Nothing Happened! Veilburg County
Nothing happened! Veilburg County.
“Have you returned?”
“Brother! What on earth happened!? How did you suddenly end up tied to the Grand Duchy and dragged back here!?”
“Ah… I’m back, Father.”
The moment he stepped through the door, Rian saw his younger brother causing a commotion, but he first offered his greeting to his father. He understood the curiosity, yet there was nothing he could actually explain.
“Have you eaten?”
“I ate at the Grand Duchy.”
“I see… Then go and rest.”
“Ah, Father.”
“What is it?”
“I wish to resume my sword training.”
“Sword training…?” Hidelus’s expression shifted into puzzlement at the abrupt statement, but he offered no objection. Something seemed to click for him; his face settled into understanding as he addressed Rian.
“I’ll speak with Captain Lawrence. Learn from him.”
“Thank you.”
His father, who must have harbored countless questions, asked nothing further and simply entered the mansion. The quiet consideration touched Rian with gratitude, and he moved to follow—only to be stopped.
“Brother! I’m asking what happened!?”
“......”
His tactless younger brother launched into a relentless barrage. Harts blocked the entrance as though preventing any escape, glaring with fierce intensity. Rian let out a sigh.
“Why exactly should I tell you?”
“Because you should! I’m family!”
“And?”
“If things are going well between you and Cynthia Rebellion, that means she could become my sister-in-law! So you have to tell me!”
“Which is why…?”
“I’m becoming an adult soon too!”
“Ah… I see.”
Harts reaching adulthood meant his debut into high society was drawing near. It was hardly surprising that he felt nervous. With an ordinary young lady, Harts might not have been so tense, but the other party was Cynthia Rebellion. Her name carried enormous weight in noble circles, and it was no exaggeration to say she stood at the very pinnacle of the social world. If Harts entered society to build connections, Cynthia’s influence would inevitably loom over his background.
“Things are going well with Cynthia.”
“Huk!? R-really?”
“Yes. We’ve been going on dates quite often lately. You didn’t know?”
“I naturally assumed you were just playing the field! At the party she looked like she had plenty of male friends…”
“…They’re just friends. Don’t spout nonsense when you have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Ah, sorry.”
Harts flinched at his brother’s sudden seriousness. From Rian’s reaction, the younger sibling finally caught on. His brother and Cynthia Rebellion were genuinely involved.
Wow. Jackpot. Honestly, I didn’t think it would go as far as marriage… Wait a second?
“Then, Brother… what exactly did you do yesterday?”
“What do you mean?”
“You slept over at the Grand Duchy, didn’t you? Nothing happened?”
“Why should I tell you that?”
“Eh? So something did happen?”
“......”
Harts followed persistently, his curiosity insatiable, but Rian ignored him completely and headed for his own room. No matter that it was his younger brother—there were some things that simply could not be shared.
No matter if it’s family, this I cannot say.
“Brother! Brother! At least tell me…!”
“Stop pestering me and go away.”
“Tell me the truth, young master. Yesterday—how far did you go?”
“......”
Well, if there were people one could evade, there were also those one could not. There stood the impudent maid with arms crossed, radiating a coercive aura.
“Nothing happened.”
“Hah! You’re underestimating this Anna far too much. I can tell when the young master is lying just from your expression alone.”
“We kissed.”
“Hohoho, so you went further. How lovely~”
How do I shake her off?
Anna was no easy opponent. The self-proclaimed romance master. She had helped him with his love life until now, so simply ignoring her felt difficult. Of course, that didn’t mean he had any intention of actually telling her.
“So? What comes next?”
“That’s it.”
“Come now! You can’t lie to noona!”
“Ah, I met Duke Casion. He graciously offered to teach me swordsmanship.”
“Not that. I have no interest in sweaty exercise.”
“There’s nothing else.”
“Hoo~ Is that so? You slept at your fiancée’s house and nothing happened? Kick! Even a passing singleton would laugh at that one~”
“......”
I’m not telling her.
His face hardened like stone, making it clear he would reveal nothing. Anna studied the young master’s expression for a moment, then spoke in a meaningful tone.
“Now that I think about it, young master, do you know something?”
“What?”
“There’s a maid in our county named Bessie. Yellow hair, always wearing twin tails—do you happen to know her?”
“Ah… I think I’ve seen her. What about her?”
“Until just recently she was bragging nonstop about her boyfriend. Handsome face, excellent at his work, incredibly kind personality—she wanted to marry him, all that.”
“...?”
“But they broke up. Why do you suppose?”
“...Why?”
Rian’s curiosity got the better of him; he asked with an uneasy expression. Anna sidled closer and whispered into his ear.
“Because he couldn’t perform at night.”
“!? Don’t lie!”
“It’s true.”
“They broke up just because he couldn’t handle it at night!? Isn’t that Bessie the strange one!?”
“It’s a rather special case, but not unheard of. Actually, I’ve ended a relationship for similar reasons myself.”
“!!!”
Heh heh heh. Got him.
The moment she claimed real experience, the reaction was immediate. Rian’s face clouded with anxiety, as though something had struck a nerve. Anna seized the opening and pressed her attack.
“It’s a little awkward saying this to the young master, but a woman’s body is truly weak and delicate. Far more than you imagine!”
“Ah…”
“Especially with someone unskilled—it’s pure hell. Like your flesh is being torn apart. Men seem to mistake that pained expression for pleasure. Ugh. Fools. Where do they get such confidence?”
“......”
Cold sweat beaded on his skin. Rian’s expression shifted from anxiety to outright restlessness. Finally unable to endure it, he asked.
