Volume 8, Chapter 06 “Marriage”
Volume 8, Chapter 06 “Marriage”
Part 1
“The Roseblade family stronghold is different from what I imagined.”
[What kind of scene did you imagine?]
“Well, you know, like a bunch of rogue adventurers roaming around. I’ve heard they’re very proud to be adventurers, so you’d think there’d be more adventurers in the land, right?”
[I now understand Master’s image of adventurers. Master thought that adventurers, including yourself, were rogues.]
“It’s not that different, is it? The king of this country is some kind of rogue.”
The appearance is decent, but the content is awful.
We are now in the territory of the Roseblade family, which we were invited to visit.
Now, Luxion and I were strolling around the interior of the city.
Luxion checked his surroundings and said.
[I’m sure they’ve been expanding, but there’s a lot of unnecessary work. From an efficiency standpoint, there are a number of places that need to be improved.]
“It’s not a game. Don’t think everything’s easy.”
In my previous life, when building a road, there were many problems that had to be dealt with, starting with the briefing session for the people living around the road and the acquisition of land.
If large-scale changes are made just for the sake of efficiency, there will be many problems.
[If the nobility exists I think it’s easier to improve than master thinks, though. The advantage of having an absolute authority is the speed of top-down action.]
“It’s someone else’s territory in the first place, and I don’t have the right to speak out.”
[You’re right.]
The Roseblade family’s castle is located in a walled fortified city.
It’s not as big as the royal capital, but it’s still very well developed compared to my parents’ home.
The stone-built streets are elegant and fun to just stroll around.
[More importantly, was it okay for you to leave without permission?]
“The party is tonight. I’m free until then, right? Besides, the main actors this time are my dad and my brother. It doesn’t matter if I’m not there, because I’m a supporting character. After all, I was just detained on the ship.”
When I look at Luxion with a resentful eye, he turns his lens somewhere else to look away from me.
[It was Angelica and the others’ decision. Originally, they wouldn’t have wanted you to go into battle.]
If it’s a request from Ange and the others, I can’t ignore it, I let out a small sigh at Luxion’s reaction.
“They are too worried”
I walk around with my hands in my trouser pockets.
Luxion, who was floating around my right shoulder, is still talking a lot of small talks today.
[I recommend that you take a mental break for a while. After all, Master——is an emergency avoidance!]
Luxion moved quickly from his spot, and a stone passed right by me.
“Dangerous! W-Who is it!”
I turned around and there they were, boys who looked like very bad kids.
He rubbed his fingers under his nose and held a pebble in his right hand.
“There’s something weird over there. Whoever hits that thing wins.”
He had come out of nowhere and started playing with Luxion as a target.
Throwing rocks at people, that’s pretty extreme play, isn’t it.
I guess they thought I was a civilian because I was dressed so roughly.
[—— New humans]
Holding Luxion in my right hand as he muttered disturbing words, I ran away from the children.
Luxion seems to be dissatisfied.
[Why are you running away? You should tell the Count’s family and punish them accordingly. Master is the Marquis of this country, and they deserve to be tried for serious crimes.]
“Just get out of here. I hate troublesomeness!”
Even if you are a child, if you disobey a nobleman, you will be charged with a crime.
That is the value system of this world.
The Kingdom of Holfalt is, by my values, a people-friendly country.
But if you disobey a noble without reason, you will be judged normally.
I thought it would be less troublesome if I ran away, so I ran down the main street.
This place is probably like their garden, so if I go into the alley, I’ll be trapped.
On the contrary, it is better to flee the main street with dignity.
“Damn, he’s fast!”
The distance between us and the children who were chasing us opened up.
“Don’t underestimate me, kids! I’ll show you my dungeon-trained escape skills!”
Having gotten rid of the kids, holding Luxion in my hand, I went into a random coffee shop.
“Haa, I’m tired.”
Once I sit down and release the Luxion, the waitress comes to take the order.
I asked for a drink, and Luxion questioned me protestingly as the waitress moved away.
[Why did you run away? They attacked me and Master with clear hostility.]
“They are just kids? Overlook it.”
[――Is it an order?]
“That’s right. And also ―― That’s my request.”
[Request?]
What to do with children is a line that I cannot forgive personally.
It may be a value because I have a previous life, but I don’t like it because I personally dislike it.
“I’ll overlook it if I can. No, wait a minute. Do you think it would be a good idea to inform their parents and have them scold them? I backed down this time, but if this was another nobleman, it would be a big problem.”
I nodded a few times, and Luxion summed up my opinion.
[So you’re saying you won’t judge, but you will pay back? Don’t you have a hands-off policy with the children?]
