episode_0431

“That’s something the Viscount doesn’t need to worry about. And I will protect Mother.”

“Alright, if you say so, I won’t worry anymore. But remember, I may be your biological father, so if you ever need help, ask me once. Remember that.”

Watching Viscount Hutton pretend to worry about his child, I chuckled and muttered under my breath.

“What can you do if I ask for help?”

Suddenly-

Viscount Hutton’s fierce gaze seemed like it could pierce right through my face.

His gaze seemed capable of murder, but Viscount Hutton didn’t show any violent behavior.

However, it seemed uncomfortable for Françoise as she stood in front of me, blocking my view.

“Please leave. Now.”

If the cause of danger to Miss Négyi was himself, what help could he possibly offer?

‘If he gets angry, let him try something.’

With that sentiment in mind, I watched as Françoise tried to send Viscount Hutton away again.

It seemed like she wanted to prevent a clash between the two of us.

Whether Viscount Hutton felt it too, he tried to be brave but suppressed his anger.

“You’ll regret today’s events. I wonder what face you’ll be wearing later.”

The last words he left were a common and childish threat.

Of course, his warning didn’t scare me at all.

Even if he tried to do something malicious, all he could do was inform his wife about their existence, right?

Furthermore.

– Are you going to chase after him again?

Daemon, who was providing valuable information, asked me, and I nodded.

I was in the middle of hearing everything about what the Viscount was up to through Daemon.

If he returned boldly, he would likely make a sudden move from now on.

“Oh. Stick close and don’t lose him. He’s definitely up to something suspicious.”

– Got it. But I didn’t mention earlier, he added another woman. A woman who looks similar to Négyi.

“Son of a b****.”

“What’s wrong?”

Having heard Daemon’s blunt information, I furrowed my brow in disgust.

Françoise looked puzzled by my curse, but Daemon didn’t reveal the information he had provided.

“Just feeling disgusted because of him.”

After gesturing for Daemon to leave for information, I looked at Françoise.

“When did you start eavesdropping? Where did you hear it from?”

“Since you promised to introduce me to that man.”

You really stepped on a mine, sir.

“If that’s the case, you must have heard everything important.”

“Yes. I understand completely. Since he might threaten Mother, our relationship might not just flow naturally, it might turn into an enemy.”

“He probably won’t take action himself. He’ll probably use his wife’s hands.”

“I’m not sure how to handle that person.”

“The situation is quite delicate.”

When it came to the Viscount’s wife, Françoise’s expression became strange.

Although she had malicious intentions towards Négyi and Françoise, she was also a victim, so Françoise was unsure how to act towards her.

‘I wonder if they’ve identified any weaknesses in the wife through intelligence.’

I should go to the intelligence office to find out how far things have progressed.

I had asked for information on their weaknesses to confront Viscount Hutton, but the intelligence office had said it would take some time.

“Sir.”

“Yes.”

“I have a favor to ask regarding Mother. I can’t help but worry.”

“Of course. Don’t worry.”

Françoise, who had to return to the army soon, asked me to ensure Négyi’s safety once again.

For the time being, I planned to prioritize her safety.

“It seems like Négyi will have to face Viscount Hutton’s wife to be completely safe.”

“Yes.”

“Before that, I want to find out their weaknesses first and start from there. Unless it’s a situation where I don’t suffer any losses, I can’t give up.”

To keep someone who is a thorn in my side alive, I need to have a clear weakness.

“I’m not sure if it’s right to leave all the work to the gentleman. I’ll let the church know, so if they need someone, please let me know.”

“Oh, by the way, I forgot about those guys who insulted you. Do you know what they’re up to?”

“Oh, those guys? Why do you ask?”

“I was about to say something to them.”

The reunion happened faster than expected because those guys blabbed about Mr. Negi’s existence to Fran.

Of course, since the outcome was good, I could just let it go, but the fact that they came looking for me personally couldn’t be overlooked.

“I already know what those guys did, so I took care of it.”

“You already did?”

I thought maybe he was trying to protect his church member, but…

“Looking at his face, it’s not him.”

It seemed like he had already taken care of it to the point where I didn’t need to intervene.

“Do I not need to worry about it?”

“No. I should have apologized for that part, but I forgot. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. Why apologize when it’s not your fault?”

