Dinner Invitation
"Um... Lord Kael. When will I see you again after you leave today?"
In front of Christian's villa, a blonde beauty barely reaching chest height clasped her hands tightly and asked.
Isabel Grayport.
The youngest daughter of the military family guarding the capital's southern gate, and the so-called "enforcer" of the commoner discipline squad at the academy. She stood before me with an unmistakably lovestruck expression, twisting her body shyly.
Chris, standing beside her, made a disgusted face as if he couldn't bear to watch any longer.
"Ugh. Isabel, just act like you normally do. You're making me sick~"
"......"
"No matter how much you pretend to be proper, I've already seen your real self. It's useless. You might as well give up on big brother cleanly—"
"Oh? Since you've seen my real self so well, you must know exactly what happens when you get beaten like a dog right here, right?"
"H-Huh?"
She hit him immediately.
The little brat was asking for it.
Chris got thoroughly beaten by a woman five years younger than him before fleeing into the distance. He'd probably get hit even more after I left.
My condolences, Chris.
"Isabel."
"Y-Yes?"
"A lady shouldn't be so rough."
When I gently patted her head while scolding her, her ears flushed red with embarrassment at having shown such an unladylike side.
Her expression soon turned to one of self-reproach, as if wondering why she'd acted that way.
In front of others she was a delinquent, but before me she became a proper lady... something like that?
How adorable.
"Well, this side of you is plenty charming too."
Isabel's face lit up.
After quickly checking left and right to confirm no one was around, she threw herself into my arms.
"Where are you staying? If you don't have a place..."
"Ah. I'm currently staying at Princess Reina's villa."
"Eh? Why?"
She looked puzzled. Staying at the third princess's villa during summer vacation could easily be interpreted as following her. Of course, that only applied if there was no prior connection.
'She still doesn't know anything about me.'
— Makes sense. From everything you've told me so far, the Cranberry family is a nobody house. And you're just a cleaning lady-level instructor, right? No reason for her to care.
'True enough.'
It was understandable.
I explained right away.
"I'm the Practical Magic instructor. Princess Reina is the professor for that subject."
"Ah..."
She nodded in understanding for a moment, then narrowed her eyes suspiciously, studying me carefully.
"Don't tell me... the lover you mentioned earlier isn't her, is it?"
Women really did have good instincts.
I gave her a gentle smile and ended the conversation there.
"Shh. Be careful with that kind of talk. It could be seen as insulting the imperial family."
"Ugh..."
She closed her mouth tightly, but her doubtful gaze remained.
I waved once and slowly made my way back to my lodging.
* * *
A woman wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat strolled along the beach as the sun slowly set. Her deep navy hair swayed in the occasional breeze. Her smiling eyes gradually returned to their normal shape. Then she grinned.
"I'm looking forward to it. I wonder how strong he'll be...!"
* * *
"Then I'll be off. Tanya, you should rest."
"Yes, understood."
The second day in Florian territory.
Having received an invitation from the lord, the princess, the public princess, and I dressed up and boarded the carriage. However, Tanya's face as she came to see us off looked completely miserable.
It was because Aria, who had been in charge of her healing lately, was sulking and refusing to play with her.
Tanya's gaze shifted slightly.
At the end of her line of sight, a cute black-furred creature meowed and greeted me.
"I'll be back, Aria!"
Take good care of things while I'm gone.
When I winked and waved, she let out a long "Nyaa~ong" as if to say not to worry.
'Will this really work?'
— Don't worry. My plan is perfect!
Beres's plan was to have Aria work on Tanya. By having Aria keep playing hard to get, then having me step in at the critical moment to reconcile them, we'd build both trust and goodwill.
— Depending on how well things go today, whether you can have her tomorrow or not will be decided. Well, it's just a matter of timing anyway. You'll definitely get to eat her, so don't worry~
'Got it.'
Seeing how confident Beres was, I figured there was no need to worry.
I just needed to enjoy imagining planting my child in that married woman's belly every time I saw her face.
"Then let's depart!"
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
As the carriage moved forward, the princess checked her outfit once more. She seemed a little nervous.
"Is this your first time?"
"Not at all. But after my younger sister was born... I was never invited even once."