“Because I’m angry, I’ll payback.”
[You are so intolerant.]
“You told me before that you don’t hate me for that. Besides, it’s better for the kids to be scolded while they still can. I’m worried about their future. Don’t you think I’m a tolerant person for thinking about their future?”
It’s a white line when I hear it myself, but they should be scolded while they still can.
I’d like them to stop throwing rocks in crowded places because it’s dangerous.
[If you are tolerant, wouldn’t you scold them yourself instead of seeking payback in the first place?]
“That’s true, too. Oh well. All right, let’s find out who these kids are and let their parents know. It’ll kill time till nightfall.”
” ―― Well, if it makes you feel better, feel free to do it.”
.
Part 2
“And so the evil is gone!”
I checked the houses of the children and informed their parents that they had been throwing rocks on the main street.
Sure enough, the kids were getting a good scolding from their parents.
When I returned to the Roseblade family’s castle, I was in a large room with my family, telling Ange and the others what had happened.
Ange looks at me and has an indescribable look on her face.
“Just when I thought what you were doing out there, you decide to pay the kids back? Leon, why don’t you calm down a little?”
Livia has a lot on her mind about what I’ve done.
“W-Well, I think it’s a good idea to get scolded while they are still young, as they may cause problems in the future. But looking up the house is a bit.”
Noelle, sitting in a wheelchair, has a bitter expression.
“You go that far? You’re dealing with a child. Why don’t you just scold him right then and there and be done with it.”
The three of them neither denied nor agreed with my methods.
As I was talking to the three of them who were slightly taken aback by what I did, Colin came over.
“Noelle-neechan, mom is calling over there.”
“Oh, yeah? Then I have to go”
Noelle tried to move the wheelchair by hand, but Colin, a good kid, quickly got behind her and started pushing.
Our Colin is very different from the bad kids.
I’m happy as his big brother.
“I will push”
“Thank you as always”
Colin, who was happy to be praised by Noelle, blushed and looked down a little.
As they moved away, Ange, who had been watching them, put her hand on her forehead.
“They say that first love is unattainable, but it’s a little pitiful.”
Livia also looked at Colin sadly.
“Colin-kun, since he is usually pushing Noelle-san’s wheelchair, there are not many chances for them to see each other. Even when he does, he gets embarrassed and runs away.”
As it is, Ange and Livia were talking about something serious.
“Is that why Noelle doesn’t notice? It’s obvious from the surroundings.”
“The problem is that Noelle-san can’t see Colin-kun’s face well because he’s shy and moves behind her. It seems that even when he talks, he doesn’t say much.”
“It’s a vicious circle. But it’s also a problem if the people around tell him.”
“Hmm, if it’s me――”
――What are they talking about?
“What are you two talking about?”
When I asked honestly, Ange and Livia looked at me with surprised faces.
They looked at each other, but they shook their heads and didn’t tell me anything.
“Eh, what? Luxion, do you know?”
[―― Master is really dense. In some ways, it’s worthy of respect.]
“So what? Tell me.”
[Please think for yourself.]
In the end, no one answered me.
.
Part 3
The party at the Roseblade house was to be held only for the people involved, in accordance with the wishes of Dad and aniki.
The format is a stand-up party, and the atmosphere is calm and not formal.
While I’m putting the food on the plate, Dad and aniki are surrounded by people from the Roseblade family, thanking them for killing the sky pirates.
They both looked uncomfortable, and I watched them from a distance.
Near Count Roseblade, I saw Deirdre-senpai and Dorothea-san.
“It must be hard being the main actors at a party”
When I muttered to myself as if it were someone else’s problem, Luxion, who was by my side, picked it up and started a conversation.
[You’re not used to parties, are you? Master, since a while ago, you’ve only been eating meat dishes. I strongly recommend that you consume vegetables.]
“I’ll do my best when I feel like it.”
[ ―― I see]
If I copied Luxion’s reply from a while ago, he would understand it and look unamused.
Even though he is an artificial intelligence, he is rich in emotion.
Looking around, I saw that Noelle in her wheelchair was also surrounded by a crowd of people.
Apparently, she was being asked about the situation in the Republic of Arzel.
Because of her position as a priestess of Sapling-chan, the people around her seemed to be very interested in her.
Mom and Colin are by her side.
As I was looking out for her with the intention of going to her aid if she needed anything, Livia came up to me and grabbed my arm.
“Leon-san, is my dress looking strange?”
“It looks good on you”
Dressed in an unfamiliar dress, Livia seemed concerned about her outfit.
“I got this dress with Ange, but I don’t get many chances to wear such an expensive dress. Isn’t it weird?”
