The 7th marriage is planned - Chapter 2

Agatha Nobilis was still the heiress of a vast fortune known not only in the Roxbard Empire but also in other countries.

A large territory, A conglomerate, seven mines, five islands, fifteen ships, the right to receive taxes and use ports outside the territory, tax exemption, the right to inherit three titles, the right to enlisted soldiers to protect the territory, and so on.

Was there a lack of lineage?

She had a princess as a grandmother, and after the Duchess of Nobilis and her two sons were killed in an accident, she had the emperor as a godfather and the crown prince as a childhood friend.

As a result, she led an eventful life of six marriages and six divorces, but no one could deny that she was the most powerful person who would shake the continent and the best bride.

She was married in arranged marriages from the age of five to the present when she was 23 years old.

Agatha Nobilis, who stunned the entire continent with yet another divorce, had just completed her sixth divorce procedure and was hosting her first salon as a single at home.

Agatha, who had awoken from her musings, opened her eyes wide.

“Enoch Aratus?”

“Yes. Young Miss Agatha, have you heard of him?”

“You mean the young head of Aratus who triumphed this time?”

The ladies seated around Agatha, including her friend, Marquis Iris Domunia, smiled.

Enoch Aratus. He is now twenty years old.

It is believed that he was forced to leave home fo at the age of ten due to pressure from his relatives.

This young man was well-known for his appearance and abilities.

The news of the purge that occurred upon his return made him more famous than anything else.

“Didn’t he kick out all his relatives?”

“You were also aware of it. The social world is in an uproar because of it.

In this case, it was not just one or two families who were expelled.

All of the relatives who had freely robbed the noble Arathus family to their hearts’ content while the owner was away were expelled to the provinces, and some of their engagements were cancelled as a result.

The uproar broke out within a month, so the news of Agatha’s sixth divorce must have been gradually replaced by that topic.

Agatha smiled and cracked a joke.

“The Marquis of Aratus has been of great assistance. He took care of the war my third ex-husband lost, and this time he also diverted attention away from my sixth divorce, right?”

“Oh, my goodness! Young Miss really knows how to joke.”

“You’re mean, Young Miss.”

The ladies erupted in laughter.

Even though she said them playfully, Agatha was quite sincere.

It was probably about seven years ago.

Even the borders widened by Agatha’s first marriage did not satisfy the emperor’s greed.

This time, the emperor, desiring a new port, declared a war on a foreign country and pushed forward with Agatha’s third marriage.

At that time, the emperor gave her to George Portis, a knight who was ‘called’ the best of the empire.

A man who, in addition to his brute force, not only had an unappealing appearance but was also difficult to meet.

As such, George was vanquished in that ambitious war, and they married and divorced quickly, so she didn’t have to bear him any longer.

‘It was a relief.’

The name of the commander who somehow managed George’s defeated war was memorable at the time.

‘Enoch Aratus.’

He was only thirteen years old.

It was special news for Agatha that he had ended all wars seven years later and gained the title of the war hero.

It wasn’t on purpose, but the fact that he took care of things well at war, made the divorce go more smoothly.

“Anyway, the Aratus’ are going through a rough patch right now.”

“I heard it as well. They’re said to be unable to survive even on the war rewards?”

“In the meantime, those relatives must have spent a lot of money. Even if they couldn’t touch the estate or the mansion, I heard that all the money and precious things had been scraped off all the way to the floor.”

“Even a prestigious family like Aratus can be shaken in ten years. Of course, Agatha Young Miss’ Nobilis family would be nothing like this. Ho, ho, ho.”

Agatha remained silent and only smiled as she listened to the ladies’ conversation.

Marquis Iris Domunia, her close friend, bowed her head slightly toward her at the time.

“Young Miss Agatha. Aren’t you on the lookout for an escort?”

“Yes.”

“How about the Aratus family? The marquis and his younger sister are the only direct ancestors, and the majority of the remaining vassals are knights who fought in the war, so I believe there is room for acceptance.”

“Well…”

Is that correct?

Mrs. Iris clearly had a point.

