My Kingdom Building Done Right!-Chapter 69: Let Nature Take Its Course

"Yuni..."

"What is it, Father?"

"... Uh, you see." Ulric looked at his daughter, who was calmly looking back at him. He felt extremely embarrassed about what he was about to say.

Deep down, Ulric had thought that the position of the Alborin Tribe in Leone’s heart was absolute. But after Jason had grown closer to Leone, that belief had taken a hit.

Once again, Ulric realized the importance of the strange young noble in the Alborin Tribe’s fight for survival.

He had taken Leone’s abilities for granted, thinking that as long as the young man was with them, things would change for the better.

And things had gotten better. Leone had transformed the tribe so much that it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that he was the pillar sustaining the reputation they currently possessed.

Many of the other tribes must’ve thought that Ulric and the Alborin Tribe had overcome Arlo and his allies with their own strength and ability. But this was far from the truth.

Without Leone, they wouldn’t have stood a chance even if they had put all their lives on the line.

Seeing her father’s mouth open and close like a fish, Yuni heaved a sigh.

Her father was a man of honor, and he wouldn’t stoop so low as to sell his own daughter to gain someone’s favor.

Instead, the two elders of their tribe, Darius and Swain, were the ones pushing to have her engaged to Leone.

Since Ulric had given her the freedom to choose whom she wanted to marry, Darius and Swain had brought up their proposal in Yuni’s presence, hoping she would agree to it.

After a few minutes of silence, a sigh escaped Ulric’s lips.

He just couldn’t bring himself to repeat the elders’ words to his daughter. His pride wouldn’t let him.

Besides, he had promised Yuni that he would never force her to marry someone she didn’t like. He couldn’t possibly go back on his word just because he was afraid that Jason would replace him as Leone’s right-hand man.

"I’m so pathetic, aren’t I?" Ulric asked helplessly. "I’m a failure as a father."

"You’re not pathetic and certainly not a failure of a father," Yuni replied. "You just realized Leone’s importance. That’s all."

Ulric was a warrior. So the moment Jason, as well as the Aslanians, had gained a boost of strength, he had immediately understood that they had received a powerful blessing from Leone.

Their presence alone overshadowed the warriors of the Alborin Tribe, who had benefited a lot from the increase in their stats because of Leone’s bonus rewards.

Jason had also become stronger than Ulric. The younger man had made a risky gamble and it had paid off.

As the saying went, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Jason had risked everything to gain Leone’s trust and good graces.

Everything he possessed now was earned at the cost of his identity.

"Father, Leone isn’t so shallow as to toss the Alborin Tribe aside," Yuni said calmly. "I have been with him for quite a while. From what I can tell, he genuinely cares for all of us, including me.

"As for becoming his ’Promised One’, I’m not against it... I simply don’t think Leone will appreciate that kind of arrangement. He is the kind of person who doesn’t want to be tied up because his freedom is important to him.

"Back then, when you first refused to become his vassal, he probably thought that after completing his missions, he would leave Grimjaw Mountain and look for a place to settle down. Since he values his own freedom, he must also value the freedom of others.

"He didn’t want us to part ways on bad terms, so he won’t say anything even if he feels sad about it. I think the reason why he is so positive is that he believes in the goodness of others.

"I’m sure he’s been raised with love and care by his family. If not, he wouldn’t have grown up to be this wonderful person... who laments because a squirrel or a pig is stronger than him."

The beautiful young lady couldn’t help but smile after remembering Leone’s reactions in the past.

She really believed that Leone was a wonderful person. It would be a lie to say that she had no interest in him. But she wanted to build the relationship naturally instead of forcing it.

The moment Ulric proposed to make Yuni his betrothed, Leone might run away and leave without a word.

The mere idea of it made Yuni sad, so she decided to prevent her father from putting Leone in a tight spot.

"You know what?" Ulric sighed a second time. "Kael has no intention of giving up. He really wants to send a pretty lady from the Riverfang Tribe to become Leone’s bed warmer."

"Well, whether he accepts that or not is up to him."

"You really hold him in high regard, Yuni. Tell me, aren’t you worried that others might make him fall in love with them instead?"

Yuni didn’t reply right away. She pondered what she would feel if Leone became engaged to one of the pretty ladies from the tribes treating him as their Great Chief.

She knew that capturing his heart would be the greatest honor for those ladies. Their tribes would surely celebrate their success.

Yuni felt a bittersweet ache in her chest when this thought crossed her mind. But she wouldn’t do anything to tie Leone to the Alborin Tribe because she wanted him to reach his goal without shackles holding him back.

"Father, you are Leone’s vassal," Yuni said after a few minutes of silence. "You play an important role in his life. Even if he has the Aslanians with him, he will not treat the Alborin Tribe any differently.

"You can rest assured because our Great Chieftain is a man of strong character. You must become the wind beneath his wings, lifting him so he can soar to the sky."

The young lady paused for a bit before continuing her words.

"As for matters about love, why don’t we let nature take its course?" Yuni smiled faintly. "That being said, I don’t plan on leaving his side, so don’t worry too much."

Hearing his daughter’s words, Ulric was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. His anxiety disappeared completely.

"You’re really like your mother," Ulric said. "I’m glad you inherited her wisdom."

Yuni smiled. Whenever his father talked about her mother, he had nothing but praise for her.

Sadly, she didn’t know where her mother was right now. When Yuni was nine, her mother had to leave them. Before disappearing, she had promised to return as soon as she could.

After nine years, Yuni’s mother, Zenobia Vanadis, had still not returned home.

Even so, she believed that her mother would keep her promise and return to them someday.

Her father could have taken a second wife, maybe even a third, like most chieftains. But he never did.

Ulric said that when he had courted Zenobia, he had promised that she would be the only lady he would love in his lifetime.

And since he was a man of honor, he kept his word. He was more powerful and influential now. If he were to propose to any woman, she would surely agree. Still, Yuni knew he would never do something like that.

"Very well. I won’t ask you to become Leone’s Promised One," Ulric said. "Thank you for giving me a wake-up call, Yuni. I needed it badly."

"You’re welcome, father," Yuni replied.

"But let me confirm something. You don’t mind becoming his betrothed, right?" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"I don’t."

"Okay."

The two then decided to have dinner together.

Little did they know that a young man was pressed against the door of their cottage and had heard their entire conversation.

Leone had originally come to ask Ulric something. But just as he was about to knock, he heard them talking about him.

He originally thought Yuni would badmouth him behind his back, so he decided to eavesdrop.

But he never realized that she held him in high regard. He was even more surprised when she expressed her wish that he would remain free to do whatever he wanted without being tied down by relationships!

That had sent his heart racing.

A minute later, Leone walked away and returned to his own house, which he had rebuilt in the spacious cavern that the Aslanians had made.

"What’s wrong?" Daedalus asked after seeing Leone enter the room. "Your face is red. Do you have a fever? Does it hurt somewhere?"

*Squeak?*

Blitz landed on top of Leone’s head and used its little hand to touch his forehead. The squirrel then used its free hand to touch its own head to compare their body temperature.

*Squeak!*

"Oh dear, he feels hot?" Daedalus fussed. "This won’t do. Eat your dinner and rest early. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. We can’t afford you catching a cold now."

"I-I’m not sick," Leone replied.

"Then why is your face as red as a tomato?"

*Squeak?*

"Gau?" Max tilted its head, staring at its master curiously.

"F-Fine," Leone felt cornered, so he decided to give in. "I’ll eat... then rest."

He sat down quietly and ate. But his thoughts were far from calm.

Yuni’s words echoed in his mind. He felt touched that she chose his freedom over her own desires.

No one had ever done that for him before.

Not like this.

Leone lowered his gaze, pressing a hand lightly against his chest. He felt a strange feeling rising in his chest.

It was unfamiliar and yet warm at the same time.

As if something inside him had shifted...

Or perhaps... something else had finally started to awaken in his heart.