When Spring Comes, Even Honeymoons Melt - 3
Since I was already at the Imperial Palace, I paid a visit to the Ministry of Finance building as well. Eri and Phine simply couldn't spare the time with the preparations for founding the Inspectorate Ministry, so I had to drop by whenever I could if I didn't want them to feel neglected. Honestly, between the busy ones and the free ones, it was only right that the free one went to visit.
"The Director is giving advice?"
"Well, that's how it turned out."
The moment I joined the two of them, I told them what had happened with the Emperor. It wasn't anything that needed to be kept under wraps, so there was no harm in mentioning it lightly.
"Godfather to the Crown Princess and teacher to a member of the imperial family. Impressive."
"Teacher? Please. I'll just be adjusting his form from the sidelines."
I shook my head at Eri, who was clapping playfully and grinning. The Emperor had asked me personally, so I would give advice, but proper instruction was out of the question. I simply didn't have the talent for teaching anyone gently.
Of course, if I ran Ainter the way I used to run Mukgwangdae back in the 4th Division days, it would be possible—but working a prince and marquis like a dog felt a bit much. If he got hurt somehow, it would be awkward for everyone involved.
"If it comes to it, I plan to drag Erich in too. They're the same age, so training together wouldn't be bad, right?"
Besides, the Baking Club already had two members who were training in swordsmanship. There was no need for me to handle Ainter all by myself.
The Emperor had specifically asked me, so I couldn't pull out entirely, but neither Erich nor Ryutis was the type to ignore a friend's training. My share of the work would be relatively light.
"Please stop making those dog-like bishops!"
"Don't worry. This time it's a knight!"
Though if Ryutis ended up teaching him, even poker-faced Ainter would probably grab the back of his neck. That bastard was an expert at teabagging no matter who the opponent was.
"If Master teaches him, the Marquis of Idrafen will become an outstanding warrior as well."
Meanwhile, Phine, who had been quietly listening to me, nodded with a resolute expression. She was probably recalling the days when she'd been put through the wringer under me.
I felt a little awkward. Mukgwangdae, including Phine, had certainly grown by leaps and bounds under my instruction, but honestly, their exceptional talent had a lot to do with it. If I'd taken ordinary commoners and trained them, they'd only just be reaching veteran soldier level by now.
"I hope so. Once the Marquis of Idrafen marries the daughter of Marquis Barandiga, he'll be living in the North. Being recognized as a warrior will make life easier for him."
But I didn't want to shatter the beautiful memories Phine held. Let's just say I taught them well.
As I said that, I kissed Phine on the cheek, and she trembled slightly before bringing her lips to my cheek in return.
Oh my god.
For a moment, I nearly shed tears of emotion. Phine, who had once been as weak to physical affection as Trixie and could have gone toe-to-toe with her for the title, could now counterattack so naturally without any stiffness. Didn't that mean the time we'd spent together hadn't been wasted?
"Hey! No fair hogging him!"
Stimulated by this historic counterattack, Eri planted a kiss on my other cheek.
Thank goodness people have two cheeks.
"Oh, right. Director."
After a good while of having both cheeks kissed, Eri spoke up as if something had just occurred to her.
"Starting next week, we'll be working out of the Inspectorate Ministry building instead of the Ministry of Finance."
"Oh."
The words drew a spontaneous sound of admiration from me.
It was only natural for the Inspectorate Ministry to have its own independent building, but since it hadn't yet been officially launched, they'd been freeloading at the Ministry of Finance. That meant personnel from the Ministry of Special Affairs who had business related to founding the Inspectorate Ministry had to come all the way to the Finance building—like Phine, who was right beside me now.
But at last, the Inspectorate Ministry had its own building. Personnel from the Ministries of Finance and Special Affairs could gather in one place for work, and I could finally escape the minister's constant mockery of calling me a parasite every time he saw me.
Super parasite escape complete.
I was becoming a proper host now.
"I stopped by for a quick look the other day—the underground is bigger than the surface floors."
"They really went all out with the allocation."
At Eri's words, the corner of my mouth curled up slightly.
The underground—a location difficult for anyone outside the Inspectorate Ministry to grasp. Even if someone managed to infiltrate the building, they wouldn't dare approach the basement. Without obtaining the blueprints separately, outsiders couldn't even see the underground levels.
So if the underground was larger than the surface, it was practically a fortress. Not a minister of the Inspectorate Ministry—I'd been made a fortress commander.
"So this time we can make the interrogation rooms nice and spacious, right? The Ministry of Finance basement was so small we had to keep things modest."
"Get the Intelligence Director's permission for that."
"Hiiing..."
Eri, who'd tried to slip in a request as naturally as breathing and failed, pouted and grumbled.
But it couldn't be helped. Even if Eri was my fiancée-to-be, she was going to belong to the Intelligence Department, and going over the Intelligence Director's head to handle Intelligence business wasn't right. It would only create an awkward relationship with the Intelligence Director right as the Inspectorate Ministry launched.
Of course, the Retired Emperor and the Emperor had elevated my authority so insanely high that the Intelligence Director might harbor complaints but wouldn't dare show them outwardly—still, I had no intention of snubbing a director-level official.
I can't let people get the idea that the minister involves himself in every single piece of work.
