Chapter 243 Toldo’s Laughter and Meluda’s Smile
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”About that… I gotta explain something to Toldo properly.”
I straighten up and turn to face Toldo.
”What’s up…? You got a problem with my granddaughter or something?”
”No, not at all. She said she ‘likes’ me, and I’m definitely gonna respond to that feeling. I’ve already done that with Aluda… but, you see──.”
I stand up and walk over to Toldo, who’s sitting across from me.
I stand next to him and start with the important stuff.
”Me and Kazumi… we just got engaged after our parents talked it over. We’re getting married when we turn 12.”
”…Hmm. Well, you two are the second son of the Baron family and the only daughter of the Knight family. It’s a good match for Shinji and Müller as parents. Congrats on that.”
Toldo smiles while stroking his chin.
”Of course, I’ll also marry Aluda after that. I want to.”
I stand tall and declare it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aluda blushing bright red, covering her cheeks with her hands at the edge of the table.
”Oh! I see! …The relationship with Eluda and Meluda is still to come, but it’s a done deal that you’ll take Aluda, who’s currently your girlfriend, right?”
”Absolutely.”
”Then I’m satisfied too. After all, you’re Shinji and Megumi’s son. With your current skills, you’ll soon be unmatched as a swordsman on the continent, so it’s a good match for you.”
”But the conversation isn’t over yet…”
”?”
Toldo tilts his head, looking puzzled.
”I’m planning to marry Liz, Martina, Dorothy, and Rena too. Of course, that’ll be after we turn 12. And… well, there might be more!”
I bow my head deeply.
I wait for Toldo’s response in that position, but… there’s no reaction.
Cautiously peeking at Toldo’s face, he’s frozen.
Finally, his mouth starts to move.
”Hiroya… you… have you surpassed your old man…?”
* * *
After that, no one could stop Toldo, who was laughing so hard he was holding his stomach… everyone just stared in shock.
”Fuhahahaha! Hah… hee…! I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
”T-Toldo…?”
”Man, it’s been a while since I laughed this hard! Sorry, Hiroya.”
Wiping tears from his eyes, Toldo was still gasping for breath, holding his stomach.
”What do you mean he’s surpassed his old man…?”
Liz leaned in, trying to get a better look at Toldo’s face.
”Well, I’ve known Shinji since he was ten… and back then, he already had 5 women around him.”
Gasping for air, Toldo managed to continue.
”When I heard his son say he plans to marry ‘6 women, including Aluda’ at 9 years old, I just couldn’t help but double over.”
”Sorry, Toldo. It’s a done deal that 2… no, 3 more are joining.”
”What!?”
Simona is one, and Gièze is also reserved.
Plus, even though she probably won’t marry, there’s Ms. Sasha.
”I’ve heard of Simona Schmidt. She’s a famous female Clan Leader. And there’s also the head of the ‘Zett Merchant Guild’!”
I seemed genuinely surprised at Ms. Sasha’s name.
”…I want to ask you this, Hiroya… are you really okay with my granddaughters?”
”Of course! I think I still have time with Eluda and Meluda, but I really want Aluda… it has to be Aluda.”
”…If you’re saying that much, I won’t say anything. Just take care of them… and make them happy.”
With a gentle expression, Toldo ruffled my hair.
In that moment, a big sigh of relief echoed throughout the dining hall.
* * *
”Must be nice…”
Liz murmured softly as she sank deep into the sofa in the open space on the second floor.
Toldo hadn’t even had breakfast, so after that, we all had an early lunch together, and Toldo was so impressed by how good it was that he started chatting about cooking with Ms. Hanna.
We decided to head upstairs.
”What’s up, Liz?”
Kazumi was pouring tea for everyone.
”Did you hear? What Hiroya said earlier.”
”Oh, right.”
Kazumi looked at me with a smirk in response to Liz.
”Huh?”
”It’s about that, right? ♡”
”Yeah, it’s about that! ♡”
Dorothy and Martina were grinning at me too.
Wait, what? I seriously don’t get it.
”‘Aluda wants it… it has to be Aluda,’ right? Good for you, Aluda, that’s basically a proposal! ♡”
Rena teased me by mimicking my voice.
