episode_0157

“William, what did you do behind my back?”

“I didn’t do anything. I’ve barely seen the Countess since Your Majesty’s birthday event.”

Even if I tried to force a connection, all I could come up with was hearing simple news through other people.

Even that was a rumor that she was praising me.

I’ve already heard enough praise and thanks to burst, so I couldn’t understand why I needed to hear more.

“Count Tigris, and Countess, I sincerely congratulate you on finally bearing fruit… but, what exactly did I do to receive such gratitude?”

“After receiving the clothes from you, I felt different in both body and mind, and then I suddenly became pregnant. Even the hellish period of reproduction for a demihuman passed in just one day? It was like magic.”

That damn magic…

I don’t know why they keep mentioning magic when they just worked hard at night and had a baby.

The fact that I can’t use magic is secondary, and there’s no such magic in the first place.

I’ve thought this before, but if there was a pregnancy-boosting outfit, I would have patented it and monopolized it first.

How many wives are anxiously trying to get pregnant even a little faster.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, my clothes don’t have that kind of function. It’s just a coincidence, and your good relationship is thanks to your efforts, not mine.”

“Even so, you provided a turning point in our marital relationship, so how can we say you did nothing?”

“… I don’t know what to do with myself when you think of me that way.”

It felt like they had already decided on an answer and were forcing me to respond, so I just smiled awkwardly and nodded.

The first child in five years.

They must be so happy that everything in the world feels beautiful.

“We received help from Duke Howard that is worth more than a billion gold, so it would be shameful to offer only words of gratitude.”

“No, not at all.”

Seeing the Count and Countess about to bring up the topic of a reward with benevolent smiles, I stopped them with a serious expression.

I already received plenty of money when I made the clothes, and they enthusiastically promoted the atelier for a whole month, so what reward?

I thought I was going to die from the explosion of work because of this, but if anything else comes in here, I’ll really die.

“I’ve already received enough of a reward.”

“No, we are Tigris, the pinnacle of demihumans, and our tribe and family’s pride won’t allow us to call that much a reward.”

“Thanks to you, so much has changed, wouldn’t it be shameful not to express our gratitude?”

“It’s really enough.”

“Here, please accept it.”

I eventually failed to stop Count Tigris from taking something out of his pocket.

These crazy, stubborn people have no intention of listening, so it’s useless to say anything…

“Oh… really, it’s okay…”

If a gift appeared right in front of my eyes, refusing any further would be a serious discourtesy.

I made a groaning sound and received the small box on Count Tigris’s palm.

“There’s nothing else besides this, right…?”

“If you want, I can get it for you.”

“No, if there was more, I was going to run away from here immediately, regardless of courtesy.”

“Haha! That’s why I prepared something as small but precious as possible.”

“That’s a relief.”

Since it’s a box smaller than my palm, it’s probably a jewel or an accessory.

“So, what kind of gift is it… Oh.”

What was in the box that I opened with a somewhat relieved heart was a small ring.

But.

I noticed a strange drawing inside the jewel.

“Hoo…”

I wondered if there was something wrong with my eyes, so I glanced at Elizabeth, and she also let out a low exclamation and examined the ring with a curious expression.

I immediately looked at the Count and Countess with a bewildered expression and said.

“No, why would you give a ring with the family crest engraved on it as a gift for something like this?”

“Isn’t it rather appropriate? It shows the best sincerity, and the value of the gift changes depending on how Duke Howard uses it.”

“Oh, come on…”

I would have preferred gold and silver treasures.

Treatment equivalent to a member of the Tigris family.

The value and meaning contained in the ring are too heavy.

It’s so burdensome that I’m going crazy.

“Thank you, but I’m never going to use this? I’m just going to keep it very preciously. Don’t push me to use it later?”

“That’s Duke Howard’s freedom, but please be aware that if you cherish it too much and don’t use it, we also have the freedom not to stand still.”

“……”

Damn it…

__

“Hoo…”

“Can you stop sighing and cheer up?”

After finishing all the events commemorating His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday, as soon as we left the Imperial Palace and got into the carriage, I saw my husband’s gloomy expression.

“It doesn’t change the fact that you were pushed aside by an 18-year-old kid and lost His Majesty’s attention.”

I was already annoyed to death because he kept complaining about being pushed aside by Baron Howard throughout the event, but he still has a gloomy face on the way home, so I wanted to punch him in the head.

“Honey, I’m already upset, do you have to say it like that?”

“Well, who told you to be pushed aside by a kid who hasn’t even dried his ink yet? From the moment the decades of loyalty you gave as Marquis Illy were pushed aside by a pretty-faced kid’s few months, I won’t be nice.”

“……”

Whether he was upset or not, she didn’t stop nagging until the end, so her husband glared at her with a displeased expression.

