Chapter 248: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (41)

When I returned to the Percus manor, it was already early afternoon.

I had just finished a simple meal with Sir Reynold, and it seemed his reputation as a former mercenary was not exaggerated; he ate the meal prepared by the countryside inn without a single complaint.

On the other hand, some of the younger members of the Mage Corps displayed slightly discontented expressions.

Mages were a valuable asset, and the exceptional ones even more so.

Having been accustomed to special treatment from the family, being sent to a rural territory likely caused some dissatisfaction. Moreover, their lack of achievements during this period made their efforts seem vain.

So, it would be rather strange to say they were comfortable.

Perhaps due to this, a few members cast hostile glances my way. As befitting members of a high-ranking noble family, they seemed to have grown up in a competitive atmosphere as well.

This was evident from their inability to differentiate between those they needed to cooperate with and those they needed to compete against.

However, there was no unnecessary conflict.

Sir Reynold’s stern warning to the members played a role in maintaining peace.

“He is someone who might become a son-in-law of the Rinella family. Be cautious in your words and actions.”

It was a public announcement that I had become an official candidate as Elsie’s fiance.

I sighed deeply and continued walking, feeling weary.

I couldn’t tell whether this was a fortunate or unfortunate development. Elsie was far beyond my league, and I still couldn’t decipher the nature of her feelings for me.

It was too confusing to determine whether her feelings were of love or mere admiration.

Lost in these complex thoughts, I entered the manor’s reception room.

There were already two people present in the room.

It was Leto and Yuren, two of the few men in the group besides myself.

Thinking about it, I could understand why Ria was particularly upset. Four out of the six guests were women, so it was natural for someone as jealous as her to harbor dissatisfaction.