Chapter 128
Louis Miller, one of the Seven Sages of the Kingdom of Ridill and the 〈Barrier Mage〉, opened his eyes as wide as they would go and let out a low groan, his face full of utter disbelief.
“Why...?”
On the sofa where Louis was looking, his beloved daughter Leonora was playing with the delinquent knight Einhardt.
Leonora, who would soon turn two, happily squealed as she fiddled with Einhardt’s clothes and hair with both hands.
“Leonora-chan is such a good girl. Here, big brother Einhardt will lift you way up high!”
“Boo, wawububoo! Aah!”
“Oh, is that so? You want to grow up and marry big brother Einhardt?”
“Gweh! Gweh!”
Whenever Einhardt started saying whatever he pleased, Leonora repeated the word “Gweh.”
To Leonora, “Gweh” meant Glenn Dudley, Louis’s disciple.
Louis didn’t know what Leonora understood by “wife,” but whenever the word came up, his beloved daughter would start chanting his disciple’s name.
For the record, Leonora called her mother “Maa,” her grandfather “Jii,” and Lin “Rii-rii.”
She didn’t have a word for her father yet.
“Leonora’s so friendly. She warmed up to me right away, too.”
When Lionel picked Leonora up, she squealed with delight and started climbing up his body. Leonora liked climbing all over adults.
As for her father, Louis, he couldn’t remember her ever climbing on him, let alone hugging him. For some reason, whenever he picked Leonora up, she would burst into tears and arch her back.
“Leonora takes after Louis. Her hair and eyes are just like his.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Even her features look a little like Louis’s.”
At Lionel and Einhardt’s words, Louis pouted and protested.
“What are you talking about, you two? Take a good look. Leonora takes after her mother, doesn’t she? Just look at her eyes!”
The moment Louis leaned forward and reached for Leonora, her face crumpled and she began to cry.
As Leonora nearly tumbled off Lionel, Einhardt swiftly scooped her up and patted her back.
Leonora hiccupped, but soon stopped crying as Einhardt patted her back, then began sucking on his clothes. She was determined not to let her father into her field of vision.
Einhardt gave Louis a straight-faced look.
“Be glad, Louis. Your daughter has good taste in men.”
“Anyone can see that her father is far more wonderful than this blockhead.”
“That’s exactly the problem,” Einhardt said with a shrug.
＊ ＊ ＊
Princess Tsetsilia’s stay was extended, and a hectic period followed. Once things had finally settled down, the three bad friends held a small drinking party at the Miller estate.
It was still too early for dinner, an awkward time of day, but the three busy men had few chances to get together.
They made the most of that short time, drinking and trading the unreserved banter that came with years of friendship.
“I’ve been wanting to ask you this for ages. Why is your hair so long? Are you making a vow or something?”
“Well-maintained long hair is a symbol of wealth.”
Louis gave a smug snort and ran a hand down his long braid. Einhardt narrowed his eyes in exasperation.
“At this point, the length of your hair is starting to look directly proportional to the size of your vanity. And that hair’s why you had to wear that outfit, right...? Guh!”
Without a word, Louis drove his fist into Einhardt’s side.
Fortunately, Lionel was busy entertaining Leonora and hadn’t heard their conversation.
As Einhardt had said, one reason Louis had dressed as a maid was to hide his hair. It was long enough to draw a fair amount of attention, so he’d had no choice but to bundle it up inside a chignon cap.
“So the Seven Sages get to do whatever they want, huh? I’m jealous. My unit’s so damn strict. I get a rap on the knuckles from the captain for a single bedhead!”
Einhardt pouted and went on about the hardships of the Royal Guard.
Louis tuned him out and took a sip of wine, so Einhardt tugged hard on his braid.
“Oh, speaking of being jealous, girls! There are three witches among the Seven Sages, right? Three girls out of seven! That’s not fair! Give me one for my dreary workplace!”
“One likes pretty boys, one’s a guy, and one’s a little girl, you know?”
“The 〈Silent Witch〉 Monica Everett-chan is your classmate, right? Having a girl ten years younger than you as a classmate is honestly enviable.”
“She’s a real monster, you know. Want to hear what she put me through in the Seven Sages selection exam?”
As Louis struggled to get his braid back, Leonora, who had been playing with Lionel, called out, “Rii-rii!”
Looking over, he saw that Lin had brought out some fresh snacks.
Einhardt, who had been pulling on Louis’s braid, sprang to his feet and straightened up.
His face was so stern and composed that you’d never guess he’d been grinning lazily just a moment ago.
“Miss, our meeting was fate. May I have your name?”
“My name is Linsbellfeed.”
“What a poetic-sounding name. How about it? Would you give me your time tonight?”
As he spoke, Einhardt put an arm around Lin’s shoulders.
Lin tilted her head, as ever, with the eerie, doll-like motion of a broken-necked doll.
“Einhardt Berger-sama, may I ask you something? Is this a courtship ritual?”
“That’s right. I’m trying to win you over.”
“In that case, I must decline. I have already given my heart to someone.”
“Oh, that makes it exciting. I’ll make you say you love me more than him. I’m confident I can.”
Einhardt wasn’t fazed by Lin’s slightly off-kilter response. One had to admit, he had some impressive nerve.
Louis pushed his crooked monocle back into place with a fingertip and looked at him in exasperation.
“Einhardt. Lin is my contracted spirit.”
Einhardt blinked several times, staring at the beautiful maid.
You might think he was shocked to learn that Lin wasn’t human, but instead, Einhardt asked Louis in all seriousness,
“...You have a wife, and you make a spirit dress up as a cute maid and keep her at your side? What a hobby.”
To think this flippant blockhead would look at him with contempt—it was more than Louis could bear.
Louis’s cheek twitched.
“I’m not the one making her dress that way. It’s Lin’s own preference.”
“No, it is not a preference.”
Lin smoothly cut Louis off.
She straightened up and met Einhardt’s eyes directly.
Then she declared, with a certain intensity in her voice,
“It is my conviction.”
“O-oh.”
Einhardt probably couldn’t understand what sort of conviction would lead a spirit to dress as a maid.
Louis knew the circumstances, but explaining them was so absurd that he said nothing and took a sip of wine.
Yes, it was all utterly ridiculous: why this high-ranking spirit wore a maid’s uniform, and even how she had come to contract with him.
When things are this ridiculous, it’s best to keep quiet. He could let everyone around him misunderstand as they pleased.
Thinking this, Louis dropped dried fruit into his wineglass in clumps.
Louis quite liked dried fruit softened in wine. Since the wine was dry, he wanted something a little sweet with it.
“Lin, bring me some raspberry jam. And don’t tell Rosalie.”
“I have been instructed by all concerned to inform Rosalie-sama whenever Louis-dono attempts to consume more sugar than necessary.”
Lin casually ignored her master’s request and, of all things, called out to Louis’s wife, who was working in the kitchen.
“Rosalie-sama, Louis-dono would like some jam.”
“Not today. Surely you can see that a whole jar a day is unreasonable.”
Rosalie, who had been working in the kitchen, hurried into the room and glared at Louis so coldly that he recoiled.
Incidentally, Einhardt Berger, the blockhead, had openly declared that he liked women with intense eyes.
Or, more accurately, he liked being glared at coldly by women.
The cold glare Rosalie Miller turned on her husband seemed extraordinarily attractive to Einhardt.
“Madam, I wish I’d met you sooner.”
Einhardt took Rosalie’s hand and kissed the back of it.
Lin covered Leonora’s eyes while Lionel restrained Louis, who had raised a wine bottle.