Chapter 37: Pressure (part 2)

[Ian’s POV]

I could’ve never imagined such a thing. However, the more I listened to the story, the more I began to sense a disparity.  

“… Stella didn’t seem to think so.”  

“—What do you know about that child?”  

“No, it’s just… Sometimes, friends your age are easier to talk to than parents. Anyway—”  

The Duke claimed he loved her deeply and that he would not hesitate to provide support. Stella herself seemed to believe she had been raised by a father who upheld his noble responsibilities.  

Where did this difference in perception come from?  

“It seems like you never show this side to Stella.”  

“… I can’t help it. I am the Duke of Eritz, and she is the Princess of Eritz.”  

A loving father and a solemn duke could not coexist. He chose duty over family. Bound by the obligation to protect humanity, Stella had lived under an extremely strict discipline.  

“Why are you telling me this?”  

“I told you before, don’t cross the line.”  

“Yes.”  

The Duke suddenly added, “I’ve changed my mind—you can be my Son-in-law, Ian.”  

“No, wait, all of a sudden…why?”  

Just a few days ago, he had seemed ready to cut me down. I couldn’t understand what had changed him so drastically. Even now, he didn’t appear to like it one bit. His expression twisted, as though it pained him to hand Stella over to someone like me.

“Actually, I still don’t like you.”  

“Then why…?”  

“Because I know you’re a summoner with great abilities.”  

A 3-star summoner could receive a vast territory and a noble title at any time if they wished. A summoner like that was a rare commodity. The Duke likely thought that if he could bring a summoner of my caliber to his domain, it would be worth any cost.  

“Stella is far more valuable, but… Even if I take a hundred or a thousand steps back, you still aren’t a good match. Yet if it’s for the greater good of humanity, it’s tolerable.”  

In this harsh world, where even the correct summoning techniques hadn’t been fully established, summoning a 3-star summon was seen as a rare feat, marking someone as exceptionally talented.  

Stella herself had summoned a 3-star creature—by luck, as some might say. The Duke believed that if two people capable of summoning 3-star beings married, there was a good chance their child would possess the same talent.  

It was a crude form of eugenics, born from a world that clung to hope, no matter how irrational. For someone as deeply rooted in nobility as the Duke, this hope was enough to dictate his decision.  

But—  

“Sorry.”  

“… Are you declining my offer?”  

“Yes.”  

“Can I ask why?”  

“It’s simple.”  

The Duke’s thoughts stretched far into the future—plans for children, and for those children to summon creatures of their own. It was a vision in line with the traditions of aristocrats who passed their legacies down through generations.  

“There’s not much time.”  

“Time?”  

“Yes. Having children, waiting for them to summon…I don’t have time for all that.”  

By the time all that happened, the entity known as ‘Ian Clark’ would be gone.  

I was someone from another world—how could I settle down here, get married, and have children?  

“Everything will be over in three years.”  

“Hahaha. Cadet Ian, do you even know what you’re saying?”  

“Well, the Duke is quite fond of Stella, right? Do you really want to send your precious daughter to someone like me.”  

The Duke and I burst into laughter at the same time.  

Our shared laughter echoed throughout the bathroom, only subsiding after a while.  

“It’s amusing. Truly amusing. I thought you were just talented, but you’re witty, too.”  

“Thank you for the compliment.”  

“That wasn’t a compliment. But… Yes, it seems investing in you will be worthwhile.”  

“… What do you mean?”  

“I hear you don’t receive support from your hometown?”  

“Yes.”  

The Duke puffed his chest and spoke.  

“When you return, take the card from my servant. Don’t worry about money.”  

“… Thank you.”  

I bowed my head deeply, expressing my gratitude.  

How difficult life had been without money… but now, I was finally free from those hardships.  

The allowance given by my new benefactor—thank you!  

***

Though the Duke usually ate alone, today he invited Stella to dine with him.  

He sat at the table with his daughter, his expression stern as he sliced his steak. The clatter of knives echoed through the quiet dining room.  

Hearing the sound, the Duke glanced at Stella and growled.  

“You’re making too much noise. Do you need to relearn table manners from scratch?”  

“… Sorry.”  

Stella stopped cutting her meat and quietly dabbed her mouth with a napkin.  

It was always like this. The Duke’s strictness left her paralyzed in front of him, her heart pounding so hard she could barely breathe.  

“Be careful.”  

“… Yes, Father.”  

The fear she had forgotten during her months at the academy slowly crept back in.  

In public, she was a proud princess of the Duke’s household. But in front of the Duke, she felt no more than a mouse before a cat.  

With her mouth dry, Stella instinctively reached for her water glass. As she sipped carefully, the Duke broke the silence.  

“Marry Ian.”  

“Pff—!”  

She choked, sputtering water all over the Duke’s face and coughing violently.  

When she finally stopped coughing, she stared at the Duke, whose face was now damp with her saliva.  

‘Oh no… This is bad!’

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