The Mesugaki Saint's Teasing Hugs and the Hero's Gentle Promise
Abel’s voice had sharpened today, carrying a faint edge that only someone who knew him as well as Elfride would catch.
“…Elfride, what’s wrong?”
The moment he spoke, Elfride understood. The Duke’s words must have stung. She lowered her gaze, voice steady and formal as always.
“…I don’t know what rude things my father said. Please don’t let it trouble you. Just listen to it and forget.”
She exhaled, a soft sound of quiet defeat.
Abel waved his hand in dismissal.
“I need to see Estelle for a moment. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Eh…? Ah, wait—Abel!”
Elfride reached out, but he gently brushed her fingers away.
“Later. Please. Right now I can’t handle it.”
“…Ah.”
Even he knew the fault wasn’t hers. The sting had come from the knowledge that the daughter of the Duke he’d just clashed with was standing right there, and his irritation had flared for no reason at all.
He walked past her without another word. Only when she was out of sight did he shake his head and mutter under his breath.
“…What an idiot.”
#
“Hero-nim, what happened?”
Celine tilted her head at the sight of me bursting out of the Bathory Ducal grounds like the place was on fire. That look of genuine worry on her face made me sigh.
“…Something happened.”
“The Duke… he said a little…”
I recounted the conversation to her, keeping my voice low and steady. Celine listened in silence, then dropped one blunt word.
“…Crazy bastard.”
“Celine?”
“Why? It’s true.”
It was true, but the Duke’s estate made caution feel wise. I almost said so out loud.
Celine snorted, letting out a playful puff.
“Whether Elfride the Hero likes you or not, the Duke is completely out of his mind. Their goals may be the same, but the reasons couldn’t be more different.”
Exactly. That was why my irritation had burned so hot.
Elfride’s heart and the Duke’s ambition lined up perfectly. I would accept her as a friend. But the Duke’s goal went far beyond friendship—into something far more dangerous.
“What would you do, Hero-nim? Honestly, I’d rather not help the Duke achieve his goal.”
“…That’s how I feel too.”
Still, I couldn’t ignore Elfride just because she was pitiful.
“Let’s head to Estelle first. She’s waiting.”
“Yes… wait, what?”
Celine stared straight ahead and blinked in confusion. I followed her gaze.
There, walking down the street holding the hand of a tiny girl, was a woman with black hair and amber eyes. A chicken skewer dangled from her lips, lightly coated in sauce.
“…Estelle?”
“Eh—!?”
“Hero! It’s the Hero!”
The girl with sky-blue hair, her cheeks flushed and smile bright, was Alicia—the Mother we had spared—still wearing her small-girl form. She had been nibbling the skewer when Estelle suddenly pulled it away, glancing at me with wide, questioning amber eyes.
“Ah, Abel?”
“…Tastes good?”
“M-makes sense, but why are you here? You just left!”
She sounded genuinely bewildered. I stepped closer and simply took the skewer from her lips.
“Mm—!”
It was delicious. “Let me have some too.”
“Ah, Abel… indirect—”
“I already kissed you. What’s the difference?”
“Kyaa!”
Estelle’s face turned scarlet. I chuckled softly. Only a few days apart and she was already this flustered? The thought made my chest warm.
A moment later I bit into the skewer she offered, then told her everything. Celine had taken Alicia to wander nearby.
“That’s why I came out for a bit. Celine and Estelle can take turns watching Alicia.”
“…Learning magic is good, but why her of all people?”
“Who else would teach me besides Elfride?”
“…?”
Estelle had no immediate retort. She rolled her eyes instead and shifted the topic.
“How long will you be staying?”
“I want to learn as much as possible, but… honestly, I’m a little conflicted. I don’t want to stay in that mansion.”
“Eh?”
When I gave her the full story—the one I figured she would eventually hear anyway—she nearly exploded.
“T-this degenerate harem hero!! How many women do you need to take before you’re satisfied!?”
“I never accepted any of them!”
“Ah.”
Estelle cleared her throat twice, then spoke with forced calm.
“I guessed it with Elfride from the start. Her eyes were never just friendly. I kept pushing you away, thinking you were only interested in friendship.”
“…Really?”
I hadn’t noticed. I knew she liked me, of course, but I had assumed it was simply the bond of allies.
“She’s really stubborn… The Duke went so far as to bring that up?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you planning to accept Elfride’s feelings?”
“I won’t ignore her. She’s a friend.”
