The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Household Wants A Divorce-Chapter 29: Dinner

“Note the parts you felt were lacking and tell me tomorrow.”

As the sky darkened, Isaac told Sharen as such while wrapping up their training. She blinked at him blankly.

“Me?”

“Yeah, just like what you did earlier. What you said was quite helpful.”

“Ah, right... I did say that.”

Sharen replied awkwardly.

She was a bit bewildered because what she told him earlier was what Rianna had told her.

It felt awkward that he was asking her to do it again.

“Do I really have to?”

“It would be nice if you do. Why? Is it difficult?”

“No, no! It isn’t, it isn’t! I’ll dissect the sword you showed today like a fish bone and bring it to you!”

Sharen clenching her tiny fists before raising them like a toddler prompted a smile out of Isaac.

Isaac wasn’t really expecting anything from her.

What he wanted to do here was to seek advice from the woman behind her.

Trying to talk to her directly after divorcing her doesn’t seem right.

With that, Sharen had turned into a messenger. A messenger that he’d try to use for as long as he could.

“But Isaac, aren’t you going to eat dinner? Wanna go together?”

“Can’t. I received a dinner invitation today.”

“A dinner Invitation? Now? From who?”

“The margrave.”

“Uldiran Cardias?! But why?!”

“Who knows.”

Though he answered casually as he was babysitting a child, Isaac was quite puzzled too.

Normally he would have just gone along with it, but right now, with the Great Colony surging in, they were practically in the middle of a war.

A dinner invitation in this situation...

Didn’t seem like it would be a pleasant occasion.

“Hey Isaac, do you have any thoughts of remarrying?”

“...”

Sharen’s sudden question left him surprised, and he sealed his mouth shut.

He felt like he might make a mistake if he blurted out something impulsively.

After swallowing once, Isaac answered calmly.

“No.”

“Really?”

“Really. But why are you asking that? It doesn’t concern you, does it?”

“I-I was just asking! A-Also, I’m worried that you might suddenly become Cardias’ son-in-law.”

“Haa, Sharen, you still don’t know much, so I’ll tell you this.”

“Hm?”

He needed to let this tomboy, who was naive about everything except swinging a sword, know that this place was different from the Helmont’s mansion.

“This is not the mansion, stop saying strange things like that. As far as the others are concerned, Rianna and I are still husband and wife.”

Isaac showed the ring on his left ring finger.

“You see? Divorce, remarrying with Cardias. Saying such things is very dangerous.”

“...”

“What if someone happens to hear? Do you know how many nobles from each family have come here?”

“I-I know.”

“How many?”

“...I don’t know.”

“Then you don’t know.”

Sharen, who had been staring blankly at Isaac, nodded without realizing it.

“I-I guess so.”

Sharen tilted her head, feeling somehow defeated in the conversation. Before she could come to her senses, Isaac continued to fire words at her.

“So be more careful with your words. I’m leaving Helmont in a month anyway. But you’re different. You’re going to stay, no?”

“Right.”

Sharen nodded and suddenly perked up her head and asked back.

“Are you...worried about me?”

“What the he- Haaa... Fine, think whatever you want.”

Conversations with kids this age could go in any direction.

So, Isaac just gave up thinking and decided to go to the dinner.

*   *   *“...”

Since he had been invited by the Cardias once before, Isaac didn’t think much of it at first.

He had been living here for quite some time, so he thought that there was no need to be formal or feel burdened, but...

“Please go ahead and eat.”

The appearance of an unexpected woman at the dinner table left him bewildered.

Her name was Seleni Cardias.

Uldiran’s wife, Silverna’s mother.

Long white hair, beauty that hadn’t died despite being in her forties, and a voluptuous chest...

Now it was apparent where Silverna’s appearance came from.

“Thank you for preparing this.”

It was a modest meal.

Considering that it was a dinner invitation, the food wasn’t much different from the ones that were served to the soldiers.

“What, did you expect a feast or something?”

Uldiran, sitting across, asked frivolously while holding his fork.

“On the contrary, I’d have been disappointed if a feast had been laid out.”

As Isaac answered with a gentle smile, Uldiran grinned and nodded.

Even for the margrave, hogging a luxurious meal in a wartime situation would be too much. At least, the Cardias Isaac knew wouldn’t do that.

“...”

“Oh my, Silverna. We have a guest here, don’t you think you’re focusing too much on eating?”

Silverna, who had been looking down at her food plate and shoveling food into her mouth, flinched at her mother’s words.

After roughly swallowing what she had stuffed in her mouth by drinking the water she had placed beside her, she answered.

“I-I was hungry.”

“Still, he’s your team member, no?”

“...”

Silverna, who had been intentionally not looking at Isaac, slightly turned her head.

Her cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment.

She awkwardly said one thing.

“You... I told you to cut your hair.”

“...You were serious?”

“O-Of course I was.”