In other words, since she was no longer useful, they'd cut ties. The lord seemed surprisingly pragmatic.
Count Florian.
Given that he managed trade with other races and the port, he was the most powerful noble in the south. His influence was considerable. In the second prince's faction, he ranked just below Renatri—essentially number three.
That was why he could afford to ignore a visit from the worthless third princess to his territory.
That made me curious... what about Bella?
"What about you, Lady Bella?"
"I've never been invited in the first place~"
Bella spoke while swinging her crossed legs. Then, as if the dress was uncomfortable, she kept adjusting the fabric around her chest, back, and sides.
"Why is that? You're from the Hardrens family. They wouldn't dare neglect you."
That was true. Hardrens was the core of the second prince's faction—number one. Count Florian, also part of the same faction, wouldn't ignore the daughter of a much higher-ranking house.
But her position within her own family seemed worse than expected.
Bella shrugged with both arms raised.
"Well, I'm the unwanted child, after all~"
"I... see."
So the fact that both the princess and the public princess received invitations was thanks to Linnell. Of course, Princess Reina's value had risen recently as well...
Perhaps because of that, neither woman looked particularly happy.
Seeing their expressions made my own mood sour.
"Should we just ditch it?"
"What... do you mean?"
"Let's skip it and just have dinner by ourselves."
Bella's face brightened as she agreed enthusiastically. She seemed very excited at the prospect of the three of us going alone.
"Great! Let's do that!"
But the princess was still the princess.
Even if she was simple, she understood basic etiquette and firmly refused.
"We cannot. If we did that, both Renatri and Hardrens would become laughingstocks."
And the ones who would have to endure the damage were the princess and the public princess themselves.
At least her fundamentals were solid.
If only she had a bit more tact... what a shame.
— You're telling me.
Bella pouted and tried to tempt the princess, but it didn't work at all.
Eventually, we arrived at the Florian mansion.
As expected of the largest family in the south, the mansion was enormous. It was so large that one might wonder whether it was truly a single family's residence or if it was connected to the territory's park.
While the grandeur of the family was palpable, it didn't feel repulsive or threatening. The walls were low, and the designs weren't overly ornate. As if preserving the long history of the estate, weathered stones here and there gave it a familiar feel.
"Then how about we just eat and leave!"
After thirty minutes of the public princess's whining, the princess finally surrendered with both hands raised.
"Fine. Let's do that..."
"Yes!"
Bella clenched her fists in triumph.
We followed the butler who had come to greet us and entered the mansion.
However...
'This is... rather inconvenient.'
Both women had asked to be escorted, so I had to walk between them with both arms raised like a scale.
Couldn't they just hold their own skirts and walk without an escort?
— Don't complain when you're full. I'm the one who's sad because no one wants to hold my hand... Where's my big sister? My big sister would hold my hand~
The moment those words ended, Linnell appeared.
She wore a very distinctive southern-style dress that accentuated her figure. Her shoulders and legs were exposed, and even the covered parts were made of sheer mesh that would reveal her skin if you looked closely.
Perhaps because of that, every time her pale thighs peeked through the fabric, my gaze naturally drifted toward them.
"Welcome, Princess Reina. And Lady Hardrens. And finally, Baron Kael...♥"
When she winked at me, veins seemed to bulge on both the princess's and the public princess's foreheads. It wasn't just my imagination.
Still, when I gently squeezed their hands, both women smiled in satisfaction and endured.
"Oh my. Linnell gave me an impressed, mischievous smile."
As expected, she wasn't an ordinary opponent.
She softened her seductive smile and introduced the woman standing beside her.
"This is the lady of the Florian territory."
"Greetings. I am Roana Florian, Countess of Florian."
She bowed slightly.
Unlike Linnell's wine-colored hair, this woman had reddish-brown hair. Her face and blue eyes looked like those of an ordinary woman in her mid-thirties, but the hips beneath... whoa. I swallowed.
Just how big were they?
The moment I saw them, strength surged into my lower body.
— Whoa. Look at that ass. She'd give birth to some fine kids, huh?
'Let's add her to the vacation work list. What do you think?'
Beres answered without the slightest hesitation.
— Deal.