Ch.110Chapter 110. Well, That’s Just How Women Are as a Species.

“Shall we talk here?”

After struggling to detach Miria Alphonse, I settled on a bench right in the middle of the mansion, causing Seri Familia to make a somewhat uncomfortable expression.

“I’d prefer to speak with Lord Selden somewhere quieter than here.”

“There’s no suitably quiet place here.”

“For example, Lord Selden’s bedroom… Don’t misunderstand. I truly just want to talk somewhere quiet.”

As if I would talk alone with you in a bedroom while in my right mind?

What if you suddenly stripped off all your clothes and screamed? I’d have to use the hourglass again.

My opponent is Seri Familia.

Someone known for meticulous planning.

I desperately racked my brain to ensure things wouldn’t flow in whatever direction she wanted.

“I apologize. That might have been possible before, but now you’re marrying my brother Leonard. Being alone in a bedroom would only invite misunderstandings.”

“How strange. I thought Lord Selden wasn’t one to care about others’ opinions?”

“Haha! I can’t remain the family’s black sheep forever, can I?”

I laughed heartily and planted myself firmly at the edge of the bench.

Seri Familia’s face momentarily stiffened before she resigned herself and took a seat.

“Sigh, do you remember when you visited our family mansion, Lord Selden?”

“Yes, of course I remember. It wasn’t that long ago.”

“I came to your room then. To ask you to catch a bug.”

“Ah! I remember.”

I snapped my fingers, pretending to recall, and Seri Familia’s eyes widened.

“R-right!? So I definitely did come to your room, correct?”

Kuk!

Until now, she must have been wondering if she’d been hallucinating.

Well, she committed her actions believing she was with ‘Selden Alphonse,’ only to find some random guy lying on the bed—enough to drive anyone mad.

I scratched my head and spoke playfully to Seri Familia.

“Haha, is that important!? Because of that incident, you’re now marrying my brother Leonard—”

“That’s what’s important to me right now. How did Lord Leonard end up in my room that day?”

Her voice dropped frighteningly low.

It was so chilling that the hair on my body stood on end.

I thought, so she shows her true colors when cornered.

“Ah, that day Lord Leonard was in the bedroom with me.”

“But you were clearly alone…?”

“Pardon? Did you search my entire room?”

“N-no, not exactly.”

“Anyway, Lord Leonard overheard your conversation with me and went upstairs himself in my place.”

“When I called out ‘Lord Selden!’ from the second floor, how did you answer?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. It was Lord Leonard who went upstairs.”

Seri Familia anxiously darted her eyes around and bit her fingernails.

She bit them so hard that blood dripped from her fingertips.

Then she muttered almost inaudibly.

“…Then Lord Leonard must have answered incorrectly.”

I get the feeling Leonard might have his limbs severed right after marriage.

Of course, it’s none of my business.

After all, those two make a perfect match, like they were made for each other.

“Is that all you wanted to know?”

“Ah… but don’t you find it strange?”

“What do you mean…?”

“You saw Lord Leonard, who went to catch a bug, lying in bed with me. Didn’t you find that odd at all?”

“Well, I just thought that relationships between men and women can be unpredictable.”

“Was that really all?”

Seri Familia glances at me with suspicious eyes.

Understandably so.

The timeframe was too short for much to have happened.

“Should there have been something else?”

“Then why did you suddenly go to the reception room to meet my father and Baron Byron?”

“I find this quite strange. Did I ever tell you that I met Baron Rene and my father in the reception room? I don’t believe I did…”

Seri Familia looks flustered before stammering a response.

“I-I heard it from my father. He said he was surprised when even Lord Selden suddenly came to my bedroom.”

From the situation, it seems she didn’t hear it from Baron Rene but interrogated a maid she met in the reception room.

Is she confused because there are so many suspicious elements but nothing concrete to grasp?

If so, I should probably warn Leonard in advance.

“After sending Lord Leonard upstairs, I left the room to get some fresh air.”

“And then?”

I slowly scanned the surroundings to check for eavesdroppers before speaking.

“However, being unfamiliar with the Familia mansion, I reached a dead end where I happened to meet Baron Rene and my father.”

