119 – Hugo’s suggestion
When did you become aware that your body was not what it used to be?
When you allow a monster’s attack by a narrow margin?
What if the length of the lecture is not as long as before?
When you feel like you’re running low on mana during battle?
Not all.
When your shoulders feel stiff even when you move your arms even a little.
When your groin throbs every time you urinate.
When the night vision is not as bright as it used to be.
That’s it.
The mansion’s bathroom.
Hugo stared at the middle-aged man in the mirror with complicated feelings.
The wrinkles on his face grew deeper day by day, and his forehead widened to the point where it could no longer hold hair. Even it was gray in places, so much so that my wife, Eldrina, recommended dyeing magic.
“surely…”
It’s not like it used to be.
Even though he didn’t say it out loud, Hugo had to admit it.
The daily routine of waking up at dawn and training your mind is no longer there. It has been a long time since everyday life, waking up in the dazzling morning sun, took its place.
but,
As a father and a pillar of the family, Hugo did not want to appear weak to the children returning from their coming of age ceremony, and wanted to remain as a support that they could rely on, at least until the children were able to become independent.
Hugo, holding a razor, carefully shaved off his rough beard. The tickling sensation continued, and the bubbles cleared, revealing a neat chin.
After that, it was all smooth sailing. Guided by Eldrina, he enters the dressing room and wears a uniform tailored by a dedicated tailor.
Between the shiny black collar, a tie as red as his hair is knotted with Eldrina’s delicate hands.
Finally, Hugo, who had even applied hair oil and looked stylish, looked down at his still lovely wife.
“…How do you feel?”
“Whatever. You already know what answer I’m going to give.”
Instead of answering, Eldrina kissed her husband on the lips.
Although there is a significant age gap with Hugo, she is not young either. However, Eldrina’s beauty was not much different from when she whispered her love.
“It’s wonderful, dependable, and the loveliest thing in the world.”
“…Hmm. Thank goodness.”
The unfamiliar whisper sends shivers down my spine.
Hugo left the mansion after getting a hat to cover his increasingly balding hair. There is no need for an escort or companion. Eldrina says that the airship will arrive around noon today, so if you catch the carriage now, you will be able to arrive at the platform at just the right time.
‘Now that I think about it, it’s been almost 6 years since I met Shiron.’
Gooooo-
Hugo arrived at the platform and looked up at the airship that was docked at that moment. Suddenly, the face of my nephew, who resembled my father and was not without a cheeky side, came to mind.
I heard that he completed his studies abroad in Lucerne and was ordained as a priest… A proud feeling welled up in Hugo’s heart as he achieved this on his own without relying on anyone in the country of Manlita, even if it meant being an adult in his family. it started.
“oh…”
A young man with black hair comes into view in the distance. We made eye contact with him and smiled at each other. Hugo was convinced that the young man walking on the boarding bridge was Siron.
“hmm?”
But soon the smile disappeared from Hugo’s face. The scene that was difficult to see because it was far away becomes increasingly clear.
Siriel, his only daughter, was already grown up, but it didn’t hurt to look at him, and was clinging to Siron’s side.
But, that wasn’t the problem. Hugo didn’t have any fiefdoms, but he was a nobleman, and he had the generosity to think of them as close brothers and sisters.
the problem is…
“That’s amazing. How can you still not come to your senses even after taking motion sickness medication?”
“…I don’t know either.”
“Isn’t that guy a quack? Now that I think about it, it’s suspicious that he was given 5,000 shillings for two days of motion sickness medication.”
Siron’s eyes were always on Lucia.
Of course, Hugo couldn’t take issue with that behavior. The niece who was being supported by Siron didn’t look very good, and Siriel, who was crossing her arms on the other side, didn’t seem to be particularly dissatisfied with Siron’s actions.
However, the human mind is not rational, which is why the word subjective exists. Hugo clenched his fists and faced one of the children who was approaching him, a young man who had grown up and had no trace of youth left.
“Ugh. Why did you come to pick me up? You can just wait at the mansion.”
Siron lowered his head with a bright smile.
“…Shiron.”
“Yes, uncle. That’s right. Are you sure you don’t recognize me?”
“Yeah. It’s grown so much that I can’t recognize it.”
“I’m also shocked every time I wake up in the morning. I’m not even 20 yet, but I wonder why the table waiter is so old.”
“That’s right. Some bastard was walking with his daughters behind him, so I almost hit him.”
“…yes?”
For a moment, Siron wondered what he heard. Hit me? Who? Could it be me?
“Father, too. Why are you taking care of my brother first?”
Siriel ran forward and hugged Hugo.
“Aren’t you being too neglectful of your only daughter?”
“Siriel… you’ve grown a lot since we haven’t seen each other. Lucia too…”
“How are you? Uncle.”
Lucia bent down, clutching the insides of her gourmet food. Then Hugo’s eyes caught the object hanging on Lucia’s back.
‘…is that?’
Although he could not see the details of the sword because most of it was covered by the scabbard, Hugo’s eyes could tell that the sword Lucia was carrying was something unusual just by the protruding handle.
