Civil Servant in Romance Fantasy

Chapter 277: Let’s Go Home (2)

A crowd had formed at the main gate of the mansion, likely because they had been informed of our arrival. However, one important person was noticeably absent from the welcoming party.

Where is the Patriarch?

I couldn’t find him no matter how much I searched. It was a strange situation—he was nowhere to be seen even though he should have been here to greet his son and daughter-in-laws.

How odd. I could have just assumed he had left all the hosting duties to Mother if he hadn’t shown up last summer, either. But for him to disappear now?

The Patriarch had seemed relatively calm even during the New Year’s introduction gathering. He didn’t seem to have any complaints about my partners, and even if he did, he wasn’t the type to show his discontent by pulling a no-show like this.

“He mentioned he had a meeting with the Chairman. He’ll be back by the end of the day.”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Mother must have sensed my confusion because she explained the situation gently.

Ah.

I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him once I knew the reason. So he was just busy with work.

“He must be really busy.”

“What can you do? It’s always hectic for them at the start of the year.”

That comment would make any civil servant on leave feel a bit awkward.

But in the empire, legislative officials were usually far more overwhelmed than those in the administration during the New Year season. So, I just kept my mouth shut.

That’s my future.

I felt a bit uneasy. The title of being an imperial count automatically came with a seat in the legislature, which meant that I’d also become a member of the council once I inherited the title.

Of course, someone with a high enough position in the administrative or military sector could send a family member to represent them in the council to prevent excessive workload. But wouldn’t sending a proxy mean that I failed to retire by then?

That was a terrifying thought. Was I really destined to work until I died?

Carl Krasius, the Black Carabao…

I bet that the Yellow Carabao which came with the Black Cow was the Crown Prince. I always thought that brat’s blond hair was suspicious.

“Come in, dear. Was the journey alright?”

Shaking off the bitterness, I engaged in the usual small talk. Mother’s eyes sparkled as she approached Marghetta.

“Yes. We teleported, so it was a smooth journey.”

Marghetta replied with a smile.

Mother then turned her gaze to the Mage Duchess, filled with affection and warmth rather than awkwardness.

“Thanks to Beatrix, I got to meet my daughters-in-law sooner. I appreciate it.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I was just as eager to see you.”

It was quite bold of a countess to call a duke by her given name, but the conversation itself remained pleasant. After all, it was a mutually agreed situation.

During the New Year’s meeting, Mother had come to terms with the reality of accepting the Mage Duchess as her daughter-in-law and had proposed a compromise. While it might still be too early for informal speech, she agreed to address her by her first name. Since the Mage Duchess wasn’t one to rush things, she readily accepted.

That’s how relationships grow.

You were already halfway there once you started calling someone by their name. After all, it was a natural step toward familiarity, like how calling a senior by their first name in the military eventually turned them into a peer.

I approached Erich while Mother was now engrossed in greeting her daughters-in-law.

“How have you been?”

“Same as usual. Not much to complain about.”

I just nodded at his indifferent response. What could possibly happen to a kid who’d been stuck here in the mansion?

“Sarah, it’s been a while. It’s almost been three years, right?”

I gave Erich a pat on the shoulder, then turned my attention to the woman standing next to him. It had been so long that my memory was a bit fuzzy, but the blonde hair and blue eyes told me that it had to be Sarah.

Plus, her face looked just like how I remembered her from the last time I saw her, so it had to be her. Thankfully, she’d grown up beautifully without any awkward changes—though that wasn’t surprising for the head maid’s daughter.

“Yes, I think it’s been that long.”

“I’m sorry. I should have visited or at least made an appearance, but I’ve been neglectful.”

“It’s okay. Erich has been coming over enough for the both of you.”

Sarah spoke with a soft shake of her head and a gentle smile as she held Erich’s hand.

It seemed natural at first glance, but there was a slight trembling in her hand upon closer inspection.

Oh.

Her shy demeanor made it obvious to me—Sarah had feelings for Erich.

I couldn’t be sure whether it was just a crush or something deeper, but what woman would hold hands with a man she had no interest in? It was so obvious that even I, who hadn’t seen Sarah in three years, could tell. The people around them must have noticed long ago.

Yeah, if someone couldn’t see it by now, it wasn’t that they were clueless—they just had no brain at all.

…He doesn’t.

I knew as soon as I saw Erich’s face. This idiot had no clue.

It was odd; there seemed to be an invisible wall between them. Sarah looked full of nervous excitement, but Erich was holding her hand with a completely blank, indifferent expression.

You idiot. Smile, for goodness’ sake. Sarah’s going to cry if she sees that face.

He’d always been like this.

Frustration and resignation washed over me. Erich had been acting more normal ever since Louise broke his heart, so I’d almost forgotten that he was hopelessly dense and oblivious when it came to his own love life.

Of course, it was just my luck that this applied not only to Louise but to anyone else as well…

At least there’s no competition this time.

If there was one small consolation, it was that there were no other competitors this time, unlike with Louise. It was just the two of them. So, his complete lack of awareness and intelligence wasn’t going to be a huge problem.

The only person who would suffer was Sarah, who seemed to be burning with emotion. I had heard she was just starting to recover her health, but it was worrying that she might collapse again from the stress.

“I’m glad you two seem to get along well.”

“We’ve been childhood friends, so this much is to be expected.”

