5. Marian
5. Marian
The only sound filling Marian Lowell's office was the rhythmic tap, tap of a quill pen hitting the desk.
The atmosphere seemed tinged with a bit of irritation.
"... Sigh."
Marian put down her pen and sank deep into her chair.
The young lady of the Lowell family, the ruling house of the Velua domain, and the secret manager of the Bottom Wall brothel... Marian Lowell.
She had the Lowell family's characteristic golden hair, and her signature feature was a standard-type bun hairstyle befitting a noble young lady.
"Marriage, marriage... Ugh, seriously. There's no middle ground, no middle ground!"
On Marian's desk, the marriage proposal documents her father had unceremoniously pushed on her were scattered in disarray.
There were pretty-boy gigolos who looked flashy on the outside but seemed hollow inside,
and pig-like nobles with sagging bellies, some of whom might even have bigger breasts than Marian herself.
Not a single one of them was to her liking.
"... Really, Father. Why must he worry about finding a match for his esteemed sons first? Why is he so desperate to torment this maiden?"
Count Lowell was rather fond of his daughter.
In fact, the reason she had been able to postpone it until now was because Count Lowell was somewhat soft on his daughter.
But Marian couldn't possibly be unaware that her father's patience was gradually reaching its limit.
Even if he was soft on his daughter, the Count was still a noble of this era.
It might be okay to reject all the prospective groom lists she received today, but if she continued to reject them once, twice, without any reason...
She might really end up married off to some blockhead of a man who only had a good family name.
The proper duty that matches the benefits one rightfully enjoys as a noble.
That is, to receive seed and bear a second generation.
"... A once-in-a-lifetime marriage. I, Marian, do not wish to live my life filled with regret."
Finding the husband she desired.
That was Marian's goal.
Marian pushed the marriage proposal documents aside and pulled out a book, smudged with fingerprints, that was hidden in the deepest part of her desk drawer with a double lock...
It was a novel Noah had sneakily handed to her during her very innocent days.
[ The maiden is worried... I've heard that once married, one must... have that kind of relationship between a man and a woman... My nanny also told me it is the proper duty of a noble young lady. I simply cannot imagine it. You, Noah-nim, are an elf who has lived a long life, so you must have a great deal of experience, right? ]
[ ... Experience? ]
A book with a red cover that Noah had handed over, telling her never to show it to anyone else and to read it secretly alone...
Noah feigned ignorance about the author, but
it was clearly a novel following modern Earth's writing style. Among them, it seemed to be a novelization of a female protagonist's Tsukkur yaoi game.
In other words, it was an erotic novel.
Marian gulped and turned the page.
[ ... The female knight, Jeanne, accepted the duel for her honor. ]
[ The fight intensified, and the narrowly missed sword blades were stripping away her clothes and armor, layer by layer... ]
[ The sound of rough, panting breaths. The sight of her swinging her sword, her wet breasts swaying, was like watching a prostitute... ]
[ "D, die...!" ]
The illustrations were a bonus.
The scene of the noble female knight, surrounded by dozens of men, being treated like a toy. The men's hands, and her appearance as she stuck out her tongue with a *hekkanak* sound, her eyes losing focus as she moaned from the insertion...
— She looked extremely pleased.
"Sigh, Father... This maiden does not wish to live with cobwebs in her nether regions. Like the protagonist in this novel... I wish to meet a wonderful man who will completely ruin me, Marian."
It was the kind of statement that would have made Count Lowell clutch the back of his neck and collapse if he heard it. She rubbed her thighs together, feeling her underwear gradually getting wet.
Now that she ran a brothel and had seen all sorts of unsightly things, it felt a bit bland compared to watching videos...
But this novel held a special meaning for Marian.
The memory of that day, reading it under the covers, identifying with the female protagonist until her pussy was so wet it felt like a flood...
Marian put the book back in its place as if it were a precious treasure, then tapped the small crystal orb placed beside it.
— Ha, haak... Hak...
Then the room came into view.
Marian, the brothel she operated. It was magically linked, so the sound was transmitted directly to Marian's ears. There was no worry about sound leaking out.
Sitting quietly in her office and peeking through the crystal orb was also part of Marian's daily routine.
"... Bishop Valerius, hmm. He was only half passable. Well, since Noah-nim seems to enjoy him, I don't plan to blacklist him... but for me, it's a bit. His stamina is good... but I don't wish to be pinned down by an ugly pig."
In Marian's view,
Noah was the biggest pervert among the people she knew. She seemed to deny it herself, but watching the brothel girls like this, one couldn't help but know.
Why men paid huge sums to spend three gold coins for a woman whose face they didn't even know.
