Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Secret Vacation (1)
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"Have child after child, generation after generation, and let your family take root in the Empire."
With the imperial decree concluded, I withdrew from the office.
Holding the letter of appointment naming me Baron Veil.
"A barony, huh..."
For someone like me who'd only ever looked at them with displeasure, the feeling was strange.
"..."
The princesses remained in His Majesty's office to report on state affairs, as per his command.
Thanks to that, I was able to slip out of the Heavenly Palace alone and head to the Guard Bureau.
'Come to think of it, the princesses' expressions were a bit odd when I was appointed baron...'
They certainly seemed to congratulate me.
But that faint smile in their eyes.
It was subtly suggestive, as if they had some other agenda.
'M-Must be my imagination...'
I squeezed my eyes shut and erased their beautiful faces from my mind.
Then I focused solely on the vacation that had been piling up.
'I'll rest in my hometown for a while. Lea added two more weeks, right?'
I cleared my mind and pictured my peaceful hometown, Luton.
During the day, I'd visit the orphanage, crash at the nearby inn, and sleep like the dead.
At night, I'd meet Mago and catch up on lost time.
With that simple vacation plan in mind, I strolled down the corridors of the Guard Bureau headquarters.
"Ahem..."
I cautiously opened the office door and stepped inside.
But unlike usual, it was quiet inside.
Just...
A petite woman slumped over her desk, fast asleep.
"..."
I approached her quietly.
I tapped her shoulder lightly, then brought my finger near her cheek.
"Mm..."
Miya opened her sharp eyes groggily.
Her half-lidded gaze was as cute as a sleepy cat's.
The senior knight whipped her head around.
Then her eyes flashed as she felt something poking her soft cheek.
"Urk, Bale...?"
"Yes, I'm back."
Miya sighed in relief that the one who'd caught her sleeping wasn't Camilla, but me.
"You scared me."
She stretched languidly and flicked my forehead.
She was one of the few who could get away with treating me like this.
"Where is everyone?"
"Yeah, the Captain-General dragged them off to the mountains for physical training."
The senior knight shoved aside the stack of documents.
Apparently, she couldn't be dragged away for training since she handled the paperwork.
"No issues with the escort team?"
"Don't even ask—such a hassle."
I stuck out my tongue at her question.
"On the way back, we ran into a pack of werewolves who held a grudge against Bacal. It was rough."
"Werewolves? You mean those legendary subrace from the stories...?"
Miya blinked her dark eyes at the unexpected mention.
"Yes, each one was on par with a formal knight."
"No way—you fought them and won?"
I shook my head at her question.
"No, we somehow negotiated and sent them packing."
"That's a relief..."
Miya clasped her hands together, relieved as if it were her own ordeal.
I couldn't help but smirk at the sight.
"Well, at least all the major events are done."
I flashed my fox-like eyes.
And got to the main point.
"So, can I really take that vacation now?"
"Of course. You earned it—go rest."
Miya nodded at the dark circles under my eyes.
My face looked drained, as if my very life force had been sucked out.
"I even prepared it in advance."
Miya pulled out my personal vacation form, written in her cute handwriting.
It included not only the week I'd requested, but also the two weeks of paid leave from Lea.
A full three weeks of vacation.
I could enjoy it leisurely, full paycheck and all.
"Just fill in your planned vacation spot here."
Miya raised her pen, clearly intending to write it herself.
She fixed her bright, reporter-like eyes on me and asked.
"So, where does Sir Mikhail plan to spend his vacation—?"
"My hometown, of..."
I started to tell her about the orphanage on the outskirts of the capital, but the words caught in my throat.
Because...
The moment I tried to name the spot, the princesses' faces popped into my head.
"Now you're nobility, Bale? Guess I'll be seeing you more often."
Irina, smiling innocently, but with her lips curved suggestively.
"Bale. To celebrate your barony, they're throwing a party in the East. You'll come with me, right?"
Lydia, giggling with a seductive eye smile.
"The class difference is gone now, Mikhail. You know what that means, don't you?"
Even Lea, looking down at me cutely with her empress-like imperious gaze.
'No...!'
I'd fought so hard for this vacation—I couldn't let them interfere...!
If I wrote the truth, the Empire's stars would swarm that remote orphanage!
"Wow, three whole weeks off. Planning a trip abroad or something?"
As I agonized alone.
Miya's words sparked a brilliant idea.
"Abroad...?"
Yes.
The princesses might be lofty figures, but only within the Empire.
If I went abroad, even they couldn't do much.
"Nothing against a comfy retreat abroad."
