Baron Womanchester's Invitation
Next day, noon.
I must’ve passed out until noon.
Maybe I’d loosened up after clearing one big hurdle?
Still, it didn’t matter.
“Mmm-haah…”
I yawned and opened my eyes.
The stuffy feeling finally forced me up.
“Huh?”
Turns out the reason I felt so cramped was because my face was buried in Winz’s overwhelming cleavage.
What the hell—why was Winz next to me?
She snuck in again. Probably slept hugging me because I look like a doll.
It wasn’t the first time.
If she thought I’d enjoy this every single time, she was dead wrong.
Still, seeing them up close like this… they really were huge.
Big, and beautifully shaped too. Hmm, they even smelled nice?
“Damn, I almost died.”
I sighed and admired them at the same time.
Winz must have woken up as well—she was rubbing her eyes.
Still half-asleep, she looked strangely cute and dazed.
Her sleepy gaze met mine, radiating drowsiness.
It was a different side from her usual diligent self—warm and sweet.
I poked her cheek.
“Cute, Winz.”
Her ears drooped.
“Hngh, my lady. Sudden skinship? And I’m defenseless…!”
“You’re just too cute.”
“Tsk, whatever. I’m taking a bath first!”
She pretended to be annoyed and headed for the bathroom.
I wanted to follow, but this was enough.
“Winz is weak in the mornings, huh.”
I stretched and threw the window open.
Whoosh!
A fresh breeze and birdsong poured in from every direction.
The streets below were already bustling with all kinds of people, each busy shaping their own lives.
Once I finish helping Renoir, I should get moving. Where to next?
I’d talk it over with Winz. Arms crossed, I stared outside for a long while.
Footsteps sounded behind me.
Winz stepped out wearing nothing but a white gown. She looked like a woman shyly approaching after finishing a night of work.
“My lady… I’m done.”
“Really? Then I’ll—”
“Where are you going?”
Winz suddenly grabbed my wrist and gently pulled me along.
“Come on, let’s do it on the bed…♥”
She smiled seductively, eyes locked on mine.
Looking at her like that, I felt my breath catch.
My face burned.
Damp skin, ample breasts, standing defenseless in nothing but a thin white gown.
She looked like the very definition of lewd.
If I were still a man, I’d be standing at attention right now.
I swallowed hard and shook my head.
“Argh, let go!”
I bolted straight for the bathroom.
Winz’s laughter followed me.
Got played again. When would I ever get used to this?
Haah, seriously…
Shaking my head, I focused on showering.
Once I finished and stepped out, Winz pointed out the window.
“My lady, someone’s here.”
“Huh? I thought adventurers came here all the time.”
Winz shook her head.
“No, it looks like a very high-ranking noble entering with soldiers…”
“What? Hmm, probably nothing to do with us?”
“…I wonder?”
“Just in case, let’s get ready to head out.”
Something felt off.
Why would a noble bother visiting such a common inn?
And with soldiers in tow, it was likely the local lord or a patron noble.
The lord came looking for me?
Hard to picture.
As I finished dressing, someone knocked on the door.
Winz and I exchanged glances.
“I’ll go check!”
“No, yesterday’s protagonist was me.”
I moved to answer.
If anything happened, I could handle it first.
“Oh my, even your bragging is hot! My heart’s pounding!”
“Haah…”
Scratching my head, I opened the door. A single soldier stood there.
“Are you Queen Wednesday?”
“Yeah?”
The soldier’s eyebrows twitched. He looked offended that I dared act so casual, but I ignored it cheerfully.
What could he even do?
“Move aside.”
The soldier stepped back, and someone appeared.
Brown hair, a beard, and a slightly foolish-looking middle-aged man.
“Never thought I’d meet the next head of the Wednesday family. Pleased to meet you—I’m Alex Womanchester.”
A nobleman in his late thirties.
He was Alex Womanchester, the lord and baron of this place.
Our families had always kept a distant relationship.
Finally showed up. Womanchester!
I’d known we’d meet someday.
Just not right after waking up.
I shrugged and greeted him.
“Never expected the lord himself to visit. What’s the matter? Did an S-rank pervert appear at the inn?”
