Chapter 53

“Hello, Uncle. Auntie. It’s Armienne.”

I bowed my head and greeted the two people who had come along with Miel. Duke Mentus and his wife, Heria.

As I did, I thought to myself. Why on earth did these two tag along? At that moment, Miel caught my eye, looking at me with an apologetic smile. She formed cute words with her lips.

[S.o.r.r.y.]

Well, since Miel was going this far, I supposed I’d just let it slide.

“Hahaha! I didn’t get a good look at you last time, but seeing you up close, you’re even cuter. Of course, my daughter is cuter, though! Kuwahahahahaha!”

“My, she looks even cuter than I imagined. Thank you for always getting along well with our daughter, Armienne. I am Harmiel’s mother.”

“Oh, no, not at all. It’s actually me who always has a great time because of Miel.”

Besides, if they were Miel’s family, we might develop a close bond later on, so as long as I could rack up points like this, it wasn’t really a loss.

Now that things had already turned out this way, I just hoped no more people would show up. However, as if determined to smash my hopes to pieces, my father—having been notified that Duke Mentus had arrived—appeared alongside my mother and soon asked with an absurd expression.

“Well now, why on earth has a bastard like you come to our house?! And to come on Christmas, a day that should only be filled with happiness! Did you come to bring misfortune to our house or something?”

At my father’s words, Duke Mentus’s mustache quivered furiously before he shot right back. They really were something else.

“That’s enough bullshit to make someone play the drums and dance! My daughter is coming over to your house, how could I just send her off without knowing what kind of vicious things an asshole like you might do to our cute and lovely daughter!”

“No, I have a daughter who is cuter than yours! My! Only mine! My very own daughter! So why on earth would I do something vicious to your daughter?! If anything, you’re the one who boldly came to our house to eye Armienne with a perverted gaze! Tch!”

“What?! How dare you make me out to be a pervert! I can’t let that slide coming from you, the biggest piece of trash in the world. Drop dead!”

“Oh yeah? Let’s settle this once and for all today!”

With two men old enough to know better fighting like that, there was nothing more unsightly. Usually, when things got like this, Mother would step in to stop them, but Mother must have finally met a friend after a long time because she wasn’t paying any attention to this side at all.

Mother was chatting away with Miel’s mother, Heria.

“My, Heria. It’s been a while.”

“Merry Christmas, Arsila. I haven’t seen you often since the academy, never dreaming we’d meet like this. And both of us after having children, at that.”

“I didn’t expect it either. By the way, your daughter is truly beautiful.”

“Oh, goodness. If we’re talking about beauty, isn’t your daughter even more so?”

“Thank you, even if it’s just empty flattery. Hehehe.”

Seeing the faces of the mothers—who seemed to have completely forgotten their usual images, looking like they had returned to their girlhood days—left me completely speechless. For today at least, no matter how much it was Mother, she had no choice but to let loose. Mother was lost in a world of their own, chatting away without paying a single shred of attention to Father, who was fighting and tearing at each other’s mustaches like a madman.

At that sight, I let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness.

As long as Mother isn’t getting angry, at least today’s party will be a peaceful day.

…No sooner had I thought that than a sparkling golden carriage smashed through our estate gates and barreled inside.

Whinny!

Crash!

Is today some kind of special day or something?

I let out a sigh as I felt the peaceful and joyful Christmas I had envisioned get smashed to pieces.

“Haah, who the hell is it this time?”

Judging by how insanely sparkly the carriage was, could it possibly be the king? But what reason would the king have to visit my house on Christmas Day?

Yet, once again defying my expectations, a man wearing a glowing golden crown—the symbol of a king—and black sunglasses stepped out of the carriage with a cigarette clamped in his mouth. But looking at him, he seemed more like a street thug than a king.

‘What the heck?’

The man climbed down from the carriage, swept his gaze over the eyes watching him, and then let out a long stream of smoke before growling.

“Hoo~ These bastards are really something else. Because of that recklessly declared state of emergency, some folks have been wracking their brains and stuck in their offices like slaves even on Christmas. Pfft, buhahaha. And the culprits themselves are having a happy little party with their daughters….”

Having said that much, the man casually grabbed his crown and tossed it onto the ground. Was that thing originally supposed to be thrown away so easily? The man lifted his head proudly and said.

“I’m not working. No, I can’t. I’m resting today, too. As a bonus, I feel like I need to beat up those two damn fellows.”

Good grief, a king who gave up on working.

Normally, everyone should bow their head and greet him when a king appeared, but not a single soul in this place could bring themselves to bow down upon seeing such a king.

Just then, someone could be seen riding a horse from far away. The blonde hair gleaming in the midday sun felt strangely familiar.

“Your Majestyyyyyy!!!”

