Chapter: 320
If anyone knew the personality of the Gold Duke even a little, they would naturally assume that this year’s school trip would be to Boyar. I thought so, Margherita thought so, and so did the Principal. To be honest, I bet all the academy students did too.
And it’s a well-known fact across the entire continent that the Gold Duke is crazy about money. With a title like “Gold,” who wouldn’t know?
So, Villar also got blindsided this year, thinking they were going to Boyar again, only to get caught in a sudden drift.
“I may not know much about the Empire, but I’ve heard that Cheness is quite an attractive place. From the students’ perspective, visiting different places would broaden their horizons,” he said.
“That’s a fair point,” I agreed.
But Villar’s expression was too calm for someone who just got whiplash from a drift. Maybe his experiences had toughened him up to the point where a change in the school trip destination seemed trivial, or perhaps he thought Boyar and Cheness were similar enough.
In reality, either opinion didn’t bother me. As long as Villar and the other folks from the three nations were on board, it made my life easier. Just imagine if the poor dispatched civil servants, trembling at the thought of a mix-up regarding the guests, started panicking and asking, “Why Cheness? Is there some sort of conspiracy?”
“Besides, I heard that the Wise Duke is the Executive Manager’s aunt. That means Cheness should be familiar territory for her, so I’m expecting a pleasant trip,” Villar added.
Still, being calm is one thing; fulfilling obligations is another. As the head of security, Villar had to confirm any potential risks, so he subtly sought my relationship with the Wise Duke.
“Haha, not really. I spent my childhood back in the territory, and now I’m living in the capital, so I hardly ever get to go to Cheness,” I quickly denied any absurd suspicions. Sure, I had connections with the Wise Duke, but I wasn’t involved in choosing the school trip destination.
Why on earth would I willingly go to Cheness?
It’s the same for other duchies, but I especially wouldn’t want to go to Cheness. If something went wrong in Boyar, I could ask the Gold Duke for help, but if things went south in Cheness, I would be petitioning the Wise Duke!
‘Absolutely not.’
Regardless of the Wise Duke’s abilities, I wanted to avoid asking for her help at all costs. Having to rely on other dukes means I could negotiate future favors, but if I owed the Wise Duke a debt, who knows what bizarre favor I’d have to repay?
“Hey, Jo, if I do this, can you carry me on your back?”
“Pardon?”
Surprisingly, this was a real-life touching moment. There was a time when I had to owe the Wise Duke a favor because of work, and her demands were so direct and clear that it almost blew my mind.
And then, well, I indeed had to carry her on my back.
‘Damn.’
That embarrassment still haunts me… Sure, it’s a way to flaunt my connection with the duke, but if I have to carry her to show off that connection, I’d rather not have it at all. Besides, I was silently toying with the idea that my relationship as the Wise Duke’s nephew would lose its significance in that context.
“Well then, this school trip should also be something special for the Executive Manager,” Villar commented.
“Yes, I am also looking forward to it!” I said, further confirming my claims.
Anyway, after confirming that the trio had no complaints about going to Cheness, it was time to inform the host about how many guests we expected.
Even though picking Cheness for the school trip was the royal decree, it wouldn’t hurt to stay polite when visiting someone else’s territory.
“—That’s it. I’ll send the detailed roster separately.”
—Right, I know you’re busy, so thanks for taking care of this.
It was especially critical to be cautious since the other party was a relative and my only way to rein in her drinking habits. Someone who could at least slightly suppress her penchant for drinking, the Emperor had given up on that.
—I’ll pass it along. She’ll be delighted to know her nephew reached out.
“Though she might get mad about why I didn’t contact her myself,” I added.
—Haha, probably!
With his genuine response, my uncle laughed, and I wished he would deny it at this time.
‘Still, it’s better to hear her grumble later.’
Hearing my uncle’s laughter stirred up a complex mix of feelings.
It’s right to tell the lord directly when a foreign force is entering his territory, but discussing work with the Wise Duke could lead to who knows where. It would be better to endure a little irritation from a drunken uncle later.
Plus, my uncle is acting as a bridge to the outside for the Wise Duke, who’s all-in on Sim City. If I want to make a bit of a stretch, contacting my uncle would be the way to go.
—By the way, I’ll finally see Erich again. That kid hasn’t had a chance to see me.
Once the work conversation wrapped up, I subtly nodded at my uncle’s private topic.
Despite attending the New Year’s ceremony and being able to see my house head and mother once a year, Erich was an ordinary noble child. Unlike me, my uncle who has the title of the Wise Duke’s husband would have a hard time making the long journey just to visit an ordinary lad unless it was something significant.
