…Hmm.”

“Usually, rings have protective magic? Or summoning?”

“Something like that.”

Since Harris could track her, she would be effectively summoned, which was practically protection.

“….”

As Harris briefly realized the absurdity of his own reasoning, Jade admired the ring.

‘Wow, the gems are densely set inside the ring.’

The obsidian-like stones appeared slightly red at an angle.

“Garnet?”

Muttering, Harris silently wiped his finger, the one that had bled for the contract. The wound on his thumb had long healed, but he didn’t want to show even that scar.

“It looks valuable… can I really take it?”

“Fine, just put it on quickly.”

“What if it doesn’t fit… huh?”

The ring adjusted itself perfectly to Jade’s finger, causing her eyes to widen.

“Did you see that? It automatically resized!”

“….”

A magical ring was indeed different. Amazing.

Excited, Jade chattered, smiling at the oddly tense Harris.

“How does it look? Fits well, right?”

Her small hand stretched out. Coincidentally, the ring fit her ring finger.

Harris stared without blinking.

“Ah~ this simple design isn’t easy to pull off, but it suits you perfectly~”

“Keep it on. Don’t ever take it off. No, don’t even think about it.”

“…?”

I wasn’t thinking about that.

Feeling a strange sense of foreboding, Jade tried to remove the ring slowly, but…

‘Hmm? It won’t come off easily.’

Why? She was trying gently?

As Jade applied force, Harris’ large hand covered both of hers.

“…??”

She looked up, puzzled, eyes wide.

Those crimson eyes now so close, almost touching her forehead.

“Looks perfect.”

His voice, low enough to make her legs tremble, lightly brushed the ring and disappeared.

“…!”

Jade flinched at the breath across the ring. Harris, holding her wrist, smiled.

Like a man who had successfully proposed, genuinely happy.

Forgetting her doubts, Jade stared at Harris, at his smile, his touch on her hand, even the elegant gesture of him pressing his lips to the ring.

In that moment, her mind made a decision.

‘Let’s talk.’

No running away. After finding the Jade Stone, she would tell Harris everything.

‘That I’m fake… and that my real brother is Adrian.’

Even if it started with deceit, her feelings for him were genuine.

‘That should be enough.’

No real reason, but leaning on the weight of the sparkling ring, Jade chose to believe.

Everything would be okay.

Unfortunately, that belief was shattered not long after departing for the capital.

“…Huff!”