The Northern Grand Duke’s Crazy Son-in-Law

6. Adrianna

Ashley tidied up the bed as soon as she woke up. The bed was nothing more than a pile of straw with a worn-out cloth on top.

The other children woke up one by one. The children, who had only nodded at each other, moved around busily. One child put firewood under the cauldron, and another child put stale bread in the stew that was frozen solid.

It was a precise division of labor. Except for one person-.

Thud. A woman was sleeping in the center, snoring loudly.

“Gwen must be tired.”

“She’s terrible at housework, so of course she’s tired since she’s working as a maid.”

The child burst into laughter at Ashley’s response.

It was no joke. Gwen was a kind woman who would go hungry herself to feed the village orphans, but she was awful at chores.

She would break the broom when she cleaned and break the dishes when she washed them. It was still a mystery how Gwen had become a maid.

“I heard she’s in charge of the man from the Empire. She said she’ll really get it this time if she makes a mistake?”

“······She’s been given plenty of chances. But a man from the Empire?”

“You know, right? Adrianna’s fiancé.”

“Marriage? Oh, the pillar husband.”

“Shhh! You can’t say things like that!”

Ashley covered the child’s mouth at the vulgar word.

In the north, the resentment towards the Empire was similar to or even worse than that towards the demons. In such a situation, the news that the hero Adrianna was marrying an Imperial wizard was quite shocking. It was like she was marrying a monster that was a combination of the Empire and the demons.

That’s why people called him the pillar husband. It was a phrase that insulted Adrianna as well, but out of sight, out of mind.

“I got it! I got it!”

The child pouted as he grumbled. Ashley let out a small sigh and turned to Gwen.

‘How does she sleep like that?’

She clicked her tongue at the sight of Gwen, whose skirt was twisted and her stomach exposed.

“Gwen. Wake up. You have to go to work. You have to feed us.”

“Ughhh··· Just a little longer······.”

“Gwen-.”

Gwen opened her eyes only after much shaking. Her eyes were still dull.

Ashley clicked her tongue and flicked her finger.

The children helped Gwen to sit down. One child rinsed Gwen’s mouth with a refreshing-tasting wood, another child tidied Gwen’s hair. There was even a child who lifted her eyelids.

It was a perfect division of labor.

Gwen didn’t lift a single finger but became neat and tidy.

“I have taken care of the Imperial people.”

“Ooh.”

“You can speak while you chew.”

Gwen nodded, her mouth full of bread.

“Mhm, I’m in charge.”

Gwen’s face was a bit dark as she answered.

“Is something wrong?”

Gwen looked around. Then Ashley waved his hand and sent the children away.

“······I think he wants me.”

Gwen spoke very carefully. Her face was full of worry.

Ashley looked at Gwen. She certainly had a pretty face.

However, it was full of sadness and melancholy. It was a depressing atmosphere that made it hard to breathe just by looking at her.

Moreover, wasn’t her counterpart Adrianna’s marriage partner?

There was no way he would choose Gwen over Adrianna.

She must be mistaken. Gwen often had strange delusions.

“He is to be Lady Adrianna’s husband··· Ah··· Why is this happening······?”

Gwen was in such a state that she would never listen to other people’s stories, so there was no point in telling her.

“If it really won’t work, let’s talk about us.”

“About you guys?”

“You said you have a lot of orphans to look after. If they found out that you’re an unmarried woman with baggage, wouldn’t they drop you right away?”

Gwen’s big eyes blinked. Ah, that was a mistake. Ashley muttered quietly.

“How dare you call yourselves baggage! You’re all my precious children!”

“Okay, okay. Don’t cry. I get it.”

Ashley and the children had no choice but to hug the crying Gwen for a long time.

Ashley apologized quietly to the children’s accusing eyes.

“You must never do anything bad! And don’t worry about money, I’ll earn it somehow, so do what you want to do! But no magic!! Magic!”

Gwen let go of them only after repeating that magic was absolutely forbidden about ten more times.

