Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 42: The Beggar Siblings - Different Dreams**
42. The Beggar Siblings - Different Dreams**
“Brother, what’s with those clothes?”
“How do I look? Handsome, right?”
Her brother came in wearing a fancy outfit.
Every measurement was precise, and the lush neck scarf and golden brooch matched his golden eyes perfectly.
Lena pouted, thinking about how many women on the street would be captivated by his appearance.
“Hm~ You look like a gigolo.”
“Is that something you should say to your brother? I’m heading out.”
“Okay. Bring something tasty when you come back.”
Leo left the mansion in high spirits.
His sister was doing well at the mansion. She had become much more lively while spending time with peers, and she had even started conversations herself, something she rarely did before.
Although it was just small talk, seeing Lena so energetic made Leo feel life was worth living.
Leo spared no expense and hailed a carriage.
“Please take me to Erarin Boulevard.”
Erarin Boulevard was where the nobles' mansions were clustered.
The boulevard was wide enough for three carriages to pass simultaneously, and among the noble's attendants walking along the boulevard, security guards roamed in groups.
Leo stopped the carriage in front of one mansion. It was the mansion of Marquis Tatian.
On the surface, it didn’t look much different from the surrounding mansions, but one difference was that this mansion was surrounded by high iron bars instead of stone walls, making the garden inside visible.
Using expensive iron just to fence the garden... simply to show off.
Leo knew well how extravagant this was in a place where such things were not common.
He clicked his tongue and approached the guard at the mansion, handing over an envelope.
Upon confirming the seal on the envelope, the guard promptly led Leo to meet a stern-looking butler who guided him inside.
The interior of the mansion was surprisingly calm.
Despite being filled with all sorts of decorations, murals, paintings, chandeliers, carpets, antique furniture, sculptures, staircases, curtains, and drapes, the overall atmosphere was cold and subdued. The servants moving around wore expressions that seemed like part of the heavy decor.
The butler led Leo to a reception room, mentioning that the marquis’s schedule had not yet ended, and offered him light refreshments.
The butler didn’t sit and stood stiffly. Leo tried to make some conversation, but all he got were short responses like “Yes” or “Indeed.”
After a while, the butler, checking the time, guided Leo to another room.
“Master, a guest with the seal has arrived.”
The butler, confirming that Leo was not a noble, announced him plainly. If he were a noble, the butler would have said something like “You have a visitor.”
A slightly hoarse voice came from inside.
“Let him in.”
The butler let Leo in, handed the envelope to a middle-aged man with his arms resting on a massive desk, then retreated courteously.
Leo stood before the man who seemed to be the marquis.
Seeing him, Leo understood why the mansion’s atmosphere was both splendid and subdued.
The mansion resembled this cautious-looking man.
Despite his luxurious attire, the marquis exuded a restrained charm with his thin but prominent eyebrows, icy blue eyes, and bloodless lips.
After examining the envelope, the marquis dismissed the knight beside him. Only then did Leo follow proper etiquette.
The marquis flinched slightly before rising from his seat.
“You’re not just a mere thug, are you? My apologies.”
He returned the courtesy with the same Imperial etiquette that Leo used from the Arcaea Empire.
Thanks to his knowledge of {noble society}, Leo could step into the world of nobles.
Nobles built relationships through etiquette, which commoners could never comprehend. They communicated and confirmed each other’s positions through gestures of etiquette.
The marquis offered Leo a comfortable seat before sitting down himself.
“Your manners are excellent. Which noble family do you belong to?”
“I am but an illegitimate child.”
Leo lied. For the promiscuous nobles, illegitimate children were common and served as a perfect excuse, but the marquis raised his thin eyebrows.
“Hmm? This envelope was sent to request a commission... I heard the Rauno family has no noble patrons?”
“That’s correct.”
So the Rauno family has no noble backing. Now I know.
Leo continued his bluff.
