Chapter - 72 Arranged marriage

The next morning arrived with clear skies and cold silence.

At the breakfast table, the Mercenaries of Mayhem sat unusually quiet. Plates were half-finished. Forks clinked gently. Even Bob only had two servings instead of five.

At a smaller table near the window, Anna and the doll sat sipping tea, exchanging quiet conversation in a language none of the others quite followed—ancient magic theory, likely. Every now and then Anna would smile faintly; the doll would nod with closed eyes like a professor indulging a promising student.

The silence at the main table cracked when Marcus spoke.

"So, Derek…" he said, not looking up, "we, uh… heard a few things."

Derek paused mid-bite. Then set down his fork with a sigh.

"…So Bob told you," he said calmly.

Everyone nodded.

"I didn't tell you because I never wanted that life," Derek added. "Not the name. Not the title. Not the weight of it. That's why I left it behind."

Bob cleared his throat. "But… what're you gonna do now?"

Derek leaned back in his chair.

"The letter wasn't about me becoming the next head of House Drago," he said. "That was just Bob's assumption."

Everyone leaned in.

"It was an arranged marriage notice," Derek said flatly. "My family wants to solidify a long-standing alliance with another noble house. It's about duty, tradition, keeping bloodlines in order… the usual noble reasoning."

Bam blinked. "So basically, they're pairing you off to maintain family balance?"

Derek nodded. "Exactly. It's about legacy. Image."

Bam blinked. "Wait, they still do that?"

"They do," Derek said. "And they expect me to comply."

Kain winced. "That's rough."

Derek looked out the window toward the horizon. "I'm not going to comply. But I'm also not running again. I'll go to Emberflake, face them, and end this, once and for all."

Silence again—this time heavier.

Then Bob grinned. "Well then… we're going with you."

Derek looked at him.

"We've been dealing with evil spirits, cursed artifacts, Sins—maybe we're overdue for a normal city trip."

"Fresh air," Marcus nodded. "Sounds nice."

"Big cities have better food," Bob added.

Bam stretched. "Also, I've never seen Emberflake."

The doll, from the tea table, spoke without looking up. "I think it's a wise idea. You've been chasing Sins non-stop. Rest. Walk among people. Reconnect. It will sharpen your focus."

Anna finally spoke, her eyes still on her book. "I'm not going."

No one questioned it. Anna rarely left the mansion, and Emberflake wasn't exactly her kind of place.

Derek stood. "Then it's settled. I'll pack."

The group finished breakfast slowly, the heaviness of the morning replaced with the quiet excitement of a journey—not a battle, but a confrontation of a different kind.

By afternoon, they were packed and ready.

And as they left, Anna gave no goodbye—only raised her tea slightly from behind the book.