Chapter 51

The thrones were in an uproar.

[The thrones are enthusiastic about Raoul's appearance.]

Ding!

[Throne 'Overly Immersed Otaku' has donated 10,000 coins.]

[Ahhh!]

Even if I had a more justifiable reason, the opponent was the head of the Magic Association, and the situation was one where the chairman was tacitly allowing this absurd claim.

If this were to be brushed aside, it could lead to a situation where I would be forced to make sacrifices again in the future.

So, I was determined to resolve it on my own.

Until my guardian appeared, that is.

‘What perfect timing.’

Feeling somewhat awkward, I lowered my head, and Raoul, misunderstanding something, completely covered me with the edge of his cloak.

It was as if he was protecting his young from external dangers.

‘This feels like overprotection...’

Still, it was reassuring that fewer people's gazes were directed at me.

I thought I had developed a tolerance to others' gazes, but it seemed I couldn't be completely unaffected.

Raoul bellowed fiercely at the people from the Magic Association.

"Confess to your heinous crime of trying to harm my daughter to satisfy your vile desires!"

The members of the Magic Association were completely overwhelmed by Raoul's spirit and didn't know what to do.

I peeked out from behind the edge of the cloak, watching the ridiculous scene.

At that moment, the Association President, Milo, came out brazenly.

"Even if it's about a child, you're going too far, Duke Squire. We merely sought the help of a noble lady for the public good. We had no other intentions."

Raoul immediately snorted.

"Are you saying something even a child wouldn't believe in front of me?"

"I might have gone a bit too far in my earnestness, but it's not a good feeling to have my intentions to benefit the world maligned."

Association President Milo was a man obsessed with magic experiments, and he didn't follow common sense, making him an impossible person to reason with.

He would abandon reason and logic for his goals, and Raoul was well aware of this.

The madman needs a stick.

Raoul declared, as if it were too troublesome to deal with him further.

"I have nothing more to say. If anyone bothers my daughter, I will consider it an insult or attack on the Squire family and declare a territorial war."

The place was in an uproar.

"A territorial war!"

The person who reacted most intensely to the mention of a territorial war was the chairman.

The chairman, who had been looking down on everything as if he were an emperor, suddenly turned red and shouted in frustration.

"Duke Squire! You should be more careful with your words!"

Raoul looked at the chairman with a cold eye.

"The Squire family does not tolerate insults. Duke Willow should know this well, shouldn't he?"

"Duke!"

Ding!

[Throne 'Question Mark Murderer' has donated 10,000 coins.]

[Who won the territorial war 100 years ago?]

Good question.

And the answer came from a nearby student.

"Come to think of it, the Squire family has never lost a territorial war, right? Even the Willow family lost in their last territorial war."

"Shh, speak quietly. The Squire family killed the head of the Willow family on the day of the wedding, turning the two families into mortal enemies."

100 years ago, the custom in territorial wars was to end with the losing side paying compensation, not by beheading the lord, due to royal intervention.

"Why would they do that despite the royal pressure?"

"Don't you know? The two families were about to form a marriage alliance, but the eldest son of the Willow family ran away with his mistress on the wedding day."

The Squire noble lady became a laughingstock overnight, and the head of the family, enraged, declared a territorial war and thoroughly avenged himself by killing the head of the Willow family.

With the head of the Willow family dead, the Willow family was also furious.

The Willow family secretly attacked at night and burned the vault where the Squire family's secret magic was stored.

Thus, the two families became mortal enemies.

Raoul tilted his head.

"If you want to touch my child, you should have been prepared for this, shouldn't you?"

He had no qualms about threatening the chairman, who was twice his age.

‘I can’t breathe.’

But I wasn't the only one feeling suffocated; the reactions around me were different.

"Wow, that's amazing..."

"Before, when you carried your senior on your back, you looked so affectionate and brave, and today, you look like a holy warrior!"

"I want to be a father like that when I have a daughter."

"You're wrong from the start, friend."

Surprisingly, there were many favorable gazes towards Raoul.

