Chapter 741: Marriage system in Britannia

Willow looked at Ezra, calming herself down.

"Haha."

She let out a slight laugh, a simple smile appearing on her face.

"I think I now understand why Vera said she loves your beautiful mind."

She said calmly.

Ezra didn’t immediately respond.

Willow had just explained the situation within House Derlis, including Lucien’s influence over Desmond and the incidents that had been covered up.

Yet Ezra’s reaction had been much calmer than she might have expected from someone hearing such things for the first time.

Perhaps that was what Vera had meant.

"I did tell them, and it was just as you said."

Willow continued, looking down at the table between them.

She rested her hands on her lap before continuing her explanation.

"But the Grand Elder and some of the High-Board members later stopped supporting him after I made my stance clear that I wanted to fight for the position of Lord. Even Mother accepted my decision."

She paused briefly.

"Although, I’m not sure whether she already knows my brother’s true nature."

Willow said calmly.

She wasn’t certain how much Duchess Vivian knew about Lucien.

Her mother’s acceptance of her decision to compete for the Lord position was one thing, but that didn’t necessarily mean she knew everything Willow had discovered about her elder brother.

There was still a great deal that remained unclear to her.

"But even then, Lucien’s status within the family is very strong. He has enough influence to make Desmond act however he pleases."

Willow looked at Ezra.

The subject of her other brother was another matter she couldn’t overlook.

"Desmond has killed people of Derlis. An entire Lowline family lost their lives because the wife, who was Desmond’s maid, stopped him from assaulting a young maid."

Willow’s expression became more serious.

"My brother was the one who covered up for Desmond, but I had to clean up the mess in my own way."

She said.

Her hands tightened slightly.

"Even now, the Elders don’t know anything about this."

Willow’s fingers pressed together.

The matter wasn’t something she could casually bring before the Elders.

The incident had already been covered up, and Lucien’s influence within the family made the situation more complicated.

She had dealt with the consequences in her own way, but that didn’t mean the problem had disappeared.

"Desmond and Lucien have been running rampant, doing whatever they want. And every time something happens, Lucien covers up his own actions."

Willow said, frustration faintly mixed in her tone.

Ezra looked at Willow.

"He is using Desmond as his puppet to hide what he’s doing."

He added, recognizing the connection between the two brothers.

"Yes, but that stupid fool doesn’t even know that Lucien is just using him."

Willow shook her head and rubbed her forehead helplessly.

There was little she could do about Desmond’s lack of awareness.

He was being used, yet he continued to act as though he had complete freedom.

And Lucien was taking advantage of that.

"That is why I have to take the Lord position. Otherwise, who knows how much evil Lucien will end up doing with the power of Derlis under his command?"

Willow lowered her hand.

Her expression remained serious.

"He might even throw himself against the Royal Family if care is not taken."

She said.

Her concern is valid.

Because, if Lucien is truly the kind of person Willow has described, then giving him control over the Derlis House could create a much bigger problem than a dispute within the family.

There were too many possibilities.

He might even go on a killing spree, using the word cleansing to disguise his desire to kill those he considered beneath him.

And he is one of Vera’s major suitors.

Ezra thought to himself.

His black eyes remained on Willow, but his attention had shifted towards another matter.

A major threat had entered his sphere of concern.

The probability of Lucien eventually coming after him was high if Vera continued getting closer to him.

Right now...

Lucien didn’t see Ezra as a threat because of the order the King had laid down concerning Vera’s marriage.

However, Ezra knew Vera.

She had her own way of doing things, and her actions weren’t always easy to predict.

The more time she spent around him, the harder it would become for Lucien to ignore their relationship.

Eventually, Lucien might begin seeing Ezra as an obstacle.

And an obstacle that stood between him and what he wanted could easily become someone he needed to eliminate.

Ezra quietly considered the possibility.

Kill.

The thought came into his mind.

He didn’t immediately dismiss it.

If Lucien decided to target him, then the matter would no longer be limited to the internal affairs of House Derlis.

"Ezra Ashenlocke."

Willow called his name.

Ezra shifted his attention back to her.

"I need you because you’re the only non-heir or young noble fighting for a high position who has the clear potential to become an influential and powerful Alchemist within your family."

She said calmly.

Willow looked directly at him as she continued.

"And the reason I need you to become my fiancé is because your presence will make the Elders and High-Board members supporting Lucien believe in me more."

She paused briefly.

"They would have to recognize that I have someone beside me who has the potential to take a House towards massive financial growth."

Willow looked at Ezra with hopeful eyes.

She wasn’t simply asking him to become her fiancé because of his current position.

His potential was the main reason she had approached him.

Ezra was still young, but his growth as an Alchemist was something that couldn’t be easily overlooked.

His abilities and the things he had already accomplished made him a valuable person to have on her side.

