CH 90

Duke, Please Repent! chapter 90

21. The Duke's Birthday (3)

The day after returning was just Sunday, so I left the duke's residence early in the morning.

I almost used up the magic scroll I had purchased, so I had to refill it.

' I told Serpens.'

Of course, you'll have to buy a scroll. But getting a rolling paper from Solertia is the real highlight of this visit.

purpose.

The cake was bought by Eugene on the day of his birthday, so the most important thing is a birthday present... .

'No matter how much you think, there's nothing to give Serpence?!'

Serppens must already have everything money can buy.

I wanted to throw away the holy sword and buy him a three sword that fits him well, but... .

'Considering your Serpence skills, you should use a sword made to order in the Terrarum Kingdom, the land of dwarves.

Maybe?'

Regardless of the time it takes, to buy a sword made by a proper craftsman, at least 'billion' was required.

'After all, sincerity is the best value for gifts!'

I quickly compromised with reality.

Yes, of course, Serpens would prefer simple things with sincerity rather than expensive ones. You can buy expensive things with your own money, well.

But the question is, what is that heartfelt gift?

His birthday is the day after tomorrow. Not figuratively speaking, it's literally the day after tomorrow. You don't have the talent to create something, and you don't have the time to do so.

I slowly walked down the street and fell into my thoughts.

Then suddenly... .

'If you don't have time to spend right now, why don't you just pass it on to the future me?'

There was no law that required you to pay only money in installments.

Paying attention and time in installments

you can do it It's even better if you put a commemorative or memory in it!

The gift must have been decided, and I went to Solertia's shop with a light footstep.

Welcome! What scroll are you looking for?

As soon as the door opened, a small bell rang and a roaring voice broke through.

It was Ella, an employee of Solertia's scroll shop.

Ah, the boss's sister's friend! Are you right?

Yes, it's been a while. Are you busy, Solertia?

"Can I call you?"

If yes, I would be grateful.

With a bright smile, she left a message asking her to wait a moment, and climbed the stairs behind the counter.

Has it been about two or three minutes?

The boss said that it's okay if you come up..., ah-cha-cha! Are you going to buy a scroll today? If you need it, I'll prepare it while we talk!

"I want to buy only the ones I missed out of the ones I bought last time . Do you have a list of past purchases?"

Sure!

I handed her my scroll bag and then climbed the stairs.

Just in time, Solertia was opening the door that was supposed to be the lab and was on the way out.

"It's been a while, Sion! Did you come back after a long business trip?"

Yeah, I just came back yesterday. Wasn't Miss Solerti okay?

Sure!''

She answered bluntly, and opened one of the doors on the second floor.

The floor was covered with colorful carpets, and there were sofas and tables. The decorations were sparse as they were still being filled.

It is not comparable to the peacock family, but the drawing room has a not bad assortment.

Among those who want to make custom scrolls, there are a lot of people who want it to be a secret which scroll they are buying. So I decorated one of the empty rooms as a living room, how about it?

It's great! The sofa is also soft, so it's comfortable!

Is that right? This is the most expensive thing here!

Solertia smiled triumphantly.

When decorating the living room, he looked very happy that the sofa was the one he paid the most attention to.

So, what's going on today?

Yes?

You probably wouldn't have come to report that you've been on a business trip...

Ahaha... I'll come visit often on my days off.

After all, coming only when something happened, I thought it was too crude.

"Did you know that the day after tomorrow is your birthday?"

Yeah, I know... I know that very well. Are you here to promote it?''

Judging from the expression on her expression, which is somewhat salty, it seems that she heard from the people of the duke's residence when she was staying at the duke's residence.

"It's not like publicity "

I explained the rolling paper to her, and her expression was

Everything has become more salty.

I believed that Mr. Shion wouldn't be that far... Anyway, well, it's good! There's nothing wrong with looking good to investors too.

She happily filled the paper.

I can't give you anything worth giving as a present... Are you still buying scrolls today? I'll give you a 5% discount to celebrate your birthday.

Is there a marketing lecture or something like that at the matop?

* *

On the day of your birthday.

You must have noticed that I was coming anyway, so I will skip the knock today.

I slammed the office door open and shouted.

Duke, Mary Tanshin!!

...Yes?

The eyes met with Serpens, who was making an expression as if it was some kind of bizarre sound.

Even with that expression, the station beyond the window

Wearing the light like a halo looks needlessly holy today.

I closed the door and entered1, and once again greeted them properly.

Serpence, happy birthday.

"It's not a birthday, it's a birthday , no. That's it."

He let out a small sigh, with an expression of what more he could say.

I expected that you were decorating something, but...

As if he did not know that neglecting it would lead to such a result, even his head

shook wildly.

"Shall we go around the peacock one lap?"

-! No.

He was taken aback by my words, and immediately refused.

Just don't do it.'

Considering his usual schedule, he wakes up early in the morning to practice alone in his private gymnasium, then goes back to his room, washes, and eats breakfast in the dining room. After that, I would have gone to work in the office.

