"Robin. You don't look so good today."
Robin's sighs had been growing more frequent ever since he t Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba. You could call it love. Robin was in agony, deeply in love with Young Lady Rosalyn Eva, yet unable to bend his own convictions.
I couldn't understand what those convictions of his were, but he was torn between his love for Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba and his own beliefs.
It was the fourth day since we'd co to the ball, and aside from the first day, I hadn't made an appearance at all. Sieri looked like she wanted to go dancing. But I was already at the center of the Elf Princess scandal. It was best to stay out of sight for at least one more day, then quietly show up at the ball, dance, and disappear as if I was never there.
"I'm sorry, Sieri. That things turned out this way."
"It's okay."
Sieri said it was okay, but her expression was a pout. It was nice to see Sieri's rich expressions, but I had no desire for that hostility or resentnt to be directed at . I stroked Sieri's head and said.
"You know it's all a misunderstanding, right? I'm a clean person, Sieri. It's the Hero who misunderstood."
".....I know that, Lusius. People call you a filthy sexual deviant, but I still believe in you. Lusius. You're just a philanthropist who loves many people, right? It's only natural that other people can't understand."
"Thank you for understanding."
As she said, I had done nothing wrong. I had been frad for coveting another man's woman, but I had never actually done so. In Elsi's case, Roy and Elsi were nothing to each other, so I was innocent. In Erina's case, she and I had relations by mutual agreent, and since I had even taken AA, you could say they were both my won.
In other words, the affair between and Princess Erina was just a trivial lover's quarrel between my won. In the first place, Princess Erina's first ti having sex was with , and she was carrying my child. At this point, wasn't AA the one who kept hitting on my woman?
The Hero was having an affair. There could be nothing more horrendous in this world.
I gave Sieri a tight hug and asked.
"What would you like to do? It's lunchti."
We could eat downstairs, or have it sent up to our floor. The innkeeper, perhaps because it was his first ti having noble guests, had made the mistake of ringing the call bell on the first day to tell us to eat downstairs. In response, the middle-aged noble in the room next to ours filed a complaint with shouts and insults. The inn accepted the complaint, and the system changed to one where the innkeeper himself would visit each room for every al to ask what we wanted to do.
"Um... I just want to eat here."
"Then I'll go and tell them."
Of course, they would co on their own if we waited, but if a man and a woman were alone in a room, they could be having sex ten minutes later. To avoid any and all interruptions, it was better to tell them in advance and block any knocks.
When I opened the room door and stepped outside, Robin was on the first floor, sipping tea with a deep sigh. Across from him, the coachman was rambling on.
"The Rosalyn Family is a very famous family of civil officials, even in the Northern Region. Well, Lord Marquis Rosalyn Barba, the kingdom's Minister, is the head of the Rosalyn Family. Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba is the family's third granddaughter, and Lord Barba is said to be especially fond of her."
"You seem to know a lot about the Rosalyn Family."
"My goodness, you're awake, My Lord."
As I ca down, I marveled at the coachman's knowledge. Were Northern locals always this well-versed about their lords? The mont they saw , the coachman and Robin stood up together and gave a greeting. I asked the coachman.
"Coachman. Is the Rosalyn Family that famous?"
It had been quite a while since I'd fallen into this world, but I still didn't know much about the capital's political arena, aside from a few influential families in the Southern Region. I would have needed soone well-versed in this area to learn from, and I would only do sothing actively if I had sothing to gain from playing politics. My position was more than enough to do what I wanted, and my territory was far from the capital.
"They're famous in the Northern Region. As you've seen, Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba sings astonishingly well, doesn't she? The Young Lady also has a kind heart and held a performance tour, traveling to each city in the north for people like us. That's why everyone who lives in the north knows of the Rosalyn Family."
"I see. Robin, are you still losing sleep thinking about the Young Lady Rosalyn?"
"Pardon? W-what are you talking about? Isn't Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba unmarried?"
"Fuck, why is that a problem?"
"Ah, no! A slip of the tongue! Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba is unmarried, and, well... I like her very much, but after hearing the coachman's story, I feel she's soone I can't possibly aim for..."
I saw a possibility. The fact that I had killed the Northern Grand Duke was a slight concern, but regardless, I was a famous person in the north, the High Priest of the Archdeity Church, and part of the Hero's Party that defeated the Demon King. As my direct Knight Commander, his specs didn't seem that inferior to the Rosalyn Family.
In the first place, being a knight was at least a quasi-noble post, and Robin's father was from a reasonably prestigious knight family in the south.
Moreover, Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba was not the eldest daughter but the third granddaughter. I didn't know how the family succession would play out, but the possibility of her being a core mber of the family was remarkably low. If she were a key figure in the family, they wouldn't have let her wander around just singing.
