“Mom, your face looks much better now.”
“Hahaha, Sophia, what do you mean by that?”
“The room is okay? If you feel uncomfortable at all, just let me know.”
“Hahaha.”
Just looking at their faces, I could tell.
Yesterday had been exceptionally wonderful.
Of course it was bound to be good.
After riding in a carriage for over a month, it was inevitable that their bodies would tire.
“Dad… I guess it’s a relief that you’re eating a lot of healthy food…”
“….”
“Um… But you love Mom, right?”
“Yeah…”
Looking at Dad’s expression, he didn’t seem too bad.
His face looked quite worn out, though.
Well, if he didn’t enjoy being with Mom, he would have divorced her already, right?
“Anyway, I’m glad both of you don’t have any discomfort.”
I had come to my parents’ room first thing in the morning to chat after washing up.
I mean, they were my parents, but they were also guests of the castle.
It really was a different story compared to bringing them to my home.
If I were to bring them to my house, any discomfort could just be fixed with some adjustments.
However… inside the castle, it was a bit different.
If guests were uncomfortable in the castle, the servants might have a tough time in various ways.
So that’s why I felt a bit compelled to ask.
“What do you want to have for breakfast? Would you like to eat after you wash up?”
“Well… considering the situation… washing up might be better, right?”
“I guess so….”
Since it was their first time in a place like this, my parents were quite nervous.
Honestly, having to stay in such a large castle would never happen to common folk.
I had gotten used to it after living here for so long, but for ordinary people, it would certainly be an awkward and tense experience.
“Shall we wash up first? I’ve already informed the servants.”
“…”
“…”
“Why? Why are you both suddenly staring at me like that?”
For some reason, they suddenly began looking at me strangely.
Really suddenly.
“No, it’s just… you seem so familiar with this place.”
“Well, I’ve worked here for about 7 or 8 years.”
“That’s true, but….”
“Anyway! Go wash up quickly! I’ve prepared your clothes!”
In any case, I decided to push my slightly nervous parents toward the bathroom.
They wouldn’t want to meet their daughter’s fiancé in a disheveled state first thing in the morning, would they?
Plus, they had to wash up anyway, right?
I made a rough note to help ensure they would be comfortable while washing.
If they were nobles, I would have sent someone to assist with their bath, but not this time.
If I suddenly sent someone to help… odds are, it would just create a fuss.
“Um… should I go visit Kyle?”
By now, Kyle should have finished getting ready too.
He’d probably have dressed nicely to make a good impression on my parents.
“…Phew, I should go see him quickly.”
*
“Um… thank you for the warm welcome…?”
“Mom, why are you suddenly saying that…?”
“I don’t know, seeing Kyle made me feel like I should say it.”
“You really don’t have to. Plus, it’s kind of pressuring Kyle.”
“Oh… I’m sorry. It’s just my first time with this, right?”
“Ahem….”
My parents, who had changed into extravagant clothes, looked incredibly awkward.
Maybe they were just too humble despite making a good amount of money?
Personally, I wished they would spend money more freely and live a more comfortable life.
It’s only natural that I wanted my parents to live well and enjoy good things.
There had been many events, but that thought had never changed.
“First, let’s sit down. Food preparation will start soon.”
I told my parents that, pulling their chairs back one by one.
As I said that, I signaled Kyle to get ready to sit as well.
Meeting the Duke would have to wait just a bit longer.
It didn’t matter for us, but the Duke had a schedule.
Even if there was a lot to do with wedding preparations nowadays… well, that was already beyond our control.
“Whoa….”
“Hoo….”
My parents looked a little surprised as the food started arriving at the table.
I guessed they had their own expectations, but this exceeded those by far.
Even though we had eaten the day before, it was a bit simpler then.
In any case, there were now an astounding number of dishes spread out on the dining table, and we just stared at each other silently.
“….”
To be precise… Kyle and my parents were silently looking at me.
Well… it looked like it was my turn again.
Kyle was acting a bit more dignified in front of my parents than when he was in front of me, and my parents had never experienced anything like this before.
So that meant I had to step in to handle things.
“Alright, let’s eat and chat. We’ve got time to spare anyway.”
“Ah.”
“I’ll eat well.”
“Yes.”
The last time we met, we had been chatting quite comfortably, but now it seemed awkward in various ways.
But it couldn’t be helped.
Living in this massive castle and having this grand breakfast was thanks to Kyle, after all. So we began to eat.
