âAre you planning to take Kathy as your wife? Or do you just want her to be your lover?â
âWife,â declared Prince Harrison, gathering his courage, âI want her to be my queen!â
Colin stared at the incredibly serious Prince Harrison, falling silent.
He never considered himself a loyal man, but he also believed that there truly existed love that disregarded everything.
Now, were Prince Harrisonâs feelings for Kathy that kind of love, or just the feverish impulsivity of a green youth discovering love for the first time?
âYou should know that Kathy cannot become the empress of the empire, right?â
âWhy not?â retorted Prince Harrison, his eyes glowing, âBefore today, if someone asked me if I could conquer the eastern region with just two thousand cavalry, I would have thought they were mad.
âBut you, teacher, you have made such a miracle come true!
âI believe, as your student, that I can also make my own miracle!â
Colin didnât know how to refute such flattery.
But soon, Colin grinned and let it go.
After all, he never thought that a half-Elf couldnât become an empress of the Empire.
As a soul from another dimension, Colin didnât really have a deep-rooted concept of bloodline, and due to Queen Isa and his daughter Sylv, half-Elves in his eyes were essentially the same as humans.
So, Colin had no objection to Prince Harrisonâs wish to take Kathy as his wife.
But, others would certainly think differently.
Especially as the first royal heir, Prince Harrison couldnât ignore the public eye to chase his so-called âtrue loveâ.
If his plan were to leak out, it would inevitably lead to resistance from various powers. If he stubbornly insisted on marrying a half-Elf, it could even affect his position as the first heir.
Was such a cost really worth it?
Colin stared into Prince Harrisonâs pure eyes, but didnât ask this question.
The passionate youthfulness of the young boy, although impulsive and foolish, shone with a sincere light, making all the calculative arranged marriages seem vulgar and ridiculous.
So, Colin chuckled and said:
âGood! So ambitious!â
Prince Harrison was overjoyed and shouted loudly, âTeacher, are you willing to support me?â
âHush!â Colin made a silencing gesture, reminding him, âOf course I support you. As my student, you should do something challenging. But, before you are sure enough, donât talk about this idea to anyone. Do you understand?â
âI understand!â Prince Harrisonâs little face turned red with excitement and he nodded quickly.
After reassuring the youthful Prince Harrison, Colin returned to his room.
Just as he was about to rest, he heard a knock at the door.
Colin went forward to open it, surprised, âMarchioness?â
The Marchioness knelt on one knee and asked politely,
âLord Count, may I come in?â
Colin nodded thoughtfully, âPlease come in.â
The Marchioness walked in and closed the door behind her.
Colin poured two cups of water and casually said,
âSit, donât be formal.â
The Marchioness bit her lip lightly and sat down on the sofa next to Colin.
She seemed to want to sit a little closer but seemed to lack the courage.
Colin handed her the cup of water, asking, âMarchioness, did you need me forâ¦â
âPlease, call me Molly, Lord Count,â she interrupted in a brittle voice.
After what seemed like a struggle within, she resolved, nudging his palm gently while retrieving the cup of water Colin handed over.
Then, she kicked off her half-high boots and pulled her long and rounded legs together, leaning sidelong on the sofa, with her body almost touching Colinâs.
âAlright, Molly,â Colinâs eyes shifted between the snowy jade-like legs and beautifully sculpted feet, his gaze clear, âWhat do you need help with?â
Certainly, he didnât have any moral issues but wasnât someone controlled by lust either.
Although the Marchioness is indeed stunning, she was not enough to make Colin break his principles.
Of course, if what she wanted was in line with Colinâs interests, he wouldnât stubbornly refuse either.
âI want to know what are your plans for my son and myself?â the Marchioness asked shyly, with a flirtatious smile.
Colin rolled his eyes.
The words of the Marchioness made Colin sound like a man who had abandoned her and her son.
âHow you and your son should be arranged, isnât something I can decide. However, you donât need to worry, after all young Master Eckert is now the only bloodline of the St. Prowse family. If there are no surprises, the Queen will confer him the title of Duke of the East,â he said.
The Marchioness was evidently not satisfied with this answer.
Although Eckert is currently the first successor to the Duke of the East, before he actually becomes the Duke, numerous accidents might still occur.
Assassinations, traps, poisoning⦠conspiracies regarding the rights to the Dukeâs position are endless.
Especially with Eckert being still a three-year-old child, without a powerful person protecting him, he is incredibly vulnerable.
However, presently, there are not many powerful individuals in the White Dew Fortress that Eckert could rely on.
Under such circumstances, Eckertâs status would instead become a threat to his life. If Colin didnât intervene, it wouldnât take long before ambitious members from the sideline of the St. Prowse family would ruin and destroy him.
The Marchioness knew what was hiding beneath the glittering surface of this castle.
Gritting her teeth, the Marchioness directly hugged Colinâs arm, coquettishly saying, âLord Count, I want Eckert to be your student, would he be so honored?â
Colin, feeling the plump sensation against his arm and a slight ripple in his heart, still maintained his calm demeanor, asking:
âWants to be my student?â
âYes.â
Colin understood that the Marchioness wanted him to become Eckertâs backing.
With Colinâs current immense reputation in the East, just accepting Eckert as a student would be enough to deter all those ambitious individuals from daring to harm the mother and child casually.
Seeing Colin was somewhat interested, the Marchioness became more active. She squeezed her entire body into Colinâs embrace, leaned over to his ear, and whispered whether Colin wouldnât appreciate someone who can help monitor and restrict Count Nicoll. If Count Nicoll has full power, letting his ambition grow might end up getting out of Colinâs control.
Colin looked surprisingly at the pretty face that was close-by, laughing, âVery smart.â
The Marchioness, having received Colinâs compliment, was blooming with joy, overwhelmed she asked, âYou agree?â
Colin reached out and pinched the Marchionessâ smooth jaw, saying:
âYeah, I agree.â
As soon as the words fell, Colinâs mouth was blocked by two warm and tender lips.