Chapter 5: Oblivious

Chapter 5:
Oblivious

 

“SO WHAT? You’re telling me you were exchanging letters with Clarice and Deirdre too?”

We were in Holfort’s capital, leisurely enjoying some tea at the Redgrave estate. It was such an indulgent moment that I actually felt like true nobility, which was why I made the mistake of letting my guard down.

“Yep.”

Angie was seated in front of me with a blank expression, while Livia, seated beside her, smiled pleasantly enough.

“Mr. Leon, didn’t you also send letters to the queen?” Livia asked. “I seem to remember you asking us to deliver one to her.”

“I sure did.”

That’s right, I’d asked my fiancées to deliver a letter I’d written to another woman I fancied. It didn’t take a genius to identify the stupidity in that strategy.

Alas, our little teatime had been rather enjoyable up until that point. I’d assumed there was no more reason to be worried, as I had already resolved the misunderstanding that brought Angie and Livia racing to the republic to confront me in the first place. Thus, being the idiot I was, I ran my mouth. “Boy,” I’d said, “you don’t know how panicked I was, wondering what I could have possibly done this time to piss you guys off.”

I’m an idiot. A moron. A complete imbecile! I thought as soon as I realized my mistake.

I shot a pleading look at Luxion. He picked up on my cue and inserted himself into the conversation. “I fear you girls have vastly underestimated my master. He hasn’t even begun to answer for his numerous offenses—many of which you haven’t yet uncovered.”

If their eyes had been cold before, they were now well below freezing.

I grabbed my robot companion with both hands and pressed my face close to his. “What’s your problem, huh? Spit it out! Why do you hate my guts so much? This is the part where you’re supposed to communicate with me telepathically and stick up for me!”

“Master, I believe there is much for you to reflect on. Perhaps you should face the crimes you have committed—including those not yet brought up in this conversation. Oh, though I am sure you are as yet oblivious to many of these transgressions.”

“What ‘transgressions’ are you even talking about?!”

“The fact that you cannot answer for yourself is precisely the problem. Moreover, I am so strict with you solely for your own benefit. Do you not see how much I care for you?”

That’s a load of bull if I’ve ever heard it.

I wasn’t yearning for tough love from an AI. If anything, I wanted him to baby me more! Besides, what I really needed right now was some makeshift excuse to get me out of this mess.

“Well then, Leon, I think it’s time for you to tell us everything,” said Angie. “That includes these supposed transgressions of yours, as well as everything that happened prior to your return from the republic.”

Livia latched onto my arm. “Mr. Leon, though you may not be aware, we’re both very busy.”

Yes, they were—or they were supposed to be. Angie was leading the second-years while Livia looked after the scholarship students. They no doubt had a list of other matters to attend to during summer break.

“But,” Livia went on, “we completed almost all the work we had to do during the first half of break so we could visit you. That means you don’t have to worry; we have all the time in the world to spend with you.”

“Wow, that sure is incredible. I guess you girls have already finished your summer homework too?”

I was the procrastinating type that did all of my homework last minute. It was only human nature to want to test the limits of one’s abilities, after all.

Angie and Livia, however, were nothing like me.

“Rest assured, I have already completed almost all of mine,” said Angie.

Livia nodded. “Yes, I’ve finished all that I could as well.”

Amazing! I haven’t even started on the homework they gave me in Alzer. I grinned. “You girls never fail to impress. I’ll have to prepare some even nicer tea leaves for you then.”

Angie smiled. “There’s no need to fuss over us. We’ll be married in the future, remember. We’re happy to drink whatever tea you prepare, regardless of the price.”

Her words were endearing, but there did seem to be an underlying message: We aren’t going to let you escape us. Her attitude further made clear that she wouldn’t tolerate me trying to change the topic to distract them. Sadly, Livia seemed to be on the same page.

“Agreed,” she said. “Which is why we would like you to tell us about these other offenses.”

Well, now what?

There were way too many “offenses” to list. I didn’t even know where to begin.

