A Brighter Future (Kuroinu)

Rhodes nodded, not knowing how else to respond. He glanced briefly at Celestine, who didn’t seem too pleased with the situation. It was clear that she was also struggling with what to do.

“Is there a problem?” Grave asked.

“No– not really. It’s just that I’ve gotten used to the situation here, and suddenly changing environments makes me a bit worried,” Celestine replied.

“If that’s the case, Claudia will help you adjust to the new life as quickly as possible. You can trust her to take care of you in that regard,” Grave reassured.

This situation seemed to provide Celestine with more opportunities to influence events!

Rhodes opened his mouth but felt that saying anything now might not be effective. He couldn’t simply tell them that he didn’t want to leave Celestine. Such a statement might worsen the situation.

“General Grave, can I talk to Lord Rhodes privately about this matter?” Celestine interjected.

Grave didn’t object and nodded in agreement. He watched as the two of them walked away.

“Father, do you think Lady Celestine will agree?” Claudia asked.

“She will, considering the reasons we’ve given – for Lord Rhodes’s better development. If Lady Celestine truly cares about his future, then this matter will succeed.”

Grave believed in this. From the very beginning, it was clear that Celestine had arranged for Rhodes to meet Grave because she wanted him to have a better future.

“So, even if Lord Rhodes is initially reluctant, Lady Celestine should be able to persuade him. We know he likes her, but whether she feels the same way is another question. After we handle the matters we discussed earlier, Lord Rhodes will likely shift his focus away from Lady Celestine,” Claudia pondered.

After hearing Grave’s analysis, Claudia felt reassured. Just the thought of living together with Rhodes in the future made her feel happy.

“Now, how should we deal with this situation, Celestine?”

The current situation had taken them by surprise, leaving them no time to prepare. Rhodes looked at Celestine with a troubled expression, seeking her thoughts on the matter.

“Without Claudia’s involvement, this would indeed be a worthwhile opportunity to accept. I just didn’t expect the situation to turn out like this,” Celestine admitted, realizing that she had underestimated Claudia.

The reasons given by Claudia were indeed reasonable and made it difficult for them to refuse. Excluding this factor, the opportunity would bring many benefits to Rhodes and mark the first step in connecting with the Levantine family.

If she considered Rhodes’s future, the choice became clear. Despite her reluctance, Celestine had to accept this situation. She couldn’t help but wonder why she had introduced Rhodes to Grave and Claudia in the first place, as it had led to this unexpected turn of events.

However, now was not the time to dwell on these issues, as the situation had not yet reached a critical point.

“I’ll accept this offer, Rhodes,” Celestine said.

“Accept? Are you sure? What should I do then?” Rhodes asked.

“You are currently in a cooperative relationship with Claudia, so she doesn’t have many ways to harm you, right? Otherwise, it would violate the initial agreement. However, such arrangements can’t really enforce the other party’s behavior, so we might have to accept it if necessary.”

Celestine provided her answer, surprising Rhodes with her quick compromise.

“While this is a somewhat difficult situation to accept, we can’t avoid it at this point. You don’t need to be sad about it. If you want to see me, you can come to me anytime, right?”

In the end, Rhodes’s feelings were the most important factor, and Celestine had the advantage in this regard. Despite any immediate gains Claudia might have, in the long run, Rhodes still liked being with Celestine. So, as long as they maintained their relationship, the current issues wouldn’t be too troublesome.

“That makes sense,” Rhodes agreed.

Grave didn’t impose any restrictions on Rhodes, so as long as he wanted to, he could finish his daily training and then spend the rest of his time with Celestine, continuing to build their relationship.

“I understand. I’ll go talk to General Grave now.”

With the decision made, Rhodes returned to Grave and Claudia.

“Lord Rhodes, it seems you’ve reached a decision?” Grave asked.

“Yes, I’ve accepted the offer to go to the Levantine family. Thank you, General Grave.”

“Hahaha! No trouble at all! If anything, it’s me who should thank you for being willing to come to my home!”

Grave was delighted with Rhodes’s decision. In his eyes, this was the first step toward securing the future of his family. He believed that once Rhodes joined the Levantine family, becoming a part of it would only be a matter of time. He also believed that their relationship would become as close as father and son.

Claudia was equally happy at the thought of taking care of Rhodes’s daily life and spending time with him.

“Now, Lord Rhodes, if there’s nothing you need to bring with you, let’s head out with us.”

“I understand. Please wait for a moment.”

Rhodes nodded and returned to Celestine. He embraced her and gave her a kiss on the ear, causing her to shiver. It was clear that her ears were quite sensitive, and her reaction made Rhodes’s heart race.

Seeing Celestine’s adorable reaction, he couldn’t help but lower his head and kiss her on the lips. She was initially surprised but quickly responded with joy and affection.

In the end, they reluctantly parted, and Rhodes looked at her with a smile before rejoining Grave and Claudia.