Chapter 151
It was such a cynical statement that it felt biting. While I don’t particularly believe in the emotion of love either, I wouldn’t go that far.
More importantly, how did Evgenia know I was thinking about Killis and point it out specifically? I hadn’t mentioned anything…….
“You seem surprised that I mentioned Duke Yelpen.”
“……How did you know?”
At this point, I wondered if Evgenia could read minds. Or maybe there was some magic that could read inner thoughts.
“You asked before if a magician could become a guardian, didn’t you? And you don’t seem particularly interested in anyone else.”
Now that she mentioned it, I guess I had been somewhat obvious.
But Evgenia’s concerns didn’t feel like much of an issue to me.
Whether Killis became my guardian or not, I’d have to manage his affection level either way. After all, I’d been told that if affection drops too low, it leads to betrayal and a bad ending.
‘Besides, the desire for power is just as likely to become twisted.’
Even things pursued with passionate dedication can start to feel meaningless at some point.
Just as love changes over time, so too does the desire for power eventually fade. Neither can be trusted.
“Moreover, having Duke Yelpen as a guardian would come with many restrictions. Especially considering the task I’ll be giving you later.”
Task…….
‘Is she talking about Lublin’s Trial?’
Based on what the quest had revealed, that must be why Evgenia wanted me to add new guardians.
“May I ask what kind of restrictions there would be?”
“Duke Yelpen has many responsibilities. Not only is he the head of House Yelpen, but he’s also a key member of the Royal Magicians’ Association and handles political affairs.”
I knew he was busy, but I hadn’t realized he was this busy. And on top of that, he’s my fiancé and teacher? He really was an extraordinary man.
“Of course, Lord Isaac is also the head of his house, but he only manages his family affairs, so it’s nothing compared to Duke Yelpen. He cannot leave the royal capital for long periods. Nor should he.”
Cannot leave the royal capital…….
‘As expected, Evgenia seems to be considering Lublin’s Trial.’
From what I’d heard from Killis and learned while searching through the library for materials about the ‘Trial of Lublin’, I discovered two things:
First, you end up leaving the royal capital for longer than expected.
Second, for fairness, the number of guardians must be equal among competing candidates.
While Evgenia likely wanted me to take on new guardians to expand my political influence, this second reason probably played a significant part too.
I only had two guardians, Isaac and Reno. Meanwhile, Meliana had three.
Since Meliana wouldn’t give up one of her guardians to match me, they probably wanted me to match her instead.
But now that I want to bring in Killis, she keeps trying to dissuade and convince me otherwise.
“It would be full of disadvantages for you. Do you still want to make Duke Yelpen your guardian?”
Just like now.
While my desire to make Killis a guardian hadn’t changed, the issue was his willingness. There was no point in me saying I’d accept him if he might refuse to become a guardian.
Even if I confided this to Evgenia…….
‘I don’t think she’d particularly care.’
It would be terrible if I unilaterally made him a guardian only to have his affection drop and lead to a betrayal route.
“Thank you for your concern. Could I have some more time to think about this matter?”
“Of course. You still have time to make your choice, so think it through carefully.”
Thankfully, Evgenia nodded readily.
I bowed my head in gratitude and decided I needed to meet with Killis right away.
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