I Adopt The Male Lead - Chapter 25

“I came to receive answers to the invitation I sent the other day.”

“Yes?”

Karina lost her words.

She was speechless.

What do you mean by an invitation?

When in the world did you send it?

Claude also looked at Karina with astonishment.

“I sent it to Wilder because I thought it would be burdensome to send it to Mrs. Bloe’s house. Did you not get it?”

“No?”

Karina was upset.  Although she lived in Tors, no matter how fearless she was, she was not big enough to ignore an invitation from the Duke of Tors.

“No, that means you didn’t get it.”

Karina answered as clearly as possible to show her sincerity.

“How dare I ignore your invitation? Of course, I didn’t see or receive it. But why did you invite me?”

“Yeah, I noticed”

The duke did not look offended even though the invitation he sent was lost somewhere.

No, it was the opposite.

“Then I will think of it as being rejected once.”

“What?”

Karina’s eyes grew bigger with Claude’s fluffy words. What do you mean rejected?

“Mrs. Bloe.”

Claude called her in a serious voice.

“I know Mrs. Bloe is reluctant to me because I’m the Duke of Tors.”

“…….”

“If I were just a wealthy merchant, you would have accepted my offer. Am I right?”

” ……yes.”

Karina didn’t deny it.

When Claude had offered her to be the duke’s vassal, it was still before he showed interest in Roland.

Of course, if Claude had not been a nobleman, Karina would have accepted the offer with joy.

Claude sighed quietly.

“What a strange situation. What has been helpful so far is now an obstacle.”

“You have many great retainers that they dare not compare with me.”

Claude cut Karina’s words at once.

“No, I don’t.”

“What do you mean? You don’t have any?”

Karina asked back, embarrassed.

Right now, Wilder said that he was a vassal of the Duke.  He seemed to be retired now, but there was no way that Wilder was the only capable vassal in the Duke’s family.

In addition, considering the contents of the novel, the Duke is a talent maniac.

There is no way that there would be many people who refused the duke’s vassal position like herself, he must have recruited quite a lot of talented people during that time.

“They all left me.”

“What did you say?”

Karina was so embarrassed that she forgot about manners and shouted loudly.

What do you mean they left on their own?

Whether it’s true or not, these were the words that came out from the duke’s mouth.

Fortunately, Claude seemed to not care about Karina’s rude behavior.

“I won’t be offended if Mrs. Bloe leaves me. I’m used to it now that I’ve been through it for a while. So, use me.”

Karina was dumbfounded.

“I’m not going to criticize Wilder. He’s a good employer and a good teacher. I’m sure he’ll teach you a lot.”

“Yes. I think so, too.”

“But I can give you things Wilder can’t give you.”

His blue eyes remained on her.

It’s not the kind of gaze that judges a person from head to toe.

Obviously, even though it was sharp, the fierce gaze swallowed Karina

Karina barely came to her senses and opened her mouth.

“What kind of…”

“Mrs. Bloe’s talent is simply too precious.”

Karina bit her lips.

This man was talking about her wizard’s talent.

Karina was not supposed to use magic, Claude is making a mistake.

However, Karina did not necessarily explain the fact.

It was because he did not want to go through the wounds that were still vivid.

“Learn and advance under me. Use all the powers of the duke’s vassal to develop your own powers.”

If Karina had a little chance of becoming a wizard, it would have been an attractive proposal that would have left her knee bending, pledging loyalty.

Karina knew very little about the vassals of noble families, but she could predict one thing.

Most nobles demand only duties from their vassals, not saying that they should use their powers to the fullest.

‘What’s the point then, I can’t be a wizard even if I die and wake up.’

But this man wants my magic talent.

I should never use it.

“I heard from the principal that the children are very smart compared to their age.”

“……!”

Karina’s eyes shook.

At the moment, it was because she remembered Claude looking at Roland.

Claude spoke quickly as if he had noticed Karina’s agitation.

“I wish they could be taught by a competent tutor for further education, but I am worried that it would be difficult due to Mrs. Bloe’s circumstances.”