“I was born to a lowly family and, with my meager swordsmanship skills, sought refuge with the Rauno family. There’s no direct connection between the family and my lineage.”
“I see. I was wondering why such a young man came.”
The marquis finally seemed convinced, nodding, and then rose to fetch an exquisite bottle and glasses from a cabinet behind him.
“I’d prefer to serve tea, but... let’s have a drink instead.”
Leo was delighted and secretly hoped it was something very strong.
“Have a drink. Was there anything inconvenient on your way here?”
“Thank you. Nothing was inconvenient. Ah! I saw flowers blooming on the way. Even in winter. They must be artificial.”
Leo began talking about the princess.
Nobles enjoyed cleverly exchanging words to confirm each other’s interests, avoiding direct conversations.
They didn’t always have to. If there was something urgent or emotions were high, they spoke their minds directly, as the marquis did when startled by Leo’s etiquette.
Leo could directly ask why he wanted to end his lineage, but since the marquis offered to get to know each other over drinks, Leo played along.
The marquis took a sip of the strong liquor and spoke.
“You’ve seen something rare. Such artificial flowers...”
Their conversation was full of metaphors, but Leo learned a lot.
*
He was clearly bewildered by the situation. This man didn’t know why the princess acted so impulsively either. It was evident that the marquis was not in communication with the king.
*
However, Leo avoided touching on sensitive subjects. The marquis seemed to prefer it that way, and they smoothly moved past the topic. As the light buzz of the alcohol set in, their conversation grew increasingly blunt.
Marquis Benar Tatian pressed down the ice in his drink with a teaspoon and spoke.
“I’m trying to avoid a storm, but I’m worried because the sailors have no fear. A captain must do everything to keep the ship from sinking.”
“Indeed, but losing the first mate would hinder the voyage, wouldn’t it?”
It seemed Toton Tatian had rejected the marquis’s proposal.
The Swordmaster’s son followed his father’s word, but for some reason, the marquis’s son was being stubborn.
Did he like the princess that much?
The marquis concluded briefly.
“We’ll have to borrow a sailor from another ship.”
He intended to kill his son and adopt an heir. Leo’s eyes sparkled at this.
“You’ll need an excellent sailor. But no ship will easily part with such a sailor...”
Leo cleared his throat.
“You’ll need a sailor whose skills are not yet known.”
He subtly clenched his fist as he spoke.
The marquis didn’t miss Leo’s gesture. He smiled gently and calmed Leo’s excitement with a reasonable statement.
“It’s a difficult task. I’d need to see him at work. It will take time.”
It wasn’t a rejection, so Leo’s small hope swelled.
“Absolutely. There’s nothing harder than choosing the right people. I met someone on a ship once. At that time...”
He revealed the existence of his sister to the marquis.
It was a declaration that the marquis could gain more than just Leo, but the marquis changed the subject, seemingly indifferent.
“Oh, indeed. There’s no one closer than family. My old friend once broke a plate...”
Breaking a plate meant causing trouble before marriage.
Leo was disappointed but satisfied with having broached the subject and accepted the new topic.
The marquis shared a rather trivial story about his only friend, who had hurriedly married and had a very unruly daughter.
While it seemed there might be a hidden message in the story, Leo also considered that the slightly inebriated marquis might just be rambling, so he turned his thoughts elsewhere.
‘With the marquis’s help, I can make Lena a princess.’
There was a significant {event} hidden here.
Though the marquis didn’t show much interest immediately, it was something he could prove over time.
A son with the swordsmanship skills of a knight and a daughter beautiful enough to shake the kingdom. If he could prove his skills by taking on the commission and then introduce Lena to the marquis, the marquis would surely adopt them both. Then...
Leo saw this as a much easier path than ousting the prince of the Kingdom of Conrad.
Feeling conflicted about not obtaining information on the Kingdom of Conrad, he continued conversing with the marquis before leaving.
Finally, Leo bid farewell gracefully, promising to return to arrange the time and place for the commission. The marquis assured him of a rewarding compensation for the family.
