WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Ceaseless
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Northern Grand Duke’s Mad Son-in-Law ◈
Chapter 61: Negotiations Breakdown
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Tom swallowed dryly as he glanced at Galahad across from him.
The Galahad Tom knew was a man who never lost his composure.
He was the sort of man who cracked jokes even with a Demonkin standing before him.
Yet something about him felt strange today.
The faint smile filled with ease and his straight posture were the same as always, but there was an odd sharpness to them.
Galahad was on edge today.
It had been that way ever since he received the Grand Duke's letter.
‘The duel the Princess proposed...’
Galahad had always been a man brimming with confidence. Tom didn't think being selected for a duel would make him irritable.
There had to be some issue with the Princess.
‘A Princess...’
Tom was taken aback by the sheer weight of the word.
Just then, Gilbert tossed back his wine and let out a loud belch. Damian sighed quietly.
“If it's the Princess, isn't she the crazy bitch you mentioned before?”
Tom was quietly appalled by Gilbert's blunt question. Yet Galahad's answer was as casual as ever.
“That would be lèse-majesté.”
“What? Aren't you the one who said it?”
“I said she was a crazy woman.”
Gilbert's face twitched. Galahad chuckled.
“Have you met the Princess? I heard she's absolutely gorgeous!”
This time, Gwen asked with shining eyes.
“Gorgeous, huh...”
Galahad narrowed his eyes slightly, then regained his relaxed smile.
“That's right. She's incredibly beautiful.”
“Wow! Really?”
Gwen gasped softly. Tom was quietly astonished by how naturally the unit members spoke to Galahad.
“Compared to Lady Adrianna, who's more beautiful?”
Gilbert asked seriously. Tom swallowed dryly at the blunt question. Gwen's eyes sparkled again, while Damian tore into dried meat.
“Comparing who is more beautiful... Sir Gilbert, you really are a lecher. Everyone has their own charm. Nothing is more foolish than comparing them.”
Galahad's answer was as smooth as always.
“No, if everyone has their own charm, then why did you say that about me...”
“Sir Gilbert, you have the charm of being ugly.”
“You bastard...”
Galahad chuckled at Gilbert's protest, just as he always did.
Still, Tom felt strangely uncomfortable around him.
“No, so who's prettier?”
Gilbert refused to give up. Gwen's eyes lit up again. Galahad sighed softly.
“Quit talking nonsense and get ready.”
At Galahad's firm command, Gilbert rose with a frown.
“We're done eating, so let's go.”
“Where do you think you're going? Didn't I explain that we're waiting for Adrianna?”
“Aren't you competing as the North's representative? I don't know about anything else, but I can't accept losing to the Empire. Let's train.”
Gilbert spoke seriously, his eyes full of passion.
Galahad openly clicked his tongue.
“My opponent is a mage. Training with you won't help at all. And I have no intention of losing a mage duel.”
Gilbert paused awkwardly at Galahad's firm answer.
“You've eaten, so it's training time.”
“Why are you taking it out on me?”
“Quiet, brat.”
Gilbert grabbed Damian by the back of the neck and dragged him out. Gwen, startled, hurried after them.
Galahad casually put a cigarette in his mouth. Its flame lit his face.
His expression was so complicated that Tom quietly excused himself.
Tom opened the door to leave and came face-to-face with a blonde woman.
Her blue eyes were as clear as the sky, and her skin was whiter than snow.
It was Adrianna, the North's hero.
“Is Captain Galahad inside?”
“Yes!”
Coming to his senses too late, Tom quickly stepped aside.
Adrianna dipped her head and entered.
Tom seriously pondered as he looked at the closed door.
‘Can anyone really be prettier than Adrianna?’
It was difficult even to imagine.
* * *
“May I sit?”
Galahad raised his head at the polite question.
Adrianna stood across from him.
“No.”
“Ah...”
“I was joking. Sit.”
Adrianna let out a breath and sat down. Sitting straight, she turned her sword to the side. It was a knight's habit, positioning it for an easy draw.
