Chapter 487: A Letter Soaked with Tears

The next morning, a letter of thanks arrived from Princess Sophia and Sir Erwin. It stated clearly that the Bone Dragon had been defeated and that Sir Erwin had returned safely. According to the rest of the letter, he would be elevated to the rank of count for this achievement.

“I’m glad. It looks like he’s safe.”

“So that pillar of light really was from when the Bone Dragon was defeated.”

“Yes, it seems so. We’ll need to report this to His Majesty as well. I think Princess Sophia intends to do the same. I hope this helps strengthen our ties with the Raven Kingdom.”

“It would be great if we could extend our support to the Kingdom of Raven as well.”

The Bone Dragon had been defeated, but the damage it caused remained. Those wounds would need to be healed as quickly as possible—before other nations began entertaining troublesome ideas.

We had just finished breakfast and were relaxing in the salon when this letter arrived, causing Sister-in-law Daniela to become quite busy.

I suppose she’ll be heading to the royal capital soon. Should I go with her when the time comes? No, maybe it’s better to wait until I’m summoned. There’s still a chance Sister-in-law Daniela will handle everything smoothly.

Just as I was thinking that, a servant brought me another letter. The sender was Sister-in-law Meeka. Apparently, she had left it for me before departing for the royal capital. Several tear stains marked the paper… My heart ached at the sight.

Naturally, the letter expressed how deeply she cared about me, though most of it lamented that we had been unable to spar together.

Sister-in-law Meeka had wanted to measure how much she had improved by testing herself against me. According to her, she could go all out against Julius-chan, and I would take her seriously in return.

For all his talk, Cain-niisan was weak when it came to Sister-in-law Meeka. He might be more skilled, but I did not think he could bring himself to go all out against her. Sometimes he even looked happy when she hit him. At that point, he was beyond help.

Of course, a knight and an unmarried noblewoman could not spar seriously with each other. That was where I came in—someone stronger than Sister-in-law Meeka who was willing to fight her properly. Well, not completely seriously, but close enough.

“Should I write a letter to Sister-in-law Meeka?”

“Yeah, that would probably be nice. Maybe even include a sparring ticket she can use when she comes back for summer break?”

That was a good idea. Alex-niisan’s suggestion made sense. If I included a sparring ticket, I could limit the number of matches with Sister-in-law Meeka. That way, she would not drag me into endless practice sessions as she had in spring.

Sister-in-law Meeka would be reassured, and I would not have to spend more time than necessary. A true win-win arrangement.

“As expected of Alex-niisan. I’ll do that.”

“…You’ve got it rough too, Julius.”

I tilted my head, not understanding what Alex-niisan meant. Sparring with Sister-in-law Meeka was not all bad. After all, I got to admire that lively chest of hers.

This is a secret I must never tell Fabienne.

“I’m heading over to Fabienne’s place now.”

“Take care. She’s probably worried about you. If it looks like you won’t be back, make sure to contact us early.”

“Y-Yes, understood.”

What exactly is he worried about? Does he think I’m going to spend the night at Fabienne’s place to deepen our relationship? Judging from the way Alex-niisan spoke, maybe he’s been in a similar situation before. As expected of a playboy.

I had told Fabienne the previous night that I would visit the Ambert estate today, so there should not have been a problem, but I sent a herald just in case.

“Nero, I’m heading to Fabienne’s place now. If you’re still tired, it’s okay to rest today.”

“Thank you. But that won’t be necessary—I’ll accompany you.”

“Kyuu.”

“Are you coming too, Mira?”

“Kyuu!”

Mira came over with Nero and rubbed their head against my stomach. They seemed to have grown more clingy while we were in the Raven Kingdom.

Since we were visiting the Ambert estate today, I would not be riding Mira. A carriage had been prepared instead.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Fabienne. I’m kind of nervous.”

“She hears from you every day, so she knows your situation. Just act like you always do, and it’ll be fine.”

“Kyuu?”

“Ah, Mira wouldn’t understand. Don’t worry about it.”

I said that as I fluffed Mira. Their fur was truly magnificent and seemed even shinier than before. I wondered whether Rosalia and Lelie had been brushing them every day.

As I gazed out of the window, we travelled through the city. News of the Bone Dragon’s rampage in the Raven Kingdom did not seem to have reached the common folk. The scenery was just as it had been when we left the Heine Margraviate. Everyone looked cheerful. The harsh winter had ended, and the long-awaited spring had arrived.

From now on, the season will bring crowds for horse races, tourism, and logistics through the Heine Trading Company. No wonder the people are excited. More and more visitors from the royal capital and other territories seem to be arriving. Even now, wagons carrying loads of cargo were passing by.

“Julius-sama, the Ambert estate is now in view.”

“Alright, time to prepare to disembark. My outfit looks okay?”

“It’s perfect.”

“Kyuu.”

I checked to make sure none of Mira’s fur had stuck to me, but strangely, Mira never shed. It was one of the seven mysteries surrounding holy dragons. Each strand of their fur was valuable, so it was fortunate that it did not end up scattered everywhere.

The entire Ambert family was lined up in front of the estate gates to greet us.

I feel kind of bad about this. I told Fabienne that there was no need to wait outside, but I guess that wasn’t an option for them. Still, I had no choice but to send a herald in advance.

It’s a tricky situation.

“It’s been a while, Baron Ambert, Baroness Ambert. Fabienne, you look well—I’m glad.”

“Thank you for coming.”

“Please, take your time and relax.”

“I’m relieved to see that you’re doing well, Julius-sama.”

Fabienne smiled like the sun, and relief showed in her expression. Even though we spoke every day, she must still have worried until she saw me in person. One day, I wanted to create a magic tool that would let us see each other while we talked.