Her poise was impeccable, but that fleeting emotion was still caught by Malin’s eyes.
He had to tell everyone that Lulu was his—at least a sister under his protection. If she truly didn’t wish to marry Malin, he would certainly grant her freedom, and with that, it was likely no one would harm her.
After all, why exert energy over an opponent who withdraws on their own?
At that thought, Malin reached for a small bell and gave it a shake.
Then he watched as Lulu, the silly girl, walked in.
"I wasn’t looking for you; I was looking for the Head Maid," Malin finished speaking, and watched the girl leave huffily. After a while, that quite possibly most esteemed Head Maid in the kingdom appeared at the door.
Her smile was genuinely sincere and extremely natural, but Malin could still make out a victor’s smile on her face.
"Mr. Malin, what service do you require?"
"Miss Lulu of the Hagelberry family is my secretary. Please prepare a room befitting her status, preferably right next to mine," Malin said squintingly, "Can you manage that?"
"Of course, sir, your wish is our command. Miss Lulu’s room will be prepared immediately," the victor’s smile momentarily stiffened, but quickly, the Head Maid put away her defeat, responding with her sweetest smile to Malin’s expectation, "Just thirty minutes, and I’ll have the sisters ready the room immediately."
"Thank you, everyone, for the hard work. Oh, here’s a small gift; each and every sister will have one." Malin pulled out a set of potions from his Semi-Plane—these were the World Tree acorn potions crafted by Clovis and Rewo, the latest model, even more potent than the previous number three. Drinking it could even enable limb regeneration.
The only disadvantage was that after drinking a bottle, other healing potions would hold no effect for at least half a year.
However, this was generally equivalent to a second life. The princess recognized the value immediately, accepted the small box woven from little vines containing the set of potions, and left the entrance happily.
Not long after, Lulu appeared at the door. The girl looked at Malin with the frustrated indignation of a little daughter: "Who said I’m your secretary?"
"I say you are, and besides, marry me sooner, and you’ll be my chosen secretary," Malin said to the girl before him.
Lulu’s cheeks flushed red, muttering something incomprehensible.
After a moment of eye contact, the silly girl suddenly softened. With pursed lips, and a touch of shyness on her face, she looked at Malin, "Only the royal family and my grandfather know about your completion of the champion duel for now. Staying here, someone might come looking for trouble. Consider this a heads-up... If there’s nothing else, I’ll go ahead and wait for you in the dining hall," she said, then turned and left once more.
Malin was left puzzled.
Wait, was that supposed to be a declaration of affection? If not, why did the girl blush?
If so... how did I not realize that?
Meanwhile, in the Hagelberry family’s great hall,
The old man sat in the elder’s chair, watching his sons bicker endlessly below, and shook his head helplessly.
He glanced at the empty seat beside him, feeling for the first time that his wife’s early departure from this world was both unfortunate and perhaps fortuitous.
Look at these unfledged sons of mine, my love, to think they believe Malin Gaiate is what?
A pitiable creature they can manipulate at will?
No, my poor children, in his eyes, you are nothing but pitiable worms.
You greedy and useless offspring will not even catch the eye of this chosen champion. Lucky is this Lulu, would I pick her over your daughters?
"Father, say something! Why let that child follow Mr. Malin? Our daughters are certainly more excellent than she is!" the old man’s eldest son stood up, backed by his three younger brothers, as they all looked towards their father.
"I don’t think your daughters could be more excellent than Lulu; she is a talented young lady who reached the rank of Night Watcher all on her own. And your daughters? They loiter at Salons and tea parties all day, some of them don’t even have the capability to die on the battlefield alongside their husbands. Do they think they can marry Malin? Think about it, put yourself in Malin’s shoes. What use does he have for them, to add more cutlery users to the household?" the old man asked uncompromisingly in return.
"But Lulu... Lulu is just a foster child’s kid! And we are the children of you and mother!"
"Shut your foul mouths! Her father was the Hagelberry family’s fifth son! Your uncle! She is the most talented and hardest working child of the Hagelberry family’s third generation! Anyone who talks further, I wouldn’t mind having one less child!" Sternly staring down his sons, the elder of the Hagelberrys spoke in his harshest tone, then pointed at them, "Remember, if I hear anyone bring up Lulu’s family background, I will have the Church’s questioners come speak with you!"
In the face of the onrushing force, his sons eventually chose to back down: "All right, father, but we must ensure that the arms deal with Malin is firmly in our hands. It’s a large sum of money; if we can secure the agency or manufacturing rights, it will certainly be a tremendous fortune. The Hagelberry family will definitely grow stronger as a result."