18. The Woman Named Hwairi
“Open the door, right now.”
“Lord Garno! You’ve finally arrived!”
Garno Kalinos. Even among the illustrious Kalinos family, he was counted as one of the greatest heads of the family in its history, an old man in his seventies. But after his wife passed away, he felt the emptiness of life and handed down the family to his children. Now, he wandered through remote regions, including the southern and eastern continents.
The Kalinos family’s gatekeepers, seeing Garno and the line of family members standing behind him, began to speak up one by one.
“If we’d known you were coming today, we would’ve prepared a banquet. Did you have a good trip to the eastern continent?”
“Well, you all haven’t changed at all, have you?”
“Haha, haven’t I gained a bit of weight since eight years ago?”
“Well, maybe you have. I think I’m a bit healthier, don’t you think?”
“Yes! You look very healthy, Milord. But… who is the lady beside you?”
The gatekeepers’ eyes turned to the woman. She looked as if she might not even be 150 centimeters tall, a very small, lovely-looking woman with pink hair, who blushed shyly as she stood beside Garno.
“Hello!”
“Hahaha, this is Hwairi. I carefully chose her to be my grandchild’s bride-to-be.”
The gatekeepers beamed and bowed their heads. “Oh! So this is Count Teren’s fiancée!”
“Hmm? Count Teren? She’s to be the wife of the head of the family.”
At that, the gatekeepers looked at each other in confusion. “What? B-But doesn’t Duke Kalinos already have a wife…?”
“Nonsense.” When Garno scowled, the fierce aura he’d once wielded while slaughtering monsters as the former head of the Kalinos family surged forth.
The gatekeepers’ faces went pale in an instant.
Garno, unfazed, kept Hwairi by his side and shoved the doors open with a rough hand. He needed to find his family members, wherever they might be.
* * *
It was in the Kalinos family’s outdoor garden, where a warm and pleasant temperature was maintained. Today was supposed to be a light tea time in the garden for Giselle, Duke Kalinos, Yuliana, and Neslan…
“I will never, ever approve of that marriage!”
A thunderous shout shattered the peace, sending birds fluttering from the nearby trees. With a clatter, a teacup rolled and fell to the floor.
“Father, what are you talking about?” Neslan was so stunned, he didn’t even think to pick up the broken teacup and just stood there, frozen. He wasn’t unhappy to see his father after so long. But to suddenly show up with some woman in tow?
While Neslan was completely flustered, the others watched the situation unfold with calm detachment.
“Exactly what I said! I’ve brought my grandchild’s future bride.”
“Hello, I’m Hwairi!”
Even Yuliana couldn’t keep her composure at that. She glared at the petite, pink-haired girl beside Garno, adorable as a puff of cotton candy, and spoke up. “My daughter-in-law has already been chosen, Father.”
Apparently, the girl didn’t feel Yuliana’s icy glare at all. “Please take care of me, Father, Mother!” Ignoring Giselle completely, she flashed a bright, cheerful smile at Neslan and Yuliana.
Vientin fixed his gaze on her and spoke. “Mother, Father. Did you have another child without telling me?”
At that, Neslan’s eyes went wide, and he frantically waved his hands.
Watching Vientin, Hwairi’s cheeks flushed bright red. “I-It’s an honor to meet you for the first time! You’re Duke Kalinos, right?” Her green eyes, as vivid as lush leaves, shone clearly in the sunlight.
Anyone unaware of the situation would have found her utterly charming. But Vientin didn’t spare her a glance, replying in a languid tone. It was a perfect snub, just as she had ignored Giselle. “His Majesty has already approved this marriage. What will you do if you refuse to recognize it, Grandfather?”
“I’m sorry, Father, but these children are already married out of love.” Neslan quickly chimed in.
Garno snorted at the two’s disgruntled faces. “Even if His Majesty approved it, there hasn’t even been a wedding. I said I don’t accept it. Love? Don’t make me laugh.”
Unlike Neslan, Garno crossed his burly arms, his imposing frame making his stance seem almost threatening. But Vientin just stared at him and smiled.
“If you don’t want to accept it, that’s your choice.”
Even though the sun was shining warmly, an unseasonable northern wind seemed to blow through the garden.
“Grandpa, please don’t be like that. Hwairi’s scared.” Her tone was truly as sweet and innocent as could be. If you had to put a label on it, she seemed like the classic ‘airhead.’
She’s kind of stepping on my territory, isn’t she? Giselle let out a silent, wry chuckle and quietly watched as Garno played along with Hwairi’s act.
At Hwairi’s plea, Garno’s expression softened. “Well, let me introduce our Miss Hwairi. She’s the precious person who saved my life.”
The one person most likely to have the power to kick her out of this mansion. Giselle’s lips curled up ever so slightly, unnoticed by anyone. She spoke up, feigning curiosity. “How did she save your life?”
Only then did Hwairi meet Giselle’s eyes, as if she hadn’t even realized she was there. Lifting her chin with an air of pride, Hwairi replied, “I helped Lord Garno when he was suffering from a fever on the eastern continent.”
“You should be precise, Hwairi. I was exploring the wilds and caught a strange fever, and was on the verge of death, really. I could even see my late wife’s face… And just then, Miss Hwairi happened to pass by and saved me! I hear she has divine powers. A rare and wonderful gift that lets her heal others!”
It all sounded rather contrived. Not to mention, I have healing powers too. But Giselle had absolutely no intention of revealing her abilities here. She simply smiled and played along. “Oh.”
“As it turns out, Miss Hwairi was volunteering in the remote regions when she saved this old man’s life. And you know what? Our Hwairi didn’t even know I was the former Duke of Kalinos.”
To sum it up, she was his lifesaver.
Just then, Neslan spoke up, his tone sharper than usual. “Well, that was certainly kind of you. I’m sure she only came here because she couldn’t refuse Father’s stubbornness. We’ll make sure you’re properly compensated, so you can leave now.”
It was a polite but unmistakable dismissal. Any ordinary young lady would probably have nodded in flustered confusion. But with everyone’s eyes on her, Hwairi just blinked, then pouted slightly and looked up at Garno. “But…”
Oh, now this was interesting. Giselle’s eyes sparkled. From this unfamiliar young lady, she could sense a very familiar kind of troublemaker energy.
“Hey now, where do you think our Hwairi’s going? She’s the only one I want as my granddaughter-in-law!”
“Hehe. Grandpa…!”
Just as I hoped, this person will help with my divorce.
Isn’t it the same in any company? Even if the manager or team leader likes you, if the CEO hates your guts—Then your career’s over, performance reviews be damned. You’d better be ready for unfair dismissal, too.
Watching Hwairi with her cutesy pink hair and Garno looking happier than ever, I cheerfully shot back. “Of course, Grandpa. Please don’t go anywhere and stay right here.”
“Why am I ‘Grandpa’?”
“Why? By any chance, do you want to be called grandma instead?”
Garno’s jaw dropped. But Giselle just waved her hand with a bright smile.
Realizing she was provoking him, Garno barked out in outrage. “Y-Y-You insolent, impudent thing!”
“What, did you think you’d hear something nice after suddenly showing up and talking about annulment?”
“At the very least, you should show some humility before—”
“Ah~! Giselle is abso~lutely not the type to bow her head.”
“Hah, you cheeky thing!”
“Anyway, if Grandpa stays here, does that mean I’m getting kicked out?” Giselle tilted her head to the side.
Garno, his face turning beet red as if his blood pressure was spiking, clutched the back of his neck and nearly toppled over.
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