The Eldest Daughter Walks Down The Flower Path - Chapter 172

※ Regarding the length of the chapters, you may refer to the translator's note at chapter 1.

Chapter 172

Translator: Yonnee

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Yves finished his lengthy explanation, but Robert continued to seem unconvinced. The wrinkles on his forehead, brought upon by a frown, were yet to be straightened.

“In the end, it’s a matter of expediency.”

Hearing Robert say this, Radis’s widened eyes headed towards Yves.

“Marquis, what you said just now… Is it possible for me, too?” she asked.

And Yves looked at her as well. Unlike his gaze towards Robert, his eyes now carried heartfelt sympathy.

“Radis… It might be difficult in your case since you have the position of eldest child in the Tilrod family’s genealogy. This method is possible only for those who haven’t been officially listed in their family registry.”

“Oh… I see.”

As the disappointment she felt was great, Radis’s shoulders drooped.

At this, Yves Russell’s hand slinked forward on the table, perhaps to hold Radis’s hand.

However, Robert saw this with narrow eyes. With a grim scowl, he spoke up.

“Your Excellency’s offer— I accept.”

He spoke in a voice louder than he had intended, but it was because of this that Yves Russell looked back at Robert in surprise.

“You do?”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s through something like peerage. As long as it will help Radis be ordained as a knight.”

‘This jerk?’

A curse almost popped out of Yves’s lips, but he managed to keep it down.

“Robert…”

Perhaps touched by Robert’s words, Radis looked at the guy with stars rising one by one in her black eyes.

Yves was in disbelief.

Seeing this was enough to fill him with the urge to kick the guy out right this instant. Sword master of the South or whatever, screwing over Franz Roderick or whatever— Yves was willing to throw it all away just to see this scoundrel gone.

‘No. Let’s hold it in.’

After spouting hot air through his nostrils, Yves kept himself at bay and consciously put on a bright smile on his lips.

“Hahahaha! Watching the beautiful ‘friendship’ between you two makes my mood soar as well!”

Yves made sure to emphasize the word ‘friendship’, which served as a tall wall between the two.

Robert himself subtly glared at Yves with irritation, but Radis was just smiling happily.

Yves further drove it in.

“That’s what friends are for, right? Hahahahaha!”

With eyes as sharp as a hatchet, Robert glared at Yves at the repeated mention of the word ‘friend’.

‘This prick…’

If Yves Russell knew even the smallest ounce of Robert’s true inner thoughts, he wouldn’t dare say such a thing.

However, it’s only natural that Yves would not know.

Of course, no one would know except for Robert himself.

Robert turned to the side and looked at Radis, his eyes betraying nothing.

Radis was much too tactless… No, perhaps purely naïve, to the point that Robert could sense a bit of resentment in Yves Russell’s words.

Even now, she continued to look at Robert with twinkling eyes, genuinely pleased by the word ‘friend’.

While letting out a deep sigh, Robert nodded.

* * *

Radis intended to set up the mercenary guild slowly, going through the process step by step. But when the Marquis of Russell intervened, the plan was given an instant boost in momentum.

Yves asked Radis right away where she’d like to build her base of operations. She already had a place in mind.

“There’s an abandoned bar in the outskirts of Loire. It was being used by those rascals from the Kingsnake Mercenary Guild before, but it’s empty now.”

Very, very slightly, Yves flinched, but it wasn’t obvious.

“Ah, was there such a place? I think I’ve seen it once…”

“It’s a bit old and run down, but I think it’ll be fine.”

“Then, should I have that place renovated a little?”

“Huh? No, Marquis. I can’t be more indebted to you…”

But at her words, Yves jumped.

“Indebted? Radis, what are you saying?”

“But…”

“Haa… Radis, what debt are you talking about? Is there such a thing between us?”

Yves bowed his head and let out a sniffle.

Radis was just incredulous, however. She looked at him as though she was thinking, ‘What’s wrong with this guy?’

But still, it was difficult to see what kind of emotions were swirling behind his eyes right now because they were obscured by his dark bangs.

So now, it seemed to her like he was genuinely upset.

‘You’re more thoughtful than I thought, Marquis. Well, we’re friends, so…’

Radis nodded.

“If you feel that way, Marquis, then… Alright, I agree.”

“Okay!”

Yves smiled broadly and opened his arms… and very naturally swooped Radis into a hug.

“……!”

Radis’s eyes started shaking wildly.

Her first instinct was to push him away right this instant. But strangely enough, she couldn’t.

‘I mean… I also hugged the Marquis at that time…’

It was just a few days ago that Radis had also hugged Yves. It was due to her bubbling emotions when Yves had expressed his unconditional trust in her.

‘It’s just… a little…’

Because of what she herself had done, she couldn’t bear to push Yves away. So, she stayed still in his embrace.

A sweet, low voice flowed into her ear.

“Radis, I’m just saying that, whenever it comes to you, I want to trust you and help you out however I can without thinking about anything else. Can’t I do that?”

At the gentle words, Radis’s vigilance melted away in an instant, like a piece of ice falling into a bowl of warm water.

Yves’s big hand patted her in the back.

But considering how warm his chest was, not just a small piece of ice would melt in a blink of an eye, but even a huge glacier.

Besides that, his body scent was so pleasant.

What perfume did he regularly use? Perhaps it was the sweetest perfume ever, because as it was combined with his natural scent, it was almost like a drug.

Radis could not think of anything at all.

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