Chapter 76: Ch 75: Rejection
Iris and the butler reached Sir Ridley’s castle much quicker than expected. And it was finally time for Miss Iris to meet her future husband.
But one look at her armored self made it clear to the butler that he could not let her enter his master’s sight like this.
He needed to make her look harmless so that his cowardly master would not do anything stupid.
"Miss Iris, how about a change of clothes? I know you might prefer your armor, but wearing a dress might be a better idea if you want to leave a good lasting impression on our young master."
Currently, the butler’s biggest fear was Iris telling him that she did not want to leave a good impression on his young master.
He waited with a tense expression for Iris to give him an answer.
Thankfully, it was one he wanted to hear.
"Alright. I am not fond of dresses, but since you are suggesting it this time, I will choose to believe you and follow your lead."
The butler let out another sigh of relief. It seemed his assumption was right—Iris was much more submissive than he had expected.
’This should be easy. Now, let’s see which dress is the hardest to move around in...not that she would be able to do much with that ring holding her back.’
The butler handed Iris a dress with minimal support for her bust and let a maid help her change.
Once she was done, it was finally time to take her to Sir Ridley.
"Sir Ridley, a guest will be joining us today. I hope you won’t mind."
The butler announced, and Sir Ridley looked ready to start spouting nonsense.
So the butler coughed to hide his nervousness before his master could speak and announced the identity of the woman who had come to meet him.
"Please welcome Miss Iris Nightbane. She came here on her own to greet you."
The butler declared, and Iris walked through the door.
She was tall and broad-shouldered. Her frame made her look intimidating despite her dress and beautiful face.
Sir Ridley flinched at the sight of her, but he quickly composed himself and forced a smile.
"Ah, so you are Miss Iris? It’s an honor to finally meet you. Please, have a seat so that we can discuss our marriage and future-"
"I am afraid that is not why I am here."
Iris’s words made the butler tense, and he looked at her with a horrified expression. He tried to signal for her not to say anything else, but she ignored him and continued speaking.
"I only came here today for one reason—to inform you that I will not be able to marry you. I do not know what the council told you or what they promised you, but it was a deal made behind my back. Now, I will be taking my leave."
Iris bowed to Sir Ridley and turned to leave.
She did not even sit down to dine with him before rejecting him.
"M-Miss, please reconsider! Where else will you find someone as perfect as Sir Ridley? Not only is he handsome, but he’s also-"
"Butler, I am not going to marry this young. And even if I do, it will be to someone closer to my age. Frankly, Sir Ridley is too old for my taste."
Iris hit the one sore spot that made the butler pale.
Sir Ridley was sensitive about his age. He was unwilling to acknowledge that he was getting older, and that was why he kept taking tonics for his skin.
Most people already knew this and often praised him for "looking young" to leave a good impression. But Iris was different.
’Fucking bitch! She said that on purpose. Now my young master will get even angrier! I need to do something, and fast-’
Unfortunately, the butler was too late. Sir Ridley looked at Iris with fury in his eyes.
"What did you say to me, you bitch? Did you call me old?"
He demanded, and Iris should have taken the hint by now. But she remained firm.
"I am telling you that you are too old to be my type. Goodbye."
Sir Ridley finally lost it. He let out a manic laugh and watched Iris leave through the mansion gate.
"Butler, that girl has crossed all limits. It’s time for you to take care of her. Go and bring me her head right this second."
This was exactly what the butler had feared. He knew his master’s temper well, and it had now crossed the point of reason.
"Young master, if you do that-"
"Do you want to go with her as well? I am sure the beasts will enjoy your flesh just as much."
The butler shuddered and decided to save his own hide. He strengthened the suppression ring and released the beasts.
No matter how strong Iris was, she was likely nothing without her mana and powers. The beasts would take care of her.
As for the cleanup...
’I am sure the council will be more than happy to help us. After all, this was the outcome they were hoping for in the first place.’
The cleanup would not be a problem either.
__________
"Well, it looks like it’s time for me to leave. I hope Iris has had her fun by now."
Kael stood up and decided it was time to bring Iris back.
He had given her more than six hours to finish what she needed to do, and despite her mana being cut off, he had chosen to trust her.
But it was getting far too late now.
He headed toward the living room to tell Leon and Seraphina that he was leaving, only to find them dozing off.
"Well, at least this is one problem taken care of."
Kael formed the magic circle to teleport when he felt something grab his leg. He looked down and saw Lyra clinging to him.
"What are you-"
But it was too late to cancel the spell and save Lyra from being dragged along with him. So he ended up transporting her with him.
The next time he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a well-maintained garden. He ignored it and reached down to grab Lyra so he could look her in the eyes.
"What do you think you are doing?"
