Chapter 11: At the end of Today’s greeting

“Now.”

Ulysses exhales and changes the subject.

“Could you tell Ren Ashton that I’d love to have him at my place. I’d like to entertain him in my family’s pride and joy.”

“I understand. I will make sure that I communicate every single word that you have said to him —-.”

“I, of course, would love to meet him, as would my daughter.”

“—- I see.”

Finally, the conversation was focusing on Ren.

Ulysses still had a good-natured smile on his face, but no one knew what he was thinking in his gut.

The same goes for Lessard. He, too, never forgets to speak up in front of Ulysses.

However, inside his heart, there was a quiet fighting spirit.

“However, Ren is working hard for his home village, so he may not be able to visit immediately.”

“Well, would you also tell him that I’d be happy to help him as much as he wants?”

“I would appreciate it. Ren also saved my daughter and the Clausel family, and I should be the one who should be responsible for the Ashton family’s village.”

“If you put it that way, he also saved my daughter, you know. Not once, but twice.”

Their voices never sounded like they were arguing.

But the two daughters understood. They knew that their fathers had a quiet fighting spirit in their heart, and that they never backed down from a fight, but kept up a quiet exchange of words.

For some time, Licia and Fiona have distanced themselves from their parents.

They watched their fathers fighting a quiet battle away from them.

“Please don’t worry, Ren has the invitation you gave him and he’ll visit Eupheim at the appropriate time.”

“Oh, no, that’s not all.”

“What do you mean?”

“I said that was the first appreciation, right? You see, I’m talking about the Baldor Mountains.”

“Oh? If that’s the case, I believe we talked earlier about failing to recognize the situation…….”

“If it’s between me and you, Baron Clausel, you’re right. But you’re forgetting something, aren’t you?　Thanking him for saving Fiona is another story.”

Their conversation was gradually heating up.

For the girls, they had never seen their fathers like that.

The girls giggled and looked at each other, and here they were, finally, able to calmly exchange a few words.

“…… Ignat-san.”

“Fiona, is fine.”

“Eh, yes……Fiona-san. You can call me Licia as well.”

Unlike the two fathers, these two were noticeably awkward.

After talking about their names, neither of them opened their mouths and remained silent. They had something they wanted to ask each other, but for some reason they couldn’t get it out.

Naturally, they were both thinking about Ren.

They had been thinking about various things as people whose lives had been saved by Ren.

And when they kept quiet, the night wind blew, as it had done earlier.

Licia’s hair ornament and Fiona’s necklace swayed again.

“That’s —-.”

Then Licia spoke up.

“Is that a star agate….?’”

“Yes! This is my precious thing and I wear it all the time except when I take a bath. Is Licia’s hair ornament a platinum feather….?”

“Yes, it is. It is my prized possession.”

The two of them are very precious items, treasured possessions for the two of them.

The expressions on their faces as they touched each other’s treasures showed that they loved and cherished them infinitely.

Looking at the expression on the other’s face, the two of them naturally guessed it.

…… She likes him too.

Like me, we both had our lives saved.

Their expression was being conveyed without them saying anything.

…… Such a beautiful girl. I like her.

It wasn’t just their faces, but also their behavior, their words, and the civility in their mannerisms that make them beautiful girls from the bottom of their hearts.

That’s the trouble for them.

It bothers them how much easier it would be if they could just hate each other.

If the other’s heart was ugly, they wouldn’t be here fighting over Ren in a shallow quarrel, because their feelings for him wouldn’t be so strong.

Because, as much as they cared for Ren, they never forgot their respect for him.

It was out of the question that they would foolishly fight over him, who had saved their lives.

And, rationally speaking, they had no business fighting with each other.

“…………”

“…………”

They were calm.

Fortunately for the girls, their parents had started a quiet war of words as if they were fighting over Ren before they could talk to each other.

This allowed them to think objectively and calmly.

Even so, I cannot lie about the feelings I have for Ren.

“My love for him—- is my life. I would do anything for Ren, who risked his life to protect me.”

Licia, in her usual tone of voice, forgot her honorifics and just spoke her mind.

The fact that the tone was normal is usually a mistake, and of course Licia was aware of the mistake.

