CHAPTER 38
After the meal was over.
Allois said this:
"Now that you've eaten, you should return to your room."
Her eyes were cold, different from a moment ago.
"It was our fault, so I will forgive you this time. But from now on, do not do such things without permission."

"...I have something to say before I go back to my room."
I spoke to the condescending Allois with a sneer.
"Then couldn't you have just gone out and bought something to eat?"
"Food can be easily obtained like this, and it's the same for all of you. It's fine to express your displeasure, but shouldn't you think a bit more before acting?"

When I pointed out how clumsy it was for them to starve themselves just to starve me, Allois's expression stiffened.
"...Thank you for the advice."
Holding back whatever she wanted to say, she turned around and disappeared.

Anyway.
We had eaten as well, so we returned to our room.

"Why aren't the servants coming?"
Alios, who was still chatting with me regardless of whether her mother was in a bad mood or not, suddenly wondered aloud.
"What servants?"
"The servants to attend to you, Ceres."
Alios looked at me as if I were ignorant of the obvious.
"When a guest comes to the house, it's only natural to assign servants to them. For a noble male like you, Ceres, it's even more necessary."

"To be honest, I don't really need them."
Maybe if I were sick, sure.
But now that I was completely cured and had even gained superhuman abilities, I didn't need servants at all.
Lately, I had been living without servants at home for the most part, so I told her I didn't need them, but...

"No. Even if you say it's fine, Ceres, if we just leave you be, the dignity of this house will be questioned."
Alios went outside, declaring she would bring servants to attend to me.

However...
"...They say most of the servants have gone on vacation."
A short while later, she returned and spoke as if she found it ridiculous herself.
"There were definitely plenty of servants just a moment ago, but now they're saying there's no one around because they were suddenly sent on vacation."
"Who sent them?"
"Mother did!"
For someone talking about her own mother, Alios continued in a rather furious voice.
"And do you know what she said on top of that? She told you to spend the night here today, Ceres!"
"Really?"
"Any other time, I would have been thrilled, but to treat you like this and then tell you to stay the night... It's absurd."

She fumed, calling it highly disrespectful. I stayed quiet, but someone else reacted.
"Is she trying to pick a fight with my Lord? I should have brought the servants from our mansion as well!"
Niobe, who had been standing quietly and listening, stepped forward as if she could no longer hold back.
"My Lord, shall I go and protest?"

"Let it go."
Niobe offered to step up and teach Allois a lesson right then and there, but I was apathetic.
From my perspective, something like this didn't even feel like an insult. It was so petty that it was annoying to even deal with.

"Even if they sent servants here, it'd be hard to trust them anyway. In this situation, I doubt they'd just obediently serve me."
"...That is true."
Perhaps thinking my words made sense, Niobe agreed, though her expression was still sour.
With a displeased face, she looked at Alios standing next to me.
"But in that case, isn't this woman also untrustworthy?"
"Well now. I wonder which one of us is truly untrustworthy..."
Attacked out of nowhere, Alios quickly fired back.

"Even if you're Whiperion's secret weapon, why would an entity as powerful as a Sword Master escort Ceres?"
"That's because he is the Lord I must serve."
"Are you sure you aren't just pretending to be loyal by calling him 'Lord', only to use your martial prowess as a Sword Master to forcefully take Ceres and swallow the entire family whole when the time is right?"
"...How dare you!!"
Unable to bear the insult, Niobe took a combat stance, and Alios stood up as if she had been waiting for it, but...

"Both of you, stop."
When I spoke, they both flinched.

"Alios, what are you doing?"
I scolded Alios first.
"Why are you picking useless fights with my escort knight?"
"Because she's suspicious. A Sword Master can be treated with respect anywhere they go. No matter if she's from Whiperion, there's no way she'd be satisfied being a mere escort knight."
"And your real reason?"
"...I picked a fight because she was acting arrogant, claiming to be your escort knight when I'm right here."

I knew it.
I told Alios, who was throwing a petty tantrum out of jealousy, to knock it off, and then turned my gaze to Niobe.
"And you, don't fall for every little provocation from a kid much younger than you. Were you planning to actually fight here?"
"...No. I made a mistake. Please forgive me."
Niobe meekly bowed her head, looking like I had hit the nail on the head.
Having lived for a thousand years, she must feel somewhat awkward about falling for a greenhorn's taunt.
Stopping the two who were ready to brawl, I wrapped up the day.

