CH 318

We spent the night at the mansion in the royal capital, which I haven’t been to in a long time, and then I think about what to do for today’s schedule. There are a lot of things I have to do, but when I come to the royal capital, there are many more things I want to do.

Of course, I’m still doing my daily work, but recently Kanbee is helping me out, so it’s a little easier. After all, having a secretary, an assistant, or someone of the sort makes a big difference.

And Kanbee was really good. In the beginning, he was just a spy who didn’t listen to what I told him, but now I think he’s become a person who can bow his head and say, “I don’t know what I don’t understand, and I want you to tell me what I need to hear.”

His reputation with everyone is not bad because he treats not only me but also his colleagues honestly like that. We cooperate with each other and teach each other how to do things and experience, so the efficiency is going up a lot. We all had something to learn from Kanbee, and we were able to incorporate the excellent practices and experiences of the Yamato Empire’s style.

Musashi plans to always stick close to me as my bodyguard. He also participates in morning and evening training. It’s interesting because, unlike Father and Mother, Musashi uses Yamato Imperial-style swordsmanship. In terms of ability, he would be superior to Subaru. So he’s stronger than me in that respect. Speaking of swords and strength alone…

If we were to use magic to the fullest and kill each other, then the chances of me winning would be high. At least I’m thinking of ways to defeat Musashi with magic, using tactics he can’t deal with. But if you fight with only a sword in close combat, I’ll be at a disadvantage. I guess it depends on how you fight, but there’s no surefire way to kill each other with magic.

Well, anyway, I came back with three days to spare for moving day and the preparations in the royal capital. I was able to arrive in one day yesterday, so I have time tomorrow. School starts the day after tomorrow, so I have to make preparations, but Katharina and the House Servants will probably do it for me to some extent.

Having completed my daily training in the morning, I was troubled by today’s schedule. I want to use it as meaningfully as possible. I have a lot of appointments for work and meetings even on weekdays, so I don’t think it’s something I should do today or tomorrow when I’m supposed to still be on vacation.

“Hmm… Do I want to show up at Caanza Trading Firm?”

After much thought, the answer I finally came up with was to show myself at Caanza’s royal capital branch. I want to see Hugo and Bianca’s faces, and it’s been a long time since I’ve been to the royal capital. There may be some issues or reports along the way.

Well, if something like that happens, they should contact me, so there’s no doubt that it’s not that big of a deal if there’s no report or contact while I was gone…

For example, it’s not enough to contact me or report it by letter, but it’s possible that there’s a problem that they’re thinking of mentioning the next time I come for an inspection.

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Besides, it is not fun to see an old man like Hugo, but it is fun just to look at a young lady like Bianca.

All right! If I’ve decided, let’s move quickly!

First of all, we came to the first Caanza Royal Capital branch where Hugo works and Headquarters is also nearby… but we were completely derailed…

“What is this?”

“…………”

“Keh!”

“Ah… Kanbee… Don’t touch the products too much…”

Kanbee is curious about Caanza Trading Firm’s products and looks around here and there, and the stern Musashi frightens the noble’s wives and daughters. Moreover, to compete with Musashi, Oliver accompanied me, saying that he would protect me instead.

Originally, I had Oliver’s squad come to the royal capital to protect me and the people around me in the royal capital, but when I came back after a long absence and had Musashi with me as an escort, Oliver and his squad would not be happy to see their job taken. It wouldn’t be good for them, it’s not as if I can’t understand their feelings.

But they should stop competing with Musashi. Oliver and the others are ordinary soldiers. Not weak, but just average. They’re only human. Musashi, on the other hand, is known as a master swordsman among demons who excel in individual abilities. His ability is incomparable.

It doesn’t mean that Oliver and the others are weak or useless. A good, well-disciplined soldier is powerful and important. However, when it comes to individual ability, Oliver and Musashi are too different in scale.

