Chapter 85: As God Leads (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 85: As God Leads (4)
“Is it going to rain?”
As Alto stepped out of the house, he looked up at a sky heavy with dark clouds. He raised his arm, checking for any stray drops.
The rain hadn’t started yet, but the wind was thick with moisture. It felt as though a downpour was inevitable by nightfall.
“Alto, let’s go. We’re going to be late.”
Surprisingly, the person following him out of the house was Narupa.
Dressed in an outfit that was professional yet not overly formal, she exuded the aura of both a noblewoman and a sharp businesswoman. However, the way she clung to Alto’s arm and leaned her head on his shoulder was the picture of a girl deeply in love.
“We still have time.”
“No, we’re cutting it close. You never know when a meddler might show up.”
“A meddler?”
“Yes. There’s this petty woman who keeps threatening to marry you before I do.”
“Wait, you don’t mean…”
Just as he was about to ask if she was talking about Rune, the “meddler” appeared as if on cue.
“I’m sorry for being so petty. But if appealing to my husband first and rightfully claiming the position of primary wife is considered petty, then I’ll gladly apologize a hundred times over.”
“Ugh! You really are the worst! Today was supposed to be my day with him! You’re the one who turned today into a celebration just to interfere.”
“Oh, my. Is our intellectual businesswoman, Lady Narupa, actually throwing a tantrum? But Narupa, didn’t you say yourself that your schedule would be difficult if we didn’t do it today?”
“That’s only because you manipulated the rotation of the days I get to spend with him, Rune!”
“As the primary wife, I simply sent myself to the front of the line. It is my natural right and the natural order of things!”
“What did you just say?!”
The story behind the spat was this: after Narupa informed Countess Dakuus of her relationship with Alto, she and Airune had agreed to take turns spending nights with their lover.
However, Airune had used her wits. After setting the date for the banquet, she managed to frame it so that the celebration for clearing the dungeon would overlap with Narupa’s scheduled half-day. By the time Narupa realized what was happening, a week had already passed.
“I’m going to get this half-day back eventually!”
“Ohohoho! Good luck with that. Tomorrow is my day to make a baby!”
“Eeeeeeek!”
Ever since they had officially become Alto’s women, it seemed Narupa and Airune had swapped roles. Narupa had become somewhat childlike, constantly acting spoiled around Alto, while Airune had begun using her cunning to maintain her dignity as the primary wife.
“Now, now, that’s enough. You two aren’t going to fight again, are you?”
“But Altoooo!”
Narupa clung to Alto, her eyes welling with tears.
“That little vixen…!”
Airune gnashed her teeth, biting down on a handkerchief that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Sighing softly, Alto stepped between them and took both of their hands.
“Rune, you’re here early.”
“I missed you, Alto.”
“That’s a violation of the rules!” Narupa protested.
“Narupa, don’t be upset. I’ll make more time for you later.”
“You’re way too soft on Rune.”
“My, my, Lady Narupa. I wonder what the factory workers at the Magic Tower would think if they saw you acting so spoiled right now,” Airune teased.
“I don’t care about anyone’s opinion or gaze except for my family’s.”
When Narupa flashed a sudden, manic smile, Airune flinched slightly.
“Narupa, we agreed to keep things civil, right? Come on, we made a promise. Shall we head out?”
Unable to watch any longer, Alto coaxed them toward the carriage Airune had prepared and opened the door. Two women already waiting inside greeted them.
“Hello, Lord Alto.”
“Eris. Are you on leave today?”
“The Branch Manager was understanding.”
Surprisingly, Eris had joined them at Airune’s invitation. Having visited Alto’s house every dawn to assist with his morning routine, she had been quietly doing her job while making subtle appeals, eventually earning the recognition of both Airune and Narupa. This invitation was a sign for her to work even harder to become Alto’s next woman, and Eris was skillfully suppressing her joy to keep her composure.
“Gyahaha! Alto! I heard we’re going to eat something amazing today!”
The other person was Diane.
She had regained her smile after being forgiven by Alto. Since she hadn’t received her dungeon clear rewards yet and was penniless, she had been tackling all sorts of odd-job quests with Eris’s help. In short, she was working hard to live a better life.
Because of this, Eris knew the truth. Though Diane laughed like a mischievous child now, once the work was over and they were back at their shared home, she would often sit blankly like a doll with its strings cut. The only times Diane truly laughed were when she spoke with Eris or when she was with Alto, like now. Eris had also heard that Diane went out of her way to avoid men while working.
Eris had subtly mentioned this to Airune and Narupa, but the two had remained indifferent. However, Narupa did have a lingering interest in the space-time manipulation Diane occasionally displayed.
“It’s a shame Arasen couldn’t join us.”
“Hmph. That Fran fellow is her boyfriend, so she was probably worried about appearances. It was a wise move on her part.”
“Rune, you’re being too aggressive.”