As Leo left the mansion, he held a pass given to him by the marquis.
Humming a tune under the influence of alcohol, he hailed a carriage.
He felt that things were finally starting to move forward.
Meanwhile, from a high window, Marquis Tatian watched him leave, carefully arranging the bottle and glasses.
The marquis had never been drunk in his life.
---
Leo felt a tingling buzz as he returned to Leather Street.
The meeting with the marquis was satisfying.
He had nearly completed the task the boss assigned and found a way to make Lena a princess.
‘Oh right, Lena asked me to bring her some snacks.’
He looked around, but it was too late, and most shops seemed closed.
Leo hesitated for a moment out of laziness but then thought of how happy Lena would be with the snacks and headed towards the Leather Street shelter. Obert was likely still on duty.
Obert always had food. Despite his tough appearance, Obert had a kind heart and often shared food with the beggars.
“Obert, I’m here...”
Brushing off the freshly fallen snow, Leo pushed open the creaky, loose door to greet Obert but stopped in his tracks.
“Oh, Leo, you’re here.”
Obert was with Cassia.
Leo, who had been smiling faintly, stiffened slightly and got straight to the point, avoiding looking at Cassia.
“Obert, do you have any snacks? I promised to bring some for Lena, but I forgot.”
“Snacks for Lena? Hold on.”
While Obert rummaged through a drawer, Cassia stared at Leo, who she hadn’t seen in a long time.
Leo felt uneasy and disliked her gaze.
He hated that woman.
Although Cassia hadn’t committed any recent offenses, the lingering bitterness from the past prevented him from even greeting her.
“Here you go.”
Obert handed him a paper bag. Inside, thinly wrapped in wax paper, were some candies.
“Thanks. I’ll repay you.”
“No need for that. We’re family.”
Obert’s eyes were full of kindness towards him. Was it the effect of his achievements? Leo was popular within the Rauno family.
Leo thanked Obert and quickly headed back to the mansion.
- Tap, tap
But Cassia quietly followed him. Pretending not to notice, Leo kept walking, but she didn’t stop trailing him.
‘How far does she intend to follow me?’
She’s still a strange woman.
Cassia had stopped by Obert’s place before heading to work.
It was something she often did. She handed over information she had gathered at the brothel under the guise of a protection fee.
She hadn’t always done this, but Obert was like a benefactor to her.
Long ago, when Cassia was about to take her own life, Obert shouted at her. He said that even in the sewers, the sun would eventually shine, and his rough but heartfelt words stopped her.
Cassia didn’t die because of his desperate plea. She continued living, albeit meaninglessly.
Then she met this young man.
A young man whose mere presence caused her heart to ache. Cassia bit her lip as she watched his back.
‘Why am I doing this?’
Before she knew it, she was following him.
In the opposite direction of the brothel.
Leo had left for the Rauno family, but Cassia couldn’t forget him.
And the man she met after half a year had changed so much, with his thin frame now filled out, radiating peace and strength.
Cassia held her breath as she followed the grown man, but in a narrow, dark alley, Leo suddenly turned around.
His face was hidden in the shadows. Cassia stepped closer, wanting to see his face.
She wanted to embrace this man.
‘Annoying woman.’
She had reached out her hand like this before.
The smell of old leather and dust, scattered coins, Lena’s harsh words, and the sight of her running away.
And the struggle... Leo felt a nauseating sensation as he remembered the feel of his hands choking Cassia’s neck.
He pushed Cassia away with a bit of force, and she recoiled, seemingly startled, withdrawing her hand.
Regardless, Leo just turned around and walked away without a single word of farewell.
Cassia stood helplessly in the darkness, watching him leave.
Her shoulder hurt as if it were breaking.
She stood there until snow piled up on her head, eventually breaking into tears.
It was the first time she cried in ten years since her father’s funeral.
.
!
Chapter 42: The Beggar Siblings - Different Dreams**
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