“T-then… if the woman is disappointed, what should I do?”
“Who knows?”
“Huh?”
“Is there any need to worry about that already? You’ve only kissed so far, haven’t you?”
“No… You’re the one who brought it up first, Anna.”
“Talking about a friend’s story somehow led to all these strange topics. I’m sorry, young master. I’ll return to my duties now.”
“Ah, don’t do it on purpose!”
“Do what?”
Rian glared with clear discomfort, but Anna merely tilted her head in apparent confusion. Her face was the picture of pure innocence. After a brief battle of nerves, Rian finally wore a resigned expression and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Anna… what I’m about to tell you is an absolute secret, understand?”
“Of course, young master! As I’ve said before, my lips are very heavy.”
“Feather…”
“Pardon? What was that?”
“Never mind… The truth is… that…”
“It’s all right, young master. Take your time. I can wait all day if necessary.”
Ah, is this really the right choice?
Watching Anna abandon her work to dive headfirst into romance talk left Rian with mixed feelings. Still, to uproot the seed of anxiety sprouting in his heart, he eventually spoke of what had happened the previous day.
“……Somehow… it just…”
“Yes. Somehow?”
“It w-went well. With Cynthia…”
At last the answer emerged. He offered no specifics, yet it was more than enough for her to understand.
“Kyaaaaak!!!”
“Huk!?”
“No way! Our dense young master! That pure-hearted boy who only managed to hold hands for seven whole months!”
“Anna! Lower your voice!”
“Magnificent, young master. I thought it would end at kissing at best, yet you went all the way. There is nothing left for Anna to teach.”
“Be quiet!”
For some reason Anna seemed far more excited than he was. She struggled to contain her elation for quite some time, only managing to calm down after Rian’s repeated pleas. As she took a deep breath to steady herself, Rian asked.
“But… was that story true?”
“Huu— Pardon?”
“That if you can’t perform at night… the woman will hate it…”
“Why? Did something happen?”
“Ah… it’s a bit difficult to explain in detail…”
“I’m not that unreasonable, you know. If there’s a specific part worrying you, just tell me that much.”
“The thing is… actually…”
What concerned Rian was the matter of the aphrodisiac. Both Cynthia and he had been in a dazed state, and during the act there had been a moment when she suffered. He explained while omitting as many details as possible.
“F-from the first night, the drug s-sex…”
“Uhh…”
“Goodness. This is unbelievable!”
“......”
“I never imagined Lady Cynthia would do such a thing! What is this? Did I hear you correctly just now!?”
“T-that’s why I told you. Cynthia was trying to take birth control, but…”
“What kind of mix-up turns birth control pills into an aphrodisiac!? Can you even make sense of that situation, young master!?”
“Well… since it came from Cynthia’s own mouth…”
“Haa— Honestly, I find it hard to believe. An aphrodisiac… I thought she was a noble lady, but that image has completely shattered.”
Bringing up the aphrodisiac had clearly been a mistake. Anna’s reaction was far stronger than expected, making him acutely aware of just how terrible the substance was. Of course, Rian already knew that much.
“More importantly, it’ll be fine, right? We were both out of our minds, so she won’t come to hate me or anything?”
“Well… it should be fine.”
“Your answer sounds rather half-hearted.”
“No, since drugs were involved, what could I possibly know? I’m not familiar with that sort of thing either. Or are you asking me to teach you techniques?”
“Techniques? What techniques?”
“Why are you suddenly acting so innocent when you already know? I mean sex. Aren’t you asking me to teach you about sex right now?”
“W-what!? What nonsense is that!?”
“As your exclusive maid, I am somewhat prepared, but this is still quite shocking. I tried so hard to prevent you from being raised this way…”
“Anna!! If you don’t stop right now…”
Knock, knock—
“Hup!?”
“Huk!?”
Just as Rian’s voice rose from Anna’s teasing, a middle-aged man’s voice sounded from beyond the door.
“Young Master Rian. It is Lawrence.”
“…Ah! Lawrence!”
Lawrence, captain of the Veilburg Knight Order. Rian belatedly remembered the sword training and rose from his seat. He had even pulled the captain away for his training; he could not afford to waste any more time.
“Anna, you’re going to get scolded later.”
“Yeees~? I was merely following the young master’s orders?”
“I’m telling the head maid.”
“Ack!? Young master, that’s cheating! I was wrong!”
Tap—
The girl is getting stranger by the day.
Ignoring Anna’s nonsense, Rian stepped out of the room. There stood a middle-aged man with a solid, dependable presence waiting for him.
“It has been a while, Young Master Rian.”
“Yes. It has, Lawrence. Sorry for the sudden summons.”
“It is no trouble. I received the order from my lord. Shall we head straight to the training grounds?”
His tone skipped unnecessary pleasantries and went straight to business—exactly what Rian wanted. To become a man worthy of standing beside Cynthia would require tremendous effort and time. The gap could not be closed with only a few years of training, so he needed to begin moving urgently from this moment onward.
At the very least, I refuse to remain weak.
Step. Step.
“Young Master.”
“Yes?”
“I know this is not a matter in which I should interfere, and that I lack the qualification to speak of it.”
“…Yes?”
Lawrence suddenly halted, his expression deadly serious.
“A man who already has a fiancée should not be so fond of women.”
“…What?”
“At the very least, embrace them at night. During the day there is too great a risk of being seen.”
“D-don’t tell me you’re misunderstanding because of Anna? I would never…”
“I say all of this for the young master’s sake.”
“It’s not like that!”