…Please stop, this is too embarrassing.
Aluda was blushing and looking down, her face all red from everyone’s reactions.
”I don’t have any family… so Hiroya doesn’t have anyone to say that to.”
”What about Mrs. Weissman? She’s like your guardian, right?”
Kazumi said that while sipping her tea.
”Yeah… but it’s a secret from my husband. ──Right… I should go thank her and give her an update someday…”
She must have been a really kind person.
Liz smiled with a distant look in her eyes.
”And you should also go greet the current Count Foreltun, Hiroya.”
”Got it! That’s a good idea.”
”Huh? What does that mean…”
”Could it be…?”
Dorothy clapped her hands in agreement with Kazumi, while Martina and Rena exchanged glances and turned red for some reason.
”Why would we go see that ‘jerk’ now…?”
Liz said that, and then she seemed to remember something and smiled slyly.
”Hmm? What do you mean?”
I still didn’t get it.
Girl talk is scary.
”So, it means that me and Hiroya should go to Leynard von Foreltun’s place together! ♡”
”Hiroya and Liz should go and show off that ‘we’re getting married’ and have some s*xy time! ♡”
Ah, man.
They’re all such dorks.
”Well, putting aside the show-off s*x stuff… I feel like I gotta get back at ’em too.”
”But hey! About that time they kidnapped Liz and Hiro, don’t you think there should be some kinda punishment?”
With the topic changed, Aluda finally snapped out of her embarrassment and spoke up.
”That’s something you can’t really excuse. I mean──.”
”Yeah. The head butler of the Count Foreltun family was involved, after all.”
Liz, biting her nails in frustration, picked up on Rena’s words.
”I wonder if the king will say something about it…”
”Probably, I think my dad and Lord Elberhardt will take action…”
In response to Kazumi’s question, I could only guess.
The conversation took a bit of a serious turn.
* * *
”Well, that’s fine and all──Meluda?”
Kazumi called out to Meluda, who had been staring down and staying quiet next to Aluda.
She hadn’t even touched her tea.
When Kazumi spoke to her, Meluda flinched a bit and slowly looked up.
”You must’ve been really scared. But it’s okay now, so cheer up. Your uncle got kicked out, right?”
Meluda nodded at Kazumi’s gentle voice.
”So… what are you gonna do? Do you really like Hiroya?”
”I do! It’s not a lie! Meluda really loves Hiro!”
Meluda answered a bit too eagerly, standing up and speaking loudly.
”Thanks, Meluda. I like you too. You always support us from the shadows with Aluda and Eluda…”
I stood up too and patted Meluda’s hair.
”When that guy attacked you, you called my name──asking for my help.”
”Because… I was about to give up, but… I thought if it was Hiro… Hiro would save me. And──.”
Big tears started streaming down her face.
”Meluda decided to give all of herself to Hiro!”
Meluda hugged me tightly, burying her face in my shoulder and crying out loud.
”Th-thank you for helping me… really… thank you so much…”
”Yeah. If it’s okay with you, I wanna respond to Meluda’s feelings, even though I’m kinda a mess with all these lovers.”
”It’s not a mess! Everyone… everyone looks so happy! Hiro’s girls… they all look so happy!”
”…Ah, we’re really happy.”
”Yeah. I’m super happy too.”
”Me too!”
”Aluda’s happy too, Meluda…”
”I’m happy too. But hey, Ms. Meluda…”
”That’s right. It’s also because everyone’s here. I love everyone just as much as I love Hiroya, and it makes me happy to see them all smiling and doing well. So… so don’t cry anymore, Meluda. Show me your usual bright smile, okay?”
Kazumi comes over and pets Meluda’s head.
”Is it okay? Can Meluda laugh by Hiro’s side too?”
”Of course! Hiroya says he likes you too. And besides──.”
Kazumi glances at me and laughs.
”Since the first time we met, Hiroya was looking at Meluda and the others with those naughty eyes, right?”
”Don’t──don’t say stupid stuff, Kazumi!”
Kazumi suddenly takes a shot at me.
”Well, that’s how it is♡”
”Yeah. Thanks, Kazumi. Thanks, everyone…”
Finally, Meluda smiled.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.