Chapter 109
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Chapter 109
'I have Melissa and Ahin, after all.'
I planned to ask the two of them to help Count Ollendo.
With the assistance of two skilled mages, the Ollender Furniture Company would soon be able to produce high-quality cold-wind magical artifacts.
The two of them owed me a debt, didn't they? I decided to fully utilize their promise to help me whenever I needed anything.
Of course, I had no intention of making them work without compensation.
'With the consultation of skilled mages, Ollender will be able to produce even higher quality magical artifacts.'
And I would receive payment for the investment capital and for introducing the two mages.
This way, I could not only increase my wealth but also build social standing.
'I should make it appear as though Lucian made this investment decision, not me.'
It would be better that way to demonstrate to Lucian that he possessed the vision to lead the House of Bellomen.
'I should contact Count Ollendo after the article about the mana stones being discovered is published.'
As soon as news of the mana stones in the Monster Forest spread, I planned to send word immediately. I wrote the address of the Ollender Furniture Company's office on a small piece of paper.
"Auntie."
At the sound of a voice from not far away, I quickly stuffed the paper into my inner pocket. Lucian, who appeared to have just woken up with his hair sticking up in all directions, was walking toward me.
"Lucian, did you sleep well?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Your face is all puffy—looks like you slept soundly."
I chuckled softly and pushed a child-sized chair toward Lucian so he could sit.
"Would you like some orange juice?"
"Yes."
At my request, the Maid brought a drink in a transparent glass.
Lucian gulped down the orange juice the Maid handed him and exclaimed.
"Ahh!"
"Refreshing?"
"Yes. I feel like I'm coming back to life."
"Where did you pick up such an expression?"
Instead of answering my question, Lucian drained the glass in an instant.
After setting the glass down on the table, Lucian wiped his mouth with his fist and fixed his gaze on me.
"So, Auntie."
"Yes?"
"Have you decided?"
"Decided what?"
"About marrying the Captain."
"Hey!"
Startled, I cried out without thinking.
What was he saying with servants around?
"Did you just call me 'hey'?"
Lucian bristled at the unkind form of address.
"Did you really just call me 'hey'?"
"I'm sorry. I was so startled that I misspoke."
"What's with calling your aunt by such a cold name? You should call me affectionately!"
"That's not... the real issue here!"
I slammed my hand against the table.
"Who told you to say such nonsense?"
"How is Aunt marrying the Captain nonsense? That's incredibly important!"
"Oh my."
At Lucian's words, the servants standing behind me covered their mouths. They didn't say anything, but the way they exchanged glances made it clear they were entertaining wild fantasies.
"Aunt said so herself. She won't marry until I grow up properly."
"I'm growing up just fine, aren't I? My front teeth are already loose."
Lucian touched his slightly wiggling lower teeth as he spoke.
"I've grown this much, so you don't need to worry."
"You're still shorter than me, and you keep saying you've grown?"
I placed my hands on my hips.
"Anyway, if you keep spouting nonsense about marriage and such, I'll pull out all your front teeth while you sleep!"
"Eek!"
At my terrifying threat, Lucian covered his mouth with both hands.
"I understand you want to live with Amelia, but marriage isn't that simple. It's a very important event where two families become intertwined."
"Intertwined? How? Like a knot?"
"...Never mind."
What could I possibly explain to a seven-year-old?
I pushed myself up from my seat.
"Aunt, where are you going? To get married?"
"To my room!"
This little brat keeps bringing up marriage at every opportunity.
I shot Lucian a glare and spun around toward my room. It seemed best to avoid him for a while.
But the world wouldn't leave me in peace.
"Miss Lucella, flowers have arrived for you."
"Flowers?"
Before I could even tilt my head in confusion, the servants entered carrying an enormous bouquet made of tulips.
"Who on earth sent something this large?"
"Who else would have sent them?"
The Maid's expression turned sly.
"Surely not..."
I reached for the message card hanging in the center of the bouquet.
The card bore only a single, brief line.
[Thinking of you. —Claude Agris]
As expected, the flowers were from Claude Agris.
"How romantic, sending tulips when autumn is nearly here."
Tulips bloomed between late spring and early summer. The fact that he'd sent them now, on the cusp of autumn, meant they were difficult to obtain.
'Could he really have remembered that tulips are my favorite flower?'
When I was in the Duke's Territory, Claude asked me all sorts of questions.
At the time, I thought he was forcing out questions just to lift my spirits, so naturally I hadn't paid much attention to my answers.
'Yet he's been remembering all this time.'
My initial shock at the sudden gift faded into the background as my heart filled with emotion at his thoughtfulness.
"That's why, Aunt! You should get married!"
Lucian, who had heard the news and rushed over, shouted from behind the Maid.
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?"
I didn't entirely dislike Lucian's nagging.
* * *
"Uncle, did you send the bouquet to the young lady?"
Claude nodded at Amelia's question.
"I sent a bouquet as large as your body. All tulips."
"What? All of them?"
Amelia's face twisted in shock at Claude's answer.
"Uncle, where's the balance?"
"What. Did I make another mistake?"
"Who makes a bouquet with just one type of flower! You're supposed to mix different flowers to make it colorful and beautiful!"
"Is that so...?"
Claude's shoulders sagged under his niece's rebuke.
"You said tulips were your favorite flower...."
"Even so, what kind of person has no sense and picks only one type of flower?"
"I'm sorry. I lack experience in these matters...."
"Never mind that. Did you write a message card and send it?"
"Yes."
"What did you write?"
Claude carefully pulled out a folded piece of paper from his inner pocket and handed it to Amelia.
The paper was so worn and smudged from deliberation that it was nearly blackened.
"After worrying this much... the actual message is just one line?"
Amelia pointed to one corner of the paper with an incredulous expression.
There, a brief sentence was written: [I'm sending this because I was thinking of you.]
"I thought women who like talkative men are rare."
"...."
"As I kept choosing and reconsidering what to say, the sentences grew shorter and shorter. This one line is all that remained at the end."
"...."
"What. What else did I do wrong?"
"Uncle, you really...."
Amelia couldn't help but sigh.
"I made you food and even put a spoon in your hand. So why can't you feed yourself?"
"...."
"Do you really think you can marry Sister like this? At this rate, whatever feelings she has will disappear entirely!"
"I'm sorry...."
Under the barrage of criticism, Claude could barely lift his head.
Martial arts, academics, character—he lacked nothing in any of these, yet when it came to romance, he became a complete fool.
Faced with emotions he'd never experienced before in his life, he floundered helplessly. Without Amelia's intervention, he likely wouldn't have managed to convey his feelings to Lucella properly at all.
"Flowers won't cut it."
Amelia's expression turned serious as she stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"It's already such a clichéd event, and with you bungling it like this, the whole thing is completely ruined."
"...."
"Let's try a different approach. What else does Sister Lucella like?"
"If we're speaking of what the young lady enjoys...."
Sweet foods, flowers, sunny weather, picnics....
"Oh, that's perfect!"
Amelia clapped her hands together upon hearing Claude's words.
"Uncle, this time let's focus on setting the mood instead of surprises."
"The mood?"
"On a beautiful day, go somewhere filled with flowers and share delicious food together. Just the two of you, intimate and cozy. What do you think?"
Amelia's eyes sparkled as if she'd discovered some delightful new prey.
"Intimate and cozy?"
"Yes. Until now, you've felt like a long-married couple with three children. This time, let's go for that fresh, newlywed feeling!"
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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