“Haha, I heard a hero of the people appeared yesterday, so I came to invite you. Will you come?”
A bit unexpected.
He openly said he was inviting me.
Even a lord would usually just send a letter, not come in person.
Does he have a favor to ask? Or some problem he can’t talk about?
Given Baron Womanchester’s usual stance, he’d do anything to hide or erase political problems.
If he called me for that? Of course, it could simply be gratitude for yesterday.
“Either way, it feels like hell if I don’t go, so I guess I have no choice?”
The soldiers gritted their teeth at my bold remark.
“Such insolence…!”
“How dare you treat the lord like that?!”
“And you’re a woman at that.”
That “woman at that” line again.
But Alex raised his hand slightly to silence them.
“My apologies. But I have things to say, and since the hero of the people is the next head of another family, I couldn’t not see you in these times.”
Political reasons too, as expected.
Since the Life Tree Contest was coming up.
“I’ll go.”
“Thank you. Let’s take my carriage! It’s comfortable—you’ll like it.”
We went down and boarded the carriage together. When Winz tried to follow, the soldiers shouted.
“How dare a mere maid try to ride with us? Are you out of your mind?!”
These guys must’ve taken some weird drugs.
I stepped in.
“How dare mere soldiers try to stop someone? Winz is my precious woman!”
I declared it openly, and Alex called off the soldiers.
“Haha, please ride with us, my lady.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
Winz could join us too.
As we headed to the lord’s castle, Alex smiled slyly.
“By the way, I didn’t expect to meet like this.”
“Right. I thought we’d meet on the battlefield of the Life Tree Contest.”
He shook his head as if to say not to mention it. He must be troubled.
After all, his family possessed a Life Tree.
“Our families are allies in a way. At least we’ll meet as allies, won’t we?”
I smirked slightly.
“The Life Tree Contest is a dog-eat-dog world permitted by the country. With just one Life Tree, parents and children would sell each other out. What alliance could there be?”
A Life Tree could do anything.
You could wish upon it.
Cure diseases through it.
Maybe even change your fate.
Gain mana you never had and suddenly walk the path of a mage.
That was how unknown yet beneficial a Life Tree was to humanity.
Yet in this era, it became the spark that broke the peace.
Alex shrugged.
“Even so, an alliance is an alliance. Our family is prepared. What about you?”
“Asking me is nonsense, isn’t it?”
I had no interest from the start.
We passed the well-paved road and finally arrived at the lord’s castle.
Gardens lined both sides, and knights stood in formation saluting.
The carriage that had been speeding between them stopped perfectly in front of the mansion, as if calculated. Not an inch off.
We got out.
Following the lord, we headed to the reception room.
The mansion itself is huge.
It was exactly the kind of grand, splendid mansion nobles would live in.
In the reception room, we continued our conversation over tea.
“By the way, you said you had something to say?”
“Haha, your actions were quite meaningful. You’ve been very busy in our territory?”
Was he talking about helping with Renoir’s matter?
Did Allen snitch?
I was starting to dislike this. Not that I liked it before.
“Yes, well. I had things to do. Nothing bad for this territory.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Alex emptied his teacup and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.
“It seems like you’re planning something in our territory, but I’ll look favorably on it. After all, you’re the hero of the people! Instead, if Allen asks for cooperation in the future, please comply.”
“Cooperation?”
“It’s not because of any wrongdoing, but if you know any circumstances or stories about the past incident, please tell us.”
I thought, what now.
“Yes, gladly.”
“As expected, we can communicate…”
“On top of that, whenever we cooperate, we’d like to receive something in return. For example, an item the baron treasures… or something like that.”
I made a bold proposal.
Winz’s ears perked up in surprise.
Alex’s eyes widened too, and he let out a dry laugh.
“Hahaha! They say the next head of Wednesday is a bold woman unlike anything in this world. It was true! Understood, understood!”
“Thank you, my lord.”
I needed to maintain a smooth relationship with Baron Alex Womanchester from now on.
It would be good for me too.
And not bad for our family either.
But for that, my benefits had to come along.
I tried to make some small talk.
First, should I get some information?