But she had no regrets. She felt like she had to speak her mind here.

However, after meeting for the first time —- and speaking in front of Fiona, with whom Ren had a mysterious relationship with, Licia’s cheeks turned bright red from the neck down due to heat and various emotions.

“I can give everything to Ren-kun, who gave me this world.”

Fiona also turned bright red not only from her neck to her cheeks but also to her earlobes.

The two of them have nothing to be ashamed of in the words they have said. But inevitably, they really can’t help but turn bright red all over their faces.

They wondered if it was such a great shock to convey their feelings of unyielding love straight out.

Licia and Fiona were staring at the other with red all over their faces.

—- The night wind blows.

The two felt the breeze caressing their burning skin and making them feel comfortable.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

What happened after that was that there was no conversation between Licia and Fiona.

They knew the strength of each other’s resolve and feelings from the words they had spoken to each other and respected them. That’s all there was to it.

The atmosphere of the conversation disappeared when Ulysses and Lessard called out to them.

“Ah… I almost forgot.”

Ulysses said as if remembering on the terrace just before returning to the party venue.

“I thought I’d ask you just in case. Clausel-san, may I have a word?”

Licia nodded yes.

“Clausel-san will be attending the Imperial Cadet Academy, am I correct in assuming that?”

“…… No. I haven’t yet made up my mind.”

Thinking back to earlier in the day, Sarah was about to say something.

“If so, it would be better to aim for a special class at one of the academies. In the past, I would have respected the Clausel family’s idea, but these days things are so dangerous.”

“Dangerous? You mean the Baldor Mountains?”

“Yes! But that’s not all.”

Then Ulysses sighed, his voice sounding troubled.

“In the next few years, the factional wars will be even more intense than before.”

At this, Lessard raised his eyebrows and asked before Licia could.

“Did something happen in the imperial capital?”

“A few days ago. You must have noticed that the upper nobles of the heroic and royalist factions are swallowing swords after the disturbances in the Baldor Mountains, or so they say.”

“Ha. I’ve heard that even within the same faction there are often disagreements and arguments.”

“That’s right. But actually, that’s not all. I only got the information just the other day, too. —-“

The fact that Ulysses is just getting to know about that information means that it’s only few people that know about it in the imperial capital.

“I heard that a few nobles belonging to the neutral faction are switching sides to the heroic and royalist factions.”

These nobles have decided to switch to the other two major factions, fearing that the recent turmoil will further weaken the Neutral Faction.

“So the rumors that have been circulating for some time are coming true.”

Naturally, Lessard has heard about the events from the winter to today.

He was making the most of his power, and also taking action in his own way based on the information he had received from Marquis Ignat, and he was doing his best not to lose the information war.

However, the current story is not something he can intervene in.

“I appreciate your valuable information. I’m only too aware of my lack of power.”

“I have only known this information for a short time, so it’s understandable that you are unaware of it. Do not forget what I just praised you for. Something like this shouldn’t shake your value, Baron Clausel.”

Not only the meaning of concern, but also the fact that Lessard is competent.

After finishing, Ulysses turned to Licia again.

“So you should aim for the Imperial Academy of Cadets. The more ties between the nobles, the more choices the Clausel family will be able to make.”

Ulysses, who had really wanted to deepen the ties between the two families, didn’t play tricks on the Clausel family, to whom he owed a great debt of gratitude.

He thinks about the Clausel family and respects the future they envision.

He only speaks of the advice he can give.

“—-I really wish you could stand shoulder to shoulder with me and His Highness Radius.”

The last murmur didn’t reach anyone’s ears, least of all Fiona’s.

Ulysses, satisfied with the talk about the Imperial Cadet Academy, looked at his watch. In an hour, the party will be moved to another location, where the evening party will be held.

“Fiona, I think it’s time for us to go home. I’ll walk you back to your dormitory.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

The two members of the Ignat family weren’t going to attend the party.

The two bowed once more to Lessard and Licia and then left this party hall.

Ulysses immediately after leaving the venue, right after getting on the carriage.

“Well, let’s head over to him, shall we?”

He told Edgar, who was acting as his minder, and proceeded through the imperial city at night.

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