Usually it was five times, but it had doubled.

***

‘Done.’

Galahad looked at the determination in his hand and smiled broadly.

This was the first time he had felt such a high concentration of mana, so it had taken longer than he expected.

Galahad put a cigarette in his mouth and flicked his finger. A fire twice as large as usual flared up.

He hadn’t fully realized it yet, but its potential for growth was clear.

Now his mana had doubled, but instead he could unleash twice the firepower.

At first glance, it seemed obvious, but magic wasn’t a simple concept where doubling the mana would double the firepower. If that were the case, it would have been the era of the magicians in the first place.

To the doubled mana concentration-.

Sizzle!

“It’s Gwen.”

She turned her head, and Gwen appeared, hiding a plate behind her back.

“······Eat.”

As always, the meal was all on one plate. She must have come in holding three-.

“It’s undercooked again.”

Galahad flicked his fingers, creating a small flame. The flame danced as if it was alive and caressed the meat. A savory smell wafted through the air.

Gwen, who had been staring blankly, shut her eyes tightly. Her eyelids fluttered. She looked like a priestess facing a demon.

“Is the abundant mana due to the thick mana concentration in the North?”

The mana pool wasn’t the issue. What a mage needed was mana sensitivity. Not everyone who possessed mana could sense it.

Everyone had mana, but those with mana sensitivity were rare. One could only walk the path of a mage if they could sense mana.

But Gwen, although very clumsy and unstable, followed Galahad’s magic all at once. Even for Galahad, it was impossible.

“This nerd, a real genius?”

Galahad narrowed his eyes and observed Gwen. Gwen was crouching down, watching him cautiously.

“I need to take care of her.”

He didn’t know how things would go, but he would definitely be in the North for quite some time.

It was a bit bothersome that the girl was so timid, but a genius was a genius. It was a talent he had never seen even in the academy.

“Was she born in the North?”

He couldn’t even guess where this would end. He definitely needed to take care of her.

The problem was that her aversion to magic was serious. Gwen would cover her eyes or flinch whenever she saw magic. It was quite a mess.

“Gwen.”

“Y-yes?!!”

Gwen jumped up at the sound of her name.

Was she doing something bad? Gwen avoided his gaze as Galahad narrowed his eyes. He could see a broken bowl behind her. It was something Gwen always did.

“Would you like to learn magic? You’re terribly untalented at being a maid, but you have a natural talent for magic.”

“Magic?”

Gwen’s face, which had been blinking for a moment, turned as red as a tomato. It was a reaction as if she had been terribly insulted.

“······Magic is the filth of the demons, or so they say. They say mages feed on the filth of the demons···.”

Gwen shouted in a tearful voice, speaking clearly as if she was about to cry.

“It’s true that mages originated from the demons, but even so, isn’t ‘filth’ a bit much?”

“Th-that’s not it! I didn’t mean to insult you, Sir Galahad! There’s just such a rumor!”

“Even so, ‘dung’ is a bit much.”

“No! That’s··· I’m sorry! Punish me!”

Gwen suddenly banged her head on the floor. It made quite a loud sound.

Gwen was terrible at everything else, but she was excellent at apologizing. Gwen prostrated herself on the floor, completely flat.

“Her aversion is worse than I thought.”

Did her parents get killed by a mage? This was getting annoying. Galahad clicked his tongue.

He had no intention of forcing her. There was no need to be in the first place.

The allure of magic was stronger than anything else. It wasn’t something one could ignore.

A mage had no choice but to become a mage.

All Galahad had to do was continue exposing her to magic.

As he was tidying up his thoughts while looking at Gwen, she suddenly curled up.

“And I have about eight children under my care, so I can’t! They’re all cute and pretty kids!”

“You take care of orphans? How kind.”

“······Yes?”

Gwen’s eyes shook violently.

‘Can I tempt her with money?’

Galahad looked at Gwen’s big eyes and raised the corners of his mouth.

Thanks to his retirement pay, he had more than enough money.

