Chapter 175: Confession
“What does Ash want to do?”
I ask the crucial question.
“I will comply with the royal family’s orders as a member of the Duke’s Household and present myself.”
“Ash, you were expelled from the Duke’s Household, right?”
“Ugh…”
Ash furrows his brow, falling silent with a scary expression.
When we first met, he had refused to use healing potions and had sustained serious injuries because he was no longer a member of the Duke’s Household.
“What Gene is asking is not about duty, but what Ash wants to do, right? It might be difficult given your upbringing, but if you were told you could do anything right now, what would you want to do?”
Dinoss throws Ash a lifeline.
Whether it’s due to his upbringing or just his personality, Ash seems to carry out his responsibilities with a calm demeanor and lacks self-assertion. His expressions are minimal, though I can tell he gets happy when he eats sweets.
“What I want to do…”
“Yeah, what Ash wants to do. I want to make it happen, but I can’t act on it if I don’t know what it is.”
“I want to eat Gene’s sweets.”
“Sure.”
“I want to eat Gene’s cooking.”
“Sure.”
“I want to touch Gene’s hair.”
“Uh, what?”
“I want to see Gene’s collarbone.”
“…Huh?”
“I want to touch Gene’s chest.”
“Eh?”
“I want to—”
“Whoa! Whoa!”
What on earth is he saying with a straight face!?
“My lady… This is not the knight’s quarters…”
The butler gently admonishes.
“Ugh. Wasn’t it generally like this around me? Is it unusual?”
“It is not suitable as an example.”
“You really were in a household of men, huh?”
Dinoss looks at Ash with a hint of sympathy, then bursts out laughing as he glances at me. Just you wait!
“Let me rephrase that. I want to be by Gene’s side.”
Could it be that I just received a passionate confession? Given my past experiences, I had vaguely thought I wouldn’t be able to believe it even if someone truly confessed to me.
“I can guarantee sweets and cooking, and you can touch my hair from time to time. As for the collarbone, well, it’s going to get hot soon—”
The rest might be a bit problematic for unmarried individuals… Plus, Ash is making a face like when I served him strawberry shortcake, making it really hard to continue.
“I’m enjoying the freedom to do what I want, and I can’t give up this time when I can do so. Honestly, it’s far more important to me than romance. But I think it’s very cowardly not to clarify my feelings, yet…”
“I want Ash to stay here.”
“Yes. After I present myself, I will see my father and return.”
“Huh?”
“Huh? You can come back?”
Dinoss asks before I do.
“There are quite a few nobles who were going crazy, and many who were connected to the Kingdom of Torm, so it was impossible to keep it hidden from the people, and the incident was made public. It was something that could have been prevented at the last moment, and the kingdom has spun it in a way that suits them. Especially regarding my half-brother and father, it seems they’ve turned it into a beautiful story where my half-brother is brought down and I am raised up, so I’ll take advantage of that. Besides, there are very few in the current kingdom who can physically stop me.”
I don’t know what to do, but if I’m going to help with everything I’ve got, it seems Ash already has a plan in place.
“Um, is there anything I can help with?”
“If Gene is known to the kingdom, it would be far more dangerous for him than for me, right?”
Ugh!
“Lord Gene, would you not consider becoming engaged to my lady?”
“What?”
Huh? What is the butler suddenly saying?
“It’s not a formal engagement sworn at the Temple or with the Spirit’s Branch; it’s a paperwork engagement that can be dissolved if the interests between nobles are resolved. With that, we could prevent a marriage between my lady and the royal family that feels like a sneak attack.”
“That would certainly make things easier, but—Gene is not a noble, so that would feel strange.”
Ash dismisses the butler’s suggestion.
“To make my lady a part of the kingdom, a marriage with the royal family would be the most certain route. There would be no issues with status. Marriage is a duty for royals and high-ranking nobles, and personal preferences or will have no bearing on it. In fact, until she was disowned by her family, my lady’s fiancé was the second prince.”
I see, I hadn’t connected the dots with Ash on various matters. It finally clicked when it was put so plainly.
“Well, it’s not necessary to actually prepare the engagement paperwork, but I would like to have the engagement ornament to show. Please lend me your name as the giver.”
The engagement ornament is essentially like an engagement ring. Here, it’s customary to give precious metals that would allow a woman to live for at least three months if the engagement or marriage falls through. In cases where the woman is the head of a merchant family, she might even give a gift to the man instead.
Is this a custom reflective of the stark differences in wealth and status in this world? The ornaments given during noble engagements are often rings, and magic stones are essential for the gems used. However, since Ash wields a sword, a large stone ring might get in the way, so something other than a ring might be better. By the way, rings are exchanged in marriage here as well.
“Note, this is not something to force.”
“In reality, you wouldn’t have to mention names; you could simply say you can’t reveal your beloved. —When my lady told Lord Reed that she would return here, the phrase was, ‘There is someone I have sworn to protect.’ Upon hearing that, Lord Reed promised to assist with the escape.”
He whispers in a voice low enough that Ash can’t hear. Strangely, it seems the butler has the ability to direct his voice so that only the person he’s facing can hear him.
“How manly.”
Dinoss mutters, half impressed and half bewildered.
Great, it looks like I won’t have my turn!
“Got it. I’ll not only lend my name but also prepare the ornament. What kind do you want?”
Ash struggles with lying, so it’s probably better if I genuinely give it to him.
“Gene, you don’t have to do anything against your will.”
“No, I want to help in some way.”
It’s not just because I’m being pressured by the butler.
“…A bracelet. I’ll return it as soon as I get back.”
When Ash says that, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed. And Dinoss, stop grinning!