I meant that sincerely. If that kind of atmosphere took root across the entire Inspectorate Ministry, it would be finished that very day. Mid-level managers in the Inspectorate Ministry ignoring their department directors and seeking the minister's approval for everything?
Fuck.
Just imagining it was horrifying.
Delegate as much work as possible to the directors.
I was going to loaf around as much as I could.
That was a conviction I would not yield even if the sky fell.
"Um, Master. The Special Task Force is also planning to build a training ground..."
"Ah, decide that yourself, Phine, and just submit a report."
"Th-thank you."
Having watched Eri's request get shot down at light speed, Phine carefully opened her mouth—but her request was granted immediately.
"Hey, why am I the only one getting discriminated against!"
Eri cried out as if wronged, but I felt no pang of conscience.
"Phine is a director. She only needs my approval."
If you've got a problem, become the Intelligence Director yourself.
At those words, Eri rolled her eyes this way and that before quietly shutting her mouth.
No matter how she thought about it, the conclusion that her becoming a director would be insane seemed to have settled in.
Today, as always, I trained in the training grounds.
But while my body moved with regular discipline, my heart was thrashing violently unlike usual, unable to recover its calm.
A pathetic situation where heart and body couldn't find balance. Could someone like me even call himself a warrior?
"Haa."
In the end, I stopped my sword and slumped down in a corner of the training ground, letting out a sigh. Training with this kind of mindset would only send me walking a twisted path.
What do I do?
And resting my forehead lightly against the sword hilt, I let out a second sigh. Seriously, what the hell was I supposed to do.
I was going crazy. I had no idea what face I was supposed to wear when I met Sera or Zenobia either.
It wasn't that I didn't know how to answer their confessions. Following my brother's advice, I'd decided not to rush a reply and to give a careful answer in due time. They'd probably welcome a thoughtful response more than a hasty one anyway.
But the real problem was something else. From the moment I'd received their confessions, my confidence in treating them casually had vanished.
How am I supposed to treat them like before?
Treating someone who likes you romantically with zero formality, like just a friend? That wasn't polite. They might think I was taking their confessions lightly and planning to reject them.
And decisively, I myself no longer had the confidence to act as before. Knowing they had feelings for me, even looking at their faces and hearing their voices made me tense.
Sera's radiant golden hair, her sapphire-like blue eyes, Zenobia's soft silver hair, her ruby-like red eyes—
"Young Master."
"Uh, y-yes?"
I hurriedly lifted my head at the knight's call.
"Lady Sera has arrived."
I nearly dropped it again.
I moved with the slowest, most shambling steps I could manage. I'd heard Sera was with the nanny, so I just needed to go to the nanny's room—but I couldn't muster the courage to walk there with any dignity. To be honest, I no longer even had the courage to face the nanny.
Sera had said she'd liked me since long ago, and the nanny must have known about Sera's feelings. Yet the one and only target of her daughter's unrequited love had been utterly oblivious. How much must the nanny have fretted watching me, and how pathetic must she have found me.
Should I just run away like this? If I didn't have the courage to face them, I could just hold out until the courage came, right?
"Where are you going?"
The moment I turned my body, trying to ignore the reality right in front of me, Sera's voice rang out.
I was done for. I was about to get caught red-handed.
"I just need to use the bathroom for a second..."
"Really? Want me to come with you?"
"On second thought, I don't think I need to go."
At my rapid surrender, Sera smiled bashfully and linked her arm through mine.
And at the sensation in my arm, my hands and feet started trembling.
It was strange. Linking arms between friends was perfectly normal, but thinking of it as something between a man and a woman made my body and heart react violently.
"Let's hurry. I brought cake so we can eat together."
"Uh, y-yeah, okay."
I found myself being led along by Sera, who was far weaker than me.
Then it suddenly occurred to me that I was lucky Zenobia was currently serving as an Imperial Count. If she, too, had been an heir rather than a titled noble in her own right, she would have made surprise visits to our estate just like Sera.
So this was when you used the phrase "a blessing in disguise"...
"It's from Zenobia unnie, so let's eat it while it's still good."
But I flinched at Sera's words. Though Zenobia's body remained in the Imperial Capital, her spirit had arrived at our side riding on that cake.
What's more, the way Sera addressed Zenobia had changed from "Countess" to "Zenobia unnie." When exactly had that happened?
Something must have gone on somewhere I don't know about.
I was terrified. While I'd been spending each day in silence, the thought of what discussions those two might have had was downright frightening.
As the sun began to set, Erich appeared.
"Can I stay with you until school starts, hyung?"
Slightly trembling pupils and a desperate voice.
I had a pretty good idea why. Just as I had once been driven half out of my mind by a confession relay, Erich's sanity seemed to have fled him as well.
Looking at him, I smiled gently and said,
"Go home."
I immediately returned the defective goods I hadn't ordered.
Arrogant brat. How dare you try to run away. And you call yourself a man of the Crassius family?
Should I send Zenobia to the estate too?
He still had room to spare, which was why he'd even thought of running. If the encirclement was composed of a Sera–Zenobia duo instead of Sera alone, he wouldn't be able to escape.
I should invite Zenobia to the Tyleglehen count territory before school starts, under the pretext of "Imperial Counts socializing."
I'd have to stay at the estate too, but for the sake of my little brother's marriage, I could endure that much trouble.