Reporting To The Duke

During the next day’s lunch break, Kent was eating lunch behind the school building with Caro, Josette, and Rachel as usual. The shop now had a full staff, and there was more breathing room in the work, so starting today Kent was preparing lunch again.

“Lady Josette. Congratulations.”

“Huh? Whatever do you mean?”

Caro suddenly said that to Josette. Josette blankly stared, not understanding what she meant. It was rare to see Josette make that kind of face.

“I can smell that thing of Kent-san’s on you, Lady Josette. You’ve finally become honest with your feelings.”

“As expected of Caro. You didn’t miss it.”

Rachel said that in an impressed tone.

“Um… I’m sorry. Even though I knew you and Kent-san were seeing each other, I still went and did something like this.”

“I can’t exactly say, ‘It’s fine,’ with a smile… but I did think this would happen eventually. So I’m all right. Besides, there are others like that too. I think that, as a man, keeping many women by his side is something admirable. As long as he gives the same amount of love to everyone, I have nothing to say.”

“…?”

Hearing Caro’s words, one question came to Josette’s mind.

“Caro-san, you said just now that there are others like that, but are there still other women who have had relations with Kent-san?”

“…Ah, my tongue slipped. Tehepero.”

Caro tapped one hand lightly against her head and stuck out her tongue. Just where had she learned to do something like that…? Kent looked toward Rachel.

“Kent-san, who else have you had relations with?”

Josette pressed Kent for an answer.

“…Marie-san.”

Having steeled himself, Kent answered honestly.

“If it is Marie-san, then I suppose it can’t be helped. But after that, the question is how we are going to tell Father and get him to approve of the relationship. What did you do, Caro-san?”

“I haven’t told him, though?”

An unexpected answer came back from the usually serious Caro.

“You mean you haven’t told Baron Frederick? If he were to learn of it, do you understand what would happen?”

“The same goes for you too, Lady Josette…”

“…That’s true.”

Caro and Josette suddenly became dejected.

Ordinarily speaking, there was no way a relationship between a commoner and a noble would be approved. It seemed that reality had just come back to them again.

“Come on, come on, you’re still students, so I don’t think you need to reach a conclusion right now. As long as you can somehow persuade your parents by the time you graduate, it’ll be fine.”

Thinking of the two of them, Rachel threw them a lifeline.

“You’re right. It may be putting it off, but we have to enjoy the present.”

Josette decided to accept Rachel’s opinion.

“As for me… I’m going to report it to Father. Back when we started going out, I thought it would be fine since we were both commoners, but now that my position has changed, there’s no way things can stay as they are. So, Kent-san, do you have time this coming Saturday?”

It seemed Caro had decided to report it to her parent. Since they had already become intimate adults together, Kent decided to steel himself as well.

“All right. This coming Saturday, then.”

“I’m sorry for bringing it up so suddenly, but I’ll be in your care.”

Since Kent had laid a hand on someone’s precious only daughter, there was no telling whether he would be able to return safely. Still, although the trigger had been something that happened in the flow of events, he decided to take responsibility for his actions.

School ended, and Kent decided to head to the shop with Rachel, Patty, and Josette, making four of them in total. When they arrived in front of the shop, one carriage was stopped there.

“That is Father’s carriage, is it not? I wonder if he came to pick up my older sister.”

“Josette-san, you told the Duke about it, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did. She herself said it was fine, and Father was worried as well.”

Kent normally went to the shop after putting down his things, but this time even that felt too time-consuming, so he decided to go into the shop together with them.

“Ohh, so you’ve come, Josette. And Lord Kent, I’m glad to see you seem well.”

“It appears Your Grace is well too.”

Inside the shop, Kent greeted the Duke, who was eating ice cream.

“The thing called ice cream sold at this shop has become the talk among the nobility, you see, so I was in the middle of tasting it to see what kind of thing it was.”

Beside him, Elnette was standing there completely stiff, holding a serving tray. It seemed she was the one who had served the Duke his ice cream.

“Mm, it was quite delicious indeed. I would like to make it so that it can be eaten in my ducal house as well, but Lord Kent, could something be done about that?”

“When I visited last time, I already handled the electrical wiring and such, so if the necessary equipment is put in place, it will be possible.”

“I see, I see. In that case, Josette.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Bring Lord Kent to the house sometime soon.”

“Understood.”

The Duke quickly asked Josette to make the arrangements. Then, after straightening his posture, the Duke began speaking about the matter he had come for this time.

“The reason I came here this time was partly to eat ice cream, but I also came regarding this runaway daughter of mine.”

Saying that, he seated Elnette beside him.

“Marie, it seems my daughter has caused you a great deal of trouble.”

“No, not at all. She has been a tremendous help to the shop.”

“I see. If you say so, that is a relief for me as well.”

“So then, let me hear what motivated you to decide to work at this shop.”

The Duke turned toward Elnette as he said that.

“Yes. I wished to experience the life of commoners, and by chance I was introduced to this shop, where I could live in, so I began working here.”

“That is a lie. What kind of daughter lies to her parent?”

“Eek!”

The Duke’s sharp gaze pierced Elnette, and she let out a startled cry without meaning to.

“The truth is… I found a man I was interested in.”

“Ho ho… and then?”

“By chance, I learned that that man was working at this shop, and I asked the shop for a favor so they would let me work here. I wanted to be near him, even if only a little. That is all.”

Elnette said that, her face bright red with embarrassment.

“I see. So Elnette, who since that matter during her student days had shown absolutely no interest in the opposite sex, at last, hm? I understand now. As a noble’s daughter, you are getting a little past the usual age, but Lord Kent, I entrust my daughter to you.”

“Huh? Y-Yes.”

The Duke suddenly threw the conversation at him, and Kent ended up replying reflexively.

“Father. Then may I remain here?”

“Yes. You are already a fine adult. If you have decided it by your own judgment, then do as you like. However, it seems Lord Kent’s feelings are not yet turned completely toward you. From here on as well, spare no effort and polish yourself as a woman.”

“Yes, thank you very much, Father.”

It seemed the Duke and Elnette had finished their discussion. Having received permission, Elnette was delighted that from now on she could live here openly and without reservation.

“Father, please wait a moment.”

“What is it, Josette?”

Josette, wearing a deeply dissatisfied expression, spoke to the Duke.

“I too would like to live in and work here. Would that be acceptable?”

“That I cannot permit.”

“No…”

The Duke instantly refused Josette’s request.