Sour Grapes

by glassyfairies

Summary:

Adelaide smiled brightly toward Cale, and Cale suddenly had an ominous feeling about that smile.

"Alright, what I want is a contract marriage."

"..... excuse me?"

Wait. Who married who?

Cale subconsciously frowned and gave the black-haired girl in front of him a stare full of disbelief. Adelaide just chuckled seeing the red-haired man's dumbfounded expression.

Adelaide casually pointed toward herself. "Me." Then, she pointed her finger toward Cale. "And you."

And Adelaide dropped the bomb with her extremely stunning smile.

"Get married."

Cale Henituse honestly didn't expect that Adelaide Sergio would ask him for a contract marriage for their deal.

 

Or...

Adelaide Sergio who just needed a husband for her benefit, and Cale Henituse who was afraid to fall in love.

Chapter 1: some notes before start

01. This is a crossover fanfiction based on Korean web novels Trash of the Count's Family written by Yoo Ryeo Han and Here Comes the Silver Spoon! by  Portofino. I do not own all of the characters here (I plan to not put any OC here because characters from TCF and Here Comes the Silver Spoon are more than enough....)

02. As you all can see from the tags, the main genre is romance. Yeah, let's see what would happen if our Young Master Silver Shield fell in love ^^

03. Written in English. English is not my first language, and I rely on Grammarly and Google Document features for writing this FF so please forgive the grammatical mistakes. Also, feel free to correct any mistakes or typos, I'll be very thankful and ofc fix them soon ^^

04. Let me introduce you to our main character first (because Here Comes the Silver Spoon is a bit underrated and not as famous as TCF and I believe most of you come to this FF because of our Cale, so let me introduce you to my best girl, Adele!)

Cale Henituse, 20 years old (Trash of the Count's Family, Yoo Ryeo Han)

Adelaide Sergio, 23 years old (Here Comes the Silver Spoon, Portofino)

(Yeah, everyone is older than Cale HAHA)

05. The reason I ship them and decided to make this FF is that I noticed that they both are very similar. Adele and Cale both have a stunning scammer smile and they are both also good talkers (and manipulators). The other similarity is they are the eldest child from the Counts, getting isekai-ed, thinkers (I just saw on the personality database that Adele is possibly an ENTJ and Cale is INTJ.)

The only difference is just Cale that loves to slack around doing nothing, while Adelaide is quite a workaholic.

I think they will get along very well so.... yeah, I write this FF.

06. Please note that both Cale and Adele will possibly write as OOC to fit with the plot. I hope you all don't mind that ^^

07. Then, the timeline. This FF takes the timeline when the war against White Star and Sealed God is ended, and for Here Comes the Silver Spoon, will take the original timeline (when Adele was freakin out about searching for a husband, but I changed her age. Adele is originally 21 years old but I make her 23 years old instead)

08. I think that's enough. Lastly, happy reading!

09. Bonus my fanart:

(I will re-draw this fanart with long-haired Cale soon anyway)

Chapter 2: Adelaide Sergio and Her Problems

The Euden Domain.

A land under the rule of Count Sergio.

Of all the territories in the kingdom, those in the Southern region had the most resources and Euden was the most powerful domain in the South.

Simply put, it controlled the entire economy of the Southern territories. 

And chosen to be the heiress of the household ruling over this domain…

“Have a seat, Rox. That was a longer trip than I expected.”

…. was the Count’s eldest daughter, Adelaide Sergio.

An extremely beautiful lady who possessed unique pink eyes and black stunning hair. 

Adelaide started to smile while holding her teacup elegantly. “I thought you would be back by yesterday since you left Leechen last week.”

“Oh, it is because I had to make a stop along the way.” The grey-haired man in front of Adelaide, Jerox, answered with hands that held up rolls of fabric. 

Adelaide sipped her tea once before asking another question calmly. “How did it go? Did you find anything worth trading?”

Jerox nodded and unroll the fabrics in his hand. “Yes. I found some beautiful fabric. Would you like to see it? I brought some samples back.” 

Adelaide looked at the fabric that Jerox had placed on the table, then smiled awkwardly. “Um… sure, I will take a look later.”

Jerox flinched and looked at Adelaide with surprise. “Is something the matter, Adele?” He couldn’t help but asked because Adelaide was not usually like this.

For your information, Adelaide Sergio, the heiress of the Sergio household, was an extremely hard-working person. 

Adelaide sighed seeing Jerox’s concerned expression. “What do you mean?” she asked calmly. 

“Oh, it is just that I have never seen you put off work before,” Jerox replied.

“Oh, it is not a big deal.” Adelaide smiled brightly and continued her sentence on her mind. ‘You’d better get used to it.’

Jerox blinked, then started to speak. “By the way, Adele… you—”

Adelaide’s smile became wider and her eyes started to sparkle in anticipation.

‘Yes, that is the kind of reaction I am expecting.’

Adelaide was so well-prepared for this day. 

The day when Jerox back from his trip.

She used to get out of bed early, but this was the first time in years that she chose to spend more time in front of a mirror than going through piles of documents.

‘I know I look good right now.’

Adelaide thought as she continued to smile brightly toward Jerox who slowly became nervous seeing her smile. “Hm? What is it? Do I have something on my face?”

“... no, never mind.”

Adelaide acted innocently with tilted her head to the side. “Are you sure you are okay, Rox? You might have overworked yourself this time.”

Jerox laughed nervously as he replied. “No, I am fine.”

Adelaide’s pink eyes became sharp as she took a glance full of observation toward Jerox. 

‘Liar.’

Those twitchy eyes… tell Adelaide that he was nervous about something.

Well… even though Adelaide wish he was a bit more confident, it seemed that she need to help him out now.

“I heard you visited Setona before coming here.” Adelaide started to speak.

“Huh? How did you know?”

Adelaide smiled again when she noticed that Jerox’s cheeks became slightly red. 

She didn’t answer his question but threw other questions instead. “What were you doing there in the first place? We already have plenty of jewelry here.” 

“O-oh, um… you see…”

Jerox became nervous again.

It was only natural that a prestigious domain like Euden became home to the greatest jeweler around. You couldn’t find finer jewelry anywhere else in the Southern region.

The fact that Jerox still wanted to visit another city known for its jewelry…

Adelaide grinned as she took another sip from her tea. 

… that could only mean one thing.

“Were you looking for a particular stone or something?” Adelaide asked.

“W-well..”

Jerox seemed to still hesitate for a reason that Adelaide knew already. 

Adelaide's smile now reached her eyes. 

‘Ugh, just spit it out already. He’s so shy!’

She thought full of eagerness. 

Adelaide put her fingers on her chin. “Come on, you know you can tell me anything. It is not like we are strangers,” she said cheerfully.

Well, it has already been nine years and five months since Adelaide and Jerox first meet, and it was been three years since ‘the incident’.

“Actually… I wasn’t sure how to tell you this…” Jerox started to smile even though he was still covered in nervousness. “But I thought you should be the first one to hear it from me.”

Adelaide started to grin as well while touching her cheek with her hand. 

Of course, who else would he propose to if it not Adelaide?

‘I understand why Rox is so nervous, but there is no time for that.’ Adelaide thought happily. ‘Whether he chooses to make a big event of it or not, the answer will be yes either way!’

Adelaide covered her mouth as she hummed quietly. ‘Hmm, let’s see, once Rox is done proposing to me…’ Adelaide, with her hard-working ass, started to think about her work again. ‘I will have to check the new shipments that just arrived, and go over the business reports submitted by all the different branches.’

Adelaide’s gaze headed toward the table. ‘So if he could just hurry with the proposal…’

“Are you listening, Adele?”

Adelaide almost flinched and let out a swore when she finally heard Jerox’s voice. But she managed to stay calm as she smiled brightly. “Oh, of course.”

‘... no, the truth is I was lost in thought.’

Adelaide leaned casually onto the sofa she was sitting at. 

But since she was a highly competent heir capable of speaking five different languages… it was easy for her to guess what Jerox was going to say even when she was not listening properly. 

An old friend of hers who used to have a crush on her went to a jeweler, and he was so nervous that he couldn’t even look her in the eye. Not to mention he also has a small box poked out of his chest pocket. 

Adelaide smirked. ‘It must be a box holding a diamond ring of the highest grade, at least three carats or more.’

No one could hide anything from her. There was a reason why she was chosen as heiress.

“Hmm… if that is the way you feel, then alright. A lot has indeed happened over the last three years.” Adelaide nodded with full anticipation and smiled as she said that.

Jerox’s eyes started to light up brightly. “Really, Adele? Thank you for understanding!”

Adelaide grinned. “There is no need to thank me.”

Jerox started to laugh happily. “I feel so much more confident now that I know you are encouraging me!”

Adelaide froze still with her extremely bright smile that reached her eyes. 

‘.... what?’

Why is he thanking her for encouraging him when he should be thanking her for accepting the ring?

Adelaide blankly stared at Jerox’s cheerful looks. 

‘... I feel like a cheerleader rather than someone who is just been proposed to.’

“I wanted to get your opinion before giving this to her.” Jerox didn’t notice as he reached into his chest pocket and took something out from it. “After all, you have got great taste, and you also know what she likes better than anyone else.”

Adelaide was still left blank in her sitting position.

‘... what the fuck?’

Adelaide couldn’t help but thought that way as Jerox placed the small box that Adelaide had noticed before on the table. 

“Look.”

Adelaide looked at the diamond ring lifelessly as if her soul had left out her body at an instant.

‘.... Woah, I didn’t think I had live to see the day when I am not excited to see a diamond ring.’

Adelaide reached for her teacup and took a sip immediately to calm herself down.

Adelaide still smiled even though her mind is chaotic as hell right now.

‘Wow. Is this really happening right now?’

Adelaide felt like she had become a statue that cracked in different places. 

‘I have to at least keep my composure.’

Adelaide thought as she blankly replied. “It is not bad… I am impressed by the cut and the quality of the diamond.”

“That is a relief.” Jerox sighed with a faint smile. “I really hope Noella likes it.”

That sentence made Adelaide freeze in her seat once again.

‘... the fuck?’

Adelaide slowly raised her hand. 

Her smile had disappeared from her face in an instant.

There was something she needed to know right here and now.

“This Noella you just mentioned…” Adelaide’s gaze became sharp. “You are not talking about my younger sister, Noella Sergio, are you?”

Jerox’s nod left Adelaide in a chaotic state.

‘... Oh, shit, this is definitely a mess.’

 

 

***

 

 

“What’s going on, my lady?” Jacqueline asked with concern while Adelaide weakly leaned on the couch right after she came back from the banquet that was held in Sergio’s manor tonight.

Adelaide sighed. “I need to find a husband.”

The wooden comb in Jacqueline's hand fell to the floor.

Adelaide didn’t care as she started to frown while recalling what one of her cousins had said at the banquet.

 

“One has to be married to be eligible to become an heir.”

Adelaide groaned as she brushed her face with her hand. “Fuck.”

Noella, her younger sister, definitely stabbed her from the back.

Adelaide could quickly figure out that Noella was the one who received the letter that said after their father came back from his trip, it would be held an announcement for the next heir and Adelaide’s wedding ceremony. 

She made a move on Jerox, Adelaide's potential partner who used to be proposed to Adelaide three years ago but Adelaide had rejected him and said that Adelaide will accept his proposal if he proposed to her once again after three years, after reading Count Sergio’s letter. 

Jackqueline cautiously asked. “Did lady Noella plot all this?”

Adelaide sighed and crossed her arms, trying to calm herself down. “Seems that way.”

Adelaide quietly looked at her lap. Her usually firm gaze slowly changed.

Adelaide knew Noella quite well, either because she was her sister or because she had read a novel with Noella as the former protagonist before she died in her past life and woke up as Adelaide Sergio.

Noella Sergio, the former protagonist who in the end became a villainess because the readers of the novel didn’t like her since she was too bland to become a protagonist, was not the type to stop at just this. 

This was nothing compared to all the evil deeds she performed in the novel.

She wouldn’t stop at steal Adelaide’s future husband. She must be up to something else.

She has always felt insecure about the fact that she is an illegitimate child. 

Adelaide clicked her tongue. ‘Now I finally know what she’s really after.’

Adelaide started to clench her gown while frowning deeply. “That little bitch…”

Jacqueline looked at Adelaide with growing concern as she tried to reassure her. “Please calm down, my lady. I’m sure Lord Sergio won’t change his mind about naming you as his heir.”

Adelaide rose her head with an extremely sharp gaze. “He will.”

Jacqueline couldn’t help but flinch in shock.

“It seems you don’t know him.” Adelaide gritted her teeth. “What do you think he is going to say when he hears about Noella and Jerox’s wedding?”

“... umm,” Jacqueline rubbed her chin as she awkwardly answered. “Well… I presume he will give Lady Noella a good scolding?”

Adelaide snorted in amusement. “No, he will be impressed that she managed to pull off such a feat.” 

Jacqueline went silent for an instant.

“That is my father for you.”

Adelaide sighed once again. “He’s probably going to lecture me for allowing my potential partner to get stolen by my own sister.”

“No way…”

Jacqueline’s pupils started to shake.

Adelaide shrugged. “Wanna bet?”

Jacqueline immediately shook her head.

Adelaide massaged her temple as she continued her thought about this situation.

Adelaide, to be completely honest, wouldn’t mind as much had she really been in love…

Adelaide clicked her tongue. “But now I just feel like I’ve been betrayed.” She mumbled in anger.

Jacqueline blinked and threw a question after being silent for a moment. “What if Master Jerox asks you to take him back?”

Adelaide immediately turned at Jacqueline as she started to yell. “HE DOESN’T DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE! I WON’T BE SOMEONE’S SECOND CHOICE!”

Jacqueline winced. “A-are you saying that you are ready to give up on becoming the family heir?”

Adelaide shouted now. “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY NOW!? NO, FUCKING NO! OVER MY DEAD BODY!”

Jacqueline could only wince once again seeing how Adelaide became annoyed as hell.

Adelaide ended up sighing heavily. “Whew, looks like I have no choice.”

She couldn’t back down now. She has worked too hard to get to where she was. 

“I really need to find a husband.”

Adelaide said with a burning gaze.

“That’s the only way.”

Jacqueline started to frown. “But Lord Sergio returns next week!”

Adelaide nonchalantly replied. “One week is all I need.”

Jacqueline was at a loss for words.

‘If it’s so easy, then what have you been doing all these years??’

Jacqueline couldn’t help but shout internally.

“Marriage isn’t something you should rush into, My Lady.”

Jacqueline only managed to say that.

Adelaide smiled as she nonchalantly waved her hand. “Don’t worry, the bar isn’t that high.”

To satisfy her father, she just has to find a man who was better than Jerox. That was all.

“Besides, Father isn’t concerned about his potential son-in-law not coming from a rich household.” Adelaide continued. “But he still needs to be from a noble family, since I’m a Count's daughter.”