More importantly, he wasn’t an heir to another major House.

That was the most important distinction.

"You would gain a lot of benefits if you married into the Derlis House, especially if I became the Duke."

Willow continued.

"You could establish your own company. And even though it would operate under the Derlis name, no one would be able to take a large portion of your revenue."

She paused before adding:

"There are many other benefits, and I’m sure you already know what you would gain."

She added.

Ezra looked at Willow quietly with his plain black eyes.

He understood what she was trying to offer him.

It wasn’t a small proposal.

Becoming engaged to Willow would place him in a position where he could eventually gain considerable influence within House Derlis.

If she succeeded in becoming the next Lord, he would also stand to benefit from the authority and resources that came with that position.

However, there was something else he wanted to clarify.

"You can’t get Ravenor Burnwick because he’s already the Young Lord of Burn. It’s the same for Veda, and the same goes for the Sun Alchemist, because his status will eventually be placed on the same level as a Duke if he develops well."

Ezra said plainly.

Willow listened quietly.

"We both know the marriage system in this Kingdom follows a simple principle. When two people from families of different social standings marry, the spouse from the lower-status family becomes part of the higher-status family."

He continued.

It was one of the fundamental rules governing marriage among Britannia’s influential families.

Marriage wasn’t simply a union between two individuals.

It also determined which family the spouse would belong to afterward.

When a man or woman married into a family of higher status, they were required to sever their ties with their original family and become part of their spouse’s family.

In other words, the spouse’s former family would no longer have a place in their married life and that person’s life.

This was why people like Vera’s mother and even the Queen herself never had their original families involved in their married lives and personal life anymore.

Once they married into families of higher status, their former family ties were cut off.

And that was precisely what Willow needed.

She wasn’t simply looking for someone who could strengthen her position through his reputation or Alchemy talent.

She needed someone whose presence would carry enough weight to influence the Elders and High-Board members, while also being someone who could become part of House Derlis without bringing the interests of another powerful family into the arrangement.

She needed an influential young man with considerable potential, ambition, and room for growth.

But he couldn’t already be the Mainline heir of another Duke House, a Prince of the Kingdom, or the heir of a Viscount or Count House.

Someone in those positions already had obligations and responsibilities tied to their own families.

Bringing such a person into House Derlis through marriage would involve more than simply gaining a talented individual.

Willow needed a talent.

And Ezra was exactly that.

Everyone already knew that Ezra’s growth was certain.

His potential as an Alchemist was clear, and his allegiance to the Ashenlocke House could be severed if another Duke House married him into its family.

That was something the Duke of Ash had explained to Ezra during his personal training with him.

The Duke had mentioned the number of marriage proposals from other Mainlines and Highlines of Duke Houses and Count Houses that the Ashenlockes had refused.

They understood what such a marriage could cost their family.

If Ezra married into another powerful House, the Ashenlockes could lose him.

But Ezra himself wasn’t particularly concerned with romance or anything related to love.

That was why...

"To be honest, Lady Willow, I’m sure you might have already noticed my disinterest in my family. Perhaps that’s why you mentioned the company and financial benefits to attract me."

Ezra said.

He reached for the bottle of pineapple fruit juice he had taken from the bucket earlier.

After checking its temperature, he picked up the cup and began pouring the juice into it.

The liquid flowed into the cup, filling it as he continued speaking.

"But I’m sorry. I can’t be your fiancé."

He said calmly, with a faintly polite tone.

"What?!"

Willow’s eyes widened.

For a brief moment, her composure slipped.

She had explained the benefits of the arrangement.

She had also made it clear that she wasn’t asking him to become her fiancé solely because of romantic feelings.

Yet Ezra had rejected her.

"Is it because of Vera?"

She asked.

"No."

Ezra replied directly, without hesitation.

Willow blinked in shock.

She hadn’t expected him to reject that possibility so quickly.

"I know you don’t look like someone who has an interest in love. I’ve understood that for a long time."

Willow said, trying to convince him.

"Because if you did... then you and Vera would have been sweethearts by now."

She paused.

"But think about it. Our relationship doesn’t have to be about love. You can use the Derlis House to achieve your goals while helping me increase my reputation within my family."

Willow continued.

She wasn’t asking him to develop romantic feelings for her before accepting the engagement.

The arrangement could serve both of their interests.

Ezra would gain access to the opportunities and resources that came with joining House Derlis, while his presence would strengthen her position in the succession.

It was a practical arrangement.

At least, that was how she had presented it.

"Lady Willow, I think you’re mistaken about something."

Ezra said bluntly.

He placed the cup on the table.

"I’m not refusing your request because I don’t want to get engaged or married."

He continued calmly.

His expression remained plain.

"I refused because I don’t want to build any of my future plans around a House that would restrain me."

He said straightforwardly.