“I heard the Princess is coming.”
Adrianna spoke with a serious expression. Galahad nodded.
“Is she coming to see Captain Galahad?”
Adrianna asked, looking straight at him. Her blue eyes were remarkably clear.
Galahad considered her blunt question for a moment.
The Princess was the person troubling him most right now.
He could picture her current situation clearly.
The death of the Kingdom Alliance prince she had been engaged to...
Galahad was certain the Princess had not done it.
She was crazy, but she wasn't foolish.
And...
‘She wouldn't harm the gift I gave her.’
Considering the Princess's temperament, Galahad thought of the prince as a gift.
He had truly been the final arrangement Galahad made for her...
The Princess could not have ruined the gift Galahad had given her.
Something had clearly happened within the imperial family.
Galahad lightly ground his teeth.
Then his eyes met Adrianna's.
She simply watched him without pressing for an answer.
“I know I'm handsome, but if you stare that much, I'll wear out.”
“...What? That's not what I...”
“Yes, she's coming to see me.”
Galahad cut Adrianna off. She stared at him silently, then nodded.
“I see. What do you think, Captain Galahad?”
“...What do I think?”
“Yes.”
It was a sensitive issue.
To Adrianna, Galahad was a fiancé the Empire had chosen without asking her.
The Princess coming to see Galahad was an enormous breach of courtesy.
Yet Adrianna didn't get angry. Instead, she asked what Galahad thought.
‘She's the complete opposite of the Princess.’
Galahad casually put a cigarette in his mouth.
Adrianna waited without urging him.
She was a rather troublesome woman.
“If you're asking what I think, honestly, it's bothersome and irritating.”
“...Bothersome and irritating?”
Adrianna's eyebrows rose slightly.
“Imagine a former superior coming all this way to see you.”
At Galahad's words, Adrianna lowered her eyes for a moment. She seemed to consider it seriously. Her eyelashes were so long that a snowflake had settled on them.
“Wouldn't you be grateful? They came all this way because they were thinking of you.”
Galahad coughed softly at Adrianna's answer.
‘You could see it that way.’
At its core, what Adrianna said was right.
Only the layers piled over it had become twisted.
“I see.”
Galahad nodded.
A brief silence settled between them. He busily tried to gauge the Princess's intentions.
But because it was the Princess, he couldn't predict anything.
“Then the Princess may cancel the marriage.”
Adrianna spoke flatly. Her eyebrows had returned to their usual position.
“I doubt it. This was decided by someone above even her.”
If she could have stopped it, it would have been stopped long ago.
She was a Princess, but she was only a Princess.
“Ah... I see.”
Adrianna's eyebrows lowered. Galahad frowned at the sight.
“You look disappointed that the marriage can't be canceled.”
Adrianna's eyes widened slightly at his question.
Her usual blank expression soon returned, and she repeatedly opened and closed her mouth as though she were choosing her words carefully.
By the time Galahad's cigarette was nearly finished, Adrianna spoke.
“I have no intention of marrying you.”
Her voice was firm.
If anything, she was more resolute than when they first met.
Galahad abruptly rose and leaned toward Adrianna.
The distance between them vanished in an instant.
They were close enough to hear each other's breathing, and Adrianna unconsciously held her breath.
Isn't this too close...?
Then Galahad spoke.
“Am I ugly?”
His voice was indifferent.
How could he ask something like that...?
“Answer me.”
At his firm prompting, Adrianna shook her head.
“You are handsome.”
“Am I short?”
“You are tall.”
“Then do I have a bad personality?”
“No.”
The blunt questions came one after another, making Adrianna feel deeply dizzy.
How could he ask such questions so confidently and shamelessly...?
Then Galahad leaned closer.
Adrianna unconsciously pulled back from those cold eyes advancing toward her.
Galahad moved closer by the same amount.
Unfortunately, she had nowhere left to retreat.
“Then I don't understand why you're hesitating. Present reasonable grounds so we can reach an amicable agreement.”
Galahad stared directly into Adrianna's eyes.