“I can’t help it, Alto. Honestly, it’s a huge mercy that I haven’t terminated Arasen’s exclusive carriage contract yet. Those four men are only out on probation.”
“I know. I just don’t want to hear such harsh words coming from my woman’s mouth.”
“…I’ll be careful.”
Having settled the situation, Alto climbed into the carriage. A driver—not Arasen—confirmed the door was shut and urged the horses forward. At that moment, everyone in the carriage expected the evening to be just as pleasant as the day before.
* * *
“Lord Alto is coming!”
“You idiot! Lady Narupa is coming too!”
“Then you go wait on Lady Narupa!”
The salon was a whirlwind of activity at the news that Alto’s carriage was nearly there.
“Everyone! Don’t be too nervous, but make sure you perform even better than usual!”
“Madame, your request is strange! And your arms are shaking!”
“This is just the trembling of determination and excitement!”
Even the Madame couldn’t escape the nerves. This was the first visit since the incident with the Four Handsome Heavenly Kings. They couldn’t afford another disgrace like that. The maids who had experienced that day felt the same.
“Madame, who should we put on serving duty?”
“What? You haven’t decided yet? It has to be the ones with the most tact!”
“If they have tact, would a newcomer be alright?”
“Are you crazy? Only use those who haven’t caused an accident in at least a year. Lord Alto and Lady Narupa will be there, along with the guests they invited. We must provide perfect service.”
“Understood, Madame.”
Hearing those words, Krima fell into despair. She had been stripped of her chance to make an impression on Alto.
Common sense would dictate that showing up suddenly to serve him—without having persistently sought forgiveness or tried to be helpful like Diane—would only invite scorn. But Krima, trapped in the delusion that God was guiding her, viewed everything with groundless optimism.
“The VIPs are entering!”
“Everyone, to your positions! Do you hear me? There must be no mistakes!”
The entire salon had been reserved for Alto’s party. Following the Madame’s orders, the maids lined up in front of the entrance like a military formation. Soon, the salon doors opened, and as Alto and his companions entered, everyone bowed in unison.
“Welcome!”
“Wow, this is impressive.”
Hearing the low voice of admiration, Krima knew it was Alto’s even while she was bowed. His gentle tone left a sweet lingering trail in her heart. This was a fluttering sensation different from what she had felt for Gerend.
Now she knew for sure. What she felt for Gerend had been mere curiosity; for Alto, she felt true love. Like a cat that had survived its curiosity, she cursed her past self while looking forward to the future. It wouldn’t be easy, but it would be worth it.
“Madame, I’ve invested in the reopening costs because I’m trusting you one last time. If you entertain men like that again or try any nonsense with my husband, I’ll withdraw everything. Understand?”
Narupa issued the stern warning. But Krima filtered everything else out, her ears only catching the part where Narupa referred to Alto as her husband.
She gripped the fabric of her skirt tightly.
He was originally a man from her party. If she had been just a little more attentive, if she hadn’t let her eyes wander, he would have been her husband.
‘That woman probably only seduced him because she knew he was Alto Bertrand.’
By that logic, no one in Mirei’s party—except Diane—was free from blame. They had only begun to face reality and acknowledge their wrongs after discovering Alto was actually Bertrand. Before that, they had treated Diane like a fool for trying to convince them to apologize. It had been their only way out, but they had stubbornly refused simply because they didn’t want to bow down to the “ugly” Alto. Or perhaps it was just spite, a refusal to follow “stupid” Diane’s suggestion.
‘I should have followed Diane’s lead…’
But Diane had died in the battle against Yobeste. She must have been caught in that final massive explosion and burned to death. Krima felt a modicum of pity, but given her own situation, she didn’t have the luxury to worry about others.
“Gyahahaha! This place is so clean and cool!”
“…?!”
At the sound of that familiar laughter, Krima’s head snapped up.
She hadn’t misheard. A girl with sun-kissed skin, short hair, and a petite frame was following behind Alto with a bright, carefree smile.
“Diane, you have to be quiet in a place like this.”
“But we’re the only ones here!”
“Diane.”
“Uuu… fine.”
There was even a light-brown-haired girl who seemed to have taken over Krima’s old role of constantly lecturing her.
In that moment, Diane and Krima’s eyes met.
‘Diane… she wasn’t dead?’
Setting aside the fact that she was alive, she was traveling with Alto! While the rest of their party members were being hunted by the Lukart adventurers!
As Krima glared with simmering resentment, Diane pouted.
“Hey, Al—”
“Diane, you can talk all you want once we’re in the room. Just wait a moment.”
“Okay…”
At the same time, the senior maid standing next to Krima grabbed her head and forced it back down.
“I’ll deal with you later.”
“……”
It was a betrayal.
This was a total betrayal.
Shocked by Diane’s appearance, the senior maid’s warning didn’t even register in Krima’s ears.