Jacqueline winced as she could feel bad about this.

Adelaide casually raised her index finger. “And he can’t be too talkative or selfish.”

Jacqueline could only frown the more she heard Adelaide’s words.

“Oh, and given that well be attending various formal settings together, he is got to be tall and good-looking. And while we’re at it, I had also like him to be smart, kind, and loyal.”

Adelaide smiled brightly toward Jacqueline who was staring at her tiredly. “Such a man shouldn’t be too hard to find, right?”

Jacqueline smiled weakly. “I’m not sure if that kind of person exists…”

Adelaide ended up sighing, realizing that she was asking too much. “You're probably right.”

‘The more I think about it, the more I come to realize how good of a marriage partner Jerox was.’

Adelaide brushed her hair back as she started to speak. “I’m sure there are men out there who fit most of the criteria and are good-looking, tall, smart, and kind…” Adelaide frowned. “But loyal? I might be asking too much. Where would find a perfect man like that?”

Jacqueline nodded her head at Adelaide’s statement.

Adelaide then continued. “And even if he did exist, how would he still be single?”

Jacqueline calmly nodded her head once again. “That is. Unless he is a holy knight or something.”

Adelaide’s eyes opened wide in an instant.

“.... Did you say a holy knight?”

Jacqueline answered without any hesitation. “That's right.”

Adelaide turned her head as Jacqueline nonchalantly continued.

“Doesn’t that description perfectly fit… the holy knight of San Fidelio?”

Chapter 3: Cale Henituse and His Problem

"Why the hell does everyone wants me to get married???"

Choi Han could only wince at the sight of his Cale-nim who busy grumbled after attending a formal banquet that was held in the Imperial Palace for Alberu's coronation as Emperor. Cale, who was usually unwilling to went to the nobles' gatherings and formal banquets, couldn't help but attend this formal banquet for the sake of his annoying Hyung, and he immediately regret it.

"I'm only 20 years old, for Godness sake! Why I must get married at such a young age?" Cale grumbled in annoyance when he recalled what the nobles of the Roan Empire had said to him at the banquet.

Well, although his soul was 38 years old, Cale still didn't have thought about getting married.

His family now was more than enough.

But that greedy and stupid nobles keep nagging him to get married, and Cale couldn't even enjoy the slacker life that he was been waiting for all this time.

The nobles, of course, wanted him to get married so they could offer their daughter to be Cale's wife.

Somehow, being the wife of the hero of the two continents, Cale Henituse, became a golden position now.

But Cale just wanted his slacker life, for Godness sake. Why the hell it was so hard?

Eruhaben, who was also listening to Cale's grumble, sighed. "Hey, unlucky bastard, it was not a bad idea too if I think about it."

Cale instantly turned at the golden dragon in horror. "Not a bad idea???? Seriously?"

Rosalyn who was calmly pilling an apple in her hand looked at Cale while shaking her head. She was truly astonished to see Cale didn't want to have a wife that bad.

"Eruhaben-nim, as an ancient dragon, you should know that marriage is not a simple issue, right?" Cale asked in horror. "I'm not ready and I don't want to!"

"You acting like a child." Rasheel nonchalantly commented seeing Cale's action. "But have you really never been in love? Humans usually have a love interest. You're such a weird human, but I don't think you never been in love either."

Cale frowned. "Never, I never been in love and will not be in love."

Rasheel looked at Cale, speechless. "... You're truly a weird human."

Raon who was quietly listening now chimed in. "But Human, there is no rule that you should married, right?" he asked innocently.

Cale nodded his head immediately. "Of course, if I want to, I simply will not get married even until I die."

Choi Han sighed. "But it's not easy."

Cale glared at Choi Han for an instant, but he couldn't help but agree because the black-haired man was right.

Rasheel started to frown. "Why would it be not easy? This great and mighty being can't understand."

Raon nodded his head in agreement, his wings fluttered. "That's right! I can't understand either!"

The Dragons that lived follow their own desires without caring about others clearly would not understand.

"That annoying nobles are the examples." Cale snorted and answered half-heartedly. "Everyone will be gossiping about that even until five years later."

"And they in some cases could spread malicious gossip too," Rosalyn replied. "It's highly likely can become worse because Young Master Cale is a hero that is known by two continents."

"Just ignore it, then. Why would it be a big deal?" Rasheel snorted and waved his hand.

Cale nodded his head. He extremely agreed with Rasheel's nonchalant words. "That's right. I can just ignore them."

Eruhaben looked at Cale in amusement. Cale who was sulkily grumbled that he didn't want to get married looked cute in Eruhaben's eyes. "Ho, so you will not get married?"

"OF COURSE!" Cale, once again, replied with a burning gaze.

On quietly looked at Cale for a moment, before starting to speak. "But how about a contract marriage?"

The living room was instantly covered in silence.

Eruhaben looked at On in shock. "How... how could you know that thing?"

On who was in her human form shrugged her shoulder. After the war, On often accompanied Cale to read books or novels. On knew about contract marriages from the books she had read. Many nobles get married without love and made contracts between them instead. On thought that a contract marriage like that could solve his guardian's problem.

"Just for one or a few years, I think that's enough to shut the mouth of the nobles." On calmly continued. "You can make a deal that will be beneficial for both two sides... or a deal that will only be beneficial for you? You're good at this, aren't you?"

Cale was left speechless in his seat.

“Oh, Human, the Crown—eh, no, the Emperor is calling!”

Raon suddenly broke the silence while showing the video communication device in his paw that glowed red. 

Cale sighed tiredly. “Let’s talk about this later.” He said while massaging his temple. “Connect it, Raon.”

Raon immediately connected the call, and Alberu Crossman’s bright smile greeted Cale and the others after the call is connected. Cale frowned even more when he saw that smile. “Why the hell are you smiling like that?”

Alberu’s bright smile disappeared immediately. “You disrespectful bastard.” He sighed as he shook his head, but continued to speak. “Can you help me?”

Cale looked at Alberu in horror. “I just come back from that annoying banquet and you now giving me a job already?”

Alberu smirked. “What’s wrong with helping your Hyung, Dongsaeng? Hmm?” 

‘Damn it.’ Cale swearing internally.

He couldn’t help but release his last weapon, his extremely bright smile. “Your Majesty, aren’t you the one who said that you will let me get my slacker life after the war ends? Then why are you suddenly giving me a job, Sun of the Roan Empire?”

Alberu frowned. “Stop it.”

Cale answered sternly. “I won’t!”

Rasheel’s jaw dropped as he watched Cale and Alberu’s conversation, while Eruhaben and Choi Han sighed and Rosalyn chuckled in amusement.

‘Ho, how can I forget that he is just 20?’ Eruhaben had that thought as he looked at Cale’s sulky face. 

Alberu snorted and continued to speak. “You can also let the children have a vacation.”

Cale’s eyes stared at Alberu in horror once again.

The children's eyes started to sparkle in an instant, which made Cale swear even more in his heart.

“Vacation? Sounds good, nyaaa!” Hong exclaimed happily.

“That’s right! Human, let’s have a vacation together!” Raon's wings started to flutter in excitement. 

Alberu truly knew all the way to make Cale obey his words.

Alberu grinned at Cale’s speechless face. “You know Traness Empire, right? In that empire's Southern region, there is a domain called Euden, which is known for its high-grade jewelry. It’s land under the rule of Count Sergio. You will go there to get me the finest jewelry and establish some business with Yuden Merchantile.”

Cale frowned, realizing something.

Jewelry? Alberu was searching for jewelry?

It could only mean…

“... are you planning to propose to someone?”

“... why the hell are you so sharp?”

All of the people in the living room instantly freaked out.

“WAIT, YOU DID WHAT????”

 

Chapter 4: Something Behind Her Bright Smile

“Sigh. I really can’t go today, huh?”

Adelaide frowned while staring at the new letters from her father two days later.

This was the first time in a while Adelaide could grumble when she had faced with a sudden work. 

Jacqueline sighed as well. “It seems so, my lady. The eldest son of Duke Henituse from the Western Continent will be arriving today."

Adelaide could only chuckle bitterly at her fate.

Jacqueline looked at the documents in her hand for a while, before opening her mouth. “But My Lady, isn’t the eldest son of the Duke Henituse handsome? I thought he will fit with your criteria too… he is still single as well.”

Adelaide glanced with no interest. “He is, but he is not fit at all except the good-looking part. I’m sure you already heard as well that he was trash.”

Jacqueline blinked. “But he now recognized as a hero, right? I heard he is the hero of two continents and a former commander that lead the Roan Kingdom to become an Empire. He is only 20 but he could lead many wars for two years.”

Adelaide shook her head as she sighed. “Still, he once trash. I will be extra careful in picking my potential partner. Furthermore, marrying a hero is a bit… I prefer holy knights of San Fidelio instead.”

Adelaide thought that being involved with a hero like Cale Henituse was a bit troublesome.

Jacqueline nodded her head in the end, understanding what Adelaide was feeling.

***

Euden Domain. One of the famous domains in the Southern territories of the Traness Empire. Cale wanted to swear in front of Alberu’s face so badly because he with no mercy had sent Cale to a different continent. 

Cale, the children, Choi Han, and Rosalyn were the people who visited Euden this time. 

The children took their human form, and this was the first time Raon appeared in his human form. He looked cute with his round dark blue eyes and chubby cheeks. Cale decided to introduce them as his children in front of Count Sergio later, and because of that the children now sitting in the carriage with bright smiles. 

Cale sighed as he lazily got off the carriage when they finally arrived at Count Sergio's manor.

Choi Han, the children, and Rosalyn quietly followed him from behind. 

Not long after they got up from the carriage, Sergio's mansion's giant door opened.

Rosalyn gasped quietly when she saw a young lady with pink eyes and a beautiful purple gown come out from inside the door.

Cale and the young lady had eye contact, and Cale couldn't help but raise his eyebrow seeing the lady that had wavy black hair.

In the Western Continent, black hair was quite rare. The only black-haired person that Cale knew was only Choi Han, who was originally from Korea, and Litana, the Queen of Jungle.

Cale was genuinely surprised when he saw her.

Besides…. This lady was pretty.

Cale found it odd that the black-haired lady was so beautiful to the point Cale could feel that she could beat the Elves' beauty.

'Is she an elf?'

Cale could only think that way.

– Human, is she the Count Sergio's daughter?

Raon asked in his mind.

Cale nodded his head. 

It seemed so. 

The lady that now stood in front of Cale smiled elegantly toward Cale's group as she introduced herself. "Welcome to Euden domain. I'm Adelaide Sergio, the eldest daughter of Count Sergio."

Cale with his stoic face reached his hand to shake Adelaide's outstretched hand. "Thanks. I'm Cale Henituse."

Adelaide nodded her head as she quietly observed Cale for a moment. "Nice to meet you, Young Master Cale." She replied still with her beautiful smile before turning toward the others.

Choi Han quickly introduced himself when he saw Cale sigh with a tired gaze. "I'm Choi Han, nice to meet you."

Adelaide flinched in an instant.

'.... Choi Han? What the….'

Adelaide, who didn’t have time to know every single hero in the Cale Henituse’s party, was shocked as hell when she heard this black-haired man's name.

It was a Korean name. Name from the place she lived in her past life.

Adelaide knew pretty well even the Western Continent was far from Euden, this name also didn't come from there.

It was obviously Korean.

But Adelaide still managed to smile brightly as she shook Choi Han's hand. "Nice to meet you, Sir Choi Han. I guess you are a swordmaster?" She replied with a friendly demeanor.

Choi Han smiled innocently. "That's right, Young Lady Adelaide."

Adelaide nodded her head as she let out a quiet gasp. "My name is pretty long so you can just call me Adele."

"Alright, Young Lady Adele." Choi Han replied still with his innocent smile.

Adelaide turned toward Rosalyn. 

"Hello, Young Lady Adele. I'm Rosalyn."

Rosalyn smiled sweetly toward Adelaide as she shooked Adelaide's hand.

"Hello too, Miss Rosalyn. Nice to meet you."

Adelaide then became softer when she greeted the children. “Hello, my name is Adele.”

Cale started to speak with his stoic voice. “They’re my children.”

Adelaide blinked. ‘Didn’t Jackie say that he is still single? He adopted children?’

“Nice to meet you, Young Lady Adele. I’m On Henituse.” 

On smiled calmly toward Adelaide who was loading for a few seconds before smiling back and shaking her hand gently. “Nice to meet you, On. You’re so pretty.”

“Ah, thank you.” On said shyly as her face became slightly red.

Adelaide just patted her head once before turning toward Hong who immediately introduced himself. “Hello, Young Lady Adele! I’m Hong Henituse.” He said cheerfully.

“Nice to meet you, Hong. It seems that you and On are blood-related siblings?” Adelaide replied friendly. 

“That’s right, she is my sister!”

“I see, no wonder you two look very similar.”

Choi Han quietly observed Adelaide’s action. ‘She’s good at this,’ he thought.

Raon started to smile brightly when Adelaide turned toward him. “Hello! I’m the great and mighty Raon Miru! I’m the youngest, hehe.”

Adelaide still gave a smile that reached her eyes although she was freakin' out inside.

‘.... wow, did he say Raon Miru? Is the swordmaster the one who named him?’

Adelaide knew well that Raon Miru meant joyful dragon in Korean.

Perhaps… this is the dragon that Cale Henituse raised? Even though Adelaide didn’t know every single hero in Cale’s party, Adelaide knew that Cale had raised a baby dragon.

“I see. You have such a beautiful name. Nice to meet you, Raon. I’m Adele.”

“Nice to meet you too! The human give me that name!”

Adelaide felt her heart had jumped in shock when Raon cheerfully pointed toward Cale who was standing still with his stoic face.

‘... wait. Human? Who? Him?’ Adelaide went blank for a second. ‘My Godness. Don’t tell me… Cale Henituse is also Korean?’

It was still early but Adelaide had a headache already.

Adelaide blankly smiled toward Cale. “You have a good naming sense, Young Master Cale.”

Cale raised his eyebrow stoically while quietly observing the black-haired lady. 

“... Thank you.”

Even though Adelaide could trick everyone with her bright and friendly demeanor, Cale couldn't miss the part when Adelaide flinched slightly after hearing Choi Han and Raon’s names, as well as when Adelaide's face became blank for a second when she heard that Cale was the one who giving Raon name. 

Cale suddenly had an ominous feeling.

'Don't tell me…. There's no way, right?'

Cale could only think that way.

She was probably surprised because Choi Han's name sounded foreign, right? Not because she knew Korea or something….

But she seemed to know Raon’s name… shit, Cale suddenly had a headache.

"Since Lord Sergio is not there until next week, I will be in charge of your visit. Please follow me."

After that short introduction, Adelaide started to guide them into the Sergio's mansion

Cale's group quietly followed her from behind.

"I guess you all should rest first. It was a tiring trip, wasn't it?" Adelaide said calmly.

