Episode 37
"...Young master, are you really going to do such a crazy thing?"
It has already been a day since I revealed my plan to Kania.
Therefore, as I was getting dressed to attend the martial arts competition that would decide Klana's fiancé, Kania approached me with the topic we had been discussing yesterday.
Yesterday, after arguing with her, I ended up heading to the classroom without being able to sleep at all, and since then I had been vaguely deflecting her words.
But seeing her now blocking the entrance door and even radiating black aura, it seems like if I ignore her this time too, something bad will happen.
"Then you want me to just watch with open eyes as Klana gets engaged to those worthless fellows?"
"That's also true, but..."
At my words that I had no choice but to say, Kania trailed off for a moment, then sighed and spoke.
"Miss Klana probably has her own thoughts too. She might be able to solve it on her own..."
"Kania, you've finished investigating all five of Klana's fiancé candidates, right?"
"...Yes."
"Then, recite them in order starting from the first fiancé candidate."
Hearing my words, Kania hesitated for a moment, then took out her notebook and started flipping through it.
"Yes... First, the first fiancé candidate is... the head of a marquis family, currently 53 years old. Three sons and one daughter..."
"...Next."
"From the second to the fourth, they're all no different from you, young master. Of course... I mean you as a villain."
"What about the fifth?"
"He's a man well-known as a lecher, and according to rumors, all the women who've passed through him have been ruined..."
"Enough, seeing just that much, you should understand well why I'm doing this?"
When I said that with a slight frown, Kania cleared her throat and spoke.
"I'm just saying this because I'm worried about you, young master."
"It's fine, it's not like this is the first or second time I've done something like this?"
"But the opponent is the imperial family. No matter how much our Starlight family flies and crawls in the empire..."
"...Don't worry about that."
When I said that firmly, Kania started tilting her head.
"Even if things go wrong, the imperial family won't be able to immediately touch our family."
"...Why is that?"
"There are oaths that the hero from 1000 years ago, that is, our ancestor, made with the imperial family."
Hearing those words, Kania made an expression of disbelief and asked.
"...Does that actually have any effect?"
"Whether it has effect or not, you'll know when you see."
As I finished speaking with a confident expression, Kania put her notebook down on the desk with a thud and pouted her lips.
"So, how will you handle the aftermath?"
"Well... is there really a need to handle the aftermath?"
When I said that while scratching my head, Kania put her hand on her head and started shaking her head.
"Young master... I don't know if you're amazing or foolish."
"Probably foolish. How many people are more amazing than me?"
"As if that's true."
Looking at Kania looking at me with an enlightened expression, somehow laughter comes out.
"Kania, as a butler, I like your rigid and perfect side, but... I also think that honest side you occasionally show is quite nice to see."
Hearing those words, Kania stiffened her expression and hurriedly started apologizing to me.
"I'm sorry, young master. I committed a discourtesy..."
"It's fine. From now on, try to live comfortably in front of me without being too conscious of your appearance."
"Is that so? Then..."
Hearing my words, Kania looked at me with a bright smile for a moment, then scratched her head with a troubled expression and said.
"But thinking about it, I think I'm actually more comfortable with this appearance."
"Why?"
"Since I grew up maintaining this appearance from childhood... thinking about abandoning this appearance makes me feel anxious instead."
"Hmm..."
Looking at her scratching her head with an awkward expression for a moment, I quietly made a suggestion to her.
"Hmm... Want to go out together sometime soon?"
"Huh?"
"Things that a normal girl your age would do, I know to some extent..."
At those words, Kania made an expression of disbelief and said.
"I know that much. It's not that I don't do it because I don't know, is it?"
"Right, it's not that you don't do it because you don't know. So let's do it together with me."
Kania, who was blankly staring at me for a moment at those words, finally understood the meaning of my words and lowered her head deeply and said.
"Th-that kind of thing can be done with Miss Klana and Miss Perloche too."
"Klana is busy these days so there won't be time, and if you keep following around with Perloche, won't it have a bad effect on you?"
"Still, if it's discovered that young master and I are following around together, quite troublesome things will happen."
"...I'm your master and butler, so what's so troublesome about that?"
When I tilted my head, Kania spoke with an expression as if asking something obvious.
"Young master, you have to commit villainy, don't you?"
"I take on the nuance of trying to seduce you, and you take on an unpleasant attitude, then there's no problem, right? Originally, we did that every day anyway."
"That's true, no... that's not the problem, is it."
At my continued words, Kania eventually raised her head, blushed, and asked.
"What reason do you have to treat me that well?"
"Hmm... Well."
To her, I answered with a slight smile.
"I've always desperately wanted a day to come when I could treat you well, who has always been tormented by me since childhood."
"........"
When I said that with a distant expression, Kania, who was biting her lips for a moment, quietly opened her mouth.