“You saw a maid there too, right?”

“Ah, come to think of it, there was a maid. She mentioned hearing strange noises from Lady Familia’s room, didn’t she?”

“…That’s right.”

“So I also accompanied them, worried that Lord Leonard might have caused some trouble… and ended up seeing something I shouldn’t have. I apologize.”

My apology actually made Seri Familia rise with a reddened face.

“M-my curiosity is satisfied. I’ll be going now.”

“Of course, you must be busy with only one day left until the wedding… please go ahead.”

Seri Familia abruptly turned her head and hurried away.

I also stood up and cheerfully waved at the back of her head.

“Ah! And though it’s late, sincere congratulations on your marriage!”

*

“S-Selden!! How did you get here!?”

It was an unfamiliar space I’d never experienced before.

Following the hidden underground passage in the mansion, I walked endlessly until, just as Baron Byron had said, I came upon a large room.

And there, trapped in an iron cage, was Leonard.

Barely suppressing a laugh at his pitiful appearance, I spoke.

“Father told me.”

“T-this is top secret… why would Father tell you?”

“I was almost assassinated on my way to the family. So he asked me to investigate whether my carriage accident might be connected to the assassination warnings against you and Father.”

Leonard nodded in understanding while gripping the iron bars with both hands.

Then he immediately began lamenting his situation.

“I don’t know who’s behind this, but they’ll pay when I catch them. To think I’m locked up until the day before my wedding… what is this nonsense!”

“Indeed, though you don’t seem to have any complaints about Father locking you up.”

At that, Leonard raises his nose haughtily as if he’d never complained.

“Selden, these days I only eat food prepared by our father!”

“Y-you’ve been eating food made by Father every day?”

“Yes, now do you understand how much Father loves me!?”

So he’s been eating that tasteless food every day?

That’s almost admirable in a way.

“I-I see. Anyway, sincere congratulations on your marriage.”

“Haha! It’s all thanks to you.”

“I didn’t do anything…”

“Man! Don’t worry about your future, your big brother will pave the way for you.”

Seeing Leonard chattering excitedly from inside the cage makes me feel somewhat sorry for him.

But what can I do?

If he had treated me well from the beginning, I wouldn’t have handed Seri Familia over to him.

I cleared my throat and continued.

“Ahem! And you remember the day you went up to Seri Familia’s bedroom, right?”

“Of course. It was a historic day, how could I forget!”

“That day, you were in my room and happened to overhear my conversation with Lady Seri Familia, so you went up instead of me.”

“What are you talking about? Seri Familia asked you for help because she wanted to talk to me but there were too many eyes watching.”

“Hmm, suddenly Lady Seri Familia acted as if she knew nothing about it.”

“W-what did you say!?”

Leonard looked dumbfounded inside the cage.

Though no one was listening, I looked around cautiously and took a step closer.

“Well, women are just like that.”

“I don’t understand what you mean…”

“She’s embarrassed as a woman, about having taken the initiative with you.”

“Sigh… a woman’s heart is truly unfathomable.”

“Indeed, when I said to Lady Seri Familia, ‘Didn’t you ask me for this favor?’ she became extremely angry.”

At the mention of Seri Familia’s anger, Leonard urgently stuck his head through the bars.

“T-then!? She’s not canceling the wedding, is she?”

“Of course not. I just covered it up by saying, ‘I must have been mistaken.’ So, you should also pretend not to know the truth about that day. And obviously, don’t tell others about it.”

“But I’ve already told some friends?”

“Deny everything. Say you never said such things.”

“Sigh… alright, I understand.”

Still seeming unable to comprehend Seri Familia, Leonard shook his head and flopped down on the bed in the corner of the cage.

The fact that he doesn’t ask about the investigation shows how confused he must be.

“…I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Go ahead.”

And then.

As I re-entered the first floor of the mansion, I saw Lightner looking around.

Upon spotting me, he rushed over hurriedly.

“L-Lord Selden!”

“What is it?”

I tilted my head, and Lightner took a deep breath before whispering in my ear.

“Tristan has returned from Lake territory.”