"Ah, not at all, Lady Adele. Euden is so beautiful and I really enjoy our journey here." Rosalyn replied in a friendly demeanor.

Adelaide smiled. "That is a relief, then."

Cale observed Adelaide from behind, before starting to speak with his stoic voice. "Young Lady Adelaide, I would like to start our meeting now. We can rest later."

Adelaide turned with raised eyebrows. "Is that so?"

Cale's group single nod made Adelaide smile brightly and let out a quick reply, "alright, then. Please follow me, we will go to my study."

'It seems he wants to leave quickly. Yes, it's good. Very good. If that is the case, I can quickly go to San Fidelio as well.'

Adelaide didn't mind at all if Cale Henituse, this former trash that is now known as the hero of two continents, wanted to finish his business here quickly since she also has an important business; find a husband for the sake of her position as an heiress.

'She's easy to deal with.'

Meanwhile, Cale had that thought.

'.... but why did I have an ominous feeling toward her?'

Cale felt that Adelaide Sergio, this beautiful lady, had something behind her bright smile that reached her eyes.

Chapter 5: The Return of Kayden Sergio

“Alright, Young Master Cale, thank you so much.” Adelaide smiled in elegance as she shook Cale’s pale and skinny hand that hadn’t changed so much even after the war was ended and he could eat properly. They just finished their deal related to the business relationship between the Roan Empire and Yuden Merchant group. “Let’s work hard.”

Cale looked at Adelaide in disbelief.

Work hard? For what? 

After working his ass off for two years because of that white radish thing and the damn Sealed God? No way.

The one who should work hard was only his beloved Hyung, Alberu Crossman. Working hard when he could finally achieve his slacker life was obviously a nightmare for Cale Henituse. 

This was his turn to live and slacking around peacefully. 

“I’m the one who should be thanking you, Young lady Adelaide. But for the work hard thing… you should say it in person with Emperor Alberu, not me.” Cale said as he slightly frowned imagining his slacker life that he working very hard to achieve once again waving goodbye to him. 

Hell, no. Enough with these past two years. Cale didn’t want to work his ass off again. 

“I’m just his representative because he couldn’t come here in person, after all.”

Adelaide nodded her head in understanding. “I see. He must be very busy after his coronation.”

Cale smirked. “Indeed.”

Cale, for some reason, started to imagine Alberu’s frowning face because of endless paperwork. It was entertaining him even when he just imagine it.

“But still, thank you for cooperating, Young Master Cale,” Adelaide said as her beautiful smile reached her eyes—and once again, Cale felt such an ominous feeling about her words. 

But mainly, that ominous feeling appeared when Cale saw her smile. 

Cale didn’t know why.

This woman… if Cale thinks about it, was pretty similar to his Hyung, Alberu Crossman, and surprisingly, himself as well. 

That smile… looked like such a scamming smile.

Heck. What the hell did he thinking about.

Cale slightly shook his head, trying to stay sane. 

Choi Han who was standing still next to Cale and Rosalyn—the children were already sent to the guest room to rest first—who was sitting on the sofa somehow knew what was going on in Cale’s mind. So, he could only smile in amusement.

Choi Han could feel it too.

Adelaide Sergio was similar to Cale and the Emperor. 

“Anyway, Young Master Cale, I heard that you are His Majesty’s sworn brother?” Adelaide suddenly asked with a friendly tone without letting her elegance fly away. 

Cale nodded his head as he felt another ominous feeling start to embrace him. “Yes…?”

Cale somehow had a bad feeling about this.

“Well, do you have another position besides that? Judging from how good you are when dealing with me, I thought you are a prime minister or something.”

… oh, shit. 

Cale’s pupils started to shake in horror.

Holy shit. Not this damn prime minister thing….

Silence took over for a moment before Choi Han let out a quiet chuckle. He couldn’t hold back his laughter, especially when he stared at Cale’s horror expression.

Meanwhile, Rosalyn was successful in holding back her laughter with a single cough. 

Adelaide raised her eyebrows when she saw their odd reaction.

‘... what the hell?’

She couldn’t help but be confused. 

What happened here?

And what’s up with that horror expression that Cale Henituse made?

She just mentioned the prime minister position, wasn’t she?

“... no way.”

Adelaide tried her best to not frown openly when she saw with her own eyes, that Cale Henituse shook his head in urgency as if she had a very troublesome misunderstanding.

Really, Adelaide had faced too much odd things today.

“I’m not a prime minister and will never be.”

Adelaide could only stare at Cale with disbelief.

This red-haired man had reacted as if the prime minister position was the most disgusting thing in the world. 

Choi Han smiled in amusement while Rosalyn added on. “Young Master Cale’s position is just His Majesty’s sworn brother, Young Lady Adele. But I’m sure you already heard that Young Master is a former commander. That’s all his position if you're curious.”

Adelaide blankly replied as her gaze observed Cale Henituse who was still frowning deeply. “I see. It seems you don’t like to work too hard…?”

Cale nodded his head in agreement immediately. “That’s right, Young Lady Adelaide. I don’t like to work hard. What I like is sleeping.”

Adelaide became flabbergasted for a moment before starting to laugh.

“You're such a cute guy, Young Master Cale,” Adelaide commented jokingly.

Rosalyn nodded in agreement. “Indeed he is.”

Cale could only frown.

Hey, wasn’t he too old for being called cute?

“I guess you’re favorite exercise is breathing?” Adelaide asked with a grin.

“Correct. How could you figure it out quickly?” Cale said casually.

They now started to relax and casually interact with each other more friendly than before. 

Well… thanks to Cale’s slacker life topic. 

Adelaide smirked. “I’m good at observing people.”

Choi Han shook his head. “Then you must know already that Cale-nim even too lazy to eat, right, Young Lady Adele?”

Adelaide blinked. “Well, I don’t think that far but… wow, Young Master Cale, seriously?” she asked in disbelief.

“He’s right.”

Cale just shrugged his shoulders while Rosalyn laughed.

‘... what an interesting guy,’ Adelaide thought in amusement as she giggled at how blunt Cale was.

He was not simply skinny because of the war he had faced, but because he was too lazy even to eat. 

After observing him for a while today and from the conversation she just had with them, Adelaide could tell that Cale Henituse was dislike something that made him must work his ass off. 

And he didn’t like to be called hero either—Adelaide knew from Cale’s reaction when in the middle of their negotiation she randomly blurted out; “as expected from the hero of two continents. You’re really an interesting person, Young Master Cale.”

But how could this man become a war commander and hero that is well-known on two continents when he didn’t like to be a cynosure and work hard? 

Not one, but two.

Fucking two continents.

Adelaide somehow could connect the dots.

Cale Henituse seemed like being dragged around on the troubles even when he simply sat still.

In the other words, Cale Henituse was a magnet for trouble.

And Cale Henituse had no choice other than clean it all up when the troubles attached themselves to him.

From his gestures when he interacted with her, how Cale often leaned his back on the sofa and support his chin with his hand with an indifferent yet lazy stare but still did a good job regardless of his uninterested demeanor, Adelaide also could tell that Cale was not the type of neglected what he needed to do simply for slacking around.

But Cale was the type of slacker that still finished all the things he needed to do. Cale would finish everything first so he could get what he wanted; from Adelaide's observation, a peaceful slacker life.

Truly an interesting person.

“Oh, right, Young Lady Adele.” Rosalyn started to speak again after she exchanged glances with Cale and Choi Han. “We plan to stay here until tomorrow because we want to take the children for some short vacation in Euden, also to get the finest jewelry that His Majesty searching for. May I ask you some recommendations?”

‘Tomorrow…’ Adelaide’s forced smile reached her eyes again. ‘At this point, I really feel that the heiress position and all of my hard work these years starting to wave goodbye to me.’

One week. The time she had originally was one week. But because yesterday she used it to finish all the work she had so she can go find a husband in peace, she originally went to the San Fidelio today. And now she had to postpone her visit to San Fidelio again because of these sudden guests that her father had left to her. 

It meant… Adelaide now only had four days.

Damn. Adelaide at this point didn’t even sure that four days was enough for her to persuade one of the holy knights to become her husband. 

'... should I call Kayden?' she instantly thought about her younger brother who was didn't come back home for a few months. 'If he's here, I at least can delay Father's return. I can order him to make the bridge Father is about to cross collapse or something...'

Delayed her father's return was an easy thing to do if Kayden was here.

Kayden Sergio almost could do anything for her.

Kayden, actually, even could find her a husband, but Adelaide was still sane for not ordering him to do that.

'... I don't trust him to bring anyone alive.'

That was the problem.

Well, in conclusion, anything was possible with Kayden.

But the problem now was... Kayden was not here, and she somehow couldn't contact him for the last two weeks.

Adelaide held back a sigh as she started to act like she tried to remember something in front of Choi Han, Rosalyn, and Cale who was waiting for her answer.

Adelaide indeed was confident in the beginning, but as time went on, Adelaide felt that this was a really difficult thing.

Her hard work these years, the hard work she has done ever since she was still a child, really seemed like would go in vain.

Adelaide really wanted to cry right now.

But she still managed to smile brightly as she answered her guest’s question with a friendly tone. “Ah, of course, Miss Rosalyn. I know the greatest jeweler here and I remember some—”

“SISTER!”

Adelaide almost let out a swear when her study door suddenly burst open and someone rushed in without any manner at all.

Adelaide couldn’t help but frowned when her eyes saw the blonde-haired lady that had abused her study door.

Adelaide sighed. Her eyes became extremely sharp, which make Cale subconsciously flinch. “Noella, you—”

“Sister, Kay-kayden is back!”

The blonde girl with teary blue eyes, Noella Sergio cut her off with a shaking voice.

Adelaide’s sharp eyes widened in an instant. “Kayden? He’s back?” she asked in surprise as she stood up from her sitting position.

She have thought about him a few moments ago, and he was now returned?

“Is something happening to him?”

But Adelaide quickly threw another question because Noella’s reaction suggests that Kayden's return didn’t bring good news at all.

Although Noella was such a dramatic bitch, there’s nothing wrong to anticipate and asked about her younger brother’s condition first.

Noella stuttered with a hoarse voice. “H-he came back i-injured, Sister! It's so bad…” she started to sob. “He.. he nearly died.”

Choi Han, Rosalyn, and Cale flinched with wide eyes. 

Kayden Sergio.

Adelaide Sergio’s younger brother and Sergio family's only son.

That was all they had know about him.

Cale’s gaze headed toward Adelaide, who stood still with wide eyes and an extremely shocked expression.

Adelaide’s pupils started to shake when she noticed that her trusted maid, Jacqueline who had come with Noella, nodded her head with a pale face. 

“... What the fuck.”

Adelaide lost her rationality right away as she muttered a swear. 

She clenched her fist, and her body slightly trembling. “What—what the fuck he had done this time?”

Kayden Sergio.

Her younger half-brother who didn’t return for almost four months, now finally came back—and he nearly died.

Chapter 6: The Unwanted Pest

Kayden Sergio, Adelaide’s half-brother, came to Sergio’s household when Adelaide was 8 years old. Kayden grew up being abused by his birth mother until the day he came to Sergio’s manor. 

Adelaide was the one who gave him a name and a room inside the mansion. 

Kayden grew up under her care and eventually became the leader of a guild operating secret missions for the domain—following Adelaide’s orders, of course. The guild was mainly tasked with getting rid of unwanted pests… in ways that weren’t entirely legal.

Kayden has never failed Adelaide in any of the tasks that she has given to him. 

He was the reason why criminal syndicates never come near the Euden domain.

And the mission that Kayden had this time was also to get rid of ‘unwanted pests' following Adelaide’s order.

But Adelaide Sergio didn’t expect at all that Kayden would be back from his mission with a condition that was pretty much the same as when he first came to their mansion; covered in blood.

And that successfully makes Adelaide get more irritated. 

“Adele.” Kayden started to speak with a weak voice when Adelaide arrived in his room. He was lying down in his bed—with blood splattered everywhere. He tried to open his heavy eyelids to look at his sister. “I’m sorry.”

Adelaide clenched her fist hearing his shaky, weak voice. “Stop, don’t speak,” Adelaide said curtly. Her voice sounded hoarse, holding back all the mixed feelings that filled her chest. “Speaking with a weak voice like that doesn’t suit you at all.”

If his body was not in pain, Kayden would snorted softly at Adelaide’s reply. But this time Kayden could only reply briefly.

“I know.”

Adelaide sighed as she brushed back her black, wavy hair and stared at the healer that had already been summoned by Jacqueline. Jacqueline was now nowhere to be seen because she was escorting Noella back to her room, knowing that Adelaide need some time alone with Kayden. In Kayden’s room, only Adelaide, the healer, and some maids were left. 

“How is his condition?”

“Please wait a minute, My Lady," the healer carefully said as she checked up on Kayden’s condition. “The injuries that Young Master Kayden get are all severe, My Lady. I can find traces of poison too so I will give some potions for the Young Master's injuries and the poison."

Adelaide started to frown. At this point, Adelaide was sure that if Kayden was not grown up under an abusive parent and didn’t have enough immunity to poison, Kayden would no longer be able to speak nor even open his eyes.

“Really, what did you do these weeks?” Adelaide asked with a burning gaze, ready to get rid of all the people that had done this to Kayden.

Kayden grew up under Adelaide's care, after all. Adelaide was upset as hell when she saw with her own eyes, that her half-brother was heavily injured.

Well, this was not the first time Kayden came close to dying.

Kayden had been sent close to dying a couple of times already because of their sister, Noella, evil schemes.

But this time… Kayden returned near to dying after doing a mission from her.

Kayden calmly replied, as if he didn't feel pain at all from his severe injuries. "Adele, your suspicion is right."

Adelaide flinched. "What do you mean?" She now looked at Kayden with an extremely serious gaze.

Kayden smirked. "Lucent. That merchant group is not an ordinary merchant group.” His voice tone was calm even though it was weak and a bit shaky. “Their intention is not only to monopolize Euden's economy.”

Adelaide's eyes widened for an instant.

Lucent.

That was the unwanted pest that Kayden had to get rid of this time.

Lucent was a foreign merchant group that appeared out of nowhere in Euden a few months ago. Adelaide has already suspected that merchant group ever since their first appearance, and as months goes by, Lucent's activities in Euden started to get strange. Adelaide had found out that Lucent was trying to monopolize Euden's economy, and she had sent Kayden to spy and get rid of them.

“Adele… do you know Arm?”

Adelaide flinched once again. Her eyes opened wide in shock upon hearing that name.

Arm?

Wasn't it the secret organization that had been fought with…

“… Cale Henituse.” Adelaide subconsciously muttered that name.

Kayden's eyes opened wide as well for a moment before he calmly replied. "Yes. It was the secret organization that had been at war against Cale Henituse for two years.”

Adelaide's pupils shook in horror. She already has a horrible feeling about the information that Kayden had gathered these past few months.

