After leaving Elaine's office, I headed toward the training grounds for the Knights. The barracks and training grounds were adjacent to each other. Thanks to the ancient artifact—the smartphone—I was able to move around the mansion without any personal attendants for the time being.
'Elaine regularly attends noblewomen's gatherings. The other ladies will surely show interest in the new perfume there.'
Of course, Elaine wouldn't reveal its origin. She might not even use the perfume herself. Elaine is a cautious woman.
'It doesn't matter if she doesn't. I can just send it as a gift to the other noblewomen.'
In the process, I'll claim that I made it. Of course, I don't plan to send just perfume. I'll also gift other modern items to the noblewomen.
'That way, I'll gradually build my reputation… and then start selling items in earnest. Hahaha!'
Once I've gained some popularity, I'll slowly raise the prices. Other businessmen will undoubtedly produce and sell knockoffs, but it doesn't matter. There's a limit to how much they can replicate modern science with magic.
'Let's not rush and take it slow. I don't have my own faction yet.'
Still, with the Purckus Count's family backing me, they won't dare to mess with me recklessly.
I stopped in front of the Knights' training grounds.
'Hent Elvis, the captain of the Flune Knights. I can't afford to make an enemy of him now.'
I came to apologize to him, Lexi's father.
I'm aiming to become the head of the Count's family. Under normal circumstances, the eldest son would naturally inherit the title.
'But to fight for succession, I need supporters. Especially the support of the knights, which holds significant power.'
I can't afford to make an enemy of Hent Elvis here. If our relationship completely sours, I'd have to consider assassinating him for the sake of my future.
As I stood silently in front of the training grounds, a young boy approached me. A trainee knight. He's both a disciple and a servant of a knight.
"Young Master Eugene! What brings you to our training grounds?"
It was not the kind of remark a mere servant would make to me. Though he hid his body language and expression, the subtle hostility in his eyes and tone was unmistakable.
'As expected, the rumors have spread.'
My sickly nature is probably another reason I'm being disrespected.
"I'm here to see Sir Elvis. Lead the way."
"The captain is currently…"
"Currently?"
I glanced at him. Under my indifferent gaze, he quickly composed himself and bowed his head.
"…My apologies. I'll guide you right away."
It seems he understood the situation. I followed the squire inside.
'He's a quick thinker. I was planning to slap him if he crossed the line.'
If I'm going to be a noble, I should act like one. And I'm a man who suits nobility very well.
Liberal democracy? What's that? Is it edible?
***
A burly man in his forties was sitting in the office. Clad in armor, he stood up and greeted me formally. It was a perfunctory gesture.
"It's been a while, Young Master Eugene."
His eyes, as he looked at me, were filled with hostility, as if it were only natural. As a former mercenary who clawed his way up to become a knight captain, it's not like him to be unable to hide his emotions.
Well, I understand. From his perspective, I'm the guy who tried to assault his daughter.
"It's good to see you. It's been a while since we last met."
"…Yes. You've changed quite a bit since we last saw each other. Your manner of speech, for one."
Eugene Purckus was an introverted guy. Being sickly, he couldn't go outside and was cooped up in his room, which naturally made his personality gloomy.
"My health has improved lately. As for my speech, I've had my coming-of-age ceremony recently, so I thought I should pay more attention to it."
"I'm glad to see you're doing well."
Despite his words, his attitude was cold.
From his perspective, I must be incredibly annoying. As the child of the lord he swore loyalty to, he can't hit me or curse at me.
Dragging out the conversation would only make the atmosphere more tense.
"About what happened earlier today. I'm sorry. I'll apologize properly. I was out of my mind for a moment."
"…."
I bowed to him. Me, one of the only three children of Count Purckus!
"…My daughter cried. I've never seen her cry like that before."
"I'm sorry."
"…Sigh!"
Hent let out a sigh. He knows there's nothing he can do to me. Even if he harbors hostility toward me, he can't accuse me of any crime.
In the Purckus territory, Count Purcus is like a king. And I, his child, am a prince. Besides, I didn't actually commit rape. It's impossible to pin any crime on me.
There's only one thing Hent can do.
"I'll forgive you. Please raise your head."
"Thank you."
"…."
"…."
An awkward silence hung in the air.
I had a feeling.
If I just left now, my relationship with Hent would be ruined.
A whole knight order would become my enemy. Even if it's one of the lower-ranked knight orders among the six in the family, it's still a knight order. I can't afford to make them my enemy.
I recalled information about Hent Elvis mentioned in the original work. As a former mercenary, he loves alcohol.
"Sir Elvis. Have you ever heard of a drink called Dutch beer from ancient times?"
To mend a strained relationship, there's no better way than a gift… or rather, a bribe.
***
7 PM.
Hent returned to his home. Compared to the Purckus Count's mansion, his house was tiny.
"Welcome back, Father."
"Yeah."
Hent responded briefly to Lexi's greeting and quickly headed to the kitchen.
Lexi tilted her head at his behavior. Her father wasn't the type to give such curt greetings. He was usually a bit more lively. Normally, after work, he'd go to a tavern and return around 9 or 10 PM.
Moreover, he spends more than half the week at the Purckus Count's mansion. It was rare for him to return home every day like this.
Feeling something was off, Lexi followed Hent to the kitchen.
"Welcome back, Baron."
The cook in the kitchen greeted Hent familiarly.
"Yeah."
After returning the greeting, Hent naturally walked past him and headed to the fridge. A magical fridge. A magical tool that keeps food fresh. It costs around 5 million nerl, making it a must-have item for commoners.
Hent reached deep into the fridge and pulled out something. A cold can of beer.
"Father. What's that?"
