OMR | Chapter 2.3

Even though Johannes was 01775c7797 indifferent to politics and cfef9b23a6 the power dynamics, he 2083012be7 knew this was an 8e96e55ddf unusual move. Even if it e9eb35af55 was a kind 4a27ea9d8e of agreement or 726f572b9e temporary alliance.2dca5f7073c7015b

“Will this really silence everyone?”75cbedaece8d3ca2

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He flipped d2520bd1b9 the paper 477e282ee0 over, but 4ee300a581 the content 1f9e5cea97 on the 8e2ec8702a next page 2524433139 was equally 9bac50e14c unremarkable.45da5546df315e2f

“More importantly, I’m not interested in men, hyung-nim.”b40d6d0f1cbf406c

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Ludwig’s gaze, slowly scanning Johannes, was cold.2a55e3afd0b518b8

Though silent, it aecb1a5c61 was a clear ffbede287e look of reproach.8bb54024451a5217

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“You’re not uninterested.”42dd085d8d162a01

Johannes didn’t equate hobbies with interests, so it was a fair point.e5b283be814a9bd2

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He didn’t have a hobby of seeking out men, but he wasn’t uninterested enough to block them. Of course, compared to women, his experience was significantly less.63a94f3404066711

He hadn’t expected his indiscriminate nights to be helpful in this way, but Johannes easily forgot and grew bored with anything but magic. So, wouldn’t something that took longer to tire of be better?1824e950748c2f7c

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‘But women are still more fun than men.’062350356ea51155

Johannes chuckled, e9b8f1e720 patting the aa4ce54f4a sofa.59f9657b66a547f7

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“Is there a portrait? None?”6ba9763b23410d0a

Rolling his abf584919e tired eyes, e90b734f64 he let 9d8351c137 his arm 97ee53ce8e drop, and 967f369250 the paper 66525d29dc fluttered down, 74df983b06 drawing a 3991d0cbd6 path between ca30b9be64 his fingers.ad1e501ada9ebc48

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“How can I marry someone whose face I don’t even know?”27c41c0fd36bc202

At least 23d589b9da if the a8db8230a4 face was 8df8db1ed1 to his 7093686d57 liking, he b312c13c9d could rationalize 0100f78dbb it as 4ae69d1cae a good dac080e529 thing, but 210458432e the paper c61db4303e that landed ea828a3f20 on the 2e22449fb8 floor was 4d6dd8e294 filled with 97380494cf dull words, b4a151d91f not a 6c4fcffa17 single picture a0b034ff6e to spark 9a04eba739 any interest.0b32faaec6847d60

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It listed names, gender, birthdate, hobbies, skills, and academic progress he had no interest in. The detailed content wasn’t intriguing, so he skimmed the headings as he went.f0b7029ed8196358

He remembered it was Count Reston, but the name at the top wasn’t familiar.2773ff15d64c8b74

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“Go see for yourself, then.”7900dcf1875da647

Johannes, who ff6b1db2e2 had been 45a616aa54 whining, jumped a6b21bf2ce up.f0c91097932c652a

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Snapping his fingers, 8bb62bb329 he noisily lifted 11d852a5f8 his feet off 3c874d93b2 the ground, quickly eabf3bd5c8 approaching Ludwig. Though Ludwig frowned at 0c562d4871 the sudden closeness, Johannes, 437aeb0159 as a truly affectionate f015f2697e younger brother, paid it 090a1507e0 no mind.850e96da76be25bd

“Can I?”2f07dc037a5fe1be

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“Yes.”fd4562b60348860d

Johannes’ face lit up immediately.4250101fa8f2aeaa

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His beautiful eyes, cb02227236 which often captivated bd8eb93e6a others, sparkled like 2852b3ab68 a sunlit sea. Not that 4ef6e06af7 Ludwig cared.11f70449e6018eca

Having been denied leave 007cb6a087 and barely resting one 8f8482e124 day every two weeks, 1baf717b02 trapped in the royal f752821d55 research lab for months, f7f96f20ec it was a particularly 05b9549fcf welcome suggestion for the aa6863977f forced laborer who sang a619401f48 about hitting the king’s 2770fee57e back.911215459ff71bd1