And she could figure it out right away. 

“... don't tell me, Lucent is the remaining force of Arm?” Adelaide spoke with a low voice, which then got a nod from Kayden as an answer.

Adelaide was left in a state of chaos seeing that weak nod.

So that was why Kayden returned near to dying.

Because what he had to face was Arm, the hero of the two continents' enemy.

Even Cale Henituse's extremely strong allies need two years to get rid of their liege, the evil White Star, and defeated them at the war.

It fucking two years, my Godness.

If that was the case… what was Kayden, who was going a few months ago and with a lack of preparation, could do?

It was understandable if Kayden failed this time.

And that legend enemy… currently wandering around Euden.

“... hah, I’m going crazy,” Adelaide mumbled in frustration as she covered her face with both hands.

At this point, Adelaide felt that her sanity slowly started to fade away.

Just… what the hell was this mess?

Her potential partner got stolen by her own sister, her position as an heiress was not secured, the trip to find a husband was delayed, and now this.

Seriously, has Adelaide burnt a kingdom down in the past so she has to deal with this cruel situation?

Adelaide truly wanted to cry.

“Adele, how did you know him?”

Kayden started to speak again after staring at his sister's restless expression.

Adelaide didn’t answer right away. She looked down at the floor, with both hands covered up her face. Her expression slowly changed as she started to get a headache.

“Well… he is now here.”

Kayden’s expression changed in an instant.

“What?”

Kayden’s body almost jerked up to a sitting position as the healer who was busy preparing potions instantly freaked out.

“Young Master, please don’t move!”

Kayden held back a groan a moment later.

Shit, his wounds were extremely painful.

Adelaide sighed seeing his reaction. “He is now here as my guest, with the swordmaster, archmage, and his children that one of them is a Dragon. I sent them to the guest room immediately after hearing that you returned.”

Kayden was left at a loss for words.

“... how?” he could only say that with a blank face—that honestly was so rare to be seen.

Adelaide glared. “Do you think I know?” she answered in annoyance. “Father suddenly sent me a letter about their visit this morning, damn.”

Kayden could only let out a tired sigh as he closed his eyes.

Adelaide quietly looked at her brother’s extremely pale face for a moment, before opening her mouth again. “... what should we do now?” she muttered in a low voice.

Kayden answered with a weak voice and without opening his eyes. “I don’t know either. Our position is not supportive to fight them back. Cale Henituse with such a strong ally alone took two years to get rid of them, then what can we do?”

Adelaide groaned in frustration. “That’s exactly my thought!” she then rubbed her face with one hand, feeling that this situation was too difficult to handle. “Shit, I don’t know anymore.”

Kayden opened his eyelids after silence took over for a moment, revealing his red irises that were as red as blood. He was thinking about something as he started to speak.

“Adele… you said that Cale Henituse is here, right?”

Adelaide lowered her hand that had been covering her face and looked at Kayden with a serious gaze that was full of anticipation. “Hm? Yes, he is here.”

Adelaide’s expression started to change when she realized something.

“Don’t tell me….”

Kayden didn’t care as he continued his words. “Can we use him?”

“... Kayden, come back to your sense. He is a hero."

"So what? You are good at scamming people. If he is a hero, he must have such a pure heart."

"What and why the hell do you refer to my action this whole time as scamming!? It's called professional merchant's combat skill, you know!"

"Professional merchant's combat skill wha—no, forget it. It doesn't matter whether he is a hero or not. Just offered him some deal and this sucks situation will come to an end. What are your problems exactly?"

"He is. He is my problem, Kayden. Cale Henituse is the damn problem here."

"...."

Kayden was too stunned to speak.

"You don't wanna ask me why?"

"... why?"

"Because he is a professional scammer and pleases highlight this part. He does not have a pure heart. Just look at his smile and you will know what I mean."

".... so your combat skill or whatever is not working on him?"

"You think?"

"... it's not?"

"Correct."

 

 

***

“She seemed very worried,” Rosalyn said as she, Cale, and Choi Han walked into Sergio’s manor fancy hallway. Her words referred to Adelaide Sergio’s reaction after hearing about her brother's condition. “I hope her brother is okay.”

“Her brother nearly die after all,” Choi Han replied. “It was an understandable reaction.”

Cale's comment was different. “I didn’t expect that she cherished her brother that much.”

Rosalyn nodded in agreement. “Right, me too.”

For both of them, Adelaide Sergio didn’t seem like someone who loves her siblings that much.

Furthermore, Kayden Sergio was the only son in Sergio’s household and had a high chance to be the next successor and be a rival for Adelaide. 

Adelaide and Kayden's relationship as siblings that love each other was not an odd thing in such a normal family, but for a noble family, it looked quite… rare?

Especially, from the information that Cale got from Alberu, Adelaide was pretty much a competitive person. It was surprising to know that Kayden and Adelaide not fighting for the successor position.  

 

“How is Young master Kayden’s condition?”

“The healer said that his injuries are severe. It’s so bad.”

“What is the task that was given to him this time? It’s quite rare for Young Master Kayden to come back injured.”

Cale, Rosalyn, and Choi Han couldn’t help but flinch in surprise when they heard some conversation among the maids in the hallway.

They still heard them even being separated by a wall because they were walking in the hallway’s curve. 

Cale, Rosalyn, and Choi Han didn’t have the intention to overhear them, but one name that had been mentioned by the maids made them instantly frozen in place.

“It’s surprisingly related to Young Master Cale Henituse, Young Lady’s guest today.”

An invisible question mark popped up above Cale, Rosalyn, and Choi Han’s heads. 

“Is that so? Oh my. What is that? Tell me!”

“Well, do you know Lucent? It’s a merchant group that trying to monopolize Euden’s economy and Young Lady Adele had suspected them for a few months. From what I heard when I helped the healer in the Young Master Kayden’s bedroom, the Lady had sent Young Master Kayden to spy on them, and Young Master Kayden eventually found out that Lucent is the remaining force of the secret organization that had been at war with Young Master Cale Henituse for two years.”

.... secret organization? Been at war with Cale?

One certain name immediately appeared in Cale, Rosalyn, and Choi Han’s minds as they were stiff in their standing positions.

‘Arm.’

 

 

Chapter 7: The Sly Red Fox and His Plan

“... Cale-nim, what should we do now?”

Choi Han couldn’t help but ask blankly after they had returned to the guest room—the room that would be used by Cale and his three children.

Cale didn’t answer right away, he quietly looked at the floor. His face was also blank, with the name ‘Arm’ repeating on a loop inside his mind 

Arm. The secret organization under the White Star that had been defeated by his allies almost one year ago. Cale didn’t expect at all, that the remaining forces of Arm were still wandering around when he was sure that he had wiped out all traces of that organization immediately after the final war.

But now…. the remaining forces of Arm had been gathered in the name of Lucent, a foreign merchant group that trying to monopolize Euden’s economy?

Cale felt his slacker life start to wave goodbye to him and fly away.

‘... no.’

Cale now raised his head with a burning gaze. 

No way.

Cale wouldn’t let that happen.

Cale didn’t want the slacker life that he had been waiting for so long would fly away from him in this instant.

Absolutely no.

Cale clenched his fists and muttered in a low voice, which made some chills shiver down at Rosalyn, Choi Han, and the children’s spines. “We must get rid of them immediately.”

Choi Han could only grimace at his liege’s words. “Well… Cale-nim, but how?” He sighed before continuing. “The only people who know the detail about the remaining forces of Arm are just Young Lady Adele and her brother.”

Rosalyn widened her eyes before nodding in agreement. “Right. We didn’t even know where is their base now in Euden, also their true intention. We now lack information.”

Cale started to frown when he realized that.

That was right.

They was lack information. They only knew about this from the Sergio household’s maids' conversation.

Furthermore, Adelaide and Kayden seemed to know pretty well about Lucent and tried to get rid of them ever since quite a long time ago—due to how the people in this mansion reacted to Kayden Sergio’s return as if he didn’t come back for a long time.

Which is the result was Kayden came back with severe injuries.

From what Cale knew from Alberu, Adelaide was a high-competent heiress. When Adelaide started doing her duties as an heiress for the Euden domain, Cale heard that criminal syndicates always get rid of them immediately before they could do anything. 

It was highly likely that Adelaide had a well-thought-out plan to get rid of Lucent. 

It meant that she knew some vital information about Lucent so she eventually sent Kayden to spy on Lucent as a task.

And Kayden Sergio was highly likely returned with some precious information as well.

“Hu-human! Are you planning to scam people again?” 

The great and mighty Raon Miru in his human form that knew Cale very well, couldn’t help but shouted in horror seeing his human expression.

Cale didn’t respond, just calmly ordered something. “Raon, connect me to Hyung.”

“Eh, now?” Raon tilted his head cutely in response.

Cale nonchalantly nodded as he sat on the guest room’s sofa. Rosalyn looked at him speechless when Choi Han urgently asked a question.

“Cale-nim, what are you planning?”

Cale glanced calmly at the black-haired swordsman, answered without any issue—and with his scammer smile that subconsciously made the children flinch in horror. “Trying to find some loopholes."

On could only sigh, while Rosalyn, Hong, and Choi Han stared at him at a loss for words.

“.... alright, Human, I’m connecting it immediately.”

Raon urgently connected the video communication device to the Emperor, Alberu Crossman, as soon as he saw that trademark scammer smile of his human. 

“Oh, you're calling me at the right time."

Alberu said as soon as the video communication device was connected.

Cale suddenly flinched as he felt some chills as if to warn him that his decision to call Alberu was the wrong one. 

".... Hyung."

Alberu sighed seeing Cale's tense expression. His tired face made Cale feel more uneasy. 

"I think you should get married too."

The guest room was covered with silence in an instant.

"... what the fuck? Hyung?????" 

Until Cale let out a strong protest, with Choi Han and Rosalyn letting out a sigh. 

Alberu clicked his tongue. "Dongsaeng, do you know that some annoying rumors started to surface recently? Especially today. One of the rumors even said that if you do not get married immediately, the world's peace will be ruined. It was troublesome to reassure the clueless citizens, you know."

Cale, Rosalyn, Choi Han, and the children were flabbergasted. 

".... what the hell?"

Cale could only say that in horror while the children started to yell.

"WHAT A STUPID RUMOR!" Raon yelled with a frown.

"RIGHT! Why would world peace be ruined if Cale didn't get married, nyaa? It doesn't even make sense!" Hong replied in disbelief.

On frowned deeply as well. “Why are the people getting weirder day by day?” she couldn’t help but let out an annoyed mutter. 

Alberu snorted. "Indeed, kids, what a stupid rumor,” he agreed calmly. “Well, Dongsaeng, you should thank me because I am the one who takes care of all those rumors for you. For expressing your thankfulness, don't ask me for a golden plaque until three months or you can solve this problem on your own by getting married."

Cale, who rubbed his face with both hands, flinched and stared at Alberu with eyes that widened in shock and horror.

"HYUNG??? WHAT THE HELL???"

Shit. Not the golden plaque.

Alberu nonchalantly and with no mercy waved his hand. "Yeah, choose wisely, Dongsaeng," he said with a grin. "Now, now, why are you calling me?"

At first, Cale wanted to protest further, but considering there was a more urgent matter, he relented. 

"Forget that for now," Cale said as he looked at Alberu with a serious expression, which made Alberu’s expression change slowly.

"Cale…."

Alberu had a very ominous feeling about that expression.

“Your Majesty, sun of the Roan Emp—”

“What do you want?” Alberu quickly cut him off.

Cale sighed. “Please tell me at least one vital piece of information about Adelaide Sergio.”

“... what?”

Rosalyn rubbed her face with her hand, while Choi Han stared at Cale tiredly already knowing what Cale tried to do this time.

Raon asked again. “Human, are you planning to scam her?”

Cale just gives his ominous smile toward Raon.

“All of sudden?” Alberu started to frown and looked at him with disbelief, but he still answered his beloved dongsaeng. “I didn’t know much. I just heard that Adelaide Sergio's position as an heiress is not safe right now. I don't know why, but I heard that her younger sister will be getting engaged first instead of her."

“... what?”

That was such unexpected information, to be completely honest.

"I don't know if it's connected or not."

It was…. vital information, indeed.

But…. seriously?

Alberu blinked when he saw Cale's dumbfounded face. "Hm? What? Is this information not what you want? Do you want me to find more information about her?"

Cale blankly shook his head. "... no, Hyung, it is enough."

Alberu observed Cale, Rosalyn, Choi Han, and the children's grim expressions with a frown. "Dongsaeng, what are you doing this time?"

Cale started to frown as well and stared at his Hyung in disbelief. "I am not doing anything????"

Alberu frowned more deeply. "Then why are you planning to scam Adelaide Sergio?"

Cale sighed and folded his arms in front of his chest, answering nonchalantly.

"The remaining forces of Arm had gathered under the name Lucent and they're currently in Euden."

Alberu almost had a heart attack.

But Cale didn't care with his Hyung shocked expression and continued without any issue. 

"Adelaide Sergio and her brother tried to get rid of them, but her brother returned with severe injuries today. Highly likely, he failed, but I suppose he had gathered very precious information about them. Adelaide Sergio also had suspected them for a few months, so she must have some vital information to the point she dared to send her younger brother to take care of them. And now, I am trying to get that information to quickly get rid of them."

"...."

Alberu was at a loss for words. 

Cale once again acted in front of the Roan Empire's emperor without any respect and ordered Raon. "Raon, end the call. Goodbye, Hyung. You're truly a shining sun of the Roan Empire."

"E-eh? Alright, human! Emperor, get well soon!" Raon then ended the call.

Before the call ended, Alberu could only mutter in shock. ".... this is driving me nuts."

Cale just shrugged his shoulders, then grinned and hummed mischievously. "Hmm, I think I know how we can get that precious information." Cale's reddish brown eyes started to sparkle. "Her position as an heiress is not safe now, huh? That is extremely vital information about Adelaide Sergio. Don't you all agree?"

The children could only gulp seeing that look on their guardian's face while Rosalyn sighed.

Choi Han stared at Cale for a moment, before starting to speak in a low voice.

"Mmm, Cale-nim?"

"Yes?" Cale answered with a bright smile.

Choi Han winced, "are you sure?"

Cale tilted his head innocently. "Hm? What do you mean? Why am I not sure? I did this a couple of times already, don't worry. I will come back with that precious information quickly," the red-haired man said relaxedly.

Choi Han sighed, and Rosalyn thought she knew why Choi Han said that.

"Cale-nim… the problem is, Young Lady Adele is similar to you."

"... hm?"

Rosalyn sighed as well. I knew it.

Cale started to frown, somehow recalling the chills and an ominous feeling that he often felt when saw Adelaide Sergio’s bright smile that reached her eyes. 

"What is similar?" Cale asked while blinking innocently, as always, brushing aside that ominous feeling immediately. 

