“Mom, but you haven’t called me in ten years. Why suddenly now?”
“Well, it’s been a while since I saw your face, and you’re a full-grown adult now. I wanted to talk about the succubus situation.”
“Oh.”
I thought there might be some other reason for the sudden call.
It really was unexpected.
Of course, I assumed there had to be more to it. I mean, a conversation about succubi has to be something huge, right?
“Of course it’s a shocking story. I intended to wait as long as possible to talk to my husband about it, but we ended up being the ones surprised.”
“Huh?”
“I never expected you’d suddenly bring home a boyfriend.”
“Oh.”
That was something both Kyle and I were slightly worried about.
I knew it would seem strange to suddenly bring a guy home.
After all, I used to hate it so much when guys would bother me as a kid that I would curse them out every time.
Naturally, my parents probably thought I would just keep living as a single person. Plus, I hadn’t mentioned anything about a guy in my letters; they were just filled with work updates and well-wishes, which added to their assumption.
“But is it okay? Kyle?”
“Well, for now? Besides, you’ve known him since he was little, right? If he was a bad guy, you’d have figured that out by now.”
“That’s true.”
If Kyle was a bad guy, he probably would have quit his job a long time ago.
He wouldn’t have endured so many years in a cold, snowy region.
Maybe he would’ve worked for a few years, quit, and settled down in Oldenburg.
He had told me before that if I quit working in Eristirol, I should come find him.
Well, life took a turn, and I ended up being his girlfriend, so that plan was out the window.
“He’s tall, handsome, has a nice voice, great body, good personality, and treats me well…”
“Why don’t you go brag about your boyfriend to Kyle?”
“That’s embarrassing.”
“….”
“What?”
Seriously, how can someone make such compliments while sober?
Only a Casanova or Kyle would say something like that so casually.
I still don’t get how they do it so easily, especially since Kyle never showed any signs of dating another girl besides me.
“Mom.”
“What now? Trying to brag about your boyfriend again?”
“No, it’s not that… I mean, it’s just that lately, Dad’s been looking a bit worn out…”
At first, I didn’t notice.
I thought he just looked tired because he was getting older and working hard.
But now, I could put two and two together.
Mom being a half-succubus and Dad looking tired.
Everything pointed in one direction.
“Wait, are you saying it was because of Mom?”
“Um… Caught red-handed!”
“….”
Well, I already knew the answer, but even so, it was disorienting.
It’s true that my parents look younger than their age, but knowing about their sex life was a whole different level of confusion.
They’ve been married for almost 30 years.
I’m in my mid-20s, so it’s safe to say I wasn’t born right after they got married. So it’s been almost 30 years.
“Hmm… Still hot!”
“Well, probably at least 20 more years of heat, right?”
“Ha ha… Congrats…?”
Well, it means my parents still have a good relationship.
Good things are good.
It’s definitely not a bad thing… better than fighting, cursing, and cheating.
Yeah… it’s a good thing.
“Darling… isn’t today too much, even for you?”
“Huh? Why? It’s the same meal as always?”
“That may be, but….”
Dinner time.
But for some reason, the food today was… healthy?
Since returning home, I had always eaten regular home-cooked meals.
Sausages and braised meat; the usual home fare.
But today was completely different.
“What’s with the asparagus? Ginger ale? Egg-fried steak? What’s up with this combo? And suddenly shrimp too?”
“Huh? Well, Mom and Dad are getting older~ so we should eat healthy things.”
“And where’s the beer? Why ginger ale all of a sudden?”
“Because it’s healthier for you.”
“…?”
“Darling, you aren’t seriously planning to do it tonight, are you?”
“Fufufu~? I guess the answer will be revealed tonight, don’t you think?”
“?”
Why are they suddenly so concerned about their health?
They’ve lived off sausages and beer until now.
And why are they giving me asparagus and celery soup out of nowhere?
“Okay, let’s start with dinner first, shall we?”
“… Son-in-law, you should eat too.”
“Yes.”
It felt different from usual, but I started eating anyway.
I didn’t know why we suddenly had steak, and the asparagus made no sense, but I began to eat regardless.
Today’s soup had a healthy taste, which was a bit disappointing, but it wasn’t tasteless.
“Darling, even so, not tonight.”
“Why~?”
“There are kids at home…”
“Then how about outdoors? It’s been a while since we’ve been outside?”
“Ha….”
My parents were whispering something, but I couldn’t catch it.
It would’ve been easier if I was sitting closer, but I was across the table.
I chose to let it go, even though I felt a bit left out.
They were clearly discussing something they couldn’t tell me.
I mean, I couldn’t understand why you’d be whispering about something at the dinner table.
“Kyle, do you want a tomato or avocado that Mom brought later?”
“Anything is fine with me.”
“Okay.”
“… Darling.”
“Fufufuf.”
Spending time outside of the castle like this was peaceful.
In the castle, there were days when Kyle had work and crowds of people, so it was often noisy.
But here, I couldn’t hear anything of the knights training outside.