“I’ll cut it later. The Northern barbers all want to make me look like a barbarian warrior.”

“That’s because you look slender at first glance.”

The conversation between the two flowed unexpectedly smoothly.

To the point where Silverna herself was surprised.

She had distanced herself after knowing that she had to give up her feelings after noticing it, but this exchange made her wonder if she had been acting too dramatic.

“Want me to cut it for you?”

“You know how to cut hair?”

“Of course. Just look at how many Demonic Beasts’ necks have I cut.”

“...”

“Do you mind if I use my spear instead of scissors?”

As the conversation continued to a teasing hell, Uldiran interjected.

“Isaac Helmont. Today, Antonio came to see me.”

“...That Antonio?”

This was in line to the most likely reason Isaac had expected for this invitation.

“He said he wanted to make a sword with Argentite. For you.”

On one hand, Isaac felt thankful since Antonio went ahead and brought up that sensitive topic, but on the other hand, he cursed the old man’s recklessness.

Either way, it was a good thing for him. Given his position, there was no way he could just bring that matter up.

“It seems I lit a fire in his craftsmanship spirit. If he said anything disrespectful to you, Margrave, I apologize on his behalf.”

“Mm, he did say disrespectful things. That bastard suddenly came to my office and made a fuss, demanding I hand it over.”

“Oh my, really?”

That crazy blacksmith.

Isaac felt cold sweat running down his back, but the Cardias didn’t seem particularly upset.

“It’s not like it’s the first time.”

Silverna added. Apparently, this had happened several times before.

Uldiran nodded, laughing heartily after gulping down his beer.

“But this time was a bit different. Usually, he asked for it for his own work, but this time he said he wanted to make a sword for you, Isaac.”

“...”

“What did he say again? He said he had always thought Helmont’s sword was God’s best masterpiece, but now, he wanted to overcome that.”

For a moment, Isaac’s hand clenched into a fist under the table.

“It seems he thinks that the thin sword you’ll wield can beat Helmont.”

Isaac neither denied nor affirmed.

He just silently accepted the expectations piled on him.

“Isaac Helmont.”

Uldiran slowly let go of the beer mug he was holding.

His expression changed, and the drunkenness in his eyes flew away.

“I can’t give you the Argentite.”

“...”

“It’s not because you’re Helmont. I hope there’s no misunderstanding about this part.”

“Yes, I understand. I’m sorry for giving you unnecessary concern.”

Uldiran didn’t ask or say anything more.

He just moistened his lips by taking another sip of beer.

“Isaac, why do you wish to beat Helmont when you’re one of them?”

Seleni casually interjected.

The question was appropriate enough to break the silence in the strange atmosphere.

“Umm, it’s kind of my own resolution.”

Isaac let out an awkward smile.

He couldn’t openly bring up the divorce, so he tried to answer vaguely, but Uldiran interjected.

“It’s because of the Sword Dance Festival.”

“The Sword Dance Festival?”

The mother and daughter’s gaze turned to Uldiran.

He explained calmly, smiling as if telling an old story.

“It’s a Helmont event that comes every 4 years. They’d invite nobles from all over the kingdom. There, Helmont’s direct lines would compete.”

Uldiran grinned slyly.

“Outside nobles can participate too, but usually they don’t. Because they’ll just get crushed by Helmont anyway.”

“What about you?”

“Me?”

Uldiran smiled awkwardly.

“I did once, 20 years ago. I lost to Arandel then. It was a close call.”

“Then Isaac...”

Silverna’s gaze reached Isaac.

“Although I’m just a son-in-law, I’m still Rianna’s husband. I’ll be participating instead of her.”

As Isaac answered with an awkward smile, Silverna’s eyes widened.

“So that’s why you’ve been sparring a lot with Sharen recently?”

“You could say that.”

In fact, it wasn’t just for the Sword Dance Festival.

The Sword Dance Festival was just a process to go through.

Isaac wanted to become a swordsman, and opportunities to spar with Helmont were rare, so he was just making use of the opportunity.

After all, once he got divorced in a month, he probably couldn’t even dream of sparring with any of the Helmonts.

I’m just milking the opportunity.

In any case, it’d be fortunate if they had interpreted his words favorably on their own.

“That’s very romantic, isn’t it?”

Seleni said with a gentle smile.

“Pardon?”

A surprised voice came out without realizing it, but Seleni seemed to see it as him trying to hide his embarrassment.

“You’re participating instead of your wife, which means you’re doing your best so that you won’t tarnish her name, no?”

That’s not it.

He awkwardly raised the corners of his mouth.

Wrinkles formed as he uttered bitter words.

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

“Haa, that’s nice. I wish my husband had such romanticism in him too. A man who’s just too dependable isn’t good, you know? There needs to be romance.”

“Ahem!”

Uldiran cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I’ll go get some air.”

He ran away from his seat altogether.

