Chapter 52

The siblings, Latyché, have an odd sense of distance. The sister is unaware, while the brother is intentional.

Julius knows this and lets it be, finding it an interesting development, though he does have some thoughts...

“...Isn’t it a bit too close, even for siblings?”

“Oh? Is that so? This is normal for us. Alber is fond of me, you see?”

In the main house, the young couple sits on the sofa, leaning into each other like lovers or newlyweds. Kistaria, who was attacked by bandits, holds Alber close, as if to say there’s nothing wrong with seeking the warmth of someone she trusts. She really is provocative, with a very provocative style. Seeing the frown on the Earl of Fortuna’s forehead, Julius inwardly sighs.

Kistaria’s provocations were beautifully aggravating the Earl of Fortuna.

Alber’s appearance, with the strongest first impression of beauty, made her particularly attractive to high-ranking nobles. Seeing the Earl of Fortuna, known for being unfriendly and difficult, awkwardly wandering around, Julius keenly felt the power of her appeal.

Alber, as usual, seemed to have activated her shyness and didn’t try to get closer. It appeared she didn’t even want to see the Earl of Fortuna, let alone say anything offensive.

Understanding that if Kistaria left, Alber would also go, the Earl of Fortuna, despite his inner feelings, didn’t show his usual sarcasm. His words were blunt and dull.

“Miss, today’s tea is from the Bunoar region of Goyuran.

I recommend adding more milk, and you can add spices or jam to taste.”

“...Honey?”

“Of course. Rose, pale flower, and coral lily would go well, I think.”

Alber, who finally lifted her face from Kistaria’s body, seemed to be pondering the small bottles of spices, jam, and honey placed alongside the tea.

Julius, as a servant, also offered the teacup to the Earl of Fortuna. In the fragrant aroma of the tea, even Julius was taken aback by the middle-aged man’s unusually slack face, staring at his niece.

He knew about the tension between Grail and the Earl of Fortuna due to Christina’s marriage and that the Earl was notoriously a big siscon. He thought Alber, who resembles Christina, might elicit some reaction, but it was so overt that it was almost disgusting.

While Alber is known to be quite charming, it’s troubling to be so captivated by someone who has no intention of charming her.

“Does Alber like sweets?”

“...Yes, I don’t dislike them.”

Liar, you love them.

She loves adding sugar, honey, or jam to her tea, herbal tea, and coffee. She also loves hot chocolate and cocoa. For lemonade, she prefers a slightly diluted version with more honey rather than a strong, carbonated one.

She dislikes bitter, spicy, or strongly stimulating flavors and strong scents.

While she’s not the type to flip over at the taste of something bad, she is known to be a gourmet.

Julius, though not showing it on his face, was exasperated by Alber, who, as usual, could only give kitten-like warnings while clinging to Kistaria. Such a weak deterrent only pleased the Earl of Fortuna, who was already melting.

He looked like he couldn’t resist petting her, finding her irresistibly cute.

What held him back was Kistaria’s sharp, narrowed aqua-blue eyes.

Though her smile seemed graceful, her eyes were cold. The hand on her waist was ready to carry Alber away if Cliftf got too close.

Alber, who seemed to be in a bad mood from Cliftf’s attention, was eating walnut cookies unusually slowly and cautiously. Despite this, her refined and graceful manners were evident, a testament to her upbringing as a duchess’s daughter. However, her face was completely tense from Cliftf’s gaze.

“...Earl, it’s difficult for Alber to eat with such a gaze.”

“S-Sorry. She’s so cute when she eats, really, really... like that girl...”

That girl must be Christina.

While Alber’s face resembles Christina’s, she is not Christina. Grail, Alber’s father, also felt that too much overlap was not good.

Cliftf, who insisted, was given a one-time meeting.

Kistaria managed to arrange it, despite Alber’s reluctance, on the condition that it would be a one-time meeting.

This was the only time, and there would be no second chance. This was repeatedly emphasized to Cliftf, and Alber was also made to understand this condition. This single opportunity created a significant debt for Cliftf to Kistaria. Alber also demonstrated that she would listen to Kistaria’s words to some extent. However, Cliftf probably wanted to create a chance to meet his niece up close.

The Duchess of Fortuna, Sistina, and her daughter, Christina, both died young. The Earl of Fortuna has children, but only sons.

Seeing Cliftf’s obsession, it was understandable why Grail didn’t want to get too close to the Fortuna family.

He might have taken her away and brought her back home.

(Well, seeing Alber’s excellent rejection, he seems to have given up.)

If he had forcibly taken her, she would have likely collapsed from mental stress and cried in fear and loneliness.

Alber’s mother, Christina, was not in good health. If Alber, a delicate young lady, were forcibly taken from her home and brought to the Fortuna family, she would likely wither away.

With Kistaria’s protection, she could barely manage to give a warning, but she wouldn’t be able to stand up to the enemy alone.

Kistaria, who played with Alber’s hair, sat calmly with a smile that seemed to say, “How should I deal with this old man?”

