Afternoon in Reiusu, inside the mansion.
After the case with Siracuza ended, I’m relaxing right now in the mansion that I returned to after a long time.
Relax, if so, there is only one thing that must be done.
「Uhmm, Master」
「n, what is it, Miu?」
「Is it enough……I need to do my work」
「Postpone that for later」
I immediately dismissed it.
Today, I have MofuMofu-d Miu since morning.
In the living room under the sunlight passing through the window, I MofuMofu-d Miu.
MofuMofu, MofuMofu.
I continued to MofuMofu Miu while being careful to not let her get away even while relaxing.
There is no doubt that Miu has a lot of work piled up since I started to MofuMofu her since the morning.
Haa〜……how relaxing〜.
「Miu is fluffy as usual」
「I take care of myself, so」
Miu answered timidly.
「I have always taken care of myself, so that, Master can MofuMofu me anytime」
「I see, Miu’s such a good girl」
I patted Miu’s head while I continue to MofuMofu her.
And then,「Howaa〜……」, Miu let out a voice, relaxed, and laid her body on mine.
「Miu, did you grow up a little bit?」
「Is that so? I do not know」
「Hmm. It’s just a little, but you might’ve gotten a little taller」
「Miu?」
Miu became a little stiff within my arms.
Her reaction was as if she was scared of something.
「Does Master……hate it, if I get taller?」
「……pu!」
I couldn’t help but laugh out.
It’s because Miu looked to the side, and steals glances, looking up to me with eyes like a puppy that was about to be thrown away.
「Miu’s so cute」
「Eh?」
「And fluffy too」
「Eh, eh, eh?」
Miu panicked towards my answer that was not a definite one.
That was also cute, so I continued to MofuMofu her.
「Otou-san」
And while this and that happened, Hikari entered the living room.
Her partner, Chibi Dragon, followed her with tiny steps.
「What is it?」
「Uhm, you know, there’s a visitor for Otou-san」
「Visitor?」
I couldn’t help but narrow my eyebrows.
I’m just getting on the good part of the MofuMofu.
From how Miu’s fur seems, if I MofuMofu her for another hour, she would become sleepy, and the greatness of the MofuMofu would increase by a lot.
A visitor in such time? They can’t read the air at all.
『Hey, don’t make such face towards Hikari』
「Mu!」
I heard Eleanor’s voice from my head.
That’s true, it’s a visitor who doesn’t read the air at all, but it would be venting it to Hikari if my mood turns worst here.
I regained myself and asked Hikari.
「A visitor? Who is it?」
「Uhm, you know, a princess」
「Princess?」
Hm? Which princess is it? I thought while I MofuMofu-d.
In the drawing room, I’m seating across the visitor while continuing to MofuMofu Miu.
Golden hair is tied up to a pony tail, a war-princess in a cape and armor, Iris.
Iris Teresia Mercouri.
Mercouri Kingdom’s princess, and famous as one of the Teresia’s Twin Flowers, Helen’s little sister.
「It’s been a while」
「U-Umu」
Iris replied although a little confused.
「What is it?」
「Uh……there’s a maid」
「Don’t mind her. I’m just MofuMofu-ing her」
「MofuMofu?」
「I’ll say this beforehand, I won’t let you MofuMofu her. Miu’s MofuMofu is mine」
「No, I did not mean that, uh……」
Iris looked at Miu, cleared her throat, and stared at me with a serious face.
「I want to ask you to clear out the people. I have an important thing to talk about」
An important thing huh.
Iris’s face was very serious, she probably has something important to talk about just like she has said.
Miu’s body got stiff, it looks like Iris’s seriousness reached her.
It can’t be helped.
「Miu」
「Yes」
Miu answered silently and stood up. It is a perfect reaction as a maid loyal to her master, but it’s not that.
I pulled her hand making her stop, and put her back on top of my lap.
「Eh, Master?」
「Cover your ears」
「Eh, ah, yes」
Miu said and covered her own ears.
Her lovely ears that are covered by MofuMofu fur that has the same color with her hair.
Her gesture of carefully covering it was a little different from a humanーーit was quite cute.
It was so cute that I could not help but pat her.
And while continuing my MofuMofu towards Miu, I said to Iris.