My parents felt that the situation was awkward, but eating itself didn’t seem to faze them.
“By the way, should I call Kyle’s dad… or should I say… Duke?”
“Anything is fine. You could just call me Duke without it being a problem.”
After all, it was just our conversation.
Plus, Kyle wouldn’t be someone to get upset over those titles.
“You can just call me however you like. Right, Kyle?”
“Yes, mother, feel free to call me however you’re comfortable. If it’s hard to decide, calling me just ‘Dad’ is perfectly fine.”
Honestly, the atmosphere felt a bit stifling.
Because I didn’t particularly enjoy this kind of vibe, it felt even more pronounced.
It was honestly funny that my parents, who had been so nice before, were acting like this now.
“So, why is it, Duke?”
“I was just wondering when the meeting of parents would happen.”
“Oh~”
It was something both Kyle and I had been mulling over.
It wasn’t exactly a difficult question, but it was still something that piqued our curiosity.
They might have been wondering about it the entire way here, right?
At least I would have thought so.
Even though I didn’t have a daughter or son, it was still a situation where I would have to greet the parents of my child’s significant other.
“Well, I haven’t set a specific date yet, but whenever you have the time, Duke?”
I really didn’t have much else to say.
Kyle said earlier that he had received a somewhat similar response.
Even going to ask directly wouldn’t make much difference.
Besides, the Duke wasn’t exactly someone I felt comfortable approaching… his Viking-like appearance with that well-groomed beard was honestly a bit intimidating.
Probably because everyone was sporting a similar beard style.
For sure.
“Hmmm… I never had the chance to meet him, so I’m a bit scared…”
“Love.”
“Yes?”
“You’re the scarier one, so it’ll be okay.”
“….”
“….”
“Let’s meet at night, okay?”
“Ah.”
Well, anyway… it was still better than when I woke up in the morning.
As expected, talking about things naturally eases the atmosphere.
That’s why I had made an effort to talk to Kyle a lot previously.
Now that I think about it, I might have treated Kyle a bit too immaturely, but in the end, he had grown up well, right?
So I thought it was fine.
*
“By the way, I think I understand why Kyle collapsed from the heat before.”
“Right? The weather is completely different.”
“We came out all bundled up, yet he’s just in a single shirt.”
“Kyle, aren’t you cold?”
“Not at all.”
We stepped outside for a moment.
I couldn’t just leave my parents lying around in the castle as guests.
Of course, mom might have enjoyed lounging about, but there was still some formality to maintain.
It would be incredibly inappropriate to neglect someone who came as a guest, especially the parents of a Duke’s partner.
“The snow is coming down a lot… Did it snow yesterday?”
“Huh… I don’t think it did, did it?”
“I have no idea.”
We really weren’t the type to care all that much about the snow.
In the past, we would have gazed at snow days with wonder… but after a year, it had become completely routine.
If it snowed, it would just feel like, “Ah, it’s snowing again….”
In the Eristirol, snowball fights were the most common game, and it snowed all the time.
At times when it snowed heavily, getting around could be tough, and often it was when the exclusive magic slave of Eristirol would have been enlisted.
“….”
Thinking about it this way, I really did make a good choice in forcing Louise into a long-term contract.
I’d probably do the same thing if I went back to the past.
Not that it was to create an exclusive magic slave, but to help my friend overcome his gambling addiction.
“Well, since we’re going to be here until the wedding, we’ll probably get so tired of the snow that we won’t care anymore.”
“Oh, right. By the way, has your father ever opposed the marriage or something? Like suddenly saying, ‘A daughter born of a succubus like that doesn’t suit our family!’ or something like that….”
“Mom. No. Just stop.”
“I guess it could have been worse.”
Honestly… there are jokes you might make and jokes you should never make.
Asking such jokes in front of Kyle didn’t feel right at all.
That kind of humor was basically just a complete blunder, wasn’t it…?
Or rather, it felt like a blunder to both sides.
“I don’t think that’ll be a concern. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“Oh, then that’s a relief. It is a bit of a sensitive topic.”
As breakfast continued, my parents and Kyle started chatting a little more normally.
Despite some concerns, Kyle treated my parents well, which allowed them to have a more ordinary conversation just like last time.
That was truly… a blessing.
While watching my parents and Kyle, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
To be precise, it was due to something my mom had said earlier.
“….”
Thinking about it, I never mentioned anything about the ‘succubus’ matter to the Duke!!!
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