“Then you must need a lot of money. Would it be okay if I gave you money?”

“Yes? Then how much······. Oh! No! I’m not something to be sold!”

“I can give you a lot.”

“·········How much are you talking about?”

“How much do you think?”

Gwen blinked her eyes and opened and closed her fingers.

As expected, being proactive was the best.

Gwen hesitated for a moment before shaking her head and saying in a clear voice.

“No, absolutely not. Magic is a no-go! I don’t like it!”

“We’ll see about that.”

Gwen started to tremble under his openly sticky gaze.

***

Galahad opened his eyes to a tiny noise.

There was a woman shining in the dark room. Her flowing hair, flawless skin, and green-like features-.

A beautiful woman that no craftsman could create, even with all their heart and soul, was quietly looking down at Galahad.

Just meeting her eyes made his heart pound and his head spin. It was a kind of coercion, of domination.

If it hadn’t been for the mana he instinctively circulated, Galahad wouldn’t have been able to regain his senses.

‘Why is a goddess in my room?’

His clear head spun quickly.

There were two main possibilities.

The first was that she was a goddess who had fallen from the sky. However, Galahad was an atheist.

Then···.

“Adrianne?”

The woman’s eyebrow raised slightly.

‘The rumors of her being the most beautiful woman on the continent aren’t false.’

No, rather, they were lacking. Galahad slicked back his hair.

“My father ordered me not to meet you, but I thought it was polite to visit you and speak to you in person. I apologize for visiting you so rudely in order to avoid the eyes of outsiders.”

Unlike her appearance, her voice was firm. She didn’t waste a single word.

He could feel her personality after just exchanging a few words.

‘A righteous hero, huh.’

She didn’t seem compatible with Galahad.

‘You came here to reject me.’

The somewhat apologetic expression on her face told me everything I needed to know.

“Although it’s a mess, would you like to sit down?”

“Thank you.”

The table was quite cluttered, as I had continued my research after Gwen left. Galahad coughed lightly and roughly straightened the things on top of it.

Adrianne, however, didn’t seem to mind.

‘She’s even more beautiful up close.’

I couldn’t help but admire Adrianne as she sat down gracefully.

Her appearance was beyond the word beautiful. I could instantly understand why this woman from the boonies was said to be the most beautiful on the continent.

“I’m truly sorry for dragging you into this situation.”

At that moment, Adrianne bowed her head deeply. I noticed her thick, flowing hair. Even her hair was abundant. She really has it all.

“I have no intention of getting married.”

Adrianne declared with unwavering, clear eyes.

It was a shocking thing to hear from the fiancé she was meeting for the first time, but Galahad wasn’t that surprised.

It was only natural that she would reject him. Compared to her, the hero of the North, the youngest Sword Master, and the future Grand Duke, Galahad was severely lacking.

Even though he had quite a few achievements under his belt in the Intelligence Bureau, they were unknown to the outside world. That was the nature of the Intelligence Bureau. In a word, they were mismatched.

“I understand. Compared to you, I am indeed lacking. However-“

“Lacking? What could be lacking in a meeting between two people?”

Adrianne looked at me, her eyes full of strength. Her beautiful appearance made me feel an inexplicable sense of guilt.

It felt like I was being scolded. What could I do? Galahad coughed lightly.

“I can’t get married.”

The corners of Adrianne’s lips turned up slightly.

Where had I seen that smile before···? Galahad recalled the ‘fledgling who was to marry the Empire’ that he had seen before leaving the Intelligence Bureau.

“You’re married to the North- what is this?”

“···I cannot spare any time to get married, as I cannot leave the front lines. I apologize.”

Adrianne bowed her head again. Galahad marveled at how beautiful her hair was, and collected his thoughts.

‘So she can’t get married because she’s busy.’

The reason was different from what he had expected, but the conclusion was the same.

Galahad had no intention of getting married, and neither did Adrianne. Although the parties involved were in agreement, unfortunately, in this era, the opinions of the parties involved didn’t matter much.

