It was not something you would expect someone to say when asking for the hand of a cherished daughter, who was like a precious gem to her father.
No, it wasn’t just inappropriate—it was outright rude.
If another family had acted this way, it wouldn’t have been surprising if the head of the household immediately drew a sword and attacked.
Even knowing that, I had a reason for using such an expression.
It was to gauge what kind of value Sylvia Eleonore’s existence held in the eyes of Creed Eleonore.
“Ho, selling the girl to me, you say? Quite an interesting proposal. Let me hear more.”
‘Got him.’
As expected, Creed Eleonore took the bait immediately.
Licking his glistening lips as if he’d found a meal he liked, he began creeping closer.
It seemed clear that to him, Sylvia was nothing more than an eyesore—a mere nuisance.
Before my regression, Sylvia told me that her father was the one who had initially tried to lock her in her room.
Even my engagement to her was arranged by her father.
Based on those fragments of information, I made a faint hypothesis, and now it was falling into place perfectly.
“It’s simple, Lord Eleonore. While I used the metaphor of selling her, rest assured, I’m not here to buy her outright like a slave trader.”
“Hm, that would be obvious.”
What a lunatic.
Even though I clarified that I wasn’t here to buy her with money, I caught a fleeting look of disappointment in his eyes.
Was this man truly prepared to hand over Sylvia, no matter how absurd the proposal might be?
He was more insane than I had imagined.
At the same time, he was a man unworthy of being called a father.
“So what I propose is a kind of contractual marriage.”
“Contractual marriage?”
Suppressing my urge to punch him square in the face, I forced the most pleasant smile I could muster and got straight to the point.
Creed Eleonore’s eyes narrowed in curiosity, signaling his demand for a more detailed explanation.
“Yes, are you aware of the current circumstances I find myself in?”
“Of course. News has spread all the way to the Kaintrache Castle.”
“Then this will be quick. While it’s true that I recently achieved some notable success, I still fall short of my elder brother in securing the position of family head.”
“Why is that? From what I’ve heard, the Lyard family usually decides the next head based on just one duel.”
I couldn’t tell if he genuinely believed that or was testing me, but his tone was filled with feigned curiosity.
“I’m in a rather unique situation. For the past 15 years, I’ve lived under the label of the Lyard family’s failure.”
“I see… so it’s not enough to overturn all the doubts in one go.”
“Precisely. That’s why I need a trump card to get ahead of my elder brother.”
Finally realizing the implication of my words, Creed Eleonore’s eyes narrowed further.
Being a greedy man, he was quick to think in those terms.
Whether that was a good thing or not, I couldn’t say.
“So you’re saying the engagement with that girl is your trump card? You want to use the Eleonore family name as a stepping stone, is that it?”
“Yes. I hesitate to bring this up here, but my father has aspirations of drawing closer to the imperial palace.”
“Building ties with the royal family, is it? If that’s the case, it’s a good move.”
The current head of the family may look like a mess, but in the past, the Eleonore family was once prestigious enough to produce an empress.
Though their glory has somewhat faded, they were still deeply connected with the royal family even before my regression.
When I brought up this point, Creed Eleonore nodded in agreement and sank deeper into the sofa before broaching the main topic.
“Then, what will you give me in return?”
“If I become the family head, I will give you 10% of the Lyard County’s revenue.”
“10%…!? Just for handing over the girl?”
“Yes. If you’re doubtful, we can even draft a contract.”
Ten percent.
It might sound small, but it was a massive offer.
Especially considering the Lyard County, located at the empire’s center, acts as a major trade hub.
The revenue from its commercial district is no small matter.
Creed Eleonore’s fiery reaction made it clear he understood the value.
“Hm… Alright, I see you’re serious about this offer. But why tell me so directly? Wouldn’t it have been easier to pretend to approach her with pure intentions?”
Still suspicious, he tapped the sofa armrest sharply while fixing me with a snake-like gaze.
His question implied that I could have acted like a prince from a fairy tale, pretending to love Sylvia genuinely despite her reputation as a witch.
He wasn’t wrong.
In fact, it was a brutally accurate point.
In negotiations, revealing all your cards is the height of foolishness.
The moment your opponent perceives your desperation, the deal becomes tougher.
By that logic, this was already a failed negotiation.
But I had a reason for not taking that route.
“Yes, you’re absolutely right. But there’s a downside to that approach—it would backfire if I were to abandon her later.”
