Chapter 92
Chapter 92
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: The Carmel Family (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The head of the Carmel family, Hamilton, gazed intently at his daughter.
“Jace seems unchanged.”
“No. He’s changed a little.”
“Changed, you say?”
“Yes. Should I say he’s become more expressive? In any case, he cherishes me more now.”
“Hmm, well, that’s a relief, but…”
There were far too many things that bothered him.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Jace, but would those around him simply leave him be?
The matter of the imperial family aside, even the companions he brought this time felt somewhat unsettling.
They were all female, and none of them fell short when compared to Ceria.
An elf of incredible beauty and a cute fox beastkin… In terms of sheer presence, Ceria was almost overshadowed.
Though in a parent’s eyes, their own child is always the prettiest.
The elf’s appearance was so unfair it bordered on cheating, enough to defy that very truth.
“This father of yours thinks it looks quite dangerous. Especially that elf… ahem!”
“—!”
“—??”
Hamilton swallowed his words under his wife’s glare, which told him not to be foolish.
Meanwhile, Ceria tilted her head. It was an unexpected point.
She hadn’t given Ilensia a second thought.
That was because of Jace’s indifferent attitude toward her.
Still, an elf was an elf.
There was no doubt she held some affection for Jace.
In the worst-case scenario, she could suddenly emerge as a threatening presence.
“…”
A cold sweat ran down her back as she realized this.
There were already other girls who worried her.
Aruru was out of the question, but Esterize and Luciel were individuals to watch out for.
Another Hero and a Saintess.
Their relationships with Jace were bound to grow closer.
After a moment of thought, she concluded that this was no time to be complacent.
Just as Ceria was steeling her resolve,
Hamilton’s expression grew more serious than ever before.
“It might be alright to be a little more bold… I’ll leave the method to you.”
There were no specifics, but his meaning was clear.
Given the circumstances, she didn’t feel the slightest bit of shame.
The girl, who had the Hero as her lover, began to radiate determination.
“Jace is my everything. I won’t let anyone take him from me.”
“Mm, well said. I can finally rest a little easier.”
At the sight of the father and daughter joining forces,
the lady of the Carmel family was lost in thought for a moment.
“…”
Is this right?
Wouldn’t things work out fine even without going this far?
From what she had seen, Jace was a man of strong responsibility.
He would take responsibility for his woman, no matter what.
No, well… perhaps there’s no reason it wouldn’t work?
Jace loved Ceria. That fundamental premise would never change.
Meaning, even if Ceria were to be aggressive, he would gladly accept it.
It seemed that no matter which path they took, there would be no major problems.
Since her husband and daughter were in agreement, she might as well go along with it.
“Alright. If we’re going to do this, let’s do it properly.”
A heartwarming scene of a family’s hearts uniting as one…
It was a bit peculiar, but the fact that they were a harmonious family was undeniable.
* * *
The banquet proceeded as planned.
Befitting the stature of a great family, it was flawless.
Exquisite dishes made from the finest ingredients.
Our little cutie showed off the full extent of a beastkin’s appetite.
Perhaps due to what she had seen and learned so far, she maintained a degree of etiquette.
“Ahaha, you seem to be having fun. It was worth the effort to prepare all this.”
My father-in-law burst into hearty laughter.
He seemed to find Aruru, who was eating with such gusto, simply adorable.
It was fine for now, but what if this continued for a month?
He would be groaning at the terrifyingly enormous food bill.
I wanted to see that reaction, but unfortunately, we were scheduled to leave early tomorrow.
“Ah, right. How are your parents?”
“They are both doing well.”
“That’s good to hear. Perhaps it’s about time I paid them a visit…”
He would occasionally strike up a conversation with me.
They were casual topics, so I responded naturally.
Next, he asked me to give him a rough idea of how strong I currently was.
Hmm, how should I explain this?
The Carmel family wasn’t a martial family, so it was a bit tricky.
They probably didn’t even know the concepts of Sword Ki and Sword Aura.
After a moment of thought, I came up with the perfect answer that even a layman could understand.
“I recently received my father’s acknowledgment.”
“Acknowledgment from the head of the Empire’s Four Sword Masters? That’s truly incredible! Considering your rate of growth, you’ll soon be counted among their ranks.”
“—??”
Huh? The Empire’s Four Sword Masters? Was that a thing?
Anyway, it seemed my dad was the best among them.
It was a fresh reminder, but the power of the Crodain family was immense.
The banquet continued in a pleasant atmosphere late into the night.
The host and hostess bid us goodnight and retired first.
Our little cutie.
You really ate your fill, so you must be satisfied, right?
“Yep!”
Then hurry up, brush your teeth, and go to bed.
The princess and the elf lady have already gone to rest.
I should probably get some rest too.
As I was washing up and changing in the room assigned to me, I suddenly felt a strange gaze.
Had she snuck in while I was washing?
Aruru was occupying my bed as if she owned it.
“It’s okay. I’ve already seen everything.”
“…”
How should one deal with a pet that peeks at its master’s bare skin?
Well, we had spent a considerable amount of time in the same space, so something like this was no big deal.
As I sat on the edge of the bed, she clung to me as if she’d been waiting.
Perhaps because I hadn’t been able to play with her for a while, the girl showered me with affectionate gestures.
It was late, but it seemed alright to accept her affection for a little while.
“Actually, I was lonely…”
She whispered quietly, burying her face in my chest.
Why? How so? It’s not like you’ve been alone all this time, right?
“Nn, at the academy, we were always together, day and night. I guess it became a habit.”
