Chapter 106: The Rose’s Preferences

“Lord Heyrad, are you really going to let her keep on doing this?”

While Clarisse briefly went away, Isaac approached Heyrad while sighing.

After going through various incidents together, the two had grown somewhat close.

Since Heyrad had also made contributions during the fight with Arandel, he was also considered as one of the members of the Golden Generation.

“Is this really okay for you?”

At Isaac’s question, Heyrad smiled, clearly pleased at the situation.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen her looking so happy. She has been feeling so stressed lately.”

“…”

“Thanks to you, Baron Logan, she seems to be enjoying herself. If it weren’t for the northern dispatch, I’m sure she’d have visited your mansion every day—“

“Did you just hear what I said? I need you to stop her.”

Hearing Isaac’s reproachful tone, Heyrad just smiled.

“You’re a much more reliable man than Princess Raphael—that person just hangs around with another woman like a leech in the presence of the princess. If anything, I think this situation is fortunate.”

“…You aren’t listening to me at all…”

At that, Isaac gave up talking to him and turned his body away. That was when Clarisse came out of his mansion.

In her hands was a large plate filled with snacks and treats she brought from the royal palace.

“Sharen told me you don’t like things that are too sweet.”

“…Do you think I’ll like it if you force yourself on me like this?”

“Well, you aren’t an ordinary man, so I figured I’d first appeal to you how good of a woman I am.”

Clarisse winked as she pointed at Isaac.

“A certain someone taught me that this is how you’d seduce a man.”

“That—“

“He also told me that a beauty like me shouldn’t hesitate since there’s no one who’d dislike it if I were to cling to them~”

“…”

Isaac clamped his mouth shut.

Those were the things he had said to Clarisse—his own words—so there was no way he could just refute that.

In any case, he could see that even in love, she planned her move carefully.

She even used his own words to corner him like this. It was proof that her claim about herself being talented in this matter wasn’t a lie.

“Is it too much for you?”

Clarisse glanced at him, checking his reaction.

Seeing the expression on her face—tinged with a hint of tears—Isaac’s eyes widened slightly.

“You’ve learned well. Showing a fragile appearance occasionally to shake the other person’s heart, huh…?”

“Adding tears is the icing on the cake! It brings their ‘soft’ side out, no matter how ‘firm’ they are!”

Clarisse winked playfully, showing him that her teary look just now was just an act.

She’s too good of a learner…

Isaac muttered as he put a snack in his mouth.

As she had claimed, the treat perfectly suited his taste.

“Well, if my act bothers you too much, you can just say so.”

“Then will you stop?”

“Of course not, I’ll just tell you to bear with it. I mean, you’re leaving in two days and I can’t go with you!”

Obviously, the princess wouldn’t go to the North. Not only was the North filled with too many uncertainties, it also hadn’t been long since she returned from Brentarion.

“Now then.”

She rested her chin on her hand and let out a bright smile.

“Why don’t we go on a date? What do you think?”

“Are you trying to tell me that I can refuse?”

“Hahaha!”

She laughed heartily before making a heart shape with her hands.

“Of course not! Can a baron refuse a princess’ order? The world must be turning upside down if that happens!”

“…Fine. What do you want to do?”

“First—!”

Two days later…

The expeditionary force heading to the North was finally fully formed.

It was a bit tiring to leave again so soon after returning to Evergard, but…

Isaac calmly finished his preparations nonetheless.

Unlike the bridal procession to Brentarion, this time they would be riding war horses, allowing for much faster travel.

Therefore, more thorough preparation was necessary than last time.

“…”

Looking at the war horse gifted by the princess, Isaac wore a sheepish expression.

After being tormented by her in various ways over the past two days…

Yesterday, she gifted him this fine horse, Ravenfull.

The horse’s black mane gleamed with a lustrous sheen, and though he didn’t say it out loud, he was really, really satisfied with it.

It was worth playing along with her antics.

By the way, Clarisse was also satisfied with this arrangement, seeing how she said she had gained the strength to return to administrative work the last time they talked.

As he put the saddle on the horse, Sharen Helmont suddenly poked his back.

“Isaac, Isaac! They said you can up your rank just by lengthening your name!”

“Hm?”

“Isaaaaac! Now you’re a viscount!”

“…”

I heard she had been training with the Grandmaster for the past two days. Did she hit her head or something while training?

No, wait, she’s a Helmont. Even if she did, there shouldn’t be any major problems with her…

“Was that not funny? But the Grandmaster laughed from that! She still is!”

Isaac looked where Sharen was pointing at and saw the Grandmaster holding her stomach, still laughing.

“…”

“That was my best joke too…”

Her head drooped, clearly disappointed.

At that moment, the knight commander, Eisenwolf, shouted that they were about to depart, so Isaac just pretended to not hear her.

Eisenwolf was the one in charge of the command of this expeditionary force.