Why the elf everyone looked up to, Noah, was earning money by selling her body.
"... A very lewd person. That's why she is perfectly suited to be the mentor of my life. The man who can satisfy her would be the one I've been waiting and waiting for..."
This was also the reason Marian operated a brothel.
The unique structure was also related to this reason. One could say there's no better structure for observing a man's genitals.
Incidentally, it was Noah's idea.
In that sense, the hero, Kyle, whom she had seen last time, could be considered a passing grade.
Handsome looks, the background of being a hero, a thick and long cock, incredible stamina enough to make Noah pass out...
"... Tsk."
But that hero had too many women.
Marian pouted her lips and turned off the crystal orb's light. Since Noah wasn't at the shop, the customers weren't much to look at either.
"Noah-nim. You should know that I don't have much time. A one-week vacation is too long. Ahh... Where in this world is the perfect man who will only look at me, Marian...?"
Marian slumped her shoulders and shook the bell on her desk.
Soon after, a maid waiting outside the door entered and bowed her head.
"... Draw me some warm water. I wish to wash my body."
"Yes, Lady Marian. I will prepare it right away."
Marian felt uncomfortable.
Because in that short time, her underwear had become soaking wet.
This was the ordinary, yet not so ordinary, daily life of the 'virgin' Marian Lowell, the young lady of Velua and the owner of a brothel.
===
"Noah-nim, Noah-nim...!"
"... Huh, did you call?"
I was in the orphanage courtyard, leaning back in a chair under the shade of a tree, thinking about Marian's letter.
I snapped back to attention at the voice of a child tugging my sleeve and calling my name.
It was Nell, who was proactive in everything.
"I don't really understand what exactly 'feeling the magical power' means..."
"Ahem... There's no need to rush. Where is it easy to comprehend magic overnight? But if you have talent, it won't take too long."
I answered, trying my best to look like I knew what I was talking about.
Truthfully, even I didn't have much to say beyond 'feel it.' Magic is something that those with talent comprehend just by breathing, while those without can't reach that realm even if they practice staring at a wall their whole lives.
But...
Who am I?
The elf mage Noah, whom everyone looks up to as a great magician.
Not long after I came into this world, the master I met told me.
— Your gift is tremendous magical talent. It allows even an ignorant fool like you, who knows nothing of magical theory, to use fire magic powerful enough to burn down an entire mountain in an instant. It means you are a constitution blessed with magic.
The trade-off is that the fuel efficiency isn't great.
Anyway, as a side effect, magical power leaks out around me even when I'm just sitting still.
You could say I'm creating the optimal environment for these kids to sense magical power.
After spending a few days here, they'll probably start to comprehend it.
"... But it's too vague."
In response to Nell's complaint, Karl, who was quietly reading a book nearby, answered nonchalantly.
"When it comes to magic, you just have to trust Noah-nim. I was like that too."
As evidence, there's Karl here.
I brought Karl along too, since he had nothing to do sitting around at the inn. Karl, who awakened to magic by my side, could probably give better advice to the children.
"Karl, if the other children have questions, help them out."
"Yes, I will."
Though a bit blunt, Karl is a good kid. It's not like I'm just dumping work on him...
Originally, everyone has their right place.
"Uuuuuh...! I, I will become a mage...!"
I couldn't help but let out a snicker at the sight of Nell, who had returned to her spot and was scowling intensely while waving her hands in the air as if meditating.
What kind of magical power did she think she could sense with a face like she needed to take a shit?
It wasn't a mocking laugh. It's just that I liked the kid's personality, I suppose.
And at that moment,
"... Tsk."
A sound of someone clicking their tongue, as if wanting to be heard, came from nearby.
Turning my head, I saw Bishop Valerius, with his very distinctive (?) double chin, passing by the front of the orphanage.
I gestured for the children to continue what they were doing, then got up and walked towards the Bishop.
"Bishop? What brings you here?"
"Ggrr... It's nothing! Foolishness...!"
"Are you looking for something? If it's the Bishop's request, I might be able to help."
If it's a request from a regular customer, I can make some allowances for a simple request. He is, after all, a customer worth a whopping 3 gold coins per session.
And he even paid an advance...
For now, he's basically a reserved customer.
"D, don't come closer! I'm a busy man!"
"... Huh, really."
I muttered quietly as I watched his heavy body waddle away.
"I guess I can't grant Marian's wish. If the customer refuses like this, I'll just have to see him at the shop."
I had no intention of crawling under the desk in the first place, but since the customer refused, there was nothing more to say.
This time, I'll just have to squeeze him dry until he loses his mind.