Chapter 53

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

A cute waitress brought pasta, salad, and soup, and it seems today’s dessert is a traditional carrot cake. It’s a very ordinary set menu with a reasonable price. I might want to come here again in the future. After the garden party, I should bring Meinah here!

By the way, the waitress refilled the tea, but because Lord Aldar Saul wouldn’t let go of my hand, she did it for us. She was smiling more than a business smile, but there’s no deeper meaning, right? Is this some kind of embarrassment play?

However, this waitress, even though I’ve been trained in the royal palace to make tea, she’s really good…!!

The color, aroma, and taste are all at a level that could be served in the royal palace.

I wonder where she learned it. No, since it’s being served here, she must have undergone the appropriate training, or maybe she’s a huge tea enthusiast who studied on her own.

I can’t be complacent either; I need to improve even more to serve even better tea to Lady Primera and continue doing so… No, I need to strive even harder.

"Um, Lord Aldar Saul?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"The food has arrived, so could you let go of my hand…?"

"Oh, right. …I guess I have no choice."

Is it really that hard to let go?!

No, no, now my hands are free. My face isn’t red, it’s just my imagination.

Maybe it’s because my hands are warm! It’s hot, yes, that’s the reason!!

Really, how much does this person plan to tease me?

By the way, the food was also very delicious.

It was a creamy pasta similar to carbonara, with something like a hot spring egg on top, which was rich and quite filling. The salad was mainly colorful tomatoes, which were fresh and of good quality!

The soup was a simple consomme, which was also very tasty.

Right, I should tell Metabon about this place.

He can take Regina on a date under the pretext of exploring flavors, which will surely improve our meals as well, and we’ll both be happy!

However, I’m a bit worried that the tough-looking Metabon might be reported as a suspicious person in this cute and couple-filled atmosphere… If he’s misunderstood as forcing Regina into a date, it could be dangerous, especially with Regina’s sharp tongue. She’s actually quite articulate…

Well, let’s think about that if it happens.

The carrot cake for dessert was reassuringly delicious.

Of course, I wanted to split the bill, but Lord Aldar Saul paid without giving me a chance to say anything. Well done. Now I have to think of a way to thank him…

However, even though Lord Aldar Saul is so handsome that it’s hard to look at him directly, he is undoubtedly very kind and reliable, easy to talk to, and good at conversation. From the common ground of being the eldest child and dealing with various issues, I felt the time passed very pleasantly.

It might be a bit unusual to hold hands in a restaurant… but is this common among male and female friends…?

No, there’s no deeper meaning. That’s what I think.

By the way, maybe because we’re a man and a woman of a certain age, we ended up talking about how if you have a partner, it’s the heirs who should get married.

Lord Aldar Saul has to set up a branch family but actually likes his job in the royal guard.

He says he’s more suited to being a knight and moving around, and if he becomes the head of a branch family, he won’t be able to do that as much, which makes him feel a bit gloomy… I thought he could do anything, but he’s a very human person. He wants his younger brother to be happy, but he also wants to do the job he loves.

Everyone seems to have noticed that I want to live as Lady Primera’s maid even if she marries into the Baum family, and he smiled and said they would welcome me.

It’s not unusual for a maid to follow a princess who has served her for many years, so I’m sure my wish will come true. I’ll make sure it does!!

And I want to be involved in taking care of Lady Primera’s future children, and spend my old age surrounded by her and her children, thinking of them as my own. Oh, how wonderful.

Fortunately, I’ve been able to give some advice to Dean Dain, and it seems the cute boy has accepted me. I’m sure the Baum family will welcome me if I go with Lady Primera. Lord Aldar Saul said they would welcome me too.

"However, the autumn event is a bit of a burden."

"Yes, it will be a burden on the royal guards as well…."

"No, there have been reports of an increase in active monsters before winter, and by the king’s order, we will be part of the expedition to deal with them. There are various preparations to be made for that."

By the way, the vague expressions in the conversation are out of consideration not to say anything careless outside the castle! We must be careful about such things. We are public servants, after all!!

If we say something unnecessary, who knows what might happen. I’m just a commoner, and just thinking about it makes my stomach hurt.

However. Ah, I see. This is a flag!!

The unusual activity of the monsters is a flag, and then a huge monster will appear, and the mercenary who is the protagonist’s father in the game will show up!! Yes, this is following the game, isn’t it?

If the heroine appears as in the game, as long as Lady Primera and Dean Dain are not chosen, the target characters are the crown prince, the heir of the richest merchant in the country, and the best assassin in the country, whom I haven’t met yet, so I can choose from the best.

…Hmm? Is it okay to treat the assassin as one of the best choices?

Well, I don’t know about that, but since the situation is different from the game—Dean Dain falling in love with Lady Primera, Lady Primera being thin, and the crown prince getting along well with his brother—it’s hard to say how it will turn out.

However, as long as Lady Primera is safe, I’m not averse to helping the heroine’s life in the castle. She’s supposed to be a hard worker, so I want to be kind to her if there are no problems.

I think she was 15 years old when she appeared in the game. Thinking about that, I can treat her like Merlek.

However, even if the flag is set, the first thing to consider is whether the ‘protagonist’s father’ exists in this world. In that case, the army will probably deal with the aggressive monsters… and the damage might be greater than in the game.

"Will Lord Aldar Saul be part of the expedition?"

"No, I will stay in the castle. My roommate and classmate will go, but… I’m not sure which is better."

"Is that so…."

Whether to wield a sword against uncertain monsters and act like a knight, or to protect the royal family and handle paperwork and other tasks while the expedition is out… Well, both are important jobs!!

Anyway, it doesn’t seem like Lord Aldar Saul will be seriously injured.

Of course, I’ve heard that he’s very skilled with a sword, so there’s no need to worry… but it’s natural to be concerned about someone you know and have spoken to.

"Not Lord Aldar Saul!"

While we were walking side by side and talking about stopping by a bookstore before going home, a loud voice called out from behind. Yes, only to Lord Aldar Saul.

I turned around too, of course. I knew the person.

For a moment, Lord Aldar Saul made a rare displeased face, but when I looked again, he was back to his usual gentle smile.

By the way, the reason for stopping by the bookstore is that Dean Dain wanted a new adventure story. He’s really gotten into reading lately, and since the capital gets the latest releases, he asked Lord Aldar Saul to get them. Aww, how cute.

I’m sure that displeased look was because his thoughts about his brother’s request were interrupted.

…Or is it because he doesn’t like him?

The person running up with a bright smile is Scarlett von Pigeot, a maid in the inner palace and the daughter of the Pigeot Marquis family.

She’s the embodiment of someone who became a maid to find a husband.