Of course, if Erich does manage to go to Cheness, my uncle and my aunt will warmly welcome him, but sadly, Erich is desperately avoiding the Wise Duke as a result of his childhood trauma.
“Let’s go greet them together. Just let me know when is good for you—”
—No, I’ll go, so just rest. I can’t let a grown nephew see a pathetic aunt like me.
At those words, I let my gaze drop. So, he was saying he’d go alone because Erich might have a meltdown upon seeing the Wise Duke.
Erich, how much have you suffered? If my uncle is saying that, surely it must be something extraordinary.
‘Is there something I don’t know?’
I was curious but oddly didn’t want to dig too deep. Some secrets are better left buried forever…
—Anyway, I’ll act like we just bumped into each other, so when we get to the inn, just—
—Jaaaah! What are you doing by yourself!?
—Oh.
“Ah.”
A familiar drunken voice suddenly interrupted the atmosphere, which should have been just my uncle alone in that room.
Oh man, I’m in trouble.
*
If my arm breaks, can I skip the school trip? No, even if I do break it, Tannian would fix it right away.
So, what about a high fever? No way, if I just get sick, I will cause a ruckus and suffer at the hands of my aunt. Unless I lose consciousness entirely, I’m going to end up dealing with her regardless.
‘I’m going crazy.’
Lying on the bed, I sighed. Why, out of all the places, does it have to be Cheness? We could just go to Boyar again like last year, or to another duchy like Wulken or Servette—why Cheness all the way out west?
I know Cheness is renowned as a tourist destination. My aunt is no wicked person either. In fact, she usually greets me with a smile and hands me plenty of spending money whenever we meet.
But still, it felt… odd.
“Wow, here we go! Let’s give auntie a hug!”
“I’m so happy… I’ll burst even before I finish pulling this off…”
“Om nom nom nom nom!”
…Not just a little odd, but a lot. Even at a young age, I seriously suspected my aunt considered me a doll.
—Your aunt loves you a lot, so don’t be too scared.
In a moment of fright, I opened up about the school trip during a chat with my mother. The reply I got was utterly despairing. She spun it positively but ultimately said she couldn’t manage my aunt at all.
Why is it that among the few adults I know, none of them are sane? My house head’s too cold, and my aunt is too lighthearted. I wish there were someone in between, but there isn’t.
‘Life…’
Still, just holding onto a glimmer of hope, I reminded myself that I am an adult according to the Empire’s law. Surely, my aunt wouldn’t dare pinch the cheeks of her adult nephew, would she? If she cares about her dignity as a duke—
Nah, come to think of it, if she were truly worried about her dignity, she probably wouldn’t be drunk right now.
Grabbing my throbbing head while searching for a way to escape my aunt, I noticed the communicator on the bedside table flickering.
‘What’s this?’
A sudden ping made me frown. No one contacts me at this hour, right?
But considering the late-night timing, it must be something important, and even if it’s not, I couldn’t just ignore the person reaching out to me.
“Erich—”
—Jaaaah! What are you doing!?
Right as I instinctively closed my eyes in response to that booming voice, the voice pierced my eardrums like an arrow.
Of all times, I’m thinking about my aunt, and she decides to call? Did I somehow gain the ability to turn my thoughts into reality?
—Auntie! I’m so touched! You’re trying to contact me, aren’t you!?
“Pardon?”
What on earth was that?
*
I nearly faced the brunt of the Wise Duke’s tantrums, but when people find themselves in a pinch, mysterious strength tends to emerge. I managed to narrowly evade the Wise Duke bomb.
‘Sorry.’
Unfortunately, instead of a clean dodge, I ended up sacrificing Erich as the unaware scapegoat.
I silently apologised to Erich, who was now about to face the Wise Duke’s rants without foreknowledge.
—Joseph! What’s happening, what’s happening!? How much I love you!
“Oh, well, Erich wanted to contact my aunt after a long while, so I stepped down.”
Even I thought that was a pretty pathetic thing to sell him out.
—Liar! You didn’t want to reach out at all!
“I think he just got nervous since it’s been so long. With my aunt reaching out to him before…”
—Oh, really!?
But what could I do? I needed to put myself first.
‘Sorry, Erich.’
But confronting the antics of the inebriated duke is a fate Crasius has to endure, so he might as well embrace it.
Moreover, when you step into the roles of the court or social scene, don’t you get to earn the title of “The One Favored by the Wise Duke”? Doesn’t sound so bad, right?
This guy’s got faith in that.
And the next day, during club time.
“…Are you okay?”
“No.”
I could see Erich exuding fatigue and betrayal with every fiber of his being.
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