Chapter 82 - The assassin goes to a secret meeting
Translator: VALIANT
I woke up at the same time as usual.
I looked next to me to see Tarte naked and hugging my arm.
She was smiling happily and had saliva dripping from her mouth.
…It’s cute how relieved she looks.
[Lugh-shamaaa… My Lugh-shamaaa…] (Tarte)
Her grip on my arm was remarkably strong.
She was smiling and rubbing her cheeks against it, and sometimes she would even gnaw on it. It was as if she was claiming it as her own.
It was pretty skillful of her to be doing this in her sleep.
Tarte herself was trying to hide it, but she was a fairly possessive kind of girl, and making love to her seemed to have strengthened that desire.
[Phew. I don’t really like sleeping twice, though.] (Lugh)
It would be difficult for me to get out of the bed without waking Tarte in any way.
I still have some time before meeting Duke Romanlung, so I guess I’ll just take the time to gaze at Tarte’s sleeping face.
Tarte woke up and slowly opened her eyes.
[Good morning… Wait. Aahh! It’s already this late!? My apologies, I will go cook breakfast immediately!] (Tarte)
She jumped out of the bed in a panic and fell down.
She was naked, so I could see every nook and cranny.
[Calm down. If that was a problem, I’d have woken you up. We stayed up late last night working up a sweat, so let’s relax.] (Lugh)
[Fu… Fuahh…] (Tarte)
Tarte made a strange noise before overheating with smoke coming out of her face.
She was probably remembering what we did yesterday.
The way she indulged me last night was incredible.
I knew Tarte was lewd, but I didn’t think it was to that extent.
[I’m sorry, I… lost myself in the act.] (Tarte)
[It’s alright. I’m relieved to see that you enjoyed it so much. And it’s more fun for me when you’re wild about it.] (Lugh)
[Thank you very much for giving me so much to do for you, Lugh-sama! I shall expand my knowledge so I can do much more to satisfy you!] (Tarte)
[If you want to learn more, I can teach you all kinds of lessons. …But studying by yourself is forbidden.] (Lugh)
Tarte tried her best to please me in many ways, even though it was her first time, but her knowledge was half-hearted and mistaken on certain points, so in that sense, it was a lot of work.
…I knew who was to blame.
My mom.
She probably crammed all sorts of random knowledge into her. I could easily picture Tarte nodding as she listened to my mom with a bright red face.
[I will work hard!] (Tarte)
This kind of hard-working nature was one of Tarte’s charms.
And I certainly didn’t believe that she needed to focus her efforts on that kind of stuff.
[Before that, put on some clothes. Gazing at your attractive body is giving me a hard time.] (Lugh)
[Eh!? Ah! Oh no! I-I’m so sorry!] (Tarte)
She crouched down while covering her breasts with her hands.
I turned my back to her.
Then I began to hear the rubbing of her clothes.
She was probably wearing the change of clothes I had prepared for her.
[Um, Lugh-sama, when you say ‘hard time’… Does… Does this mean that I put you in the mood?] (Tarte)
[Well, you could say that.] (Lugh)
[In that case, would you like me to serve you this morning? Mother-in-… I mean, I read in a book that men loved that sort of service.] (Tarte)
Where the heck did she learn to speak like that?
Also, Mom must have been really fond of Tarte to make her call her ‘Mother-in-law’.
[Maybe another time. More importantly, I’m starving. Make breakfast, please.] (Lugh)
[Yes, sir! I will cook you the most delicious breakfast yet!] (Tarte)
After saying that, Tarte got up and left the room.
I had no doubt that she would prepare something that would give me more energy.
Breakfast was ready, so the three of us gathered at the table.
For breakfast, we had fluffy omelets filled with bacon and mushrooms.
As well as cheese toasts and vegetable soup.
The omelet was cooked perfectly, and the soft-boiled egg spilled out when I ran my knife through it. The choice of ingredients and the broth were great. It was quite a feast.
The cheese toast was simple, but as may be expected of cheese delivered to the royal castle, it was much more delicious than unskillfully handmade cheese.
The vegetable soup was moderately flavoured, and a welcome relief after eating a rich omelet or cheese toast.
[Tarte, your omelet is a real treat today.] (Lugh)
[It’s because I had the right ingredients.] (Tarte)
[I liked this omelet too. I hope I can eat it again. Today’s breakfast is even tastier than usual. I guess that’s also the power of love.] (Dia)
[P-Please, don’t mention it…] (Tarte)
Tarte was flustered.
[Dia, I’ve been wanting to ask, but why did you encourage Tarte so much?] (Lugh)
Although it was natural for noblemen to have more than one wife, it was something they did out of necessity, and emotionally speaking, many women were against it.
[I had several reasons for that.] (Dia)
Dia brought a piece of omelet to her mouth and chewed it before resuming the conversation.
