Chapter 12

The next morning, I stood alone to greet a man who was casting an utterly incredulous look my way.

“No, you explicitly said other people were coming too, didn’t you?!”

Watching Carusien cry out at me with a face that practically screamed he’d been scammed and wronged, I lightly brushed off his words.

Do you think I wanted to go alone with you either, you jerk? Actually, you were just a side dish, and the real main event was my Yul. But what could I do?

I wanted to go on a trip, Yul was still sick and bedridden, and Grandfather Capeldeor was too busy to come. If I asked just any random maid to tag along, she’d probably pass out from shock and end up in a grave—so what else was I supposed to do!

“Ah, I don’t know. Let’s go. Just let’s go.”

I had given up now. Life rarely went the way you wanted it to. It wasn’t like I hadn’t tried, but when things turned out like this, what could you do?

Actually, late last night, I had even tried contacting Miel. We hadn’t exchanged personal contact info directly, but wouldn’t it be stranger if communication lines weren’t open between the two pillars supporting the kingdom: the ducal household of Celion and the ducal household of Harun?

[Would you mind explaining why on earth you’re trying to contact that damn ducal household of Harun, Armienne? If it’s not a proper reason, I won’t grant permission. No, I cannot allow it!]

Whether we weren’t particularly close with the Harun household or not, the Duke had gnashed his teeth to oppose it, but I easily broke through.

[I’m going to chat with my friend. Dad.]

[C-c-cough. Could you say that one more time? Getting older must be making my ears hard of hearing.]

Complaining about being old already when he was younger than a grandfather—how childish, seriously. Yet, seeing the Duke look so overwhelmingly happy, I decided to throw him another bone.

[Pardon? Please~ Dad.]

[W-well, nothing I can do then. This dad will grant you special permission.]

I had no idea why he felt the need to put that heavy accent on the word “dad,” but hey, if I got permission, that was all that mattered. I went ahead and dialed the communication magic orb of the ducal household of Harun, and a moment later, they picked up on the other end.

[Identify your identity clearly. This is the ducal household of Harun.]

Whoa, just listening to that pride-soaked tone made me want to respond with utmost courtesy, but before I could even open my mouth, the Duke, who had been listening right behind me, shouted.

“You scoundrel, Mentus! Don’t play any sneaky tricks. You’d have to be blind not to know who this is.”

[That voice sounding like a beggar’s rag—you son of a bitch. Ventor!]

“………….”

That day, for the very first time, I learned the name of the dad leading the ducal household of Celion. And the name of the Duke of Harun as well.

Mentus, Ventor?

What funny names.

“Pfft.”

I couldn’t help snorting.

[Whose laughter was that just now? How dare you let out a laugh while this Duke of Harun is in the middle of a conversation!]

My, what a prickly old man. I was about to reveal who I was, but once again, before I could speak, Dad shouted first.

[You good-for-nothing sea anemone bastard. My daughter is allowed to laugh if she wants. What business is it of yours!]

“……….”

To think this was a conversation between dukes—the two pillars of the kingdom. It made me realize once again that people living their lives were pretty much the same everywhere.

‘At this rate, we’ll be here all night.’

Knowing that if I just stood by and watched, I’d never achieve what I wanted even if I lived a lifetime, I deployed one of the 99 aegyo techniques men loved: crossing arms and linking them.

It probably worked. Mostly because our dad, in particular, loved it when my younger sister linked arms with him.

“Dad, I’m busy.”

At my words, the communication orb on the Harun household’s side went dead silent. However, looking at the glowing light, it definitely hadn’t disconnected.

My dad noticed that too, then burst into a loud, booming laugh and shouted.

“H-hahahaha! Right, right. This dad has gone and interrupted my precious daughter’s valuable time.”

[……………]

Why on earth did he keep adding that emphasis? And why did it feel like pure frustration was radiating through the communication orb? I let out a soft sigh and introduced myself.

“Hello. Uncle.”

“…………?”

[…Gack!]

