episode_0033

Why did I forget about it?

When you think of hot springs, there should naturally be guys.

Perhaps I was too excited about going on a date with Luna.

My careless judgment brought about a headache.

“Boss?”

“Boss?!”

“Boss!!”

Following the bald guy who first spotted me, the two fools and soon-to-be fool echoed the boss’s theme.

They ran towards me and stood side by side.

Their expressions were so intense that one might mistake this for going to war instead of selling hot springs.

I understand why they’re acting like this. Being with Luna, they probably want to show something off.

I agree that it’s cool to be admired by subordinates.

I’ve even thought about becoming an imposing person who commands respect just by showing up.

But right now, I can’t stand it. It’s counterproductive to be addressed as “boss.”

“Luna….”

I turned my head away from their serious gaze.

Luna stood by my side as if nothing was wrong.

But oddly enough, that worried me. I couldn’t read any emotion behind her poker face.

Just thinking that she might be disappointed made me feel dizzy.

That aside, why is Gaius joining them in their actions? Should I say I’ve shot myself in the foot by trusting him?

I saw signs of this before, but realizing that he’s truly an idiot made me sigh.

“Y-you two look really good together! Even though conversation might be difficult….”

Galen opened his mouth as if trying to somehow salvage the ruined atmosphere.

But it backfired. Even if it might be true, it was not something to say out loud.

The air grew heavy, and a chilling silence descended.

Galen, realizing his mistake, turned pale.

“Oh, um, that! I misspoke for a moment….”

He tried to make excuses belatedly, but before his words were even finished, Gaius’s fist flew.

Considering he had devoted his whole life to making magic tools, his punch was quite formidable.

“Ugh!”

The fist struck Galen’s face accurately, and he tumbled to the ground.

It wasn’t particularly surprising to me. It was something I had seen from a fool in my younger days.

But perhaps it was somewhat provocative to Luna, as she grabbed the hem of my clothes and subtly hid behind me.

Her action seemed to melt away the discomfort I had felt just moments before.

“Master, I apologize.”

Gaius straightened his attire and bowed his head.

One might say he was quite quick on the uptake. From striking first before I could retaliate, to changing his address to “Master,” it was all perfectly calculated.

It sent shivers down my spine, if anything.

“Alright, let’s stop before the atmosphere gets any more hostile.”

“Yes, understood.”

There had been a slight incident, but for now, they were the ones following me.

It would be good to introduce them, as we may come across each other frequently in the future.

It might even be helpful to Luna in times of trouble.

I still held Luna’s hand that gripped my clothes.

Turning to face her, I smiled at her.

I hoped this would put her at ease, even just a little.

“Luna, these are the ones who follow me. I will apologize in place of them for their rudeness earlier.”

As I attempted to bow, Luna shook her head from side to side.

Whether she was saying it was alright for my dignity’s sake, or because such words were too familiar to hurt her, I couldn’t tell.

Given Luna’s actions so far, it seemed more likely to be the latter, and a sense of relief washed over me.

“Shall we exchange greetings for a moment then? Or, there’s no need to force yourself if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Luna took out a pen from her pocket. It must have meant it was okay to exchange greetings.

So, I called them over and had them greet Luna.

Bain, Galen, and Richard.

The three who had followed me since my foolish days greeted her first, and Luna graciously accepted their gestures.

And she also graciously overlooked Galen’s earlier rudeness.

It was finally Gaius’s turn to greet Luna.

He approached her and respectfully bowed his head.

“Gaius, the faithful servant of Sir Albert, greets Lady Luna.”

When did he prepare such words? He felt both amused and embarrassed, wanting to hide somewhere.

Accepting his greeting with a slight bow of her head, Luna moved her pen.

A blue line appeared in the air.

“Pleased to meet you.”

“It is an honor to meet you. However, my expectations were correct.”

“What expectations are you referring to?”

“The pen you are using. I dared to guess that it might be a gift from Sir Albert due to his dedication. It seems I guessed right.”

“This, from Sir Albert…?”

“Yes, as he burns the midnight oil every night…”

I hastily interrupted Gaius.

What on earth is he trying to say?

I had hidden it, fearing Luna might feel burdened, but now it seemed all in vain.

The damage was done and irreparable.

Luna, who had been quietly gazing at the pen, turned to me and our eyes met.

“Is that so? That Sir Albert made it with effort.”

“Yes…”

Her dry expression made me more uneasy than ever.

Reading one’s interlocutor is a basic skill for a noble, but her expression made it impossible.

With little confidence, I extended my words, but Luna simply nodded in gratitude.

“I will cherish it dearly.”

“No, it was made not just to be cherished, but to be used as desired. So, if you use it comfortably, that will satisfy me.”

“If so, I will use it according to Sir’s wishes.”

“Yes, that will do.”

As I wiped my surprised heart, thinking the conversation had ended smoothly, I glanced at Gaius.

But he was not giving me a light nod as expected. Instead, he was offering me a faint smile, as if he had foreseen all this.

Truly, the more you know, the less you understand about a man.

Anyway, all the greetings must be over now. It was time to continue with the original plan.

“Well then, shall we go?”

We began to look around the place where hot spring development is in full swing.

Just as the original plan was for an inspection, I also received a progress report from the person in charge, Viscount Arus, and offered some brief advice.

Overall, it could be said that it was excellent.

When you do hard work, the atmosphere tends to easily become cloudy, but I didn’t get that feeling anywhere.

However, it was not slow in progress, which was more than enough.

“Thanks to the efforts of the viscount, it seems that we will see good results.”

“Exaggerated words, it’s truly an honor. However, as you have informed, I have only followed what you advised. The advice you gave, Master, was really very helpful.”

“I’m glad it could be helpful.”

It was truly a great fortune to have such an excellent retainer in the family.

If it weren’t for him, the family would surely have been ruined long ago.

I hope he remains healthy and lives a long life as a retainer of our family, even until our children grow up.

It might be a little long, but it was a duty that couldn’t easily let go of a good talent.

As Viscount Arus and I were having a conversation, his gaze turned towards Luna.

“I wonder how the princess was. Perhaps, could you share your opinion?”

[It seems unlikely that I can provide a satisfactory answer as I don’t have any knowledge in this area.]

“It’s okay. How many people from the empire would know about hot springs in detail? Master Albert is special, isn’t he? Moreover, those who visit the hot springs are surely no different from the princess. That’s why I want to hear your opinion even more.”

[In that case….]

After that, constructive conversations took place between Viscount Arus, me, and Luna.

Certainly, I may have said that I didn’t know anything about hot springs, but Luna accurately pointed out the parts I had missed.

It’s truly surprising to see that. It reminded me of old times and made me miss them.

By the time the conversation was coming to a close, he asked, “Do you have any plans after this?”

“There’s nothing set in stone.”

“If you do, how about enjoying it for a moment?”

Enjoy what?

As she thought that, Arus, the viscount, continued with a meaningful smile.

“I’ve prepared a space where you can dip your feet lightly. Since the princess seems to quite like the hot spring, it wouldn’t be bad, right?”

Dip her feet…?

Seeing Luna’s bare feet…?

Just the thought made her dizzy.