"Oh, that's right!" On suddenly chimed in. "I think Cale and her are quite similar as well, nyaaa."

Cale frowned even more. What the hell are these people talking about?

Hong nodded his head in agreement. "I feel that too. Cale and Young Lady Adele's smiles are too similar, nyaaa!"

Cale looked at Hong with disbelief.

What? Their smile? Too similar?

Raon grimaced. "Right, it's too similar to the point it's…. scary."

Cale felt betrayed when he heard his youngest children's words. "Raon, did you just say that my smile is scary?"

"Eh, sorry, Human! But it's true! Your smile when you are scamming people is scary!" Raon said with a cute expression which made Cale feel like he couldn't do anything other than stare at him blankly in defeat. 

Choi Han, Rosalyn, and the children thought that Cale was not the only one who could scam Adelaide Sergio.

Adelaide Sergio…. could scam him too.

As Raon had said, Adelaide Sergio and Cale Henituse's smiles are too similar to the point it was scary. 

It was such a beautiful, sly smile that was enough to send chills.

Both Choi Han and Rosalyn could tell that everything that Cale had planned this time for Adelaide Sergio, will not end as Cale had expected.

At least… one of their deal's conditions would be changed.

 

Chapter 8: The Sly Black Fox and Her Plan

“My Lady!”

Jacqueline rushed into Adelaide’s bedroom, made Adelaide, who was looking at the night sky through her bedroom’s windows raise her eyebrow and face her trusted maid.

“Jacqueline? Is something happening?” Adelaide couldn’t help but be alarmed. 

“My Lady, yes, something bad is happening!” Jacqueline said, couldn’t keep her composure at all. “The information about Lucent from Young Master Kayden had spread throughout the mansion, My Lady!”

Adelaide instantly flinched and stood up from her seat with eyes widened in shock. 

It was now spread? That quickly?

“What? How?” Adelaide started to frown.

It was bad.

The information that she and Kayden had gathered was very precious.

And that information now spread already?

‘... shit. If that is the case, Noella will likely know too.’

Adelaide could feel another troublesome situation coming to greet her.

“I think it’s started from the maids who took care of Young Master Kayden while you were chatting, My Lady. They listen to your conversation and gossip about it,” Jacqueline urgently explained. “But I found out that luckily the information didn't spread outside the mansion.”

Adelaide massaged her temple, stressed as hell. “Ck, what a headache."

Jacqueline could only be grimaced seeing her lady’s face that full of frustration. 

Come to think about it, Adelaide’s position was now very troublesome. She had to face a lot of stressful situations today while the previous problem was not solved yet. 

Jacqueline felt bad for Adelaide, but it was amazing to see Adelaide still able to stay sane even after dealing with all of these annoying situations.

“It’s didn’t spread outside the mansion yet, so go lecture all of the maids that getting involved. Fired them as well if it’s necessary,” Adelaide eventually said while supporting her chin with her hand stoically. But then, she straightened up when she realized something. “Wait. If it’s spread inside the mansion… isn’t Cale Henituse will know that as well?”

Jacqueline instantly froze in her standing position.

She exchanged the same horror gaze with Adelaide.

“... no way.”

Jacqueline’s pupils started to shake.

Adelaide ended up letting out a groan, brushing her face in frustration. “Ugh, son of a—haaaa,” she sighed deeply, trying to calm herself down. 

Ah, good. Things started to become complicated in just one day. Very good.

It seemed her life all of these years was too easy to the point the world finally wanted her to suffer.

Adelaide could only laugh in disbelief while Jacqueline freakin’ out again.

“My Lady, it’s bad! What will we do now?” 

Adelaide sighed and blankly replied. “I don’t know, but calm down and sit.” She ordered with a mutter. “I think we need to organize our thoughts first.”

Jacqueline obeyed her words and sat down on the couch, started to calm herself down also organize her thoughts along with Adelaide. 

Adelaide’s gaze went down to the pile of paperwork on her study bench. 

Cale Henituse certainly would not stay still after hearing this.

It was Arm, after all.

There was no way Cale Henituse would stay still when Arm, his enemy from the two years war that he had faced, comeback with planning for revenge and threatened his slacker life.

Adelaide was certain that Cale would do something and come to find her as soon as possible.

From Cale’s behavior…. was highly likely that he would ask her for a deal.

Adelaide’s gaze changed as she recalled Kayden’s words.

“Can we use him?”

Adelaide started to grin mischievously.

That it’s.

If Cale Henituse really asks her for a deal… Adelaide could only flip over the situation and made the deal beneficial for her.

But there was something that she had to make sure of first.

“Jackie,” she called, and Jacqueline immediately turned toward her.

“Yes, My Lady?”

From Adelaide’s expression, Jacqueline could tell that Adelaide already found a solution.

Adelaide smirked. “Bring me all of the books and information about Cale Henituse tomorrow morning. I will flip over the situation.”

Jacqueline could only stare at Adelaide’s burning gaze at a loss of words.

The words ‘I will flip over the situation’ made her feel chills running down her spine for some reason.

***

“... Woah. From his behavior, I’m sure that Cale Henituse will burn down this book if he read all of the contents inside.”

Adelaide commented while holding a book about Cale Henituse’s biography that was written under the name of the Guardian of North, Clopeh Sekka.

Adelaide truly wondered why such a cool person now turned into a lunatic.

This book made her feel cringe for some reason, but unfortunately, this book was the only biography that was the most comprehensive about Cale Henituse. Clopeh Sekka was one of Cale's allies during the war, after all. It makes sense.

So… yeah, Adelaide forced herself to read it.

“My Lady, what is your plan exactly?” Jacqueline cautiously asked after desperately preparing herself for Adelaide’s answer.

Adelaide just smiled brightly. “To make a deal with him,” she answered without any issue. “He will highly likely ask me for a deal to know the information that I and Kayden had gathered. Shouldn’t I make good use of this opportunity?”

Jacqueline shuddered to see Adelaide’s bright smile that reached her eyes while she said that.

“My Lady, didn’t you say that you do not want to be involved with a hero?”

Adelaide nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders. “At first. But I only have four days now, I think I will fail miserably if I insist on coming to San Fidelio.” Adelaide’s pink eyes then started to sparkle. “If there is a fish ready to be caught in sight, why should I bother?”

Jacqueline frowned, more focused on how Adelaide referred to Cale as a fish. “My Lady, is Young Master Cale looked like a fish in your eyes?”

Adelaide blinked and answered calmly. “Hmm? No. He is more like a fox if I think about it.” She then nodded to herself. “A red fox.”

Jacqueline flinched when Adelaide let out her bright smile again.

“A very, very, sly red fox.”

There was no way Adelaide would not know how similar she and Cale were.

When she face him, Adelaide felt as if she was looking in a mirror.

They were similar.

Too similar.

And working with someone similar to herself… could only mean two things.

First, it will be very good and comfortable because they have a bunch of similarities in thinking so it was easy to be in sync. 

Two, it will be troublesome because it will be pretty hard to scam—no, dominate the other.

But Adelaide knew that the benefit she would get from working together with Cale would be very useful for her current position.

There was no way Adelaide would waste this opportunity. 

If she thinks about it… Cale Henituse was not that bad to be her marriage partner. 

Yeah, indeed, he was extremely sly and his smile, when they were negotiating, was a bit scary. 

But Cale Henituse was a noble.

He was the eldest son of the Henituse household, a family that was well-known for their wealth.

And the Sergio household was also well-known for their wealth and how they ruled the entire Southern region's economy.

Wasn't it very, very, beneficial if two wealthy families united together?

The Sergio household's power would be increased drastically, and she would get more chances to keep the heiress position.

Her father, Ante Sergio, also would be very happy and proud if Adelaide was successful to pull off such a feat.

If that was the case…. the heiress position won't go anywhere else.

Noella could only keep Jerox as her weapon to keep the heiress's position, but Adelaide could do more than find a new potential partner as her weapon. 

She would strengthen their household, have a potential partner that technically was an extremely powerful hero, and the heiress position would instantly be hers. 

It killed two birds with one stone for Adelaide Sergio.

Adelaide grinned.

If Adelaide could be made Cale Henituse on his side…. It was clear who the winner was. 

But the problem was…

Adelaide's gaze went down to the biography book in her hand.

Adelaide didn't know yet what she could use to make a deal with Cale. 

Information about Arm, in Adelaide's opinion, was too 'cheap' to offer because what she wanted Cale to do was a marriage, which was a serious and heavy condition. Of course, Adelaide would not say that in front of Cale. As the daughter of a powerful merchant, Adelaide naturally would use her 'professional merchant combat skill' that she had mentioned in front of Kayden before.

Adelaide needs to find out more if that was the case.

Adelaide knew that this was not easy.

Furthermore, Cale was similar to her.

Who knows what he was thinking now. 

After the war, from the information that Adelaide got from Jacqueline, Cale Henituse's life could be considered peaceful. 

Cale even didn't stay at Henituse Duchy's manor in Rain City and choose to stay with his allies inside the Forest of Darkness, and that made information about Cale Henituse pretty hard to find.

Adelaide frowned as if she has not grinned happily just a moment ago.

"Jacqueline, do you know any rumor that spread recently about Cale Henituse?"

Jacqueline started to recall something. "Mm, rumor? I think I know one."

Adelaide closed the book in her hand and glanced toward Jacqueline. "Is that so? Tell me, then."

Jacqueline calmly explained the rumor that she had heard this morning. "Young Master Cale is now in a position where he is being chased for marriage by the citizen of the Roan Empire—wait."

Jacqueline just realized something while Adelaide's eyes widened in shock.

Jacqueline's pupils started to shake. "My-my Lady…. don't you want to make Young Master Cale your husband?"

".... that's my plan." Adelaide just blankly replied, too stunned to speak after hearing the unexpected information about Cale Henituse from Jacqueline.

Jacqueline instantly turned excited. "Oh my! It's a good chance for you then! Right, My Lady? Even if Young Master Cale doesn't look bothered by that, who knows what he is thinking?" Jacqueline said with eyes that started to sparkle.

"That's right," Adelaide replied, still stunned. "Although he may not have an interest in having his life controlled by others, judging by his demeanor. But it is also possible that he will not refuse if there is an opportunity to solve it in front of his eyes…"

Adelaide then started to grin mischievously as she organized a plan inside her head.

“That’s it, Jacqueline.”

***

"Young Lady Adele," Cale Henituse called her name with a low voice in her study that afternoon.

As Adelaide had thought and as Cale had planned, they were now having another meeting. Just the two of them, in Adelaide's study. 

Choi Han, Rosalyn, and the children went for a short walk around Euden and also looked for the jewels that Alberu wanted. 

So the two of them now faced each other with the same smiles on their face.

Adelaide just smiled and act innocently with tilted her head to the side, already anticipating what Cale would say. "Yes?"

Cale looked straight at her pink eyes with his deep, reddish-brown eyes, then started to smile calmly. "I heard that your position as an heiress is not safe now."

Adelaide's expression instantly changed.

'... Woah, this sly fox.' Adelaide scoffed internally in disbelief. 'I didn't expect that he will touch that spot.'

Alright, then. 

"Oh, Young Master Cale, you know that already?" Adelaide grinned. "Good, then. I also heard that the citizens of the Roan Empire want you to get married as soon as possible."

Cale looked at Adelaide while raising one eyebrow.

Oh, Adelaide knows that too?

But why did she suddenly mention that? 

Cale held back the urge to frown because he remembered what Alberu had said yesterday.

"And you already heard about my younger brother's situation," Adelaide continued. "You also want to get rid of Lucent, who was the remaining forces of your two years war enemy. Am I right?"

Cale suddenly got the chills.

Adelaide was truly not such a person that he could underestimate at all. 

But Cale eventually smiled as well, still looking at Adelaide straight in her eyes. "You figure it out right away," he said calmly. "Let's make a deal, then."

Adelaide's smile now reached her eyes.

"Alright. Please tell me what you want first."

Cale leaned his back on the couch as he started to speak. "As you had said, I want to get rid of Arm as soon as possible before they can do anything that will be troublesome for me."

Adelaide nodded, listening quietly. 

The troublesome thing that Cale just mentioned was referred to his slacker life, Adelaide suppose.

"You and your younger brother obviously had information that I need. I just want that," Cale stated calmly.

Adelaide looked at Cale's stoic expression for a moment, before humming softly. "Hmm, that's right, Young Master Cale. I understand what you want. So, I will tell you all of the information about Arm that I and Kayden know, then, for exchange…. I will like to ask you something. Just one thing."

Cale subconsciously flinched when he heard that words. 

Wait.

This easy?

But Cale's expression started to change a moment later.

Adelaide Sergio… what was she planning?

"Go ahead," Cale said after being silent for a moment to observe the black-haired lady in front of him. 

Adelaide smiled brightly toward Cale, and Cale suddenly had an ominous feeling about that smile.

Cale started to think that he has made a mistake.

"Alright, what I want is a contract marriage."

"..... excuse me?"

Wait. Who married who?

Cale subconsciously frowned and gave the black-haired lady in front of him a stare full of disbelief. Adelaide just chuckled seeing the red-haired man's dumbfounded expression.

Adelaide casually pointed toward herself. "Me." Then, she pointed her finger toward Cale. "And you."

And Adelaide dropped the bomb with her extremely stunning smile.

"Get married."

Chapter 9: Two Sly Foxes and Their Deal

"Well, we just need to get married until the situation is quite stable. Probably for one or two years? Hmm, one year is enough.” Adelaide nodded to herself while Cale was still full of disbelief.

"... what do you mean with 'until the situation is quite stable'?"

Cale couldn't help but ask with a frown.

"And why do you ask me for a contract marriage instead of something else?"

Something else that makes sense. Cale added on in his mind.

Adelaide sighed. "Young Master Cale, for your information, my brother nearly died when he got caught. The information that he had gathered is very precious, should I sell it to you cheaply? No way."

Cale sighed as well.

Ah, right, this lady in front of him was the daughter of a successful and wealthy merchant in Southern territories after all. It would be weird if Adelaide didn’t good at picking words while making deals with someone.

"I know. But a contract marriage is a bit…" Cale couldn’t continue his word.

Adelaide looked at Cale with disbelief. "Hey, you're the one who mentioned it first, right? Why are you so confused like that? You don't know that what I need the most this time is a husband?"

Cale blankly replied. "I just know that your position as an heiress is not safe…"

Adelaide quietly stared at Cale for a moment, speechless, before she sighed. "Well, alright."

It was unexpected to know that this sly fox didn't know much about her situation, but Adelaide let it go this time.

Adelaide casually waved her hand. "Now, now, I will share my situation with you clearly, Young Master Cale." She said while support chin with a hand that leaned onto the table. She smiled at Cale—that damn, very similar to Alberu's scamming smile. "I'm the first daughter of the Sergio family, and I am originally the heir of Sergio's household.”

