Chapter 9: Change (2)

At first, she didn't know what was happening.

Flora, who had grabbed a soldier coming out of the office, finally realized what had happened in Lawrence.

'Oh my.'

Blood Fang.

A notorious criminal group known for their heinous crimes near Lawrence.

Once, noble families had attempted to eliminate them, but their rat-like secrecy and inevitable retaliation ultimately led to their abandonment of the effort.

Thus, to Flora, Blood Fang remained an unsolvable problem.

As long as they were not provoked, there would be no issues, so she tried to avoid any connection with them.

On the day of the annulment.

Roman had said he would deal with them.

Feeling responsible for the annulment, Flora unconsciously tried to dissuade Roman.

Then,

"We are now strangers. So, I will handle my own affairs."

Roman drew a line.

With the strategic marriage as the link now gone, he clearly stated that they should not interfere in each other's lives.

It was absurd.

She was angry, and the other party was incomprehensible.

Was it the last bit of self-respect?

Was she so ashamed of being annulled that she had to act so harshly to feel better?

She had many thoughts.

She never thought Roman would actually act on what he said.

But,

'He really eliminated Blood Fang.'

What she thought was impossible became reality.

What others dared not even consider, Roman accomplished in just a few days.

Common sense was shattered.

Dmitri's fool?

That was a false rumor.

Even if Sir Jonathan, the knight captain, had helped, the Roman she had seen and experienced was not a trivial person who could be called a fool.

He knew how to take responsibility for his actions and had the ability to follow through on his words.

Furthermore, the fact that he personally executed Ben Miles, the leader of Blood Fang, made it highly likely that the rumor about him not being able to wield a sword was also false.

Why?

Why did Roman remain silent about the world's evaluation of him?

If she had known his true nature earlier, Flora would have made an effort to understand Roman.

Regret was too late.

The water was spilled, and Flora was called to her father.

Her father, praising Roman.

She didn't know what had happened in the office, but her father, who was thoroughly smitten with Roman, was doused with cold water by Flora's words.

"…We have annulled our engagement."

Flora's statement.

To the Viscount Lawrence, it was like a bolt from the blue.

Flora was the Viscount Lawrence's precious daughter.

A delicate flower that could be blown away by the wind, a daughter he had cherished all her life, but this time, he could not tolerate it.

"You have already announced the annulment?!"

The Viscount Lawrence sprang from his seat.

Seeing her father's anger for the first time, Flora's heart raced, but she forced herself to remain calm and spoke her mind.

"Yes. I expressed my intentions when we visited the Dmitri territory last time. I wanted to do what was best for the family, but no matter how I thought about it, I could not respect the person I was to marry…"

"Flora, I always thought you were a wise girl. But this is not right."

He abruptly cut off his words.

Unlike usual, he did not want to hear her out.

"I told you before about the severity of the situation in the territory. The Barco family has borrowed a large sum of money from the Golden Bank to prepare for war with us. Do you understand what that means? There can be no more compromise with the Barco family. They will use this issue to bring us to our knees, and with a justifiable reason, they will take everything. It's not just about wealth. It's about our land, our honor, and you, the flower of Lawrence. They will take everything."

"Lawrence is not weak. Even against the Barco family, we are not without a chance."

"That's true. If it were just the Barco family, we could think that way. The problem is that the 'central government' has approved documents of unknown authenticity, and the Golden Bank has lent money to the Barco family without any special collateral. This is not just a fight between two families. The forces that have lent strength to the Barco family will ensure that we cannot win, for their own benefit."

"…"

Flora's eyes wavered.

She was intelligent.

Called a prodigy since childhood, she had completed her academy courses early, boasting a brilliant mind.

But that was merely book knowledge.

At the academy.

And in the library.

She learned from books, not from the cold reality.

She thought Lawrence would not be at a disadvantage, but the reality was far from ideal.

The Viscount Lawrence said,

"The strategic marriage with the Dmitri family was an unavoidable choice. Among the families in the northeast, only they had the strength to counter the Barco family's reach. That's why I asked for your permission. To sacrifice for the family's crisis. Even if it was a difficult situation for you, if you had refused then, I wouldn't have been as angry now. You could have chosen a marriage partner from another prestigious family, stepping back a bit. But now, it's different. Before, you were the admired flower of Lawrence, but now, the annulment has left a blemish. Other families will watch the situation. Marrying you now would be a risky choice."

The world of power.

Choices come with a high price.

Lawrence, having gained the Dmitri family's backing through a strategic marriage, lost even more due to the annulment.

Earlier.

The Viscount Lawrence met Roman.

He was a decent man.

His eyes were sharp, and he did not cower even when facing him.

And from his handling of Blood Fang for the sake of the territory, it seemed he cared deeply for his people.

So, he felt good.

Even if it was a strategic marriage.

Because the other party was not a fool as rumored.

