ALL NOVEL Chapter 383
“Johann?”
“…You’re awake.”
Karina glanced around with her eyes half-closed. How cute can she be?
I checked the wall clock and realized it was morning.
I couldn’t tell how many days had passed, but since I hadn’t been there for even two hours, I figured that was fine.
“Grandson, you’re sleeping in a nice room.”
“It’s a pretty room!”
“Haha! There are many interesting objects!”
“Smells like people. Makes me nauseous.”
Ah, these folks were here too.
I quickly sat up and decided I needed to introduce them to their rooms and firmly tell them not to cause any trouble. I figured I could appoint Grandma as the representative.
She’s the most sensible among them, after all.
“Karina. I’ll contact the housekeeper to prepare four rooms.”
“Yes, please do that. But first, I should probably introduce myself to those staying in Yeomyeong-gwan… right?”
“That’s a good idea.”
Karina pulled the bell next to the bed, and clear bell sounds echoed through the room.
It seems like being the homeowner comes with nifty devices.
Not long after the bell rang, there was a knock on the door.
“Did you call for me, Lady Karina?”
“Please prepare four guest rooms.”
“Can you book one in a secluded area? With no people.”
“One for the solitary spot, please.”
That was Hazel’s request. I guess she didn’t want to get into trouble now that she was outside. I stole a glance at the scarred woman standing at an angle and turned back to Karina.
“Understood.”
Maybe I should take them to the lounge for now.
I can’t just leave them standing here.
Hazel… seems a bit unstable, but since she looks in a good mood right now, she shouldn’t cause any trouble.
“Let’s go to the lounge for now.”
“Alright.”
“Karina, change your clothes.”
“I will.”
I left the room with Quartz’s gang. For now, I was planning to take them to the lounge. Assigning personal rooms was out of the question for now, but I needed to introduce them.
I opened the door to the lounge not far from Karina’s room and said,
“Please come in and sit comfortably.”
“The sofa is smaller than I expected!”
Well, that’s because you’re too massive. He sat on the long sofa and looked around curiously like a craftsman checking out the surroundings.
“Grandson, you live in a nice place.”
“This is not my home. I’m currently in the position of a guard knight, so my mansion is elsewhere. I’ll show you later.”
I’ll have to stop by the capital anyway, so I can show them then.
“Is this the air from the outside world? Ha—how amazing!”
“Too. Bright. Feels. Awful.”
Their vibes seem off, but why are they sitting side by side like that?
Is this what they call love-hate?
I looked at my companions who had taken their seats and spoke up.
“I’ll go fetch some people.”
“Be back soon.”
I got a gentler reply than when I was at the Quartz mansion. A smile appeared on my face as I nodded.
————-
“Johann? When did you come back?”
“I just got here.”
“It’s been four days since you left?”
Four days, huh? It doesn’t feel long, but it does feel like I haven’t seen them in ages.
“Who are these folks?”
“Looks like guests brought by Uncle.”
“Restriction… recovery?”
“Where did Rue go?”
“She’s probably in the garden.”
Well, I can introduce Rue later.
“…Where did you bring these people from?”
Renny asked with a surprised expression, clearly realizing their strength right away.
“They’re from my family.”
“…What?”
“Just take it as that for now.”
“Ohhh…”
“Grandson, there are many women.”
“Other than me, they’re all women.”
For some reason, Grandma’s stare feels intense.
Seeing her frown, it seems she recalled something unpleasant.
“Grandson…?”
“Johann! Who is that? They look kind of like me!”
Millia tilted her head, seeming confused about the situation. Sighing, I replied,
“That’s my grandmother.”
“Grandm…other?”
All the women tilted their heads in unison, looking completely bewildered.
I mean, if you say a woman who looks about Millia’s age is my biological grandmother, who wouldn’t raise an eyebrow?
“Grandma, these are my lovers.”
“Lovers?”
“Seems like you’ve got some ability, huh…?”
Vulcanus complimented me cautiously, probably sensing the situation.
