Ch.341341. Is That One Statement Not Enough of an Explanation?

“W-What is this…?”

The moment I entered the bedroom, I was shocked once again.

I was even more surprised than earlier when Princess Sairine had tidied up the bedding and Princess Etherian was comfortably drinking alcohol.

“Father, you’re here?”

Lucien with her bright expression.

Up to that point, everything was fine.

But.

Princess Sairine feeding Lucien delicious food with a fork.

And Princess Etherian stroking Lucien’s hair with a satisfied smile.

As I opened my mouth wide in bewilderment, Princess Etherian looked at me and cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Ahem! There’s still a lot of alcohol left. Have a drink.”

“What exactly is going on here?”

“What do you mean?”

“…Why have the three of you become so close?”

Then, Princess Sairine smiled gently as she fed Lucien another bite of food.

“Isn’t it natural for a mother to be close with her daughter?”

“…Huh?”

“Lucien already told us. She’s a dragon, right?”

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”

“I’ve really fallen for you again, Lord Selden Alphonse. I misunderstood and thought she was a child born from another woman. Well, not that it would have changed my love for you.”

I didn’t want their relationship to deteriorate, but this situation was far better than I had imagined.

I sat down in a chair and let out a soft chuckle.

“Hah! Are you planning to take her to the imperial palace?”

“That’s exactly what I’m planning to do.”

“W-What did you say?”

“From what Lucien told me, the academy will soon be on break, right?”

“Ah, but still, that’s…”

“We’re going to live together after marriage anyway, so it wouldn’t be bad to practice living together starting now, right? And…”

Princess Sairine stroked Lucien’s face and spoke.

“I should also tell His Majesty the Emperor. That he now has such an adorable granddaughter.”

“…Huh?”

“It’s fine. The Emperor is very discreet, so he will never reveal the fact that Lucien is a dragon.”

I had also planned to tell Emperor Malius the truth, but I was taken aback by how proactive the princesses were being.

“Lucien, do you want to go to the imperial palace?”

“Yes, I want to see how my mothers live.”

M-Mothers…?

At the word “mothers,” Princess Sairine burst into giggles, and Princess Etherian, her face slightly flushed from drinking, embraced Lucien.

“…Will you be alright?”

“Yes, I’ll make sure to behave without making any mistakes at the imperial palace.”

It would be impossible to break the stubborn will of these princesses who were even more determined than me.

I sighed briefly and spoke.

“Let’s first have Lord Robert check if your body is normal.”

“Alright. When should I meet Lord Robert?”

“I think it would be best to rest well tomorrow and go the day after.”

“Then can I sleep with my mothers tonight?”

“…Do as you wish.”

Shaking my head, I downed a glass of alcohol, and Lucien tilted her head curiously.

“Ah! Did I make a mistake?”

“What mistake?”

“I was wondering if I made a mistake because you were planning to sleep in the same bed with my mothers tonight.”

At Lucien’s words, Princess Etherian and Princess Sairine’s faces turned red.

The same was true for me.

“Ahem! That’s not it, so don’t misunderstand.”

“I understand. But, Father… I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For coming to you when I went berserk.”

“…Huh?”

“I suddenly lost consciousness, and when I came to, you were with me.”

It was a sudden apology from Lucien.

As I hesitated in confusion, Princess Etherian stroked Lucien’s hair again.

“It’s natural for a daughter to seek her father when she’s sick. So, there’s no need to apologize.”

“But I almost hurt Father…”

“Humans value results, and look at your father—isn’t he fine?”

Despite Princess Etherian’s comforting words, Lucien began to tear up, so Princess Sairine continued.

“In Lucien’s eyes, is your father a strong person?”

“Y-Yes… he’s strong.”

“Stronger than you?”

“Yes, he’s stronger than me.”

“Then it’s natural for a strong person to help a weak person… no, a weak dragon.”

“…Really?”

“And if they’re family? Then there’s nothing more to say. It means Lucien did nothing wrong.”

At Princess Sairine’s words, Lucien looked at me with still moist eyes.

“…Father, is that true?”

“Do you remember what Dad said before you went berserk?”