 

***

 

A maid peeked in on the tea party. Here at the Redgrave estate, many servants looked after Angie. The majority of them hailed from knight houses and had received an education at the academy. Some aristocratic daughters from earldoms, viscounties, or baronies were among them as well.

However, in the wake of the war with the former Principality of Fanoss, the majority of the houses that had betrayed the duchy had been punished. The same went for their daughters and sons who had turned their backs on Angie. Due to that, the number of high-ranking maids at the Redgrave’s estate had thinned considerably.

One of the remaining high-ranking maids was named Cordelia Fou Easton, and she had been taking care of Angie since she was a little girl.

Cordelia was currently twenty-four years old. She had worked at the duke’s estate since she was young, learning proper upper-class etiquette in the process. Due to the age difference between herself and Angie, she had been unable to attend the academy with her mistress and become a proper member of her entourage, but they had known each other for years nonetheless.

At present, Cordelia was studying Angie and her guests, her face devoid of emotion. “That man,” she whispered. “I cannot believe he would make a move on another woman—foreign or otherwise—when he has Lady Angelica at his side.”

The other maids traded troubled looks.

“Lady Cordelia, please calm down.”

Cordelia’s normally expressionless face contorted, lending her the air of an enraged demon. “How can you expect me to calm down?! Do you even realize the horrific treatment our lady endured because of that witch Marie? She stole that idiotic prince from Lady Angelica and made a fool of her in public!”

“D-don’t you think calling him an idiotic prince is a bit too—okay, no, never mind.” One of the maids tried to scold Cordelia, but the latter’s ire was so intimidating that she changed her tune midway.

“Surely he realized the lady was worried he might be unfaithful. And in spite of that, he still two-timed!”

“Uh, um, I heard he didn’t actually cheat.”

“The issue is that he did anything to make her second-guess him to begin with!”

The previous year, Julius had broken his engagement to Angie. His reasoning had been as unconscionable as the act itself, and House Redgrave’s displeasure with the royal family only mounted. Cordelia remained most frustrated that Angie’s own entourage had betrayed her.

“Everyone close to the lady turned their backs on her. Do you know how depressed she was? Supposedly Leon was aware, yet immediately after their engagement, he was off cavorting with other women. I won’t let him get away with it!”

The other maids thought she was going overboard, but Cordelia did remind them of how terribly Angie had suffered just a year ago, which roused their anger at Leon.

All that being said, Cordelia thought it best to come up with some way to curb Leon’s wandering affections.

“They should send someone to keep an eye on him while he’s abroad,” she said.

 

***

 

At that same time, Leon was inadvertently causing problems elsewhere—at his own family’s estate. Nicks, having graduated from the academy, was living at home, training to become the next regional lord.

But as of that moment, he was panicking.

“Father, are you sure we can just leave things as they are? Leon’s a loose cannon. There’s no telling what he’ll do next.”

Cold sweat beaded on Balcus’s forehead. If Leon’s story about the republic was to be believed, he’d picked a fight with one of their most powerful families. As if that weren’t enough…

“I owe Duke Redgrave and his house an apology for Leon’s behavior.”

Leon was also suspected of two-timing. He had denied the allegations, and Angie and Livia seemed willing to believe him, but that did little to alleviate Nicks’s concerns. This was Leon they were talking about, after all. He felt like he was losing his mind.

“I don’t actually think Leon would cheat,” he clarified. “But he’s pretty incompetent when it comes to dealing with women.”

Balcus shot his son an icy look. “As if you’re any better. You graduated, yet you still haven’t found anyone to marry.”

“My case is very different, I’ll have you know! Besides, I assumed my older brother—uh, Rutart, that is—would be your heir. I never dreamed he wasn’t actually your son!”

Nicks did, admittedly, have his own exceptional circumstances.

“Anyway, let’s not get off track,” said Nicks. “The point is, I don’t think Leon would cheat. I mean that. But he’s got a strange habit of making women fall for him. I don’t know what it is, but a certain kind of woman is drawn to him like a bee to a…really weird flower.”