Even in Valhalla, where there were many supporters of the Willow family.

‘...Well, I have to admit, he does look amazing.’

Considering the favorable reactions around him, the chairman ground his teeth and forced a magnanimous expression.

"I admit my mistake. I should have protected Miss Therese, a proud student of our school, earlier."

The chairman looked at Association President Milo and said sternly.

"President Milo, today's incident was clearly hasty. Please formally apologize through an official letter from the Association to prevent any further issues."

Milo, who seemed disappointed, shuddered and trembled at Raoul's fierce gaze.

"I went too far today, Duke Squire. And Miss Therese, please believe that I had no ill intentions. I merely value your special talent."

I nodded.

"I am well aware of the good intentions of the wise President Milo. I believe this will not happen again in the future."

Milo's eyes twitched at my words.

He seemed to realize that I was drawing a clear line to leave him no room to maneuver in the future.

"Of course."

Raoul glared at the president and the chairman with a cold face, then suddenly turned his gaze to the side.

There stood the members of the Magic Association who had been criticizing me as selfish.

"Those who didn't confess, I'll remember your faces. You'd better be prepared."

"…! Wait! Please wait!"

Raoul, without even looking at them, took my hand.

"Let's go."

Ding!

[Throne 'Mad Mania' has donated 10,000 coins.]

[This family is the best]

At that moment, someone appeared at the entrance with a group of servants.

I recognized him.

‘Gordon Willow?’

He was the second son of the chairman and Clyde's uncle.

Gordon seemed to have an injured shoulder.

Even after using healing magic, if it wasn't fully healed, it meant he had a serious injury, at least a broken bone.

Gordon stood directly in front of us.

"It's been a while, Duke Squire."

Raoul responded coldly.

"I'm not in the mood to greet you because of your father. Move aside."

Ding!

[Throne 'Cider Pass' has donated 10,000 coins.]

[Wow, this is real madness;]

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

Gordon's gaze fixed on me.

"Before receiving the emperor's letter, Miss Therese Squire, please show proper respect."

Everyone who had been watching the interesting situation drew a sharp breath.

I was also surprised, opening my eyes wide, and Raoul gritted his teeth.

Before Raoul could flip out, I quickly showed proper respect.

‘As elegantly as possible.’

The servants standing on either side of Gordon would ensure that the emperor heard about how I showed respect.

They were palace servants, after all.

Gordon spoke.

"To commend Miss Therese Squire for her greatest contribution to protecting and rebuilding the village affected by the monster attack, she is invited to the Sun Palace."

"I am deeply honored."

‘I was just thinking about avoiding the emperor, and now I get an invitation.’

My head throbbed.

Meeting the emperor was a problem, but the bigger issue was the timing, which was far too early.

‘To meet the emperor, I need to be trained in advanced etiquette. That's the minimum requirement for the emperor route.’

But my etiquette was only at the intermediate level.

If I went to the palace like this, I could be caught in all sorts of traps and die for deceiving the emperor.

‘System, give me shop items!’

Unfortunately, nothing happened.

Anyway, I received the invitation from Gordon with the utmost respect.

Ding!

[Throne 'Ropan Addict' has donated 10,000 coins.]

[Finally meeting the emperor! I've been looking forward to this moment. Only a man at the pinnacle of power is worthy of being the protagonist's companion.]

Ding!

[Throne 'Face Discriminator' has donated 10,000 coins.]

[The qualifications for being the protagonist's companion are first, the face, second, the figure, and third, the wealth.]

The chairman, now looking pleased, approached us and congratulated us.

"An audience with His Majesty the Emperor as a noble lady is a great honor for the family."

An audience clearly called to catch me out, what honor is that?

Raoul glared at the chairman, almost ready to strike.

Before a second confrontation could happen, I spoke to the chairman.

"Chairman, could you lend us a reception room so I can have a brief conversation with my father?"

"Of course, of course. Look, take our esteemed guests to the best reception room."

"Thank you."

Raoul, glaring at the detestable chairman, headed towards the reception room.