“Lucia. What is that behind your back? I can’t see the black iron sword that you always carry on your back.”
“Ah. This.”
As Hugo’s attention turned to the holy sword, Lucia’s face turned red. Perhaps she wanted to show off her newly acquired sword to someone else, she held up Sirius to Hugo.
“It’s called the Holy Sword.”
“…a holy sword?”
“Yes. From what I heard, there are grandiose conditions that only a qualified person can hold it, but it is definitely a good sword. Would you like to try it?”
Lucia held out the handle to Hugo as if asking him to hold the sword.
By nature, the act of entrusting one’s sword to someone else as a warrior deserves criticism, but Lucia believed in Hugo Prien’s personality and secretly hoped that others would recognize her wonderful sword.
“How is it?”
“…It’s a great sword.”
That wasn’t wrong.
The Holy Sword is a sword that can only be possessed by the matriarch that Hugo so desperately wanted to become. I never dreamed that I would hold it when I was over 50 years old.
Therefore, a question naturally appeared in Hugo’s mind.
‘…Why is Lucia holding this?’
Hugo, who was looking back and forth between Lucia’s shining eyes and the holy sword, suddenly felt suffocated.
Just as there cannot be two suns in the sky, there cannot be two heads of one family. The fact that his nephew had a sword that only the head of the family could possess naturally led him to certain possibilities. Glenn’s death. Father’s words that Prien’s people have a difficult fate.
“…”
Hugo raised his head to the sky.
“Uncle?”
“Come on… let’s go back home.”
Wasn’t this the younger brother you disapproved of so much? As soon as Hugo thought of the possibility that he would no longer be able to see his brother because he was already dead, he was overcome with uncontrollable sadness.
*
It didn’t take long for Hugo’s illusion to be corrected.
“…Glenn’s not dead?”
“Why are you killing a healthy person? My father is alive.”
“Hmm. I see.”
“We ate together and took a bath… Anyway, my father is alive and well. Even when we parted ways, we shared a warm hug as a family.”
“No, Siron. The thing that called you was nothing else. What was it…”
He tried to change the subject to take his mind off his embarrassment, but it didn’t work out as well as he had hoped. Hugo’s face was so thin that he had lied only a handful of times in his life.
Siron placed tea in front of his uncle, who could not calm down at all.
“Thank you.”
After emptying the contents of the cup at once, Hugo let out a manly sigh.
“Chiron.”
“Yes. Please tell me.”
“The reason I called you here is nothing else. To make you some suggestions.”
Hugo pulled out a blue envelope from his bosom.
“What is this?”
“It’s an invitation to the court banquet that will be held in a while.”
A court banquet? Was there anything like that here? Why would you send an invitation to me, who is not even noble?
“Can I try opening this?”
“Of course. It’s an invitation from your address.”
“…who sent it?”
From noble mtl dot com
“Third Prince Victor.”
“…”
Goosebumps appeared on Siron’s arms. Hugo continued speaking to the frozen Shiron.
“Why? I heard you hung out here often when you were young. Have you already forgotten?”
“You couldn’t have forgotten. I was just a little embarrassed.”
Siron rubbed his goosebumped arms under his clothes.
‘Victor, was that bastard really gay?’
Siron swallowed his sleep and lowered his head.
It wasn’t that difficult to deduce that Victor was homos*xual. The same goes for sending letters once a month. The same goes for the fact that he came to play every day even though he behaved so badly as a child.
Siron was 11 years old when he slapped Victor. The age of 11 is an immature age that puts political insight and personal feelings above all else.
After publicly humiliating me, I asked to become friends, but now that I think about it, it was the starting point where we could never become friends. When I thought about it carefully, the fact that Viktor casually came to the mansion to hang out after that seemed like a crazy person.
-Me, I am! There is already a fiancé who has promised to marry! Such terrible…!
‘Are you fiancé in the first place?’
Siron suspected that Victor’s desperate excuse was simply a move by the imperial family to leave an heir.
Suddenly, a memory from my past life came to mind.
While I was studying at school under the pretext of self-studying at night, Yura spoke to me as usual.
-Hyunjun, look at this.
-What?
-In these statistics, the ideal types pursued by homos*xuals and heteros*xuals are slightly different? Isn’t it amazing?
-…It gets in the way of solving the problem.
-huh? Would you like to see this? More male hormones than a pretty boy…
-Oh, go away!
‘I’m a bit… handsome, even though I’m not as handsome as a pretty boy.’
“Can I not go with this?”
“Why?”
“Well, I’m reluctant.”
“It’s a shame. Even though I went to the banquet alone, I didn’t find anyone I was particularly close to…”
“I’m going.”
“Thank you.”
A warm smile appeared on Hugo’s lips. I somehow feel like I have a dependable son. Hugo began to like Siron more.
“The other matter is to personally make a suggestion to you.”
“What is it?”
When Siron asked, Hugo took out another piece of paper from his pocket. Hugo’s seal was stamped there.
“Would you like to accompany me on the next expedition?”
Hugo suggested cautiously.