The white and blue dress was a perfect match for Livia’s image.
It was Ange in a red dress who approached an anxious Livia and intertwined her arms with her.
This one is composed, and she’s used to wearing dresses.
“Don’t worry, it looks good on you. More importantly, Count Roseblade would like to speak with Leon.”
“Eh? I’m fine, though”
I tried to refuse, but Ange would not let me.
She tries to persuade me as if she were gently instructing a child.
“They can’t ignore the Marquis who has been invited. It’s just a matter of making small talk. Get used to it while you can.”
I was reluctantly convinced when I heard that I would only be greeting the Count of Roseblade, who had invited me.
Ange asked Livia to do one thing.
“Bring Noelle too”
“Yes”
As Livia went to call Noelle, Ange intertwined her arms with me.
When our arms were crossed, she brought her face close to mine and whispered in my ear. Her breath tickled my ears, but more than that, I could hear the sexiness in Ange’s voice.
“There’s something a little odd about the party atmosphere “
” ―― Are they going to pay us back?”
I guess I was excited to see her in a different dress than usual.
However, Ange was concerned about the condition of the party.
I was wary that he would use this opportunity to get payback for the rude behavior, but Luxion denied it.
[No, it’s not. There is no danger around, and the food was not poisoned. Isn’t it Angelica’s mistake?]
It was a relief to hear that, but Ange would not change her opinion.
“No, something’s not right. It’s not hostile, but it’s bothering me.”
Ange’s hunch ―― No, is it her intuition?
Anyway, she felt uneasy about the atmosphere of the place.
I was curious and looked around, but I didn’t see anything strange.
Claris-senpai was also at the party, but she was surrounded by people and was in the middle of the crowd. It’s been the same situation ever since the party started.
I’ve been trying to talk to her, but I can’t seem to get close enough to her, so I haven’t even been able to talk to Claris-senpai.
“Hm~m, there’s nothing unusual, though.”
Then, as Livia brought Noelle along, the Count Roseblade arrived with Deirdre-senpai, as if the timing was right.
However, there was no sign of Dorothea-san.
I searched for her just by sight and found her with Nix, who had been released and fled to the wall.
Ange must have noticed that, too.
“I guess this is where brothers resemble each other.”
“What?”
“Nothing”
Ange smiles, but when Count Roseblade arrives, she gives a curtsy, a greeting in which she pulls back one leg and bends over.
Livia imitated her a little later, but Ange’s gestures were more experienced and looked more beautiful.
The Count Roseblade spoke cheerfully as he came before me.
“This is the first time we’ve seen each other. I’ve heard many rumors about you, Marquis Bartofalt. First of all, I would like to thank you for saving my daughters.”
Even though I am younger than him, I am the Marquis, so Count Roseblade’s language is polite.
――I am troubled when adults use honorifics.
“T-Thank you for inviting me.”
Starting with an awkward greeting, Deirdre-senpai offered a helping hand.
“Nevertheless, the surroundings of the Hero-dono are quite gorgeous”
“It’s too good for me.”
I managed to make a smile and reply.
It was still better to be a little sarcastic with someone you knew than to have a conversation with a bunch of important adults.
But then Count Roseblade starts joking.
“They say they prefer the color of hero. Isn’t it still not enough for the Marquis?”
“No, it’s more than enough?”
“That’s not true. The blood of a new hero must be left behind. The third son of a baron is now a marquis after a great adventure. There is only one hero in the Kingdom of Horfalt who has risen to this level in a single generation. If you are such a hero, you are allowed to surround yourself with more people.”
The Roseblade family also began as adventurers.
The reason he appreciates me is probably because I’m a successful adventurer.
Somehow, I feel like I’m being teased by my relatives about my love life, and it’s making me nervous.
When I glance at the three of them, they are listening with a smile.
I guess they are not angered by this level of conversation.
“By the way, what do you think of our Deirdre?”
“Eh? I think she’s beautiful.”
I was asked about Deirdre-senpai, and all I could say was that she was beautiful.
She has gorgeous blonde hair in a vertical roll, and different from Ange, she looks great in a blue dress.
Deirdre-senpai opened her fan and covered her mouth.
“It’s a natural response”
Hearing my answer, Count Roseblade laughed heartily.
“My daughter is pleased to hear that, Hero-dono. Then, please enjoy today.”
Count Roseblade and the others are leaving.
I was relieved and sighed a little.
“Ah~, I’m so nervous”
[That was a rather awkward greeting. Did you shrink in the face of power?]
“I won’t deny it. I’m a small man, after all.”
Try to be funny, Luxion says, “Small people are more humble.”
However, Ange’s expression was a little grim.