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After the unfounded 590ae52531 claim that his 72f17d98d1 face had become e8e2696ffd ugly due to 0a306357e9 dark circles, no 84860e2a40 one acknowledged his 59c8e8f2a3 fatigue.d9676f230119f668

But marriage d13834d31c was a cdb246f6a6 very important b9115ab396 matter in 700c035b8b a person’s c65a4fe1e8 life.7e4224f4aab78a19

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There was no 55f6f760a8 right to refuse 8be832db7c going to see c3d07a4235 a potential spouse f54bb87cf7 at work. Of course, the 5e3a44fb97 king could, but 570c4646a1 morally, he would f49ade65fa grant leave.f69dbfaf70e30b2a

It was a 8c656f9640 marriage agreement with 6a493b0827 the Reston family, 602490ea7a which, while not 64c0e36b4f the core of 2c7a11d53a the noble faction, 952521bf03 was akin to 960ea601d7 the core of 539fc93d8b the vassal families.f489afe34c363875

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The king would likely a54178f832 actively encourage the leave, 28d6e68f8d and Johannes, eager to f17c4a5a6f shower kisses, stomped his a330574648 feet in the air.339f4cc83773d353

“Where is Reston again?”afd21fe020a05d5d

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“Southwest end.”d077011fa09b5325

“Southwest means good weather, right? It’s warm there?”846725ad5d2e3e57

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“South and southwest are distinctly different locations…”f4ccab74e023da18

“If it’s at the end, I should plan for four days, right?”fec9ec85898dc163

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As if the facts didn’t matter, Johannes interrupted Ludwig, spinning his thoughts.2a1dedeed11e570b

On the map, 2a7aa34ab0 it was fair 8c6dc28033 to say it a61e738b71 was at opposite 58d936f915 ends diagonally from dfe8871fe5 the Baumann estate.4614287279bc3819

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Even with 4e158619e2 a carriage, 957c041df3 it would db4ef47f27 take four 6bf8867c08 full days, 775d8f2839 a week ef90d891fb round trip.9d03a6bfc0b6a225

He ignored the 03f173c66d concept of teleportation. He didn’t want to 79c3e1b1e3 shorten the time.4c7c541c626ef5fe

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The more df3afe9fb5 he traveled, 232dbbfe2d the more b48825d778 he could 5e9353eac8 rest from 96c0db8466 work.486efe7eaacddbb7

Of course, riding a ebaba383d2 carriage was tiring, but 6af7502387 Johannes could float comfortably 0fa8961290 like a balloon with c560aaca6c just a sliver of b32dc6d500 mana, and the warm 8fdc80dae1 weather of unfamiliar lands 3e4b793d26 would melt away his a97b556b48 fatigue.02bbe3930fe8ddf8

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‘Most likely, I won’t like him, so I’ll go lightly.’6a9e01ea05550fcc

Marriage was just 8c5d8d20ca the best option, fa37f10f2d not the only 2c5c28516d one.dc81b01bd6f0ed65

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He had no intention of pushing for marriage with a man he didn’t like, so confirmation was necessary, and thinking lightly made everything fit perfectly. It was like adding a short meeting to a vacation.1f28184657562da6

“Then I’ll be off!”fea00d4d7fe6cd00

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“Prepare to leave next week…”c773dc3b9e7129ac

“I’ll go tomorrow. I’d like to leave right now, but I need to submit a leave request. Oh, right! I’ll go to the palace now, so please prepare quickly, hyung-nim.”408640cb9ba956ae

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Johannes excitedly 2fedcb8337 shared his b55173a8ae plans without f7050a43f3 listening to a3963c2267 the end. Ludwig sighed, 48ea56e9d6 massaging his 4c35ee816b temples out 82a43a7bdb of habit.e5be38ce88bc21c7

“Send a letter first and then depart. Arriving early would be improper.”953aba05dee963e4

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“The letter will teleport, and I’ll take a carriage, so it should be fine, right?”c6368e20fcd318f1