“Ah… I see. You’re saying that once you put on the mask, you’d have to keep it on forever.”
First, if I took that route, I would have to take full responsibility for Sylvia.
Not that I minded—taking responsibility for her was my goal.
But responsibility doesn’t just mean supporting her; it also means she could be dragged into my conflicts.
With the impending fight against the ‘Eyes of Dawn,’ that was something I wanted to avoid at all costs.
Sylvia deserved a peaceful, ordinary life, untouched by any of this.
This entire negotiation was merely a stepping stone to secure that outcome.
“Secondly, I told you the truth because I believe there’s almost no chance you would hesitate to take this deal.”
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Because our interests align perfectly.
You’re a man who wants to rid his house of a witch, and I’m a man who wants to use that witch to secure my future.
They say opposites often resemble each other, don’t they?”
I smirked boldly, delivering the blunt truth.
Creed Eleonore, who had been leaning deeply into the sofa, stared at me with wide eyes before breaking into a sly smile.
Then he suddenly stood and extended his hand for a handshake.
“Ha! Ha! I like it—no, I love it! The Lyard family was blind to have overlooked such a talent!”
“You flatter me.”
As I took his hand, Creed Eleonore shook it vigorously, laughing so heartily it seemed his lungs might burst.
By that point, the result of our negotiation was as good as sealed.
After completing the negotiations and receiving permission from Sylvia’s father, I headed to her room.
Even if we were in a nominally betrothal-like relationship, how could he send a man—whom she was meeting for the first time—alone to his daughter’s room without a single watchful eye?
It hit me once again how he regarded Sylvia, to the point where I nearly spat out a curse.
Anyway, I had to deliver this news to Sylvia as soon as possible.
Knock, knock.
“Yes, who is it?”
“It’s Kyle Lyard. I came to say goodbye before leaving.”
A clear, melodious voice responded from inside.
Thud! Thud!
Suddenly, loud thumping sounds, like the footsteps of a beast, echoed from within.
Startled, I wondered if something had gone wrong with my hearing. I instinctively rubbed my ears and leaned closer to the door.
“Lord Lyard! My apologies. I’m not quite presentable…”
“Oh, no. It’s fine.”
The door swung open with such force that it seemed like it might break, and Sylvia appeared on the other side.
Her heterochromatic eyes—one glowing red, the other blue—were just as striking as ever, but her slightly disheveled hair and relaxed attire were quite different from the Sylvia I was used to seeing.
As expected, a beauty could make anything look good.
While Sylvia shyly lowered her head, to me, it was nothing short of a divine sight.
“I came to see you briefly before leaving. I have something to tell you.”
“I see. If it’s going to take a while, perhaps you’d like to come inside…”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll keep it brief and leave right after.”
“…I see.”
To assure her that I wouldn’t impose, I firmly gestured with my hand. For some reason, I felt like I saw a flicker of disappointment in Sylvia’s eyes for a moment.
Was it just my imagination?
“To start, after discussions with Lord Eleonore, it has been decided that I will be purchasing you.”
“W-What? Purchasing me?”
Sylvia blinked in astonishment at my abrupt declaration.
Well, of course, she’d think I was crazy—after all, a strange man she’d just met claimed he’d “purchased” her.
I wanted to phrase it more delicately, but using words like “engagement” or “relationship” would only lead to misunderstandings.
By drawing a clear line like this, I could prevent her from wasting any unnecessary concern on me.
Back in my previous timeline, she had treated even a worthless country bumpkin like her fiancé with sincerity. So, this was the better approach.
“I suppose I didn’t explain it well. In short, after negotiating with Lord Eleonore, I’ve been granted temporary ownership of you. Publicly, it will resemble an engagement of sorts.”
“In other words, I’ve been sold to you by my father, Lord Lyard?”
“…That would be correct.”
Perhaps I had been too blunt.
As I watched her lower her head, a pang of sorrow arose within me, but there was no other choice.
I had deliberately used such direct wording to convey just what kind of man Creed Eleonore was.
Even though it would be painful for her, this arrangement at least gave her the chance to escape her cage temporarily. She just needed to embrace this newfound freedom.
“Then what should I call you, Lord Lyard? Master? Young Master?”
“…Pardon?”
Her unexpected retort, paired with a calm gaze, caught me off guard, and I let out a stunned sound.
Then, with an oddly mischievous expression, she looked up at me. She began bouncing slightly in place and tilted her head side to side, almost as if teasing me.
What was this sudden, almost calculated demeanor?