Chapter 357
Chapter 357
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 357
Chapter Title: Epilogue: Yurensuto -1
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To boost my face value, the broad-minded and handsome Crown Prince Irid—who had been gearing up for a visit to the Yurensuto count's estate—stiffened his expression upon receiving an urgent message through the crystal orb.
From what I overheard nearby, it seemed all sorts of troubles had cropped up.
He turned to me with a deeply apologetic look.
"It looks like we won't be able to swing by the Yurensuto estate together. More incidents than I expected have erupted in the provinces, so I need to head down right away to sort things out. Take Baron Port, for instance—he's apparently seeing hallucinations..."
"I skipped the manual so he'd have some fun figuring it out, but maybe I should've just handed it over. If you run into him, tell him to stand in front of the mirror and try tapping it to operate."
"Yeah, I figured this was your handiwork."
One might think that with something coming up for Irid, I could just wait a bit before going—but I'd already set a visit date with the Yurensuto family via letter.
Pushing it back now would make my intentions a bit too obvious, wouldn't it?
'The Crown Prince who was supposed to come with me has urgent business, so I'll be arriving a few days late as well. My apologies.'
That'd be like broadcasting to the whole neighborhood that I was flaunting my connection to the Crown Prince. So, yeah. Even without Irid, it seemed better to show up right on schedule as promised.
Besides, the plan wasn't completely derailed.
"But don't worry. It won't take long. I'll rush straight to the Yurensuto estate the moment it's wrapped up. Probably about three days."
"Oho."
Right— if Irid showed up later, even better. It could even highlight how much favor I had, rushing to my side first thing after his busy official duties.
Three days tugged a little at my mind, though.
"The count won't chase away a prospective son-in-law after just three days... as long as no one causes any trouble."
"Of course, of course. No issues here."
I'm a man who times things perfectly. I had no intention of acting up even in front of my future in-laws. I flashed an innocent smile.
Irid, feeling guilty about breaking our joint visit promise, pondered a bit before adding one more thing.
"Dress sharply. It's about time we bestowed a title on you anyway, so we'll hold the ceremony there."
"A title too?"
I widened my eyes in surprise, and he replied casually.
"Considering your merits and abilities, it's strange you haven't gotten one yet. Do you need a fief as well?"
"Nah, I don't particularly want one. If I feel like doing some territory development, I can just crash at a friend's place. Not really drawn to it..."
"Knew it."
A title, huh. Mages from the Magic Tower got baron-level respect by default, but that was more like an honorary position. Couldn't pass it to your kids or anything.
But what Irid was offering sounded like a proper, heritable one—fancy and all. My status rising didn't thrill me much, but his generous intent warmed my heart.
Like he was making sure I wouldn't feel like some lowly commoner mage in front of my in-laws, boosting my name value sky-high.
Thanks, my liege...
I gave a light salute.
"See you then, Your Highness!"
"Yeah, stay out of trouble."
Clop clop, clop clop.
The carriage carrying the Crown Prince receded into the distance. I watched his back for a moment before turning away. Time for me to prep for the meeting too.
Parents, huh...
Through Yuna's little sister, Cisel Yurensuto's situation, I'd learned the Yurensuto family affairs were a tangled mess. My future in-laws obsessed over the family honor to a fault.
They didn't place much value on anything else, you could say. Treated their kids like trophies, maybe.
So Yuna didn't exactly adore her parents. They barely kept in touch. But... there was a faint glimmer of expectation in her eyes.
Blood is thicker than water, after all. If the family could turn over a new leaf and get along, nothing could be better.
For today, I'd even commissioned a renowned tailor for an outfit. Asked for something luxurious in the current fashion, and out came a sharp, uniform-like piece.
The standout feature? A feathered hat to go with it. Felt familiar—straight out of Roderus's transformation form.
Asked about it, and apparently Blue Rose's fashion had cult-level popularity. To me, it felt like a lucky charm. Infused with Daesuluru's pure love power or something.
I shed my old Violet Tower robe—like something I'd worn my whole life—and changed into the uniform. Added gold braid decorations, tidied my hair.
"Heat Ray."
Flame magic came through big time again. A flame mage could style his hair with just two fingers like a curling iron. Tamed the wild, frizzy mess into something normal.
A light touch of makeup too. My face could look gloomy or shady depending on who saw it, so I added a bit of color for some healthy glow.
Final tweak to the outfit, and done.
Thus fully geared up, I stepped out of the changing room with a natural, bright smile that made me look sociable. Yuna waited outside in her usual robe getup.
Her hair was a bit messy, clothes full of everyday wear and tear. Put unkindly, kinda grubby. But Yuna looked cute no matter what, so fine.
I softened my voice and called out.
"Yuna, ready?"
Yuna's eyes went wide.
"...W-Who are you?!"
"Come on... don't even joke like that. Memory loss at this timing would tangle things up beyond imagination. Ready? Let's go?"
"Ah, n-no, your face..."
What's with my face? Did I overdo the blush?
They say dressing up changes a person, and it really did. The fully kitted-out mad mage radiated handsomeness from every pore. Yuna didn't know what to do with that dazzling glow.
Even after teleporting via magic circle to the Yurensuto barony, she still couldn't adjust to his total makeover.
Was this the same rumpled, wrinkled guy? Hard to believe, so she glanced up at him once.
"Hm?"
"U-uwu..."
Like staring at the sun, Yuna hurriedly looked away. Her heart pounded wildly. That face was hazardous to heart health.
"...!!"
Then it hit her—a sense of crisis. What if some other woman came asking for his number? Threw a flirt her way in passing?
