The Red Flower Garden's Proposal
The atmosphere in the room shifted completely at Chloe's sharp rebuke. Beatrice stiffened, her expression hardening as she turned her gaze toward Chloe. Both Chloe and Zeke stepped forward as well. The moment their eyes met, sparks seemed to fly between them. At the same time, their mouths opened.
“That’s not what we mean. What we’re trying to say is that it would help stabilize the chaotic security situation in Muller.”
“That’s the problem from the start. Are you suggesting that we—the military of Franz—would be incapable of maintaining order in a mere backwater territory like Muller?”
“That’s not what I meant at all. Of course you could. However, maintaining order in the back alleys isn’t as simple as it sounds.”
“The back alleys are none of—”
“What I’m trying to say is—”
Chloe, Zeke, and Beatrice were now tangled in a heated debate, their words overlapping. Beatrice really has some nerve. As I quietly observed the scene, my eyes met those of Ninya, who stood behind her mother. The woman with those charming droopy eyes offered a slight, playful smile the moment our gazes locked. It was a simple gesture, yet it carried the seductive allure one would expect from a woman who worked in a brothel.
I returned a small smile of my own, then pointed at the three who were still arguing noisily.
“Shouldn’t you stop them?”
“Hmm…? Well, I’m not sure?”
Ninya tilted her head with a smile.
“I mean, it should be fine, right? It looks like Lord Leoric doesn’t mind.”
“Hahaha. Is that so?”
While Beatrice’s words had left out a few details, there was nothing particularly strange about them. When opening a brothel, it was only natural to report it to the lord of the land and receive permission. She was simply informing me in advance. On top of that, since this territory was currently preparing for war, there were bound to be some sensitivities involved. Seeing them debate so passionately was rather fascinating. Perhaps it came down to a difference in perspective? Both Chloe, who came from a knightly background, and Zeke, who carried noble blood, probably didn’t like being lectured on the current situation by someone who was merely the owner of a brothel. There might be other reasons as well.
“You mentioned becoming independent? In that case, will the establishment’s name remain the same—Red Flower Garden?”
“Yes. Unless something unexpected happens, that’s the plan.”
Sasha suddenly interjected. A cold smile had formed on her fierce-looking face. It was the first time I’d seen her make such an expression in front of nobility, so it caught me slightly off guard. Ninya let out a small sigh and lightly tapped her sister’s shoulder.
“Sasha! Tsk! Your face got scary again.”
“S-sorry.”
“I’m sorry, Lord Leoric. Sasha has always struggled with controlling her expressions… Even now, she’s incredibly nervous and is trying to smile the way she was taught, but it’s not working very well.”
“No, that’s perfectly fine.”
Sasha bowed deeply. When she straightened up again, the cold smile had vanished. Her face remained as icy and fierce as ever, yet there was also a hint of dejection about her.
“This girl, really… She received such thorough training from her older sisters, yet the moment she stands in front of a man, she freezes up…”
“N-Ninya. You shouldn’t say things like that in front of Lord Leoric…”
Though she spoke with a hint of panic, her face remained cold. Hmm, so that’s her character. Anyway, it was time to steer the conversation back to the beginning.
“What do you mean by ‘unless something unexpected happens’?”
“We who work in the brothel don’t know the full details, but if there’s going to be a war, it must mean there’s a chance of victory, right? Mother seems absolutely certain that Franz will win.”
“And?”
The real discussion was finally beginning. While the other three continued their noisy debate, the three of us started our own conversation. Before we began, however, I picked up one of the glasses on the table.
“I-is that alright…?”
Ever attentive, Ninya approached with a bottle of liquor that had been prepared beforehand. She sat down beside me, neatly organized the table, and began pouring into my glass. I had simply acted on instinct, but the way she naturally approached and filled my glass made me wonder if she was still active in the trade. Sasha, judging by her flustered reaction, clearly wasn’t. Eventually, she walked over like a wooden puppet and sat down on my other side. Sitting was good, but the way she remained frozen… Well, it was kind of cute.
-Glug glug!
“The most famous brothel from Franz—Lord Leoric’s original homeland and now the new lord of this land—has opened a branch here! Just that fact alone will draw considerable attention in Muller.”
I inhaled the aroma of the deep red wine filling the glass. I still couldn’t quite tell what the wine tasted like. Back on Earth, I’d drink during company dinners or when meeting friends, but I never particularly enjoyed it. …Hmm, this scent though.
“Have you already investigated my preferences?”
“Hehe.”
While Ninya giggled cutely and played it off, I turned my gaze to Sasha. Our eyes met as she kept stealing glances at me.
“S-sorry!”
“You don’t have to shout like that. It’s fine.”
From what I’d heard, word about the tea leaves I drank had already spread. I took a sip of the wine in my glass. The sweetness was far more pronounced than any bitterness. The alcohol content seemed low, too.
