Chapter 269: Help Me, Sister-in-law

"Julius?"

"Help me, Daniella-sama, my dear sister-in-law!"

After the meeting in the study ended and everything was delegated to my brother Alex, we returned to the salon. As soon as we returned, my brother closed the distance between us. I clung to Daniela-sama, my sister-in-law, to prevent that from happening.

"Oh my, what's going on?"

Daniella-sama smiled like the sun, seemingly pleased to be relied upon by her brother-in-law. Daniella-sama  is Alex's weakness. I know that well.

"Really, Julius, you can't take your eyes off him for a moment. I knew it, but seeing it happen is just amusing."

Alex's face turned into a deep chuckle. Either way, there was no escaping this situation now. I had to brace myself.

As Alex recounted the recent events to Daniella-sama , she seemed surprised but also quite delighted.

"Indeed, my proud brother-in-law. It seems you have no time to spare. The future is uncertain, but that's what makes it so rewarding."

Daniella-sama  declared enthusiastically, her eyes shining like the sun.

"You seem much happier than when you were at the royal palace."

When my brother said this with a hint of disbelief, Daniella-sama  turned around with a force that could have caused a commotion.

"Well, of course. Here, I can test my own abilities. Compared to the confined tasks of the royal family, it's very exciting."

She squinted with a blissful expression. It seems I've done a good job. Keep it up, Daniella-sama . The day you become the foremost in the Heine Marquis household isn't far off.

"Julius, what trouble have you managed to get into again? As usual? "

"You're not exactly praising me, are you, brother Cain?"

"Of course not."

"You're being so flat."

Honestly, he's got no skin in the game, so he's feeling pretty good about himself. But Mika, standing next to him, seems quite intrigued. She closed the gap quickly.

"I heard there's a magical potion that cleans clothes really well?"

"Oh, uh, yes, that's right. It's called liquid detergent. They're using it in the knights' quarters, so why not give it a try tomorrow?"

Mika's enthusiasm is palpable. I smiled back, trying hard not to let my eyes wander toward her chest.

"Let's do that. This way, even if our clothes get muddy during training, it'll be fine."

She seemed so delighted, almost like she could burst into song. But I wonder, is it really appropriate for a noble lady to end up covered in mud? Brother Alex and Daniella-sama  exchanged ambiguous smiles, so maybe it wasn't such a commendable act after all. Cain, though, looked pleased.

After dinner, I locked myself in the workshop to finish the shrine as quickly as possible. Obviously, I wouldn't be joining them for a bath tonight. Rosalia and Mira seemed eager to bathe together, but I managed to thwart their plans with a well-placed barrier by Mother.

"So this is the shrine. You managed to create it this far without even having blueprints?"

"The spirit showed me the design in my mind. I'm basing it off that. I'll have to draw up proper blueprints later."

Of course, that's a lie. I'm referencing shrines from another world. Sorry for lying. But I can't reveal the truth yet.

In this world, the sacred creature is the holy dragon. So, I carved decorations imagining a grown-up Mira onto it. I think it turned out quite well.

"Now we just need the 'spirit stone' to put inside. Oh, there's a suitable crystal right here. Let's use this one."

Crystal is sometimes used as a material for magical tools. It seems perfect for this purpose. Since I don't know when I'll be able to purchase gems, I'll gratefully use this one. I'll use my 'Craft' skill to shape it into a perfectly round bead. There, that should do.

"That's amazing. I've never seen a crystal this perfectly round before."

"Is that so? It's nothing special. I'm sure Rosalia could do it too."

"Rosalia has the 'Craft' skill as well, so she probably could."

With that, I placed the spherical crystal on a wooden base and considered it complete. It turned out better than I had expected.

"That should be it. Now, let's seal this door to ensure it stays closed."

"You're going to seal it? Seems like a waste, doesn't it?"

"Hehehe, we mustn't peek at the spirit's form inside."

"I see."

It seems he understood and accepted my decision. After sealing the innermost door securely, the shrine was complete. It ended up being a manageable size that I could carry with both hands. Now, I decided to keep it in my room until it's time to install it in the courtyard.

"That's it for today's work. We'll install it in the courtyard another day. For now, I'll keep it in my room."

"I'll bring it for you."

"I'm counting on you, Nero."

Leaving the workshop and returning to my room, I encountered Rosalia and Mira. Rosalia, puzzled by something she didn't understand, tilted her head, while Mira noticed her own figure carved into the shrine and enthusiastically jumped at it.

"Kyuu!"

"Hey, Mira, calm down. Your headbutts hurt. You need to be gentler or you'll knock me over."

"Kyuu!"

Mira, still excited, continued to headbutt me repeatedly. Such a peculiar way of expressing affection. Perhaps using Mira as inspiration wasn't the best idea after all. But it's too late to remake it now. She'd be disappointed if she saw me redoing it.

As Rosalia and Mira came into my room together, I wondered if it was alright. With a nod from me, Nero left the room, probably to fetch Mother.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter