"Levi, I'll be direct. I want to recruit you. I'm being sincere—this is different from before."
The Lord had known all along that Fulina must be after something, given how much she was talking. He had been deliberately steering the conversation to random topics, refusing to walk into her trap.
"Oh?" Levi said, feigning disappointment. "Fulina, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but if you had come to recruit me back when I was a penniless Pioneer Knight, I might have agreed without a second thought."
"But now, I'm a Marquis with elite soldiers and fierce generals. Your recruitment attempt now is doomed to be a waste of breath."
"Actually, I'm not asking you to become my Vassal. That would be impossible, of course. What I mean to say is, the Martel Family wants to form a marriage alliance with you!"
Fulina stared at Levi, speaking each word with great seriousness.
