Chapter 152: Empire Rose, High Tower Witch Tauriel Hall (Part 2)

Chapter 152 -120: Empire Rose, High Tower Witch Tauriel Hall (Part 2)

If you do not want to suffer such a tragedy, then do not marry the orphan of the Jackson Family.

I have already selected a more suitable bride for you. Only she can bear your child and guarantee that the child will not be affected by the Eye of the Future.

You must be curious as to who she is.

Very well, I shall not keep you in suspense.

She is the High Tower Witch known as the Empire Rose, Tauriel Hall.

Don’t let the fact that she’s a Witch fool you. Her father is one of the most powerful Counts in the Empire, Count Hall.

Oh, you’re an outsider, so you may not know the defining trait of the Hall Clan. In a word: fabulously wealthy.

The Hall Clan are also loyal supporters of Augustus. They are the only Creed Clan to remain in the Royal Capital.

She is of noble birth and belongs to neither the Church Court nor the Guardian Bureau.

The High Tower she lives in was built by the Hall Clan themselves, in an effort to make her seem less of an anomaly.

The Empire does not permit Witches to marry, but she is the sole exception.

Seventy percent of the young nobles in the Empire have dueled for her, hoping to earn a single smile.

You might think that someone so exceptional is far beyond our reach.

But I am confident I can charm a woman better than seventy percent of the Empire’s young nobles, and I will persuade her to become your fiancée.

So, please, do not get engaged to Catherine in private before I have succeeded. I know she must be a fine girl, but she is truly not right for you.

Unless you want her to live forever in the shadow of childlessness.

I must tell you another secret. The vast majority of insecure women hope to use children to hold on to their husband’s heart, especially since you are a man of the Moria Clan.

Finally, I hope you will return to Green Shade Territory as soon as possible. Do not get into a conflict with Mary Frank. Do not let her target you. The terror she represents is beyond your imagination.]

Lian finished the letter and let out a sigh of relief.

‘Thank goodness Catherine isn’t my half-sister. That would have been a truly forbidden nightmare.’

‘The High Tower Witch, Tauriel Hall, certainly sounded exceptional, her beauty ranking among the greatest in the Empire, but what did she have to do with me?’

‘Does Old Deng really see me as some shallow person who only cares about wealth and looks?’

‘Besides, I’ve already offended Mary Frank and made contact with Duke Moria. Everything Old Deng was worried about has basically already happened.’

Lian carefully folded the letter and placed it in his pocket.

Her heart in her throat, Catherine looked nervously at her fiancé.

She worried she would become the second woman in the history of the Jackson Family to be abandoned at her engagement ceremony.

The first had been her poor aunt, a woman she had never met: Megawati Jackson.

It was said that her aunt was later overcome with grief and died of sorrow.

Seeing how carefully Lian put the letter away, the Messenger Knight breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ve finally completed the task Lord Moria assigned me. I think I need a good rest.”

Lian turned back to Catherine and said gently,

“Don’t worry. My father conveyed his most sincere blessings in the letter. He wishes us a happy marriage. He was just playing a joke on us just now.”

Surprised and overjoyed, Catherine finally felt the weight lift from her heart.

“Oh, that’s wonderful! Thank you, Lord Moria.”

“Um, wait, that’s not it.”

The Messenger Knight tried to explain, but the scar-faced Kob immediately led him away. “You need to rest. Come on, go rest.”

The engagement ceremony continued.

Lian had already made up his mind; he wasn’t going to change his decision because of one letter from Old Deng.

He had long ago promised Catherine that they would fight side-by-side, so how could he possibly desert her now?

The two completed their vows, re-boarded the floral carriage, and rode all the way back to Blue Moon Castle.

The distinguished guests in Blue Moon Castle had already arrived.

Duke Moria did not attend in person, but he sent his second son, George Moria, to congratulate Lian.

George Moria was a middle-aged man with golden hair who bore a fair resemblance to Lian. He had an imposing stature and was dressed in respectable noble attire, his bearing and manners full of the grace of a nobleman and a gentleman.

He looked quite a bit like Old Golden Hair—worthy of the Moria Clan’s bloodline, indeed.

“Father had matters to attend to and could not come, but he hopes you will not mind. I have brought something on his behalf to make up for it.”

