C27
Chapter 27
The bluebird called success was surprisingly close by.
‘I don’t like the idea of marrying Sloth, but what the heck!’
Isn’t that what arranged marriages are all about!
Of course, a country nobleman’s son like him, let alone the second in line, is far from being in an arranged marriage.
In the first place, arranged marriages are meant to unite families and create a synergistic effect!
‘I’m going to make a living out of nothing.’
This means that even if you want to have an arranged marriage, you can’t.
‘My heart is broken because I’m separated from my beloved because of an arranged marriage? That’s all bullshit from people who have had their fill!’
Amon dismisses tragic romances as full-bellied bullshit!
Anyway, to the present.
Early in the morning, looking out the window at the rising sun, he muttered to himself.
“At last, a new day for me.”
It was time to say goodbye to his old self.
‘……All right, then, let’s get ready, shall we?’
As he had told Sloth yesterday, the day was bright, and he planned to go to the Marquis of Pid to ask for his permission to marry her.
Soon afterward, he meticulously dressed in a suit that she had hastily purchased late at night in the city center.
Amon looked at himself in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction.
‘You look good in just about anything, but this suit looks especially good on you.’
Sloth, who had been helping him pick out his outfit, would change it over and over again, adding the odd “hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, …….” as she did so.
‘The shopkeeper raved about how well he looks in everything he wears, and I’ll definitely be buying from her again next time I’m in the market for clothes, although she’s a bit shy and keeps averting her eyes.’
Anyway, against Sloth’s recommendation, Amon confidently walked out of the store in a suit of his own choosing.
He bumped into Marion, who was in the next room.
“Ugh, I’m hungover…….Amon, why are you wearing a suit?”
“I thought I said you were going to Marquis Pid today?”
“To Marquis Pid……? Ah, ah!”
Marion muttered, pressing a hand through his hangover-tinged hair.
“Ugh, you did. Maybe I should cut back on the drinking…….”
“Yeah, well, seeing as how you don’t even remember yesterday, you should probably cut back.”
“……Huh, yesterday?”
Marion remembered yesterday.
Slightly blurred by his hangover, the memories began to trickle back.
‘You’re really getting married? Ugh, you’re so mismatched I can’t help but laugh!’
‘……What’s so funny?’
‘Giggles! What’s not to like? Sloth is such a waste!’
‘I’m more of a waste…….’
‘Giggle, that’s the funniest joke you’ve ever told!’
Marion finally snapped out of his reminiscing and looked at Amon.
“……You know how, when you’re pleasantly drunk, you can get a laugh out of rolling leaves.”
“…….”
“And I couldn’t stop laughing when I found out that one of my favorite juniors was getting married, so I guess that’s why my prank was a little more serious than usual.”
“…….”
Marion swallowed hard as the silence returned.
“But now that I think about it, I feel sorry for you.”
Amon grinned.
“Isn’t that right?”
“Yes……..”
“I’ll see you then.”
Amon left the academy and headed to his appointment.
‘The hair salon.’
Since it was his first time at the Pid family home, and he was going to announce his betrothal, Sloth was sure he needed to get ready accordingly.
‘What is she preparing so early in the morning?’
The building he arrived at was luxurious, the kind of place a noblewoman would patronize.
‘…… Is this where Sloth is?’
No way.
‘What kind of person sleeps in a sleeping bag in an alleyway warehouse?’
I look around, wondering if I’m in the wrong place, but the sign says it’s where Sloth told me yesterday.
‘Um…….But there’s a close sign on the door?’
Amon was lurking at the door.
The woman who’d been fixing Sloth’s hair peeked out the window and whispered.
“Is someone outside?”
“What? I put up the curtains, but who’s there?”
She’s in the middle of grooming the daughter of Marquis Pid, so she locked the door and was absorbed in her work, but what kind of visitor is this?
“Well, it’s a man.”
“A man?”
Normally, this is a place for noblewomen, the wives of noble families.
But a man?
It was then that Sloth, who had closed her eyes and was having her hair trimmed, spoke up.
“Is he wearing a saccharine suit, like he’s going to a funeral?”
“Oh, yes. That’s right.”
“Then he must be with me.”
“Aha, is that right, the butler…….”
The woman, noticing Amon’s color, corrected herself.
“No, an attendant…….”
She started to say that, then realized it wasn’t right, so she corrected herself again.
“A servant!”
Suddenly, Amon became her servant, but no matter how sensitive Sloth was, she couldn’t say, “He’s the one who’s going to be my husband” at this time.
Besides, she didn’t even have the will to defend Amon!
“Anyway, do you want me to bring him inside?”
“Yes, we can’t leave him outside.”
Once inside, Amon looked around and said.
“Not here yet?”
“Yes?”
“Well, I’ll just wait outside.”
Hair salons, the exclusive domain of noble women!
It was an uncomfortable place for Amon, who was digging potatoes in the field.
So instead of cowering, he turned to wait outside.
“I’m almost done, just wait a minute.”
“……?”
Amon’s eyes widened as he looked toward the source of the voice.
“Senior Sloth……?”
“What?”
Amon’s mouth dropped open, and Sloth narrowed his eyes.
“You didn’t recognize me?”
“…….”
“Huh.”
Sloth snorted in disbelief, but her cheeks were tingling with laughter.
‘Yeah, well, I don’t usually dress up, so you wouldn’t recognize me if I did.’
I usually just roll around in my sleeping bag with my hair down and messy.