The others looked at me with strange expressions after hearing the word “lovers.”
“…You inherited that part from your father.”
What kind of guy is my father to have multiple women? Is he an adulterer or something? Good grief.
I felt a pang of bitterness at the fragmented information about my father. I decided to ignore it and quickly spoke up to redirect the mood.
“Let’s keep it official. There are six in total…”
“Six? Amazing! Is this what they call a harem? I only read about this in books! Ha—how exciting!”
“…”
Why is Hazel licking her lips? The kids are getting scared. I tried to restrain my urge to hide the kids behind me and continued speaking.
“I just thought I should introduce them to grandma.”
“…If your grandson has six daughters-in-law, that’s a bit much, isn’t it? Right, dear?”
Grandma Maria looked down at the bear doll in her arms, which scratched its head, displaying its discomfort.
“…Dear?”
“Oh, that’s my grandfather.”
“…I don’t understand any of this.”
“Just think of it as a complicated family situation.”
Although don’t go patting your head like that. I patted Renny’s shoulder, who looked confused and opened my mouth again.
“The reason it got this way is a bit of a long story, so I can’t go into details right now… but thank you for understanding, Grandma.”
“…If everyone is fine with it, I have no reason to stop it.”
That’s my Grandma for you. Her understanding is out of the ordinary.
“How fun!”
“I’m curious how you ended up with six of them!”
“I’ll plan a day to tell you this later.”
“I’ll be counting down the days!”
Vulcanus laughed heartily, lifting the mood a bit.
I really chose well.
“Great-grandma?”
“…Just call me Grandma.”
“Grandma! I’m really happy thanks to Johann!”
As expected, Millia has the charm to make friends quickly. I smiled warmly seeing her approach my grandmother without hesitation. Grandma didn’t seem to mind Millia’s charm either, as she smiled back.
I was relieved that this side settled well. Now it was time to pay attention to Hazel. While her powers are unclear, she’s the most dangerous person to handle first.
I approached Hazel, who was resting her chin on her hand and staring out the window.
“Hazel… Ma’am, is there something you want?”
“…Don’t call me until mealtime, alright? If you don’t want to see blood. No, meals need to be brought to my room. If I have to watch, I feel nauseous.”
Hazel communicated her requests with a face that seemed to be suppressing something. I figured there’s no need to delve too deep.
“Right! And keep contact to a minimum! That sister is a troublemaker!”
Peymin echoed her words, so there must be a reason behind it. Considering the atmosphere at the Quartz mansion, I could roughly understand… also, she was holding a sword.
“Understood.”
“What about you, Peymin?”
“I’m fine with any room! I’ll be thrashing around like a fish anyway! Haha!”
“What about you, Vulcanus?”
“I’m fine with any room! But if there’s a decent workshop, that’d be great, but it might be too much to ask!”
“I’ll make sure to accommodate that.”
They may be a bit peculiar, but being skilled artisans, if I provide them with a workshop, they’ll craft some great items.
I took in all of their requests and awaited Karina’s arrival. Fortunately, not long after I started my Q&A time, Karina opened the door and walked in.
“Long time no see.”
“Lady Karina, are you feeling alright?”
“I’m fine. Renny, more importantly… the preparations for the guests are nearly done.”
“Karina, about their rooms—”
I conveyed the guests’ requests to Karina one by one. She smiled at my words, nodded her head, and said she’d go talk to them right away, heading out of the lounge.
No need for you to go in person.
As I scratched my head, a voice from Grandma echoed.
“Grandson, your grandfather wants to visit the garden.”
“Oh, me too! Haha!”
“I… Can I have a room? I don’t like grass.”
“I want to breathe some fresh air, too!”
This particularly suspicious character is quieter than I expected. Was she secretly a couch potato? As I stared at her in confusion, Hazel shot me a piercing glare.
“Please. It’s hard to hold back. Can you just give me a room?”
“Understood.”
If that’s what she wants, then fine.
Thus, the afternoon’s agenda for today was set.