Her lips are smiling, but her eyes are not smiling.
At the destination where her gaze is directed, there are Count Roseblade and Deirdre-senpai.
“The Roseblade family is too greedy”
“About what?”
I tilt my head at Ange, who is in a bad mood, and Noelle, who is now free of tension, confirms it. It was about the question I had just asked.
“That question, though, Leon got misunderstood. What about the fourth one? That’s what he meant, right?”
” ―― That is impossible, right.”
Whatever the circumstances may be, how about the daughter as the fourth? Is it something like that?
If it were me, I would never do that.
If there was a bastard with three beautiful women with good personalities, a man would be tempted to hit him out of jealousy.
And there’s another one there, I’ll never forgive him.
However, it seems that Livia had the same idea as the two.
“The Count’s eyes were very sharp for a moment, weren’t they? That was definitely not a joke.”
I’m sure Count Roseblade was pissed off when he saw me, “You’ve got three beautiful women with you.”
As a man myself, I understand that feeling.
“Isn’t it jealousy? If I saw a guy with three beautiful women, I’d wish in my heart that he would unlucky.”
Wishing for the other person’s misfortune will not make you happy.
I understand that, but I can’t help but be jealous.
―― Although I never thought I’d be on the receiving side of jealousy.
Then, as usual, Luxion was sarcastic.
[I don’t feel you’ve grown at all since we met. Can you please betray my expectations a little bit in a good way?]
Sarcasm and cynicism are no longer an everyday conversation between us.
“I’ll consider it when I feel like it. Where’s Nix?”
I searched the area where my family was as we conversed, but Nix was the only one I couldn’t find.
Ange tells me happily, unlike earlier.
“He must be cornered by now”
“Nix is cornered? W-Wait a minute!”
.
Part 4
Moving from the party venue to the balcony, Nix took a deep breath and leaned back against the railing once he was free of his nervousness.
“I’m so nervous ~”
No matter what he ate or drank, he didn’t know what it tasted like, he just felt uncomfortable.
He was tired of talking to noblemen who were not supposed to be involved in his life, and he did not want to participate in the event again.
“You were very active on the battlefield, but you’re not very good at parties.”
Nix scratches his cheek with his finger.
“I’m not used to this kind of place. Parties at my house are much more lively.”
He said it was lively, but it was actually noisy.
It’s the kind of party where manners are not a concern, and laughter and fights are a common occurrence.
Nix hated it a little.
Even without making a fuss, he thought it was fine to go on as usual.
But once attending a real party, he misses the easygoing party.
“Did you participate in the school?”
“At that time, I had friends and some idiots who wanted to cut loose because they were students. Well, I thought it was a world that had nothing to do with a regular class.”
When talking about the school days, Dorothea showed a lonely expression.
“I like to be alone, and I don’t have many memories of that. Looking back, I should have talked to many more people. Then I wouldn’t have been in trouble at a time like this.”
“At a time like this?”
(What is she trying to say? Maybe she wants to be friends with me? No way)
After the worst face-to-face meeting she had ever had, there was no way she would want to be friends with him.
With that in mind, Nix waited for Dorothea’s words.
Perhaps Dorothea was nervous, her breathing was disordered.
Perhaps having made up her mind, she gave Nix a serious look and put her hand on her chest.
“Nix-sama, can you give me one more chance?”
“Chance? ――Eh, chance means?”
Nix is surprised when he realizes, a few seconds late, what Dorothea is trying to say.
“I’m serious. I seriously like you. Please, give me one more chance.”
“No, ano? But I am, look! As I said before, I want a relaxed couple, and I don’t think we have the same hobbies.”
No matter how beautiful she is, Dorothea wanting someone as a pet is not Nix’s hobby.
However, Dorothea was serious.
“The one who loves is the one who loses. I do not mind being your pet. No, I will be the wife Nix-sama wants me to be.”
“I-I don’t think you should force yourself like that. Endure is bad for the body.”
(In the first place, I can’t treat my marriage partner like a pet, impossible! My mind can’t stand it!)
Nix tries to escape the situation, but unfortunately, this is the home of the Roseblade family――In the castle.
If he looks at the balcony doorway, he can see a figure behind the large glass window with the curtains closed.
Dorothea holds her hands, looks down, and cries.
“Then what should I do? What do I have to do to be accepted?”
“I-I think you’d better wipe your tears for now! And don’t you think your family will forgive me for this? I’ve been rude to you.”
“We are even, right? I also prepared a collar.”
In a corner of his mind, Nix thought about it carefully, thinking, “What a terrible conversation”.
He wondered why the woman in front of him was so obsessed with him?