“Because they’re from our church. And because of me, they came looking for you. It must have been uncomfortable for you. I’ll be careful not to let that happen again.”

“I’ll say it again, you don’t need to apologize, and as long as you prevent a recurrence, it should be fine. It’s unreasonable for church members to meddle in your personal life.”

“Right.”

“If you don’t handle this part clearly and just pass over it, it will be more troublesome later.”

I was worried that Fran, despite being capable, might have punished them lightly out of concern, but Fran seemed to reassure me that there was no need to worry.

“I won’t cause any trouble for the gentleman. I punished those people strongly to set an example.”

“Is that so?”

Fran saying this meant that he really did punish them severely.

I was curious about what kind of punishment they were receiving, but seeing his smiling face, I thought it would be better not to ask for details.

“Sometimes when he smiles like that, it feels like he’s hiding something.”

I knew Fran could be a bit strange at times, but as the leader of a cult, I thought it was inevitable.

※ ※ ※

I didn’t tell Negi about the viscount visiting the general store.

Fran seemed to agree with me and didn’t mention it to Negi.

“Take care. I’ll visit again when I have time off.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry about me, take care of yourself. I’m worried about you.”

As a commoner, he had always thought of the lives of nobles who fought monsters as someone else’s business, but now that his daughter had enlisted and was in a position where she had to kill monsters, he was very worried.

Not knowing exactly what it meant to hunt monsters, he felt a vague fear.

“I specialize in healing, so there’s hardly any danger.”

When it comes to hunting boss monsters, it’s not completely safe.

But it seemed better to hide the harsh truth for Negi’s mental well-being.

“Yes. It’s much safer because I specialize in healing.”

“I heard it’s still very dangerous though…”

In the end, Negi shed tears when parting with Fran.

Fran also didn’t want to leave her mother’s side.

But returning to the military was an unavoidable duty.

When Fran finally left to return to the military, Negi seemed melancholic, unable to smile sincerely while working.

Although it was only a few short days, it seemed like the bond between father and daughter had deepened.

“I’ll come back, so please don’t be too sad.”

“Yes. I’ll do that. Thank you, sir.”

Negeesee needed some comforting, so I fed her some delicious food and we spent some time outside to change the mood.

“Are you spending too much time with me?”

“I enjoy spending time with you, it keeps me from feeling lonely. Is it inconvenient for you to be with me?”

“No, I’m really enjoying it right now. But I feel like you’re taking time out of your busy schedule just to accompany me.”

“I’ll get busy soon, but not yet.”

I received information that Damon has not yet taken action, and Information Sang, who is in charge of investigating my wife, suggested that giving him more time might yield good results.

So, for now, I can just run a small miscellaneous shop and take a break.

To make progress, I needed to wait quietly, and now was the moment.

Of course, unlike the quiet miscellaneous shop, the outside world was bustling and busy.

“They’ve set a date for the coronation of the Crown Princess.”

As customers started coming into the shop, I could hear their conversations and learn about the current political situation.

Negeesee seemed to find it amusing.

Listening to the conversations of the customers and sharing the information heard at mealtime, Negeesee chattered away.

“Do you want to go to the Crown Princess’s coronation?”

“Huh? No. I have to watch the shop. It’s far to go there, all the way to the capital.”

“You can come back quickly.”

“Even if it’s quick, I can’t close the shop for a few days.”

It was unavoidable.

Apart from the time spent traveling back and forth, don’t we need time to eat and have fun?

“Go by yourself, sir.”

Seeing my expression, Negeesee understood and said.

Of course, I had planned to take Negeesee with me to the Crown Princess’s coronation, so I was taken aback by the refusal, hesitated for a moment, and then made a decision.

“I can’t leave Negeesee here alone.”

“Why?”

“Who will take care of Negeesee? Damon is not here right now, how can I leave Negeesee alone?”

Damon had to watch over the Marquis of Hutton, so I had to stay by her side.

“Even so, it’s unreasonable for me to miss such an event because of you! It’s a place where even those who want to go can’t go.”

“It’s not that serious.”

“It is that serious. If I’m worried, why don’t I ask the people Fran mentioned for help?”

To receive protection from the people of the clergy?