Cale quietly listened.

Adelaide then calmly added. "You already know that, right?"

Cale nodded his head. The firstborn in the noble's family usually became the successor if there weren't any special cases like what happened to Cale and Henituse's family.

"The main problem is that I must have a husband to be officially announced as heir.”

Cale flinched this time and looked at Adelaide in shock.

So… two pieces of information that Alberu had told him really were connected.

Adelaide sighed, still annoyed as hell. “One of my cousins two days ago told me that one has to be married to be eligible to become an heir. You can say that it is our family tradition. Unfortunately, I didn’t even know this until two days ago because my father has not told me anything about this tradition although my father had personally chosen me as his heir ever since the beginning.”

Just….what the hell is this?

Henituse's household didn't have a weird tradition like this, thankfully for Basen, so Cale was shocked when he heard Adelaide's words.

Cale probably will run away immediately if Henituse's household had traditions like this and Basen was not there.

Cale suddenly felt pity for the beautiful lady in front of him.

Adelaide shrugged her shoulders when she saw Cale become speechless. “I need a husband immediately because my father will be back from his business trip next week—no, it's three days from today. As soon as he returns, he will hold my wedding ceremony and also the announcement of the next heir. So, yeah, I am in a rush.”

Adelaide seemed to didn’t even bother to give Cale a chance to breathe because she continued to drop another bomb.

"And the other problem that makes me freaking out and immediately searching for a husband is... my friend that originally planned to be my potential husband now has a relationship with my younger sister, Noella Sergio."

'... what the hell?'

Cale, that just a few seconds ago decided to reach for his teacup to calm down himself, spitting out his tea.

So… someone who get engaged with Noella Sergio was originally Adelaide's potential partner?

“Yeah, she is the problem here.”

Adelaide didn't care, she just looked at Cale with an indifferent expression even though what Cale had done was a bit disrespectful.

Cale stared at Adelaide with horror.

"You... had such a terrible life." Cale couldn't help but comment that way, still at a loss of words.

Adelaide chuckled in amusement. "Not at all." She said while casually waving her hand. This was 100 times better than her past life. "So, yeah, I need to find a husband because of that.”

“Hold on. I am curious, why your father didn’t tell you anything?” Cale couldn’t help but ask. “It’s important to you no matter what, am I right?”

Adelaide again sighed and nodded her head. “Of course, because of that, I was very upset when I finally know about this.” She said while brushing her stunning black hair to the back. “I suppose my father was willing to bypass my arranged marriage because he thought I was going to end up with Jerox, my potential partner that I mentioned before. One of my father's butlers said that he was sure my father didn’t expect Noella to end up with Jerox either. This was not a part of his plan, because as I said before, ever since the beginning, father had chosen me as his heir.”

Cale frowned. “Then why are you so in rush to find a husband if that is the case?” he asked, feeling confused. “The Count had chosen you by himself as his heir, Young Lady Adelaide. He won’t change his mind so easily just because your younger sister has a husband and you’re not. You were very potential to become an heir, after all. In my point of view, he won’t let go of you so easily.”

Adelaide smiled bitterly at Cale's serious words. “Well… Young Master Cale, unfortunately for me who know him pretty well, he will. I am pretty sure when he finally hears about Noella and Jerox’s wedding, he will not give Noella a scolding. He will be impressed instead that she managed to pull off such a feat.”

Cale was at a loss of words, again.

He couldn’t help but have a thought.

‘What a crazy household…’

Adelaide’s situation quite reminds him of Taylor Stan and his family. Maybe you could say... this was the sane version of Stan’s household tradition?

Sergio's household was saner because there is no tradition of killing each other like Stan’s household.

“For your information, he is an erratic person with an odd sense of morality. The only reason he chose me as his heir was not that I was his oldest daughter or of direct bloodline, but because he saw that I was a competent worker.” Adelaide couldn’t help but snort softly. “He will lecture me for allowing my potential partner to get stolen by my own sister.”

Cale, again, looked at Adelaide with pity.

Cale suddenly feels relieved because Deruth was his father. Deruth was not the type of a crazy father or a crazy territory lord like Count Sergio.

Adelaide’s situation was quite amusing and made him feel pity for her at the same time.

Cale probably will not still be sane if he was in Adelaide’s position.

“But if I think about it, you have a point too.” Adelaide suddenly said with a relaxed smile. Cale honestly didn’t have an idea how could Adelaide still relax like this even though her situation right now was quite troublesome. “There is no guarantee that Noella will be named the next heir because of her marriage. As you had said, I am a potential heir, and she still loses from me no matter what. But there is no doubt that my father is going to be disappointed in me, so I have no choice but to find another man. He will not be disappointed if I still had a potential partner even if he is not Jerox.”

“... I see.” Cale could only reply to Adelaide’s casual words that way.

However, Cale still had one more question.

“Then… why me?”

Adelaide raised her eyebrow, then chuckled. “You seriously asking me that?”

Cale blinked, and tilted his head in confusion. “… yes?”

Adelaide sighed and shook her head in disbelief, which just made Cale more confused.

“There are no restrictions on who one’s marriage partner can be.” Adelaide started. “My father isn’t concerned about his potential son-in-law not coming from a rich household. I suppose he wouldn’t care. He is already the richest man in the Southern territories after all. But for the sake of Sergio's household pride as noble itself, my potential husband still needs to be from a noble family. In addition, as I said before, my father was willing to bypass my arranged marriage because he thought I was going to end up with Jerox. I can’t stay with Jerox and I will get another man, so I must satisfy my father with my choice. Jerox himself was a very potential husband for me, so, if that is the case…”

Cale frowned. “You need to find someone better than him?”

Adelaide grinned at how sharp Cale was. “Correct.”

Cale couldn’t help but sigh, already getting a headache even though this was not his problem in the first place.

“And coincidentally, you, Young Master Cale Henituse, who is the eldest son of the Henituse’s household and is well-known as a super wealthy family, the Young Master Silver Shield hero that saved the entire Western and Eastern continents, and the super competent young master with an extremely pretty face, offered me a deal first. I’m so grateful.”

Adelaide said with her charming scamming bright smile, clasped her hands together as if she was genuinely grateful.

However, Cale, who knew that Adelaide was oddly similar to himself and his Hyung, certainly knew that was not the case.

‘... this sly fox.’

Cale almost snorted in disbelief.

“Young Lady Adelaide, you’re really…”

Adelaide innocently tilted her head to the side still with her bright smile. "Hmm? Me what?"

Cale just shook his head, speechless.

But Cale Henituse, somehow felt that if he accepted this deal… it was not a bad idea.

Cale didn’t know why he suddenly had this thought, but the fact that Adelaide was similar to him seemed to disturb his mind a little.

It will be beneficial for both sides anyway. Information that Kayden Sergio had gathered was very precious, since he had been injured and nearly dead when he got caught by Arm.

Adelaide Sergio, which pretty much reminds him of a sly fox and seemed to like to play beautifully… would be perfect to be his partner in crime in scamming people. Or this time would be a perfect backup for him to get rid of the remaining forces of Arm.

Even Cale already had the Emperor as his backup, but Adelaide was still pretty useful. Arm—or Lucent, now was in the domain under Adelaide’s family’s control after all.

Kayden Sergio, Adelaide’s younger brother, also would be a very perfect ally since he was able to spy on Arm for a few months—in case there was another troublesome situation waiting.

Sergio’s household power was not a joke either. The wealthy family ruled over the Southern region… it was not a bad idea at all.

It was good to get more allies even though the war already ended. Who knows what was waited in the future, right? Cale obviously didn't want to be involved in war again, but there was nothing wrong to keep strengthening his side.

And this would solve his problem about that annoying rumor as well.

Cale actually got the chills when he heard the rumor that the world peace would be ruined if he didn't get married immediately from Alberu.

So… why not?

Besides, Adelaide only asked him for a contract marriage that would last for at least one year—as she had said, just until Adelaide became the official Countess.

“if I accept this deal…” Cale started to speak. “We will get a divorce after you became the Countess, right?”

Adelaide smiled brightly because she could sense that Cale was going to accept this deal. “That’s right. But I think not too soon though because everyone will be realizing our contract marriage if we get a divorce as soon I become the territory lord. I need to maintain my reputation as well. Right, Young Master Cale?”

Cale nodded his head. “Hmm, that’s right. So I guess… we can get a divorce one year after you become Countess?” he asked with a smirk. If Raon saw this, the young dragon probably would shout that Cale’s smile was so similar to the Emperor Alberu Crossman’s smile.

Adelaide grinned as well. “Sounds good. This is a pretty good deal, isn’t it?”

Cale sighed and brushed his red hair back, couldn’t deny it. “Well… it seems so.”

Adelaide's smile became wider. “So? Are you accept the deal, Young Master Cale?”

“... ha.” Cale scoffed seeing Adelaide’s smile that looked evil to him. “You’re lucky.”

Even though Cale just said one sentence to answer her, Adelaide still could figure out that Cale accepted the deal. Because of that, Adelaide started to giggle happily because her problem would be solved as soon as possible.

“Alright, Young Master Cale, my future husband, thank you for cooperating.” Adelaide happily shook Cale’s hand. “I will prepare the documents for the contract right away.”

Cale started to release his scammer smile as he shook Adelaide’s hand. “Yes, yes, Young Lady Adelaide. But may I ask for another condition as well?”

Adelaide eventually stop shooked Cale’s hand. She stared at Cale with disbelief.

Cale didn’t care and just smiled brightly. “You know, I am not ready to get married yet, even if it is a contract marriage. But you are lucky enough.”

Adelaide looked at Cale with her flat gaze for a moment, before she scoffed in disbelief.

‘Oh, right, didn't I think that I should find a man who is not too talkative or selfish, has to be tall, good-looking, smart, kind, and loyal at first?’

Adelaide couldn’t help but started to pity herself while looking at Cale Henituse’s extremely bright scamming smile.

‘Yes, yes, he is so fucking pretty. He is even more pretty than me. He is also smart, too smart to the point it’s scary. But still… how the fuck I eventually get this sly fox instead?’

Forget kind and unselfish.

Adelaide already knew that Cale Henituse wasn’t an easy person to deal with.

Notes:

Um... hello? It's been a long time, right? First of all, I am sorry for the hiatus. I've been so busy all of this time since I am currently in my senior year, so I apologize for the super late update. Hope you all enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 10: What Would Happen If You Put Two Professional Scammers in the Same Room?

‘This is crazy. Totally crazy.’

Adelaide Sergio truly felt she was been scammed as she began to scribble her signature on her and Cale Henituse’s marriage contract.

Cale Henituse, this bastard was indeed trying to test her patience. Adelaide would surely regret this agreement for the rest of her life, because, 4 crystal also coal mines in Euden that were previously under Adelaide’s name now become assets under Cale’s name.

Yes. This crazy bastard asked her for literal mine. Not only one BUT FOUR MINES. 

Adelaide seriously regretted her choice to offer a contract marriage to this sly young master even before a day has passed. 

He was looting her right away, Goddamn it.

Jerox surely needed to kneel in her feet since—God, because of his change of heart, Adelaide was losing four goddamn mines at once.

“Four mines… ha,” Adelaide snorted in disbelief. “You managed to loot me right away after we reached a deal, how impressive, Young Master Cale.”

Cale nonchalantly shrugged his shoulder as he slump in his seat, he looked very relaxed as if he was ready to fan himself with all of the money that he had looted from Adelaide. He didn’t even flinch when Adelaide mischievously called him with a low tone and voice full of pressure.

“It’s worth a shot. Thank you for these assets, I’ll use them well.” Cale calmly put on his signature, then pushed the contract back to Adelaide as he took a sip of his tea.

Adelaide’s eyebrow twitched in irritation, but she beamed nonetheless. A bright, half-heartedly pretty smile was painted precisely on her face.

“Oh, don’t mention it, Young Master Cale.” Adelaide's eyes formed into a crescent. “I consider it as a dowry.”

Cale choked on his tea.

This one had seriously caught him off-guard.

"I already wrote it in the contract. The mines are all in one; it's my dowry, and it's what you want from me. Isn't it a win-win solution?" Adelaide's smiling eyes were truly vicious. "You got what you want. You must be so happy."

Adelaide continued to show her best smile even after Cale stared at her with full horror.

This sly red fox was too stunned to speak.

“Why, hmm? You’ve already looted me dry," Adelaide chuckled dryly, and Cale was left bewildered in his seat. “Four mines are grand enough for a dowry, don’t you think so? This is a perfect resemblance to the power of Sergio, the wealthiest noble family in the South. You should be grateful, Young Master Cale. I have enough assets to spoil you, and I hope you're the same."

Well… the thing was, if Adelaide already considered these four mines as the marriage gift to her spouse—which was Cale, then Adelaide didn't need to present different assets as her dowry in the future. 

But Cale still needed to present a bridewealth, because for God's sake—bridewealth was a mandatory thing in this world's marriage tradition along with dowry. 

"Oh, and for your information, according to the Traness Empire's laws of marriage, the gift that is presented by the grooms to their spouses must cost higher than the dowry." Adelaide's eyes sparkled brighter than the stars. "And as far as I remember, from my meeting with His Majesty Alberu Crossman exactly three months ago, Roan Empire's laws regarding this matter are pretty much the same. No?"

To put it simpler, Cale was fucked up.

The worst of it all, Adelaide had written all of that in the contract, and Cale already signed it without sparing a single glance.

Adelaide literally scammed him back without any mercy.

What… just what kind of revenge was this? Cale was truly at a loss for words.

“... you truly are a vicious lady.” Cale blankly replied after a brief silence.

"Well, my dear spouse, this is why you need to read every contract carefully."

Adelaide’s nonchalant reply was not helpful at all, Cale swear.

This was the thing that would happen if you put two professional scammers in the same room.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

"What's wrong with your face?" Alberu Crossman frowned from the other side of the video communication device, upon being greeted by the sight of Cale Henituse’s distressed face.

With his eyes closed and back leaning exhaustedly on the couch, Cale answered without even bothering to greet his sworn brother.

"Hyung, I'm fucked up."

"... ???"

Alberu could not help but frown even more.

"What did you do? Didn't you say that you would scam Adelaide Sergio?"

Rosalyn and Choi Han also peeked out with full curiosity, because after finishing his deal with Adelaide, Cale just slammed shut the guest room's door and directly ordered Raon to connect the video communication device to Alberu without explaining anything.

"I do."

"Then, what's the problem, Cale-nim?" Choi Han cautiously asked.

"Did you fail to scam her?" Rosalyn also threw a question immediately.

Cale grimly replied. "She scammed me back."

".... ???? What???"

Alberu was seemingly shocked to the core, and so did Rosalyn and Choi Han. Even the kittens flinched as their big shining eyes stared at Cale with full shock.

Raon even choked on his cookie. 

