Chapter 238
“Lord Elliot.”
Marquis Boviki called Lucius’s name in a formal tone and nodded briefly.
Expressing gratitude to the bastard knight made his throat stiff, but as the lord of the domain, he couldn’t ignore the efforts made by Lucius since his arrival at Ponto.
It had been a month since Lucius came to Ponto.
Marquis Boviki couldn’t deny that in this one month, Lucius had accomplished more than the past three months of recovery after the disaster. Of course, the assistance from the emperor with the laborers, knights, and relief supplies played a significant role, but above all, it was Lucius who rid the forest of all the monsters, bringing about this level of stability.
Learning that Lucius had set up tents near the forest and was searching for and exterminating even the offspring of monsters as if he had won some great victory, Marquis Boviki must have been utterly astonished.
“This lad is truly aiming for my daughter.”
Marquis Boviki couldn’t help but come to that conclusion naturally.
At any rate, the task given to Lucius by the emperor was nothing more than delivering some items, but his efforts had been excessive.
Moreover, news of his daughter’s infatuation with Sir Elliot continued to reach his ears despite Marquis Boviki’s reluctance to hear it. Various misunderstandings compounded, and in Marquis Boviki’s mind, the two had already become lovers.
“If the marriage is annulled, I’ll come to propose to you immediately.”
“But Father doesn’t approve of you. I can’t go against my father’s wishes!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll persuade him.”
“Lucius!”
“Vivian!”
Marquis Boviki who had an overactive imagination just like his daughter, had already seen the two embracing like that as a foregone conclusion.
Ultimately, Marquis Boviki interpreted all of this as Lucius making efforts to marry Vivian.
Therefore, today, lowering his head towards Lucius as he reported that all the monsters had been captured was more of an ordeal for Marquis Boviki than anything else.
A small feast for the hardworking knights would be in order, but in the midst of all the excitement, Lucius and Vivian, both beautifully dressed, might have exchanged glances and, after a few drinks, secretly met in the dark bushes.
And Marquis Boviki’s face was flushed red with the fantasy of such an encounter.
“You have done a great deal of hard work,” said the Marquis, “and my… must not fail to give you a banquet in honor of your hard work, for I am well aware that you have done more than the Emperor’s bidding in the past month, so please–”
“No need for that. I will be leaving in three days,” interrupted Lucius.
Lucius said, cutting off the Marquis’ words.
The Marquis couldn’t help but panic. In the Marquis’s mind, Lucious was going to stay here for three or four months and seduce his daughter.
So the Marquis couldn’t help but ask.
“Leave? Is that the Emperor’s command?”
“No.”
“Then you made that decision on your own.”
“If you still need me, I can be reached at …….”
“No, it’s not that… What about Vivian?”
“What?”
The Marquis asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.
“Did you tell Vivian about this?”
“Do I have an obligation to do so?”
Lucius replied with a serious expression, even bordering on discomfort. It goes without saying that Marquis Boviki’s feelings were now in a completely different state from before, all tangled up by that face.
This bastard.
Swallowing the urge to express his thoughts, Marquis Boviki showed the utmost patience.
“I heard you were associating with Vivian.”
“Well, I don’t know where such baseless rumors originated. Young Lady Boviki and I met only on the day I first arrived in Ponto and a week later at the free soup kitchen. Apart from those occasions, we coincidentally met at the mansion. If there are any misunderstandings…”
“Misunderstandings?”
Lucius clarified to Marquis Boviki, who seemed at a loss for words.
“Yes. Whatever it is, it’s definitely a misunderstanding.”
Marquis Boviki couldn’t argue that Lucius and Vivian had spent a lot of time alone together.
According to Vivian’s persistent statements, Lucius’s claims were all true. However, Vivian likely shared Marquis Boviki’s thoughts.
That he was leaving just like that? Marquis Boviki sighed, patting his throbbing head in frustration. It was quite difficult to accept the fact that his daughter had harbored unrequited love for a bastard knight, a bastard who had even married another man.
“I’ve been talking nonsense. Forget about Vivian. Make sure to have something useful for the journey back. Thank you for everything.”
After regaining his composure, Marquis Boviki said this and exchanged a brief handshake. And to prevent Vivian’s futile actions that would follow upon hearing the news of his departure, Marquis Boviki decided to confine Vivian as soon as Lucius left.
Vivian naturally rebelled upon hearing the news of his imminent departure.
As they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Upon hearing the news of Lucius defeating the monsters, Vivian immediately thought of hosting a banquet.
They would have to host it modestly. No matter how much her father disliked Lucius, they couldn’t ignore his efforts. Ignoring his contributions might give the impression that the Boviki family was so destitute that they couldn’t even repay such a favor.
Thus, Vivian was in the midst of choosing her outfit for the banquet. She was trying on pearl earrings in front of the mirror, choosing a dress that would look even more beautiful under the soft candlelight.
But then her father’s guards arrived, and Marquis Boviki ordered Vivian to behave herself.