As the atmosphere became more comfortable, Seleni adjusted her posture. Her eyes sparkled as she asked her next question.

“Isaac, if it’s okay, can you tell us some romantic anecdotes you had as a couple? Everyone here is too stiff.”

“Mother?!”

“A-Ahaha...”

Although Silverna tried to stop her, Seleni rested her chin on her hand and made Silverna shut her mouth.

“You need to hear these things too. You’re too much like your father, you need to have interests in such matters.”

Silverna, unable to stop her mother’s frivolous chatter, covered her face with both hands and lowered her head.

“How was your first meeting?”

“Our first meeting...”

I was overwhelmed by her momentum...

Isaac muttered without realizing it.

4 years of married life.

They married after meeting for a year, so they had known each other for 5 years.

But if he were to add his previous life to the count.

That number would increase to roughly 15 years.

“It was a warm sunny day-“

Surprisingly...

“It was a day when the river was dyed yellow.”

The memory of that day...

“Beautiful, but thorny, the name ‘Rose’ really suited her.”

Was vividly recounted before his eyes.

The image of Rianna when they first met came to his mind.

[I want to cross the river.]

She didn’t even bother to greet him.

Just a dry demand.

‘One silver coin.’

[I don’t have any for now.]

‘That’s unfortunate. I need a silver coin to row this boat.’

[I’ll pay next time.]

‘I couldn’t just trust you, could I? What about a collateral at least?’

[All I have now is a sword.]

‘That’s too heavy.’

[...]

Her blank, expressionless face made him want to tease her a little.

‘Why don’t you smile for me? That should be enough as a collateral.’

That day, he had won quite a lot in a card game.

So much so that he could accept such a ridiculous thing as payment.

[Are you kidding?]

‘If you don’t like it, I can’t help it. I’ll just go and take a nap.’

[...Wait.]

The rose lady sighed and awkwardly raised the corners of her mouth, but.

‘Is that supposed to be a smile?’

[If you don’t like it, I can’t help it.]

‘Haaa, then can you make me laugh instead?’

At that time, he was interested in her naivety.

In fact, if she had just drawn her greatsword and pointed it at his neck, things would be over, but...

[Once upon a time-]

She racked her brain to come up with a story.

‘That was boring.’

But, it was boring.

To the point where the atmosphere became awkward.

[...]

Rianna tightly closed her mouth.

Biting her lip as if frustrated.

Whether it was due to the sunlight or embarrassment, even now, Isaac didn’t know.

What he knew was that at that moment, her white face was dyed in a deep red shade.

And that she looked charming. Extremely so.

‘Hahaha!’

Before he realized it, he laughed.

[You laughed.]

‘Ah, I guess I did.’

And so, he rowed his boat for her, not minding the ridiculous defeat that was the equivalent of tripping over his own feet.

On that small boat...

Seeing her lips relaxed as she rested her chin on her hand, savoring the river breeze...

Back then, he thought...

That he wanted to make this person laugh.

“Looking back now, it was probably love at first sight.”

Isaac awkwardly concluded the story, a smile forming on his lips without realizing it.

“Well. Whatever it is now...”

Back then...

He must have been in love with her.

*   *   *After Isaac left.

Seleni visited Silverna’s room.

“Mother?”

There was a complicated expression on Silverna’s face as she was preparing for bed.

Isaac’s story made her heart flutter more than expected.

But that story also stabbed her heart more than expected.

“I heard you’re in a love that you shouldn’t be.”

“Anna told you?”

“I tried to make you come to your senses a bit... But it seems I unintentionally gave you a big wound, instead. So I came.”

A comforting smile formed on Seleni’s lips.

Silverna, her eyes wide open, gently shook her head.

“No, I think I’ll be able to sort out my feelings sufficiently.”

“It was a more passionate story than I expected, so I was a bit surprised...and also envious...”

Seleni muttered.

Silverna also thought the same.

She had been wondering just how did he marry a woman like Rianna.

But after listening to his story, she felt it was rather natural that they got married.

Seleni slowly approached Silverna before hugging her.

“Silverna, this is the pain of love that everyone goes through. This experience will surely strengthen your heart.”

“Mother...”

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“I’m sorry.”

“No. I should be sorry.”

She hugged her daughter tighter as she confessed it was her fault for falling in love with a man who couldn’t be hers.

“Silverna.”

“It’s okay. I learned. If I meet a fateful man next time, I surely won’t miss the opportunity. Because I was too late this time.”

At Silverna’s words, a gentle smile formed on Seleni’s face.

Wasn’t she the same?

She remembered the days when she passionately appealed to win Uldiran Cardias over.

“Yes. You are my daughter, after all. You’ll surely do well.”

Seleni comforted Silverna while hugging her.

Indeed, her daughter was strong, she thought.

While thinking so, suddenly.

‘...’

[Well.]

Isaac’s last words.

[Whatever it is now...]

Strangely bothered Seleni.