16 – Episode 2. How to Regain the Favor of the Lady of Discord (6)
“I thought it was noisy for some reason. Were you here?”
Just looking at his eyes, I could feel his discomfort towards me.
It seems like everyone in this house has sharp eyes. I feel intimidated and can’t say what I want to.
Houston exuded a weightiness akin to that of Houston, and it seemed more fitting to maintain a dignified demeanor rather than loosening the atmosphere with a hearty laugh.
I stood up, straightened my attire, and relieved tension with a forced cough.
“I apologize for my tardiness in greeting at the Sponga. Duke Gellus.”
Bowing, what reached my ears was an inexplicable snort, as if saying, “This is unexpected.”
“…You aren’t exactly known for adhering to noble etiquette. What is it now? Since you’re here, state your business.”
“Well….”
“I told him to come.”
“Amelia…?”
With a cheerful laugh on her face, Amelia spoke. Gellus, puzzled, glanced at me and gave a sidelong wink.
“I see. I had a suspicion. The discussion about delaying the mealtime today was because of Abel, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. Spending some quiet time with my son-in-law over a meal after a long time doesn’t sound bad. Right, Lina?”
“Me? Uh, I…”
Lina hesitated in her response as she looked at Amelia. Then, glancing at me, she furrowed her brows. “What are you staring at!” she muttered with a pout.
Seems like irritation flares up just from my presence. Now, I understood, given the wounds Abel had received.
“What kind of guy is he to be my son-in-law?”
“But he has abilities, doesn’t he?”
Amelia placed her hand with interlocked fingers on the dining table, raising her upper lip.
“He’s been subduing the worshippers of the hidden vampires in the city of Fran and uncovering the hideouts of Beral in the Sirius territory. He’s preparing for the extermination now, right?”
The information about the hideouts had already been conveyed to Houston, as she said. However, I didn’t expect them to know about it already.
“On top of that, he proved that the person we thought was a witch was, in fact, a saint. Is that all? He dealt a blow to the growing power of the Beatrix Order. If the saint had willingly fallen into the hands of the Order, wouldn’t she have exercised her rights to the nobles in earnest?”
The story about the saintess…?
Well, come to think of it, while I don’t know about other places, there is a deep connection between the royal family and Sirius, so there is a possibility that Houston was referring to that.
But then again, it’s not my ability, I just did as the quest instructed.
“Even so, didn’t you say that you couldn’t forgive Abel for humiliating his daughter?”
“I couldn’t forgive him, but seeing his attitude today, I’m considering letting it go as a minor indiscretion.”
“A minor indiscretion? His usual behavior has always been enough to disgrace the reputation of all nobles. If we call that a minor indiscretion, then the empire would already be a den of depravity.”
“Is that so, Abel? Don’t you have anything to say?”
Suddenly, Amelia asks me.
Covering it up well and then suddenly exploding? Is this also meant for Gellus to see my repentant attitude?
I scratched my head awkwardly and said, “I’ve come to offer words of apology today. I don’t intend to make any more mistakes in the future.”
“Hmph. Who can’t say that with words? Why the sudden change of heart?”
“I thought… living like this wouldn’t be right.”
“…That’s why it’s laughable. Unbelievable.”
I also find it hard to believe that I’ve been possessed by Abel.
“Still, since we’ve come this far, I’ll treat you to a meal. Sit.”
That was the end of his words.
Although there was still a hint of displeasure, thanks to Amelia, it seemed to pass without incident.
“Yes. Thank you.”
That’s how the chefs started bringing out the food, and the meal officially began. Amelia said to Lina, who was about to sit across from me.
“Lina is next to Abel.”
“What?!”
“Hurry up.”
“…Okay.”
Reluctantly, Lina glanced at Amelia, who was pointing towards my side, and begrudgingly moved over in my direction.
As Lina discreetly tried to pull out the chair next to me to take a seat, our eyes met and she hastily spoke, as if stung by the encounter.
“You’re not sitting here because you want to, right?”
“I know. But thank you for sitting next to me.”
I smiled gently.
It’s no use feeling sorry for myself at this point. Whatever reason brought me here, if I want to get closer to Lina, I have to be proactive and lay the groundwork.
“Hmph.”
Lina snorted and acted coyly, but didn’t say anything else.
* * *
“Thank you for serving me a meal, even though my visit was sudden.”
“That’s nothing. I’m glad.”
I strolled leisurely down the corridor of the mansion, matching my pace with Amelia’s footsteps. I had no choice but to follow her as she personally guided me to the room I would be staying in.
Finally, Amelia opened the door to the guest room we had arrived at.
It was a room that had been meticulously prepared, as well-maintained as my own.
“You can stay in this room tonight. The servants have cleaned it thoroughly, so you’ll be comfortable. Or would you prefer sharing Lina’s room?”
“This room is fine.”
She stated firmly. At that moment, Amelia, with her eyes squinted, subtly provoked me.
“Do you think it’s too late to act like an adult now? Wouldn’t it be better to establish the facts at this point?”
Absolutely not. Definitely not.
This is a situation with no real solution.
If, in the midst of a chaotic world, Lina is pregnant, she won’t be able to use an important card.
If Lina can’t perform, naturally, the burden on the protagonist’s shoulders will become heavier.
Of course, considering the current relationship, creating such an atmosphere would be difficult.
“It might be better to carefully think about that. Both Lina and I haven’t graduated from the academy yet, and Lina will have to live as a knight in the future. I don’t want to give up on a dream we haven’t even started.”