"Robin. You're my direct Knight Commander. Just as your actions affect my na, my na affects you."
To put it simply, there was no problem with testing the waters. If it didn't work out, so be it, and if it did, all the better. I was more than willing to actively support the love life of Robin, who had consistently shown loyalty since the Demon King's invasion.
In any case, he had devoted his life to the family, risked his life for during the monster subjugations, and had a completely different taste in won from , so there was no worry of NTR. It would be perfect for if Robin got married at a ti like this. I'd feel bad if the Knight Commander died an old bachelor, unable to even date, while I lived surrounded by won.
"Robin. So, if you're okay with it, I'd like to formally propose an arranged marriage eting in the na of Peta Lusius."
In truth, it was proper for Robin's family to propose the eting, but since my reputation was greater, I intended to make the proposal myself. Robin was so surprised he even had tears welling up in his eyes, as if my proposal were a great honor.
"I-Is that really true? B-But what if Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba doesn't like ..."
"Who would dislike a man like you? Have so confidence."
I didn't think Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba would object based on Robin's appearance. It's an insult for soone who has failed to manage their own figure to mock another's appearance. I wouldn't know if Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba were to go on a diet, but in her current state, Robin was objectively the better catch. Robin might have had the look of a middle-aged man, but when he kept his mouth shut, he had the dignity of a Knight Commander, and his physique was incredible.
"Thank you. But, well... what should I do..."
"For now, don't worry and just wait. I'll send a formal proposal, so let's think about it after that."
I patted Robin's shoulder once and went to the innkeeper. As I was telling him to leave our al in front of the door and not to knock, the coachman started telling stories about the Rosalyn Family again.
"So, about Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba's love life, Marquis Rosalyn Barba..."
I left Robin, who was listening intently to that story, and returned to my room. Inside, Sieri was neatly folding the clothes she had just tried on and putting them in her bag.
"They're pretty, why don't you keep wearing them?"
"Huh? Ah, well... I'm afraid they'll get dirty."
"Well, I suppose that's fine too."
It was a little funny that Sieri was worried about the clothes getting dirty when it wasn't like she was going to do field training in them. But I didn't let it show and just grinned. Respecting Sieri's thriftiness was helpful to . Even if my sense of money beca ruined, she would act as a brake.
I sat down next to Sieri and took out the paper for official docunts and a pen that I had brought just in case. As I rolled the pen on the desk, Sieri asked.
"What are you suddenly doing?"
"I was thinking of getting our Robin married."
"Mr. Robin? The Knight Commander?"
"Yes."
"Oh my, has he found soone he likes?"
"So it seems. A Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba. You rember her, the young lady who was singing the other day, right?"
"Yes. I rember. Her. She had such a beautiful voice."
Sieri's eyes sparkled at the talk of love. It seed she quite liked love stories. I picked up the pen and began writing a suitable introduction for myself and Robin, saying.
"So, I was thinking of sending a letter to Lord Marquis Rosalyn Barba to ask if he'd consider letting her et Robin once."
"I hope it goes well. Lusius, you defeated the Demon King, and you're a brave man who defeated the Ain in the north. Well... I heard the northern people are a bit rough, but I think that's why they'll welco a marriage proposal from you and Mr. Robin."
"That's what I think too. It's a proposal with no reason for refusal."
It wasn't that I was proposing marriage right away. I was thinking of first lightly requesting that they be given ti to et face-to-face and talk. Young Lady Rosalyn Yuba had co to this castle with Marquis Rosalyn Barba, but she didn't attend the ball.
I knew this for sure since I received the ball's attendance roster every day.
And so, I wrote a perfect marriage proposal and sent the letter to Rosalyn Barba. As I was signing the proposal, I felt as if the marriage talk was already settled. Sieri also held my hand and told this proposal would go well.
The reply ca faster than I thought.
The next morning, I sat in the first-floor restaurant with Robin and opened the letter envelope. On the outside was written the polite phrase, 'To Peta Lusius, High Priest of the Southern Archdeity Church.'
"S-Sir, what does it say?"
"Let's see now, shall we?"
He would at least grant us ti to talk. I slowly tore open the letter and checked its contents.
- If the water at the source is clear, the stream below will be clear. It is said one can surmise the nature of those below by the filth of those above. Due to the misguided actions of Peta Lusius, I cannot help but deeply doubt the character of the one who desires my granddaughter. The Rosalyn Family rejects the Peta Family's proposal.
"Uh..."
"Uh... so..."
Fuck. What the hell is the problem?
User Comments
0 comments from readers