“…I see. So what you’re saying is that the existing organizations won’t just sit quietly and allow it?”
“Yes. Normally, matters of the back alleys wouldn’t be something for Lord Leoric to concern himself with, but causing unnecessary turmoil right after the war ends and things have settled would be a nuisance. That’s why we wanted to get permission in advance.”
Ninya naturally leaned her body against mine, and her ample breasts, wrapped in a thin dress, pressed against my arm. It felt both calculated and instinctive at the same time. The reason I found it confusing was because Sasha, whose expression had been ruined by nerves, had now also pressed herself close, pushing her soft chest against me.
“Haa…”
Looking at Sasha’s pale face, it didn’t seem intentional. For now, to ease the tension, I leaned back in my chair and spread my arms. Naturally, both women slipped into the space I created. Ninya was one thing, but the fact that even Sasha joined in suggested they had received training on the level of proper courtesan education.
“Ah~”
“Ah~ Mmm.”
“Hik!”
Ninya had already prepared some fruit, skewering it with a toothpick-like tool and feeding it to me. I turned my head to accept the fruit, then placed my hand on Sasha’s exposed shoulder as she nestled between my spread arms. Her shoulder, inherited from her mother’s natural beauty and maintained with constant care, felt as smooth and soft as silk.
“Still, I think it was a mistake for Beatrice to speak so directly in front of me.”
“I’m sorry.”
Ninya bowed her head with a sorrowful tone. The slight tears gathering in her droopy eyes made me feel like the villain here. Her acting was no joke.
“Mother, she… um…”
“She?”
When Ninya spoke with a somewhat troubled expression, I glanced at Sasha. She seemed to have regained her composure and thought for a moment before opening her mouth.
“Mother believes in the Spirit Faith…”
“Oh?”
Was this the kind of thing business owners did—offering prayers and such? Perhaps reassured by my reaction, Ninya continued.
“She believes in the Golden Lion… so she’s currently in quite a heightened state. Our mother can be rather tactless, can’t she?”
“The Golden Lion?”
Wasn’t that the old folk religion of Franz? It was certainly a faith connected to the Franz bloodline that wielded golden magic.
“Hasn’t that been gone for over fifty years?”
“Young people these days hardly believe in it anymore. But older folks…”
“Ah, I see.”
At Beatrice’s age, there were still people who believed? Well, not that she was that old, but her mother’s generation would have still had believers.
“She cleaned the brothel several times after hearing you were coming today. Anyway, Mother’s condition is a bit… Even now, she seems completely caught up in the atmosphere and is rambling on about something. …It’ll be okay, right?”
She tried to act casual, but she must have been a little anxious. Both Ninya and Sasha were looking at me with similar eyes.
-Squish!
Hmm. It was fine. The three of them had already shifted their debate to the topic of the back alleys. By the way, the sensation in my hands—this perfectly palm-filling texture was…?
“Eep…”
“Hehe.”
My hands had apparently begun fondling Ninya and Sasha’s breasts on their own. You idiot. You’re supposed to touch when the owner wants to properly feel it. Hmm, breasts of this size. They rivaled my older sister’s. As I marveled, Ninya pressed even closer, pushing her proud assets firmly against me.
“Hehe, how do they feel? Just so you know, they’re still growing.”
What? These breasts were going to get even bigger? Another treasure of Franz had appeared.
“Not bad. …Wait, that’s not what I meant. It’s fine. This much is nothing.”
“I’m glad.”
“Haa…”
Perhaps because their tension had eased, the weight of them leaning against me increased slightly. Both Ninya and Sasha.
“Hmm. So you’re planning to bring quite a force with you.”
“For magic power users, just me and Sasha should be enough.”
“That’s why we wanted to get permission in advance. Having two knight-level magic power users moving around actively right after a war wouldn’t be good for a newly claimed city.”
Suppressing chaos in the back alleys, balancing the powers. In that sense, what they said would indeed help me—or rather, Franz—but ultimately, the ones who would reap the benefits were them. Moreover, having knight-level magic power users moving vigorously right after the war would be an eyesore for someone who had just taken control of the city. So they wanted to confirm things beforehand.
“It should be fine.”
“Really?”
“Thank you!”
At my words, they reacted with joy and automatically turned on the charm. It suited Ninya perfectly, but Sasha looked like a marionette trying to dance. It was almost a little scary.
“We don’t need to reorganize our side either.”
When I took control of Muller, I would need someone to serve as a representative like Beatrice currently did. While my subordinates would handle it well, having someone I already knew do it wasn’t a bad idea. Was this what they called a supporting lead role? By the way, what on earth was Isabel doing…?
“…Hic!”
She was looking this way with a flushed face. …Why was she acting like that?