Chapter 51
Was there a door outside connected to Cedric’s dimension? It seemed like that may have been the case.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
While calming my startled heart, I recalled how Johan had seemed quite different from his usual self just moments ago.
‘So Johan has that side to him too.’
I was a bit surprised by this new facet of the man I had only seen as mature and composed. Just a little… intimidating too.
“Hmm.”
Johan, who had been staring intently at me, reached out and carefully fixed my disheveled hair, messed up from the commotion. It was such a tender gesture, completely unlike the rough manner he had with Cedric.
“I almost forgot the most important thing.”
“The most important thing?”
Johan lifted my hand and removed the ring precariously hung on my left ring finger.
Then, snap!
‘Huh!’
I gaped in shock as he effortlessly crushed the solid gold ring into pieces with his sheer strength. Johan then nonchalantly dusted the powdered remains into the trash bin.
He then transitioned the topic in an incredibly natural way.
“Ah, it’s been a while.”
“Y-Yes, it has. You went to a dungeon, right? You weren’t injured, were you?”
We casually chatted as if nothing had happened while cleaning up together.
“Yes, I’m unharmed. I just got back today, actually…”
“Without even resting first.”
“I missed this place.”
Our customers seem to have deeper affection for the Milky Way Lounge than I do.
Of course, Johan was also a special customer to me. He was, after all, the Milky Way Lounge’s very first customer.
🫧
Half a day earlier, having completed the dungeon raid, Johan led his knights back to their territory. As he rode at the front, a resounding trumpet fanfare followed their march.
“Hurrah for the Black Lion Knights!”
“The valiant Lord protected us!”
Johan lightly waved to the cheering residents.
Then one of the knights approached him.
“My Lord, the celebratory banquet is prepared.”
“And provisions for the residents too?”
“Yes, we’re ready to distribute food and drink to them generously.”
“Then let’s start picking up the pace.”
Johan spurred his horse faster, the knights diligently following behind.
This latest battle had caused devastating losses. There were many casualties, and the majority, including Johan, suffered minor to major injuries.
Times like these call for a morale boost. Hence, the victory banquet was arranged.
As Johan pulled on the reins, excited voices reached his ears.
“The banquet is being held at the Lord’s manor? The Crystal Hall, no less!”
“I’ve only heard rumors of those magnificent chandeliers. But don’t noble manors rarely host parties?”
“You fool, that’s the host’s role. But our Lord hasn’t even had a hint of rosy news.”
“He’s probably preserving that handsome face, waiting to make full use of it.”
“Others may not know, but first, he needs to let people know that face is handsome to begin with.”
“He has a long way to go.”
It has been a frequent topic of discussion lately. The vassals, in particular, had started being quite blatant with their hints. Even the butler would seize any chance to comment about how some young lady of a certain house was quite lovely.
In society, they may wax poetic about love and romance, but for nobles, marriage is ultimately a union between houses. Johan knew he too would one day have to fulfill that duty.
Yet he was reluctant to do so.
He wasn’t naive enough to believe in love. Johan rationally accepted that marriage would eventually become necessary for him.
But why did he feel such a strong aversion to it?
‘The monster spawning season is coming up soon. It’s going to get busy.’
As Johan found this rational reason, a large screen appeared in his view, showing the march of the Black Lion Knights.
This screen, or more precisely, the “magitech” that combined magic and science, was the current emperor’s greatest achievement.
‘It was truly a world-changing development.’
In just over 30 years, the industrialized machines completely transformed the lives of the empire’s citizens.
This was made possible because the emperor had a special ability to glimpse other dimensions.
By extracting technologies from dimensions far more advanced than this one, their progress accelerated rapidly.
With magitech, new weapons were developed and the empire swiftly conquered the continent. If their machines didn’t freeze up in the extreme cold beyond the ice walls, they would have already conquered the dungeons too.
It truly had to be a special ability.
‘Just like how Sena receives customers from various dimensions.’
When was the last time he saw her?
Johan reminisced. Before raiding the dungeon, he had briefly visited and found the cocktail bar had moved from the forest to the desert.
