在狠狠线噜噜噜

Chapter 174: Engagement Count Increased ①

Translated by AmaLynne

A week had passed since the duel with the Sword Saint Amemiya Kurando.

During that time, various things occurred.

First, concerning the Michel family.

A young man named Michel Kenny was chosen as the new head of the Michel family, coming from a branch family.

Unlike Julian, Kenny had a reserved and quiet demeanor.

He recently visited Count Walker’s residence to apologize to Jonathan and Sam for the series of incidents caused by his cousin and aunt.

Kenny, along with his apology, reported Julian’s death to Sam and the others.

Although Julian had been maimed and lost his arm in the fight against Sam and Kurando, he was still alive.

Julian had been confined with his mother in their mansion, waiting for judgment. Unable to bear the pain and humiliation, he threw himself from the third floor of the mansion in an attempt to end his life. However, he survived the fall but became paralyzed.

Misery, taking pity on his state, confessed that she had strangled him.

Overwhelmed by the shock of having killed her beloved son, Misery seemed to have lost her sanity.

Realizing that it would be difficult to proceed with a trial, she was exiled to the countryside. But later, she committed suicide.

It’s said that she repeatedly slammed her head against the wall, shouting her son’s name, until she died.

Though Julian might have been seen as someone deserving death, in this state, one could only feel pity for him.

When Kenny informed Sam and the Count Walker family about the deaths of his cousin and aunt, he offered compensation to the Walker family for the trouble they had caused. However, they politely declined.

Instead, the Michel family promised never to show their faces to Sam and the others again, and they left.

Jonathan might have had various thoughts, but Sam no longer cared about Julian or Misery.

Rather, he felt relieved that the presence bothering Lise was gone.

On the other hand, Count Walker’s family was wrapped in joy.

The second daughter, Lise, was pregnant with Sam’s child.

When the members of the Count’s family learned about Lise’s pregnancy, they were both surprised and overjoyed.

Especially Jonathan, who even began a mysterious little dance and was looked at oddly by his daughters.

Understandable, as it was his first grandchild.

The actions of Jonathan and his family following this news were swift.

They arranged for the family doctor to be present at the mansion, constantly monitoring Lise’s health.

Lise said it was「exaggerated」but both Sam and Jonathan treated her with over-protectiveness.

Lise smiled wryly at Sam and her father’s behavior, but she seemed to be happy with the sense of being cherished.

Grace, Alicia, and Erika were all genuinely celebrating Lise’s pregnancy as well.

The eager Jonathan had already begun thinking about what to name the child.

Grace teased him for being hasty and suggested waiting until they knew the gender, but they were already coming up with names for both boys and girls.

For her too, it was the joy of her first grandchild that made her excited.

Bringing gifts of celebration to Count Walker’s family, Gunther Ignatz appeared.

He genuinely congratulated Lise on her pregnancy without a hint of jealousy.

Surprisingly, Sam felt relieved by Gunther’s normal reaction. However, that night, Gunther entered Sam’s bedchamber in a negligee, winking at him and saying,「Next is my turn」, before casting a spell in jest. This was an inconsequential moment.

The next morning, Sam felt a sense of urgency that he needed to start dealing more seriously with Gunther, who had been casually enjoying breakfast in the Walker family’s dining hall as if nothing had happened.

The busy yet lively week passed by in a flash, and the Count Walker family had regained their composure.

As Sam was about to head to the courtyard for training, the maid Marie called out to him.

“Ah, Sam-sama. Hualian-sama has returned.”

“Hualian? Oh, alright, then I’ll go welcome her.”

[ TN: かれん;【花蓮】; Place, Female given name; Karen; Hualien, Hualian. Yes, after 170+ chapters, I just now realize that the name is wrong all along. ]

For this week, Hualian hadn’t wanted to intrude on the family time and had returned to her own family’s home.

Though she had become close to Lise, she seemed to have considered not wanting to be a bother.

Sam and Lise had told her it wasn’t necessary to be so cautious, but Hualian had mentioned that she still had things to report to Magnolia, making her presence convenient.

As Sam headed towards the entrance, he spotted Hualian carrying a large bundle.

“Long time no see, Hualian-sama.”

“Yeah, it’s been a week. How’s Lise doing?”

“She’s well. She’d be glad to see you.”

“I see. That’s the plan.”

“By the way, you’ve brought quite a lot of luggage.”

“I have souvenirs for Lise. Plus, I brought some personal belongings. Starting today, I’ll be living here properly.”

In one way or another, about a month had passed since Hualian had started living with Count Walker’s family.

She had become like part of the family. Jonathan and Grace had welcomed her warmly as if she were another daughter.

Just as Sam had, Hualian felt gratitude towards the kindness of the Count’s family members.

“Well then, I suppose I should greet the gentlemen first.”

“Yes, but before that, there’s something I need to tell you, Sam.”

“Me? Alright, what is it?”

After placing her luggage down, Hualian bowed her head toward Sam.

“Starting today, let’s be formally engaged.”

“Huh?”

Sam was taken aback by Hualian suddenly saying something like that.