“I remember. You said… there’s no father in this world who would abandon his daughter.”

“Isn’t that explanation enough?”

Finally, Lucien smiled brightly again.

And watching Princess Sairine and Princess Etherian chatting intimately, it was truly warm and harmonious, as if they had become a family.

Except for just one thing.

“Lucien, Mom wants to fly in the sky too.”

“I can carry you. What about you, Mother Etherian?”

“Oh, Mom wants to ride too.”

Lucien quickly got down from her chair and peeked her head toward me.

“Father, can I transform into a dragon in a secluded place? I’m confident I won’t drop my mothers!”

Even if they did fall, with Lucien’s reflexes, she could catch them again.

I pressed my throbbing temple and nodded.

“Do as you please.”

*

“Is Lucien’s body normal?”

Two days later, Robert, who came to my study, straightened his back and spoke.

“She’s in a much healthier state than before.”

“H-Her body is normal and she’s much healthier than before?”

“Adult dragons naturally become stronger. The same applies to Lucien.”

“Hmm, that’s a relief. I was worried that forcibly stopping her berserk state might have caused problems for her body…”

“I had only heard about it and never experienced it myself, so I was worried too, but after checking, she’s truly in a healthy state.”

Why did the fact that Lucien was healthy make me feel so good…

I felt like I could throw a drinking party right away.

I smiled brightly at Robert.

“So there’s nothing to worry about regarding Lucien anymore, right?”

“That’s correct. An adult dragon will only continue to grow robustly from now on, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Then what will you do now, Lord Robert? Now that Lucien won’t go berserk anymore, your job is done, isn’t it?”

At my words, Robert adjusted his glasses.

“If Lord Selden Alphonse permits, I would like to stay in Lake Territory for a while.”

“Didn’t you say you would leave right away last time?”

“My daughter Olivia hasn’t married yet, has she? I plan to leave after seeing her get married.”

I felt an unspoken pressure.

Though indirectly expressed, he was essentially asking me to arrange Olivia’s marriage quickly.

I barely concealed my bewildered expression and spoke.

“Isn’t Olivia still training with the members these days? If they spend time together, love might bloom someday.”

“Waiting without a set date is always difficult. If it’s too hard, couldn’t Lord Selden Alphonse marry her?”

“…Pardon?”

“You’re already marrying two princesses, so adding one more wouldn’t make much difference, would it?”

This… I think I heard the same thing from Emperor Callian of the Western Continent?

I swallowed hard with tension.

“…You’re joking, right?”

“Of course, it’s a joke. No matter how urgent, I wouldn’t approve of a man who’s already marrying two women.”

I’d heard this before too.

Fearing he might change his mind like Emperor Callian, I preemptively responded.

“That’s right. As a father raising Lucien, I would never approve of a man marrying two women!”

“…I suppose so.”

“I believe that’s a sign that a father doesn’t truly love his daughter!”

“…Well, that could be the case.”

Thinking I’d said enough, I took a short deep breath and continued.

“I’ll try to find a husband for Olivia so she can marry quickly.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, I think I need to get married first. Time is tight, and there’s more to do than I expected.”

“I can certainly wait for that, so please prepare for your marriage at ease.”

“But Lord Robert, you don’t plan to just wait quietly in Lake Territory for Olivia to get married, do you?”

“I plan to wait quietly.”

“…That’s a joke, right?”

“Of course it’s a joke. I can’t just sit around doing nothing, so I’ll have to find something I can do.”

Robert continued with his chilling jokes.

I adjusted my posture and raised my head.

“May I recommend something that Lord Robert could do?”

“What kind of work are you referring to?”

“How about teaching students? I think your knowledge would be beneficial for the academy students.”

“Hmm… not a bad idea.”

“And who knows? You might find a future husband for Olivia among the academy students.”

“That’s going too far.”

“…I apologize.”

“I’ll have to think about that for a bit.”

If Robert could take on the role of an academy professor, even temporarily, it would be an enormous help.

Plus, he could keep a close eye on Lucien, which would put my mind at ease.

I nodded with a warm smile.

“Then I’ll await your answer.”