...Should she fire off a dispel or something?
Yuna gripped her staff and started scanning all around vigilantly.
"What's up?"
"...D-Don't dress up so much. It's too much."
"I did it partly to impress your parents, but honestly, mostly to look good for you. Still too much?"
"...Too much!"
Now she got why the girls at the tower kept calling him loose. Yuna grabbed his hand tight and started walking. This one's mine. Territorial marking.
He was her first lover in her long life, after all.
A short walk later, the Yurensuto estate came into view. The garden adorned with purple lavender and the mansion sat atop a gentle hill.
"......"
Recalling the past, no good memories surfaced.
The Yurensuto couple had demanded perfection from their kids, always insisting they outshine others no matter when or where. But how could that be? Wrong efforts and misguided education yielded only scraps.
The youngest, Jewel, adapted to their ways; Cisel complied; Yuna rebelled. Even as a child, she knew it was wrong.
Her rebellion? Slacking off. Ignoring the tutors, dragging Jewel and Cisel off to play, enduring the whip but stubbornly idling.
The couple saw Yuna's defiance as ugly, and so... when an old Violet Tower mage visited praising her talent.
'At least try hard there. Don't tarnish the family honor.'
They unhesitatingly shipped her off.
Yeah, they didn't know.
Didn't know the old tower harbored sinister schemes, or that entrant Yuna would endure hellish times. They probably just thought she'd become the youngest Magic Tower Master thanks to her genius.
Yuna knew. Understood.
That's why the Yurensuto family still stood. Any real grudge, and it'd be gone long ago. So... her feelings toward her parents were complex.
A touch of baseless resentment: If they'd just loved their kids normally without the honor obsession, I wouldn't have suffered that horror...
Bitterness and anger toward parents who borrowed her Magic Tower Master prestige in high society after she rose, yet never sent a single letter personally.
And hope: Maybe after all this time, they've changed a bit...
That hope.
"Welcome! I'm Countess Evel Yurensuto. Thank you for visiting our home. What an honor! Our girl found herself a splendid groom!"
"Finally back home, Yuna Yurensuto. You have no idea how long we've waited! Your room's been kept pristine. Cleaned daily. Go check."
"Ah, uh... yes."
Seemed answered in kind.
Hospitality.
The entire Yurensuto staff turned out to attend the returning Yuna and her groom. The long table groaned under luxurious dishes for the evening banquet.
Chandeliers cast a soft glow over the central hall, while an orchestra's gentle melody streamed quietly from a crystal orb, setting an elegant mood.
The mad mage blended in seamlessly. He ate with precise etiquette like someone properly schooled, impressing even the count.
Yuna, noble-born, felt clumsier by comparison.
"The chef's skill is superb. May I have the name of this dish?"
"That's qudets, a southern traditional pork dish. I'll prepare the recipe for your journey back, Mage."
"My thanks for your kindness, Countess."
As the mad mage chatted with the countess, Count Yurensuto spoke gently to Yuna.
"Have you been well? I heard the Violet Magic Tower's been rough lately. Hope you've been eating properly."
Yuna flinched. It'd been ages since she talked with her father, and this gentle tone was new.
Awkward but steady, she replied softly.
"...You knew?"
"Of course. You're still our precious Yurensuto daughter, even away from home. Thought about sending aid to the tower, but worried it'd hurt your noble pride, so held back."
"Uh, yeah... I see."
"Good call, it seems. You revived it single-handedly. Help from me would've undermined your achievement. I'm so proud of you."
"......"
Recognition.
The man who'd raged to fill the Wall of Glory, pushed her relentlessly like a starving whale no matter her feats. Now acknowledging her.
Strange feeling. Heart swelling? Churning? I'm proud of you. Why did those simple words shake her so?
Yuna bowed her head, cheeks faintly red. Eyes threatening to moisten.
From then, she relaxed a bit, chatting casually with the couple after nearly ten years. Recent happenings, fun stories, tasty foods. Those small family joys.
The mad mage watched with a beaming grin. Yeah, people change with time. The count and countess might be reflecting on their past too.
Mid-cheerful talk, something occurred to Yuna.
"Where's Jewel?"
Jewel. Jewel Yurensuto.
The childhood favorite, edging out Cisel and Yuna for parental affection. The one who'd somehow filled the Wall of Glory.
Now that she noticed, Jewel wasn't at the table. As far as she knew, Jewel still lived at the estate.
The countess replied nonchalantly.
"Jewel's in body correction."
"Body... correction?"
"Skipping all but one meal a day to slim down. With her wedding soon, she needs to look her best, right?"
"Uh..."
Wedding, huh.
"Speaking of, you and the mage are serious, right? Yuna, if timings align, how about a joint wedding? Double family celebration means we could make it even grander."
"That..."
She wanted to refuse. As Yuna pondered how, the mad mage smoothly intervened.
"We'll consider it positively, Countess. But as a retainer of the Second Prince, it's hard to set a date before His Highness ascends. We'll think it over slowly. Your understanding, please."
"Oh, if that's the case, no helping it... Just thought it was a good chance. Don't mind it."
The harmonious family dinner ended there.
"Mage, sharing Yuna's room is fine, yes?"
"No issue for me... but if it's improper."
"Not at all. Her room has a large bed, so comfortable. I'll tell the attendants... no wandering at night. See you at breakfast."
"...Yes."
Even cohabitation approved.
The table had bloomed with constant smiles, yet as Yuna and the mad mage returned to their room, shadows clouded their faces.
"......"
"......"
Both thought the same. Something's off. Suspiciously so.
A subtly unpleasant feeling kept bubbling up.