Because the marquis is young and has no elders in the family, he will be less picky than those from other historic families.

Originally, a prestigious family with a long history and lineage, such as Aratus, was obligated to live and die for honour.

‘It’s a unique situation.’

Aratus’ current financial situation was dire.

The majority of the war rewards were estates, and the 10,000 gold received as a reward was insufficient to sustain the large family until they recovered.

Should I give them a month’s trial?

“What are your thoughts, Young Miss Agatha?”

The ladies and young ladies all had their attention towards Agatha’s response while talking among themselves.

Agatha chuckled softly.

“I believe it sounds good. What are your thoughts?”

“Aratus, it should all be fine. Because he is a war hero, the abilities of his knights must also be guaranteed.”

“Without a doubt. What is the most admirable aspect of the heroic knights? Isn’t that loyalty?”

“Because the owner has just returned, the money will not be spent in just one or two places. You should consider them, Young Miss.”

Opinions began to pour in.

These opinions were all in line with Agatha’s thoughts.

Borrowing assistance from close family or the security forces was also limited.

Now that her husband’s protection was no longer available, Agatha needed to find a group of knights to protect her from kidnapping and assassination until she married.

The ladies who had paused in their conversation suddenly widened their eyes with interest.

Agatha concluded her contemplation and softly ruffled the fan.

“It’s fine. I’ll look into it.”

“You made an excellent choice, Young Miss.”

That was all it took.

The words that Agatha spoke began to circulate in the social circles through the mouths of the ladies around her.

-Agatha Nobilis had the Marquis of Aratus family in mind for her escort!

With this rumour, numerous other rumours exploded in tandem with his triumphant return to the capital as general.

The amount of gold Agatha had paid to her escort, the names of the previous knights who had escorted her, and the list of her proposers made their way through the social circle.

It was a commotion that no aristocrat could claim to have been unaware of.

Naturally, Agatha had expressed her intentions secretly through the rumours.

The news naturally also flowed to the Aratus family, who had barely stepped onto the social world.

* * *

Early in the morning.

A man hurriedly crossed the seemingly quaint and old-fashioned Capital Mansion of Aratus.

Conrad Ranchel was a knight who was appointed as the administrator of the Aratus family even after his return due to his exceptional talents in handling supplies on the battlefield.

Fortunately, the person he was aiming for was just ordering the knights to take a break at the gymnasium.

“Lord!”

The man who was called came to a halt and raised his head.

Under the blue hair that still has a rough appearance.

The man had a very attractive face.

A straight forehead. Deep grey eyes hidden beneath dark lashes, a straight nose, and red lips.

Even the manly jawline is spot on.
His body, which had been honed on the battlefield, was perfectly muscular enough to be admired by all.

If there was one flaw, that would be the sword mark that ran from the right cheekbone to the left cheek.

Of course, even that couldn’t conceal the man’s radiance.

In a way, the scars seemed to double the man’s manliness.

Enoch Aratus, the man being sought, looked at Conrad.

“What’s the matter, Conrad?”

“My lord, now is not the time. Do you know what I just heard?”

Conrad, who had rushed, was now almost rolling his eyes.

“Agatha Nobilis has stated that she would like our family to escort her!”

That almost screaming voice was loud enough for the other knights resting in the distance to hear.

Enoch, the flat-headed one, exhaled a short breath.

“That’s why you ran this way.”

“What could be more crucial than this? I’m afraid we’d only be able to last two weeks with the amount of gold we have left. And, given how much they eat, we might only be able to last a week…”

Conrad lowered his voice and whispered intently as he noticed the knights secretly raising their ears from afar.

“Listen, my lord. According to what I’ve heard, all of the funds for the previous knights’ operations came from the hands of Young Lady Nobilis. Escort money can be used to supplement the operating funds. So, doesn’t that mean it’s a fantastic opportunity to roll out the knights for free while also expanding your financial resources?”

blah, blah, blah.

The explanation went on for a long time, but this was the end result.

“Please, my lord, go to the Nobilis mansion and tell them you will do it right away!”