“…Eventually that becomes lovers and then spouses.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. There are two ways to stop the Duke’s plan.”
Two ways?
I leaned in, ears alert. Estelle raised one finger.
“One: keep rejecting Elfride the way I’m doing now. Same for Elena. That should naturally distance you from the Duke’s schemes.”
“…Yes. What’s the second?”
“It’s… honestly, I don’t want to say.”
…Of all times? The worst moment to stop mid-sentence.
“If it were me, I’d probably go with the second. But I don’t like it either.”
“What?”
“…You become a noble, build your own domain, and have Elfride or Elena abandon the Bathory name to come to your side.”
…Become a noble?
“How would I even get that? I’m still a commoner.”
“You already defeated an Agares-class monster. The Apollo Kingdom, on the brink of ruin, might grant you the title through the Hero’s blessing. With pressure from the Holy Church, you can surely secure it.”
“…Really?”
That sounded perfect. But the Duke would simply try to use Elfride and Elena again. Refusing them while knowing their pain felt cruel.
Estelle puffed her cheeks, looking annoyed.
“You see? I knew it. You’d still be thinking, ‘I have to save them no matter what’—even if it means turning them into your harem.”
“Am I that transparent?”
“I’m against it.”
“Eh?”
“Counting Chloe alone—three already. And you’re planning to add two more? You want me to become the wood that generously supplies your forest?”
“…When did I say I’d accept Elfride?”
“That’s exactly what you said.”
“Receiving a title and joining the family…”
“There’s no older sister older than her father!”
…That also sounded impossible?
In the end I would have to accept them. I could’ve beaten the Duke senseless and knocked some sense into him, but this wasn’t a cartoon.
He had lived his whole life this way, led his family successfully for decades. He probably wouldn’t even consider it wrong. Convincing a stubborn general like him would be harder than toppling the entire ducal house.
There was only one way left. I had to convince our Sun Saint.
That meant…
#
Estelle was fuming just thinking about it. Not Abel— the Duke. A man driven by power lust, trying to use Abel like a toy. She wanted to flip the entire Bathory estate upside down on the spot.
She was still angry when something tugged gently at her sleeve. She glanced sideways.
And froze.
“…Abel?”
“...Estelle?”
“Could you please just… one more time?”
Abel’s red eyes were soft, his voice trembling as he held her sleeve. He even ducked his head slightly, eyes raised in a shy, pleading look. The desperation in them was almost painful.
Estelle’s heart skipped. Of course she knew what he meant—accept Elfride and Elena. She had no right to say yes. Yet…
Her face burned. Just watching him like this made her want to die from cuteness.
‘Oh no. This is his trick. He’s using those eyes to weaken my resolve…’
Abel was never like this. The sudden change meant he was playing a calculated move. He had to know she would cave.
She knew it. Knew it perfectly.
‘…But he’s so adorable♥’
Her lips twitched. Her eyelids fluttered. Her hand itched to pull him into a hug right now.
Abel noticed and grew bolder. He carefully transferred his grip to her hand, then laced their fingers slowly while he spoke.
“I’ll always put you first.”
His gaze was utterly sincere. How could she possibly reject that? Estelle’s face exploded into scarlet.
“…Idiot, Abel.”
She yanked him forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. Holding his head against her chest, she stroked his hair.
‘Eh?’
Even he looked surprised. Estelle smiled brightly, voice warm.
“Kill me from cuteness, really♥”
“…Eh?”
The guard she kept taller than the Glacier Mountains for everyone else crumbled completely in front of Abel. His silly antics finally broke through.
“If that’s what you want, then do it. Just promise me one thing. You’ll always put me first… right?”
“…I’ll remember.”
“I’m not promising to let you have a relationship. That decision is yours and Celine’s.”
“Ah, yes.”
Estelle kept stroking his hair, then leaned in close to whisper against his ear.
“If you try anything behind my back, I really don’t know what I’ll do♡ Degenerate hero♡”
“…Got it.”
Abel scratched the back of his head, then grinned.
“But I’m still wondering… how long will this…”
“Why? You love my chest a lot, don’t you♡”
“…That’s the problem.”
Estelle blinked, then suddenly looked down. A moment later she yelped in shock.
“Eh—!? What are you…!?”
“I-I had no choice!”
“You degenerate♡ beast♡ All you think about is that♡”
“Who made you like that…!”
Alicia pointed at the two of them bickering as they always did. Celine shook her head.
“Elfride, look—they’re fighting again.”
“…Not even a proper couple and they still act like that.”