[Reason n°1, because I think of Tarte as my friend. And I felt sorry for her when I saw how envious she was.] (Dia)
[What’s reason n°2?] (Lugh)
[My obligation as a noblewoman. It’s my duty as your future wife to help you preserve your bloodline. And reason n°3, it was for your sake, Lugh. Tarte will protect you till her last breath no matter what. That’s how she is. I thought if you slept together, this feeling would become permanent.] (Dia)
[I, um… That would have never changed even if we hadn’t.] (Tarte)
[That may be true. But living with unrequited feelings is tough. You may have been fine with it until now, but your feelings could’ve changed eventually. That’s why I wanted you two to actually hook up. I need you to protect Lugh.] (Dia)
Dia finished her omelet.
[It may be underhanded for me to ask that now, but I’d like to ask. …If it weren’t for those three reasons, would you have refused to let Tarte and I sleep together?] (Lugh)
[Of course I would have. I want you all for myself.] (Dia)
Dia answered immediately.
I was speechless.
[But you know, about those three reasons I mentioned. I want Tarte to be happy because I like her as a friend, I want to make sure you have descendants. And I want someone who will protect you with her life to be there for you. All of those reasons combined outweigh my desire for you to love me alone. Realizing that, I supported her feelings. Oh, Tarte, do you have dessert?] (Dia)
[Ah, yes. Today’s dessert is orange gelée.] (Tarte)
[Nice, I’ll have some, just a little.] (Dia)
[I will bring it right away.] (Tarte)
Tarte disappeared into the kitchen.
[Phew. Lugh, please don’t make me say that sort of stuff. It’s pretty embarrassing to put into words.] (Dia)
[Thanks.] (Lugh)
[You’re welcome. I wish you good luck for this afternoon. Doesn’t look like I can go with you, so I’ll be praying for your safety while I develop my spells.] (Dia)
[Please do that. We’ll take a different route on the way back home. There’s one that goes through a sightseeing spot that’s perfect for a date.] (Lugh)
[That’s a great idea. I can’t wait for our date.] (Dia)
Dia and I chuckled.
She had been showing so much consideration to me.
I had to repay her somehow.
That’s how I really felt.
Since I got to read the requests he sent to Tuatha Dé, I knew what sort of person he was.
He was calculating, meticulous, and overwhelmingly loyal to the country.
All previous assassination requests had been for the benefit of the Alvanian Kingdom.
And among them were assassinations that could benefit Duke Romanlung while also benefiting Alvan.
By showing a little bit of your ulterior motive and with some ingenuity in the way you gave instructions, you could benefit within the extent of what excuses you could give. That was the scheme.
However, Duke Romanlung never did that. He acted only in the best interest of the country.
But that wasn’t to say that he was an upright nobleman who never benefited from anything at all.
If the measures taken served to achieve maximum profits for the country, and Fuke Romanlung also benefited from them, then he’d just go along with it.
On the other hand, as long as they served to optimize the national interest, he wouldn’t hesitate to take actions that would put himself at a disadvantage.
That’s right, his only preoccupation was maximizing the national interest.
He was competent enough to achieve that, and most of all, he had an overwhelming sense of loyalty to his country.
That was the image I had of him.
[He must be truly powerful.] (Tarte)
[He is, that’s why I have a knot in my stomach.] (Lugh)
He pushed forward with his duty without even worrying about the losses it could cause him.
In other words, if Tuatha Dé or I became detrimental to the country, he would cast us away on the spot.
He was dangerous. However, he was easy to understand.
Since he had a rational mindset, he was an enemy to anyone who was a threat to the country, but as long as we weren’t, we could trust him as an ally.
[We have arrived. I can’t believe that there is a garden inside the castle.] (Tarte)
[I’ve heard about it, but I never thought I would enter it one day.] (Lugh)
We had arrived at the garden inside the royal castle.
Bearing the name of the country, the Alvan Garden was considered an earthly paradise.
It was the place this country declared to be the most beautiful in the world.
They collected the most beautiful flowers of each season, combined many varieties, arranged them to best showcase their beauty, and spared no expenses in using works of art and jewels to complement the flora.
They were so dedicated to it they even changed the interior design at every passing season in order to harmonize it with the flowers.
The most beautiful and luxurious area in the world.
Hence, the number of individuals who were allowed to enter it was extremely limited.
…I’m guessing they chose here as a meeting place so that no one else will hear our conversation.
As soon as Tarte walked in, she was at a loss for words.
It was so beautiful she was in a daze all the way to the core.
And so was I.
I wish I could’ve brought Dia with me. I’m sure she would’ve loved to see this place.
[Sir Holy Knight, this way please.] (Servant)
I was guided in by a servant.
…By the way, this servant was the daughter of a certain marquis family.
Even servants were required to have a social status to enter this place.