Sarah’s expression shifted between joy and disappointment at Erich’s words. His words showed he valued her, but at the same time, they clearly drew the line, labeling their relationship as ‘just friends.’

“I guess Sarah will be bored when school starts again. You’ll have to spend more time together before then.”

Seeing Sarah’s complex expression, I decided to chime in. After all, the least I could do was offer some support here since I had unintentionally stolen Erich’s first love.

There was fortunately no competition, and they had shared memories as childhood friends. There wasn’t any rush. All they needed to do was spend more time together, and eventually, even Erich might notice her feelings—

“Oh, Sarah is entering the academy too.”

Wait… what?

“She’s enrolling?”

“Yes, I’ll be starting as a second-year.”

I nodded absentmindedly, caught off guard by the revelation.

Has she improved that much?

This surprised me. Sarah had spent most of her life bedridden, but was she healthy enough now to attend the academy? I had thought she was only well enough for brief outings.

“I guess we’ll see each other often at the academy. Please take care of me, oppa.”

“Uh, sure.”

“I heard you’re the advisor for the baking club. I hope we can meet there as well.”

“Yeah…”

Well, at least her recovery was good news.

Looks like I’ll be updating the club roster soon…

***

A lakeside near the capital, known only to a select few, served as a quiet retreat where a handful of imperial council members gathered to relax.

“It’s not a good day for it.”

“Even the fish must be hibernating.”

This was a fishing spot often praised by the council members, and today three of us had come here for some winter fishing.

Truth be told, this wasn’t the best time for me to be here, considering that Carl was visiting the mansion with his prospective wives today. However, the issue was that this fishing trip had been planned long in advance.

Of course, I could have explained the situation and rescheduled, but one of my companions, Count Vardon, had always been the type to quietly hold onto grudges when plans were delayed. He had mellowed with age, but as his friend, I still bore the brunt of his old habits.

So, I told my wife that I’d be a bit late due to work and made my way to the lake.

Technically, this is work.

As a council member, it was part of my ‘social duties’ to mingle with the Imperial Council’s Chairman, Count Vardon. Anyone could see that. So, I trusted that my wife would understand.

“I didn’t want to have to use this.”

Vardon muttered, staring at his motionless fishing rod before pulling something from his coat.

“What is that?”

“An artifact containing thunderbolt magic. If I throw this into the lake—“

“Put that away. Do you want this to be your last fishing trip?”

At that, Vardon clicked his tongue in disappointment and returned the artifact to his coat.

“You’ve grown crazier since I last saw you. The imperial council really isn’t a place to stay too long at.”

The former Count of Horfeld, George, burst out laughing at Vardon’s antics. There was a sharp edge to his laughter, a mix of superiority and mockery that wasn’t just my imagination.

“Isn’t it embarrassing to be pushed aside while you’re still in your prime?”

“Passing your title to your daughter when she’s barely 20? That’s low, even for you.”

Vardon, sensing the rising tension, joined me in a fierce verbal assault against George. However—

“I’m content to live as a shameless man. You two should worry about your own lives.”

George retorted calmly, shutting us both up.

It still amazed me. No one expected him to retire and hand his title to his 19-year-old daughter while he was still in his prime. The entire council had been thrown into chaos over his sudden retirement, but there was nothing anyone could do since it had been the Emperor’s decision.

“Are you jealous?”

“Shut up before I bash your head in with my gavel.”

“Ooh, how scary.”

Vardon, visibly irritated by George’s taunting, pulled the thunderbolt artifact out again.

Honestly, using it on him might be more satisfying than throwing it into the lake.

“By the way, Wilhelm, are you sure it’s okay for you to be here right now?”

George, sensing things were getting out of hand, quickly changed the subject. It was an obvious attempt, but I went along with it—dragging an electrocuted friend back home wouldn’t be fun.

“It’s a shame I wouldn’t be there to greet him when he arrives, but my son isn’t the type to hold a grudge over something like that.”

“Unlike some people. Seems like someone aged backward.”

George said, glancing pointedly at Vardon.

Vardon, clearly feeling the sting of George’s jab, raised his voice defensively.

“I would’ve rescheduled had I known his son was visiting!”

“Sure, that’s easy to say after the fact.”

I couldn’t help but nod in agreement, which only made Vardon’s face turn redder. But he didn’t deny it outright, suggesting that he probably believed it himself.

“Anyway, congratulations. I was worried that your son would never settle down, but who would’ve guessed he was secretly gathering six wives?”

George said, laughing heartily before composing himself and continuing in a more serious tone.

“And now it’s time for Erich to find someone, too.”

“That’s for him to decide.”

George let out a dissatisfied grunt at my firm reply. He was relentless. But finding a partner was something that happened in its own time. Trying to force it as their parent would only lead to disaster.

Especially someone as busy as her.

To make matters worse, the person George was trying to set up with my son was his own daughter, who, at 19, was already an imperial countess and a council member herself. She had more than enough on her plate.

Sure, she and Erich had known each other since childhood, but using that connection as a basis for marriage seemed rash. Forcing something that was only meant to be a friendship into a marriage would only lead to trouble down the road.

“Zenobia said she likes Erich, though…”

“Then they’ll meet naturally on their own. Don’t meddle.”

“You’re so stubborn.”

With that, the conversation about Erich ended naturally. And just as Vardon was on the verge of tossing the thunderbolt artifact into the lake, we finally called it a day.