Chapter 74: Let’s Go, To the Imperial Mainland

“As I thought, I was right.”

“Indeed, it is so.”

After the creation of Albion Football.

Astaroth, whose smile never faded due to her exponentially rising divinity, willingly descended to praise her apostle, Lin, and was enjoying delicious desserts with milk tea.

“This offering is particularly delicious and sweet.”

“I didn’t offer any.”

Unlike Astaroth, who doted on her apostle, Lin, who was displeased with the angel who suddenly appeared and ate even her share, had a sullen attitude.

“But…! If I don’t come down and eat it myself, won’t you offer all sorts of strange foods again…!”

Astaroth complained.

She listed all the terrible offerings she had received so far, including sardine pie, jellied eels, and pickled herring, and in the end, her eyes welled up with tears, almost crying.

‘…Was I too harsh?’

I thought.

Even though it was a forced contract, thinking back on the offerings I had made so far, I felt a little guilty.

Well, a god who shows such consideration despite being able to control me as she pleases with a single gesture is probably not common.

From now on, I should offer something edible at least.

Otherwise, she’ll descend every single teatime. That angel.

“Mm! A good thought!”

‘…I wish she wouldn’t read my thoughts so freely.’

‘By the way, she is aware that she’s being a nuisance, isn’t she?’

One might ask what’s the problem with a mere child sitting next to me during teatime, but Astaroth is like a boss to me.

Considering her title of Archangel, she’s more than just a boss.

For me, who is busy with training, research, and reading every day, teatime is my only rest besides walking time.

And this precious time is being disturbed by my boss?

As a wicked villainess, I couldn’t help but feel a little displeased.

“Nom.”

“Aah…!”

At that moment, Astaroth snatched and ate a precious cookie.

“I was saving that to eat later…!”

“Mmm~ a heavenly taste.”

For me, who is the type to eat the most delicious thing last, a great disaster finally occurred.

‘What?’

‘Can’t you just have the chef make another one?’

‘…Are you an idiot?’

‘Do you even know how much time and effort goes into making the cookies on this table!?’

“Followers, divinity, and even all the delicious offerings. Lin, my child. I am overjoyed to have met you.”

“I don’t like it!? Ah! You ate the cookie I was saving again…!”

“Heeheeheehee.”

In the end, I couldn’t stand Astaroth’s outrageous behaviour.

I immediately ran to my bed and grabbed the two legs of the large teddy bear I received as a gift from my dad.

“I told you not to eat that, it’s my pudding!!”

“Pudding? Ah, you mean this jiggly, soft thing? Indeed, it’s a taste too good to eat alone. Here, Lin, you come and eat it with me.”

“You just ate it all!!!”

Swoosh!

The teddy bear was swung with all my might towards Astaroth.

However, a mere doll could not hit an angel.

The teddy bear went straight through Astaroth’s body, left my hand, and,

Crash!!!

With its sheer size—it’s bigger than me!—it shattered the glass window and flew into the sky.

“Pant, pant, pant.”

As soon as the teddy bear fell outside, Lin’s dogs gathered around it.

One of them grabbed the teddy bear and immediately ran off somewhere and disappeared.

“Wait…. Hold on!”

Lin, surprised by the unexpected sudden action of her pets, threw herself into the air without a broom.

Her necklace glowed and levitation magic was activated, slowly landing her on the ground.

Unlike when she was riding a broom, a safe landing was possible, but chasing them by flying was impossible.

So she ran to the garage, started the car, and chased after her pets.

However, Lin could not find the precious teddy bear her dad had given her.

The result of her stepping on the accelerator with all her might was only the sight of the dogs, who had already hidden the teddy bear somewhere, panting with their tongues out.

“Where did you hide my teddy bear that Dad gave me? Tell me quickly, or else.”

“Pant, pant, pant….”

“Hmph, you guys are really going to get it.”

“Pant, pant, pant….”

“…This won’t do. Go get the reflection pipe. You guys really need to be punished.”

Lin, with her hands on her hips, sternly disciplined the dogs.

However, they acted as if they weren’t listening, scratching their ears with their hind legs.

That’s right.

They were completely ignoring her.

“Put your palms out, now!”

As if already accustomed to the dogs’ disrespectful attitude, Lin snapped a branch off a garden tree and made a switch.

The Lycan Wolves, who only had four paw pads, had no palms to extend even if they wanted to.

The dogs, who had no intention of extending them in the first place, blinked once and then squeezed their faces between their master’s legs, forcing her onto their backs.

Lin, who didn’t want to ride, tried to get off, but a Lycan Wolf next to her bit her by the scruff of the neck and placed her back on like carrying a puppy.

After repeating this process several times, Lin finally gave up and was forcibly returned to her room.

When she returned to her room, Astaroth was already gone.

Of course, not even a crumb of cookie was left on the table.

