It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 215
Once Lionel, who had lifted Serenia in his arms, disappeared from sight, Halid looked down at Ardin.
Halid also knew that the head of House Silias, the most prestigious magic family, was granted the ability to subdue his siblings.
Not just Halid. Any head of a great house that had existed for as long as the history of the continent itself would know this.
‘Then how much of what he has done until now was truly his own will?’
Halid was curious about that.
Even without asking, he could guess that the Ardin who had had no contact for years had approached Vivian under Felix’s orders.
Then what of their childhood connection?
Ardin and Vivian were said to be childhood friends.
It must have been when Vivian still believed herself to be a commoner.
Felix would not yet have been head of Silias back then.
How had Ardin been able to be her friend?
‘Does he know her soul has changed?’
Did he think the sudden rise in status had changed her?
Even if her personality had changed, her appearance remained the same, so perhaps he never considered that the person inside might be someone else entirely.
Or perhaps, it simply did not matter to him.
“Ardin Silias.”
Ardin, who finally managed to steady his breathing and pushed himself upright unsteadily, looked at him.
“Do you desire to marry Vivian?”
Halid wanted to know.
Unlike Dantère, who had met Vivian only after she became part of Luanax, Ardin had known her since childhood.
Their situations were similar.
That made Halid even more curious about Ardin’s true intentions. If not for the orders of his head of house, Felix Silias, what would Ardin choose?
Receiving the question, Ardin finished putting on the shirt he had picked up and looked straight at him.
“If I say yes, will you use violence again?”
“What happened earlier was because you were rude.”
“…I am not sure that is something you should say. I have witnessed you do the same more than once.”
At Ardin’s mocking remark, Halid nodded.
“Until recently, I too used to grab people’s wrists or drag them around without permission. I did not realize that could frighten them enough to lose the will to resist.”
Ardin momentarily lost his words at Halid’s straightforward admission. The thought “Was he even capable of thinking like this?” was written plainly across his face.
“Did you not see it in the underground training room? Not only Vivian, but Lady Dilottete as well have physical strength and stamina inferior even to that of a child. With your actions just now, Lady Dilottete’s wrist could have been crushed.”
“That is… no, never mind. In any case, what happened earlier was my fault, so I will apologize to Lady Dilottete before departure.”
“A commendable attitude. I owe you an apology as well. I did not expect that you would be unable to react.”
Even while feeling ridiculous, Ardin stared at Halid’s face. Surprisingly, it seemed to be sincere, not an attempt to mock him.
“I… will accept the apology.”
There were people who only understood once every detail was explained. Not lacking comprehension, but with terrible intuition, so if you taught them 100, they understood exactly 100.
“Then what is your answer to my question?”
Halid asked Ardin again.
Seeing that Halid would not resort to violence for an honest reply, Ardin opened his mouth.
“I would like to marry her.”
“Why Vivian? I heard you had a connection from childhood. Is she your first love?”
Ardin gave a bitter smile.
It was true he had used their childhood connection as a pretext to approach Vivian. However…
“To be honest, I barely remember what I felt back then. I was too young. First love… I was never in a situation where I had the luxury to think about something like that.”
Halid furrowed his brow.
“I see. Then you simply like the Vivian of now.”
“Yes, I suppose.”
“Do you love her?”
Ardin stared at him as if wondering whether the man before him was really Halid Calitas.
It was no wonder he was suspicious.
Halid’s criteria for what he sought in a bride had nothing to do with loving and being loved.
The woman had to belong to a family useful to the continuation of House Calitas.
Although he had once searched the entire Empire in pursuit of his first love, that was nothing more than a foolish chapter of his youth.
Now, Halid had become someone who could do anything for the sake of his family, befitting the head of a great house.
