“I-I’m intruding, Marquis Puridi-sama.”
“Indeed. Make yourself comfortable.”
Marquis Puridi, seated on the sofa opposite me, calmly responded to my greeting. …No, why are you sitting opposite me?! Why do I have to endure awkward moments every time I come here…?!
While mentally retorting, I quenched my thirst with tea that had lost all taste and aroma.
The reason I’m so nervous is because the person in front of me is also Lily’s father.
“I’ll have you greet my father eventually, so be prepared, my dear?”
I recall Lily saying that to me when we parted ways after returning from Duke Lecherie’s Mansion. I still don’t know what the future holds, but I couldn’t help but be aware of it.
Of course, I’m not going to greet him properly here and now…
“Ahem. Ah, Hugh-kun. Thank you for saving my daughter the other day. I’d like to thank you again.”
“N-No, I didn’t do anything. It was Prince Lucas who saved Lily.”
I ended up giving a reply that’s becoming a set phrase. Lecty would probably scold me for being too humble again, but I can’t exactly puff out my chest and say I saved her to Marquis Puridi.
“Certainly, His Highness went to great lengths for my daughter, as well as for me and House Puridi. That’s not wrong. But I’ve heard from His Highness that it was you who asked him to save my daughter. I apologize for the delay in thanking you.”
“No, not at all.”
As I lowered my head, Marquis Puridi smiled gently. The Marquis brought the cup of tea to his lips. I tried to follow suit, but,
“By the way, what do you think of my daughter?”
“Bleh!”
I ended up spitting out the tea I was about to drink. While coughing, I looked at the Marquis’s face, and he had a mischievous smile on his face. Did he do that on purpose, this guy…!?
It seems Lily’s occasional mischievousness was inherited from her father.
“W-What do you mean by ‘what’?”
“It doesn’t matter what I mean. It’s only natural for a parent to want to know about their daughter’s relationships at the Royal Academy, wouldn’t you say?”
…Well, when you put it that way, maybe it is.
The sword leaning against the side of the sofa just won’t disappear from the edge of my vision. The fact that it’s placed where it can be drawn immediately is…
Well, I did change my Skill to
“I am always greatly indebted to Lily-jo. Today as well, she has prepared the clothes I will wear to the Night Soiree celebrating His Majesty the King’s recovery. As for my outfit, it was said to be a hand-me-down from you, Marquis-sama…”
“Lily is kind-hearted like her mother. Her sense and social skills are impeccable. You can leave it to her without worry. Actually, Lily chose my clothes as well. After my wife took over the management of the territory and we started living apart, Lily has been taking care of me in many ways.”
“I see.”
…So, Lily’s mother is alive. She must be a beautiful and talented woman like Lily.
“My daughter is a bit difficult at times, but even from a father’s perspective, she has grown into a wonderful young lady, both beautiful and intelligent.”
“Yes, I think so too.”
“So, if you are thinking of marrying Lily, I ask that you gain the appropriate status first.”
“Yes… Yes!?”
What is this guy suddenly saying!?
As I stared at him in surprise, the Marquis lowered his eyebrows, looking somewhat lonely.
“In the letters I receive from my daughter, your name is mentioned more and more each day. Even I, who has been told by my wife countless times that I’m insensitive and dense, can’t help but notice.”
“Ah, I see…”
Lily, what on earth are you writing in your letters to your father…?! I feel like both the outer and inner moats are steadily being filled, which is a little scary.
“Hugh-kun. I can tell that you have some affection for my daughter. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have desperately tried to save her just because she’s your childhood friend, would you?”
“No, that’s…”
I only started to see Lily as a woman after I saved her, I really did save her because she was my childhood friend… But it doesn’t seem like he’d believe me if I said that now.
“You don’t have to hide it. I’ve also heard about you from Prince Lucas. You are quite favored by His Highness. If His Highness becomes king, you will surely gain a suitable position.”
“I hope so…”
My goal is, after all, a leisurely slow life. Reflecting on my previous life where I died from overwork, I want to live a relaxed life in a remote countryside this time.
That goal hasn’t changed. But recently, I’ve become aware that I’m getting a little greedy…
Rouge, Lily, and Lecty too. If there’s a future (slow life) where I can live happily with them, I think it’s okay to aim for that with all my might now.
And if it’s necessary, I wouldn’t mind gaining status, but that’s why I have some concerns.
“You don’t trust Prince Lucas?”
“N-No! It’s not like that…”
I hesitated in my response to Marquis Puridi’s question, which seemed to see through my feelings.
I messed up…
Marquis Puridi is now the head of Prince Lucas’s faction. He might have misunderstood or become suspicious.
“No, that’s fine. I also think it’s good to be suspicious when dealing with that person.”
“Is that so…?”
For such a blunt reason…
Even the head of the faction thinks he’s suspicious, that older brother of mine.
“His Highness probably doesn’t want only subordinates who blindly believe in him. He seems to be valuing vassals who are wary, like you and me. And somehow, it seems he has a special feeling for you.”
“S-Special feelings…?”
Wait, could it be… No, no way. But when I think about it, he did touch me a lot… Seriously…?
“As long as you trust Prince Lucas, he will not betray you. I guarantee that. Please, trust him until the end. He is more of an ordinary boy than you think.”
“An ordinary boy…?”
Is that normal? I can’t help but wonder…
Come to think of it, Lily said that she and Lucretia were close enough to visit each other’s homes when they were young. Perhaps Marquis Puridi knows Prince Lucas from his childhood.
As long as I trust him, the Prince won’t betray me… huh.
Come to think of it, I don’t know anything about that person.
“There’s something I’m curious about. Why does Prince Lucas want to become king?”
He shouldn’t just be aiming to become king because he’s a prince. He must have some goal or ambition that he can’t achieve unless he becomes king.
It’s just a feeling… But when I look at Prince Lucas, I feel like he has a similar way of thinking as me. It’s like he’d prefer a more relaxed position than being king.
“I tried asking him once, but he skillfully dodged the question. But perhaps he might tell you, Hugh-kun.”
Marquis Puridi wore a gentle smile, as if reminiscing about the past.
To me…
Next time we’re alone somewhere, I’ll try to ask him. While being careful about those special feelings…