I don’t know if it’s because he knows that, or because it’s my orders, so he’s following them reluctantly, but for the time being, Oliver accepts Musashi as my bodyguard. It’s just that they’re competing in vain… I don’t want my armed soldiers to spread a dangerous atmosphere because it scares everyone else around them.

“Haah… Shall we go deeper inside…?” I asked.

I wanted to look at the shop from the same point of view as the customers, but it would be a nuisance to those around me if I brought people like this with me. There is only Katharina among the wives, and it’s not going to be fun shopping with everyone, so I decided to go into the back office early.

“Oh! If it isn’t you, Lord Caan, when did you get back to the royal capital?” Hugo asked.

“I just arrived yesterday. Now how is it? How has business been lately?” I asked.

I ask Hugo about what happened while I was gone. There seemed to be no particular problems, but instead, things were going well.

However, the development of new products has been delayed recently. There is no way they can develop such revolutionary products one after another, and other companies around us are copying what they can, so it doesn’t seem like they will have explosive sales.

If only our House wins too much, there is a possibility that we will build resentment with others even if we didn’t want to, and if the other stores go bankrupt, the economy as a whole will suffer. If you become a monopoly that only your store should be profitable, you will end up damaging the economy and strangling yourself.

It would be good to let the people around us earn an appropriate amount of money, divide roles, service separate markets, and coexist. Our brand is turning to luxury goods. Products that are imitations were inferior and cheaper. In that case, it is possible to separate the people who can only buy cheap things, even if they are somewhat inferior, and the luxury goods of nobles like us.

Various new products are still under development, so if new products can be made, there will be explosive hits. Or rather, I have completed one product that I have tremendous confidence in. I can’t sell it to the store before I present it to the King, so I haven’t sold it to market yet… but I’m looking forward to selling it once it’s mass-produced.

I come to the crepe cafe of the second branch. Bianca recognized me immediately and gave me her smile. Hmmm… she feels like the poster girl of the town. She’s not particularly beautiful, but she’s charming, she’s good at her job, and I’m glad I made Bianca the store manager. The prosperity of the crepe cafe probably also reflects Bianca’s popularity.

While thinking about such things, I put up with the surreal image of lining up at a crepe cafe with Kanbee, Musashi, and Oliver. And when I finally bought a crepe and entered the dining area…

“Right. Aa~hn.”

“Aa~hn.”

A young woman feeds a young man a slice of mille crepe on her fork. And that young man ate it up.

“Is it good?”

“Yeah. It’s delicious. Now then, your turn, aa~hn.”

“Aa~hn.”

This time the young man feeds the young woman the crepe he had in his hand. The young woman takes a bite, too.

“Well?”

“Um… it’s delicious, but… it’s embarrassing… I’m eating what you’ve already bitten into, Simon…” Emma said, her face turning red as she fidgeted.

“Ah, if you say that, I’ll be embarrassed too…” Simon replied, doing the same.

Ooh, ooh. This is new. Keh! Do you think you can just show me something like this?! Huh? They’re in their own little world… but don’t do it in a place like this!

So I thought, but if you look around, there are quite a lot of people eating crepes with their lovers… There is no one who is only accompanied by older men like I am. I’m the only one who’s completely out of place. Did I make a mistake coming here…?

“Gohon!” I went. “It looks like you’re having fun, Simon.”

“Uu, uwah…! La-Lady Carruthers!” Simon stammered.

“Hya!” Emma let out a cute scream.

This guy’s character has changed too much… No, that’s fine, right? I think he’s changed for the better, and I think that it’s fine as long as they’re happy, but… I get a little annoyed when I see a couple flirting with each other in public. Even though I’m busy working every day, it’s okay for students to be carefree.

Ah… I was supposed to be a student, too…

“During the holidays… it seems that you’ve become quite close to Lady Valtek?” I asked. “Don’t tell me… perhaps you’ve climbed the stairs to adulthood?”