He was an experienced knight who had spent most of his life protecting the kingdom.

There were rumors that he’d retire after this mission, and that he was assigned as the one in charge of this expeditionary force to keep the many young nobles that participated in check.

Princess Adeline really knows how to use the right people in the right places.

She’s planning to use him to keep the Blue Stream Society in check.

Regardless, this was Ravenfull’s debut.

As Isaac mounted him, gently stroking his mane…

Sharen stood there, unmoving.

“…What’s wrong?”

Isaac asked her as an ominous feeling enveloped his heart.

“Give me a ride!”

Sharen smiled brightly.

He wanted to say no, but seeing that she had left her greatsword in the supply wagon, there was no talking his way out of this.

Given her weight, she shouldn’t be too much of a burden on the horse.

The problem here was people might think of him acting friendly with Sharen strange, especially considering that he was her former brother-in-law.

But, Sharen had already climbed up in front of him, leaning against his chest.

“I’ll share my snacks with you as a payment!”

“Haaa, fine. Let’s go.”

With that, the expeditionary force set off.

At one point, the Grandmaster pulled up beside him, called out to him with a smile.

“Do you know what’s gonna happen when you lengthen your name?”

…I’m going crazy.

“I already told him that!”

“Huh? What a shame. I was going to tell him that…”

The Grandmaster grumbled as she put a cigarette on her mouth. Seeing this, both Sharen and Isaac covered their noses, forcing her to urge her horse forward.

“Haaa… Having to be so cautious just to smoke a little tobacco… What’s even the point of living so long…?”

“She’s acting like an old person!”

“She is old.”

Just as they whispered, a hard piece of bread flew at their faces.

“Hey, I may be old, but my ears are working fine!”

Sharen quickly grabbed the bread that had hit Isaac’s face hard and took a bite of it.

“We Helmonts have strong teeth too.”

Crunch, crunch.

Sharen munched on the bread enthusiastically.

Amidst the chaos, an even more chaotic person slowly rode up beside them.

“Hello there.”

With his blue hair neatly styled with wax, thick-looking skin, and a well-trimmed mustache…

It was Leian Reeves, the young noble from the Reeves Family who had left the worst possible first impression on Isaac.

“Get lost.”

Isaac openly expressed his irritation, but he didn’t back down.

“Oh my, I didn’t come to see you, I came to meet the lady here.”

“Lady?”

Sharen looked up at Isaac, confused.

“Ahem! Me, a lady!”

Isaac sighed as he wiped off the bread crumbs stuck to her cheek.

“My lady, I am Leian of the Reeves family. Might I have a moment of your time for a chat?”

“A lady won’t refuse a gentleman’s offer.”

“Finish your bread before you talk.”

Isaac interjected, but Sharen ignored him and looked at Leian.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“It’s concerning your one and only sister.”

“Sister? Why my sister?”

Isaac glared at him, but he pretended not to notice and continued.

“Actually, I’m interested in your sister, so I’d love to know about her preferences or hobbies.”

“Ooh.”

Sharen nodded, seeming interested.

Maybe because it was the first time someone had come to ask her such things…

She opened her mouth way too easily.

“Sister likes handsome men.”

“Sharen…”

“Haha! Beauty is a preference that any human would have. With her outstanding beauty, of course the Blood Rose would prefer that too!”

“She likes men with black hair.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

At that, Leian seemed to be slightly disappointed. Maybe he took pride in his own hair.

After that, Sharen kept blurting out Rianna’s preferences in men.

“She likes people who look weak.

“Someone a bit sensitive and gentle.

“I think she likes slender, pretty boys. Someone with a soft, nice voice.”

The more she talked, the more Leian’s eyes darted towards Isaac.

Conversely, Isaac’s face turned bright red, and he turned his head to the side.

The reason why they acted like this was because all of these characteristics could be found in Isaac.

“So, was that enough?”

When Sharen—having finished her bread—asked that, Leian forced a smile and answered.

“Yes, it was enough, but… Are those not the characteristics of Baron Logan?”

“Hm? Of course.”

Sharen opened her eyes wide, then, with an expression that suggested she didn’t understand what he was on about, she…

“My sister has never been interested in any man except Isaac.”

“…”

“…”

Silence enveloped them.

“So, I just listed off his characteristics!”

“A…haha…”

Leian broke his awkward silence with a forced laugh and tried to maintain his courtesy as he bowed.

“Ah, thank you for telling me. It was very helpful.”

“Oh yeah, start by shaving your mustache. I think that’s what my sister would hate the most.”

“I-I’ll keep that in mind.”

With that, Leian urged his horse forward to join his group of Blue Stream Society nobles.

Watching his retreating figure, Isaac gently patted Sharen’s head.

“…You did well.”

“Huh? Did I do something praiseworthy?!”

Matching the patting rhythm, Sharen beamed and shook her head.