Of course, I've met a lot of people. I can understand your reaction like that.

there is.

"Is this your first time receiving a happy birthday greeting?"

It's not like that, but it's overkill.

thanks and respect, etc. He would have congratulated him on his birthday with several greetings.

"Even if everything else is over, thank you for coming to this earth . What did you make them do?"

That must be what Jack said. no doubt

Chocolate that Euges is going to buy today

You can bet on the chocolate inside the lit cake.

Should I do it? I'm just saying that I'll take responsibility, so I can say what I've always wanted to say or say congratulations with sincerity.

What's on your face?

It is like a cat that is very wary of a stranger coming.

Happy birthday to the people who used to live in your house... . Yes, even if I received it very harshly.

"What are you so vigilant about?"

Hmmm.

Isn't there anything I want to ask you? At least I don't know what they really know, don't you want to talk about something?

it was obvious

In the first place, he said, 'What is the reason for acting what other people want?

"As a child, Serpens did not receive even a single word of affection from her parents."

'I just didn't realize it. After all, you wanted to be loved by others, so you were trying to meet their expectations, didn't you?'

Still, I think that the kindness I received through acting is not something that I really give to myself. Decreasing the real self as an existence that cannot be accepted by others without acting.

He was unable to accept the favors he had received at the best, so he was throwing them away.

"But what about that? How about a fake?

It does not become a thing and disappear. I'm just pretending to be nice on the outside, and it's not like I'm ashamed of my back.

Even so:

Even so! The help, consideration, and respect that Serpens has given them doesn't go away, right? Whether it's a pretense or a pure favor, something to be grateful for is something to be grateful for, and that's why they're only expressing their sincere heart. .

When Eugess came later, she and Hugh Manus's were combined to hand them over.

But even if it's just the rolling paper I have, I have to hand it over in advance, I can't do it like this.

With such thoughts in mind, their congratulations will never reach him.

"I don't know anyone else, but Serpense do you know. It's okay to be hypocritical or fake, so I hope that anyone can help.

There is no man without pretense in this world

Where are you? What if there is some calculation behind the favor? If it gave someone hope and made them happy. That doesn't really matter.

It was a good idea to put it inside the jacket in advance just in case.

Approaching Serpens, he placed them on the papers he was looking at.

What is this?

Their sincerity.

His whole body stiffened.

I was nervous and swallowed even dry saliva

His cheekbones, which were peeking through the collar, went up and down slightly.

"I, later .

Would you like to write more than 1,000 characters of what you read and feel later, or do you want to just read it in front of me now?

If you're sorry that you treated them with pretense, you just have to accept their sincerity and treat them with sincerity from now on.

His gaze, looking up at me as I stood, turned downward.

His white hands picked up the once white papers covered in black ink.

The office was filled with silence.

The sound of flipping the paper sometimes cuts through it.

Finally, after he had read all the way to the last page, he covered it up again and pushed it carefully.

"How do you feel? Do you have any thoughts or thoughts?"

" I don't know."

he said, closing his eyes.

Contrary to the answer that I don't know, it is a voice that is young and watery. The sound conveyed instead that there was something filling up in his chest.

It wasn't that I didn't know because I didn't feel anything, it was that I didn't know how to express it.

You don't have to rush to answer, you can think slowly.

After a few breaths had passed, his eyes were opened.

When he opened his eyes, he was the first to tell me

stretched out his hand

'boy .'

For nothing, I was so moved that I grabbed his hand.

"Who asked for a hand?"

...Yes?

Your thing wasn't here. You're not saying you forgot what you wrote?

" I wrote it, I wrote it. I thought it would be embarrassing to read it in front of my eyes."

Okay, give it to me.

You can't give it to me before work later.

peel?

Serpens, who was frowned, pulled the hand he was holding, and found the folded paper in the jacket pocket inside the gear nose.

Oh, I think I'm going to be really embarrassed...!

Serpens snorted at my words and unfolded the paper.

And then he hardened his expression, and tucked it under the roll of paper.

Where is that?! If you open it, you should read it to the end!

" ah, no, this this "

Did I tell you, it would be embarrassing. Serpence.

He took out the paper he had put underneath and put it back on top.

'You should have listened when I warned you like that.

When I picked up the pen to write on the rolling paper, I didn't know what to write.

It was a vague thought that there was something empty to write only a short happy birthday message, and that I should not be pushed by others.

I just wrote it step by step, organizing things that have happened since the first time we met.

Nee, from some point on, his growth and parenting diaries had become something like that.

'But in case anyone can't see it... .'

I started the article by saying that I had no choice but to run into a stray cat.

"You you didn't say the subject on purpose, did you?"

Come on, come on! Come on, read it! If you're having a hard time reading, can I read it aloud?

Can you figure out what's referring to what or who in the flow?

Arthur, you can replace it and read it.

He glanced at my face with a disgusted expression, and put his gaze on the paper as if he had given up.

He frowns in the middle, and sometimes looks at the paper with me as if it's absurd.

I laughed out loud without realizing it, but I was also sulking.

'You are reading hard.'