“…That’s a commendable thought. It seems you are considerate enough. If you continue to think that way in the future, it’ll be more than enough.”
Amelia pats my shoulder. It seems she liked the fact that my words matched my feelings.
“You’ve had a hard time coming from afar, so rest well today.”
“Thank you. I hope you have a peaceful night, Duchess.”
I said to Amelia, who was about to leave. She hesitated for a moment, holding onto the door handle, then turned back.
“…Don’t call me Duchess. Call me mother-in-law.”
“Yes? But…”
From Noble mtl dot com
“If you continue to show this attitude, it’s okay.”
It’s probably better not to refuse such a thing. Changing titles can make relationships much smoother.
“Yes, Mother-in-law.”
“Sleep well.”
With that, Amelia closed the door, and only then could I heave a sigh of relief.
Was Abel’s image not as bad as I thought?
No, that’s not true. Abel’s image was the worst. It wasn’t for nothing that he was called a wastrel among the aristocrats.
Then why are they treating him so well?
Is it because there was some deal going on between the nobles behind my back?
I don’t know.
Since there’s no special mention of a quest, it’s probably not something worth worrying about, but it still bothered me.
“There really isn’t anyone approachable here….”
I muttered quietly and opened the window.
It wasn’t because I was immediately tired, and the room was hot enough to make me sweat.
Tonight, the moon was unusually bright.
With no digital distractions, appreciating nature like this was a suitable way to pass the time. It also helped clear my mind.
“Ugh…!”
A groan reached my ears as I looked at the sky.
When I slightly lowered my head, I saw Rena wielding a sword in what seemed to be a training ground. Her blonde hair tied in a ponytail swayed.
…Surely, the reason for giving me this room wasn’t because Rena’s sword training was visible from here?
Setting that aside, after finishing the meal, where did she go? It turned out to be the training ground.
I watched Rena’s training scene with my chin rested on my hand.
It seemed like she was repeating the same posture over and over again, honing her basic skills.
Although Rena’s training method wasn’t elaborately described, it seemed she didn’t gain her abilities easily.
If this world were not just a novel but reality, it would have been a matter of course. Such conveniences rarely happen in real life.
It’s likely that Lena’s ability to compete with both the protagonist and the antagonist is the result of her efforts.
After repeating vertical and horizontal slashes for a while, she took a deep breath and changed her stance.
“Haat…!”
Unlike refining the basics, she swiftly swung the sword with fierce movements, unleashing her energy.
The intense attacks were challenging to follow with the naked eye. With my ordinary visual perception, it seemed impossible to compete in a real sword fight. Not that there would be a reason to.
“Hey! Try stealing this!”
As I imagined myself holding the sword in front of Lena, a booming voice echoed in my ears.
Lena looked up and pointed her sword at me, leaning her arm on the window frame. How did she know I was watching?
“…Your lack of focus is evident from worrying about trivial things.”
“What?!”
“Oh, did you hear that?”
“Of course, I heard it!”
“Then don’t worry about this side and continue what you were doing.”
I casually waved my hand.
“Do you think I can focus when you’re making a fuss?!”
Does it feel like your boss is watching while you’re trying to get work done?
I feel awkward too, so I probably couldn’t do it.
By the way, looking closely, it seems that Lena treats Abel more like a friend than a duke’s daughter.
Since Abel and Lena have known each other since childhood as childhood friends, it might be natural for them not to be formal unless in a public setting.
“Instead of just standing there, how about a round?”
She’s provoking me like a kid, knowing full well she’s no match for me.
“…A kid, you say?”
“What?!”
Surprisingly, there’s a hint of teasing in her words.
As I chuckle, looking down at her with a raised chin, a familiar window pops up before my eyes.
[A quest has arrived.]
[Would you like to review it? Y/N]
A quest out of the blue?
I choose to review it, feeling puzzled.
“Let’s give a lesson to the Demon Girl.”
Category: Sub (Lina Spon)
Deadline: –
『Currently, Lina Spon is in a state of identity crisis. Her excessive sense of competition has led to impatience, along with feelings of inferiority and defeat towards the overwhelmingly talented Miné Illustan Ferrator.
In the past semester, she challenged Miné several times, only to suffer complete defeat. Coupled with your reckless behavior, the stress she has not disclosed is quite significant.
If left in this state, she will undoubtedly wander and waste a lot of time. However, you possess the information to prevent that.
You know the direction she should take and how she can grow. Therefore, please give her guidance to shorten Lina’s growth period.
Additionally, using the Magic Purification Water will temporarily enhance her abilities, making it easier to obtain hints for the next stage.』
[Clear conditions]
Resolve the reason for her identity crisis [▼Expand]
Rina Ryu’s Inheritance [▼Expansion]
Reward: Rina’s outstanding growth and trust.
Failure: Rina’s wandering.
“Is Rina also supposed to grow under my guidance, just like Clara?”
I certainly understand.
For this world to not perish, the key figures must grow safely. However, in this world, I cannot be certain that things will unfold as I knew them to be.
Didn’t Clara, who should have become a witch due to my actions, end up not becoming one?
As long as there are variables that can change the course of the story, it’s not wise to leave things to chance, assuming they will turn out well on their own.
But aside from that, I couldn’t help but feel disgruntled towards the one who informed me of the quests.
“Who would be happy to be sent to this world and then be exploited like this?”
Although I grumbled with discontent, I had no intention of refusing.
Up to now, it was better to do these quests in order to seek forgiveness for Abel’s actions towards Rina.
“This is compound interest, damn god.”
Was it ever explained what the body he possessed had done?