George Moria said with a smile. He clapped his hands, and attendants carried in an enormous crate.

The crate opened to reveal a snow-white Nine-tailed Exotic Beast.

“This is an Exotic Beast cub captured in the North. It’s a Nine-tail, which is exceptionally rare. Consider it an engagement gift.”

The Nine-tail snarled at Lian from inside the cage, looking like it wanted to charge out and bite his head off.

Lian suddenly felt he needed a Beast Tamer ability. ‘If I could tame this thing and ride it as a mount, wouldn’t that be way cooler than a Magic Carriage?’ he thought.

‘The North really is a good place.’

“Thank you, Uncle George.”

Lian said with a smile.

George Moria nodded in satisfaction.

He had seen many of the Moria Clan’s illegitimate children, but none possessed Lian’s calm and unhurried grace. Even when meeting a member of the main Moria family, he showed not a hint of humility or flattery. This was a man who radiated charm.

“But wait, there’s more.”

George Moria’s attendant brought forward another exquisite box.

The box opened to reveal a treasure sword, inlaid with countless gems but exceptionally sharp.

“This is the Knight’s Sword my father once used. It’s called Enzo. It cuts through iron as if it were mud and accompanied Father into battle on twenty-three separate occasions. It’s a true Hero’s sword. Father hopes you will like it.”

“I love it.”

Lian’s eyes lit up; he was in dire need of a weapon.

This treasure sword met his needs perfectly, in terms of both style and practicality.

Although he had thought about forging one himself, he lacked the necessary rare materials.

‘Perhaps I can use this treasure sword as the raw material to forge a new Snow Walk.’

‘Of course, that would probably make Duke Moria’s heart ache for a while.’

Lian swung Enzo. It felt good in his hand, so he decided not to melt it down and reforge it for the time being.

“Lady Catherine, Lord Lian, the Simmons family offers its most sincere blessings, an outstanding Knight Order, and one thousand Giant Slaves.”

Val Simmons, representing the Simmons family, presented a Knight Order of 200 men. Although the quality of this Knight Order could not compare to the one King Augustus Frank had given Catherine, its strength was in its numbers. Furthermore, every single one was an elite, more than enough to guard Blue Moon Castle.

Of course, the most valuable part of the gift was the 1,000 Giant Race slaves.

The Shield of the South was responsible for guarding the southern border’s High Wall, where the resident Giant Race was the bane of the Human Race, preying on humans for food.

But nobles also liked to keep young Giant Slaves, not only to flaunt their status but also to turn them into a force that could not be underestimated.

“These 1,000 Giant Slaves are all juveniles and have been tamed, so you can use them without worry. It is a small token of the Simmons family’s goodwill.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency Val.”

Lian and Catherine thanked Val Simmons in unison.

Compared to the lavishness of Val Simmons’s gift, George Moria’s now seemed a bit stingy.

So, he took it upon himself to add to the gift list. “Lian, your uncle has prepared to gift you Marthan Castle in the Northern Territory. You are welcome to bring your wife for a vacation in the Northern Territory during the summer.”

“Thank you, Uncle George.”

Lian replied politely, though he had no idea of Marthan Castle’s value.

But judging by the astonished expressions of the surrounding nobles, he could tell the castle was probably worth a great deal of money.

Compared to the gifts from the two Creed Clans, the precious collector’s items, land, and gold from the other nobles seemed rather unimpressive.

There was no way for them to compare with the Creed Clans; they could only watch on in silence, filled with envy and jealousy.

The engagement banquet officially began. Melodious and lively music began to play, and everyone made their way to the dance floor.

Catherine changed into a lighter gown and danced with Lian.

Only then did Catherine have a chance to ask Lian,

“Did Lord Moria really agree to our engagement?”

“No, he doesn’t approve. He listed numerous dire consequences of marrying you, but I don’t care. As long as I can marry you, I wouldn’t be afraid even if the heavens were to fall.”

Lian wrapped an arm around his beautiful fiancée’s slender waist and spun Catherine in a circle. His steps were light and effortless; he had already grown accustomed to this strange, circular dance.

Catherine was both disappointed and deeply moved. “I must thank the God of Tiger. It is He who has granted you to me.”

“Catherine, there is something I must tell you. You need to prepare yourself.”

“As long as we can still be together, I can accept anything, no matter what it is.”