“”…………””

The two turned red and looked down. Huh!? Seriously? Are you kidding me? This slow-going Simon? Doing that during the holidays… were they one of those stupid couples? Is this guy doomed to get beaten to a pulp after getting tangled up with a Yankee?

“No… no way…” Emma said.

“Ah! Aaah!” Simon squealed. “No, you’ve got it wrong! We just hold hands, hug at the shoulders, kiss each other on the mouth, and, we, ah…”

“Stop, Simon! Don’t say that~!” Emma cries before she squeals “Kyaa!” and covers her face.

Apparently, even though it’s the staircase to adulthood, they’ve only climbed the first step. And yet, the attitude of these two… this is frustrating. Should I destroy these stupid couples, after all?

“Eh~…, it looks like you’re having fun… but it seems like I’m in the way, so I’ll sit over there. Now then, I’ll just take my leave…”

I lost the expression on my face and left Simon and Emma at their table. I shouldn’t have called out in the first place, right? Even if we were a conspicuous group with three older men following behind me, they wouldn’t even notice us…

Keh! Stupid couples! I’ll say it again and again! Stupid couples!

“Fuu…”

When I sit down… the older men stand around me. Calm down already!

“Eh~…Kanbee, Musashi, and Oliver, you should all sit over there and eat… Katharina and I will be sitting here alone.”

I don’t feel comfortable when I’m surrounded by people standing behind me. I also don’t want to eat my crepe while they’re standing there. I bought one for everyone so that the older men could also taste it. If possible, I’d like to hear Kanbee and Musashi’s opinions as citizens of the Yamato Empire and demons.

I reluctantly forget about the three older men reluctantly sitting at the table next to me, and Katharina and I sit at the table and eat crepes.

“Flora-sama… here, aa~hn,” Katharina said, coming over to me.

“Huh!? Hold! Katharina?”

What happened all of a sudden?

“Since you were looking at them so enviously just now…” Katharina said. “Well, I’m not afraid to do it. Aa~hn.”

“Ah… Uh… ah~hn…”

I thought of refusing, but Katharina was glaring at me, so I couldn’t say no. It’s absurdly embarrassing.

“How is it? Is it delicious?”

“It’s delicious… well then… Katharina, here, ah~hn”

This time, I will do something for Katharina in return.

“Ah~hn.”

“Is it tasty?”

“Yes, very……”

She looks enraptured after this little play. She’s glowing.

“Gohon! Lord Floto…”

“Huh!?”

Someone at the table beside me cleared his throat and I snapped back to reality. Just a little while ago, it was just me and Katharina, but now that I remembered it, it was inside the crepe cafe…

Oh no……. I suddenly became embarrassed when I remembered…

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Really……. I wonder if the stupid couples feel like this too… they can’t see their surroundings because they’re in a world just for the two of them. And if you do something embarrassing like this… Finally, I understand the feelings of those stupid couples!

“Po~…”

“How lovely……”

“Big Sister, please do something like that, to me too…”

When I looked around, I saw some women looking at me with passionate gazes. Their faces are red and they’re fidgety as they stare at us, enchanted.

Ahhh! How Embarrassing! I’ve done it now! I can’t believe I just did that!

“Hold it, Floto! We were watching! It’s unfair to do it only with Katharina!” Mikoto yelled.

“You think you could do it with me, too?” Claudia asked.

“Umm… I’d like to do that, too…” Louisa said.

“In such a public place… how embarrassing…” Alexandra said.

“Huh! Why are you all here!?” I asked as I watched the rest of my wives jump out from the shadows.

Thinking about it calmly, they probably followed us, but I can’t think of anything else.

“You’re going ‘aa~hn’ with me next!” Mikoto yelled.

“Hold, hold a moment!?”

After all, I spent time with all five brides, creating a pink space with all our flirting. It’s not just my imagination that the surrounding female customers who were watching it were also looking at me with some kind of hot, passionate feeling.

I thought I was going to annihilate the stupid couples, but… I became a stupid couple just like them. Sorry, heh.