How the Regressor Loves the Reincarnated

53. Between the Saint and the Apostle (4)

1.

My mind was blank. Just now, what the hell happened? Obviously this wasn’t the picture I had in mind.

I couldn’t help but be momentarily taken aback by the word “Disappointment” That Luke suddenly brought out. But even as he said that, looking at Luke’s eyes, which seemed to be expecting something subtly, made me wonder, ‘Could Luke be playing a prank on me?’

And sure enough. When I deliberately showed a flustered appearance, the corners of Luke’s mouth started to fluctuate. Luke also tried hard to hide it in his own way, but to my eyes, it was all clear.

Because Luke’s troubled appearance was subtly cute, I used to play mischievous and trivial pranks on him several times. For example, when sitting across from each other at a meal with his father-in-law, gently touching Luke’s leg with his toe, or approaching Luke’s back late at night and hugging him tightly, surprising him.

So, it would be natural for Luke to play pranks on me when he caught the number like this, but it’s a story when he didn’t even notice that he was being teased. Now that Luke knows what the prank was up to, he couldn’t bear to turn the prank back.

By the way.

“As much as I trust Adele, she doesn’t seem to trust me…”

Funny enough, the first thought that came to my mind the moment I heard those words was, ‘Uh, isn’t this a joke?’ Rather, it was because I could understand why Luke was Dan. I could understand it to the extent that I wondered if I would have felt that way even if our positions were opposite. So it was.

As sorry feelings overflowed beyond control, I ended up showing the tears I didn’t want to show to Luke.

When I shed tears for a trivial reason, I thought it was fortunate that I didn’t show them. After showing the collapsed appearance that things didn’t work out the way I thought, and after being scolded by Luke, I made up my mind that I would never show such a pathetic side in front of Luke.

Such a resolution collapsed like a sandcastle, and I couldn’t have wrapped it in a good way, saying that I didn’t mean it like that while shedding ugly tears, and belatedly making excuses and apologizing.

However, when I came to my senses, I found myself stroking his head while being completely buried in Luke’s arms before I knew it.

Even though it’s harder to find someone who could threaten me, being in Luke’s wide arms somehow made me feel a lot safer than usual. In the midst of Luke’s body odor that made my head dizzy every time I breathed in, I tightened my body and held back the desire to fully surrender to Luke and tightly gripped his collar. Because I wanted to refrain from being swept away by the atmosphere beyond that.

“I said it half as a joke. I think my prank was too much. I’m really sorry.”

Luke was more meek than he thought, admitting that he had crossed the line and apologizing for his mistake.

…A really stupid person.

I cried not because you did anything wrong, Luke, but because I felt sorry for you. But, seeing you, who is kind enough to apologize first, makes me feel all over again that you are a truly undeserving person to me.

I think it was the happiest thing in my life that I was able to meet you, who said that you would shoulder the burden I was burdened with, and that you would put blood on your hands in my place.

Maybe it’s only natural that I came to love you so deeply that I value you more than my own life. I am infinitely grateful for the fact that I am receiving overflowing love from you, Luke.

Although I felt the last words were too much… Maybe it’s because even he knows that those words are your sincerity without a lie mixed in.

I love you enough to feel as if my heart stops at the warm feeling I felt when your lips touched my forehead.

Thanks as always, Luke.

But I’ll pay you back two or three times for the last time you made fun of me, so you’d better prepare yourself from now on.

2.

“She said she wants to run an orphanage herself in a system other than anywhere else… She reached out her hand when I was in the most difficult time, and Princess Ludmeyer really cares about others very deeply. If this is what you want my help to do, then I will have no choice but to help you again.”

“Thank you, Draxis Merchant. Also, I’m sorry for making such a rude visit without making an appointment. Given your valuable time, I am willing to increase your investment a little more if you wish.”

“Hmm…”

The middle-aged merchant who was holding his chin with his thumb, forefinger, and two fingers, the head of the Draxis guild, looked contemplated for a moment before nodding his head.

“If that’s the case, I won’t decline. Excessive investment in disproportionately to our size will be rather poisonous, but we should be able to handle that much as we have grown quite a bit compared to before. It will be a way to give wings to the growth of the top of the bone that is already on track. Mmmmm.”

The lord of the Draxis Merchant smiled and nodded his head in satisfaction, then opened his mouth, erasing the smile a moment later.

“Princess Ludmeyer. If you hadn’t come looking for me, it probably would have taken at least a year or more for me to rebuild the Bone Merchant, which had been staggered by a series of failures. It is like receiving an indescribable grace.”

“…That’s just an investment made after looking at the corps and your potential.”

