Kays Translations

Chapter 431: Lady Hilda Returns

The following day, we were informed that Leon, Marquis Mulan’s second son, would soon return from the royal capital. The Royal Academy had apparently begun its summer vacation.

“I wonder whether Brother Cain has already returned to the Heine Margraviate. What does Sister-in-law Meeka plan to do this year? She might be disappointed if she visits while we’re away.”

“The compounding room is ready, and we’ve prepared the herb garden. All that remains is Leon.”

“The magic potions we made are being used up quickly. There still don’t seem to be enough.”

“Although the immediate danger has passed, it will take time for everything to return to normal. We’ll probably need to continue making magic potions for a while.”

Fabienne and I discussed our next steps while compounding magic potions together. Thanks to the plant nutrient, we could harvest ingredients every day, but we couldn’t continue making potions indefinitely. We weren’t robots. We needed proper rest.

Once we had completed a reasonable quantity, I asked a servant to deliver them to the knights. House Mulan’s knights would take responsibility for distributing them wherever they were needed.

After finishing our work, I was resting in the salon when Caro arrived. Axel wasn’t with her, so perhaps he had gone to the training ground with Ijidol.

“Julius, Fabienne, it seems my sister is coming here.”

“Lady Hilda? Has something happened?”

“She’s coming to thank you.”

“Thank us?”

I was certain Lady Hilda was currently staying with the Eastern Margrave’s family. Why would she suddenly come to House Mulan to thank us? Could she have noticed that I had used magic? No, that shouldn’t be possible.

“Yes. It’s about the magic potions supplied by the Heine Margraviate. Many soldiers were apparently saved because of them.”

“I see. So that’s what she wants to thank us for. She needn’t worry about it.”

“That isn’t how these things work.”

Caro lowered her eyes.

There was no direct connection between the Eastern Margrave’s family and House Heine. The magic potions had been supplied through House Mulan, so thanking Marquis Mulan should have been sufficient.

Yet Lady Hilda was coming to thank House Heine directly through us. Did this mean the Eastern Margrave’s family wanted to strengthen its ties with House Heine?

Having more allies was certainly beneficial, so I would graciously accept their thanks. After all, I was currently acting as House Heine’s representative.

Lady Hilda returned to House Mulan around lunchtime. She had apparently been away for several months, and both Marchioness Mulan and Caro were delighted to see her. Marquis Mulan was away on business, but I was sure he would be just as pleased when he returned.

“Julius-sama, we are truly grateful. Thanks to the magic potions supplied by the Heine Margraviate, many soldiers were saved.”

“It was nothing. As a family connected to House Mulan, it was only natural for us to help.”

“I’m very glad to hear you say that.”

We exchanged the polite smiles expected in noble society. It was exhausting. I was more than ready for her to speak casually again. Apparently, Lady Hilda felt the same way; she suggested that we dispense with the formalities, and I immediately agreed.

“The young lady beside you is your fiancée, isn’t she? She’s lovely and suits you very well. She also seems perfectly suited to House Heine.”

Fabienne’s cheeks flushed at Lady Hilda’s praise. However, when Lady Hilda said “perfectly suited,” I didn’t miss the brief glance she directed at Fabienne’s chest.

It seemed she believed the men of House Heine preferred large breasts. Perhaps she thought she had lost to Sister-in-law Daniela because of the difference in their chest sizes.

In reality, I assumed the decision had resulted from political arrangements between House Heine and the royal family, but perhaps the truth was different. I was too frightened to ask.

There was no way I could ask Brother Alex, “Did you choose Sister-in-law Daniela because her breasts were larger?” The same went for Brother Cain. I-it wasn’t like that, all right?

“For the time being, I’ll continue making magic potions in House Mulan’s compounding room, so we should be able to keep supplying them.”

“By the way, I heard you’re going to teach Leon how to make magic potions.”

“Yes, that’s the plan. Everything is already prepared, so I don’t expect any problems. What kind of person is Leon?”

Lady Hilda furrowed her brow as though troubled by the question. Was he difficult to deal with? If so, I might need to be prepared to cut the lessons short and leave. Could that be why Marquis and Marchioness Mulan had avoided saying much about him?

“Leon… becomes rather enthusiastic whenever magic potions are involved. No, I should put it more plainly. He gets far too excited. The potion he drank as a child must have made quite an impression on him.”

That would have been back when magic potions tasted absolutely dreadful. If drinking something that awful had sparked his interest, perhaps the experience had affected him in a strange way.

I hoped his passion came from thinking, “I have to improve magic potions.” That would be admirable… but I was beginning to worry that his interest might be somewhat twisted.

“Ah, he’s a good-hearted boy, so you needn’t look so concerned. He attends the Royal Academy, and I think he may have calmed down somewhat by now.”

Lady Hilda tilted her head. Evidently, she wasn’t entirely certain. Marchioness Mulan, who had been listening nearby, merely smiled awkwardly.

She was probably worried as well. In many respects, Leon seemed to be House Mulan’s problem child, just as I had been House Heine’s. I was beginning to sympathise with him.

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