Chapter 25.1 You and Mine, Our Friends (1)

Today was busy as usual, but overall it was peaceful. Because the things we have to do kept piling up, I asked Kaid to take a rest when there were moments to spare. Lately, it’s been completely normal for the days to be bustling but calm. However, just as the sun was going down, this normalcy was disturbed.

“The guest is present.”

Caron was not talking clearly, which was unusual for her. Kaid and I, who were checking the attendance list for the party in the royal capital, looked at each other in confusion. It was strange that she didn’t tell us the name of the guest, as Caron is typically particularly stubborn about it. But, perhaps it was done out of respect to request the presence of the feudal lord? I wonder if Kaid also found it unusual? We both exited the room confused.

When we arrived to greet the guest, Kaid’s eyes turned completely cold towards the bubbly guest in front of us.

“Oi, Oi, Kaid. Happy birthday! My lady too, have a good day.”

“…How weird. I feel that I saw the representative of Gimmi’s territory just left Laius yesterday.”

“That’s because I immediately came back after I arrived.”

Facing us was a high-spirited Izador (the representative of Gimmi’s territory) tightly holding a sake bottle, presumably the birthday gift. He jumped towards Kaid, clinging to him tightly, while Kaid unpleasantly tried to shake him off his shoulder.

Izador had arrived earlier in Laius and must’ve been one of the last of the other territories to return home after attending the liberal festival, Laius’ biggest festival renamed as the wolf’s resurrection festival. He returned again just as he had arrived before,without a carriage and with only a few escorts for company. I’ve begun to think that the only times he is away from Laius is when he seems to go home to Gimmi.

It seems like he did return to Gimmi, as the wrapping of the sake bottle carried the crest of Gimmi. But, if he did so, the time he stayed at Gimmi must be short. I don’t know which is his hometown, Laius or Gimmi.

Has it become difficult for even Kaid to shake him off? After all this time, somehow Izador was able to continue clinging to him.

“You… even in normal circumstances you stay for so long, but what kind of devotion for you to come without saying anything.”

“… You are the reason I’m staying in Gimme, Kaid.”

All of a sudden Izador’s voice got low. Kaid turned a suspicious eye towards Izador, who’s voice suddenly turned chilly. Seeing this, Izador released Kaid whom he had been stuck to until now, and quickly retreated three steps dejectedly.

“Hey, Kaid.”

“What?”

“I want you to try to think about it.”

“About what?”

Izador’s faint smile disappeared.

“Up until now I can say anything, because Kaid also hasn’t married,so I can keep escaping successfully. Now I can no longer use that reason, so returning to my hometown is scary…”

The cheeks of the maids were stained pink by the man’s voice and sorrowful smile. But, the redder the cheeks of the maids became, the more Kaid’s eyes darkened. In front of Kaid, Izador retracted his previously sad face, turning around and gracefully wiping away the bangs covering his eyes. Almost immediately, an uproar of high-pitched “eek” came from the maids. Finally, Kaid’s golden eyes turned cold.

“…You ran away because you don’t want to hear the talk about matchmaking.”

“Yes! That’s it!”

It seems like his stay this time will be longer too.

Since this is the feudal lord’s residence, the hospitality for the guest who appeared unannounced didn’t create chaos, but even so it has become hectic. After having dinner, Izador seems to have decided to stay in Kaid’s room until his room was prepared. It seems to be the usual situation, because before Izador could bring it up, Kaid was the first to instruct to prepare the night drinking in the room.

It’s the role of the Lady in the house to entertain the guest, but because my position is still as fiancee, and after all the other party is Izador, it seemed unnecessary. Aside from that, the relationship of Kaid and Izador was that of trusted friends, so wouldn’t it be better to not be present in order to avoid the unnecessary suspicions? At least, that was what I thought, but Izador invited me by saying ‘if it’s alright with you’, so I decided to merely sit down to accept his offer.

There seemed to be a sweet snack specially prepared for me, as it doesn’t appear often during men’s drinking nights. It was the type typically drunk with tea. Even before, as a noble’s daughter, where there existed no unsuitable age for drinking alcohol, I had never engaged in drinking nor did I have any chances to enjoy it. So, instead I made tea this time.

As the only daughter of the previous feudal lord of Laius, there was no one who was brave enough to serve me alcohol. Let alone pressuring me into drinking, even the very act of offering me a drink seemed to have an offensive feeling. The servants were also afraid to incur the displeasure of my grandparents/parents, who were famous for their cruelty especially towards commoners.

That was another way my parents and grandparents protected me. They used their own methods to make sure of my happiness, creating a paradise that was warped by corruption.

I was a fruitless flower, dozing off and embracing foolish happiness, without seeing anything other than a false paradise. I was without any discomfort, not knowing fear, misery, sadness or despair. Unbeknownst to myself, my entire world had been controlled and monitored by my parents and grandparents.