"Where does your allegiance lie, Ren Canahy?" Hazel’s voice cut through the quiet, her gaze steady as Ogren returned to his seat, reluctantly folding his arms.
The question hung in the air, and Ren felt its weight. His allegiance? In truth, that was no simple answer. He’d been pulled from a different world, a different life—one that Hazel and the others could never fully comprehend. She was asking if his heart belonged to Aropia, yet if he were honest, it did not. One year in this new world was nothing compared to a lifetime in the Great Republic .
“You’re asking if I see Aropia as my homeland, correct?” he began, sidestepping slightly, hoping she might drop the subject.
"Well, do you?" Hazel pressed, her eyes intent. She needed an answer before she could proceed with the plan forming in her mind.
For decades, the south had been elusive, a region the central government struggled to keep in line. And yet, here was a man with no prior knowledge of Aropia’s culture or political intricacies who had somehow established a stronghold within it.
If summoning rituals existed to bring rare talent to this world, then perhaps Ren was destined for something greater than ruling a mere town.
Ren shifted, weighing his response. “If I were speaking to the common folk, I could give a simpler answer. People often only want to hear what they expect. But you and Ogren—you’re no ordinary citizens. You see beyond the surface.”
Hazel said nothing, letting the silence draw him forward.
“So, I’ll give you the most honest answer,” Ren said at last. “I don’t have a reason not to be loyal.”
Hazel arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. “But neither do you have a reason to be loyal, do you?” she replied, showing him the empty half of the glass.
Ren nodded, acknowledging her point. “As long as you don’t see my position here as a threat to your country,” he added, making his intentions as clear as possible.
Ogren, growing restless with the intensity of their exchange, rose and muttered something about taking a walk. The courtyard sprawled before him, built on the last stretch of land when Ren’s villa was constructed—a grand building, easily the most impressive in the entire southern region, rivaling the mansions of the wealthy capital elites.
Yet again, Ogren found himself questioning how Ren had managed to stay a secret, his influence unknown beyond the south. There was only one explanation—the king himself had suppressed the news.
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Ogren’s suspicions deepened. Perhaps Ren’s relationship with Hazel’s father went far deeper than either man had let on.
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“Another question, if you’ll indulge me,” Hazel ventured, her curiosity sharpened by the tantalizing aroma of roasting meat.
Ren took out a small knife, piercing a piece of the roast and handing her the handle. “Go ahead,” he said, his tone light. “Careful—it’s still hot.”
Hazel accepted it, letting the meat cool slightly before speaking. “Why are you so kind to me? Right now, I am, as your man put it, essentially nothing. You have nothing to gain from offering me any hospitality or kindness.”
Ren’s expression softened, though he didn’t meet her eyes. “If you’re wondering whether your father put me up to it,” he began, “he didn’t.”
“Then why?” Hazel pressed, her gaze steady.
Ren sighed, as if searching himself for a reason. For a man who’d always calculated his every action, this was one he couldn’t explain. “I just wanted to, if you’ll believe that,” he replied quietly.
Hazel studied his face, finding no sign of insincerity, though it only deepened her intrigue. She let the silence linger before moving to her final question.
“You’ve been in Aropia long enough to understand its political landscape, and I’m sure you’ve also examined its relations with its neighbors. If the country were suddenly placed in your hands, tell me—what would you do to bring about positive change?”
Ren chuckled at first, but her intense gaze quickly sobered him. “Why ask me that?”
“Please, just answer—it’s important to me.”
“Are you suggesting I should lead Aropia?” Ren asked directly, cutting to the heart of her line of questioning.
“Yess,” she admitted, her voice steady. “If you married me, it would give you the legitimacy the people demand. Your talents are evident, and the fact that a summoning ritual brought you here must mean you have a larger purpose. But first, I need to know—what would you do with that power?”
Ren was no stranger to political marriages; his previous life had seen him in one.
But this was different, fraught with risk, and he understood that the kingdom would gain far more than he would. Though he knew he could guide Aropia to prosperity, he also knew he would inherit all its burdens and enemies.
While Hazel and Ogren hadn’t yet disclosed the full truth, Ren sensed they were fleeing the capital and seeking refuge under his protection.
Marrying her would put him in direct opposition to a powerful adversary—someone ruthless enough to orchestrate the assassination of the king to seize power. That enemy would likely stop at nothing to finish the job.
Ren also understood that Hazel was left alive for a reason.
In all likelihood, she’d been spared to serve another purpose, most likely in a marriage alliance designed to solidify the usurper’s hold over Aropia.
Her survival wasn’t accidental; she was the last living link to Aropia’s royal bloodline. If Ren agreed to Hazel’s proposal, he wouldn’t just be disrupting carefully laid plans—he would be endangering himself as a potential target of those same forces.
He knew first hand the cost of entangling himself in the schemes of powerful people. His comfortable life here in the South, far removed from the treacheries of the capital, felt like a hard-won peace. Yet here Hazel stood, pulling him toward the very life he had sought to avoid—a life that would once again thrust him into the crosshairs of assassins and political schemers.
Despite the gravity of her offer, Ren’s instincts screamed at him to tread carefully. The stakes had never been higher, and yet, he could see the unyielding resolve in Hazel’s eyes—a reflection of a struggle she could not overcome alone.