Chapter 73: Ask Him for Help

The distance from the Duke’s territory to the Santala City is closer than to Holy Lotean City, a mere ride of a few hours on horseback, but barely half a day’s journey if riding a flying magical beast. The large size of these creatures makes them hard to conceal, and currently, it’s not suitable to enter other cities due to the Emperor’s decree.

Rogest has dispatched riders to investigate, but it will take some more time for the results to come in.

Looking ahead, the Emperor should be considering their proposal for Aresia. Lily has made her stance clear, and when the time comes for the Emperor to make a decision and act upon it, they may outright refuse.

However, perhaps there’s a way to sway their decision, to appeal to them directly. When that time comes, they must see if the Emperor is truly thick-skinned enough to make such a request.

To avoid trouble for Jorgus, the couple must consider carefully. If the Emperor truly intends to form an alliance, their goal is to communicate with Aresia and not to make an enemy. Indeed, they must carefully weigh the consequences before incurring the wrath of a powerful sorcerer.

Soon enough, someone will know that there’s someone Aresia likes.

“Tell Aresia to come over,” the Duke said, with a tone that did not entirely dismiss the child’s input.

The Duke continued, “I’ll handle Aresia.”

Grysenna nodded. “I’ll have someone invite Jorgus over. I think they should get to know each other.”

Grysenna wasn’t worried about Jorgus. Firstly, the Duchess trusted her instincts regarding her daughter, and who wouldn’t like her? Furthermore, it was widely known that there had been rumors surrounding Aresia and Jorgus for quite some time, and Jorgus never denied it. At the very least, he didn’t seem to dislike Aresia.

Secondly, Lily believed that while Jorgus had strong opinions, as long as it didn’t touch upon his principles, he was an obedient child. If it was a request for help, and not a true attempt to pair them up, he wouldn’t likely decline.

As for Aresia, Grysenna had initially been concerned. Aresia’s infatuation with prince Osweid was not much of a secret, and those close to her knew. But Aresia’s fascination with magic, her infatuation with the prince, what did it all matter? It was all irrelevant.

If Aresia truly cared for the Sixth prince, she wouldn’t allow rumors to spread, especially if they originated from her side.

The couple divided their tasks and began to make arrangements.

Aresia, confronted by her father at the laboratory door, looked puzzled. “What do you mean by ‘arranged a prospective fiancé’?”

The Duke reiterated, “It’s a fake fiance. But if necessary, we will prepare an engagement ceremony.”

Aresia wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of an arranged fiancé. In noble circles, it was a common occurrence for engagements to be arranged. An engagement didn’t mean an immediate wedding; often, there would be a few years before the actual marriage.

The reason she remained composed was that she knew it was fake.

The Duke continued to explain, “I’ve made the public believe that your mother approves of this, which should be enough to deter the Emperor from abandoning the thoughts of betrothal. Once there’s an engagement, it will dispel any thoughts they might have.”

Aresia found the idea absurd, yet she couldn’t deny the logic behind it. She couldn’t refute it, or even tacitly allow the rumors to spread, as there were similar ways to dispel rumors and discourage others.

It was quite bizarre to suddenly become the rumored prospective fiancé, even though she knew it was fake. The actual age gap was over two hundred years, making this act with Jorgus feel like an old grass courting a young calf.

“Is it necessary to go as far as engagement? And did Jorgus agree to this?” Aresia inquired.

“I’m ready to proceed with the engagement if necessary, but it’s not set in stone. As for Jorgus, his mother and grandmother are our friends; I’ve already informed him. Grysenna has written to ask for his help, and Lily has agreed. We’re in the process of inviting Jorgus for a formal meeting,” the Duke explained.

Aresia stayed silent.

Seeing her reaction, the Duke sighed. “Well, if you truly don’t want this, we won’t force it. But this could be a permanent solution to our problems.”

He analyzed the situation for Aresia. “The Emperor has five or six potential fiancés, all within a few years of your age. The Seventh prince is too young to consider, so we need to sustain our relationship until those engagements are either finalized or dissolved.”

Marriages among the princes were crucial political moves. They didn’t rush into engagements, but once they did, it was a clear sign of intent. Once they were engaged, and especially if they had a fiancée, it would be difficult to refuse them. It wasn’t just about the willingness of the Duke’s household; it was also about the other party’s family.

Except for the Seventh prince, who was two years younger than Aresia, the others were roughly her age. By the time they entered this fake engagement, they would have valid reasons to reject the possible proposal from the Emperor. By the time they graduated, there would be no need to worry about the Emperor.

After finishing his explanation, the Duke patted Aresia’s shoulder. “Just think about it.”

Aresia was not actually opposed to the Duke’s proposal, she was just surprise, and she was momentarily stunned because the news came too abruptly. After listening to the Duke’s analysis, she realized it was a good method, at least she couldn’t think of a better solution to the problem.

Grysenna did not immediately send the proposal to Jorgus, to show her sincerity, she personally wrote an invitation letter, inviting Jorgus to a dinner at the Duke’s mansion, and indicating that the time would be decided by Jorgus.

Jorgus, who had already received the letter, knew why he was being invited to the Duke’s mansion.

Lily, was a strong-willed woman, but her strength was rarely exerted on her children. Instead, her parenting was quite democratic, and she would always consult with her children on important matters.

This might be because of Jorgus, who, despite his gentle demeanor, was actually quite stubborn.

When Grysenna wrote seeking help, Lily had already considered the matter and decided to write to Jorgus, reminding him that although Grysenna was her close friend, he needed to make a careful and considered decision.

Yes, Lily informed Jorgus of the matter in her letter and asked him to choose whether to help or not to help.

In her letter, she wrote: “Although Grysenna is my dear friend, I understand that you have your own considerations, Jorgus. I will not interfere with your decision. However, I must remind you that if you choose to assist, you will need to stop your single status for a while, and if you meet someone you like during this period, this arrangement could potentially complicate your pursuit of that person. Your choice must be made with great care.”

Jorgus’s thoughts? When he first learned of the matter, he was confused, unsure why he was suddenly needed to pretend to be engaged to Aresia – or even married.

The young man was not well-informed enough to know the secrets of the noble world, let alone the private matters of the Duke’s household. Since the Duke and Duchess deemed it necessary to go to such lengths, there must be a good reason.

After some confusion, Jorgus, taking his mother’s advice into consideration, deliberated for two days before finally deciding to help.

Upon receiving the invitation from the Duke’s mansion, Jorgus was not surprised.

According to etiquette, he wrote a reply, indicating that he would be honored to visit the Duke’s mansion at the agreed time.

On the appointed day, Jorgus arrived for the dinner.

The dinner they had scheduled was a significant event in Holy Lotean, as inviting someone to dinner is a clear sign of respect and importance.

Jorgus was initially supposed to dine with the Duchess alone, as the invitation clearly stated him as the sole guest. However, upon the servant’s guidance, he did not enter the mansion but was led to a teleportation array on the lawn, which then transported him to the castle in the Duke’s territory.

Surprisingly, the dinner gathering was not just the Duchess and him; there were a total of five people. The entire experience made him feel as though he was stepping on a soft and uncertain ground. Jorgus couldn’t be sure, but he suspected that the Duke’s trouble was related to the teleportation array.

Throughout the dinner, the Duke and Duchess did not explicitly mention the reason for summoning him. Apart from Amos, who was oblivious to the matter, the perceptive and experienced couple could discern from Jorgus’s mannerisms and few words that he was aware and willing to help.