Angie and Livia weren’t the only ones—he had become close to Clarice and Deirdre as well.

Balcus covered his face with both hands. “Don’t bring that up. I don’t even want to think about it. It makes my stomach knot up. Minister Bernard keeps asking me what I think about his daughter as a match for Leon. This is a minister we’re talking about here—not some backwoods baron!”

The difference in status between Balcus and Bernard was like the difference between the earth and sky, which was exactly why he was at a loss when it came to replying to the latter’s talk of engagement. Unlike Bernard, the Bartforts were a backwoods barony.

“Father, if Leon does the same thing in the republic, what are we going to do then? If he ensnares some high-ranking noble girl, don’t you think it’s going to spell big trouble for us? Besides, Leon is a man. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he might actually cheat at some point.”

And if he did, there was no telling how House Redgrave would choose to respond. At that point, Nicks and Balcus would have to beg for forgiveness and admit their failure as family members to hold Leon to a higher standard.

As the two men sulked, Leon’s mother, Luce, stepped inside the room. “What are you boys in here moping about?”

Balcus lifted his face. “Call it moping if you like, but this is a serious dilemma.”

“In that case, why don’t we send someone with Leon to keep an eye on him?”

“What do you mean by that?” Balcus asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Their maid, Yumeria, stepped into the room. She still looked like a young girl despite her age—as an elf, she was far older than anyone else in the room, and her breasts were voluptuous. It was only because of her appearance and innocent demeanor that the others treated her as if she were younger.

“Uh, um…I would like to volunteer!” she said.

Nicks knitted his brows. “I realize what a hard worker Miss Yumeria is, but we’re talking about sending someone to monitor Leon here. I don’t know that she’s really up to the task—ouch!”

Luce whacked him over the head, whispering, “You idiot. Her son is currently in Alzer, right? She’s always so worried about him. Part of the reason we’d send her would be to look after Leon, but part of it would be to let her visit her child.”

Realization dawned on Nicks’s face. Luce was obviously referring to Kyle—Yumeria’s only son. He was currently serving Marie, so the two of them were living apart.

“Oh, so that’s what this is about. Okay, I understand. Then let’s do it. We’ll send Miss Yumeria along in Leon’s ship.”

Balcus nodded.

They meant well; the three of them only wanted to give Yumeria a chance to work somewhere that would let her spend time with her child.

Alas, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

 

***

 

Before returning to Alzer, we stopped back by my parents’ place. That was where I parted ways with Angie and Livia. It was time to return to my life studying abroad.

“Man, I wasted my whole summer break chatting about relationship stuff.”

I’d thought I’d be able to spend my time leisurely once we got back to Holfort, but instead I had spent days upon days discussing our plans for the future.

Luxion scoffed. “Master, given your position, were you truly naive enough to think you could merely enjoy your break? Holfort and Alzer have entered a transitional phase as they try to establish diplomacy, but it only appears peaceful on the surface. I suspect both countries are exceedingly busy. And underlying all of that, this otome game—as you like to call it—is entering its own critical phase, is it not?”

“Yeah, yeah. I get all of that. But sometimes I need a breather too, you know?”

“I believe you have gotten more than a ‘breather.’”

I understood we were in a critical phase, okay? We still needed to find a partner for Noelle. If we didn’t, the whole world would be in danger.

The last boss of the second game is supposed to be Lord Albergue when he pulls the strings of the Sacred Tree, right?

At that point, said tree would become a monster that went berserk.

Ugh, give me a break.

In the worst-case scenario, Luxion could probably deal with the fallout, but the republic would be in dire straits if they lost their tree. It had provided them with the bountiful wealth they currently enjoyed. They would be in a difficult position without it, to say the least.

According to Marie, the sapling was supposed to “rebirth the country anew,” but we didn’t know if that meant it was capable of the same feats as the current Sacred Tree. However, the Sacred Tree Sapling—oh, screw it, that was too much of a mouthful; I’d just call it Sappie for short—needed a Priestess to realize its full potential. Noelle had to become the Priestess and choose a Guardian to protect her and Sappie, or we’d hit the game’s bad ending.

That said… I glanced at the back of my right hand. “Anyway, is this mark really not gonna go away? This is the Guardian’s Crest, right? Why did it appear on me?”

It felt like Sappie had recognized me as its Guardian. Normally, the Priestess was the first one a sapling chose, and it was then up to her to select a Guardian.

Luxion, however, had a different take. “Master, do you know why the Sacred Tree chooses a Guardian?”

“Well, if the word itself is any indication, I assume to protect itself.”

“Correct. And who acquired this sapling and protected it up until now?”

“Guess that’d be me.”

“I see nothing odd about the sapling deeming you its rightful Guardian.”

“But what about the Priestess?”

“I never understood that part to begin with. Is it so very necessary for the Priestess to decide who ought to be the Guardian? I see the rationale in the sapling choosing a Priestess first—in order to better its understanding of humans through her—but in this case, the sapling has obviously prioritized its own survival.”

For whatever reason, if Sappie (or any other sapling from the Sacred Tree) was left on its own, it would wither and die. Yanking it out of the ground and keeping close watch over it wouldn’t change the situation either. It simply wouldn’t grow, and the reason for this was most intriguing.

“Even though the Sacred Tree gives life to those saplings, it’s also the one responsible for killing them,” I said.

“Yes, it does seem quite twisted for a plant to operate in such a way.”

The Sacred Tree’s energy source was the mana permeating the air. Unsurprisingly, the nutrients derived from water or soil were insufficient food for these saplings. However, even though it wasn’t like a single sapling could steal much atmospheric mana from its forebear, the Sacred Tree refused to share any of this precious resource with its offspring. It was almost as if it were trying to destroy the saplings.

“For a sapling, the most important thing is to ensure it has a master who will guarantee its continued survival. I have no doubt that a Priestess comes secondary to this.”

“So reality is different from the game,” I surmised. “Anyway, what should we do now? The Priestess and Guardian are supposed to be lovers, right? But I already have two fiancées. Or would it be possible to have either Livia or Angie become the Priestess?”

Luxion swiveled his eye from side to side, as if shaking his head. “They both lack the necessary qualities to become the Priestess.”

“You looked into it?”

“I did. I suspected, depending on how things played out, that it would become vital information.”

While I didn’t disagree that it was vital, something about this rubbed me wrong.

“You could’ve said something to me before you started looking into it,” I said. “Feels weird having you go off on your own like that.”

“Well, I merely did it while I was already conducting my periodic screening. However, something seemed off to me.”

“Everything always seems off to you, but fine. I’ll humor you. What is it?”

“As a general rule, there is a hierarchy to the crests that the Sacred Tree allocates to people. The most powerful is the Guardian’s Crest, and just below that is the Priestess’s Crest.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Next are the crests given to those who hail from the Six Great Houses. The Sacred Tree prioritizes the protection it offers to those who rank the highest. In that case, something is odd about all of this.”

“What’s that?”

“Have you not noticed?”

I knitted my brows in confusion, which only elicited Luxion’s exasperated sigh.

Wonderful. Now he’s starting to piss me off. I rolled my eyes.“Hurry up and spit it out already!”

“If House Lespinasse had both the Guardian and Priestess crests, then why were they defeated by House Rault when the latter’s crest power should have paled in comparison?”

Now I finally understood what he was getting at. And yeah, he did have a point. Why had House Lespinasse fallen? Neither Marie nor Lelia had made any mention of that. They’d simply treated it as a natural part of the game’s lore.

“Maybe House Rault invented some kind of weapon that doesn’t rely on the Sacred Tree’s power?” I guessed.

“The republic doesn’t possess the technology. I do not believe there is any weapon or technique currently in existence that can counter the crests’ power.”