Except for Alberu, they all already expected that Cale's plan would not go as smoothly as intended because Adelaide Sergio was simply too hard to deal with. But they were still startled knowing Cale was really being scammed by Adelaide when they were away.

Cale then let out an extremely frustrated groan upon remembering what Adelaide had told him before. "Hyung, don't tell me that Roan Empire has such a shitty law regarding marriage that a bridewealth must be costed higher than the dowry."

Silence took over the room for a split second.

Everyone was, literally, too stunned to speak.

What the hell?

Why was Cale Henituse, the one who strongly rejected the idea of getting married a few days ago, suddenly mentioning the law regarding marriage? 

And… didn't Cale say before that Adelaide Sergio had scammed him back?

"Young Master…" Rosalyn weakly muttered. "What is exactly your deal with Lady Adele, I wonder? Don't tell me it's a contract marriage."

Cale blankly answered. "It is."

Everyone fell silent once again.

Alberu's mouth was repeatedly opened and closed a few times before he began to throw questions in a low voice. "Cale Henituse, answer me precisely. You and Lady Sergio… will get married?"

"Yes."

"Because you want to put that goddamn stupid rumors and the remaining forces of Arm to their ends, while Lady Sergio wants to become the head of the family?"

"Yes."

"And you wanted to loot her at first but ended up getting looted by her instead?"

"Yes."

Alberu then sighed, his voice weakened. "How?"

Cale clicked his tongue, which certainly showed how badly the Sergio family's firstborn had gotten on his nerves.

"A contract marriage is a heavy matter, so I decided to ask a condition that would be more beneficial for me, which is to lead to four gigantic mines in Euden placed under my name."

Raon's jaws dropped, bewildered.

His guardian's scamming skill was just… scary as hell.

"But she then wrote one more condition, which is stated that…" Cale let out an exasperated sigh. "The four mines I had asked for, are considered as her dowry."

Choi Han was freaked out. "What the hell—Cale-nim?????"

On dramatically covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped in horror.

"She did what????" Even Alberu was caught off-guard.

Hong frowned. "Noona, what is dowry?"

"A bride's gift for her groom when they are about to marry," On answered, still stunned knowing how far Adelaide had scammed her guardian. "Woah, Cale… that's bad. The Imperial law…."

On could not finish her sentence, and Alberu finished it for her.

"It's the same as Traness. You must at least give her five estates, or a whole island under her name."

Cale chuckled dryly. "Indeed. I'm fucked up."

Rosalyn shook her head in disbelief. "Young Master Cale, she literally… looted you dry."

"... Human, do you want me to kill her?" Raon asked after falling silent all of this time. "She's nice and beautiful, but she scammed you! I must do something!"

Cale sighed once again. He began to pat Raon's head and ruffled his black hair—he was still in his human form. "No, no need. I would lose my perfect backup to fight Arm if she died."

"What will you do, then, Cale-nim?" Choi Han asked.

Cale calmly hugged Raon closer to his chest and closed his eyes once again. "Give her a goddamn island, what else?"

Rosalyn and Alberu grimaced, pitying the former commander's unfortunate state in silence.

"Cale, it's quite funny how you end up getting married when you previously did not want to," On suddenly broke the brief silence.

Choi Han nodded in agreement. "It's also funny to imagine how the rest of our family will react when Cale-nim comes back home with his marriage news."

Alberu shrugged his shoulders. "It will be chaotic for sure."

Rosalyn winced. "Super chaotic."

"Ugh, stop."

Cale groaned, making Raon quickly pat his cheek out of pity and Hong caressed his arm to calm him down.

 

Chapter 11: A Series of Chaos

Notes:

Hello, my dear readers! How have you been? I am here to drop a new chapter after a fucking two-month hiatus haha *laugh awkwardly. I am sorry for the delay, hope you enjoy!

"What kind of shit that Cale Henituse had said to you!? Move, I'll kill him."

 

Adelaide Sergio could only sigh in defeat as she stood right in front of her younger brother's bedroom's door, blocked the exit access from Kayden Sergio who had already forgotten about his injuries and now was busy wreaking havoc.

 

"Calm down, can't you?" Adelaide quickly blocked Kayden's arm from reaching the door behind her back. 

 

"Adele, have you lost your sanity somewhere!?" Kayden didn't even budge. He was still furiously trying to break out of his bedroom and go straight to Cale Henituse; the main culprit of this havoc—aside from his crazy eldest sister. "Marrying him? Are you fucking serious?"

 

Adelaide sighed once again, still had her patience intact as she calmly locked Kayden's arms with her full strength. Since Kayden was still injured, his body was quite weak compared to his usual strength to the point Adelaide could lock him down at once. 

 

Kayden, being extremely stubborn as he always be, ignoring the pain that crawled his body as he tried to push Adelaide away—strongly but carefully so that he wouldn't ever hurt Adelaide in any way.

 

His inside was boiled with anger. Kayden knew his sister. There was no way Adelaide would come up with a marriage plan this easily. His composed and clever sister never once was this reckless. 

 

Adelaide said it before too. Cale Henituse was a professional scammer. According to Adelaide herself, Cale was not someone with the typical pure heart of a hero. 

 

Cale Henituse must have provoked her in one way or another to the point Adelaide agreed to get married with him—or coming up with a plan of marriage with whatever deal it was.

 

That was why Kayden felt the overwhelming urge to snap that one hero's neck with his sword right now.

 

"Adele, move. I am going to end him."

 

"Kayden, you've said it yourself that we need to use Cale," Adelaide mentioned their conversation yesterday, her eyes were dead-end serious. "I reconsider that and then make a super beneficial deal with him. I am the one who first offered him a business marriage because marriage is the way to finish all of my problems at once."

 

"Damn it, you even the one who came up with that idea!? Marriage is a heavy matter for you to deal with!" Kayden yelled in disbelief, rather frustrated. "What's your problem aside from Lucent, anyways? Jerox? Why in the world are you, of all people, going this far just because that piece of shit chose Noella instead of you!? I think you don't care! Since when did Jerox become that important to you?"

 

Adelaide's eyebrows started to twitch in annoyance. She finally lost her patience. This ruckus was so damn pointless.

 

"Kayden, watch your mouth," hissed Adelaide with her pink eyes that started to glow dangerously—matched with Kayden's blood-red eyes who were radiating a pretty much same glow. "You got me wrong enough to the point I got the right to be mad over that. Indeed, I don't care—at first. I would never care if only our family didn't have such a shitty tradition which stated that the rightful heir of our family needs to be married!"

 

Kayden's brutal efforts to move Adelaide from the door were stopped at once. "Wait—what?"

 

Adelaide scoffed upon seeing Kayden's shocked face, cynically presenting a sneer. "You heard it right. I need to be married to be officially announced as the heir. The thing is, you knew all too well that the heiress position is everything for me, right, Kayden?" 

 

Adelaide's hands were now placed gently on her younger brother's shoulders, knowing that deep down he was in pain even though his boiled anger stopped him from being able to feel all of that clearly. 

 

"Marriage is a heavy matter. I know. Unlike Noella, I still use my brain so damn well," Adelaide continued with a low voice. "And Cale Henituse uses his either. We are both adults and know what to do. This is just a business marriage, Kayden. Cale Henituse's name will only be written as my spouse on a piece of paper for one year. We even have an official contract that we have signed by ourselves in order to keep everything in line."

 

Kayden was at a loss for words.

 

Adelaide was always thoughtful with all of her plans, yet Kayden didn't even dare to imagine that Adelaide would go this far.

 

Adelaide's voice was now softened a bit after seeing Kayden was finally quiet and listening to her.

 

"We are married to achieve our own goals. I want to completely grasp the heiress position in my hands, while Cale Henituse wants to end Lucent as soon as possible. This is beneficial for both sides, and I repeat, we have a contract to keep everything under control." Adelaide sighed. "So, don't you dare to lay your hands on him. Remember, Kayden. Without Cale Henituse, we would already fucked up."

 

Kayden eventually clicked his tongue in defeat. But there was no way he would show it, so he harshly took Adelaide's hand off his shoulder and pushed her away without saying anything.

 

This time, Adelaide resigned herself out of the doorway since she was sharp enough to realize that the fire in Kayden's gaze had died out. 

 

Kayden still could hear Adelaide's voice when he walked away without placing any care on his injured body. 

 

"Keep my words in mind, Kayden! And I will kill you myself if you come back without your consciousness intact."

 

Kayden brushed off her words like those were nothing.

 

She was right.

 

Without Cale Henituse, that damned hero who has saved two continents as whole, their household may already have burned down into ashes by now.

 

And Kayden hated that fact.

***

"Sister, may I come in?"

 

Adelaide felt like she was close to smashing the table in front of her with her teacup.

 

Another nuisance came on her way today.

 

Clicking her tongue, Adelaide tried to control her tone of voice as she answered Noella's sudden call from behind her bedroom's door.

 

"Sure."

 

Noella Sergio's innocent face greeted her one moment later, and Adelaide tried her best to not scoff in irritation.

 

"What's the matter, Noella?" Adelaide calmly asked, her delicate fingers boredly twirling the quill in her hand. 

 

Since she could not delay her father's return, Adelaide needed to work hard for the upcoming days so that her wedding preparation would be at least half-done when her father showed up.

 

There were a lot of things that Adelaide needed to take care of, starting from managing the invitations and the attires, preparing the places, and so on.

 

Adelaide and Cale already picked the dates for the engagement party and the wedding day, so Adelaide was busy reviewing things alone tonight.

 

Adelaide actually liked to manage things on her own, but since a wedding needed to be taken care of by both sides, Adelaide decided to make a list of options for Cale to choose and throw her offers one by one naturally on their meetings later on.

 

Cale was not the type of person who was bothered to work his ass off for this kind of thing, Adelaide suppose, so she decided to become kind enough and took good care of most of their wedding preparations.

 

"Um, Sister, actually, I want to check up on Kayden—but he's nowhere to be found so I am worried…" Noella said while fidgeting her fingers, teary-eyed. "Do you by any chance know his whereabouts?"

 

Adelaide raised one eyebrow, lazily replied. "Well, no. But I know he is out at the moment." Tearing her gaze away from Noella, Adelaide then continued her work. "You can go check up on him tomorrow morning, I guess. He should be back tonight."

 

Silence took over for a moment, and Adelaide couldn't help but frown a little. She cautiously raised her head, and found Noella was on the verge of crying.

 

Adelaide began to be stunned for a moment, almost letting out an exasperated sigh combined with a swear because she could tell that Noella was already eager to start another drama.

 

Shit. Here we go again.

 

"Sister… are you mad with me?"

 

No. I am used to your scheme. Just fucking get out.

 

Adelaide swallowed the words she almost threw out from her throat.

 

"No, I am not." Adelaide answered patiently with her bright, half-heartedly smile.

 

"But you're so cold toward me…" Noella barely whispered, voice and eyes raw with tears. "I am sorry, Sister. My feelings for Jerox must have burdened you a lot…"

 

Adelaide suddenly thought that smashing Noella head's with the quill in her hand was not a bad choice, but she calmed herself down eventually.

 

She wouldn't need to kill Noella by herself, anyway, since Noella was destined to die in this world. 

 

It was better to be patient.

 

"Noella, we have talked about this before," Adelaide replied, there was no interest found in her voice. "I am fine. Unlike me and Jerox, you two are truly in love, after all. I don't want to be a cruel older sister by stopping my own sister from getting together with the man she wanted."

 

Noella sobbed, still all teary as if she was truly feeling guilty while in fact, she had schemed all of this thoroughly.

 

Adelaide suddenly felt the urge to slap Noella right in the face with her words for the final strike, upon seeing that pitiful sight.

 

Thus, Adelaide Sergio started to grinning mischievously.

 

"Besides, I have someone that I want to be with, too, and it's not Jerox. So, I thought it would be unfair if I stopped you from marrying Jerox while I myself will get married in near future."

 

Adelaide could tell that Noella nearly got a heart attack, and Adelaide could not help but chuckle with a satisfied amusement.

 

"Oh, actually, I will announce this once Father is returned. But I can't stop myself, my bad. I am so thrilled to share this joyous news." Adelaide covered the wide grin that plastered on her face elegantly with her hand, giggled as if she was truly being in love with Cale. "Can't you keep this as a secret between sisters, Noella?"

 

"Sister… just what—" Noella stuttered, voice all shaky with utter confusion. She was shocked to the core, much for Adelaide's liking. She probably didn't expect that Adelaide would find someone to replace Jerox's position as her fiancé this fast. 

 

Because… for God's sake, where did Adelaide find that man?

"I mean—who? And how?" Noella later on hurriedly added before Adelaide could throw a reply. "Oh, Sister, don't get me wrong. I am happy and excited for you, but you know… this is too sudden…"

 

'Yeah. Of course. You didn't see that coming, huh?' Adelaide evilly laughed internally. 'You think you have already won? Over my dead body, Noella.'

 

"It's… a love at first sight. When I met him, I thought I had something inside me that just clicked. Like meeting a soulmate. We're similar in many ways, from way of thinking, goals, and background… just like a matching piece of puzzle. We have only met a few times, but all of our meetings were so memorable. I kept replaying his gorgeous smile and his brilliant red hair all night long. I think he was the one, so yeah, it happened just like that." Adelaide chuckled, casually plotted an entire romance novel. "Quite romantic, isn't it?"

 

Adelaide was truly enjoying the sight in front of her now. The way all of the colors were washed away from Noella's face, and the way her pupils shook with horror… Adelaide liked it way too much.

 

"Brilliant… red hair? Don't tell me…"

 

Noella may be lame and stupid, but she at least could connect the dots once she heard the words 'brilliant red hair'.

 

Adelaide was now releasing her refreshed smile openly, as if mocked Noella's crumbled faith.

 

"Yeah. I fell in love with Cale Henituse, and I wish to be with him for a very long time. I wish to protect him with all my might, so do he. He is mine, and I am his, with love."

 

This was Adelaide Sergio's way of giving Noella the real warning.

 

A warning that Cale Henituse was hers, and Noella should be wise enough by not carelessly touched Cale in any way that possible.

 

Adelaide was already kind enough to let her have Jerox, and now, Adelaide would never let her have Cale Henituse.

 

Because for Noella, Cale and Adelaide's relationship was made out of love, so it was impossible for her to separate them like what she did once with Adelaide and Jerox.

 

Adelaide was once again one step ahead. She won.

 

Adelaide Sergio proudly exclaimed that Cale Henituse was hers just to give a warning to her snake-like sister.

 

Cale, who was standing in front of the bedroom door—ready to knock the door but held himself back because he realized that Adelaide and Noella were having a serious conversation regarding his and Adelaide's plan of marriage inside there—could recognize that ulterior motive of Adelaide right away, but he found it strange that his heart was beating way too fast for his unliking, along with an unfamiliar yet warm feelings that started to crawled on his chest.

 

What was it again, soulmate? Brilliant red hair? Gorgeous smile?

