Chapter 368 Oath
"I just remembered something."
Adam gently handed a small box to Marg.
"What's this?"
"It's a present for you and Millie."
"Thank you!"
As she carefully opened the box, inside was an aquamarine corsage made by Sara and a golem. Considering Sara's words from yesterday, Adam figured these were meant to be a gift from him.
"Wow, it's beautiful!"
"This aquamarine was originally one big stone."
"That must have been a pretty big stone."
"Yeah, I think the raw stone was quite large."
"It feels like a bond between me and Millie. Thank you. I'll treasure it."
Since the corsage was something Sara made in a rush, seeing Marg so happy made Adam feel a bit guilty.
'Oh, I should probably prepare something too. I need to think of a gift for the adoption celebration.'
"By the way, is Millie sleeping?"
"She wanted to see you, but after taking her medicine after breakfast, she fell asleep."
"She's still not feeling well, so it can't be helped. I'll be going back to the main house after this, but since there's not much time before the academy entrance exam, I think I'll be coming to Maiden's Tower often to study."
"Millie will be happy about that."
"Won't Marg be happy to see me too?"
"I'm... maybe a little happy."
"Just a little? It's kind of lonely for a best friend."
The two looked at each other and laughed heartily.
"If you pass the academy, you'll be living in the royal capital for a while, right?"
"Well, the Grandchester estate in the royal capital is close to the academy, so I won't be staying in the dorms, but I guess I'll only come back to the Grandchester territory during the year-end and summer breaks."
"I plan to spend my time in the Grandchester territory even after becoming the Young Marquis's adopted daughter."
"Huh, why?"
"I'm going to take classes from Miss Cordelia at the school that's opening soon. It seems like there are many other things to learn too. Girls can't enter the academy, but this school is co-ed."
"To be honest, it sounds more fun than the academy."
"Right? I think so too. Hey, how about we exchange letters often and teach each other what we've learned? I'm interested in the academy's classes too."
"That sounds interesting. But first, I have to pass the academy entrance exam."
"That's true."
Marg knew that Adam, who sat next to her and learned from the same teacher, was not a foolish child. In fact, he should have been quite capable.
'Maybe what Adam lacked was a clear "goal" presented in an easy-to-understand way.'
The Adam Marg knew was a boy who worked hard at his studies. However, Miss Cordelia avoided making Adam focus on one thing for too long, teaching him different subjects every hour. It was like teaching young children who find it hard to maintain their concentration.
'Miss Cordelia knew that Adam wasn't used to the act of "studying" itself.'
Adam was a kid who got bored easily and hated studying because he couldn't keep his focus. Born as the eldest son of the Young Marquis, he thought it was natural that he would become Marquis Grandchester one day. His busy grandfather didn't pay much attention to him, and his parents were always focused on social events. Adam never thought he needed to work hard to become a Marquis.
Usually, heirs of normal lord families grow up watching their fathers and grandfathers at work. But the Marquis Grandchester didn't let Young Marquis Edward handle much of the work. As a result, Adam missed the chance to learn what a lord does, what challenges they face, and what he needed to improve on for the future.
Not knowing what he wanted to do, Adam couldn't feel any sense of purpose when he was just told to study for becoming a Marquis. Since it was decided that he would automatically inherit the title without doing anything, he didn't understand the meaning of effort.
If the Young Marquis family had come back to their territory more often, Adam might have had a different perspective. Knowing the land they governed and interacting with the people could have naturally made him feel a sense of responsibility. However, unless it was a big event like a hunting tournament, Edward and Elizabeth didn't return to the territory.
Even Marg, whose father was the governor, knew that the Young Marquis family rarely visited their land. In fact, her father and brother often complained, saying, "How can someone who doesn't even know about the territory be the next Marquis?"
"Hey. Why did Adam suddenly decide to study?"
"Well, it was partly because I was told that if I keep going like this, I won't be able to become Marquis Grandchester. But honestly, I'm starting to think that I don't really need to inherit the title of Marquis."
"Why's that?"
"Even if I can't become Marquis Grandchester, I am still a Grandchester. If I have responsibilities to fulfill, I should put in the effort for that, right? I remember the faces of those kids in the lower town and the slums. I want to reduce the number of children who have to do terrible things or get hurt just because they are poor. I can't forgive myself for not knowing the reality until this age."
Adam was attending a private school run by Cordelia and his perspective had greatly expanded by sitting alongside poor children. He made many friends, and his best friend was a kid from the slums. Adam felt deep shame for the silly, luxurious life he had been living until now.
"I think Adam can be a good lord. I'll help a lot too."
"I hope so. Then, I'll always be with Marg. I feel like I've gained a strong ally."
In that moment, neither of them realized they were promising each other a future. Yet, just by meeting each other's gaze and smiling, they vowed to always be each other's greatest support.
"Since it's a good opportunity, let's study together with you, Marg. It's mostly self-study, but we have assignments from Miss Cordelia. Soon, Mister Thomas, Scott's tutor, should be feeling better. He doesn't mind extra students, so he should let you join. I think if Chloe is there, her governess, Miss Jane, will also look after us, but Chloe will probably leave for the capital in a few days."
"Before that, I want to meet Lady Chloe and Sir Christopher, but I wonder if Mr. Rihito will allow it."
"Well, there's no need to rush. Just take your time to get better."
"Yeah. Thank you."
But then, in the next moment, Marg's expression suddenly darkened.
"Hey, Adam. Do you think Lady Chloe and Sir Christopher will dislike me becoming their adopted daughters?"
"Honestly, I don't know, but since they're getting along with Sara, I think it should be fine. Chloe is really into Hannah's daughter, who works in the kitchen, so Millie might end up being treated like a doll."