In Alzer, many weapons were powered by energy from the Sacred Tree. The tree would cut its resources off from anyone who opposed the elite, since it prioritized protecting those at the top of its hierarchy. By extension, House Lespinasse should have had the same protection at its disposal. They could have used the tree’s power to fight back. Regardless of whether they were caught unaware in a surprise attack, it didn’t seem possible for them to be overpowered and lose so dramatically. Yet based on what Lelia had said, they had been obliterated without much of a struggle.

“Master, this is only a theory, but what if House Lespinasse lost their crests?”

Now things were getting complicated. If they didn’t have their crests, then perhaps someone had stolen them? Or had they simply lost them somehow? No, maybe…

“Remember how Pierre used the Sacred Tree’s power to do whatever he wanted?” I asked. “Maybe in the same way, House Rault used underhanded methods to pull the rug out from under House Lespinasse.”

“I cannot deny that possibility, but by my reckoning, the chances of that seem exceedingly low. If such a method existed, the other houses should have knowledge of it. Furthermore, another thing seems off to me. Everyone in the republic knows that House Rault was responsible for House Lespinasse’s downfall, yet in spite of his involvement, Albergue continues to occupy the position of assembly chairman.”

Which meant that the other houses, fully aware of the role the Raults had played, still acknowledged their authority. That just made this whole thing even more confusing.

“Luxion, why didn’t you tell me about all of this sooner?”

“I did want to consult with you about this, but the timing was never right. Besides, the discussion was not urgent at the time. It is all history, after all.”

“No, I think this definitely qualifies as urgent!”

“Knowing all this changes nothing, at least not in any significant way. You are trying to reach the end of this otome game, are you not?”

True. Knowing the truth of what had happened before wouldn’t really have much of an impact on our trajectory.

I shook my head. “Still, tell me this stuff! If there’s a reason for the crap that’s gone down, I wanna know!”

There was a possibility we were operating on a misunderstanding…again. That was what had made the last year such a struggle.

“You truly wish to know the specifics? If you empathize any more with the Raults than you already do, you will be the one to suffer for it. Albergue will die by the end, and their house will fall. That’s the conclusion you desire.”

The memory of the meal I had enjoyed at the Rault estate flashed through my mind, and I dropped my gaze.

Luxion’s voice softened. “Master, there is no need for you to shoulder the burdens of a foreign nation. Do not lose sight of that which is most important.”

I slumped down to the floor.

Just what am I supposed to do?

 

***

 

The Einhorn made its way back toward my family home. As I moped about inside, Livia called over to me.

“Mr. Leon, we’ll be arriving soon.” She had come to check on me, and the loneliness on her face was unmistakable. “We’ll have to part ways for a while again,” she murmured. “Anyway, what’s the matter? You don’t seem very cheerful.”

“Oh, you can tell? To be honest, I don’t really want to go back. Home is where the heart is, and all of that.” I forced a smile, but the serious look in Livia’s eyes made me flinch back.

She lowered her gaze. “Is something…happening in the republic?”

“What? Why do you say that?!”

I hadn’t said a word to her about the otome game situation. There was no way she could have realized what I was up to.

Livia lifted her chin and peered at me. “Didn’t you go to the Alzer Republic because something’s happening there?”

“N-no, that’s not it at all. You know, I’m just babysitting Julius and his buddies.” The lie spilled right past my lips, but the truth was that the palace had forced Julius and his gaggle of idiots on me after I decided to study abroad.

“Angie told me,” said Livia. “His Highness and the others weren’t pushed off on you until after you elected to go. There is something you’re hiding from us, isn’t there?”

I turned my face away. Things would have been so much easier if I could just admit, “Yep, I was originally from a different world and reincarnated here. This world is actually an otome game, and you are the original protagonist.”

Were anyone stupid enough to actually say such a thing, I’d give them a wide berth.

Livia wasn’t angered by my silence. Instead, she said, “I have no idea what you’re up to, but I’m sure it must be something important.”

“Livia?”

“You’re a kind person.” Livia smiled at me, and the load on my shoulders suddenly seemed a lot lighter. “I suspect there’s something that you feel you can’t tell us, so I have just one favor to ask: Please don’t overdo it.”

I hesitated over how to respond, but before I could, she gently wrapped her arms around me.

“Angie and I will keep working hard, so that one day, you’ll feel like you can rely upon us. I hope you can hold out until then.”

“I don’t know what to say…”

I was touched by the embrace, but all of a sudden, Livia’s grip tightened.

“And one more thing… Angie may not admit as much, but she’s sensitive when it comes to cheating.”

“Huh? Uh, yeah. Okay.”

That was a bit awkward to hear. Especially since I had not cheated.

“Angie is worried,” Livia continued. “So please don’t do anything to make her sad.”

“I know. I won’t.”

It was Marie’s fault that cheating was such a sore topic for Angie. My living in close proximity to the former must have made it that much more difficult for Angie to rest easy.

I should have been more cognizant of that.

Livia pulled away, smiling. “We’ll come visit again during the next long break. Let’s be sure to take our time and enjoy some sightseeing then.”

“You can leave it to me—I’ll research all the good spots,” I said, thumping my chest.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

 

***

 

Angie and Cordelia were at that moment in a different room aboard the Einhorn. The former sighed, her expression tight. Her brother’s words were the cause of her frustration.

“‘Be accommodating’ and ‘Let it slide if he takes a lover or two,’ huh?”

Angie had indeed been anxious since she heard Leon had been staying with Marie, so she had mentioned wanting to send someone to keep an eye on him. Both her father and brother agreed the situation was concerning, and they had approved the idea of sending someone from the Redgrave estate. At the same time, her older brother Gilbert had said, “While I agree that Marie is bad news, I don’t think you should quibble about it if he gets involved with another woman.”

Like Leon, her father and brother were both men. They could justify a man “making a mistake” and cheating. Despite that, they did agree to warn Leon against such behavior—but for his part, Leon seemed oblivious.

As the daughter of an aristocrat, Angie had been raised on the idea that a husband having a lover was nothing to fuss over, but her heart sank at the thought of actually experiencing it.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up with them?” Angie said out loud. The question was directed toward Cordelia. She often looked after Angie, and she was a fine maid to boot, with a respectable education.

“As a noble, I see nothing wrong with you consulting them, but as a person—as a woman—I think you are justified in disliking their response.”

Angie was discussing this with Cordelia partly because the latter was to be sent with Leon to the republic. Her father and brother had wanted to send a young and beautiful woman, since if Leon happened to dally with her, it would cause fewer issues for their house.

Angie eyed Cordelia. “Anyway, I never thought you would volunteer for the job.”

When they’d come up with the plan, they had gathered all the maids in the house who fit the bill, at which point Cordelia stepped forward to take on the role.

“Lady Angelica, I will not let you down. I swear I will keep a strict eye on Earl Bartfort.”

“A-all right.”

Cordelia’s passion about fulfilling her assignment put Angie at ease.

I was kind of hoping to have someone investigate Leon, but I never dreamed Cordelia would be this eager. Angie trusted Cordelia, so she certainly wasn’t a bad choice for sending to keep an eye on her fiancé. “Honestly, it’s not as if I want to tie him down. I’m willing to overlook some level of infidelity.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. As long as he comes back home to us, I won’t ask any more than that.” Honestly, Angie really didn’t want him to cheat at all, but she was terrified he’d hate her if she was too possessive. Even so… “But be especially wary of Marie. She managed to ensnare His Highness and his friends in a matter of weeks. There is the slim chance that Leon might fall into her clutches… I don’t actually think that will happen, but I can’t help but worry.”

If there was anyone Angie didn’t trust, it was that girl.

Cordelia put a hand over her heart. “Understood.”

 

***

 

Upon returning home, my parents requested I take someone with me—our elven servant, Miss Yumeria. She stood before me with an enormous travel bag in her hands and a nervous expression on her face.

“What? You want me to take Miss Yumeria?” I asked.

“Pl-pleasure to be joining yoof… Oh, I bit my tongue.” Yumeria’s eyes welled with tears, mortified by her literal slip of the tongue.

