Chapter 62 – The Perfect Time

The relationship between Tiana and Lucius was stronger than he’d expected, and the way he treated her was just a couple of the things that had gone beyond his expectations.

The Marquess, who seemed unable to back down from the marriage, was annoyed at the difficult situation but managed to cool down. Edwin, who was watching his reaction, smiled slyly.

“And sir, from now on I don’t think you have anything more to do about their marriage.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ve played your role enough now. The Dowager Empress and the Grand Duke, who are now my direct in-laws, will be involved, so don’t worry and just watch.”

“You…!”

“It was very helpful for you, His Highness’ grandfather, to act as a bridge. Please leave the rest to me and the Dowager Empress and enjoy their happy marriage as a grandfather.”

Edwin’s words were the equivalent of indirect pressure on the Marquess to stop interfering. Marquess Calvino had contributed to the marriage of the two families, but Edwin no longer tolerated his involvement.

He clenched his jaw, noticing that Edwin was trying to block the scope of his own behavior so that the Marquess could remain as a ‘grandfather’ from now on. Amid heavy silence, the two men’s eyes met. The Marquess didn’t avoid him and just glared, but there was nothing else he could say.

***

After the meeting was finished, Marquess Calvino and the radical nobles left the board room in a flash. The modern aristocrats remained looking at Edwin, and he nodded to signal them to leave. Exchanging looks, the nobles of the party left, and Edwin leaned comfortably in his chair. Count Russell, who sat next to him, approached Edwin, who now had his eyes closed.

“What was the reason for doing that all of a sudden? Normally, you take your time in these meetings. You don’t have to go out like this when your daughter’s about to get married.”

Count Russell, whose face looked full of doubt, waited for Edwin’s answer. A while later he opened his eyes slowly and began to speak.

“Because the time for that had come.”

“Don’t you know the situation is not good, sir? If you —”

“No, it should be done now. I have to get ready now. Actually, I was going to do it a little later. I was going to watch the situation a bit more and take my time. But a variable has come up. An essential variable I hadn’t thought of.”

After Tiana’s unexpected accident, Edwin tried to delay what he had planned. But Tiana’s condition had gotten better and the marriage became a reality without a problem. All of that was applied through a big variable. Because of that, he decided to speed up that plan.

“Count Russell, do you remember our predecessor’s will?”

“Pardon? Yes… I remember.”

“He said, “Please take care of everyone left behind.” That ‘everyone’, who do you think that is?”

“Is it not the current Emperor or Grand Duke, and the people of the empire, sir?”

“Correct. But we have to broaden the spectrum. The Emperor isn’t the only one left in this empire. There’s the Dowager Empress, and other than that, the people aren’t the only ones who make up this country. They all have nobles like us.”

“Oh.”

“But of course, each person’s level of care is different.”

After dying of a chronic disease, their former Emperor made a separate will to Edwin and the modern nobles. Edwin, who hadn’t let his hand go until he’d breathed his final breath, could never forget the way the Emperor had looked at that time.

Count Russel knew what Edwin was worried about and how he had said that to Edwin, who had spent a long time with the former Emperor. The ‘everyone’ mentioned by him, included the Queen, the Marquess, Lucius, and the present Emperor Rael, who still stayed at the imperial palace.

As long as there was no problem in the future, Tiana’s condition would be better, and as the time passes after the wedding, she would start socializing in full-swing. Then naturally, interactions between Tiana, Rael, and Alexandra would be more frequent, and Edwin would continue to interact with them as well. So now was a perfect time.

“As his servants, shouldn’t we fulfill the will he left behind?”

Even if it was a will stained in dark blood, Edwin had the obligation.

***

“Father. Is there something wrong?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You don’t look too good. Did something happen at the meeting?”

On her way back with Lucius, Tiana met her father who had finished up the meeting, and the three of them rode out of the palace in a carriage. During the whole ride, Edwin had looked upset; after she’d ask about his condition, he shook his head.

“No. The meeting was all right. Don’t worry about me.” He replied with a small smile.

“Father are you ill?”

“No, it’s not that.” he said, smiling faintly with no energy left in his voice.

Definitely not the face of someone who doesn’t have anything going on, Tiana thought.

Lucius carefully grabbed her hand while she was staring, worried, at her father. His warm hand relaxed her, so she turned to look at him and they both smiled at one another.

Tiana and the Grand Duke.

Edwin admired them with a grin on his face.

“You two should be happy.”

“Hmm?”

“I made you like that… so you must be happy.”

“What?”