Nights without Master are lonely!
She confessed her true feelings in such a frank and honest manner.
Right, so you can’t do without me either, huh?
I smiled fondly and gently hugged her.
It felt as though the bond between master and pet had deepened.
“I want to stay here tonight.”
“Hmm, that’s a bit…”
If we were at my family’s home, I wouldn’t mind, but at my in-laws’, I have to be more mindful!
My prospective father-in-law was already acting very suspicious.
I had a strong feeling that Ceria would be coming to my room.
“That’s right. I think so too.”
Huh? You too? Then I’m certain.
The unparalleled senses of a beastkin…
“She’ll probably try to go all the way this time.”
“…”
A certain girl was predicted to cause a major incident.
It was what I had hoped for, but there was a problem to deal with first.
I stared at Aruru.
I could read her thoughts just by looking at her excited expression.
Even the speed at which her tail was moving was the same tremor as when she was excited.
A chance to witness the lovers’ acts of affection firsthand!
The sacred process of feeling and accepting one another.
How can I bear the excitement? I have to see it, no matter what!
That’s the kind of vibe she was blatantly giving off.
Somehow, she detested public displays of affection but loved the real deal.
Well, she was a girl in the prime of her youth.
It wasn’t unreasonable for her to be interested, but her wish was far too unrealistic.
I mean, what exactly does she plan to watch?
Who said she had permission? Not a chance in hell!
No matter how cute she is, I won’t tolerate anyone interfering with what will be a great night!
“I’ll give you a choice. Will you leave on your own two feet, or be thrown out?”
“Aah, I told you I was lonely!”
She lay on the bed, daring me to do something.
She had no intention of leaving. Should I just pounce on her and teach her a lesson?
As I was considering various options, she lifted her head and grinned.
“I have a plan too. I’m not shameless enough to watch openly.”
“You’re going to hide your presence?”
“Yep!”
She projected an air of pure innocence, as if that solved everything.
My little cutie, you might be able to fool Ceria, but what about me?
“You just have to turn a blind eye.”
“…”
This wasn’t going to work.
I’d have to use force and throw her out.
She was a formidable opponent, but I had gotten quite a bit stronger too.
As long as I watched out for the Aruru Punch, I could definitely subdue her…
“Shh! Be quiet!”
“—??”
Suddenly, the girl’s fox ears perked up.
She even brought an index finger to her lips.
“Someone’s coming this way. Well, it must be Ceria.”
Ah, so that event is really happening?
Aruru began a play-by-play using her incredible beastkin hearing.
“Stiff footsteps… the sound of thin fabric rustling with each step… It seems she’s in quite a daring outfit.”
“—!”
A daring outfit? What’s that?
I didn’t know the details, but it meant she was determined to seduce her lover.
I wanted to prepare myself, but there was no time.
Sure enough, I could sense Ceria’s presence as well.
My fiancée was about to burst in before I could even kick out our little cutie…
“She’s almost here. I’d better hide.”
“…”
“Well then, I’ll be cheering for you!”
The fox beastkin immediately crawled under the bed.
Her presence became incredibly faint, as if she had never been there.
She must have used a spirit to erase her presence.
If she had been hiding from the start, I might not have noticed at all.
“…”
This was no time to stop Aruru’s sudden antics.
Right now, welcoming Ceria was the top priority.
I sensed her stop in front of the door and take a deep breath.
She must be steeling her resolve once more before entering.
Finally, Ceria revealed herself.
She put on a bright expression, creating a gentle atmosphere.
She approached without hesitation.
The way she sat next to me and leaned in slightly was very natural.
“You’re leaving tomorrow, right?”
I wouldn’t have minded staying another day, but…
I had a feeling that wasn’t the right answer.
Hoping my choice was the correct one, I nodded, and she smiled as if she had been waiting.
“Then… this will be our last night alone together for a while.”
“…”
Our last night alone together.
A message that strongly implied something.
I thought of the many journeys that lay ahead.
I would be staying in the imperial capital for quite some time, and I expected to be busy even after that.
As a Hero, I had to stay with my companions.
We might be able to share moments of affection alone together sometimes, but it was certain that such time would be very limited.
“So… I was hoping you would accept me completely tonight.”
The ultimate form of love.
She shyly added that she wanted to make a happy memory.
If we were truly alone, I would have thought, ‘I can’t resist this!’ and accepted in a heartbeat, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
The sly fox beastkin hiding under the bed…
Her fox ears would be perked up, her tail wagging.
What should I do? It felt like I was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
The best course of action would be to explain the situation now and drag Aruru out.
Then, I would hold a stern trial.
Scold her until she repented and then spend the remaining time productively…
Just as I made up my mind, Ceria did something completely unexpected.
“—!”
The girl shrugged off the robe that covered her body.
She seemed full of confidence, and for good reason.
Her near-perfect body was beautiful beyond compare.
I had seen it a few times already, but I couldn’t help but be thrilled every time.
Not only that, but this time she was truly dressed to the nines.
The single, flimsy piece of fabric felt sacred in more ways than one.
A gesture to seduce a man soon followed.
She gently caressed my face, coming on boldly.
That lovely coquetry made me lose half my reason, but…
I suppressed my excitement with superhuman patience.
No, it was too much of a waste to just let it pass, so I gave her a light kiss.
When our lips parted, Ceria’s face flushed red.
So you’re feeling it too, huh? Of course you are!
Her reaction seemed to say, let’s go all the way.
But before that, I had to reveal that our little cutie was hiding.