Chapter 2 – The Young Elf And The Contract Ten Years Ago

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July 2nd, 2022

It was ten years ago─ when Hydrangea was fed up with his repeated troubles with women.
During an evening party at the royal castle, he was walking alone in an empty corridor, evading the approaching women.

In the midst of it all, he caught sight of a man kneeling on the ground in front of t the Magic Division’s office, pleading for something.

He was a slender, brown-haired middle-aged man with some grayish hair, he was so skinny that his cheeks were hollow, as if he were nothing but skin and bones.

He was wearing a black cloak attached with the emblem of a two-headed dragon, a symbol that he was a member of the Magic Division.

What in the world is he doing there? He listened to the commotion.

“Excuse me, its fine even just for a bit! I beg you, please!”
“There is no one in charge even if you came at this hour! Go home!”

What on earth are they fighting about? Hydrangea decided to meddle in their affair to kill some time.
When he asked what was wrong, the administrative official, seeing his elf’s ears assumed he was from the Duke Laudense family, straightened his posture.
Then, he reported while standing still.

“This person says he wants to read the books in the forbidden room! But, there is no one in charge and he, Sir Silane von Northpole, is a Pempton and does not have access to the forbidden books!”

There are ranks in the Magic Division based on the amount of magical power and ability.

First is Stoicheia, which is crowned only by Hydrangea in the present day.
It was only given to the founder and him as a proof as someone who has absolute magical power and talent.

The requirements are to acquire a variety of magic, including the four element magic, transfer magic, spirit magic and fairy magic.

Next is Deuteros, crowned by Hydrangea’s father the current Duke, Aster, and ten others.

The Magic Division are made up by Dritte, of which there are only fifty people, the rest are Quarta and Pempton which are crowned by other wizards.
(TLN : Stoicheia is the first rank, Deuteros is the second rank, Dritte is the third rank, Quarta is the fourth rank, and Pempton is the fifth rank)

The man named Silane was a Pempton.
Normally, only Deuteros and above are allowed to read the books in the forbidden room.

“What is your reason to read it?”
“He wouldn’t answer no matter how many times I asked him”
“I see”

Hydrangea, who was just looking for a place to hide, decided to ask Silane a question and borrowed the guest room next to the office.
When he brought him into the guest room, Silane was pale and shivering.
What in the world had happened?

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“Oi”
“H-hyaai!”

Silane must be around 40 years old.
He was about the same age as his father, but he was trembling with fear and restless.
He wondered how he turned this way.

“Do you know who I am?”
“Ah, y-yes! Hydrangea von Laudense, the Stoicheia of the Duke family”
“That’s enough”

At least he seems to be thinking straight.
Previously, my father told me “Your magic power will make a sensitive person shrink.
Because it’s a problem that can’t be helped, you should at least soften your attitude”.
How does someone soften their attitude? The young Hydrangea at 16 years old did not know that.

“So why did you insist on reading the books in the forbidden room?”
“Ah…… T-That…… I-I can’t say it”
“I see.
Then go home.
Immediately”
“N-No way!”

Silane stood up and prostrated himself in front of Hydrangea.

“Please, please have mercy on me.
I will not misuse the forbidden books!”
“Then why don’t you tell me?”
“I can’t tell you!!”

Silane expression was desperate.
He is not going to misuse it, but he cannot tell the purpose of using the forbidden books.
He could not imagine any circumstance that would make such a claim.

“I beg you! Your Excellency Laudense!”
“I would be in trouble if I allowed you to read the forbidden books in my name and you caused incident”
“I will definitely not do anything to trouble Your Excellency”
“Then why can’t you tell me the reason?”
“I can’t tell you.
This one thing, absolutely”
“……”

Hydrangea let out a sigh and stands up.
When he was about to leave the guest room, Silane held him back by the waist.

“Your Excellency Laudense!”
“Eeei, release me!”
“Please, please, I beg you!”

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Silane started to cry.
He looked so pathetic.
He didn’t seem like he would commit a crime.
He seemed good-natured.
However, without hearing the reason, he cannot allow him to read the forbidden books.

