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Being the second son of the Marquis family and aiming for the position of head with a male body has its disadvantages compared to women.

Tradition and legitimacy favor the eldest daughter, Eunice Kalia, over himself as a man.

The Kalia Marquis Family, strictest about military matters, equates war and cold weapons with femininity. Thus, the main retainers of the family prefer a head of the family who is more suited to wield flowers and pens than swords and spears.

So far, there have been numerous ups and downs.

He recruited Chloe Anette, the commander of the First Legion, as his ally. He used various methods to sway his sister’s knights in the Second Legion. It wasn’t easy to pull over the retainers who vowed to support Eunice.

While a slew of strange nicknames and rumors clung to him during that process, he ignored them. It was irritating, but half of them contained some truth.

Worrying about petty rumors expected to circulate in markets was less important than solidifying the foundations of his hidden schemes, unknown to anyone, against Eunice, who always looked down on him.

But today, a problem arose.

“Now that Eunice has entered the Great Forest, I must prepare definitively.”

The appearance of Abel Kalia.

He had lived quietly until now, without even a whisper.

He never anticipated that his younger brother, whom he had never consciously acknowledged, would appear so suddenly.

“This is going to make it harder to control those women from the West.”

Especially in the moment that is most critical to him regarding the Marquis territory.

With the authority over managing the land in the West.

Until he firmly secured the territory in his grasp, they had to remain hidden beneath the surface.

Otherwise, everything he had painstakingly built would be seized away by his mother or that Eunice, who forever looked down on him.

“Ugh…!”

Allen clenched his teeth.

His expression twisted progressively, as the bright and cheerful boy’s face gave way to a distorted visage akin to a grotesque demon.

“Phew…”

Taking a breath to cool his anger, Allen bit down on his lip.

Drip.

Blood droplets that had gathered over his wound flowed down as he wiped them with his sleeve, saying,

“Chloe.”

At that call, Chloe, who had been quietly observing Allen from the entrance, stepped forward.

“Yes, Lord Allen.”

“I need to send a word to those nuisances in the West. For a while, tell them to stay quiet and just report the situation.”

“I will have someone trustworthy deliver a letter to the administrator of the West.”

“Trustworthy, you say. Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, the woman can handle her tasks proficiently. She has been entrusted with our messages regularly, so you need not worry.”

“Chloe, if you say that much, I suppose I can trust her.”

With that, Allen rested his right arm on the armrest of the armchair with a small sigh.

After a brief moment, Chloe cautiously opened her mouth.

“Lord Allen, what will you do about the meeting that has been arranged?”

“The meeting… you mean the one in two days?”

“Yes.”

“…It would be best to prepare quite thoroughly. That woman has been active in the West, hasn’t she?”

“Indeed. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she’s leading most of the under-the-radar operations there.”

“In that case, we should meet after sufficient preparation. I’ll send a warning in advance through the letter and let her know the real deal when we meet in person.”

“Wise judgment.”

Allen raised the corners of his mouth slightly at Chloe’s words.

However, the moment he propped his chin with his right hand, that small smile vanished, leaving only an upset expression on his face once again.

“Still, that woman… she had horns growing from her head.”

“The sensation I felt was distinctly different from others. What you’re thinking is likely accurate.”

“Half-demon—a feeling of discomfort I sense every time we meet. There’s a reason for it. Ugh…”

Half-demon.

A being that is part human and part demon.

As he grimaced at the thought of half-demons, Chloe, looking down at him, spoke in a chilling voice.

“Do not worry. If she tries any tricks, I will promptly take her head.”

“Can that be done?”

“Yes. There are plenty of replacements for her… and they are far lesser beings.”

Chloe’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“The safety of the Apostle, who serves the divine command, is far more important.”

“True enough. You have a point.”

Hearing the words of the divine apostle, Allen finally began to show a satisfied expression.

Raising his chin from where it hung and leaning deeply into the armchair.

He looked up at the sky.

“I am… the Apostle of the divine.”

He smiled as he gazed once more into the void.

In his pupils, the common language of the continent shimmered.

確かに彼は何かの助けと導きを受けていた。

“By the way, I was considering taking a shot at Young Lady Shianella during this opportunity, but unfortunately, that seems difficult.”

With a flicker of regret illuminating his eyes, Allen turned elsewhere.

*

The Marquis garden wasn’t bad at all.

White and yellow flowers bloomed charmingly, neatly embellishing the garden.

In the pond surrounded by those flowers, ornamental fish that resembled koi swam leisurely.

“Look at this; they’re gathering now that we’re here!”

Shione was shaken from her earlier unease by her conversation with Allen, finding peace again as she gazed at the flowers.

As she peered into the pond with delight, she noticed that many koi were indeed swimming toward them.

“Are they showing recognition that we’re the ones who feed them?”

Bloop, bloop!

The koi, surfacing with only their mouths above the water, meandered around us.

Seeing that, he nudged Shione, as memories of the same fish they’d seen from the carriage flooded back.

“It feels like I’m seeing you and Cotton Puff.”

“What…? Those?”

No matter how comparisons to fish sounded, Shione glared at him incredulously.

“Hm—”

As if challenging him to speak what was on his mind, Shione gazed at him with an aloof expression.

“You and Cotton Puff do gather around when I’m holding the cookie pouch, don’t you?”

“…Cotton Puff might, but I don’t swim around like that!”

“Then do nibble here and there.”

“Ugh….”

A slight blush dusted Shione’s cheeks.

“That wasn’t very nice.”

“I hit you so you could feel it. Did Ray start it first?”

“Is it acceptable to hit a man like this?”

“Why? Didn’t you come from a reverse world? You’re usually so expressionless…you didn’t show any pain unless your bones broke.”

“…So you think I’d get hit softer if I acted cute like Allen?”

“Huh?”

Shione’s sulking expression melted away, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at him.

Why is she staring like that all of a sudden?

It got a bit burdensome all of a sudden.

“Then, if I say so, will Ray act cute for you?”

“No?”

“Why?”

“I don’t do those cutesy things.”

“Why… why! I could at least try it once…!”

My lord suddenly started talking nonsense again.

Is it really possible for a sane man to flirt and act cute?

“…Will you?”

I’m not one to act like Allen.

Sorry, but I can’t show any cuteness.

 

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