‘...An amicable agreement? Reasonable grounds?’
Adrianna's mind went blank at the astonishing choice of words.
He wanted her to present grounds for why they couldn't marry...
At the unexpected demand, Adrianna worked her mouth open and shut.
“There are none, then. In that case...”
At Galahad's indifferent voice, Adrianna abruptly stood.
Galahad calmly looked up at her.
His face was incredibly irritating.
Truly...
“You are a capable mage, and I am a Demon Burner. The outcome between us is obvious.”
The words burst from Adrianna's mouth.
It was only natural.
Galahad was a capable mage, just as he claimed.
Adrianna possessed the nature of one who burned Demonkin...
The outcome between them was obvious.
It was like a fish saying it would enter a fire.
Even apart from that... Adrianna desperately swallowed the words threatening to spill out.
Realizing she had raised her voice, Adrianna's face grew hot.
Galahad, on the other hand, looked completely unaffected.
No, the corner of his mouth had even risen.
She felt uneasy.
What would come out of that irritating mouth this time...?
Just as she was about to speak, Galahad opened his mouth.
“Ah, was that the problem? You do have a lewd side to you. Well, physical intimacy is important.”
“...What?”
Adrianna's thoughts stopped at the shocking words.
“Don't worry. I'll analyze your nature and devise a solution. We should even be able to kiss.”
“What? That's not what I mean!”
“Could you mean more than that? Hmm. I'll do my best.”
“Ah! No!”
Adrianna let out a small scream at Galahad's serious nod.
She hurriedly lowered her head and left.
As Adrianna disappeared, creaking as though she were broken, Galahad scratched his cheek.
* * *
A short while later, preparations were complete.
The Special Operations Unit moved together with Adrianna's direct unit.
As always, Adrianna did not ride in a carriage and led from the front.
Unlike usual, she wore a thick helmet. Four horns rose from it, making it look particularly menacing.
“Something's strange.”
“What is?”
“Lady Adrianna feels like the youngest.”
“Oh.”
Galahad murmured in admiration. Did Gilbert actually possess an eye for detail?
“It's really strange. But when is that youngest brat coming back?”
“Someday.”
“Damian's a dim-witted fool... Ah, the duel. What do you think?”
Galahad let out a thoughtful sound at Gilbert's question.
There would be three duels in total.
The Second Battalion commander, Galahad, and Adrianna. Three duels.
If the Princess had proposed it, then the result would probably be...
“The North will lose.”
“...What? We're going to lose?”
Galahad nodded at Gilbert's shocked question.
The Princess hated losing.
She wouldn't propose a contest she was going to lose.
“Didn't you say you'd win?”
“Of course I'll win.”
“Then you're saying the commanders will lose?”
“Sir Gilbert, you're being loud.”
Sharp looks turned toward them from the surrounding soldiers. Adrianna was among them. Galahad gave a light wave.
Adrianna returned her gaze to the front.
“You must not know the North very well.”
Gilbert spoke seriously. Galahad readily nodded.
“You're right. I may not know the North properly yet. Still, the North and the capital are different environments.”
Galahad drew deeply on his cigarette. The scent of lemon spread through the air.
The northern knights were certainly exceptional. Their war against the Demonkin was the reason.
They had grown strong through countless real battles. Their overall quality surpassed that of the Empire's knights.
But at the highest levels, it was different.
Imperial knights were made. From childhood, they were trained by renowned knights and shaped into weapons with costly support.
Of course, knights weren't something that could be compared by such things alone. Northern knights had grown up just as harshly as imperial knights.
The issue was...
“It's a duel. It will probably follow imperial rules.”
It would be different if they were hunting Demonkin. An imperial-style duel was the Empire's domain.
“But Lady Adrianna is here.”
Gilbert asked uneasily.
Adrianna was certainly highly skilled.
In the end, she would undoubtedly become the sharpest sword.
But...
“The Princess is there.”
It was a world where the imperial family was regarded as chosen by God.
To prove that nobility, members of the imperial family had to excel at everything.