“T-Then, please put a curse on me!! Curse me to death if I misbehave!!”
“You…..”

What is the forbidden book that he want to read so much? He can’t tell the reason either.

“Please curse me.
Your Excellency!”
“Don’t say such disturbing thing”
“Please, please……”

When he push Silane’s shoulders, he easily leaves.
After that, he put his forehead on the floor in a fluid motion.

“Do you have any self-respect?”
“I will do anything if you can grant me this wish”

Hydrangea bites at these words.

“You said you would do anything, right?”
“Y-Yes”
“Do you have a daughter?”
“……”

Silane’s eyes widened as if they were about to spill.
He began to shake and tremble, showing his agitation in a way that was easy to understand.

“P-Please, please spare my daughter!”
“No.
It’s not like that”
“What do you mean, not like that?”
“How old is your daughter”
“10 years old”
“Just right”

Hydrangea offers a deal.

“I will be engaged to your daughter.
But, this is just a deterrent to those who want to propose marriage”
“S-So you are not actually getting married?”
“That’s right”

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Silane was obviously relieved to hear that.
He was a bit sullen about that.

“Do you intent to not let your daughter married?”
“N-No! My daughter, that, her body is……”
“Her body? Is she sickly?”
“Eh? …… Y-Yes, t-that’s right.
I don’t think she will be able to make her social debut”
“Then that would be more convenient”

She probably will not be involved in a quarrel between women by becoming Hydrangea’s fiancée.

“But I’m going to put a curse on you.
Because I don’t trust you”
“T-That, yes”
“Also, I want you to write a contract to give your daughter”
“Yes”

Hydrangea took a pen and paper from the office and had him wrote it on the spot.
Silane smoothly approved the sentence that promised the marriage of his daughter to Hydrangea.

“So your daughter name is Violette, eh?”
“Y-Yes.
She is very beautiful like my wife”
“I have no interest with your beautiful daughter”
“I-Is that so?”

Silane was not discouraged by Hydrangea’s curt words, but rather relieved.
Everyone in the social circle was vying to have relations with the Duke Laudanse family, but Silane was an eccentric.

“Is it okay this way?”
“Yes.
From now on, Violette von Northpole and I are engaged”
“Yes, I am pleased to do so”

Next is to put the curse.

“The condition to activate the curse is only limited to commit crime using magic, but there is no problem, right?”
“Yes, of course”

That meant the curse would apply to more than just using the magic in the forbidden book.
Silane nodded that there was no problem.

“Then, let’s get started”

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“I am ready”

With a snap of his fingers, a magic circle emerged from nothing.
A crystal rod appeared from the center.
he grabbed it and struck it on the floor.
The magic is wild from the chanting.
The rod is struck repeatedly on the ground, and lastly the cursed person is hit with the tip of the rod.

“─Ugh!”

Silane, who was hit by the rod, rolled on the floor, holding his forehead.
His body was bent like this “く”.
his entire face was covered in cold sweat.

He was in agony for about ten minutes, but when he regained his composure, he stood up and said he was going to the forbidden room.

　◇◇◇

That is the end, but this was the story of ten years ago.

“After that, I took him to the forbidden room and made him read the forbidden book”

Because of these circumstances, Hydrangea and Violette von Northpole claimed to be engaged.

Prince Magnolia stared absentmindedly.

“What’s wrong?”
“No, is that contract valid?”
“Of course it is valid.
If Violette von Northpole is unmarried”
“Is she single?”
“I don’t know”
“……”

Prince Magnolia sighed greatly.
He held his forehead with his fingertips and shook his head.

“So, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to Violette von Northpole’s house and…… Marry her if possible”
“Eh?”

It seems that Silane had said that Violette was sickly and not suitable for marriage.
If that’s the case, then there is no one more suitable than her as marriage partner for Hydrangea.

“It’s that thing called contractual marriage”
“Is that okay with you?”
“More than anything, marriage proposal has been coming in so much that it is interfering with my daily life which is troubling.
The only way to deal with this situation is to get married”

Saying that the conversation was over, Hydrangea forced the meeting with Prince Magnolia to end.