I hedged for any contingencies.
"Got it. For privacy's sake, I'll just put 'abroad'—"
"Thanks, senior."
I looked at Miya gratefully.
With expert skill, she filled out the form and slipped it into the packet for the Captain-General.
"No need to thank me. This is nothing between us—"
Miya sealed the vacation approval decisively, as if everything was settled.
Then she gently stroked the top of my head as I sat across from her.
"Rest easy, you who have labored—. It's our general's philosophy."
Miya smiled like an older sister.
Even her beauty mark winked along with her.
"Enjoy your vacation, Bale."
No one made me feel as at ease as Miya.
I thanked her and grabbed my appointment letter.
"What's that paper you've been holding since earlier?"
"Oh, this is..."
I tried to brush it off, not wanting to brag.
But at Miya's persistent questioning, I ended up telling the truth.
"Actually, this morning..."
When Miya heard I'd become a baron, her eyes flashed like a startled cat.
"Y-You became a baron...?!"
Her family might be fallen, but they were barons once too.
Which meant we were equals now.
"Yes, but don't make a big deal of it. Nothing really changes."
I waved it off and stood from the seat next to her.
"So that's why the three-week vacation? To celebrate with your parents."
"Something like that."
The orphanage director was like a mother to me, so I nodded vaguely.
"Yeah, go celebrate quick!"
"Yes, I will."
Bolstered by Miya's words, I pulled open the office door.
Then, as I was about to leave.
"Oh, senior."
I left her with one request.
"If you have time, could you look after the vegetable garden behind my office?"
"Vegetable garden—?"
Miya pursed her lips at that.
Her lively eyes narrowed thinner than usual.
"You're making your senior do overtime now—? I've been completely tamed by my junior—"
She spun the pen in her fingers and grumbled in a sulky voice.
"I'll bring back tons of souvenirs—"
I smiled brightly at my senior and made the request.
Miya replied in a half-lidded, tsk-tsk tone.
"Bring lots of tasty stuff."
"Of course!"
Only after entrusting her with even the watermelons could I finally leave the office.
Mana coursing through my legs, I hurried home to enjoy my hard-won vacation.
"..."
Meanwhile, Miya was left alone.
She tried to focus on paperwork now that she was awake, but she couldn't concentrate.
"A baron..."
The title kept floating around in her head.
Lately, her fallen-noble father had been eyeing a good match for her.
But none of the families he'd introduced had appealed.
Hearing that Bale had become a noble like her, her lips curved up without her realizing.
"..."
「――――――」
And so, the newly minted Baron of the Guard set off on a long vacation.
The next day.
Miya headed to the office vegetable garden to keep her promise to him.
"It's been a while here too—"
His office, visited after so long.
It felt both welcoming and nostalgic.
But Bale's office had seen several changes in the meantime.
Traces of repairs on the outer wall, as if someone had tried to smash it.
The empty vegetable garden, now that the Toraman clansmen had moved to his territory.
Only the gazebo in front of the garden greeted her.
"Time to put in some work after ages—"
Miya smirked at the sight of the plump watermelons, looking pleased to see them again.
Then she slowly watered the garden, enjoying the leisurely weekend.
"Whew..."
After finishing, she sat in the gazebo.
That's when she noticed a basket stored under the bench.
As if it had been waiting for her since morning.
"What's this...?"
Opening it revealed scones from Norton's most popular bakery.
Still steaming, as if bought that morning when he left for vacation.
Plus orange juice with ice cubes bobbing in it.
Her lips curved into a smile at her junior's thoughtful snack.
"That guy, so considerate..."
Miya picked up a scone with both hands.
Just as she was about to bite into it with her cute little fangs.
"Hm...?"
She heard a carriage stopping in front of Bale's office.
Two of them, even...
Miya turned toward the sound.
Soon.
"Why isn't he home on a weekend—"
Twin braids neatly plaited on both sides.
A sensual, body-hugging qipao unlike her usual attire.
A woman in the Eastern Knight Order jacket caught her eye.
Her secretary accompanied her, holding a parasol to shade her from the sun.
"It's weird for sure... He's not the type to wander around much."
Irina, stepping down from the opposite carriage, furrowed her brows.
She analyzed coolly, as if she knew exactly what kind of person Bale was.
"By the way, why'd you tag along?"
Lydia eyed Irina displeased as they headed together toward the vegetable garden behind the office.
The Second Princess smirked and shot back.
"Obviously just to congratulate Bale on his barony?"
At Irina's nonchalant reply, the youngest princess snorted.
