Published: August 2, 2025
Today, three chapters are updated simultaneously.
This is the third chapter.
“Thank you for waiting.”
A different maid than before came to inform us that everything was ready.
Thanks to Mr. Alone and Ms. Lilian, I felt much of the tension had eased.
Finally, it was time to meet everyone from the Duke's household.
“Shall we go then?”
We started moving again, following the maid.
She seemed to be from the catfolk race, and her beautifully furred tail swayed right in front of me.
Carrying a box filled with souvenirs, she quietly proceeded down a corridor decorated with priceless vases and paintings that I couldn’t begin to value.
“This way.”
She stopped in front of a pure white door and asked with her eyes if we were ready.
When we nodded, she gently pushed the door open.
“Welcome! Ryoma-kun!”
“! …Madam?”
The room was bright, with large windows letting in plenty of sunlight.
Madam was waving enthusiastically, surrounded by many potted plants.
She greeted me as warmly as before, which made me very happy.
However, because of that, all the procedures and greetings I had prepared completely fled my mind.
Fortunately, it was only for a moment, and I soon remembered.
“Welcome, I’m glad you came. Let’s skip the formal greetings. Now, all three of you, please have a seat.”
This time, Mr. Reinhardt, the current duke standing next to Madam, skipped over many formalities.
“Hahaha… since he said that, let’s come in, Lord Ryoma.”
“Yes, indeed.”
I had practiced, after all…
But,
“Once again, it’s been a while. I’m glad we could meet again.”
“We too. I heard from your letter that you’re safe, but nothing beats meeting like this.”
“I was worried if you were managing well in the town and not overexerting yourself.”
“Thanks to Mr. Serge and Mr. Pioro, as well as many others, you have their support.”
The conversation began in a friendly atmosphere, and the Duke and Duchess also spoke to Mr. Serge and Mr. Pioro.
Soon, the maid brought tea and sweets and then left, leaving just the five of us here.
Five people...
“The tea is delicious.”
“I’m glad it suits your taste. It’s my favorite brand. Please enjoy the sweets as well.”
“Thank you. By the way, I’m sorry to ask, but where is Lord Reinbach today? I’m grateful to him and had hoped to meet him as well.”
“My father-in-law…”
“He ran away.”
“Ran away?”
Mr. Reinhardt gave a wry smile.
“This time of year, there are many visitors hoping for meetings. But not many come purely wanting to meet him like you. Some admire him, sure, but mostly people approach with ulterior motives. It became troublesome, so he escaped to the Fire Dragon Mountains. Sebas was taken along as his companion. He left us a message like ‘Don’t rely on us forever.’”
The Fire Dragon Mountains… That’s the dangerous area where the divine beast contracted with Lord Reinbach lives, as I heard from branch chief Taylor recently. It’s not a place ordinary merchants can visit easily.
“I see… that’s a little disappointing.”
“I’ll tell him you wanted to see him when he returns. If you say that, he’ll be glad.”
We casually continued chatting as the atmosphere warmed, and then it was time to present the souvenirs.
“Well then, if I may…”
From a dedicated stand next to the chair onto the table, Mr. Serge took out a small box. It shone white like fine porcelain but also smelled of wood. The decoration was just a tasteful cord, not flashy—an elegant item.
“This is the latest model of the ‘music box’ my trading company has handled since this summer. The melody was composed by the famous Fletcher Marlin, and the box is made from the finest white Rockskinwood from Banand. Among those, it’s the rarest pure white variety.”
It seemed to be a very carefully made music box.
“Music boxes, huh? I’ve been hearing about them more often lately.”
“The Dinorm workshop is famous for them, right?”
“Yes. The core parts were made by the most skilled craftsmen at the Dinorm workshop.”