The next day.
When I woke up, the meal was served properly today.
She had called my words advice, and it seemed she really took them as such.
A very lavish banquet was laid out at a table where only Allois, Alios, and I sat.

"Please, eat."
"I don't want to."
I shook my head at Allois, who pointed to the dishes set before me.
At that, Allois furrowed her brow.
"Why?"
"Because I can't eat stuff like this."

It looked delicious, but it was all greasy food that didn't suit my current body.
When I said I couldn't eat these things because my body was weak, Alios chimed in.
"That's right. Ceres has trouble eating fatty meats like this."
"What is he, some kind of fairy? Not being able to eat meat dishes."
"Exactly, isn't he just as lovely as a fairy?!"
"..."
Allois, who had intended to be sarcastic, was left dumbfounded by her daughter's passionate response.

"Just prepare some soup or something for me later."
Regardless of their reaction, I just said what I needed to say.

A short while later.
"Would you like to go outside together?"
Allois, who had cleared the meal away without even eating as if she found the whole thing absurd, invited me out this time.
"If our guest wishes, I shall give you a tour of our territory."

There was no way she genuinely wanted to give me a tour.
I could feel she was plotting something, but I didn't want to refuse.
It felt like I'd be running away without putting up a fight against this damn Duke, so I accepted it for now.
And so, our group ended up walking shabbily next to the heavily adorned Duke's party.

Neigh!
The horse Allois was riding let out a cry.
It was a white horse, a rather handsome-looking fellow.
Even I, who didn't know much about horses, could tell it was of a highly pedigreed bloodline.
Allois rode this horse and walked through the territory alongside several similarly mounted knights.
On the other hand, we didn't have any horses. We were just walking on our own two feet from a slight distance away.
I guess she planned to insult me by giving me such poor treatment, creating a contrast to make me feel pathetic?

"Look over there!"
"Oh my god, it's Lord Ceres!"
The fact that Allois had overlooked was that I was an existence that could never look pathetic.
No matter what I wore, or whether there was someone putting on a show next to me, I—Ceres—drew attention just by existing.
Regardless of whether I wanted it or not.
The gazes of all the commoners in the territory completely ignored their Lord and focused entirely on me.

And then.
"Ceres, shall we ride together?"
Thinking I was being humiliated, Alios hurriedly brought her own horse over.
Normally I wouldn't ride, but this time I made an exception and accepted.
I rode the horse together with Alios.
Holding onto her from behind, I looked around at the people, and their reactions grew even more enthusiastic.

"Oh my god, Lord Ceres is riding a horse with the Young Lady!"
"The rumor that they're dating must be true!"
"They look so good together! Does that mean he'll become the lord consort of our estate?"

These kinds of comments came from all directions. They were uncomfortable words for me, but I didn't deny them.
Instead, I smiled at Allois. Just to piss her off.
"...Haa."
Having tried to treat me poorly only to end up completely ignored, Allois let out a sigh.

Later, after finishing the stroll through the territory and returning to the mansion.
"I will be direct. I do not want you marrying my daughter."
Perhaps realizing that indirect methods wouldn't work anymore, Allois spoke to me directly.
"I want you to stop seeing my daughter."
"Mother, why are you deciding that on your own?!"
"Alios, I am your mother. Can I not even interfere this much?"
When Alios protested, she asserted her maternal authority.

"Ah, and I would also like you to stay away from Her Majesty, Emperor Viol. As her loyal subject, I do not wish for someone like you to approach her."
Wow, now she's even dragging Viol into this.
I watched her and then said,
"Why is that?"

It wasn't like I had any intention of marrying either of them. But since she was opposing it so stubbornly, I was curious about her reasons.
In the original story, she hated Ceres because various incidents kept breaking out because of him, leaving the country in a mess.
But the Empire isn't in such a terrible state right now.
"There are various political reasons, but honestly, I just don't like you yourself. Do you really think you would make a good spouse for anyone?"