“Does the Grand Duke think the same?”

Instead of answering, Adrianne bowed her head.

“I cannot annul the engagement right away due to pressure from the Empire. Once the issue is resolved, would you annul the engagement with me?”

‘What a sweet proposal to annul the engagement.’

Galahad smiled wryly.

“We’ll just maintain the relationship. You can sleep with other women in the meantime. It’s just a superficial relationship.”

I didn’t even confess, and I was dumped. Galahad laughed wryly.

“Wouldn’t it be cleaner to have a marriage in name only?”

At Galahad’s question, Adrianne’s eyebrows furrowed for the first time.

“Marriage is a serious matter that happens only once.”

It was a rather fairy tale-like statement coming from the mouth of the hero of the North who tore through the Demonkin.

‘The atmosphere is heating up again.’

Galahad clicked his tongue softly.

“When peace comes someday, I will marry my beloved.”

It was so out of the blue that it could have been a joke, but Adrianna’s face was serious.

‘Hopeful, huh.’

Galahad knew that words spoken with such eyes could not be taken lightly.

“Isn’t it possible that you could come to love me?”

Galahad scratched his cheek for no reason. It was a little awkward to say, but Galahad was good-looking.

“Oh, you’re not my type.”

Adrianna’s answer was firm.

Rejected twice, Galahad chuckled.

“What is your type? I’m quite popular.”

This time, Adrianna laughed, but her smile was somewhat sad.

Adrianna took off her silver gauntlet. Her long, white hand was covered in calluses. She placed her slender index finger very lightly on the back of Galahad’s hand.

Crackle-. A tingling pain like electricity coursed through his body. The mana that had been dispersed gathered at Adrianna’s index finger in an instant.

And it began to burn.

A pain worse than being burned by fire struck him. Galahad couldn’t even scream and made a ‘keuk-‘ sound instead.

Adrianna’s touch had only lasted a moment, but Galahad was drenched in sweat.

“I burn mana.”

Adrianna’s eyes were filled with a mixture of sadness and anger as she spoke.

Galahad let out a deep breath as if he were exhaling all the cold air and brushed back his sweaty bangs.

‘She burns mana?’

Galahad’s eyes wavered for the first time. Even Galahad, who prided himself on knowing a thing or two about magic, had never heard of such a concept.

‘Does it work on the Demonkin too? Since mana is the foundation of the Demonkin? But why didn’t she say it······.’

Galahad’s head was in a jumble. Countless thoughts raced through his mind.

“I wish my hands were warm.”

Looking at Galahad, who had hung his head, Adrianna laughed bitterly.

“Wait.”

A voice filled with breath caught Adrianna.

Was this man also stubborn? Sometimes, there were those who did not give up even after suffering.

They insisted that they could endure the pain. Even if given a chance, the result would be the same.

Those who couldn’t bear the pain blamed Adrianna, calling her a dirty witch cursed by God.

Adrianna did not deny it.

Because she thought it was true.

Galahad felt a little different though-.

‘Stubborn in the end.’

He lowered his head as he muttered, but Galahad’s eyes were strange.

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Originally, the eyes of the men who had grabbed Adrianna were filled with arrogance and contempt.

But Galahad was different.

He was smiling instead.

“How does that work? Does it only transfer through hands? If it’s imbued with mana, will it work on demons too? Through a sword-.”

Unable to stop the barrage of questions and the feverish glint in his eyes, Adrianna found herself taking a step back.

“No, I’ll just check it out myself.”

Just then, Galahad’s hand wrapped around Adrianna’s.

Adrianna’s body stiffened. As if that wasn’t enough, the man interlocked their fingers.

“Hmm, it really does burn with mana—aaargh! That’s how it works!”

Adrianna’s eyes widened as the man refused to let go, even as he screamed.

By the time Adrianna belatedly came to her senses, the man had already fainted.

Adrianna fled the scene as if running away from the strange warmth lingering in her hand.