“Why is everyone like this to me today….”

A day of being kicked around.

Fortunately, by the time she went to bed, she could understand at least one reason.

“Pant, pant, pant.”

The Lycan Wolves who had vanquished the mischievous teddy bear.

Having regained Lin’s side completely, they were particularly crowded.

“…It’s cramped.”

The reason the dogs had unanimously hidden the teddy bear that Lin had recently been cuddling to sleep.

It was none other than jealousy.

For the record, the precious teddy bear her dad gave her was returned later.

***

The Governor’s office of the Rosegarden mansion.

A small letter lay on Edwin Rosegarden’s desk.

“…What do you think?”

With a small sigh, Edwin asked the head maid for her opinion.

“Don’t you already know, Young Master, that the time has been delayed a lot?”

The head maid, as always, only stated the facts.

“The great master will also want to see Young Master Rio and Lady Lin.”

On the seal of the small letter, a rose and a lion were drawn.

That’s right.

The sender of the letter was none other than the western part of the Empire, Rosegarden Castle.

It was a letter from Edwin’s father-in-law, Lin’s maternal grandfather, and the lord of Rosegarden Castle, Count Richard von Rosegarden.

“Young Master Rio has already turned fifteen and become an adult, and Lady Lin has also turned fourteen after her birthday.”

“…That’s right.”

“Even setting aside their debut in high society, considering their upcoming admission to the academy, shouldn’t both the Young Master and the Young Lady return to the mainland to receive preparatory education before it’s too late?”

Edwin was quiet.

He knew it in his head, but the thought of having to part with his daughter again, who had just returned, made his lips unable to part.

Edwin, who could not leave his post due to his duties as governor.

Even the weekly visits by train to greet them were now impossible.

Above all, it was the common noble way of life to leave home after becoming an adult at fifteen.

Although the age of marriage had been somewhat delayed since the academy was established, it was still difficult to meet.

Even for the Rosegarden family, which has a system of matrilocal marriage, the story changes if the other party is an imperial prince.

Although the engagement was broken off by Michael, with the story already widespread throughout the empire, who would dare to send a marriage proposal to Lin?

Unless she eloped with some rootless bum from the streets, Lin and Michael’s marriage was already a foregone conclusion in Edwin’s eyes, and it was just a matter of adding a little more to the process.

In his true heart, his greatest wish was for her to remain pure by his side forever.

In other words, if he sent Lin to Rosegarden Castle this time, it would not only be very difficult to meet her, but even if they did, they would not be able to spend as much peaceful time as they do now.

“…Head Maid.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Prepare a ship to depart for the mainland.”

As if having made a decision, Edwin ordered a ship to be prepared to depart for the imperial mainland.

“And….”

Next, he ordered his eldest son, Leonard, who had already graduated from the academy, to be brought to him.

“Yes, Father.”

“Leonard.”

Leonard, who heard the message, stood before his father.

Edwin heavily handed a letter to his eldest son.

Upon seeing the family crest on the seal, he smiled as if he already understood everything.

As expected.

The handwriting he had anticipated seeped into Leonard’s eyes.

“Well, isn’t it about that time? It’s a shame, but the mansion will be lonely again.”

Unlike his father, who had been frowning heavily upon seeing the letter, Leonard’s reason not only beat down his emotions but completely knocked them out with one punch.

Of course, that didn’t mean he didn’t feel lonely at all.

“…You’re taking this much more skillfully than I thought.”

“Because it’s something I already expected. Isn’t it the same for you, Father?”

“I see….”

It wasn’t.

Unlike Leonard, Edwin did not want to part with his beloved daughter yet.

“Leonard.”

“Yes.”

“As of today, I appoint you as the Acting Governor-General.”

“……I’m sorry. Could you please say that again?”

“Leonard, from this moment on, I appoint you as the Acting Governor-General.”

Leonard’s usual smile faltered slightly.

He was still smiling with his eyes, but it was definitely broken.

Even he, who had never been flustered in his life, looked at the head maid as if demanding an explanation, wondering what on earth this was all about.

The head maid let out a short sigh and shook her head at her long-time young master’s childish behavior.

Fortunately, that was a sufficient answer.

No, it wasn’t fortunate.

Not at all.

“That’s right.”

“Don’t you have a bad relationship with your father-in-law?”

“That’s right.”

Edwin answered his eldest son’s question sharply.

Meanwhile, thanks to his father, Leonard felt the unfamiliar sensation of pinching the bridge of his nose for the first time in his life.

“…There’s a limit to being a doting daughter-dad.”

“I, too, strongly agree with Young Master Leonard’s opinion.”

How absurd Edwin’s decision must have been.

Even the head maid, who never interfered in conversations between her masters, was siding with Leonard and nodding her head.

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

And so.

Edwin, who had passed everything on to his capable eldest son, boarded the ship to the mainland with his young children.