The Marquis’s Son

Some time had passed since Lilu left.

The role of guarding Sirr, which Lilu originally handled, as well as looking after Sirr when Riel or I were busy, was taken over by Phyllis.

There’s no need to discuss Phyllis’s combat skills, and she was also quite adept at taking care of young children.

“Baa!”

“Yes, I’ve prepared it here, Lady Sirr.”

Sirr had graduated from being clingy to Riel, and perhaps because she had seen Phyllis many times before, she quickly adapted to her.

No, rather, Phyllis is so good at taking care of Sirr that lately I feel like she likes Phyllis more than me…

…It must be my imagination?

“Sirr.”

“Mmng?”

“…Does Sirr like daddy?”

“…What are you doing?”

Beside me, Riel was looking at me with a perplexed expression.

…I wonder why Riel’s eyes looking at me somehow seem like eyes looking at something pitiable.

“No, I’m just feeling a bit insecure.”

“…I think Sirr likes Kyo plenty… here, Sirr. Come here.”

“Maa!!”

As soon as Riel opened her arms, Sirr immediately ran to her and was embraced tightly.

…Does she really like me?

“From the start, Sirr doesn’t show any interest in boys at all. Considering that, Sirr is just…”

“Just?”

“Just a child who prefers mom over dad when asked whether she likes mom or dad more, that’s all I think.”

……

That’s hurtful in its own way.

“More importantly, could you help me with this? I don’t quite understand this part.”

“Ah, this is probably…”

Riel was wrestling with a textbook called ‘Advanced Tactical Theory’.

Although Riel and I currently study different majors, that doesn’t mean we don’t have common classes.

For example, this tactical theory is a class taken by almost all departments except commerce and technology.

And when it comes to tactical theory, I was somewhat confident, having learned it from my father since childhood until my ears were worn out.

…Well, I was missing the top spot in the department because I wasn’t getting good scores in other liberal arts subjects besides this kind.

“Hmm, I understand. It was good to ask you, Kyo.”

Riel nodded and smiled, then began wrestling with the textbook again.

Riel had entered the magic department and was recording the top position in the magic department with high scores in both practical and written exams.

While also doing physical training, she had gained enough stamina to complete running training until the end, though not as much as me or the knight order members.

I suddenly looked at Riel’s profile while taking a break from studying.

She was beautiful a year ago too, but she had a somewhat dark feel with slightly lifeless expression muscles, and being slightly thin and small made her look a bit younger than her peers.

But now the dark tone has completely disappeared, she’s grown taller over the year, and with an appropriate amount of weight, she’s grown very beautifully.

…No wonder there were even underclassmen boys who courted her without knowing she had a fiancé like me.

Well, such guys were naturally rejected flatly by Riel.

Me? Would I need to step in when Riel had already cut them off?

…No, it’s not that I never stepped in.

Among the new students, there was one from a high-ranking noble family.

Was it the Berngamot Marquis family? Anyway, he was the second son of a marquis family that boasted considerable wealth from successful trade.

The incident occurred a few months after enrollment. So it wasn’t that long ago even from now.

Anyway, at that time, Riel had entered the magic department and had become quite the center of attention after taking the top spot in the department’s midterm exams in the first semester.

Top of the department, third in overall grades. Her name was written at the top of the bulletin board where grades were posted, and she was also noteworthy enough as a duke’s daughter.

Of course, Carlena, who was also a duke’s daughter and ranked first overall, was there too, but while she received attention, she had an unapproachable atmosphere that made it difficult for men to approach her.

In contrast, Riel had a very warm attitude toward others and an approachable atmosphere.

Additionally, her appealing appearance, which had grown more attractive over time, added to this.

Then the problematic second son of the marquis family, who had become the subject of attention, went with his followers to see Riel, and fell in love with her at first sight.

According to Emilia, who was with her at the time, this guy immediately walked up to Riel, revealed his status, and courted her.

Naturally, Riel flatly rejected his courtship.

“I refuse.”

At the time, Riel had plans to meet Aria and Feris, so she was hurriedly packing up to leave the classroom when this strange guy said something incomprehensible, so she roughly rejected him and left, she said.

As an aside, there was a story that the magic department students all knew that I was Riel’s fiancé, so they looked at the marquis’s son with strange eyes.

Anyway, it would have ended with Riel’s rejection… if that were the end, there would be no reason to explain it in such detail.

This marquis’s son, not expecting to be rejected, became very angry after Riel left the classroom, and one of his followers explained that Riel was the second daughter of a duke family and already had a fiancé.

But this crazy guy said it was even better that she was a duke’s daughter, and regarding the fact that she had a fiancé, he said it was even better because he could just steal her… according to a magic department student who was in the classroom at the time.

…Thinking about it, he’s really crazy.

Anyway, the followers desperately tried to dissuade him from making a big issue, mentioning that her fiancé was attending the martial arts department of the same academy and was the eldest son of a count family.

I heard later that this second son of the marquis family had caused problems in social circles several times before coming to the academy and had been warned by his father, the marquis, multiple times.

