Chapter 46. A Gem Is Essential for a Proposal(?) Ring

Laila silently rose from her seat.

The corners of her lips curled upward as she spoke, a hint of derision in her voice.

"I'll give you the room. Talk to your heart's content."

There was an odd nuance in her tone.

As if she was certain that 'whatever scheme you try, it won't work.'

Only three people remained in the drawing room.

Sayo carefully lifted her teacup and quietly spoke.

"I understand you have no lover yet, and that you are unmarried."

At Sayo's sudden remark, my brow furrowed.

Why bring this up now, of all times...?

Sayo's gaze briefly flicked to Reina, who was seated beside her.

"Wouldn't my daughter, Reina, make a fine spouse?"

There was absolutely no way.

For me, there was only Laila.

"I'm not saying this because she's my daughter, but her looks wouldn't lose out to anyone."

"What exactly is the meaning of—"

At Sayo's words, Reina awkwardly ducked her head a little.

Seeing her reaction, it seemed they had already discussed this to some extent.

'What were they trying to do right now...?'

"Your parents, Hunter... I heard they are the Master and Vice-Master of the Hanul Guild. If our bond with the Takamine family deepens, I don't think there would be any downside."

So, in other words, she wanted to use her own daughter for an arranged marriage?

I had sensed it before, but the mindset of nobles was truly difficult to understand.

And I didn’t want to understand it.

"Is that the way of the Takamine family?"

She wasn't flustered at all by my words, merely tilting her head slightly.

"I'm not sure... what you mean?"

"Marrying off your daughter to someone she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠doesn't love."

Instead, Sayo looked at me with a curious expression, as if surprised.

Was it confidence in her daughter's appearance?

"Well... you might think of it that way, but if young people date and spend time together, couldn't feelings develop?"

"..."

"And if they end up falling for each other..."

This person seemed to be misunderstanding something. I already had someone I liked.

So much so that there's only her.

"I already have someone I've given my heart to."

"That doesn't matter."

"...?"

"Isn't it that woman named Laila?"

Indeed, perhaps because she was the matriarch of a family, she was quite perceptive.

If she already knew, the conversation should be simple...

"I think it's no flaw for a capable man to have multiple women."

"Ha... You speak so casually of another's affairs... The head of this family, you say..."

"Yes, Reina's father also keeps several concubines."

I had never, not once in my life, considered polygyny.

I didn’t want to, and that's just fiction from novels.

"Even if I do marry, I will build a family with only one woman."

"...Only one, you say?"

At my resolution to look at only one woman, both Sayo and Reina gave me strange looked.

Even these days, chat messages from viewers often pop up saying I look like I 'have the face to bed many women.'

But to actually be treated this way in reality made me feel a bit unsettled.

"Anyway, that's how it is for me."

"Isn't a man, by nature, a creature who wants to embrace beautiful women?"

It was dizzying.

The more I talked with this person, the more it felt like I was getting tangled up.

"Let's stop here. I'll pretend I didn't hear this."

"Hmm... Her appearance is beautiful, and if you compare her background to that of Miss Laila..."

─ Clink!

I unconsciously tightened my grip on the teacup.

"Don't cross the line."

Perhaps she had intended to provoke this as well, as she smiled slightly and bowed her head.

Then she politely apologized to me.

"That was a slip of the tongue."

As I left the room, their gazes burned into my back.

---

I headed to where Laila was and found her sitting quietly, looking at her phone.

When I opened the door, Laila beamed brightly and trotted over to me.

"Hero!"

A woman who smiles like this while clinging to my arm.

How could I ever want anyone else over this Laila?

I let out a disbelieving laugh.

"What did you talk about?"

"Just... nothing important."

"Hmm...?"

Laila narrowed her eyes slightly and leaned her face forward.

The conversation I had with those women kept replaying in my mind, making me feel awkward about meeting her eyes.

"What, did they ask you to date their daughter or something?"

"Huh, what...?"

"It's obvious. In the past too, you received so many proposals like that, Hero — from some emperor's daughter or some noble's daughter."

She was right.

I had received many such proposals at formal events.

Of course, when they actually met me, they all ran away as if they'd seen a ghost, though.

'Thinking back, that was a relief...'

"So what did you say, Hero?"

"I just... said no and left."

"Fufu, I suppose you have someone you like?"