In Tarte’s case, she was a squire of the Holy Knight, and based on our achievements in defeating the beetle demon, she was somehow allowed to be here.
We were led to a gazebo, a wall-less area with a roof, a desk and chairs that you could find in parks and the likes, located in the middle of the garden.
So this is where we’ll be admiring the flowers and chatting while drinking tea, huh.
Two people were already there.
[Princess Farina, Duke Romanlung, Sir Holy Knight and his retainer have arrived.] (Servant)
Tarte and I stepped forward, with Tarte remaking behind me.
Doing so, I caught sight of the other guests.
A girl in her mid-teens with pink-colored hair, an inexplicable color found only in the royal family, and a man in his thirties with hair so dazzling it looked as if it had been melted gold itself, turned to look at us.
What I could say about both of them was that they were inhumanly beautiful.
No wonder. The royal family and House Romanlung were created that way.
[It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lugh Tuatha Dé, son of Baron Tuatha Dé, and Tuatha Dé of this generation.] (Lugh)
I kneeled down and greeted them with my head down.
I wasn’t yet the lord of our barony, but I was already replacing my dad as an assassin.
[Please raise your head.] (Princess Farina)
I obeyed and looked up.
[My, you look absolutely lovely! I did not realize it when I saw you from afar at the party.] (Princess Farina)
[Please do not gaze at him so greedily, it is improper. Lugh-kun, I’m glad you’re here. Cian told me a lot about you. Like how you were Tuatha Dé’s finest masterpiece yet. …I can’t decide whether I should be pleased or sad that you’ve become a Holy Knight.] (Duke Romanlung)
[I shall destroy the demons as soon as possible, and fulfill the true purpose of Tuatha Dé all the same.] (Lugh)
[I’ll be counting on you. Please take your seats. I’ve had the finest tea leaves prepared for this occasion.] (Duke Romanlung)
As we sat down, the servant poured us tea.
It had a familiar aroma.
[What do you think? I love this fragrance, don’t you? It is so soothing.] (Princess Farina)
[I like it too. There is such a difference in work progress between when I drink it and when I don’t. Oh? Is there anything wrong? Do you hate the aroma?] (Duke Romanlung)
[On the contrary, I love it. This is the tea that Orna started selling, isn’t it?] (Lugh)
This was the tea I had mixed to suit my taste and help me make progress with work, and I was selling it with Orna.
So of course I liked it.
[So you are already familiar with it, Lugh-sama. I am a great fan of Orna. Their cosmetics, their sweets, and their tea are the best. Tadaah! Here’s my Platinum membership card!] (Princess Farina)
The Platinum membership was a service that allowed you to receive products that were a grade higher than those sold in store on a regular basis by paying a high membership fee.
Orna was a very popular store. The products disappeared as soon as they were put on the shelves, so even though it was more expensive, the Platinum membership was very popular since it provided a steady supply of those products.
I knew Princess Farina had a membership to Orna. And that it was the same for Duke Romanlung’s wife and their daughter.
But is it just a coincidence that they served me the tea made by… Orna’s representative, Illig Balor?
[Is this to your liking as well, Princess Farina? Such a coincidence. In my case, my mother is one of their members, so I consequently fell in love with Orna’s products.] (Lugh)
[You and I must be kindred spirits. Ah! By the way, we’re going to hold an exhibition of Orna’s new products in the royal capital. I was the one who ordered that they hold one. The representative, Illig Balor, will not be coming, but the proxy representative, a woman named Maha, will be there. I have to say, I was in awe. I never would have guessed that a girl around my age was the proxy representative of a brand such as Orna. I cannot wait to learn more about her.] (Princess Farina)
The pink girl stared at me with a smile as pretty as a flower.
I also knew about the new products exhibition in the royal capital.
Orna’s production was currently unable to keep up with demand, and there was no point in gaining new customers anymore. I didn’t want to spend my resources on an event meant to attract new customers. So I tried to refuse, but the decision to hold the event was made under pressure from the higher-ups.
I remember Maha complaining about how busy she was and how she didn’t want to add unnecessary work.
So this girl was the one who instigated it?
She offered me Orna’s tea, then she brought up how Maha would be coming to the royal capital.
Is that… what’s going on?
[Princess Farina, I believe it’s time to end the idle talk and get down to business. Lugh-kun himself looks dismayed.] (Duke Romanlung)
[Uncle, I’m sorry. When I saw Lugh-sama, it just slipped my mind. Ahem! This is my request to you, not as the Holy Knight, but as a noble assassin. I would like you to kill my brother. That man is a lost cause. Countess Granfelt has seduced him and turned him into her puppet, a blight to this country. Fixing him seems to be impossible now, so please dispose of him.] (Princess Farina)
Her smile remained as pretty as a flower.
In the exact same tone as when she praised Orna’s tea earlier, as if making small talk, she asked me to kill her brother.