If imperial knights were made, then imperial royalty was a treasure carefully crafted through a fortune's worth of investment.
In the end, Adrianna would win, but it was too early now.
The Princess was already a flower in full bloom.
Adrianna still couldn't win.
Especially if it was a duel...
Then, the Grand Duke's castle appeared in the distance.
Thick, high walls covered in snow, and armed soldiers...
The rough yet massive gate looked as though it bore the Grand Duke's name.
‘It's been quite a while.’
The last time he came, he had been dragged here almost like a kidnapping victim... Galahad felt a strange sense of regret.
Then...
Bwooooooo!
A horn sounded long and loud. Soldiers lined the castle walls.
The gate opened roughly, scattering snow beneath it. Soldiers hurried out through the open gate.
They formed a crisp line, their faces tense.
In an instant, the path leading to the gate was lined with soldiers.
Then the soldiers gave a fierce salute.
It was rough enough to make the ground shake.
“What a grand welcome.”
Galahad clicked his tongue softly.
Then he felt something strange. He had naturally assumed it was for Adrianna, but the direction of the salute was somewhat off.
‘It's for me.’
Was this the Grand Duke's acknowledgment?
Galahad accepted the salute with a faint smile.
It wasn't particularly useful. Nor did it make him feel better.
Receiving the excessive welcome, they headed for the Grand Duke's castle.
A clean-cut man approached. Judging by the knight attending him and his neat clothing, he seemed to hold a fairly high position.
“I am Theodore, attendant to His Grace the Grand Duke. His Grace has summoned you.”
“I see. Shall we go?”
Galahad asked Adrianna. Still wearing her helmet, Adrianna nodded.
Theodore looked troubled.
“Well... His Grace said Captain Galahad should come alone.”
“Alone?”
“Yes, alone.”
Theodore emphasized the word alone.
That word carried an oddly chilling feeling.
A private audience with the Grand Duke...
“Adrianna!”
Galahad urgently called out to Adrianna.
* * *
Garseton Castle was going through an unexpected commotion.
It was because of a magnificent golden carriage followed by dozens of people.
‘A Princess? What is this all of a sudden...?’
Chirta, the lord of the castle, tore at what little hair he had in distress.
Garseton Castle was not a castle with anything to boast about. He had no idea why the Princess had come to visit.
Still, he couldn't simply stand by, so Chirta hurriedly ran out.
When he saw the Princess entering the castle, Chirta stood there with his mouth hanging open.
Simply calling her beautiful was not enough.
She possessed a deadly beauty.
If not for the murderous glare of the knight behind her, he might have kept staring at her face.
“I heard he visited here.”
“...Pardon?”
Chirta's eyes widened at the sudden statement.
He?
“Ah, Lord Galahad.”
Galahad. It was a name he could never forget.
It was why Chirta had become the lord of the castle.
Chirta had not originally been the lord.
Daniel, the previous lord, had attacked Galahad in the middle of the night, claiming it was for his daughter Emma.
He had even been wearing Emma's skirt. On top of that, his dealings with the Demonkin had been exposed.
Everyone connected to the matter was dealt with, and Chirta had become lord of the castle almost by accident.
That was why he could never forget the name.
‘But why Galahad?’
Though puzzled, Chirta nodded.
“Where is it?”
“Ah, upstairs. But it hasn't been cleaned...”
Chirta hurriedly added.
It was the room where the former lord, who had become a Demonkin, fought Galahad. He had been too afraid to enter and clean it, but the Princess wanted to go there...
Cold sweat poured down his back.
“Lead me.”
“...Pardon? No, it's full of blood and torn cloth. We'll clean it quickly and...”
“That's nice.”
Chirta couldn't finish speaking when he met the Princess's eyes.
“Where is it?”
At the Princess's question, laced with hot breath, Chirta pointed upstairs.
The Princess went upstairs humming.
The knight blocked the stairs.
“Everyone, leave.”
The knight's voice was firm.
As though there was something they weren't allowed to see...
Chirta did not dare think of resisting.
Footnotes:
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