"W-who, who? Me?"

"If not, then never mind~"

'If not, then never mind'...

I was startled, wondering if she had caught on to my feelings.

I planned to confess to Laila once I was properly ready.

─ Squeeze... Squish...!

"Hmm~ Are you sure you don't like someone?"

'...!!'

As if pressing me for an answer, she hugged my arm tightly and shook it around.

I squeezed my eyes shut and controlled my body's reactions.

"N-no... really, there isn't anyone..."

"Why are you so flustered? Of course I'm joking~"

Laila let go of my arm and smiled again, suggesting we head outside.

"We came all the way overseas, so shall we go sightseeing? We have to wait a few days for the artifact anyway."

"Should we..."

We told the Takamine family to contact us once the head of the family awakened.

And as we were about to leave, Sayo gave the two of us a peculiar stare.

─ Clutch.

Deliberately, as if showing them, I took Laila's hand.

Then I confidently opened the main gate and headed outside.

"Um... Hero..."

"Ah, sorry. Did I hold it too tight?"

"N-no..."

Was I jumping the gun when we aren't even going out yet?

Would doing this just massively hurt my likeability with Laila...?

Still, she didn't pull her hand away, perhaps so I wouldn't feel awkward for no reason.

We walked like that for quite a while without saying a word.

Until my hands grew clammy from the tension...

"Laila, your hand..."

"Ah..."

In the awkward moment, Laila spoke up first.

"Sh-shall we go eat over there...?"

And so, Laila and I went into a nearby restaurant and had a meal.

Making the initial awkwardness seem like nothing, we wandered around having fun until the sun went down.

Of course, while I was in the restroom, some ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thuggish guy tried to hit on Laila.

But maybe he was a good guy deep down, because when I approached and smiled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at him, he apologized and left.

"Hero, let's go out and have fun like this from time to time."

"I-I'd like to go out often, you know?"

Ah, damn...

I stuttered like a loser.

Even so, Laila looked at me, seated beside her, and smiled brightly.

Her smile, lit up by the streetlamp, was brighter than ever.

"Heehee, then let's go out often."

---

After spending some time in Japan, we received word that the family head had awakened.

I went to the room where the family head was and met the gaze of a middle-aged man who still looked frail.

"You are... the benefactor who saved our Takamine family..."

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

"I am the head of this family, Takamine Hisao."

"Ah, yes..."

Come to think of it, this was the first time I learned the family head's name.

He gestured to a servant by the door, who then brought a small wooden box.

As the servant handed it over, he cast a worried glance toward the family head.

"Master... are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine."

As he said this and placed his hand on the wooden box, a flame surged up and the box burned away without a trace.

Then, a bracelet became visible in his hand.

'Ah, it'll be tricky to set a gemstone into a bracelet...'

But his next words made my worries irrelevant.

"A necklace, a ring, a bracelet... It's fine to wear it in whatever way is comfortable."

When he brought it to different parts of his body, it resized to fit.

For a moment I wondered if it was an artifact similar to my earring, but the family head chuckled and shook his head.

"It's not that kind of artifact. It's merely an artifact that bestows a blessing upon the wearer..."

"Thank you..."

Seeing me try the artifact on in various ways, the family head tilted his head and asked.

"Do you intend to run a guild?"

"I do not."

"Hmm... Then..."

Hisao briefly glanced at Laila, who was standing beside me.

Then, as if realizing something, he closed his eyes and nodded.

"Mhm... It will certainly be a helpful artifact."

"Pardon?"

"It's nothing."

"..."

"Are you heading back now?"

"We plan to look around a bit before returning. It's been a while since we've had an overseas trip."

Hisao gave a faint smile.

"Enjoy your travels."

After receiving the promised artifact and additional compensation, we left the Takamine family estate.

Then I asked Laila to go back to the lodging ahead of me for a moment.

"...Why?"

"I have a quick errand to run..."

Originally, for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a proposal ring, a beautiful gemstone was a must.

And now I had to go make the gemstone that would be the finishing touch for that ring.

"Hmm..."

Laila was clearly sulking at being told to go back alone.

"I'll be back soon."

"You absolutely have to come back quickly!"

"Yeah, I got it."

To craft the masterpiece of a lifetime, I entered a desolate, deep mountain area where no one was around.