Kays Translations

Chapter 432: The Disciple Arrives

From what I heard, Lady Hilda would remain at House Mulan for a while as preparations for her marriage proceeded.

It had apparently been formally decided that she would marry one of the Eastern Margrave’s sons. It was truly a joyous occasion.

Caro looked a little lonely when she heard the news, but she had Axel. Axel would surely never allow her to feel abandoned.

If Caro deepened her relationship with Axel, whose family had ties to the Royal Knight Order, House Mulan might gain access to information from the royal castle. That would not be a bad outcome for House Mulan, and the benefits would only increase if Axel rose in rank.

“I wonder whether I’ll meet Axel-kun at dinner. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of person he is.”

Lady Hilda chuckled softly. Caro turned bright red and lowered her gaze. Deciding to be considerate, I finished my tea and promptly headed to the training ground to warn Axel.

Axel’s face stiffened, but he seemed to accept that the meeting was unavoidable. He immediately began asking what kind of person Lady Hilda was.

At dinner, Marquis Mulan, who had returned home, was overjoyed to find Lady Hilda there. Once she married, he would have few opportunities to see her, so he seemed determined to treasure the time they had left. After they had spoken for a while, the conversation shifted to introducing Axel and Ijidol.

Perhaps because of his nerves, Axel kept stumbling over his words. Ijidol, who had unexpectedly been introduced alongside him, was equally flustered. He had once mustered enough courage to attend evening parties in the royal capital. Where had that bravery gone?

Lady Hilda observed Axel carefully. That was only natural. Her precious younger sister might eventually marry him, so of course she wanted to judge his character. Still, perhaps Axel’s friendship with me already counted in his favour.

After dinner came bath time. Once again, Lady Hilda froze when she saw that we were all preparing to enter together.

“Y-you all bathe together? Um… I suppose it’s acceptable at your age?”

“It’s perfectly fine, Lady Hilda. We wear swimsuits when we bathe.”

“Swimsuits?”

Lady Hilda tilted her head, so I explained what swimsuits were. Marchioness Mulan arrived while I was speaking and joined the conversation. It was best to leave no room for misunderstanding.

“Does everyone in House Heine wear these swimsuits when bathing?”

“When men and women bathe together, yes.”

“Even Daniela-sama?”

“Yes, of course. It was Sister-in-law Daniela’s dream to bathe with the whole family, so we prepared swimsuits for everyone and made that dream come true.”

That occasion had been quite an ordeal. With only towels, we might have seen things we weren’t supposed to, and continuing the family bath that way would have been unreasonable. I was very glad everyone had worn swimsuits.

“I never imagined House Heine would use something like this. And it stretches!”

Lady Hilda tugged at my swim trunks and stretched the fabric. She seemed utterly fascinated. Beside her, Marchioness Mulan was staring intently at Lady Hilda’s hand. She looked curious as well, so perhaps I should offer to make swimsuits for both of them. Maintaining affection was important even after marriage, after all.

“If you’re interested, shall I make swimsuits for you and Lady Hilda as well? They’ll probably be the same style as Caro’s.”

“Caro, may I see yours?”

“Of course.”

Caro handed them her swimsuit, which rather resembled underwear. Their faces reddened slightly, but they seemed reassured when I explained that the fabric would not become transparent when wet. In the end, they asked me to make swimsuits for them.

Good. Swimsuits were now officially accepted for mixed bathing at House Mulan. I had worried about how they might react, but matters had worked out conveniently. The servants would apparently tell me their measurements later.

The swimsuits I made the next day were well received. It was quickly decided that Marquis Mulan should have some as well, so I made several pairs, including spares. Men’s swim trunks were simple; as long as the waist was approximately right, the fit could be adjusted.

A few days after Lady Hilda returned, Leon came home from the royal capital. As everyone waited at the estate entrance, a bespectacled boy approached. His hair was untidy. He didn’t seem particularly concerned about his appearance.

“I’ve returned. Um, I heard Julius-sama was here…”

Everyone looked towards me. What was this? Could he already be a Julius believer? When Leon realised that I was the person everyone was looking at, his face lit up and he hurried towards me.

The sight of those sparkling, unclouded eyes gave me an extremely bad feeling.

“I’ve wanted to meet you! Giovanni-sama told me about your achievements. Julius-sama—no, Master, please accept me as your disciple!”

I hadn’t thought the culture of dogeza existed in this world, but the posture before me was unmistakable. Was it really acceptable for a marquis’s second son to do such a thing? No, more importantly, I needed to make him stand up quickly.

“Of course, Leon-sama. Please, stand up. I can’t see your face properly in that position.”

“Master!”

Leon rose, his smile blooming like a sunflower. Good. One of my immediate goals had been achieved. Whatever came next, I would deal with it. For now, I was simply relieved that he didn’t dislike me. Success.

“Another Julius believer has joined the fold.”

Ijidol whispered the remark so that only I could hear, his tone mildly teasing. But there was one thing I wanted to tell him: You’re one too!

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