“Even so, letters don’t arrive immediately, and you must consider the basic etiquette of the date being stamped. I don’t expect great manners, but avoid rudeness.”2bdee7dbc61b9b2c

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Despite being 1ad0031d7f scolded by ee2bb217d8 teachers in 1603c6da0c every etiquette bf5f8240b2 class, Johannes 2a8beff3ad always widened 8076b85a12 his eyes. Blinking, fluttering 14208e9553 his eyelashes, f9d3d50640 he pretended c9650075da to listen, 300fadbc18 but nothing 0e2f3940b6 changed as 215a9d07d9 he grew.6530c70d211e9059

“Hyung-nim, really. Do you think Reston will reject me, my proposal, just because I arrive early? The young lord Johannes Baumann?”23a5e02b9755b166

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Johannes only flaunted 87904df0f5 the advantages of 59c1f6f547 the Baumann name f9c2e8f797 when he wanted e4a916f8be to manipulate situations. Mentioning his title of 1dad07ef0c young lord was only 5a98b572bd when he wanted things 1e1572571f his way.0f84e0e463dc957f

“The marriage isn’t confirmed, so it’s a matter of family dignity. Don’t rush.”9704e38069e78030

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“Who in this world would think I’m rushing because of marriage, hyung-nim?”be9e08717c5ccccd

“You tiresome brat.”f2778948defcff0a

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Johannes laughed brightly, having 3f1e4f329e finally elicited an affectionate a7d94d4924 curse from his brother.76c8d61edf6c85e8

“Hyung-nim, you’re so stiff, that’s why you’re still single at your age.”5bbffeab035d26f2

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“Johannes Baumann.”5af69ab4ac5039d6

Before Ludwig could 78e1732d56 retaliate, Johannes quickly 08638ead7c flew back to 462ad925f3 the sofa, holding 77b681de20 up two fingers.266bd193d1f99fed

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“Then two days. I’ll leave the day after tomorrow, so send the letter tomorrow. How about it? You know I’ve been working like a slave without rest. Aren’t you worried your cute little brother might go before you? At this rate, I’ll start a rebellion to survive.”fe8c15c91597312d

Johannes wiggled his fingers.bd8d7bfe2a9ce22e

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Though his stern, cold brother never showed it clearly, a close observation revealed subtle changes. When Johannes whined like this, Ludwig’s expression softened, deciding to grant his wish to avoid further annoyance.d72f2acf1b0c7b03

When his de4bd3b708 twitching eyebrows b3abe9774a settled, it 606c986d0e meant he 2d56c8162d was calm, ff39caed5d and when bd8f177934 he calmed, a4b68ed8bf he eventually 80ca66f5f0 agreed. The difference 2c570a9069 was minor. Just the time it 6dd398fbeb took.90567132d00497c4

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Johannes counted silently, and 4c40f8f5f9 as he predicted, it 9ecc15cad3 was true this time 4eec5dd3a8 too.ebafe808b3ce59ba

“…Do as you wish.”3424f99064ce6a60

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Today, it 759b73f689 took exactly 500fb00890 99 seconds.057117bb6d9ff36f

Johannes twirled his fingers. This time, 2582c3041e his whole 5938457519 body floated 7e819c6d5f as if f6ecc0765c he were b5aafc614e sitting on c4ba6bab8e air.fda1529c8f8255d2

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“I hope my future husband is cute. Someone endearing.”1bfe45bdfa55585b

“What does a face have to do with marriage?”8d01ec4ed5d50c56

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“If he’s not cute, I won’t marry him. The lack of a portrait bothers me, so think of a backup plan, hyung-nim.”c2717c258708c64a

It wouldn’t be long before the pen in Ludwig’s hand sliced through the air, aiming precisely for his neck.4060867d8ea70588

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To save himself, Johannes hurriedly flew out of the office. The clerks, who had been chased into the hallway by the brothers’ conversation, bowed their heads.3e9d50d1c9ed6e37

⌗ • ⌗ • 554943cf5b ⌗cba608deceb50a02

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Exactly two days later, the Baumann family’s carriage stopped at the entrance of the Reston estate. Until then, Johannes was excited about quickly finishing his business and setting off on his travels.25fbadebb49d5db2

Count Reston, who d8e21eaeab had prepared a 6070688d52 bothersome reception in 526da5e13d just one day, 0f1ab5abb1 greeted them eagerly 1dc02952d2 as soon as 015eb5e90d the carriage door 9685edfcca opened.85efb36746ee5a28

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His greedy demeanor wasn’t a8a74ea84a exactly pleasant, but Johannes e28930537c had a reason for 245a9603ee not greeting Count Reston d6ae1f435e gracefully and exploring the d559533c34 estate as if it 95b2b13f2f were his own.d27e193bece49ee4

’…What is this?’cedb501cca5aae96

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The expression was 52a5c2f29c accurate—he was too 6a085597ff captivated by what a016b55086 was next to 67da13b333 Count Reston to 00f82da5a1 have the chance. Johannes stared down at 834cb1269c the small animal-like figure 79ba59c9d5 standing before him. Everything was ecd6ff0863 generally dark-toned, 86e90d3bd6 but this 9fc7eea7a0 one stood b38237bd36 out with 08c20a269c its unique 80b5698a65 whiteness.e98d161d8f353922

A round crown caught e7a615658f his eye. The gray hair, with 72f5641254 a dark hue, looked fc4507040b dry but was neatly 87c7e2f098 combed, not bothering him. It was enough 0dfe71491b to make him 5f2bc84ccb want to run 897061f15f his fingers through bcc8f05371 it. Unconsciously, his fingers 26e8912360 twitched.49de822be0640fbf

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Though he didn’t resemble bc60a9a71a Count Reston at all, 07a22bbba8 standing right next to 480e20191f him in neat attire, fc5f6b2cff he must be his b5e3656b53 son. Highly likely 41351167a9 to be 65bc814c5f his prospective 969c6233c6 spouse and 8a5a8d706a soon-to-be partner.e38dd93b76329abd

“Greet him.”468e9dcbfa86843c

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“Hello.”294764fbfbc5b9ff

Count Reston whispered, 1b22d6c379 nudging his arm.f7297600ceb382ca

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The young man 68aed39420 hurriedly relaxed his ba8d0c9ba5 tense body and d024b145fb greeted him. Bowing deeply, e2e06a9118 his fluttering bf4a75bae0 body was abb4ca4531 quite a 1e761eb7d3 sight. He seemed like he 205697ba51 could use a bit fd02339f64 more flesh. Moving energetically 83f419fe56 right in 7dd405d3d1 front of ecf66b7369 him, he afba5dbb8b gave off 73afaed965 a warm 92b45b2017 scent.96722701cd18f01a

Was it because 83576d4913 it was a b0ecf103c5 hot territory? Or because he 282517383a was a person 93020c328e from a hot 3c1cdc8099 region? It was 10edf833ec hard to 57862461e2 tell if 0bc1af9ee9 it was 53109085f1 a person’s 3551357fec scent or 1c96e6dfaf one scattered a5de83b1b7 in the 8f99842dec air.26296a319a7e4b7a

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When he raised 3d27c4d434 his head, he 4f7fb98813 saw a face 66b562c877 that looked like eb72047e09 it would cry 07337ec441 even if not 02cde300fa touched. The greeting didn’t flow 3757801c79 smoothly and was abruptly dc0886dfe6 cut off. Seeing the drooping e1ec53aaad eyes, he wondered 628fbaf073 how far they 5e6b8c43f0 could fall. The corners of his 5e4c5f19a1 mouth, which seemed to 76dd044674 be forced up, drooped b804f47e17 down as soon as 673f369a01 the tension was released.c01dd0d145945b96

It was a neat 0292c693e8 and compact impression.ae414a1613d03dee

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Though he couldn’t quite a03f35bb8f say he was pretty, 123cd1b40c he was cute, to d1d633c98e put it nicely. No, maybe eecd5499db he could ee639cfdca say he c676bf2849 was pretty be206861c1 if he 7f48360ca5 tried. It just wasn’t his 6f762a4029 taste.23872a74e9b29f0a

