Chapter 45
“It’s been a while, young master.”
“Ah, Alfredo. Long time no see. How’ve you been?”
“Haha! This old man’s always healthy as can be! Gotta stick around to see you get married, right?”
He talks like some seventy-year-old geezer, but Alfredo’s actually a sturdy mid-forties guy. His face just looks a bit more weathered than his age, so this back-and-forth banter between us is nothing new.
“Feels like just yesterday you were toddling around, and now look at you—all grown up and bringing ladies home.”
“Don’t say that stuff out loud. I get that you’re touched, but read the room.”
These are the top three most powerful women in the empire. You think they’d just sweetly follow me home? They only tagged along on this trip because they needed escorts, and I happened to be heading back anyway. Might as well make it a little vacation for them.
“Oh, right. Do you know where Luna is?”
“My daughter? At this hour, probably in your room—”
Whoa! My room? Why the hell would Luna be in there?
“My room? There’s nothing to see. Why’s she supposedly there?”
“W-well... Dust doesn’t care if the owner’s around, does it? So Luna pops in now and then to clean up for you!”
“Ah, got it. Makes sense.”
No matter how long I’ve been gone, leaving the master’s room to gather dust isn’t proper servant etiquette. Luna knows that, so she’s been keeping it tidy.
“But why are you looking for my girl?”
“Oh. Ran into her earlier by chance, and she seemed kinda pissed. Probably because I’ve been too busy to write... Figured I’d apologize.”
“It’s not just the letters— Never mind.”
Alfredo gave me this look like he’d given up on something, but I brushed past him and headed to my room. I knocked lightly to let Luna know I was there.
Knock knock.
“Luna, it’s me. You in there?”
I could sense her presence inside right away. She’d been sitting on my bed, and now she jumped up in surprise—I couldn’t help but chuckle a little. She paced around the room before heading to the door—and whoosh!—
Grab, slam!
In a flash, Luna yanked me by the collar into the room, shoved me against the bare wall, and blocked my escape with both arms. Classic wall-slam position. I was about to crack a joke, but her sharp glare shut me up quick.
“Wh-what are you doing here!?”
“It’s my room?”
No one’s lived here for months, but I’m still the official owner. She was acting so bold I almost thought I had the wrong place, but a quick look around confirmed it—the familiar layout that’d been my home for twenty years.
“Th-that’s not... I mean...”
“Weren’t you cleaning? The butler told me. Said you come by sometimes when I’m gone.”
She’s too lazy to clean her own room half the time, yet she’s dusting mine too? Sure, she’s a nagging, nosy childhood friend who gets on my nerves, but moments like this remind me she’s always had my back.
“Oh... Y-yeah! It was so filthy, I had to spruce it up! You should be grateful!”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“!!”
She told me to be grateful, so I was straight with her—and now her face turns beet red as she whips her head away. I’ve known her my whole life, but damn if I can figure her out...
“A-anyway, Mars!”
“?”
“You... You’re... dating those women... right?”
What the hell? I flicked her forehead lightly as she whispered her nonsense.
“Ow! Why’d you hit me!”
“Idiot. Think about it. Those ladies have alpha males begging to marry them left and right. Why would they pick me?”
“A-alpha males?”
“Guys from top noble houses. Dukes, or mega-rich heirs from neighboring countries.”
These women aren’t proposing to men—they’re the ones men grovel to for a single glance. Polo’s an exception, sure, but I’m way out of their league.
“R-really?”
“Wait, were you sulking because you thought something was up between us?”
I flat-out denied any romance, and Luna let out a relieved sigh. Curious about that, I asked—and she clapped a hand over her mouth, shaking her head furiously.
“N-no! It’s just... If you’re gone, no one’s left to do my favors... That’s all!”
“Gotcha.”
Yeah, she’s always bossing me around with random requests. “I’m tired, give me a lap pillow,” or “Rub my feet,” or “Your cup looks nicer, gimme.” No wonder she’d miss having me around for that crap.
“Don’t worry. I’ll marry some normal girl and live a normal life.”
“N-normal girl!?!?”
Knock knock.
“Young master Mars? Are you in there?”
“Yeah, Alfredo. What’s up?”
“Your mother’s back, young master. Please come downstairs.”
Oh. Mom was off chatting with the neighborhood ladies, but she’s home now. I decided to head down with Luna.
“Luna, let’s go—hey, you okay? You sick or something?”
“Hehe... Slurp. N-no! Let’s hurry!”
Tsk tsk. Full-grown maiden drooling like that. Whoever ends up with her is in for a rough ride, that’s for sure.
* * *
“My boy~”
As we came downstairs to greet Mom, a woman who looked like a girl in her early twenties with long black hair threw herself at me in a hug. The duchess and princess flinched at the sight of this stunning stranger embracing me, but then they processed her words and stared at us mother and son in shock.
Yeah. I know. I’d make the same face.
“About time you got back. Thought you weren’t that excited to see your son since you ran off gossiping with the neighbors.”
“Oh, come on~”
Mom’s always been a free spirit. Dad said it was rebellion against our stuffy family when she was young, but I figure she was born that way. She’s got guts—didn’t even cancel her hobbies when she heard the empire’s big three were visiting.
“Anyway, about our guests...”
“H-hello, ma’am!! I’m Celine Euse... I mean, yes!!”
“It’s an honor to meet the woman who bore an Aura Lord. The empire’s second princess, Astraia von Kailum, offers her praise for your dedication.”
“I humbly serve as the saintess of the goddess church. Thank you for sheltering this frail lamb.”
Their perfect etiquette toward Mom was a world away from how they treat me. If they showed me even ten percent of this, I’d be thrilled. Especially the duchess and princess—they were staring at Mom with eyes sparkling brighter than usual.
“...My.”
Mom looked impressed for some reason.
“Should’ve gone out to greet you myself. This auntie’s so thoughtless~”
“N-no, ma’am...”
The duchess hesitantly accepted Mom’s apology, clearly baffled by her youthful looks. I get it—I’m shocked every time too. How does she pass for forties? With a little exaggeration, you’d swear she just started at the academy. It’s one of the eight great mysteries of this world, in my book.
“Hehe~ My boy’s the youngest Aura Lord ever, and now double good news at home~”
“Hm? What other good news?”
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
Mom and I blinked at each other in confusion. In the heavy silence, she snapped out of it first, sighed deeply—and thwack!
“Guhack—!”
“Sigh... I raised such a tough kid, and this is what I get... Thought it was just my imagination when Luna saw it too, but you’re hopeless. Maybe I should have another? Sorry, ladies. My second’s a total airhead~ I’ll apologize on his behalf~”
“N-no, we’re fine.”
Mom bowed her head while the duchess and princess frantically waved her off. Meanwhile, I writhed on the floor from the elbow straight to my solar plexus.
What the—? As an Aura Lord, my aura control auto-defends against life-threatening attacks. Blunt weapons don’t faze me. So why did Mom’s strike land clean with zero resistance?
“Oh. Didn’t I tell you? Your mom’s scary strong. From some famed Eastern sword clan. Barely beat her when we first met. They call aura ‘ki’ over there? Anyway, her control’s finer than anything in the empire. Not Lord-level, but she crushes Masters easy.”
Ah, that explains it. No wonder her back smacks always stung like hell as a kid. I figured she wasn’t normal, but still. And Dad—maybe mention this sooner? Her combat prowess hit me like a bomb, leaving only shock, terror, and solar plexus agony as the day faded.