“······”

“The families of the vassals are also treated as future vassals. I promise your children the best education.”

Her mouth dried up.

Future vassal.

In other words, if Roland and Melissa were educated by the Duke and blossomed their talents, the two children would automatically become the Duke’s servants.

Her heart started pounding.

‘It’s not me.’

Come to think of it, it was natural.

Even if Karina has some magical talent, it’s not enough to become an arch mage.  No, she is not even an ordinary wizard in the first place.

However, Roland was born with the qualities of being powerful enough to become a future arch mage, and Melissa is also brilliant.

‘The purpose was……. Roland.’

Then, of course, she shouldn’t be a vassal.  Karina shook her head vigorously and stepped back.

“No.”

Karina closed her eyes tightly and opened them again. Claude’s cool-headed gaze still didn’t leave her.

‘Just say it.’

Karina swallowed her saliva. Sometimes you have to go through it to heal your wounds.

“I don’t have the talent that you think I have. because….”

Claude cut Karina off at once.

“Mrs. Bloe doesn’t believe me? or are you ignoring me? I’ve seen Mrs. Bloe do so many things that no one else can do.”

“Your Grace, I can’t use magic.”

There was a moment of silence.

Claude’s eyes got thinner.

“What does that mean?”

“That’s what Wilder said. I’m not supposed to use magic.”

Karina proudly raised her head and looked straight at Claude.

‘I should’ve said it earlier.’

Rather, I felt relieved after throwing up my words.

‘Yeah, what’s wrong with having a unique constitution?’

It’s none other than Wilder’s judgment, so he’ll give up and go back.

In fact, Roland is who he really wants to be a vassal, but if he insists on making the little boy who is only eight years old a vassal, it will be enough for the public to laugh at him.

‘I’m sorry Wilder, but I’ll have to think about leaving Tors.’

In general, vassals of noble families consisted of only adults, but there were cases when they became vassals around the age of twelve or thirteen.

Before Roland reached that age, he had to leave Tors.

‘Roland and Melissa have to live freely. Unlike in the novel, ……’

Not to mention Melissa died after suffering from Lord Renke’s abused, Roland was also not happy even after he escaped from Lord Renke’s.

Not only the noble but also the imperial family sought Roland, and furthermore, the existing magicians were also anxious that they could not attract him as their faction.

All Roland wanted was a peaceful life with his loved ones.

‘It’s better to enter the magic tower at the right time.’

Roland in the novel she read in his previous life also chose that method.

Since he was not a wizard from Magic tower, there were many hardships he faced, but it was still a peaceful life rather than getting caught up in a political dispute.

‘If I send my children to the magic tower, I will become lonely.’

Karina tried to erase useless thoughts.

You must be 20 years old to enter the tower anyway. There is more than a decade left, and it’s no use worrying now.

“I can’t believe it.”

Claude’s murmur brought Karina out of her long thoughts.

“Yes. I can’t control my magic at all.”

“But if you try hard,”

“If it’s a matter of effort, wouldn’t Mr. Wilder have already told me that?”

“I see.”

Claude seemed to be genuinely disappointed.

“It’s such a waste.”

Karina smiled bitterly.

‘It’s probably not me, but Roland.’

However, that didn’t mean any negative emotions.

Claude DeViathan Tors is only doing what he has to do as a duke.

And I’m just doing what I have to do as a mother of the children.

Karina bowed her head politely.

“Do you have any other business? If you tell me, I’ll give it to you.”

“No. Excuse me, Mrs. Bloe”

Karina returned to the store only after going out on the street and seeing Claude get on the horse.

“Hu…….”

Now, the Duke will not show interest in her.

‘He’s thinking of waiting for Roland to grow up.’

Karina looked around the jewelry store. Since it was almost time to finish cleaning, it was so clean and shiny that it was satisfactory.

Among the jewelry displayed side by side, a small pearl decorated on a hairpin caught her eye.

“No, no, no, no!”

A suppressed scream burst out of Karina’s throat.

She knew this feeling.

It was a Mana Stone that was about to explode.