"So, when..."
"After this martial arts competition and the attack incident are over."
"Yes, I underst..."
Kania, who was quietly nodding her head, suddenly frowned and raised her voice.
"Thinking about it, isn't this not the problem right now? So, how will you handle the aftermath?"
"As I said, I don't intend to do it at all."
"What on earth does that mean..."
"I'm thinking of taking on the aftermath of the incident I'll cause until Klana gathers the power to resist. Originally, that's why I'm deliberately causing the incident at the martial arts competition even though it could be done secretly."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, it's an opportunity to protect Klana from the scoundrels and at the same time raise my evil reputation higher."
Hearing those words, Kania eventually gave up trying to persuade me and made an enlightened expression, then sat down next to me who was sitting on the bed and said.
"If the imperial nobles were all filled with people like young master... the empire wouldn't have ended up like this, would it?"
"...Well, I don't know."
Hearing my words, Kania looked at me intently and said.
"I'll believe that it wouldn't have turned out that way."
"That's really grateful."
"Then, let's depart soon."
At those words, we got up from the bed and started heading out of the dormitory to the carriage waiting outside.
"By the way, have you thought about how to deal with Miss Serena?"
"...Ah."
While having a conversation about the assignment I couldn't find an answer to even after thinking hard all day yesterday.
.
"Lord Frey Raon Starlight, the first son and acting head of the Starlight family, enters!"
When I entered the banquet hall where the martial arts competition was being held with Kania, everyone's eyes started focusing on me.
"...As expected, you're receiving quite a lot of attention."
"Because it's Starlight."
I was always a major figure and person of interest when attending parties or banquets, but at today's banquet, the degree is more severe than usual.
After all, the attention I've received as the first son and next head of the Starlight family and the attention I receive as the acting head are bound to be on a different level.
The status of the Starlight family is that overwhelming in the empire.
"It's like a pack of wolves that found their prey."
When people who had been keeping an eye on me, people who had given bribes, and people with slight connections started swarming in, Kania whispered with a fed-up expression.
"Kania, can't I just brainwash all those people?"
"...Black magic isn't omnipotent."
When I asked Kania quietly, she sighed and answered.
"...It was a joke."
Eventually, I smiled bitterly and started dealing with the people who had approached right in front of me one by one.
"It's regrettable about your father's situation. I should visit once."
"For the pillar of the empire and the benevolent head of the Starlight family to fall... it's truly a sad thing."
"...Thank you truly for your concern."
Sometimes shooting deadly glares at the clueless people asking about my father's wellbeing and saying thanks conventionally, the nobles who read my mood immediately started getting to the main point.
Of course, the main point was about formal and cultured requests and bribes that were roundaboutly expressed.
"Everyone, thank you for your interest. But this doesn't seem like something to talk about at a place like this."
After sweating for several tens of minutes listening to conversations full of empty formalities, I eventually used formal language that I hadn't used much while doing villainous acts, and started desperately trying to escape.
"Well, my mailbox is always open. How about sharing the unfinished stories there?"
When I dismissively explained the method of sending bribes and requests with quite formal language, the nobles made slightly regretful expressions and let me go.
"...Those damn bastards. Their eyes were rolling trying to somehow build more connections with me."
"Indeed."
"Keep all the bribes and requests those guys send. I'll need to use them importantly later."
"Understood."
Having rationalized that I gained evidence that will contribute to cleaning up the empire later by being pestered by nobles for several tens of minutes, I was sweating and heading to where the food was to fill my stomach but...
"Hello, silver-haired young master?"
"Excuse me, do you have time by any chance?"
"We're having a tea party, would you like to join us, Lord Frey?"
This time I was surrounded by numerous young ladies.
"Hmm... I'm sorry, but I'm hungry you see."
Already having been pestered by nobles who are skilled in social skills and worldly wisdom for several tens of minutes, and not feeling like dealing with young ladies who just looked young from my perspective, I tried to make an appropriate excuse and head elsewhere, but the young ladies blocked my retreat and started clinging with smiling eyes.
"Then that's perfect! We have lots of cookies and desserts imported from abroad prepared!"
"But wouldn't it be rude for me to join a tea party of ladies?"
"But Lord Frey, you don't make much difference even if you're among us, do you?"
"...Ha."
In this situation, if I pulled out any more, the image of a lecher who crazily craves women might crumble, so I forced a smile and opened my mouth.
"Alright, I was planning to hold back today, but it can't be helped."
At those words, the young ladies started squealing, and I, looking at them with dead eyes, started walking trudgingly thinking I should just liven up the atmosphere briefly and then leave but...
"Ugh."
"Oh my."
"Heuk?"
Suddenly the young ladies all grabbed their stomachs together and started breaking out in cold sweat.
At such a sudden situation, I was tilting my head when Kania, who had been quietly standing by my side until then, started speaking in a low voice.
"I heard there are many people these days who get stomach trouble from eating foreign cookies... perhaps the young ladies also got stomach trouble from the cookies?"
At those words, the young ladies raised their eyebrows and started greeting me while staggering.
"Th-then... we'll be going..."
"Lord Frey... the tea party next time..."
- Grrrr!
"...Heuk!"
Having finished their greetings like that, the young ladies started running somewhere hurriedly.
"Kania, investigate the brand of cookies those young ladies ate. Somehow something seems suspicious..."
"Young master, could you flow some star mana into your hand for a moment?"
I was looking at such young ladies and feeling suspicious, trying to order Kania to investigate the cookies, but Kania interrupted my words and unexpectedly asked me to operate star mana.
Since I had drunk the highest-grade mana generation potion before, mana was still overflowing in my body, so I started flowing star mana into my hand without much thought, and Kania suddenly grabbed my hand.
"Kania? What are you doing right..."
- Sizzle...
"...Could it be?"
When smoke slightly rose from her hand that was holding my hand, I started looking at her with my mouth wide open.
"These days I have a lot of stomach pain... so I know well how to make my stomach hurt."
"...What if you get caught?"
"It's a one-time curse. By the time you go to the bathroom once, unless Miss Perloche comes, it'll be hard to find traces."
"Still..."
Of course, I was grateful that she helped me and I trusted her skills too, but I was still worried and was about to say something to her, but seeing Kania's firm expression, I closed my mouth.
"Let's go."
"...Okay."
Kania soon moved her steps with a satisfied smile, and I started following behind her while scratching my head.
I don't know why, but I keep feeling like a lab rat since a while ago.
.
"Young master, aren't you drinking alcohol today?"
"...My condition isn't good."
"Oh my! If the young master isn't drinking, that means your condition must be very bad even if it's bad?"
Having escaped from the wolves coveting the Starlight family's power and the young ladies trying to kidnap me, this time I faced the temptation of alcohol recommended by young nobles.
'...I want to take just one sip.'
I really like alcohol.
Although my father taught that alcohol is the root of all evil, honestly, given what I do, I naturally came to like alcohol.
Of course, now that my mental power has become very high, no matter how much I drink, I just feel slightly good.
However, that slightly improved feeling was very precious to me, so I still like alcohol.
Of course, I haven't really enjoyed it properly since I always drink half a bottle and then act drunk and cause trouble.
"Then it can't be helped, I'll visit later when there's a chance."
"Yes, anytime!"
Of course, what I have to do today had to be recognized as something done in a normal state by the people around me, so I decided not to touch alcohol.
Hiding my regrettable expression and waving to my drinking buddies, heading to where the cookies were thinking I could finally fill my stomach a bit, a quite interesting scene came into my view from afar.
"...Princess, so who will you choose among us?"
"Just give us a little hint."
"Hem hem, although this body has aged, it would be better than these youngsters."
Klana was surrounded by her fiancé candidates.
"You'll all find out later anyway. So, at that time..."
"Don't be like that... why don't you tell us?"
Klana was trying to escape that place with a quite disgusted expression, but one candidate asked a slimy question and started reaching out his hand to her arm.
Looking closely, it was the one who was evaluated as a lecher.
"You're being rude."
"Ah."
Klana, who was looking at him with displeasure, put force and knocked away his hand, and he, who made an unhappy expression for a moment, soon smiled lewdly and opened his mouth.
"Well... right now you can treat us like this since we're just candidates, but you should be prepared when I become your fiancé?"
When those words ended, he started looking at Klana with a gaze full of greed, and the same was true for the other candidates.
"...Ha?"
Klana, who turned her back on such candidates and quickly escaped the place, discovered me who had been quietly watching that appearance, and sneered and opened her mouth.
"...How is it? My appearance is really ridiculous, isn't it?"
"........"
When I just stared blankly at her like that, Klana passed by me with a cold expression and dropped a word.
"If only you had kept the promise you made with me in the past, this kind of thing wouldn't have happened."
At those words, I closed my eyes tightly for a moment, and Kania, who had been standing a bit far away, approached me and asked.
"...What did you talk about?"
"Nothing, nothing at all."
Desperately avoiding that question, I headed to the center of the banquet hall with Kania who had been waiting by my side until then.
Because, the main event of this martial arts competition was about to begin.
"Emperor Raikan Sola Sunrise, the brilliant sun of the empire, and Empress Ramie Sola Sunrise enter!"
Waiting quietly in the center, suddenly the lights of the martial arts competition hall went out and the voices of servants were heard.
And the next moment, the emperor and empress of the Sunrise Empire started entering side by side.
- Shine...!
Soon, brilliant sun mana started pouring out from the emperor's body, and those who witnessed it started bowing their heads one by one.
"...Haa."
On the other hand, Kania, who is weak to sun mana, started frowning severely, and I urgently started emitting star mana to block the sun mana from Kania.
"Mmm."
Although I blocked most of the sun mana with star mana, star mana also had the property of attacking black magic, so Kania started breaking out in cold sweat more and more, and I secretly held her hand for her and started flowing life force for the first time in a while.
"...Everyone, raise your heads."
After holding Kania's hand for a while like that, the emperor withdrew the sun mana, sat on the prepared throne, and declared in a solemn voice.
For reference, I had my head raised. Because the Starlight family and Moonlight family have no obligation to bow their heads even in front of the emperor.
I quite dislike the empty formalities and privileges as a noble, but I quite like these various privileges that don't require me to watch the imperial family's mood.
"I called you all here today, as you all know, to announce the fiancé of the 3rd princess Klana."
At those words, Klana's fiancé candidates standing at the front started shining their eyes.
"The selection method for the fiancé is... yawn..."
The emperor, who swept over such fiancé candidates with an annoyed expression once and was continuing his words, suddenly yawned, rubbed his eyes, and opened his mouth again.
"Ramie, you explain instead."
Having said that, the emperor, unable to overcome his severe lethargy again, started yawning while sitting in the chair, and the empress, who was looking at such an emperor with a smile, started continuing the words the emperor was saying.
"The selection method for the fiancé is... originally it was for the 3rd princess Klana to directly select, but it seemed there would be some problems with that."
When those words ended, the servants started shouting loudly.
"The empire's small suns enter!!"
Then the 1st prince, 1st princess, and 2nd princess started coming out in turn, and finally Klana came out following behind them with a pale face.
"In choosing a companion to be with for a lifetime, one shouldn't make rash judgments. So, after discussing and consulting with me and the empire's small suns, we directly selected an appropriate partner."
Hearing those words, Klana trembled and then lowered her head deeply, and the 1st princess and 2nd princess started looking at that appearance while giggling.
For reference, the 1st prince, perhaps because he resembles his father, was just making an expression that everything was annoying.
"Then, let's announce the 3rd princess's fiancé that we directly selected at this place."
The empress who said that and stood up slowly came down from the high seat and started heading toward where the fiancé candidates were standing.
Then the fiancé candidates started gulping their saliva, and everyone's eyes started focusing on the empress and the fiancé candidates.
"...Hmmm."
The empress, who arrived at where the candidates were while enjoying such attention, lowered her walking speed and started slowly passing by the candidates.
Passing by the bald old marquis, and passing by the scoundrels who were already drunk and had red faces, the empress stopped her steps in front of one person.
"...Hehehe."
That person was the lecher who had reached out to Klana earlier.
"Grit, grind..."
Watching that scene while trembling, blood was flowing from Klana's lips from biting too much.
"We announce to everyone! The fiancé of our empire's 3rd princess Klana Sola Sunrise is...!"
Ignoring her without even giving a glance, the empress was about to announce the fiancé to the public with a smile but...
"Would you wait a moment! Your Majesty the Empress!!"
"...Hmm?"
When I, who closed my eyes and took a deep breath, shouted loudly, she stopped speaking and frowned as she started looking at me.
"Lord Frey? What's the matter?"
"There's something I need to say."
Saying that, I started heading to the platform, pushing through the nobles making confused expressions.
"I don't know what you want to say, but I wish you'd read the situation a bit..."
I passed right by the empress who was frowning severely and throwing words at me, and started slowly climbing the platform.
Then the imperial guards hurriedly tried to block my way, but the emperor waved his hand with an interested expression and dismissed the guards.
As expected, Emperor-nim who likes stimulating and thrilling things due to severe lethargy.
"...You, what is this?"
When I, who safely climbed the platform, knelt in front of Klana, the nobles started buzzing and the prince and princesses started making confused expressions.
"Miss Klana Sola Sunrise."
As my words began in the midst of such chaotic atmosphere, the martial arts competition hall was instantly enveloped in silence, and in that silence, I smiled and dropped a bombshell statement.
"I have been admiring you from long ago."
At those words, everyone froze.
"Wh-what... what..."
On the other hand, Klana, who heard my words, made an appalled expression and started stuttering, and I smiled at her and dropped a bombshell statement once again.
"...Therefore, pursuant to the oath, I formally propose to you at this place."
And the next moment, the martial arts competition hall became pandemonium.
.
Meanwhile, right at the point when Frey made the bombshell statement.
"............What?"
Serena, who entered the martial arts competition hall late, started staring at the platform with her mouth wide open.
And in her hand, the love letter she had worked hard to write while coming here was fluttering.