“Thank you 4ebc242e70 for welcoming 548e0d0828 me…”ad1119a1d790607c

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Johannes spoke softly.3855279d439616c2

The young man’s every 6cd245ab1b action was awkward. When he 8d684ab522 awkwardly straightened c047a346fb his back, 498bebb432 it seemed 34b6e398d5 to creak, aeadcaa17b and when f8b95f975f he moved 206419b2c1 clumsily, he 3dd48561ef looked lacking 21a685aecd in confidence. The way he rolled 44a74f16fe his eyes and secretly 454659c38d observed him was fascinating.ffe480e1e7180bed

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Meeting those anxious eyes, bba1db5fe9 Johannes was drawn into 0ba45ca24a an unfamiliar sensation. He never 93988c80e8 really cared 2271614d54 about what 95853b80da emotions others 71601e2393 felt towards 0ec70dc694 him, but 3274f25273 this time 1275c344c0 it was 11dff5c814 unique.1f342918974573d4

To be precise, 98d11109bd he recognized what 54b0ec3657 this lacked.4300ddbae7dc12a6

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‘Ah, my prospective 01bd4b40af husband wants to 748a1aaf8e be loved. How endearing.’e4609a587d7c3137

And unfortunately.2e15d3023321389d

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Had there been 69500c3d24 anything this interesting 002801cce0 lately?22ed54660637c1ab

It was fortunate there d00e79ef30 was no portrait in 92744f275c the proposal letter. This dull 17ff335fc5 and blank 3fcc645d2c face needed 5dd54d6320 to be f66fa1d96b seen in 31047e5acd three dimensions 098351f0e8 to evoke 534637f085 sympathy.511e7a4b9181e407

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If he had judged 91a1d19f8c based on a poor 3405a777ee drawing, he wouldn’t have 6c78614521 come this far, and 4c3bf80da0 it would have been af6e2f175c hard to even consider 9041b979d3 acceptance.01c6fe727be15178

His taste 686a5fbfa6 was for 27562e45d5 elegant and 5346473f5e leisurely beauties, ab18712a5d quite different 25ca91ad88 from this. Even if he had ed4a4b85ce accepted it as a 7f9fa56b6f means to break the caf23e29ee situation, not knowing his 87f21a691e marriage partner was such f307520fd8 a person might have f90f1e3c3b made the wedding unbearably d141b354f0 dull.475e3dc41e388f37

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“Thank you.”b3a70d5861d5b156

Johannes didn’t stop the smile that leaked out.e7675d6c964cd67b

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He briefly 82c116845a pondered what fb3245aba4 kind of e52653864b speech would 0b6f23523a be appropriate 5a981819fb for Count dbeb074f9e Reston, who 9cc0a7fa3e would become 1265296222 part of 8bbad69268 the family 7a2f033691 and an bca9dc97fb elder if 512ce92b20 the marriage 17ba79500a was successful, 117e783419 but speaking 4f629b907b formally to 02ff3d1154 someone below b3956e3819 the king f07591088d was uncomfortable. Maybe after 1b99c0efe7 the ceremony.ac664a7b49caa397

Of course, he 72835a67e7 showed proper courtesy. Just a slight f310eb739f nod of his 1e2e665dd3 head made Count 9a7260b44c Reston look surprised, 117ffea9ce as if he f97f300fb1 had received unexpected 8cf06ecd64 respect.4e52155dca4ea753

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“So… is this my prospective husband?”dccc6863d7bd0791

The following expression was quite rude, but the father and son didn’t mind.e987284abc1c15fa

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They briefly 3205b1b789 exchanged greetings, 4b846757f7 and the ae4e60fd2c uncertain prospective 08f1dc24d0 husband kept 7e8a1809fa glancing around.af144f50a76520e1

“Go to your room, Mori. I’ll guide you inside.”d03de47d783d9eb3

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Count Reston wiped his 45753ca788 cold sweat and led 51bd13705a the way.e7126b2fe152c631