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Chapter 482: 「This One is Quite Cute, isn’t He?」

Once Serena’s sisters had been chased away and the salon was quiet again, we returned to having tea with the three mothers-in-law. It was then that Hildegard, the second wife and Serena’s mother, suddenly made this comment.

「Their antics were too ridiculous for me to even think about wavering.」

I replied with a wry smile, and she sighed with her eyes closed. Is she disappointed?

「Indeed, with those antics, it’s a little difficult to consider them as romantic partners… But still, Hiro-dono, didn’t you feel flattered at all being pursued by such young, beautiful women?」

「Well, normally I would, yes, but it’s a bit awkward when the ones doing the flattering are your fiancée’s sisters. Besides, there wasn’t even a hint of romantic mood.」

To start with, they blatantly sized me up when we first met. Then, they suddenly switched to being overly sweet. The change was so obvious that it only left me at a loss for how to respond. If the circumstances were entirely different, I may have felt different.

「Mood…」

「I see.」

Hearing my response, Hildegard-san looked at me in surprise, Annelise-san, the first wife, chuckled elegantly, and Beatrix-san, the third wife, nodded as if she had come to some understanding. What? What’s with that reaction?

「ufu fufufu, yes… creating the right mood is important, isn’t it? ufufufu.」

For some reason, my response seemed to have hit Annelise’s funny bone, and she started laughing. Why? What was so fun about it?

「A scary battle-hardened mercenary who single-handedly dives into a swarm of crystalline lifeforms and cuts down nearly a hundred of the Ixamal House’s private soldiers without breaking a sweat, talking about ‘mood’…?」

「fu fufu ufufu… oh, I can’t… hahaha!」

Hildegard-san’s words seemed to be the final straw, as Annelise-san doubled over, clutching her stomach in laughter. Is it really that funny? I mean, come on…

「Serena-san, you were drawn to his character, weren’t you?」

「In the end, yes.」

Serena replied, her face turning red as she looked away from Beatrix-san. ‘In the end’, she says. Initially, she was definitely more interested in using me for my combat abilities, but as we spent more time together, she gradually started having feelings for me. I wonder what the turning point was.

「As a noblewoman you should prioritize other qualities when searching for your partner, but you’ve always been unconventional since you were a child.」

Hildegard-san said this with an indescribable smile. It wasn’t exactly a look of exasperation, but more like a troubled smile—yes, that would be the best way to describe it.

「Ahahaha! ufufu fufu Oh my… it’s been a while since I’ve laughed this much. Hilde, Serena has managed to find a partner who satisfies both our husband and herself, so isn’t that good enough? As long as she ends up happy, that’s all that matters, right?」

「That’s true, but… Anne, it’s because you spoil her like this that… really.」

Hildegard-san sighed after being chided by Annelise-san who had finally recovered from her fit of laughter. Her expression relaxed a little, and now she sported a slightly troubled smile on her face. It seems these two are quite close. As for Beatrix-san, the third wife, she was keeping a bit of distance… or rather, it felt like she was deliberately holding herself back. I guess even among these three, there’s probably a lot going on, just like with the women in my crew. I really have to hand it to my girls—they manage to keep things harmonious and avoid any serious conflicts. I’m truly grateful for that.

☆★☆

After being thoroughly teased by the three ladies, who asked about every detail of how I met Serena and the other crew members, I was utterly exhausted. As soon as I returned to the Black Lotus in the airborne limousine provided by the Holz House, I headed straight to my room. I peeled off my formal clothes and collapsed onto the bed.

「Sigh…」

I’m so tired. Completely drained. Of course, I’m physically exhausted from the fight with Leon and the noble youths, but what really wore me out was dealing with the three ladies. My mind is tired—no, my heart is exhausted.

As I lay face down on the bed, utterly defeated, someone entered the room. Even without looking, I knew who it was. Mimi, huh? Ever since my psionic abilities had developed during training, I’d become quite adept at adjusting the sensitivity of my telepathy. I could now recognize familiar presences without even needing to see them.

She’s getting closer, just a little more—just three steps, two steps, one step… now!

「Gotcha!」

「Whoa!?」

I grabbed Mimi, who was trying to peek at me, and pulled her onto the bed. Ah, this is good. So much better. Wonderful. The warmth and softness are just perfect. It feels like all the fatigue in my body and mind is melting away.

「Geez… Hiro-sama? Aren’t you tired?」

「I’m recharging now. I’m absorbing Mimi’s essence. sniff sniff.」

「Ugh… it’s a bit embarrassing when you sniff me like that.」

As I indulged in what could be called ‘Mimi-snuggling’—a much superior version of cuddling with a cat— my mental energy started to refill. What? Are you saying that my mental energy might be refilling, but my dignity and manliness are rapidly decreasing? Who cares about that? Flirting with Mimi is far more important.

「Feeling better now?」

「A bit. I’m really worn out from dealing with Serena’s beautiful mothers, who could easily pass as her older sisters. They asked so many questions, it was mentally exhausting.」

I sighed as I buried my face in Mimi’s stomach, and she started to gently stroke my head. I feel like I’ve become a baby, if she continues to spoil me this much, I might regress into full-on baby mode. I must stay strong. I can’t let myself fall that far.

「You must be really tired… Are you okay?」

「I’m not really okay… but you came here because you needed something, right? What’s up?」

「Yes, it’s about Chris-chan. She mentioned that if we’re going to the Dexer System, she’d like to travel with us.」

「That’s a reasonable request. Since we’re headed to the same place, it’s safer to go together.」

How did Chris make it to the Imperial Capital again? Did I ask her about that? I can’t remember if I did or if I just forgot. But well, it’s unlikely she came here on a commercial flight. If that were the case, she’d probably ask to board the Black Lotus rather than just tag along. She most likely arrived on a ship belonging to the Dareinwald House.

「However, we can’t just do it for free.」

「Of course. Even if she’s going to be family, that doesn’t mean we can waive the cost.」

「If we’re providing protection, we’ll need to go through the Mercenary Guild properly.」

At the very least, we’ll need to ensure that the compensation we receive is seen as reasonable by both the Mercenary Guild and other mercenaries. It doesn’t have to be in cash; payment in goods like local specialties or trade items would be fine, a special favor might be good too. I might be a Platinum Ranker, but if I were to undercut the price for a noble’s request, the Guild would definitely be upset with me. After all, nobles are prime clients for high-ranking mercenaries like those in the Platinum or Gold ranks.

「I guess it’s best to discuss those details directly with Chris. Alright, let’s go. Thanks to you, Mimi, I’m feeling much better.」

「Really…? If you’d like, you could rest a bit more… you know?」

「…What time is it?」

「If it’s just a little longer… just a little bit more, okay?」

Alright then, let’s flirt just a little more with Mimi before heading out. Just a little!