Chapter 136: Marriage Proposal

At the same time… far away from the cold chills of the North.

On the western edge of the Solhaven Empire, nestled between gentle hills and quiet forests, stood a modest patch of land belonging to the Evans Baron family.

It was a humble territory, with little to boast about. No grand trade routes passed through it. No rare minerals lay buried beneath its soil. The villages were small, the people hardworking, and the taxes barely enough to sustain even a modest noble lifestyle.

The manor house itself was more of a large estate than a true noble’s seat—stone walls, ivy-covered pillars, and a single tower that creaked whenever the wind grew too strong.

Yet despite its insignificance, the land was quiet. Peaceful. The kind of place forgotten by war, politics, and ambition.

Until now.

Inside the study of the Evans estate, lit only by the dying glow of a hearth, a man in his mind fortees sat hunched over a letter.

His fingers trembled slightly, not from age, but from the weight of what he had just read.

Baron Ethan Evans.

He wasn’t a man of grand achievements. No famed military victories, no illustrious bloodline to speak of. Among the nobility, he held one of the lowest ranks.

And yet, he had ruled his modest territory with quiet dignity. With a sense of duty that most nobles had long abandoned.

His gaze lingered on the letter in his hand, more specifically on the wax seal pressed into its fold. A polar bear—House Frost’s sigil.

“…You really do live long enough to see the strangest things,” he murmured.

To think—a proposal from the Count of Frost’s family.

He turned the envelope over again, just to be sure. Rubbed at the seal once more. But no matter how many times he checked, the polar bear was still there.

Proud, stoic, and unmistakable.

“A count’s daughter, proposing marriage… to my son?”

He couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle. It was so absurd it almost felt like a prank.

Julies was a good son. Smart. Level-headed. Far more mature than most boys his age. But still—a baron’s son? This kind of proposal didn’t come out of nowhere. Not unless Julies had done something truly remarkable in the North.

“Did the boy save a kingdom in his past life?” he muttered.

Still, ridiculous or not, it was real.

And there was no reason to reject it.

Count Frost’s house was powerful, especially in the North. Their trading company stretched across half the continent. Wealth, influence, connections—accepting their hand could raise the Evans name higher than he had ever hoped.

The baron slowly sat down and placed the letter on his desk. He tapped the surface a few times, deep in thought.

“…What is Julies doing in the North?” he asked the empty room, half to himself.

He knew his son was serving at the Draken Ducal House. It was already impressive that a baron’s child had managed to enter such a household.

But a marriage proposal from a count’s family? That was something else entirely.

With a sigh, he reached for a fresh piece of parchment and dipped his quill in ink.

As advantageous as this union might be, he still needed Julies’s opinion. Nobles didn’t always marry for love, but forcing a union without consent? That wasn’t how he raised his son.

Besides, Julies would understand the significance. He always did.

Just then, a polite knock sounded at the door.

“Did you call for me?” came a calm, familiar voice.

The baron looked up to see his old butler entering the room, a man who had served the family for decades. His white hair was neatly combed, and his back was still straight despite his age.

“Yes, I need you to send a letter,” Ethan said, folding the fresh page and sealing it with care. “It’s for Julies.”

The butler took the letter with a slight bow.

“To the Draken Ducal House, then?”

“That’s right,” the baron nodded. “Send it through the magical communication sphere.”

“Understood.”

The old man didn’t need further instruction. Even if the Evans family couldn’t afford the expensive maintenance of magical crystals, they had long since installed a sphere. It was slower, but reliable—and good enough for a message like this.

As the butler turned to leave, the baron leaned back in his chair.

He looked toward the window, where a faint breeze stirred the curtains.

“Julies… just what have you gotten yourself into up there?”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Whatever it was, it seemed his son had begun walking a path far greater than the one he had been born into.

And for the first time in years, the baron allowed himself to hope—for his family, and for the name Evans.

“…Julies.”

He murmured the name again, this time softer. Less like a question, more like a memory.

That boy had always been… different.

Not rebellious. Not wild.

Just quietly persistent—a boy who didn’t shout his intentions to the world, but rather walked steadily toward them with unwavering focus.

Even as a child, Julies rarely cried. He didn’t beg for toys or sweets like the other noble children. When he fell, he stood up. When others mocked his lack of title or riches, he said nothing—and worked harder.

He remembered one particular moment, years ago. Julies had come home bruised and dusty after being pushed into the river by some visiting noble’s sons. Ethan had expected tears, or at least anger.

Instead, the boy had stood in the entrance hall, dripping and shivering, and calmly asked:

“Father, when I grow strong enough… can I make people stop looking down on us?”

Ethan had laughed back then. A sad kind of laugh. Not because he doubted Julies, but because he understood the weight of what the boy was asking.

Now?

Now he wasn’t laughing.

He got up slowly from his chair, his joints aching faintly with the motion. Walked toward the window, pulling aside the curtain to look out at the moonlit fields below.

It was quiet, as always. Peaceful. But in that peace, he could feel the distant tremor of change.

Julies had never once boasted in his letters. Never mentioned awards, accolades, or rumors. And yet somehow—he was being recognized. A count’s daughter, no less.

A proposal.

That didn’t happen by luck.

It wasn’t just marriage—it was a signal.

Julies had climbed higher than Ethan ever dared to dream. Not by schemes, not by flaunting status, but by being himself. Disciplined. Sharp. Composed. A man that people wanted by their side.

A man the North wanted to claim.

Ethan’s expression darkened slightly.

“…The North.”

He had only ever dealt with its reputation through stories. Tales of harsh winters, ancient bloodlines, and cold ambition. And the Draken Ducal House… they were no ordinary nobles.

They were wolves wrapped in tradition.

If they were pulling Julies into their orbit, it meant more than just respect—it meant politics, alliances… maybe even conflict.

“Be careful, son,” he murmured. “The closer you get to power, the less room there is to breathe.”

Still… he wasn’t afraid.

Because if anyone could navigate that world with his head held high—it was Julies.

With a final glance at the fields, Ethan closed the curtain and returned to his desk.

There would be time later to consider the implications. For now, he had done what he could: trusted his son.

And as the fire slowly dimmed behind him, Baron Ethan Evans let himself believe—just for a moment—that his family’s long-forgotten name might one day echo through the halls of history again.

All because of a single, quiet boy… who had decided not to stay small.

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