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Chapter 477: 「It’s Not Like We Got Intimate Or Anything…」

Absolutely not! I’m never coming back here again, idiot! I’m going to have an ulcer if I do that!

I screamed internally while plastering a 100% fake smile on my face, returning the ever-present grin of that annoying Fucking Emperor.

「You should stay the night… We can prepare a room for you. Right? Mother?」

「I would also love for them to stay, but I’m sure Mimi-san and the Captain have their own circumstances. We can’t force them, Luciada.」

「Mimi-kun, if anything ever troubles you, don’t hesitate to come to me. I may not be able to replace your parents, but I will do everything in my power to help.」

Mimi was having a tough time too, being asked to stay by the Princess and the Crown Princess, and even receiving a serious declaration of protection from the Crown Prince. She is smiling, but I can tell she is really struggling. It’s crystal clear to me, I’m in the same boat after all.

Honestly, I was completely floored by Crown Prince Walter. The guy kept giving me this shifty look as if he was suspicious of me for having a romantic relationship with Mimi, who looks exactly like his own daughter. I get that it’s not pleasant, but I’d really appreciate it if you’d stop looking at me like you’re considering how to kill me. Seriously, that’s no joke. Getting glared at by the next emperor is enough to shave years off my life.

By the time the sun was setting—or rather, had completely set—Mimi and I were finally freed from entertaining the royals. After saying goodbye to the Imperial Family, we were escorted out of the Imperial Palace by Isolde and the rest of the Imperial Guard knights that had brought us here. They even took care of our transportation back to the Black Lotus. Our ride back was extremely luxurious, but we were so utterly exhausted that there was almost no conversation between Mimi and me inside it. That said, we simply didn’t exchange unnecessary words, we still leaned against each other seeking the comfort of the other’s presence, we were in silence but it was by no means uncomfortable.

「Good work—wait, why are you two so exhausted? your eyes are practically dead.」

「Anyone would look like this after spending hours dealing with the highest-ranking family in a massive space empire.」

「Th-thank you for your hard work, my Lord.」

Elma and Kugi, who had come to greet us, both had strained expressions. Apparently, Mimi and I looked pretty bad. Even though we tried to recharge our spirits by leaning on each other during the ride back, it clearly wasn’t enough.

「For now, I’m going to change. In any case, I want to leave the capital as soon as possible, so let’s get ready to depart as quickly as we can.」

「Aye aye, sir. Is that okay with you, Mei?」

「Understood. I will proceed with the departure preparations.」

Elma spoke toward the ceiling, and Mei’s voice echoed from somewhere nearby. There were quite a few sensors and speakers installed around the ramp area, so Mei was probably using those to monitor our conversation.

In any case, I couldn’t really relax while still in my formal attire, so I quickly returned to my room to change into my usual clothes. Honestly, I feel like taking a shower too… Maybe I should just go ahead and take one. With Elma and Mei handling the departure preparations, everything should be fine.

「Oh, Hiro-sama…」

「You had the same idea, huh Mimi?」

「Looks like it.」

We exchanged tired smiles when we bumped into each other in front of the shower room. Since we are already here, we might as well take a proper bath together instead of just a quick shower. Soaking in the bath together might just help us recover some energy.

☆★☆

「Alright, I’m feeling a bit better now.」

「Me too, I’m back in action!」

After taking a long bath with Mimi, we both felt revitalized. There’s nothing like a good soak and a bit of flirting to bring back your energy. It really gives you a renewed zest for life.

「So you had a nice, intimate time, huh? I’m jealous.」

「It’s not like we got intimate or anything…」

I responded to Neve’s teasing with a wry smile. Honestly, we didn’t have the energy for that kind of thing. Mimi, in particular, had to deal with the Crown Prince, his wife, and Princess Luciada all day. For someone like Mimi, who has the mindset of the typical Imperial citizen, it was an extremely stressful time.

「Man, you really had it rough, huh? Hate to bug ya when you’re still beat, but what’s the plan from here on out?」

「For now, our main goal is to head to the Holy Vuelzarus Empire. However, we can’t just ignore the Dareinwald and Holz Houses, so we’ll need to make contact with both before we go. It would be bad if we left the Empire without saying anything to them.」

They might interpret it exactly the way the Emperor suggested. If they think I fled to another country right before the engagement, that would cause all sorts of trouble. It would definitely damage the reputations of both Houses. Nobles are all about face, so just imagining the fallout from that is terrifying.

「So, does that mean we’re heading out tomorrow?」

「Yeah. It’s probably not a good idea for me to go alone, right?」

「I’m not sure… Honestly, this is a pretty unique situation when it comes to noble marriages, so it’s hard for me to say.」

「After all, the groom is already in a de facto marriage with multiple women… And it’s not just the Dareinwald and Holz Houses you need to talk to, you also have to talk to Elma’s family as well, right?」

「I’ll handle that part, so don’t worry. In any case, we should definitely visit the Dareinwald main estate in the Dexer system and meet with the Earl himself. Of course, Chris will need to join us as well.」

「Then, for now, the only thing we need to take care of in the capital is to pay a visit to the Holz House to say goodbye and explain our future plans. We can’t let Hiro-kun go alone, so it looks like Elma-kun is the best candidate to accompany him.」

「Shouldn’t Mei-san also go as their attendant?」

Our team of brainiacs was busy discussing our next steps. It’s such a relief to have people who can handle this kind of planning. While I do tend to overthink things, I’m not exactly the smartest guy around.

In the end, we decided that tomorrow we’d contact Chris to discuss visiting the Dareinwald main estate in the Dexer system, and at the same time, arrange an appointment with the Holz House through Serena. Elma would handle contacting the Willrose House tonight.

「Sorry for all the trouble, Elma… Thanks a lot.」

「It’s really no big deal. But you’d better pull yourself together by tomorrow, alright? If you meet with Marquis Holz in that droopy, exhausted state, he’ll definitely take advantage of you.」

「Got it.」

I thought I had recovered pretty well, but it seems that, from Elma’s perspective, I’m still not back to full strength. She’s right, though—letting that incredibly shifty Marquis see any weakness would be way too risky. I’ll take her advice and focus on recharging my energy properly tonight.