The So-Called Justice

"Little Aili, we..." Degas started to speak but trailed off, letting out a heavy sigh in the end.

A faint blush of embarrassment touched Alice's cheeks due to the recent events. "What is it, Uncle Degas?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking..." Degas's smile returned, or rather, he looked Aili up and down with a semblance of a smile.

He truly hadn't expected that his unintentional choice might turn out to be not so bad for Little Aili?

"How is he? I mean, his character?" Degas winked at Alice.

Alice, flustered, snorted and slammed her white porcelain teacup down forcefully, indicating her current mood.

Just then, a respectful knock sounded from outside the door. The butler, dressed in a black tailcoat, walked in slowly and whispered a few words into Degas's ear before respectfully withdrawing.

"What is it?"

Though the butler's voice was soft, the sharp-eared Alice caught something, possibly related to "Aaron"?

"Hmm, it's nothing. He survived. It seems the Blazing Sun Potion really is..." Degas was struggling to find the right words to describe it.

He survived...

Alice pursed her lips, her emotions complex, unsure if she should be happy or sad, or perhaps both?

"Well then, Little Aili, let's talk about something important." Degas's smile slightly faded, and he spoke to Alice with a slightly more serious tone.

"What is it?"

"It's about your engagement. I mean... oh no, Ed and I mean..." Degas exchanged a look with Ed before continuing, "If you're unwilling to fulfill the Contract, we have a way to let you..."

Alice's expression gradually darkened, and she finally interrupted Degas, "Uncle Degas, what do you mean by that?"

Ed coughed a few times, forcing a smile. "Alice, what we mean is..."

"I know what it means, but," she pursed her lips, "why?"

"For your happiness, Little Aili," Degas said.

"And you can discard the family's honor for that? If this gets out, what will happen?"

"As long as we don't let it get out, isn't that enough?"

"If it doesn't get out, then what about the Contract? What about the Contract?"

"I'll find a way to resolve it, Little Aili. The key is you," Degas looked at Alice deeply.

"Me?"

"The key is whether you want to or not."

Alice moved her lips, opening and closing them a few times as she looked at Ed and Degas, unsure what to say.

"Alice, I understand that you want to make sacrifices for the family, but in reality, we can also think about it differently, right? Perhaps..." Degas carefully chose his words, afraid of touching Alice's most vulnerable point. "Perhaps you have already fulfilled your obligations to the family?"

Alice took a deep breath, feeling for the first time that the incense made the entire room stuffy. The air felt too oppressive, making it hard for her to breathe, much like the first time she encountered a Crawling Hand.

Obligations...

That word, the Grand Duke of Iris had also personally said it to her.

She let out a self-deprecating laugh, as if speaking to Degas and Ed, but also as if talking to herself: "Is there any other use for me?"

Degas and Ed remained silent. Degas simply took out his long pipe again, put it in his mouth, and bit down hard, leaving a clear tooth mark.

"Uncle Degas, I understand your good intentions, but... since I am a member of the House of Iris, I..." Alice paused for several seconds, seeming hesitant, then slowly said, "I should bear the family's obligations and responsibilities."

"But does the family really need you?" Ed couldn't help but say, "Alice, I watched you grow up. I know you, and you know me. We traveled all the way from Uruk to Leyden. I know you've been unhappy all along, Miss Alice. I know very well that you despise this engagement."

"But what can be done about it?" Alice retorted. "The house motto of the House of Iris is clear: Truth Above All, Only Power is Eternal."

She gave a bitter smile, as if convincing herself, "After all, I'm the weakest one."

The House of Iris had always been fair and just, treating everyone equally. In theory, every family member had a chance to become the next Grand Duke of Iris.

Of course, that was only in theory. In reality, fairness and justice, to a certain extent, also meant a degree of unfairness.

Or rather, since a relative degree of fairness and justice had been achieved, things that were less fair and just would naturally arise. For example, the core competency that influenced the election of the patriarch – Bloodline Concentration.

Yes, an extremely absurd but also extremely just standard: Bloodline Concentration.

In the face of Bloodline Concentration, any member of the House of Iris had the opportunity to become the Grand Duke of Iris, and only one could become the Grand Duke of Iris.

Unfortunately, Alice was the unluckiest of the lucky – she just happened to meet the Bloodline Concentration requirement to be a candidate for Grand Duke of Iris, but only just.

This meant she could appear before everyone as a candidate heir to the Grand Duke of Iris, but within the family, everyone knew that she would absolutely not be able to become the Grand Duke of Iris.

The ancestral bloodline of the House of Iris was descendants of ancient Titans, Mountain Giants.

No one knew how the first Grand Duke of Iris found this lost bloodline inheritance, but he had successfully made it the ancestral bloodline of the House of Iris.

This was also why Alice could send Ed flying with a single sword strike – the diluted Mountain Giant bloodline granted her strength far beyond that of ordinary people.

However, her Bloodline Concentration was insufficient to awaken the will of the Mountain Giant within her. This meant she was merely a warrior, not an Awakener capable of activating the Mountain Giant bloodline.

"Ed, I understand, I understand everything..." Alice looked at her right hand, which was emitting a silvery-white glow, and sighed softly. "If I could truly become an Awakener, capable of awakening the dormant bloodline within me through extraordinary power, I would never agree to this engagement no matter what. But unfortunately..."

She forced a smile, a hint of helplessness in it. "But I'm not, Ed, I'm not..."

The girl's tone became dejected. Rare for her normally strong demeanor, she revealed a trace of weakness and helplessness.

"Sometimes I wonder if those low-tier knight novels are written for noble young ladies like me, perhaps willingly shackled by family honor but still yearning for the air of freedom."

She gently swung her arm, as if wearing heavy shackles, and could even faintly hear the crisp clinking of chains.

Her gaze met the eyes of the two people who doted on her, and finally, all three sighed in unison.

However, Alice would never know what Degas and Ed were sighing about.

Well, just a few more words about the extra character section. It's difficult for me to incorporate some readers' extra character settings...

For example, someone's grandson, "Lunatic Xuan." Just imagine this person appearing in a fantasy world...

You really came here to cause trouble!

Because this is built on D&D with my own modifications, many deviations may occur, such as with classes. I ask for your understanding on this matter