"If that's the case, Millie seems like a good match. She loves wearing cute clothes."
"Chris generally doesn't care much about others. But I don't think he'll mind."
"I'm a little worried."
"Don't worry, I'm here with you."
Adam stood up and gently patted Marg's head. Then, he noticed for the first time that Marg looked anxious. Back when they were in the slums, Marg was always strong and never showed any weakness to Adam. But looking closely, he saw that Marg's shoulders and neck were much more delicate than his, and her waist was so slim that he could probably hold it with one hand.
At this point, Adam finally recognized that Marg was a very beautiful and cute girl. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her sparkling eyes looking up at him.
Almost without thinking, Adam moved his hand from patting Marg to her neck, bending down to press his lips against hers.
"Mm..."
A cute sound escaped Marg's throat, bringing Adam back to his senses.
"Whoa! W-what should I do? I'm really sorry for doing that suddenly. It's just... Marg, you're so cute."
"I was surprised."
"I'm really sorry for not asking for permission. But I'm not joking; it seems like I really like you, Marg. Of course, my feelings of being your best friend haven't changed, but I might not be able to stay just as stepbrother and stepsister. I know it should be that way, but..."
"Can you explain what you mean?"
"Please don't misunderstand, but I can't marry you, Marg."
"I understand. I'm the daughter of a criminal. I'm not even a noble anymore since the Viscount family was taken down."
Marg's shoulders drooped sadly.
"No, no. It's not your fault. It's my problem."
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe I don't have the ability to have children. I would make my wife unhappy."
"Eh!? Could it be because of that injury from before?"
"Since then, I haven't been able to function as a man... Does Marg understand what that means?"
"Well, if you live in the slums and didn't know, wouldn't you think that you've already lost something important as a girl? I'm still pure, you know!"
"Y-Yeah, that's true."
'But is it really okay to say that with such a proud face?' Adam thought to himself, but for now, he was just happy that Marg was still pure, so he nodded honestly.
"Well, because of that, I think it's going to be hard for me to get married, not just with Marg. I might even be unfit to be the head of a noble family."
"But if it's about having an heir, can't you just adopt Chris or Chloe's kids?"
"People will look at me coldly for not being able to have children, and that's mostly directed at the woman. I don't want to put my wife through that just by being with her."
"Hey, Adam. That injury was caused to help us, right? Then I want to share that burden with you."
"Marg, you might feel responsible for saying that, but it would be harder for me. You said earlier, 'If the person you love wants you back.' I don't want you to give up on what you want or the person you love. I know it sounds hypocritical coming from me, but..."
Adam plopped down next to Marg and slumped over, holding his head in his hands.
"Hmm... I think I might not have to give up on the person I love."
"Eh?"
"Sure, I would be happy if I had a child with the person I love, but on the other hand, I might be able to keep all of my husband's love to myself, right?"
"I'm sorry, but if I'm misunderstanding, I apologize. It sounds like you're saying that the person Marg likes is me."
"That's what I'm saying. There's no way I'd say I want to marry someone I don't like."
"I know it's weird to say this, but I can't study well, my sword skills are just okay, and I'm not the best-looking guy among the Grandchester boys, you know?"
It seems Adam was aware of this too.
"I've experienced being a noble lady and a child from the slums, but people around me easily changed their attitude based on my status. But Adam treats me the same whether I'm from the slums or a criminal's child. You're a bit unreliable but kind, and you have the courage to come to the slums alone, even knowing it's dangerous. But it's reckless, so please don't do it again."
"I did it because I was worried about Marg. There are many people who die from fevers."
"Yeah, I know. I think that's why I fell for you, Adam. But honestly, I had given up. I knew you were the eldest son of the Young Marquis, and you thought I was a boy, right?"
"Yeah. I never thought you were a girl at all. But Marg has always been a special person to me in a strange way. Maybe I would have liked you even if you were really a boy. Wait, maybe I liked you for a long time? But I still feel like my feelings were more like a best friend."
"Are you the kind of person who can like both?"
"No, I've only ever thought about the opposite sex until now. So I'm surprised by what I'm saying right now."
"Ahaha. It's amazing that you can like someone regardless of their status or gender."
Marg smiled broadly, showing a cheerful expression that was a bit bold for a noble lady. Adam noticed this.
'Ah, yes, that smile. It's the same one she had when she chased away the guy who was being violent with me and said, "You're so pathetic."'
Adam suddenly understood. He had already fallen for Marg at that moment. Thinking back, it was surprising that such a delicate woman had the courage to pick a fight with a strong boy. But living in Grandchester, he was used to strong women.
Adam quietly stood up from the sofa, took Marg's hand to help her up, and gently knelt in front of her.
"Margaret Grandchester, please marry me. I will work hard to become a man worthy of you."
"Adam, I'm really happy, but I'm sure others will oppose it. You're going to be the future Marquis Grandchester, right?"
"If I can't be with you, I'll let my brother have the title of Marquis. I don't want to marry anyone but you, and I don't want to see you marry another man. Once a Grandchester man decides, he's devoted."
Adam stood up and hugged Marg tightly.
"For now, it's just a promise between us, but I'll convince my parents and grandfather. Then I'll prepare a proper ring and propose again."
"Hey Adam, you don't seem very Grandchester-like."
"Is that so? I only love Marg."
Feeling anxious, Adam gently pulled away and looked into Marg's eyes. Then Marg smiled gracefully and whispered.
"Because I'm not a coward at all. I love you!"
Then, Marg hugged Adam and kissed him back. Adam was surprised, but he quickly wrapped his arms around Marg gently and strongly vowed to himself that he would protect her.
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