"Ha, as if—. Bet you're here to flirt with that hair of yours—. I could hear the liquor bottles clinking from your carriage all the way here."
Lydia pointed accusingly at Irina.
The Second Princess cleared her throat awkwardly and deflected.
"And what's with that shameless outfit of yours? Sounds like you're the one flirting."
"It's just traditional summer wear from our lands. Getting to you that much?"
Lydia placed a hand on her chest and declared proudly.
The Third Princess's thin qipao clung to her pale midriff.
It hugged her so tightly her navel outline was visible.
"And what's with those leggings showing off your figure so blatantly?"
Lydia pointed at the Second Princess's body.
Her lustrous silver hair tied back in a long ponytail.
She resembled a beautiful wolf standing in the snowfields.
Her full, sturdy thighs and sleek lines.
Curves shaped by a man's touch added maturity.
"I just finished my morning sword dance spar and came straight here."
The two princesses bickered as they advanced.
"Wh-Why are the Princesses here...?"
Miya swallowed hard.
So shocked she couldn't even set down the scone in her hand.
"Secretary, wait here."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After leaving their attendants at the carriages.
The princesses approached the vegetable garden with empress-like icy gazes.
"Eek..."
Then their eyes met those of a lone cat-like woman sitting in the garden.
"Isn't that Bale's knight senior? Why are you here..."
Miya soon locked eyes with Lydia.
At her black panther-like intense gaze, the 22-year-old knightswoman clamped her lips shut.
"Right? Hanging out in her junior's office on a weekend. How peculiar."
"Th-That is..."
As Miya stammered.
The princesses had already reached the gazebo where she sat.
Faced with these exalted beings up close.
Miya swallowed and answered slowly.
"Bale asked me to tend the vegetable garden when he left for vacation this morning."
Vacation.
At that word, the princesses' eyes flashed.
"Bale went on vacation...?"
They'd assumed he was just taking the weekend off at home or nearby.
His sudden vacation news left them flustered.
But their surprise didn't end there.
A noisy commotion from outside.
Someone who'd arrived at the office before Miya came down the stairs.
"Yes, he left for a three-week vacation."
Lea Andalusia.
She was in casual clothes.
Dressed as if to meet someone special.
"...!!"
The three women in the gazebo fell silent at the First Princess's appearance.
Her look was so different from usual.
"I figured he'd be at the vegetable garden near his place, but no such luck."
A dress that clung completely to her body.
It stretched taut over her ample bosom, flaunting sensual beauty.
The skirt flared wide over her broad hips.
Anyone could see it was an outfit for a special day.
"What's with that getup...?"
"Gives me chills."
The two younger sisters covered their mouths at their eldest's casual attire.
They instinctively shot Lea wary looks.
"You there."
Lea ignored her sisters and approached Miya.
"Y-Yes...? Me?!"
Miya startled at the approaching radiant golden-haired princess.
She looked like a black cat with every hair standing on end.
"I've heard you prepared Bale's vacation report."
At those words, Irina and Lydia turned to Miya in unison.
Which meant.
Miya knew where Bale had gone.
"Speak. Where did he go?"
The three highest-ranking women in the Empire.
They instantly surrounded the fallen noble's eldest daughter.
"Oh ho... So she knows?"
"Go ahead and tell us comfortably, Miya. We just have business with the baron."
They looked down at her with the cold gaze of an empress.
"Eek..."
Miya clasped her hands, trembling.
She resembled a small black animal caught by predators.
"I-I'm not entirely sure either. He just said abroad..."
Abroad.
At that word, the princesses' eyes flashed again.
"Hold on, abroad...?"
Because for an Empire native like Bale, the only plausible destination abroad was...
"No way...!!"
Princess Christina's "Bacal" from their recent encounter.
"I see... So that's it..."
Focus faded from the princesses' pupils.
They looked like Leonhardt in his youth, eager for conquest.
"A baron, and he heads abroad right away...?"
The Emperor's heirs all recalled a fox-like man who'd clung to Tina.
The one who'd fled abroad the moment his status rose.
「――――――」
Meanwhile, in a small village on the outskirts of the capital.
A carriage strolling through the village stopped at a modest orphanage.
"We've arrived, sir. Saint Roxanna Orphanage."
"Good work."
I smiled and handed him his fare.
"Gosh, is all this really okay?"
The coachman scratched his head at the gold coins in his palm.
I replied in a benevolent tone.
"You came all the way to this remote spot with barely any traffic. You deserve more."
The coachman nodded in agreement.
"Fair enough. Hardly ten carriages pass through here a day—"