“What are you looking at me with those eyes for?”

“Tsk…”

But without avoiding that gaze, she glared back sharply, and her husband clicked his tongue and slightly avoided her gaze.

“… So, did you learn anything from talking to him?”

“Not really, other than that he’s a bit unique, he’s just an ordinary and immature young nobleman. He can’t hide his expressions properly, and his eyes are so transparent that you can easily see what he’s thinking.”

“That can’t be, he was even having a war of nerves with the Count, there’s no way he’s that simple, it must be acting.”

“Well… you should have seen the Baron’s eyes.”

As soon as he heard the question about the tie, his eyes sparkled like the Milky Way in the night sky and he was purely happy, if you showed that to 100, no, 10,000 people and asked, ‘Is that acting?’ everyone would shake their heads.

It’s difficult even for high-ranking nobles who have been rotten in the political world for decades to kindly explain to someone they were glaring at fiercely just a moment ago.

But a teenage boy is doing that? A shy and gloomy teenage boy who had been active in the social scene as a backwater until before that?

It’s ridiculous.

Even if it’s acting, it’s polite to be fooled once.

Because I can’t even imagine how much effort a young nobleman who hasn’t even become an adult has put in for that acting.

Because I can’t even fathom how much bone-cutting practice he had to deceive even himself.

No matter how much talent is given by heaven, it’s not something a teenage boy can do.

“I don’t know if we really need to bother that boy, wouldn’t it be better to check other big shots?”

“Well, that’s because His Majesty the Emperor chose that boy as a blade. You saw His Majesty’s appearance today, didn’t you?”

“Hmm…”

Her husband felt sure that Baron Howard was the Emperor’s new blade, but unlike her husband, she was still doubtful.

It’s true that His Majesty the Emperor cherishes that boy, but there was affection mixed in his eyes, which was different from treating him as a tool.

If I were to guess with the sense of a woman and the mother of three children, His Majesty the Emperor’s current appearance is most similar to ‘a mother-in-law looking at a lucky son-in-law.’

If that guess is correct, he will obviously keep him in his arms until the end unless the Baron commits a crime equivalent to treason.

So I think it’s better to bother other big shots than the Baron, but…

“Are you doing that because of your pride?”

“Do I look like such a petty person?”

“A little.”

“Hmph, think as you please.”

“Of course.”

There was no way her husband, blinded by jealousy, would listen to that.

Her husband is jealous of a child who is closer to his grandson than his son.

It was too pathetic.

“… It’s not accurate, but I did hear Baron Howard having a suspicious conversation.”

However, she didn’t like Baron Howard’s actions either, so she didn’t feel like stopping her husband.

He is achieving rapid success at a young age, so it is necessary to press his nose once before he becomes too arrogant.

Of the stories she had heard while hovering around him all day, she recalled the ones that were useful.

“Suspicious conversation? What was it about?”

“It was when he was talking to the Count and Countess Tigris… they were talking about things like breeding and magic.”

“Breeding… magic?”

“Yes, and Countess Tigris has been acting like a different person recently, and Tigris was especially submissive during the conversation this time, even gifting Baron Howard something that looked like a ring.”

“Hmm…”

Each and every action smelled fishy.

That the proud Tigris was being submissive to the feeble Baron Howard.

And that Tigris was giving a gift.

Also, the words magic and breeding, which are difficult to come out in the same conversation.

“It’s suspicious… but it doesn’t seem enough with that.”

“Right?”

It’s probably not the case with a high probability, but.

Even if Baron Howard is not familiar with politics or socializing, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to say strange things in front of others.

Princess Victoria was also by his side, so he wouldn’t make such a mistake even more.

“But it seems good enough to slander him.”

“Magic, breeding… I’ve heard rumors that the Baron is also associating with witches these days?”

“There has actually been some exchange.”

“The church would really like that, right?”

“I heard that the Cardinal of the Empire is watching his actions…”

“Oh my… that’s a scary story.”

Witch, breeding, magic, church, and the dispute with Marquis a few months ago.

If you can properly mix some truth and some lies, it’s the perfect ingredient for creating a pretty troublesome rumor.

“Then when would be a good time?”

“Next month would be good, wouldn’t it be a time when the Hume family is in turmoil in many ways.”

“You’re giving Earl Hume a really rare birthday gift.”

“Precious items are boring now.”

“Hehe~ That’s right, it would be good to give a special gift now, Earl Hume would like it, right?”

“I don’t know if he’ll like it, but I can picture him dying of happiness.”

“Then that’s fine.”

What kind of expressions will the Count and Countess make when they see their child in trouble on their birthday?

I feel a little sorry for pushing a teenage boy into a harsh path to see that…

Politics don’t forgive you just because you’re young.

If you wanted a peaceful life, you shouldn’t have gotten involved in this game.