 

Cale sneered, brushing that strange feeling away immediately.

 

Don't make me laugh, Adelaide. You've already looted a whole island from me without any mercy. That audacity to exclaim that I am yours out of love…

 

It was just funny, and quite impressive.

 

Adelaide Sergio was always clever with her words. 

 

Cale could firmly say he was not moved in one way or another just because of hearing that statement.

 

Gorgeous? Cale Henituse, this body, did indeed have that kind of look. 

 

It was only natural. It was not new. 

 

But… 'mine', huh?

 

Cale Henituse never used to that kind of phrase.

 

Cale Henituse never belonged to anyone. 

 

Even when he was still Kim Rok-Soo, or when he possessed the body he was currently in.

 

And to make it funny, someone who had looted a whole island from him was the one who first said that Cale Henituse belonged to her.

 

Even when it was just a scheme… deep down, he could not completely brush away the truth that it was difficult for Cale to come back to his senses upon hearing that shocking statement. 

 

Simply because he never used to that kind of phrase.

 

It was something new, and the strange feelings in his chest were not helpful either.

 

Cale ended up sighed in disbelief.

 

Ha. Seemed like Cale needed to tell Adelaide to replace her bedroom door with a thicker wood so that it could muffle sound from inside the room much better. 

Chapter 12: A Conflicted Red Fox

Notes:

Hello! I am sorry if this chapter feels a little messy, because I am currently away from my laptop and I wrote this by my phone which don't have any grammar checker installed. A million thanks for my beloved readers' understanding!

"Oh, Young Master Cale!" 

Noella, still with her color-drained face, almost got a heart attack for the second time once she bid goodbye to Adelaide and exited her sister's room only to be greeted by the figure of Cale Henituse, who was calmly leaning his slim body against the wall beside the door.

Cale gave a faint smile for formality, nodding slightly in greeting Noella. "Hello, Young Lady Noella. My apologies for surprising you."

"Ah—oh, it's fine," Noella stuttered, smiling back in order to hide her shock. "Are you here to meet Adele?"

"Yes," Cale answered firmly. 

But he almost jumped in shock a moment later because Adelaide Sergio suddenly popped her head from behind the door and looked at him in surprise. 

"Cale? What are you doing here, love?" She exclaimed, wide-eyed. 

Even when she was surprised, it was quite amusing how she still managed to put a facade by calling Cale without any formality and even added that 'love' thing at the end of her sentence.

This young lady's composure was seriously no joke.

Cale cleared his throat a bit before opening his mouth to speak as gently as possible.

"Don't we need to make a list of guests, Adele?" Cale asked, hiding his growing awkwardness because he didn't know what to do if it came to things like this. "I am here to help you."

Cale used to put on a mask in order to scam people, but acting like a couple with someone was a brand new problem.

Adelaide deep down could notice Cale's slight awkwardness, so she beamed and started her show.

Cale secretly flinched with his pair of reddish-brown eyes that widened in surprise as Adelaide came closer while hugging his arm affectionately.

"Aw, how sweet of you, Cale," Adelaide chuckled as she deliberately gave Noella a half mocked stare. "Ah, Noella, it's getting late. You should go to your room, no need to worry about Kayden. I need some time alone with my fiance as well, I beg your understanding."

"Oh—yeah, sure! Adele, sure thing," Noella giving a quick nod awkwardly before running away. "Enjoy your time, I'll take my leave. Good night!"

Adelaide relaxedly waved her hand as Noella turned away in a flash.

"... so, it's started?"

Cale suddenly broke the growing silence that took over the hallway after Noella was nowhere to be seen.

Adelaide turned her head and looked over Cale, before chuckled casually and pulled the taller one into the room. 

After closing the door and turning around, Adelaide smiled. "Yes. It's finally time for the show."

Cale could not help but snorted. "You scare me," he commented. "Did you take an acting lesson or something?"

"Acting is a fundamental expertise for a noble, Young Master Cale," Adelaide relaxedly replied, walking to her study-bench and sat down. "Now, what do you want?"

Cale sighed, ruffling his shoulder-length hair as he recalled Rosalyn's words before he decided to come here after the not so wonderful battle with Lucent.

 

"Young Master Cale, don't you need to take care of the preparation along with Lady Adele? Even when it's… you know, a marriage based on contract, I think your contribution is still needed."

“Oh, right. I will catch up to her.”

“Tomorrow?”

“No?” Cale frowned. “Tonight.”

It was weird for Cale to seeing how Rosalyn freaked out afterwards. “What—tonight??? Young Master, I said you need to help him but not right after a battle—”

“The soon it settled is better.”

 

Well, putting aside that brief ruckus at the end, she was right. Cale was the groom, after all. It was improper if he just sat cross-legged, focusing on wiping away Lucent while waiting for Adelaide to call him.

Since Adelaide already gave him a list of information about Lucent that were all fatal, all that left for Cale to do was, actually, wipe away Lucent completely.

And he already did it.

Adelaide didn't ask him for something else back then, and otherwise said that she would take care of their marriage preparation so he didn't need to be worried.

He was busy and Adelaide already said she would take care of it, indeed, but this marriage was one thing. 

They would soon be a husband and wife on a mere paper, but Cale knew that he had the pretty much same responsibility as the real husbands out there.

Marriage couldn't be done only by one side.

"I said it before. I am here to help you prepare things."

Adelaide was quite surprised. "Is that so?"

It simply didn't cross Adelaide's mind that Cale would willingly help her without her ever asking.

Cale Henituse was, well, nonchalant.

Adelaide thought, if she already said that Cale's help was not needed, Cale would simply go straight with it and mind his own business. He only needed to take care of Lucent, positioning himself as her partner, and there was nothing left for Cale to do aside from slacking off.

She was the one who asked him that first, anyway. It was only natural if Cale, of all people, would be super indifferent and only came once in a blue moon to check.

Furthermore, they were alike. Adelaide was finally being nonchalant with things regarding Lucent because Cale was the one who had solved it with his party, while Cale didn't need to put any concern on their marriage preparations in return.

Adelaide thought their way of thinking would be the exact same considering their alike demeanors, but she realized that was not the case. No matter how similar they were, their way of thinking couldn't be the same all the time.

"Seems like you need to replace your bedroom door with a thicker wood," Cale didn't even bother to respond to Adelaide's surprised exclamation, sitting cross-legged on the sofa near her study. "The sound from inside your room cannot be completely muffled, by the way."

Adelaide blinked, blankly answered. "Well… okay?"

“Good. Here a list of guests from my side,” Cale took out an envelope from inside his pocket, showing it playfully to Adelaide with his slender fingers. “Not everyone included, anyway. I already select it carefully.”

“Wow, alright. Throw it to me,” Adelaide grinned, she was joyful because her works would be done soon enough with the help of him. 

Cale flinched, looked at Adelaide with utter disbelief. “Throw it?”

“Yeah.” Adelaide winked. “I am lazy to get up, so do you.”

“... oh, right, nice info.” Cale blankly responded, still felt dumbfounded by this new side of Adelaide but decided to threw the envelope in his hand nonetheless.

Adelaide catch it without any difficulity, calmly opened the content inside even though she already had an mysterious ominous feeling upon could feeling how thick the envelope was.

As expected, that composure didn’t stay much longer.

Adelaide was close to throw the papers in her hand once she took a look to the list of guests.

“... what the actual fuck.”

Cale blinked innocently, tilted his head without any care in the world as he looked at how freaked out Adelaide was. “What?”

Adelaide looked at Cale with horror, was speechless for a moment before managed to opened her mouth and spoke. “You—God, seriously?” Adelaide dramatically waved the papers in her hand. “Why are there so many world leaders, rare species, and even fucking dragons, coming to this wedding???”

Cale was silent for a moment. He stared at Adelaide with utter confusion that to be completely honest, was successful to send Adelaide into a full frustration.

“Is there something wrong with that?”

This brat—

Adelaide gulped down her line of swear, was at complete loss of words.

Cale Henituse was the weirdest person she had known her whole life.

Was there any normal people that would so confidently and calmly asked if something was wrong when he was literally brought so many important and dangerous people on his side?

This man terrified Adelaide to the core.

The list that he brought to her could even be compared to Kayden’s list of crimes, seriously.

“Do you think nothing is wrong when you inviting these people—no, I mean, nevermind.” Adelaide sighed, tried to calmed her growing frustration. Quite ridiculous how they were not even married yet but Adelaide was already at this stress rate. This man was seriously no joke. “But one question. You got a lot of people on your side, Young Master Cale, and didn’t you said that… not all of your party are included on this list?”

Cale slowly answered, blankly. He was dumbfounded once again looked at Adelaide’s dramatic response. “Yeah…?” 

Adelaide jaw’s dropped, and Cale felt the urge to explaining further somehow—even when it was completely no use.

“Well, you know… there are some people who can easily lost their mind at some point so I think I need to put them away in order to not turning our wedding into a complete chaos…” Cale frowned a little, already shuddered at the thought of what kind of mess that people as Clopeh Sekka could caused at his wedding. It was horrible even on his imagination. “My people and family are a lot, indeed, and a lot of them are lunatics, too.”

“... Young Master Cale.” Adelaide called him after a brief silence. She grimaced a little. “I guess there’s really nothing wrong as your family are indeed… that big, and the family from my side are also full of lunatics so I won’t complain. I am just surprised. In my whole life, I couldn’t even imagine I could meeting a fucking dragon—the adult one even, on my wedding day.”

Her whole life was a joke. 

Adelaide was having a serious internal crisis.

Cale awkwardly replied. “Well, good, thank you for your understanding.”

Adelaide laughed bitterly. “Yeah, Young Master, don’t mention it.”

Cale cleared his throat. He felt weird about how an unwanted desire was slowly occupying his heart.

The desire to hear Adelaide called him by his name once again. 

How odd.

There was nothing special with his name.

Yet, why when that name of his slipped from Adelaide's lips, it felt strangely warm?

Cale didn't want to think about it much further, thus, he decided to make Adelaide continue to call him by the name so that he wouldn't feel weird everytime Adelaide addressed him with 'young master' or something similar.

It would help the two of them to get used to acting as a couple in front of other people as well.

It wouldn't bring any harm… right?

"Mm, I think it's fine to call each other by name at this point. It will become quite helpful considering we will be acting up as a couple often."

Adelaide felt no objection toward Cale's sudden suggestion. "I guess so, Cale."

Ah. There it goes. That warm, ticklish feeling.

It was strange and unfamiliar, but Cale oddly didn't feel any urge to brush it off as he always did.

It was hard to admit, but Cale liked that feeling. 

A little, he guess.

“The invitations will be ready in one day or so,” Adelaide pushed her source of headache away before turned toward Cale again. “Anyway, Cale, how’s Lucent? You already took care of them?”

Cale nodded as a response. "Yes. I took good care of it. Don't worry, Adele, it was all solved."

Adelaide calmly asked for the details. "How? Do you blow up their base?"

Cale innocently blinked, nonchalantly answered. "More like setting their base on fire with thunderbolts."

Adelaide felt weird to be startled by that statement. Cale Henituse and his party were indeed brutal. There was no need to be shocked, actually.

“Okay. Good. But don't you feel tired? I think you need some rest before helping me,” Adelaide tried to be considerate. This man was her future spouse, after all. “Is that red on your clothes blood, anyway?”

Cale Henituse was indeed weird.

His clothes was quite messed up with blood, yet he still come here.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot to change my clothes.” Cale said as he sighed and ruffling his messy yet gorgeous red hair. “I rushed here immediately as soon as I came back.”

Well, Cale thought it was better to finish things at once and rest afterwards. 

Once he was done setting Lucent’s base on fire with his powerful Fire of Destruction, Cale immediately rushed to his room and preparing list of guests, then walked toward Adelaide’s room. 

As long as he had time, it was better to put out rest from his priority for a brief moment.

Even when he was bleeding a little in the midst of battle back then, Cale felt he was fine as hell so it was not a big deal to come to Adelaide tonight.

But if he thought about it now…. he should have changed his clothes first.

How dedicated. Adelaide blankly stared at Cale with utter disbelief, while the red-haired man silently regretted his own decision.

"Oh, right, Adele." Cale straightened his back once he recalled something. "Do you want any specific island?"

"... huh?" Adelaide blinked, turned her head with confusion. "What islan—no, what do you mean, Cale?"

Cale held back the urge to give her his bombastic side eye. She was the one who first schemed him to this extent, yet she nonchalantly forgot it?

This woman seemed to have a capability to get on his nerves quite easily sometimes.

"Bold of you to forget about how you have looted a whole island from me."

Adelaide fell silent for a brief moment.

Oh.

Right. She had looted him dry.

"Ah, my apologies, I forgot." Adelaide awkwardly chuckled, trying to hide her growing excitement. "So, you decided to purchase an island as your bridewealth? That's unexpected."

Cale couldn't help but snorted in disbelief.

Little did she know, Cale could notice the sly, dangerous gleam on her eyes right away. 

"I am indeed rich, but having five estates under my name is a whole different thing, Adele. I consider presenting properties such as estates as my bridewealth is a brand new headache, since there would be a lot of stressful documents that I need to take care of first and you know all too well that I wouldn't even bother." Cale was always nonchalant and straight-forward. "Purchasing an island is so much easier for me to do, and I guess it's more fitting to your standard, no?"

Adelaide's smile grew wider, and she didn't even bother to hide it. 

Woah, this was crazy. With this marriage, Adelaide even got a whole island under her name?

Adelaide knew it. Cale was quite hard to deal with, but he was everything that Adelaide could wish for as her spouse. 

"How thoughtful of you, Cale," Adelaide laughed blissfully. Cale could tell she was genuinely happy about this matter. 

Well, who wouldn't? 

"Yes, I am so damn thoughtful." Cale nodded his head boredly. "Now, tell me what you want."

"Anything is fine," Adelaide shrugged her shoulders. Her delighted grin still plastered on her face. "I am fine with any location as well. As long as it's still an island. I trust your preference!" 

Cale could only blankly stare at how Adelaide happily raised a thumb up.

Ha. Look at this brat.

"Oh, right, Cale, how about holding the wedding there as well?" Adelaide continued with full excitement. "The view will become so wonderful."

"Well, if that's what you want, go ahead," Cale nonchalantly replied. "Just make sure to make it grand enough."

Adelaide grinned. "You can count on me for that matter!" She was so enthusiastic to the point Cale felt like he was facing a bright, innocent child. "Two rich families will unite as one, anyway. How could our wedding not be grand enough to make everyone squinting their eyes? I will make it more grand than any royal wedding!"

Cale chuckled in amusement. He found it cute how Adelaide happily babbled about her desire to make their wedding super grand. 

She was indeed in a good mood after knowing she would get a free island from Cale. It was only natural if she became that full of glee.

But even Cale himself didn't realize how his gaze had softened once that pair of reddish-brown eyes laid toward Adelaide Sergio.