"Huh? What, Lexi? Are you hungry too? Didn't you have dinner?"
"We had dinner an hour ago. You ate at the mansion, right?"
Hent sat at the small table in front of the kitchen with the can of beer. The cook set down a plate of meat.
"I ate. This is beer. Beer."
"Beer? What's that?"
"It's Dutch beer from the ancient civilization era."
Hent grinned and opened the can.
Pssht! Crack!
The sound was refreshing and crisp.
Hent quickly brought the can to his lips and started gulping it down. The beer, incomparable to the cheap stuff sold at taverns, went down smoothly.
"Ahhh!"
He then picked up a fork and started eating the well-cooked meat. The cool beer and juicy beef were a perfect combination.
Lexi watched silently. She knew her father loved alcohol, especially beer, so she didn't disturb his happy moment.
When the meat was gone and the beer was finished, Lexi asked.
"Father. Is that… Dutch beer really that good?"
"Yeah! Compared to Dutch beer, the stuff they sell at taverns is just piss! Piss!"
Hent spoke boldly but glanced regretfully toward the kitchen. He wanted another can, but the supply was limited. He had to savor it.
Hent reluctantly turned his gaze away and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, putting it in his mouth. He lit it with a lighter.
"What's that?"
"A cigarette. They call it a cigarette roll. You know about pipe tobacco, right?"
"That looks worse for your health than pipe tobacco! Isn't that like a drug?!"
"I already had an herbalist check it. It's fine to smoke occasionally."
Inhale! Exhale!
Hent stared blankly at the cigarette smoke. A week ago, cigarettes felt awkward and off-putting, but now he craved them whenever he had the chance.
"…Don't tell me. Did you get those from Young Master Eugene?"
"Yeah. He gave them to me as an apology. You got chocolate and coffee too, right?"
"W-Well, I did."
Lexi's face turned awkward.
Hent looked at Lexi. A week ago, his daughter had been on the verge of being assaulted by Eugene and had cried her eyes out. But not long after, she returned to her usual self.
Now, Lexi wasn't afraid of Eugene. No, even back then, it wasn't so much fear as it was shock. She had no experience with that sort of thing.
'What if… back then…'
Hent suddenly wondered. What if Lexi had been assaulted back then? He would have been furious, but he would have acted calmly. He would have protested as much as possible, and perhaps Lexi could have become Eugene's wife.
'Being the father-in-law of Young Master Eugene… Wouldn't that mean I could drink beer and smoke cigarettes every day?'
Wouldn't it have been better if his daughter had been assaulted?
'…I must be drunk.'
Hent shook his head.
"Lexi. When are you going to get married?"
"Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"You're 22, aren't you? Why don't you quit being a maid and look for a husband? If you want, I can recommend someone. There's a decent guy in our knight order."
At the mention of marriage, Lexi's face stiffened.
"…Father. You said you'd respect my choices regarding marriage."
"I said I'd respect your choices, not that you shouldn't get married. Do you have no intention of getting married at all?"
"…."
Lexi closed her mouth.
Hent sighed inwardly. As the son of a farmer, he had pursued freedom and become a mercenary. He had once been an adventurer exploring dungeons and had fought in wars as a soldier. He had also loved freely and married the woman he loved.
Because of his own experiences, he respected his daughter's choices regarding marriage and love.
'Seeing Lexi lately makes me worried…'
He was a knight.
He killed monsters invading the territory, cleared dungeons, and went to war. It was a job where death was always a possibility. That's why he wanted to see Lexi married as soon as possible.
"Are you going to quit being a maid?"
"…I'm thinking about it. I actually regret what happened with Young Master Eugene a bit. He's still young… If I had handled it better…"
Hent was about to say that Young Master Eugene was a grown man who had recently had his coming-of-age ceremony, but he stopped himself. Eugene had a heart condition, and his frail body made him look more like a boy than a man.
"Young Master Eugene doesn't have any personal attendants. It seems he was quite shaken by what he did."
"…Really? But with his condition, the Countess wouldn't allow that…"
"His health has improved a lot recently, so she probably allowed it. But I heard that servants still keep an eye on him from time to time."
"Hmm…"
Lexi began to consider whether to return to being a maid.
Hent glanced over Lexi's body. It wasn't a sexual gaze. It was a habit. Whenever someone was in front of him, he unconsciously assessed their capabilities.
'…It seems she's been practicing the self-defense techniques I taught her. She's better than most.'
Outwardly, she looked like an ordinary girl, but Hent, with his experience as a mercenary, couldn't be fooled.
"Lexi. How about becoming a knight this time?"
"Huh? But I'm a girl?"
"There are many famous female knights in this world. Besides, you know mana breathing, right? How much mana can you handle now?"
"I can temporarily strengthen my body… Wait, no. I told you before, I don't want to be a knight!"
She was at the intermediate level of aura users.
At 22, being able to sense and manipulate mana was proof enough of her talent.
"Being a maid doesn't suit you. I heard from the head butler. You're not good at cleaning, laundry, or even cooking."
"Ugh!"
"If you were a regular maid instead of Young Master Eugene's personal maid, you'd only be doing manual labor."
It was an undeniable fact.
The reason Lexi had pushed aside Eugene's nanny and become his personal maid was because of this background.
"Just as there are things only a maid can do, there are things only a female knight can do. Think about it."
As always, he had no intention of forcing her. He was a man who respected his daughter's opinions and choices.
Hent pulled out another cigarette and put it in his mouth.
Inhale~ Exhale!
"Father! Can't you smoke that outside?!"
"This is my house. If you don't like it, get married and move out."
"Ugh!"
She grimaced at the mention of marriage. Lately, marriage was the last thing Lexi wanted to hear.
***
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