'This audacious bastard came prepared from the start,' thought Marquis Branford, letting out a faint, cynical chuckle. Ghislain's sheer brazenness was almost impressive. Normally, if anyone so much as hinted at a request like that, Branford would have immediately shut them down. But today was different. Tap... Tap... Tap... The marquis drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair. Everyone in the hall waited in tense silence, hanging on his response. Marquis Branford had never agreed to be anyone’s patron before. It was a dangerous position to take. He could lose the honor and authority he had built over his lifetime in an instant. Seeing the marquis deep in thought, Ghislain inwardly clicked his tongue. ‘Didn’t he say he’d grant me anything? What’s taking him so long to decide?’ As Ghislain smirked and muttered to himself, Marquis Branford looked down at him, his face expressionless. 'This kid's ambition isn’t small. Being his patron would come with a lot of headaches.' The marquis closed his eyes, pondering further. ‘But... among the younger nobles I’ve seen lately, he’s one of the more exceptional ones.’ Reports had reached him about Ghislain’s actions since the war, but he had assumed those reports were generous, considering his former reputation as a rogue. However, seeing Ghislain’s antics firsthand made the marquis realize that the reports had, in fact, underestimated him. ‘There are certainly things about him that are irksome, but... he might be worth backing.’ Not to mention, Ghislain was bound to become an unstoppable force in a few years, especially with the success of his cosmetics. Additionally, Ghislain’s father, Marquis Ferdium, had already absorbed the Digald estate into his holdings. A little more support could elevate Ghislain to a powerful ally within the royal faction. After weighing the pros and cons, Marquis Branford slowly nodded his head. “Very well.” The room was immediately filled with gasps of shock. Despite the outlandish nature of Ghislain’s request, Marquis Branford had actually agreed! Without paying attention to the astonished crowd, the marquis straightened his posture and spoke firmly. “I declare before all present here as witnesses: I, Marquis Branford, will stand as the patron of Baron Ghislain Fenris. His enemies will become my enemies, and anyone dealing with him should remember that I stand behind him.” The marquis’s piercing gaze landed on Ghislain for the final question. “But you, too, must always consider my honor in everything you do. Will you agree to this?” “Yes, I will ensure that my actions never tarnish your honor, Marquis,” Ghislain responded with a meaningful smile. 'Got it!' 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎 Now that he had secured Marquis Branford’s support, it was time to handle the critical tasks he had been postponing. 'There’s no way he agreed to this just because he promised. He must see a benefit in working with me.' Marquis Branford was a seasoned politician, having survived numerous trials. If he hadn’t wanted to accept Ghislain, he could have easily found an excuse. The fact that he agreed meant he saw value in Ghislain. 'He probably plans to use me as a pawn in the royalist faction.' It was possible the marquis intended to pit Ghislain against the ducal forces, particularly Duke Delphine’s faction. But Ghislain had already clashed with them, so there was no reason to shy away from such an arrangement. If anything, this gave him a reason to openly ask for the marquis’s help. With Marquis Branford backing him, it would be difficult for Duke Delphine to meddle in the Ferdium estate. 'This buys me some time. Those bastards are going to be so rattled. Hehe.' While it wouldn’t hold forever—Ghislain knew that in his previous life, the royalist faction had eventually been swallowed up by Duke Delphine—Marquis Branford would serve as a solid shield for now. The marquis looked around the room before addressing his vassals. “You should all remember that when dealing with Baron Fenris, you are also dealing with me. Butler, make sure to inform the royal family and all the nobles of this fact.” “Yes, my lord,” the butler replied, bowing deeply. Ghislain surveyed the faces of the marquis’s vassals. They were filled with shock, disbelief, and, in many cases, displeasure. Seeing their expressions, Ghislain grinned. “I look forward to working with you all. Though it seems from your faces that I’m not particularly welcome...” Before he could finish, the vassals quickly bowed their heads. “Oh, so you don’t even want to make eye contact with me?” he teased. The vassals, visibly pale, quickly raised their heads again. “Oh, I see! I thought you all hated me for a moment!” “N-no, of course not,” one of them stammered, forcing a smile. It was hard to believe these were the same people who used to walk proudly among the capital’s nobility, heads held high because of their connection to the marquis. Ghislain, now satisfied, gave a smug nod. Marquis Branford couldn’t help but chuckle at the scene. ‘What an amusing kid.’ In all his years, he had never seen anyone so openly brazen. ‘But if he has this much guts, it might be worth backing him.’ Just as the marquis was about to discuss what Ghislain might expect from him in return, a guard standing by the door spoke in a trembling voice. “M-my lady has arrived.” Marquis Branford raised an eyebrow in confusion. “...Did I not tell her to come see me later?” “I did pass along the message, my lord, but...” the butler responded with an uneasy expression. “Well, there’s no need to send her away since she’s here. Let her in.” Creak. The guard cautiously opened the door. Standing in the doorway was Rosaline, dressed elegantly and holding her head high with an air of pride. Ghislain slowly turned to look at her. Her face was now clear, without a trace of the redness or blemishes that had marred it before. With her icy gaze and firm lips, her resolute personality was on full display, eerily resembling her father. Clack. Rosaline gracefully walked into the hall. The butler, delighted, rushed forward. “My lady! You’re already up and moving! Are you feeling well?” “I’m fine.” “It’s been so long since you’ve dressed up and put on makeup! You look truly stunning!” “Oh, stop embarrassing me... but thank you. You’ve worked hard,” she replied with a faint smile before turning to greet her father. “Father, I’ve been too overwhelmed to properly greet you. Have you finished discussing matters with Baron Fenris?” “Yes, I’ve decided to reward him for treating you by becoming his patron.” At this, Rosaline’s eyes widened as she looked over at Ghislain. No one had ever secured such a reward from her father before. Ghislain was clearly no ordinary man. 'He really is something else,' she thought, a subtle smile playing on her lips as she approached him. As Rosaline drew nearer, Ghislain’s expression grew wary. That strange smile of hers was getting on his nerves. ‘She’s not acting like her usual annoyed self. She doesn’t look like someone who’s about to offer thanks. What is she thinking?’ He suddenly recalled the words she had spat during her treatment. —You quack! —I’m going to kill you. —You won’t die peacefully. I guarantee it. 'Hmm, she seemed pretty serious about that. Is she really going to come at me now?' Even without her father’s power, Rosaline’s influence was formidable. Combined with her strong will, she could become a real problem if she still harbored resentment towards Ghislain. In this world, it wasn’t uncommon for people to kill even their benefactors over hurt pride. And Rosaline had cursed at him plenty, not to mention her temper was infamous. ‘Well... I guess I can take a slap or two.’ After all, she was still the daughter of a noble family, and he had treated her harshly. While Ghislain wasn’t one to care about such things, she likely did. ‘I mean, it was all for the sake of the treatment. Things ended on a pretty good note, right?’ As Rosaline approached, the room fell silent with tension. Commanding the atmosphere, Rosaline finally spoke to Ghislain. “Baron.” She placed her hand on her chest and slowly bowed her head. “Thank you. Thanks to you, I’ve been freed from the curse that bound me like a chain.” Her sudden show of gratitude left everyone in the room stunned. ‘The lady... is thanking him?’ Ghislain, too, looked uncomfortable, pulling his head back slightly. 'What is she doing? This doesn’t suit her at all.' When she lifted her head, Rosaline looked around the room with an innocent expression. “Oh? Why is everyone staring at me like that? Did something happen? Ah, is it because you haven’t seen my face in a while? Oh dear, how embarrassing.” Her words, said with such nonchalance, left the others speechless. Unable to hold back, Ghislain cautiously asked, “Are you... really okay?” “Hm? What do you mean?” “I mean, just yesterday, you said you wouldn’t leave me alone...” “When did I say that? I don’t say such harsh things.” “You said you’d definitely kill me...” “Oh dear, you must have had a rough time with the treatment. You must have been hearing things,” Rosaline replied with a smile, turning to her maid. “Did I say anything like that?” Without so much as blinking, the maid replied flatly, “No, my lady. You did not.” “There, you see?” Rosaline said, feigning innocence. Ghislain’s jaw dropped in disbelief. ‘She’s acting like she didn’t just try to stab me in the head with a dagger. Is this her new way of torturing me?’ He responded with a frustrated tone. “But you called me a quack and said you’d tear me apart...” Shwing! Before he could finish, Rosaline opened her fan and hid her face behind it. From behind the fan, with only her eyes showing, she spoke sweetly, “Oh, come now. I never said that. You’re going to give people the wrong impression. Even though you’re my savior, you shouldn’t tarnish a lady’s reputation like this.” Her voice was soft, but her eyes flashed with a dangerous intensity. Seeing her burning gaze, Ghislain forced a smile and said, “Y-yeah, I must have heard wrong.” 'She wants to pretend it never happened... but what’s the point? It’s not like it’ll change anything.' Clack! Satisfied with his answer, Rosaline closed her fan and spoke gently. “If I was rude during the treatment, please forgive me.” “...It’s fine. You endured an incredibly painful treatment. Just getting through it was impressive.” Even most grown men couldn’t have withstood the treatment she had endured, and for that, Ghislain had to give her credit. Rosaline smiled slightly, seemingly pleased with his answer. “I will make sure to repay the favor for curing me. I’ll use all my abilities to help you. Just say the word if you need anything.” “I don’t need anything,” Ghislain replied sharply.