Or maybe she bit her tongue too hard and it’s just that painful.

Whatever the reason, she was a cute companion—even if she was older than me and had a son already.

“She’s going to keep an eye on you,” my mother said. “And if you dare cheat, it’s got nothing to do with us.”

My family sure didn’t have much faith in me.

“Oh, come on. I’m not going to cheat. I’m already engaged, you know.”

“Which is precisely the problem, isn’t it? You better not do anything to make those girls cry.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.”

My mother pulled a face as if unconvinced.

“Well, it’s true that we’re partly sending her to watch you,” Father admitted. “But you see, she’s been working really hard. We figured this would be a nice reward for her.”

“Reward?” I quirked a brow at first, but then the realization hit me. “Ah, I get it.”

Kyle was in the Alzer Republic, which meant my parents were hoping to reunite Miss Yumeria with him.

“Okay. Gotcha,” I said.

“Do you really understand?” Father folded his arms. “We weren’t lying when we said she’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

“Seriously? So you don’t trust me either?!”

“Nope.”

He didn’t even hesitate. I trembled from the shock and turned to Nicks, who had been silent this entire time. He smiled teasingly at me.

“After Miss Clarice and Miss Deirdre, did you honestly expect us not to doubt you? Don’t you have a brain in that head of yours? Oh, how I envy you. I’m not even that intimate with a single girl, let alone a whole harem of them.”

The moment he whipped out those names, there was nothing I could say in my defense.

It’s true. We did exchange letters. But did that really qualify as cheating? “Hold on a sec,” I said. “I heard that these days, in the kingdom, a guy doesn’t have to say anything and women still flock to him.”

“Yeah, well, if it wasn’t already obvious enough, you being my brother complicates things.” Nicks pressed his palm to his face, frowning.

 

***

 

Right as we were about to take off, Angie suddenly introduced me to her maid.

“My name is Cordelia Fou Easton. You may simply call me Cordelia, if it pleases you, my lord.”

Her greeting was polite enough, but I sensed she had her guard high up.

“Earl Bartfort,” Miss Yumeria gasped, her face lighting up. “She’s a real maid! How incredible!”

“You’re a real maid too, you know. Although, I do agree she seems to be very professional.”

Cordelia’s every movement was graceful, and the fact that she had Fou in her name meant she was of noble birth herself—some aristocrat’s daughter. Given how vast the Redgrave estate was, he had many high-ranking people working under him. Not everyone was of noble birth, of course, but other people like Cordelia were employed there.

“Cordelia has my utmost trust,” said Angie. “She’ll be looking after you in Alzer.”

“Huh? But I already have Miss Yumeria.”

Miss Yumeria raised her hand slightly. “Um, yes. I was also asked to look after him—by his family.”

Livia bit her lip and looked at Angie. “I suppose we should have spoken with our father-in-law beforehand.”

Angie nodded. “However, this still works out perfectly. Two heads are better than one. It can’t hurt to have another pair of hands to help out. A whole dozen might be too much, but there’s nothing wrong with two.”

Miss Cordelia glanced at me. “A pleasure to be in your service, my lord.”

Matching her, Miss Yumeria bowed her head. “Y-yes, it’s a pleasure, my lord!”

“Just call me Leon,” I said. “I’m not used to people calling me ‘lord’ anything.”

Luxion floated toward me, hovering over my right shoulder. It seemed he had finished preparing the Einhorn for our trip. “Master, we are ready to depart. There was no trouble loading the cargo either.”

“Gotcha.” I turned back toward Angie and Livia. “Well, guess I’ll be off then.”

Livia folded her arms behind her back, straightened herself, and smiled at me. “Take good care of yourself.”

Angie hesitated over what to say at first, but her expression soon regained its normal confidence. “Have a safe trip. We’ll come see you again on our next long holiday.”

After waving goodbye to the two of them, I escorted Miss Yumeria and Miss Cordelia aboard the Einhorn. I was leaving home to return to a country mired in issues, and honestly, I didn’t want to go.