In a situation where Lawrence had no other options, he genuinely felt fortunate that this choice was not the worst.

But the water was spilled.

As a result, all the preparations to face the Barco family were rendered useless.

"Previously, the Barco family had requested a strategic marriage with us. They coveted our fertile land. I firmly rejected it. No matter what benefits they offered, the reason for rejection was the Barco heir's notorious womanizing. If we lose this war, you will not be a wife of the Dmitri family but of the Barco family. That is the reality. Before the war, you had a choice, but when you fall, the situation will be different."

The reason for the strategic marriage.

The reason she had to make such a decision, despite her heart's pain.

It was because the other party was the Barco family.

Knowing what it meant to lose to those who had long coveted Lawrence, the Viscount Lawrence accepted the reality.

Flora's heart sank.

From her perspective.

The world did not have such stories.

What intentions the Barco family had, and what they aimed to gain from the marriage with Dmitri.

She was naive.

Choosing annulment with a pure heart in a cruel world, she did not foresee the consequences.

The cold reality.

The Viscount Lawrence took a deep breath.

There was still time to gather the spilled water.

"For now, take some time to reflect on your mistake. I will arrange to meet with Dmitri again and make the annulment null. My daughter, we are nobles. We are not in a position to worry about daily sustenance like commoners. With the many things we have, we bear a corresponding responsibility. Pray that this issue is resolved. If Dmitri firmly rejects us, our chances of winning the war against the Barco family will be slim."

Fortunately, the annulment was not yet public knowledge.

There was no time to waste in rectifying the mistake.

The Viscount Lawrence left the office, leaving the shocked Flora behind.

He had many things to handle from now on.

At that moment.

Roman left Lawrence with the Dmitri knights.

On the way.

Knight Captain Jonathan kept glancing at Roman.

'Is this really the Roman I know?'

Roman.

The Roman he knew did not have the courage to face the Viscount Lawrence directly.

Moreover, the matter of handling Blood Fang.

It was full of questions.

Although he did not usually converse much with Roman, he could not hold back his curiosity now.

"Sir, was it necessary to provoke the Viscount Lawrence so much? It was fortunate that he did not make a big issue of it, but if he had been angry, even you would not have escaped punishment."

In the position of being reprimanded.

Roman, instead, criticized the other party.

Jonathan was so surprised that he tried to stop Roman midway.

"Was it necessary?"

Roman laughed.

Necessary?

No.

It would have been better to resolve the matter amicably, but he deliberately changed his attitude in the face of the reprimanding atmosphere.

"Lawrence cannot escape responsibility in this matter. Their complacency allowed Blood Fang to thrive, and as a result, the people of the Dmitri territory suffered. I merely pointed out the facts. They had no right to reprimand me. Even if the situation had been unfavorable, the Viscount Lawrence could not have punished me. From the atmosphere, it seemed he was still unaware of the annulment and would not make the foolish decision to punish the child of a family he was about to marry."

"…!"

Roman's actions.

They were not reckless.

Roman had accurately judged the situation and made statements he could handle.

"From the start, a family that cannot communicate properly about a major decision like an annulment. Why should I seek forgiveness for their mistakes? I solved a problem they could not, and I deserved praise, not reprimand."

His confident attitude and firm voice.

At that moment.

Jonathan was certain.

'Sir, you have changed.'

Roman Dmitri.

He was no longer the fool he used to be.

* * *

Roman arrived home.

He immediately immersed himself in the bathtub, letting the warm water wash away the blood from his body.

'Even in a new life, my nature does not change.'

He had killed people.

At least dozens.

Blood Fang was annihilated, but he felt no guilt.

'It was necessary.'

Roman, or rather, Baek Jung-hyuk.

He lived in a world of the survival of the fittest.

If he had shown weakness and hesitation in killing, Baek Jung-hyuk's life would have ended in his youth.

So, once he made a decision, he acted without hesitation.

He cut down anyone who stood in his way without a moment's hesitation and often resorted to torture when necessary.

That was Baek Jung-hyuk's life.

Becoming Roman did not change anything.

If someone showed him murderous intent.

He would handle them without regard for means or methods, as he had always done.

If the same situation arose again.

Roman would always make the same decision.

Whether the opponent was Blood Fang.

Or someone even more formidable.

Roman lived the life of a predator, consuming others to survive.

"Sir, the lord is calling for you."

When he finished showering.

Hans's words made Roman change into clean clothes and head out.

Upon arriving at the office.

However, the Viscount Romano, whom he expected to criticize his reckless actions, was looking at him with bright eyes.

A look that could not hide his immense expectations.

The Viscount Romano said,

"So, you personally dealt with Blood Fang?"

Jonathan, standing beside him.

He must have heard the situation.

The meaning of the question was clear.

Roman's father.

The lord of Dmitri, but first and foremost, a father to his son, could not hide his excitement at the change in his eldest son.