The entire room fell quiet again at my words. And what on earth was that sound of someone clutching their chest coming from the communication orb? For the record, I hadn’t called out like that just to act cute for no reason.

Ventor of the ducal household of Celion, Mentus of the ducal household of Harun.

You’d realize it just by hearing their names. The two of them were brothers, and Duke Mentus was none other than Dad’s own biological older brother.

However, perhaps unsatisfied with the title I had used, Dad shouted loudly.

“Th-that, that guy doesn’t deserve to be called uncle(?)!”

“………….”

[N-no, it’s fine. That’s right, right. I am indeed your uncle. It looks like Armienne has grown up well, too. Ho ho, what brings you to contact us at this hour of the night?]

Listening to my uncle’s voice laden with an intensity of accent that made me wonder if someone in this family had died with a grudge over not hearing the word “dad,” I stated my business.

“Miel– ah, could you please tell Lady Harmiel that Armienne contacted her?”

At my words, my uncle’s voice, which had been ready to hand over his very gallbladder just a moment ago, shifted instantly.

[You aren’t going to say anything nasty to my daughter, are you?]

As expected, a father loves his daughter most of all. He might look foolish, but he was one of the two individuals holding all the intelligence of the kingdom in the palm of his hand. There was no way he didn’t know about the rumors surrounding me or my relationship with Harmiel.

I answered him cheerfully, despite his words potentially sounding offensive to an ordinary person.

“Absolutely not.”

[Understood. Wait a moment.]

“Yes.”

In the distance, I could hear my uncle issuing orders to his butler, and a moment later, the voice I had been waiting for flowed out from the orb.

[Armien?]

“Miel!”

At the sound of Miel’s sweet voice even through the orb, I called out her name loudly, and Miel giggled, as if my reaction amused her.

[What’s going on? We parted ways just yesterday, so I didn’t expect you to contact me right away.]

I hadn’t expected to be contacting you today either, you know.

[Would you like to go on a trip with me tomorrow?]

[A trip? Oh, but tomorrow?]

She seemed to like the word “trip,” but at the mention of “tomorrow,” her voice turned downcast almost immediately, and I could already predict the outcome.

[I’m sorry… but tomorrow is my father’s birthday.]

“Ah, I see.”

So Duke Mentus’s birthday was July 25th. Damn it, why did it have to be tomorrow of all days?

I let my disappointment show plainly. There was no real emotion to fake here, and around Miel, I didn’t want to hide my feelings unless I absolutely had to.

[How unfortunate.]

[I’m disappointed, too, Armien. Next time, no matter what happens, I’ll go!]

“Yeah. Miel. Good night.”

[You have a happy night, too.]

Click.

Gazing at the communication orb now cut off from its light, I let out a deep sigh. In the end, I had no choice but to go alone with Carusien.

“C-c-cough. This dad’s birthday happens to be September 27th, you know.”

“………….”

An unscripted obligation to celebrate Dad’s birthday had just materialized out of nowhere.

Anyway, despite trying all this effort, as if by some decree of fate or punishment from the gods, I ended up going on a trip alone with Carusien after all.

“I truly am unhappy about this.”

“………….”

Ignoring Carusien’s endless grumbling and fussing from behind me, I slowly shifted my steps toward ‘Pars,’ a large metropolis where a festival would soon be held—the exact destination I had set out for, located at a distance that took precisely two days of walking to reach.

Taking a carriage would have gotten us there in no time, but if I were going to do that, there’d be no point in taking a trip in the first place. What I wanted was a backpacking journey where I could walk the paths myself and take in the surroundings one by one.

I marched forward with brisk, determined steps.

Seeing Carusien follow behind me while grumbling every step of the way, a smile naturally formed on my face as it felt almost like I had acquired a cute younger brother.

Catching Carusien flinch out of habit when he met my gaze, I burst into a hearty laugh.

“Pfft—hahaha.”

“What on earth are you laughing at?”

At his words, I looked straight ahead and shouted out.

“No reason! It’s a trip!”

“Sigh….”