But this was a hair salon that catered to a lot of aristocrats!
The skilled staff had transformed her into a new look, so it was no wonder Amon didn’t recognize her!
“Ho ho ho, it looks like the servant didn’t recognize you!”
The staff giggled!
Sloth smirked with her head slightly turned!
Seeing them, Amon smiled wryly.
In fact, he purposely pretended not to recognize her to make her feel better!
‘Whether I like it or not, we are destined to be on the same boat. I have to show it to her from now on.’
That way, when Sloth eats potatoes and grows up to become powerful, wouldn’t the hat she gives Amon be thicker?
The first step to greatness has already been taken!
‘Sloth’s cheekbones are dancing. Is she that happy?’
Amon stood beside her, flattering her in every way possible.
“But if you look closely, you only fixed your hair a little and put on a little eye makeup? Well, the original was so good, so……”
There was even a subtle compliment saying, ‘The original is so good that even if you decorate it a little, it looks completely different!’
The corner of Sloth’s mouth curved upward even further.
“Hmph, starting to get it now? Who’s the one missing out?”
“Me, of course!”
“Right? Right?”
At that moment, a staff member approached Amon, who was trembling as he stuck out his tongue.
“Well, servant, could you step out for a moment, please, so I can finish fixing the hair?”
“……?”
Come to think of it, didn’t she just say something about a servant a moment ago?
I shook my head, and Sloth turned to the employee.
“He’s not a servant, he’s a husband-to-be.”
“What! Ah, I’m sorry!”
Amon, who had just accepted the apology from the surprised employee, glanced at Sloth.
Apparently, the staff thought he was a servant when he wandered in earlier.
‘Well, so be it. What’s a man to do with makeup?’
Amon smiled rottenly, feeling his inner closeness to the lowly Sloth diminish.
* * *
~A branch of the Mages’ Guild on one side of the city~
Sloth, who was waiting for the warp gate to be ready for the Marquisate of Pid, spoke.
“Amon.”
“Yes, senior.”
“…….I think you’d best keep your tongue in check in front of the lord.”
“What? Why?”
Hadn’t I been playing out all sorts of scenarios in my head the night before?
“I’ve planned out every question, every response. What did you like about Sloth, could you afford it, etc.
And now you’re about to undo all that hard work.
Sloth replied.
“It’s just……that he doesn’t listen to anyone. He barely even listens to me, so why would he listen to you?”
“Mmm.”
“Well, I suppose he could ask you something, but I don’t think it’s anything important.”
“…….”
“You’ll have to answer in moderation.”
Amon nodded at the self-deprecating tone of voice that showed no signs of anticipation for her father.
“I’ll be good.”
“……Yes.”
Given what Sloth had said, the day would be over very quickly.
Traveling through the warp gate, Amon looked around.
“This is the city of Ringsleigh.”
This was Ringsleigh, the city ruled by Batista Ringsleigh Pid, the current head of House Pid and the Marquis of Pid.
While Amon was wandering around, Sloth was also looking around, seemingly unfamiliar with the place.
‘Since Sloth came to Amonis Academy almost immediately, she probably didn’t have much of a chance to explore the city.’
So Sloth and Amon made their way to the Marquis’ mansion.
As they walked along the familiar streets, Sloth’s steps grew steadier and steadier, but her pace became slower and slower.
“Don’t you think we should prepare ourselves a bit?”
At that, Sloth shook her head slightly.
“Forget it, let’s get this over with.”
“……Yes.”
They arrived at the mansion.
As they approached the main entrance, guards raised their spears to block their path.
“This is the mansion of His Excellency the Marquis of Pid, if you have any business…….”
The guard stopped dead in his tracks and narrowed his eyes.
“Lady Sloth?”
“It’s been a long time, Orson.”
“Uh, how could you come without a message…….I’ll let them know right away!”
The guard rushed inside the mansion.
Sloth soon followed, muttering as she stepped through the open door.
“I know he’ll find it annoying even if I tell him.”
The manor’s interior was familiar, and Sloth made her way to the parlor and sat down hesitantly.
“Sit down and wait. My lord will be calling for you soon.”
“Ah, yes.”
“That’s right, and you should be prepared for a surprise.”
“What?”
Sloth said, running a hand through her hair.
“My family seems to have a lot to deal with. So we hold meetings quite often.”
“Meetings?”
“Yep. And all thirteen swords of my family gather there.”
“Thirteen swords?”
“Yes. The thirteen best members of our family. The best of them is my father, of course, and the other twelve are my older brothers.”
Amon blinked.
‘Twelve brothers?’
Amon scratched his back after a moment of not understanding what that meant and then belatedly understanding the meaning.
Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.
* * *
The Great Hall.
Seated at the head of the table, Marquis Pid, with his face stern and his eyes closed along with the other twelve swordsmen, seated equally stiffly and silent.
After surveying the room, the butler spoke in a polite voice.
“Then this agenda will be dealt with as before.”
“…….”
“And this agenda item will be dealt with as soon as possible, sometime tomorrow.”
“…….”
The Marquis of Pid’s meetings were always like this.
Knowing that this silence was consent, the butler gathered his papers and said.
“I will now invite you into the meeting, my lady, and there is a gentleman with you, who I will also invite in…….”
The butler didn’t finish his sentence.
He didn’t finish because all thirteen swords in the room, including the Marquis of Pid, were staring at him with wide eyes.