The Duke of Fortuna and the Earl of Fortuna, Cliftf, had often been sarcastic to Kistaria and Grail.

It was quite unpleasant to see them show such unusual interest in Alber.

“...Changing the subject, who was that bandit earlier? She seemed like a rather strange girl.”

“Who knows? She’s been lying since her school days. Do you know ‘Learia Daches,’ the former baroness?”

“Yes, the notorious poisoner. I heard she bewitched the princes, but she was rather plain.

With common hair color and an unremarkable face, and so flat that you couldn’t tell front from back without a corset... How did she manage to seduce anyone?”

He wasn’t being serious.

Cliftf tilted his head, as if he couldn’t understand. Kistaria, unexpectedly hit mentally, tried to suppress her laughter with tea.

Come to think of it, that girl had slightly larger than average breasts, like small tomatoes or strawberries. Her dress, with its lace and frills, tried to create a semblance of a cleavage.

To someone used to seeing women with naturally full figures, she looked rather plain.

Moreover, Cliftf’s standards for women were high. His mother and sister were praised for their beauty. Kistaria, with a beautiful mother and a stunning step-sister, also had high standards.

“Women are not just about their appearance...”

The girl with the strongest facial attack, a young mind, and a well-developed body, pouted.

She usually avoids revealing clothes, but it would be nice to see her in something more revealing. She would definitely look good.

A slightly more mature design like Latine’s might also suit her. Alber prefers a clean and modest style.

“Right, Alber. But that woman is not only unattractive; she’s also uneducated, has poor manners, and is terrible at magic. Plus, she has a double-digit criminal record and is close to a triple-digit one.

Comparing her to other women in the world would be a disservice to the ladies who strive to improve themselves.”

“...Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Alber nodded in agreement, as if understanding.

Julius, thinking she was being manipulated as usual, didn’t show it.

Her naivety is a virtue, but it’s not good to take everything at face value.

Cliftf, who couldn’t curse Kistaria in front of Alber, looked enviously at the seemingly close Latine and Kistaria.

“Alber, wouldn’t you like to meet your grandfather, even once?

Your grandfather is my father, the Duke of Fortuna. I’m sure he would be happy to meet you.

He... well, he looks like a mountain of muscle, more like a bandit leader than a knight commander, but he’s a warm-hearted person. Would you like to meet him?”

“Earl of Fortuna? I only allowed you to meet her.”

“Don’t you want your sister to meet her real grandfather?”

“What if Alber cries? He’s not just a little scary, but extremely terrifying, Duke of Fortuna.

She’s also very shy and dislikes men.”

Cliftf fell silent.

Yes, the Duke of Fortuna has a very intimidating appearance.

Julius has seen him a few times. He is a muscular old man whose overdeveloped physique can’t be hidden by clothes alone. He is large overall, with battle scars on his face and body, and he is one-eyed.

He is like a combination of a seasoned warrior and a king of beasts, squared. His voice and presence are overwhelming, and he would likely intimidate not only Alber but also any other young lady.

Alber’s father, Grail, is also a military man but uses magic primarily. He can wield a magic sword but mainly uses high-level magic to turn the surroundings into a barren land.

He has a face that looks much younger than his age, a slender but well-toned body, and is still considered a handsome young man in the social scene, though he is a bit older in actual age.

“Such... a cute girl. So cute. She doesn’t resemble that demon at all, and yet she’s so cute.

Can’t I even show her face to my father, the only granddaughter he has?”

Cliftf kept repeating how cute she was.

Julius fully agreed on this point. He knew this young lady’s appearance was outstanding and only improved with age. Her innocent smiles and clingy nature, despite her shyness and dislike of men, were a torment to him.

“You have children, don’t you?”

“Mine are sons...”

“If you’re too stubborn, I’ll take Alber back to her room.

You helped my sister, and my father was told not to allow any meetings with the Fortuna family. I made an exception for you.

If you push further, it will not only displease my father but also anger him. Please understand.”

Kistaria, hugging Alber’s shoulder, pulled her close. Alber, leaning on Kistaria’s shoulder, continued to eat her chocolate chip cookies, tilting her head at the tense atmosphere.

“Alber, do you want to meet your grandfather from Fortuna?”

“No, not really.”

From her reaction to Cliftf, it was clear that her overall impression of Fortuna was not good.

She was only here because Kistaria asked her to be. Cliftf, looking dejected, seemed to understand but didn’t retract his words.

Kistaria, pulling out a pocket watch from her chest, checked the time and put it back.

“Well, it’s time for us to return to the venue. Despite the incident, the tea party is not canceled, and it would be noticeable if the representatives of the four duchies were absent.”

“Y-Yes...”

Cliftf, still glancing at Alber, seemed reluctant to leave.

Alber, who was told by Kistaria, “The guest house is no longer safe, so stay in your room with a barrier,” nodded obediently. It was hard to tell who was the sister and who was the brother.

Cliftf, who followed them back to the venue, seemed to finally accept it, though he kept looking back at Alber with longing.

Thank you for reading!

The story is gradually heading towards a more serious part.