Whether we have your blessings or not

"Are you really going to fight your family for a human?" Duke Balthier Sanguine questions his son with a low voice. Out of all of his children, his fourth son is the most capable one. It's not a secret that Eli's strength exceeds his. His son can easily kill everyone in this mansion. The real question is whether his son is going to destroy his family for a mere human.

"She's my family." Standing behind her, Eli wraps his arms around her shoulders. He gives him an aggrieved look. "I am not afraid of you, Father. My wife is going to protect me from you."

"..." Just who is this man? Balthier Sanguine purses his lips into a thin line when the girl crosses her arms and looks at him fiercely while his son is hiding behind the girl with a scared look on his face. His son's antics never cease to surprise him. He hasn't gotten over the time when his son dressed up as a woman to ward off all the girls who were interested in him. When he received the prince's proposal for his son, he had lost sleep for days.

"That's right. I will protect him." Nell raises her chin and speaks with a loud voice, "We aren't going to fight with you. If you start something, I will take your son away and elope with him. I am sure that your reputation will be affected if we do that."

It should be affected, right? She has no idea whether ghoulish dukes care about their reputation and honour. To be honest, she's not sure if she can protect Eli from his father. But she doesn't want him to fight with his father. If they can solve things peacefully, they should take that path. However, she isn't afraid of fighting with his father.

The Devil cat yawns. Things are a little boring. How long will they continue to stare at each other? He walks away from Nell and Little Marshmallow, leaving through the door. He might as well take a look around.

Balthier Sanguine has no interest in talking to the human girl. Why does this girl think that she can protect someone who doesn't need protection? His son is pretending to be terrified while keeping a hold of his shadow. Does she not know that he's a ghoul? That doesn't seem to be the case.

She's human. How long can she live? Someone will eat her alive soon. Duke Balthier Sanguine looks at the girl sternly. "What's your name, human?"

"Nell Solomon." Her body stiffens when she feels Eli's hand on her butt. What is he doing here? She reaches for his hand, trying to grab it.

"I will give you a chance to prove whether you are right for my son." Balthier Sanguine narrows his eyes. "If you manage to convince me, I will arrange the wedding myself."

It's not like she can say no. But how would she convince this ghoul that she's right for his son when she doesn't believe it herself? Eli deserves a better person. Nell jumps when he pinches her butt. "Ow!"

"What?" Balthier Sanguine smiles at her when she winces "You find it painful?"

His damn son is pinching her butt. Nell grits her teeth and tries to move away from Eli. He's holding her still with his one arm. His hand is groping her butt at the same time. If she could, she would kill Eli now. With clenched teeth, Nell utters the words, "I-I will convince you." After she kills his son.

"It's not necessary, wife." Eli puts his chin on her right shoulder. "When your husband is already convinced that you are right for him, why should you be bothered about convincing someone else?"

Is he his son? Balthier Sanguine scowls at Eli. His shameless son doesn't even give him face in front of a mere human. "Do you think that any priest in this world would let you get married to her?"

"I forgot that you like to misuse your authority a little." Eli slips his hand inside her shirt, feeling the skin of her back stiffen under his touch. He could smell her desire rising. She's angry at him, ready to beat him up. "Father, I will become a eunuch if you don't let me marry this woman and bear grandchildren for you."

What kind of threat is that? Balthier Sanguine's head is hurting. He rubs the space between his brows. Honestly, he would rather have his son become a eunuch than marry a human female. He can't lose his excellent son because of a human. "I give you three days. If both of you still wants to marry each other after three days, I will be convinced that she's right for you."

Eli frowns at his father. Can't he see the scheme? In the next three days, his father is going to use any tactic to scare his woman away. "Father, I already told --"

"It's fine with me." Nell grabs the hand that is trying to get into her jeans, stopping him from pinching her butt. "I also want to see what they got for me."

"Wife, you don't have to do this," Eli tells her with a coaxing voice. "We should elope just as you suggested. I want to tell my children how you eloped with me against all oppositions from evil creatures."

Balthier Sanguine wonders if Eli is really his son. Just who is the evil creature here? The entire world knows his son's deeds.

"Stop being a drama queen." Nell glowers at him. "If you don't agree with this, I won't marry you."

Won't marry him? If his father hasn't been interfering, he could have gone to the temple and married her right away. Now, she wants to fall into his father's scheme. Eli covers his mouth and sobs. "You keep breaking my heart, my wife. How long are you going to agonize me? I want to lose my virginity to you."

Virgin? Duke Balthier Sanguine doesn't look good either. His face is pale after hearing his son's words. His most beautiful son who is more than six hundred years old is a virgin. That's even more shameful than marrying a human female.

Nell lets out an exasperated sigh. She can't believe that this person doesn't even care about his father. Though he's crying on her shoulder, his hand is fondling her butt. She can't deal with this guy. "Duke Sanguine, three days are going to be a little difficult for me. Your son will not stop crying if I don't marry him as soon as possible. Please start the preparation for the wedding if you don't want us to run away and elope in some temple. We will get married on the third day whether we have your blessings or not."