Well, just listening to how desperately he was searching for the king made one feel kind of pitiful.

“It is Prince Fren.”

Whether he had checked it with magic or something, Ahel spoke up from the side, and I slapped my forehead at the thought of When on earth did this guy get here? The plan I had built had long since been shattered, and it felt like every single character from this novel was about to gather in one place.

Fren rode his horse right into the estate, dismounted hurriedly, and shouted as he glared at King Prelip.

“Hey, why on earth did you stop working and come all the way out here!”

Yet the king was unapologetic. For a person to be that shameless. It almost made me feel a sense of respect now.

“Tch, daring to shout at a king who is like the heavens. Back in my day, that was grounds for execution. My son.”

“Grah!”

Watching Fren look like he was about to fall backward right then and there, I realized it was finally time for me to step in. It felt like all sorts of crazy things were going to happen if things kept going this way, so I had to force the party to start and calm the atmosphere down.

“Prince Fren. Please calm down. Isn’t it Christmas today? You’re already late.”

“………….”

Since we were in front of other people, I couldn’t use informal speech, so I quietly called out to Fren. Seeing Fren quiet down the moment I called him, the people around us began to whisper.

[Still hasn’t gotten over Armienne, I see.]

[That good-for-nothing punk dares to eye our daughter?!]

[Tch, to think he’s a prince and can’t even sweep a woman off her feet with sheer force.]

It felt like they were wildly misunderstanding something, but I quickly shouted out to everyone. It was such a jumbled mess that even the author writing this story probably had no idea how the current situation was panning out. Isn’t this going way too dog-water and makjang? Well, life is always a makjang.

“Let the Christmas party begi–”

Just as I was about to shout, I saw a figure walking out from afar while yawning. A handsome man with the exact same hair as mine.

He was none other than Heinel.

“Since everyone’s gathered, I might as well join in. Well, it doesn’t really sit well with me since it feels like a party hosted by you, but seeing as it’s Christmas, I’ll make a special exception and let it slide.”

What the hell is this guy up to? You’re really testing the limits of my patience today. If today hadn’t been Christmas, and if Mother hadn’t been standing right here, I might have genuinely exploded.

“Haah, everyone’s really here now, right?”

No sooner had I asked than a figure I had completely forgotten about dropped straight down from the sky. A man whose black hair suited him well—the very first male lead I had ever met. Carusien looked around his surroundings, then spotted Ahel and gnashed his teeth.

“I never thought you’d run all the way out here.”

Huh? What on earth is this situation again?

Even Ahel began to break out in cold sweats the moment he saw Carusien.

“Are you kidding me, you’re still chasing after me even now?”

Carusien tried to swing his sword straight toward Ahel, but I shouted and stopped him. I had no idea what kind of situation this was, but drawing a sword on a happy Christmas like this was an absolute no-go.

“Hold on a second, Teacher! Aren’t you out of your mind, swinging a sword right here and now?”

Cursing right at Carusien in front of a crowd of people. I really was going all out today. Oh well, screw it.

“There’s little Ahre here, the king is here, high-ranking dukes are here, and even our mothers are present—of course you shouldn’t be swinging a sword in a place like this. Put that sword away right now and get ready for the party.”

“…Understood.”

Phew, things are way too hectic today. I’m reaching the point where I’m starting to confuse who I even am. Anyway, the only thing that could calm this situation down quickly was alcohol. Alcohol is the truth in any situation!

“Is everyone really here now? Then let’s have a toast, a toast!”

At my words, starting with Fren, everyone let out a word.

“Uhm, it’s alcohol, so I’m a bit worried.”

“Armienne, having a drink in front of your parents is a bit…”

Ahel shouted in surprise, while Carusien let out a quiet sigh.

“Just what kind of trouble are you trying to cause this time!”

“Hoo…”

Yul, who was holding Ahre next to me, twisted her expression at the mention of alcohol.

“Young Miss. Alcohol, of all things…”

“Ahre likes alcohol!”

Meanwhile, when people my age and Ahre said things like that, the adults had a completely different reaction. Especially the fathers—their eyes were glowing so fiercely that I worried laser beams were about to shoot out at any second. They looked like they were going to pierce right through us.

“Th-that sounds like you’ve been drinking normally on the regular too, you two!! Armienne!!”

“No, no way, Harmiel. You too?!”

If the fathers were looking on with disbelieving eyes, the mothers were busy soothing those fathers.

“They aren’t kids anymore, don’t make such a big fuss over it.”

“What are you going to do if you try to suppress your daughter like that again and she runs away from home?”

This was my absolute limit. If things went on any longer than this, my brain felt like it was going to snap, so I decided to end this commotion right here.

“Ah, whatever! Cheers, everyone!”

“Cheers!”

Clink!—

Merry Christmas~~~ Merry Christmas~~