…I feel sorry for the followers who had to restrain him.

Well, even though the followers tried to stop him, this guy, whose eyes had already gone crazy, continued to pester Riel several times after that.

Whether Riel was in the classroom, having tea with friends, or returning to the dormitory, he was always there.

Because he pestered her so much, Riel always had to leave Sirr with Lilu whenever she was outside the dormitory at that time.

No matter how much Riel rejected him saying she had a fiancé, pushed him away, and finally yelled, this guy wouldn’t give up.

Eventually, Emilia, who couldn’t stand it anymore, got angry.

“Could you stop it already! Why do you keep bothering her when Riel says she doesn’t like you?!”

When Emilia frowned and got angry, the marquis’s son’s expression turned grim, and he got angry instead.

“How dare a filthy and disgusting demi-human like you tell me what to do?”

Slap!

Finally, Riel, who was furious at this attitude that insulted her friend, slapped the marquis’s son’s face right there.

It must have been quite forceful, as the marquis’s son, whose head turned and nose bled, didn’t understand what had happened to him.

Then, after understanding the situation, his face turned bright red with anger, and he even tried to draw the sword at his waist.

…Naturally, thanks to the followers around him who threw themselves in to stop him, he didn’t actually draw his sword.

At the word that touching a duke’s daughter would really cause a big problem, he eventually took his hand off the sword he was trying to draw and left.

And that day, Riel told me everything that had happened.

Of course, I got a little angry, asking why she hadn’t told me about this until now.

…Well, Riel said she thought it would end with just a rejection as usual.

She thought he was a bit persistent, but didn’t expect him to be this obsessive.

Anyway, I advised her to let me know immediately if something like that happened again.

…But, that advice wasn’t necessary.

Ironically, there was no need to inform me, as this marquis’s son changed his target from Riel to me.

“Hey, you there.”

Turning around at the sudden call, I saw an unfamiliar guy glaring at me with several others behind him.

More than that, judging by his emblem, isn’t this guy an underclassman?

“Yes, you.”

“…Who are you? And it doesn’t look good to speak informally to an upperclassman within the academy.”

“Hmph, that’s none of my business.”

What’s with this guy?

With platinum blonde hair grown long and narrowed blue eyes, he had an atmosphere that screamed “I’m an unpleasant fellow” just by looking at him.

“Are you Kyo Wentos?”

“I am.”

“Ha, looking at you, you’re a pathetic and shabby man.”

What? Why is he picking a fight from the start?

And I prided myself on having decent muscles and a fairly good build.

If I’m shabby, are truly shabby kids just bones?

Anyway, feeling bad, my expression naturally turned grim.

“Who are you?”

“Ha, you should watch your language. I am Roy Berngamot, the second son of the Berngamot Marquis family.”

“Marquis?”

With those words, I could tell that this bastard was the one who had been pestering Riel.

Anger and killing intent boiled up, but hiding it, I looked at him with an expressionless face.

“So, what business does the marquis’s second son have with me?”

I glanced at the guy and his minions around him.

The guy was smiling arrogantly, but the minions around him were absolutely restless and their faces had turned pale blue.

“R-Roy, I really think you should stop this.”

“If the marquis finds out about this, we’re really in trouble.”

See that, they’re earnestly trying to stop him.

“Hmph, you lot are needlessly cowardly. Do you think my father would care about me teaching a mere count’s son a lesson?”

…So finally the words about teaching a lesson come out of his mouth. That guy.

“Did I hear wrong? Who’s going to teach whom a lesson?”

“Are you deaf? I said I’m going to teach you a lesson.”

As if there was nothing to be concerned about anymore, the guy drew his sword from his waist.

It was a decorative sword with a decent blade, perhaps made by a somewhat reputable craftsman.

Well, since he’s drawn his sword, there’s no reason for me to hold back.

“Well, I don’t mind. I was just thinking I wanted to teach you a lesson too.”

When things got to this point, two of the three restless followers also reluctantly drew their swords.

One case was a bit different, though.

“D-damn it, I’m out of this!!”

He ran away.

When he fled, the remaining three people had slightly dumbfounded expressions, but the marquis’s son quickly sneered.

“Hmph, the result won’t change even without such an incompetent fellow.”

Well, that’s right. The result won’t change.

Whether it’s three guys or four guys, I’ll knock them all down.

“You dare hit on Riel? You’re dead, you bastard!!”

Without even needing to draw my sword.

Well, that was a few months ago.

Later, Riel came running, perhaps having heard about the situation, so I quickly cleaned up the scene and went on a date with Riel that day.

Hmm, come to think of it, it’s been quite a while since we went on a date.

Maybe I should suggest one after this exam is over.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing, I just thought Riel is really beautiful.”

“Wh…what??”

Riel, with a red face, was flustered.

Hmm, it seems she’s still not used to compliments.

You’re wondering what happened to that marquis’s second son?

The very next day, after the pale-faced Marquis Berngamot rushed to the academy, that marquis’s son disappeared from the academy.

Isn’t that fact alone sufficient?