“Oh, even if the princess thinks so, that Ileum Draxis is not an unscrupulous person who takes grace lightly. Therefore, the site selection for the orphanage, contracts with builders, and other miscellaneous matters will be handled by this group. Since the princess is also on a tight schedule, she probably won’t have time to worry about this right now.”

Listening to the conversation between Adele and the head of Draxis, I get the feeling that a regressor is indeed a regressor. Even without asking Adele, I was able to infer that this Draxis Merchant was a place where, in the original future, they would win and win on their own.

Isn’t the original regressor a person who monopolizes all opportunities and invests in stocks that are sure to rise? Even if she didn’t know everything, Adele used the information she knew properly.

“By the way, the rumors that have been floating around the islands for the past few weeks are indeed true.”

“… Rumors, what kind of rumors are you talking about?”

“Of course, isn’t it rumored that the only two ducal families in the Empire are going to form an alliance based on marriage?”

“Ah, ah. Are you talking about that rumor…? Hmm…”

Hearing the words of the head of Draxis, Adele looked at me as if she was thinking about something, and suddenly a smile that seemed extremely satisfying at first glance formed on her lips.

“You are only half right. Although it’s still just a rumor, we’re planning to officially announce our engagement sometime soon. As for the alliance…”

At that point, Adele paused her words, picked out her words, and then she opened her mouth again.

“It is not a marriage for the sake of alliance, but an alliance following marriage. Either way, the result itself will be the same, but even so, the process is quite meaningful to us, so there is no desire to distinguish between them.”

“Hmm… sure, I heard that he does too.”

After nodding her head in agreement, the lord of the Draxis guild lowered her gaze to the watch on her wrist, and she gave a look of regret. I think there may have been a separate appointment after this. As the owner of the top, which is growing in size, he must have had a busy time even if he had several bodies.

“I know it’s not polite at all, but… First of all, how about leaving today’s seat at this point? After this, I have an appointment with a contract for Roschwitz whiskey, which I recently began to import at a low price.”

“No. I am just grateful that you made time for me even in the midst of your busy schedule.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can see you off personally, as I have to prepare from now on in order not to be late. I promise to take care of the entrusted task, and I hope that things work out in the church.”

“I hope the owner of the upper house will prosper not only today’s contract, but also future business.”

The Lord of Draxis, who bowed to Adele, then bowed to me as well.

“Princess Isvant, it was an honor to meet your Highness, the next Duke. Congratulations on your engagement to Princess Ludmeyer, and please let Lux shine brightly on the future of these two.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Draxis Merchant. Next time we see each other, let’s have a more productive conversation.”

I thought as I came out of the building of the Draxis Merchant Guild under the guidance of the Draxis Merchant Merchant staff. Since the preparations for the work after returning to the school have been completed to some extent, now it is time to deal with urgent matters.

3.

There were several problems with continuing to use the building previously used by the Assassination Brigade. One of them was that the building was not in very good condition.

The other was that the actual owner of this building and site was likely to be Scorpio himself or someone deeply related to the Assassination Brigade.

I and Adele knew that they would do no good in keeping them alive, so I just killed them mercilessly, but of course this was a criminal offense. This is because it is forbidden by law to kill a commoner without a proper reason, no matter how noble he is.

Of course, these were not ordinary commoners. They are those who will be sentenced to death the moment they are caught and exposed for their crimes, and those who will take their own lives before that.

However, to deal with things like that, starting with how and why Adele and I got involved in this affair, it would become too tiring if it became known that we had put an end to the history of the Assassination Brigade with our own hands.

I come from a ducal family that has no place to go up even if I make credit, and I am a person who regards the power I have right now as such a nuisance that I would want to hand it over if I had a brother. It’s about the zodiac. Adele got mesmerized by it, so I went in without knowing it, but other troublesome things are said to be declined from the bottom of my heart.

Therefore, it is difficult for us to own this building in a legal way, and it is physiologically repulsive to leave it and let the children we have decided to take responsibility for living in this building.

So the decision was to build a new building and set up an orphanage there, and this part was taken care of on the same day by visiting the upper part of Draxis under Adele’s leadership. All that was left after that was to find a temporary place for the children Adele and I would be in charge of while we were away for school, and to find someone to look after them while we were away.

In the end, it was decided that the children should stay at the Ludmeyer Mansion. Even though the kids are trained to be assassins, I don’t think they’ll have an accident in a situation where they have no business giving orders and no reason to kill someone.

Still, just in case you didn’t know, I asked for a few knights to be sent to the Ludmeyer estate for a while.

For those lacking in common sense knowledge, the servants of the mansion will be able to teach them to some extent, and it’s fortunate that most of the children seem to be satisfied with the current situation as they don’t have to fight or kill anyone.

Now, it’s time to head to Kyoguk.