Kyle was also free from office duties, making it truly serene.
Genuinely, I hadn’t had a moment to relax like this in ages.
I mean, during my time at that cram school… well, no words for that, and when I was gallivanting as an adventurer, peaceful was the last word I’d use; it was just run for your life.
Even working in Eristirol was marginally peaceful, but I always had to get up early to take care of Kyle and manage his needs.
So, having this worry-free downtime to share a family dinner felt incredibly peaceful.
“Kyle, eat more.”
“What about Sophia?”
“I’ll be full with just this.”
I cut some steak from my plate and transferred it to Kyle’s.
Whether it was during dates or now, just seeing him eat what I gave him made me happy.
Besides… he doesn’t eat a lot anyway.
“Ugh….”
My parents were mumbling together, but I didn’t care much anymore.
Right now, enjoying dinner with Kyle was more important to me.
It wasn’t some grand or special moment, but it felt nice.
This was my first time enjoying a simple home-cooked meal with Kyle.
Up until now, we’d always shared meals in grand castles, with a strong sense of aristocracy.
Naturally, that’s how it was since Kyle was a noble with a high rank.
It couldn’t have been any other way.
All of that was nice, but it felt somewhat burdensome to me.
I hadn’t gotten used to those sorts of meals yet.
For all this time, I’d been eating at a servant’s dining hall, and even when I dined out, it was usually at small, ordinary places, not expensive restaurants.
So, naturally, given our different backgrounds, those occasions felt a bit overwhelming for me.
Of course, the food was delicious, and I enjoyed eating it.
“You’re eating well. Should I get more from the kitchen?”
“It’d be great if you could.”
“Okay.”
Just being here peacefully, having a humble meal, was good.
For me, this was more comfortable, but I liked being with Kyle like this too.
Of course, it was nice having my parents there as well, but still.
“Hey, Kyle, about last night, you mentioned the first night and all.”
“Uh… yeah?”
It definitely wasn’t said in a romantic context, but it slipped from Kyle’s lips regardless.
I kept quiet when I heard it then, but thinking back on it now, it got my gears turning.
After all, “first night” isn’t a normal phrase to just throw around casually, is it?
“Will you… marry me?”
“… Sophia.”
“No! I’m not saying weird things! I mean, will you really have a wedding with a commoner?!”
It was a serious question I had to ask.
It was a significant issue, regardless of whether Kyle and I had feelings for each other.
“You’re not just some ordinary commoner; you’re not even a lower noble. You’re a Duke! Is it really okay for you to have a wedding with someone like me?”
By common sense, and noble standards, this was absurd.
It’s not unheard of for a lower noble to take a commoner as their wife, but for a Duke, it was a whole different ball game.
If word spread throughout the empire that the Duke of the North married a commoner… well, everyone would consider it a joke.
It wasn’t that I was overly worried; it was just standard logic.
Isn’t it a bit out of the ordinary?
I mean, this isn’t some romantic fantasy novel. The Duke who had no involvement with other women marrying a random commoner he doesn’t even know?
“Are you really okay with it? This isn’t some bizarre nonsense you always joke about.”
“Sophia.”
“Yeah?”
“If you want to do it, then I’ll do it.”
“Uh… I’d probably agree?”
“Then we’ll do it.”
“…. ”
Contrary to my worries, Kyle answered right away.
He said it so casually, as if it had been predetermined.
“Other nobles might slander or criticize you.”
“I don’t care.”
“I just don’t want you to be hurt because of our wedding.”
Even without a wedding, we could do everything.
Getting intimate or doing all the things a couple does could happen without a formal wedding.
So, I thought it unnecessary to announce all over the empire that Kyle was marrying a commoner.
“I want to.”
“….”
“I want to have a wedding with Sophia, see Sophia in a wedding dress, and get married in front of everyone.”
Kyle began to speak in a serious tone, different from before.
“Of course, I don’t plan on doing it right away. It’s too early, and we just had a festival recently, so it would be tough for both me and Sophia to create more work right now.”
“Kyle.”
“So… maybe in the summer or fall? It is my wedding, so I’ll need to inform other families and definitely the Princess too and then… ”
“Kyle!”
“Yes?”
“Okay, okay. Let’s… just stop here for now.”
I think I… was getting a bit excited.
Not in a physical way, but I might be emotionally stirred up.
I didn’t mean to create such a serious and charged atmosphere, but that’s just how it turned out.
“I understand what you want to say, so let’s calm down a bit, okay?”
“… Yes.”
For now… I knew Kyle was seriously considering marriage.
Despite my concerns, it seemed more important to him than anything else that he marry me.
That’s probably why he was so emotionally charged a moment ago.
“Sigh… Usually, you stay quiet and then turn out like this at times like these.”
“I’m sorry….”
“But… thank you for considering it seriously.”
I didn’t find his recent behavior off-putting at all.
In fact, it made me feel great knowing how seriously he thought of me and how much he liked me.
Really.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