“It’s my first time”
“W-What is it?”
“I’ve never felt my heart beat so hard in my life, and I don’t know what to do.”
Nix’s heart ached at the sight of an adult woman, who gave the impression of being cold, crying as if she were a child.
He couldn’t stand to see her like that, so he hugged her and comforted her.
The moonlight made Dorothea look beautiful, or the way she was crying made him feel like he had to do something about it ―― Nix, who usually did his best as a big brother, couldn’t leave her alone anyway.
When Dorothea was hugged, she froze in surprise.
Their heartbeats are rising.
“Etto“
Nix, who hadn’t thought about what would happen next, was confused, but Dorothea hugged him and they spent some time on the balcony.
Part 5
“What are you doing, aniki!”
I peeked over the balcony and opened my eyes wide at Nix, who was hugging Dorothea-san.
No matter how you look at it, this woman is not in Nix’s type, so what was he thinking, hugging her willingly?
Livia, who was looking at the balcony, blushed and fidgeted.
“I-I didn’t expect a hug out of the blue.”
When asked for her opinion, Noelle looked at Nix and Dorothea-san with a sparkle in her eyes.
“But it’s ideal. It takes a lot of courage to confess to someone you like.”
Perhaps remembering her own time, Noelle’s cheeks also turned red.
Ange stands next to me and looks at me sideways.
“I thought the brothers were alike, but Nix-dono made his own move. Leon could learn a thing or two from him.”
“It looks like he was just carried away by a momentary whim, though?”
It was impossible for Nix to move so boldly against a woman.
I make the prediction that there was some kind of magic going on and he wasn’t making the usual decision.
Ange let out a small sigh of astonishment at me and turned her gaze to the back of us.
There was the Count Roseblade with a deliberate attitude.
“Oya-oya, Dorothea can not be underestimated. Unexpectedly, I never thought she’d have a man she liked.”
My parents come over because I was loud enough to be heard in the hall.
“Not Leon, but the Nix, don’t tell me?”
It’s understandable that they’re surprised to see a serious Nix hugging a woman, but how did my name come up there?
My mother touched her gaping mouth with her hand.
It seems that she is too surprised to react.
My father apologizes to Count Roseblade.
“I-I’m really sorry.”
I guess he feels sorry for hugging his precious daughter.
But Count Roseblade was calm.
“You can’t help but fall in love with the knight who saved you. I’ll leave the two of them alone for now.”
As Count Roseblade returned to the party with Dad and others, Ange crossed her arms.
“It’s so clear. He planned to leave them alone from the start.”
“Eh? Why would he do that?”
“Because Dorothea has fallen in love with Nix-dono.”
“With Nix? Didn’t we tell her the collar was a lie? Is there any reason for her to like him?”
When I say that it must be different from Dorothea’s hobby, the ladies give me a dumbfounded look that says, “You really don’t get it.”
It was Livia who told me about Dorothea-san’s feelings.
“Leon-san, there are many girls who yearn for a knight-sama who helps them.”
“I’ve heard that before, but”
Noelle hunched over and put the fingertips of both hands together, embarrassed.
“I understand~. If someone risked his life to come and save me, that would make me conscious.”
Noelle, who glances at me, seems to be remembering what happened in the Republic.
I think I did my best back then.
Then, Deirdre-senpai came over and joined the conversation.
“I also have experience. That was when we were attacked by the Principality’s army. That time, Leon-kun were so dependable.”
The person standing in front of Deirdre-senpai, who had just arrived, was Ange with her hands on her hips.
“What a coincidence. I also remember. Because even back then, Leon came to my rescue. But still, it’s an elaborate imitation.”
“What are you talking about?”
Deirdre-senpai, who was giving Ange a stern talking-to, was hiding her smirking face with an open fan.
“You nailed Claris, just in case, right. You deliberately moved so that Nix-dono and Dorothea would be together and led them to the balcony, didn’t you? The moon is beautiful today and the atmosphere is nice. Show a little weakness, and most men can’t resist hugging. “
“No way. Was it all an act?”
When I saw the two of them on the balcony, I knew Nix had been fooled.
However, Deirdre-senpai argues against it in order to protect Dorothea-san’s honor.
“I’m just giving them a chance to be alone. Anything beyond that is up to them. Acting, it is unthinkable.”
“Not acting? I-If so, is it okay?”
Luxion, who was next to me who was worried, seems not to be very interested in this topic.
[Isn’t it possible that you are too much influenced by the opinions of others?]
“S-Shut up. I’m not good at this kind of thing.”
[Not just romance, there are many areas in which Master is not good.]
He is a guy who says a lot of words every time.