「It’s alright now, tell me anything」
「Eh!? But……」
「Don’t worry. Miu doesn’t hear anything, even if she does, she wouldn’t leak out anything that would disadvantage me. Right? Miu」
「Yes! Master」
「See?」
「No, it looks like she can hear though」
After saying that, “Haa……”, Iris let out a sigh.
After that, she took a deep breath, tightened her lips, and stared at me once again.
And then, she started to talk.
「The paper money is officially issued in Mercouri Kingdom」
「He〜」
「The old moneyーーsilver coins and gold coins are forbidden by the law, and it could be exchanged for the new paper money. It would take some time to exchange all of the remaining ones in the circulation, but that is only a matter of time」
「I see. Finally」
I got a little emotional.
Thinking about it carefully, that is probably the first case that really seemed like one that I solved after coming to this world.
The case about the copper coins in this town. I met with Iris after resolving that, and suggested about making paper notes using magic.
Mercouri’s Royal Family has a magical royal symbol that is impossible to counterfeit.
In short, it’s a kind of magic that only the people of the royal family can inscribe crests into objects.
I suggested that if that was used in paper, it might become paper notes that are impossible to counterfeit.
The paper itself does not have that much value, so there’s no worry about being melted and sold away like metals, and there is no need to worry about counterfeits since only those of the royal family can make it.
Iris immediately accepted that, but in reality, it still took a long time until it circulated.
「And then, what’s the situation?」
「It is good. Money became easier to use and the business is invigorated. It is especially popular between peddlers」
「He〜?」
“Why?”, I looked at Iris with eyes that say that.
「It is natural for peddlers to move around. Up until now, they have done business using very heavy silver coins and gold coins, or promissory notes issued by merchant companies that have the risk to become scraps of paper instantly. So because the country would guarantee it, it is natural that using light paper notes would be popular」
「I see. Isn’t it great then?」
「I wonder. Lanmari had already caught on it, so I cannot get happy about it honestly」
「Delfina huh. She doesn’t do business that kills the chickens to get the eggs right? She had just caught on with the thing that would bring profits from now on. You should be happy about it without worries」
「I guess so」
The conversation stopped.
I continued to MofuMofu and Iris stared at me.
What? Was that all?
Iris had a solemn face, but was that all? I felt like I was fooled a little.
After a while, she heavily opened her mouth.
「Is Aneue……」
「Un?」
She got quiet again.
Aneue? Helen huh.
Iris who is the Fourth Princess probably has other big sisters, but I only know Helen, and Iris would probably only talk about Helen with me.
What’s up with Helen?
I waited for Iris’s next words, but it did not come no matter how long I waited.
After a while, she stood up.
「Sorry to disturb you」
She said, and left.
「What was that? Really」
「Master」
When I thought strange about it, Miu opened her mouth.
She stared at me with a solemn face while pressing down her ears.
「What is it?」
「Princess, she looked sad」
「Looked sad?」
Why is she sad?
「She had a face, that was really about to cry」
「About to cry?」
I stood up and recalled Iris’s expression when she was about to go out.
A face that was about to cry, being told so, it might be true, but……
「Why?」
That was the thing that I could not understand.
At night, I released Miu and came to the town.
I released her who has been restrained for a whole day with her work piled up, and came to the night town.
I thought of eating outside after a long time, so I walked around, but.
「The Purosu-Diner’s not here anymore, and I don’t know other stores」
『How about finding a new store?』
「It’d be all pubs at this time」
『How about drinking with me?』
「Isn’t that drinking alone?」
I pointed that out, but I thought that it was not that bad while chatting with Eleanor.
I thought of that, so I tried to find pubs, but.
The first one, it was full.
The second one, it was full of the slave soldiers.
The third one, I finally entered one with an open seat.
『Mu! Isn’t that Princess Iris?』
「Eh?」
Eleanor said and I looked towards the direction her consciousness is directed.
Iris was there.
Iris is wearing different clothes than usual.
She is not wearing her usual princess’s dress or cape and armor.
It’s an appearance of an adventurer that I saw for the first time, but it’s Iris without a doubt.
Iris is drinking by herself.
「What’s she doing?」
I said to the waiter who welcomed me that I’m Iris’s company, went to where she is, and sat across her.
「Iris」
「……nha?」
Iris raised her face and looked at me.
Her eyes were drooping, it does not look straight.