‘She mentioned the bar’s name changed in the meantime.’
He thought ‘Whatever, That’ was an excessively strange name, but the new ‘Milky Way Lounge’ sounded quite suitable.
Recalling Sena’s impassioned explanation that the old name had its own story brought a faint smile to his lips.
Lost in these thoughts, Johan arrived at his manor where the banquet preparations were in full swing amidst the bustle.
“My Lord, welcome back!”
“Congratulations on your triumphant return.”
The servants lined up to bow in unison as Johan and the knights dismounted their horses. Servants promptly led the horses to the stables.
“Knights, please come this way to the Crystal Hall.”
As the head maid deftly guided the knights, an elderly butler with graying hair approached Johan.
“Pardon me, my Lord. May I have a moment of your time?”
“…Very well. Go enjoy the banquet first, I’ll join shortly.”
“Yes!”
After hearing the knights’ resounding reply, Johan glanced at the departing group before turning to the butler.
“What is it?”
“You are the host of this banquet, my Lord. Even if it’s a victory celebration, proper decorum must be observed.”
Ah, that’s right. Often identifying more as a knight than a noble, Johan sometimes completely forgot such formalities.
“I’ll get ready right away.”
“The bathwater is prepared.”
Upon entering the manor, Johan immediately soaked in the tub, slowly unwinding from the lengthy battle’s exertions.
Refreshed after washing away his fatigue, Johan donned elegant formal wear with the servants’ assistance. His reflection in the mirror looked unfamiliar.
‘I look like a pampered young lord.’
Not like someone who could defeat monsters with his bare hands.
Johan needlessly adjusted his uncomfortable cravat before following the butler.
“Wait, this isn’t the way, is it?”
“It’s this way.”
The direction the butler led was toward the greenhouse garden, filled with flowers rare in the perpetually snowy northern region—a place cherished by Johan’s late mother, the former Madam.
“What nonsense is this?”
Johan asked sharply, causing the butler to swallow dryly.
“Actually, Lady Primrose of the Marquis’ family is waiting in the greenhouse garden.”
“The family that sent a marriage proposal. What business does that lady have here?”
The butler cleared his throat awkwardly before answering Johan’s question.
“She must have come to greet you. Doesn’t the Primrose family have a villa in the North?”
“If that was the case, the marquess himself would have come in person.”
Johan’s sarcasm made the butler drop the pretense.
“It’s not something you need to take offense to, my Lord. You should start making appearances in high society as well. Don’t you think it’s time you actively considered marriage?”
“Here we go again with that.”
Johan’s blue eyes held a coldness akin to the northern weather. Yet the butler remained unfazed.
“You are frequently away on campaigns, my Lord. It is the duty of the head of the household to take a wife to manage the estate and produce an heir to carry on the family line.”
Duty. An obligation that must be fulfilled.
Such weighty matters burdened Johan’s shoulders.
“……”
Johan suddenly thought of his father.
His father was a man who embodied the very meaning of responsibility.
From a young age, Johan was pressured by his father to take responsibility for the family.
His father, who died fighting monsters to protect the north, even left a will mirroring himself…
“Johannes. You must support His Majesty and protect the empire. That is your duty…..”
Regardless of Johan’s own will, everyone expected the same thing from him. Having grown up watching his father, he found himself living a similar life.
He had lived that way until now, so he would likely continue down that path.
‘Really?’
Shaking off the defiant thought, Johan entered the greenhouse garden, greeted by a warm, spring-like air.
Not too far away stood a woman with luscious golden hair cascading down her back. This must be Lady Primrose the butler mentioned.
“You’re late. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting…”
Hearing the door, Lady Primrose whipped around, her cold voice trailing off.
The moment their eyes met, her eyes widened and her cheeks immediately flushed red.
“Y-You’re the Lord?”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I am Duke Archer.”
It was a familiar reaction. She must have heard unflattering rumors calling him an ugly brute or monster, and was caught off guard by his decent looks.
‘She was clearly dragged here against her will by her parents.’
🥂
Thank you for reading! ♡
