The maid called Jane explained Vivian's order to her.
"A letter had arrived to Rose Barony two days ago."
She started with the story of how it went. An engagement letter arrived at the Rose Barony 2 days ago. The content was as expected: to get Eliza's hand in engagement.
I was half-expecting it, so I urged Jane to continue.
"The one who sent the engagement letter came from a Duke's house, so Baron Rose can't really refuse. If they refuse, Rose Barony will face a great backlash and probably will even put them in debt. Baron Rose even planned to send Young Miss to the Sin Kingdom to avoid the engagement."
"A Duke?" I asked for confirmation, and the maid nodded.
A Duke who sent an engagement letter for a Baron. No matter how people saw it, it was truly strange. And it was as clear as day they wanted something else beyond that engagement.
Rose Barony was located in the countryside of the Virtue Kingdom. Getting news in that place was hard, especially in a place with no long-distance communication devices and only used letters as a way to communicate with each other from a distance.
Using a process of elimination because there were only 3 or 4 Dukes in the Kingdom, I forgot how many they were. I could only think of one Duke who dared and would do something like this.
"Is it from Duke Bluerose?" I asked, arriving at my own conclusion. "Was he the one who sent the engagement letter to Baron Rose? They should've known that Alexander Bluerose is branded as a Sinner and is currently taken as a prisoner in the Castitas Church."
Duke Bluerose's territory was close to Academy City, so the letter from the church should've arrived 2 days ago or yesterday. Why would they send an engagement letter for a Sinner to Baron Rose? It was incomprehensible.
"Ah, no." Jane shook her head, having a disgusted expression. "It's the engagement between Duke Bluerose and Young Miss. It's not for his son."
"… What the actual fuck?!"
I cursed in a loud voice after I heard the absurdity. Isabelle looked at me, surprised, but she didn't say anything.
I meant… "Duke Bluerose is a 50-year-old and a married man, no? And he sent an engagement letter to 18 year old Eliza?"
"As far as my knowledge goes, yes." The maid nodded in confirmation. She looked at me strangely when I spoke as if I was close to Eliza. Maybe she didn't know about my relationship with her employee's daughter.
"How the fuck is his brain even working? No, does he has a brain at all? He must be thinking with his dick all this time."
When I said that, Isabelle looked at me with a gaze that said, 'Wasn't that you?'
That gaze hurts, but I wouldn't deny it. I only used my cock to move lately, but that was only because I wanted to have fun. If I was serious, I could think calmly and clearly. Even at this time, I used my brain to think of a plan to get back at those people. Isabelle didn't know about that.
"T-that's why madam sent me to find the truth about Paladin, to ask for help. W-Will you be willing to help? Please! I will do anything as long as you are willing to help Young Miss!" Jane turned around and grabbed my sleeves with a worried expression.
Just as I said before, the maid didn't seem to know me. Even if she knew about Arthur, Eliza's childhood friend, she probably wouldn't associate it with Paladin. And because of her fear and anxiety, she also failed to register that I called Eliza by her name directly earlier.
I glanced at Isabelle. She was watching me, waiting to see how I responded to this. She called me a pervert earlier and probably expected me to demand Jane's body in exchange for my help. I could use this situation to gain some trust from my troublesome subordinate.
Isabelle also didn't know about my relationship with Eliza, probably. So helping Jane without asking for anything in return would make me look like a good person.
Besides… There was a need to slaughter that hog called Duke Bluerose. It seemed like messing with me by sending spies, and assassins weren't enough for him. He even tried to get his hand on Eliza, with the intention to spite or get back at me by knowing my relationship with his son, probably.
"How can I help you?" I asked the maid with a soft voice. "Helping those in need is my duty as a Paladin."
"Really?!" Jane beamed in happiness.
"Of course." I nodded at her while glancing at Isabelle secretly. She had a soft smile on her face, but it immediately disappeared as she took a deep sigh.
I hope this would change my image in her eyes slightly.
"How can I even repay you, Sir?"
"There is no need to repay me." I responded as I helped her to stand up once again. "I just need you to apologize to my servant. She's quite afraid because you were stalking her. That's all I need."
Protecting my woman was my duty. Eliza was mine, and I would protect her from anyone who tried to land a hand on her body. Her enemy and anyone who made her uncomfortable would regret it, just like Alexander Bluerose.
Sins Paradise was filled with beautiful women and events involving them. Each girl, mainly those branded as Main Heroines with many CGs that players could collect, would definitely face some problems and events after getting close to the protagonist.
Eliza also had some events, and I was ready to face those events before. It might differ from one in the game, but I had never expected it to be this different.
'That Duke is not supposed to be this stupid, though.'
I made a complicated move and didn't visit the Bluerose Duchy and lay waste to the Duke Mansion because I knew the Duke wasn't as stupid as his son. It was also a way to keep my reputation as a Paladin.
Imagine having a Paladin who was overpowered and destroyed a Duke mansion as he pleased. You wouldn't trust that guy, right? The opposite also applied to the Duke. He couldn't make a risky move against me or the reputation he built this far would be meaningless.
For him to make a risky move that could even destroy his reputation like this was just absurd.
'Beatrice must've gotten involved once again. Looking at the Level of the nobles in this Kingdom, she probably could have a feast to charm those people without much problem.'
Jane dusted her skirt and bowed at me.
"We are indebted to you. If apologizing to your servant is enough, please let me do so. I apologize to you as well, Sir Arthur. Although I was forced to do this because I didn't want to gain attention as I was sent here in secret, I was still rude. I deeply apologize."
'In secret, huh?' I mused.
Rose Barony might have faction problems too. As it included Eliza, her father and mother's decisions might be different from each other.
'Is this my chance to get her mother too? I hope so.'
Having a sexy mother-and-daughter pair was a man's dream. If Vivian and Eliza's relationship with Baron Rose was strangled because of this, I would jump immediately to get her mother too.
"I forgive you. Please raise your head." I smiled softly at the maid. "Let's continue to talk about the details in my mansion. And how about you, Isabelle?"
"I will return to the church. It's time for our training, Sir." Isabelle replied with a cold expression. The disgust I felt in her eyes had disappeared almost completely.
"And Vice-Captain Reynala will be unable to join us today due to her class in Royal Academy. So Cap– Dame Sophia will be our instructor. And she's strict, so I don't want to be late and get scolded." She continued.
"Hahaha, just say that you helped me to catch someone. Sophia will understand that."
"Yes, I will do so." She replied, her lips curled upward slightly in an amused manner. "Well then, please excuse me."
"Good luck in your training."
I waved my hand, and Isabelle nodded, walking away. I scratched my cheek at her cold reaction, but that would be interesting too.
Only Jane and I were still in the alleyway. Once again, I turned to the maid. "First, let's apologize to my servant."
"Yes…"