Her face is red, and looking closely, she is somewhat wobbling although she’s sitting down.
「You ahーーhu ha ru」
On top of that, she can’t even speak properly.
「Hu hin ha hord ar you. Heim yasef」
「Who in the world? It’s me, Kakeru」
「Hesplod……?」
「I won’t explode」
「Hesplod ish hesplod〜」
She said neither correctly nor incorrectly, and Iris continued, she took her alcoholーーdrank it at once.
『A drunk without a doubt』
It looks like so.
I thought of drinking with her since I know her, but it might be better leaving her alone.
I thought of that and tried to leave, but.
「Wesh, weit」
She stopped me by pulling the edge of my clothes.
「D-Drink, with me」
「No, but」
「Are you sheying you cansh drink with meー!」
She shouted out loud.
The pub’s attention gathered to us for an instant, but since it’s gibberish that drunks usually say, it was immediately changed to a laugh.
「I got it, I got it already, I’ll drink with you so let you」
「Good」
When drinking with a drunk, you should either go with them and get completely drunk, or be sober as much as possible.
I chose theーーlatter.
I called the waiter and ordered a non-alcohol beverage.
I toasted with Iris with the juice that was served.
「Kanra〜i」
「Kanpai」
「nghu, nghu……puhaa〜!」
She drank more and more heartily.
「Hesplod〜……are you……adult?」
Haa?
This drunk princess, she started saying something.
「Adult? You can tell by lookingーー」
「I caaaantt〜〜. I’m asking if you’re adult and married」
「Ahh, you meant that by adult huh. If so, I’m an adult」
I had a ceremony with Fiona too.
「I see! I’m going to be an adult too. Adoltoo〜」
She stood up and raised up both of her hands.
We’ll get attention again if you do that. They’ll laugh at us.
「Sit down firstーーeh?」
I pulled Iris’s hand and noticed.
“I’m going to be an adult too……”, don’t tell me.
Iris’s that……it’s probably drinking in desperation.
Midnight, inside the pub that turned silent.
We were left alone with the two of us and I’m letting Iris rest her head on my lap.
『Normally, it would’ve been the opposite』
「This isn’t that bad too」
『A certain Saintess or Queen might get frustrated and start biting and pulling a handkerchief』
「I think that those two would ask for it instead」
I chatted with Eleanor about senseless things while taking care of Iris.
Thinking that I shouldn’t make her move around while drunk, I paid a lot of money to the store, and rented it after it closed.
「U〜n」
Iris narrowed her beautifully shaped eyebrows and groaned in distress.
「U〜n, this place, is……?」
Then, she slowly opened her eyes and looked around with absent-minded eyes.
「……ha!」
Iris suddenly jumped to a stand, but immediately crouched down while pressing her head with her hands.
「Ouchchch」
「You drank too much. Rest for a little bit more」
「I’m……alright. ーーKakeru?!」
And then, “Ouchchch”, she pressed her head again.
「It’s because you’re raising a loud voice」
「W-Why are you here……?」
She lowered her voice this time and asked while her eyebrows were still narrowed.
「That’s my line. The princess of Mercouri, why is she drinking in desperation in such lowly pub, even wearing clothes for commoners?」
「D-Drinking in, I’m not! I-I just felt like it todayーー」
「Are you going to be married?」
I asked her straightforwardly, and then, Iris swallowed a breath, and widened her eyes as if she had forgotten about her headache.
「I see, you’re going to be married huh」
「About today……please do not tell Aneue」
「I won’t, don’t worry」
I won’t tell her, but I’m curious.
Drinking in such lowly pub, on top of that, don’t tell Helen huh.
There is no doubt that there is something.
「When will you get married?」
「……next month」
「So soon huh, who’s your partner?」
「Aegina Kingdom’s First Prince・Prime Minister of the King, Kimon M. Aegina」
「He〜」
「That’s some title」
And then, Iris got silent.
She tried to open her mouth but swallowed the words that were about to come out.
I wanted to ask this.
『Is it better to break that wedding?』
However, I immediately noticed that that was wrong, I noticed that it is a meaningless question.
That’s right, there’s no use of asking that.
That is why, I changed my words.
「What should I do to break that wedding?」
Iris was stunned.
I heard Eleanor’s entertained whistle inside my head.