Reborn as the Hero's Daughter - Chapter 577: Date With Finia

In the end, I was practically forced out of the mansion with Finia.

She wanted us to go have fun, but where could we do that in these boonies?

Well there was the market at least, so we could spend some time there, but I wasn’t sure that Cortina would be satisfied with that.

“It’s her we’re talking about, so she wouldn’t be satisfied if we just go look around.”

“Do you hate the idea of going out with me, Lord Reid?”

“No such thing!”

I instantly rejected Finia’s words who watched a few steps behind me.

Honestly, she was too good for me, and just walking with her like this was enough to attract the male villagers’ gazes.

I guess the reason I learned to notice such gazes is due to my experiences as Nicole.

Finia lived with me here eight years ago, so quite a few men remembered her.

Adults and boys of my age at the time were currently captivated by her beauty too.

Finia wasn’t only pretty on the outside, but was perfect at housework, cooking, and babysitting.

The village boys knew that, so it was like the ideal wife returned to the village. But next to her was some suspicious mean-eyed guy.

It would’ve been stranger if they didn’t direct such gazes at me.

“Um, Lord Reid. Do you have enough time?”

She suddenly asked me in a quiet voice. She meant the time I could remain as Reid.

Fortunately, I turned into this form yesterday evening, so I could safely walk with her until afternoon.

“Don’t worry, it should last until Fina’s afternoon-snack.”

“That should be more than needed.”

As we chatted in low voices, a familiar elderly lady called out to us from a nearby stall. It was a fruit seller that had been living here for a long time.

“Oh, Finia. You’ve returned?”

“Yes, yesterday. I’m sorry for being unable to come to greet you, auntie Nina.”

She was a high-spirited lady who we knew since we used to live here.

The market wasn’t just made up of the caravan merchants opening up the stores. There were also stalls like this intended to sell food to the merchants too.

“Not a problem. If Lord Lyell’s servant came to greet me, I would feel humbled.”

“Ahaha, I am an orphan, remember?”

“That doesn’t matter. In this village at least. More importantly, who is that fine man next to you?”

“Err, he is accompanying me on the shopping.”

“I see. He has a good face, but his eyes are a bit mean-looking.”

“A-Auntie…”

Finia broke into a cold sweat at her blunt remark, characteristic of people from rural areas.

But I wasn’t so narrow-minded as to get angry at that. It was a fact that my eyes were mean-looking.

Plus, my face wasn’t as known as I was famous. Even on the bronze Six Hero statues, only my face was strangely ambiguous.

This was in consideration of the fact that I was an assassin. It was already stupid that an assassin was famous, so if even my face was known, it would have gotten in the way of my work.

“I’ve had these eyes since birth, so gimme a break.”

“Oh, you’re not angry? Looks like you’re quite tolerant.”

“Please stop trying to test me too.”

“Ahahaha, sorry about that. Take apples as an apology!”

She threw apples bigger than my palm my way as she said that. And quite powerfully too.

Of course, I could safely catch it, but it would’ve hit your average guy in the face and made his nose bleed, you know?

“Careful, now?!”

“Your reflexes aren’t bad, huh?”

“I said stop testing me!”

I yelled and then gave one apple to Finia. Still, her mercilessness hasn’t really changed since I left the village huh?

I waved at her as thanks and quickly evacuated from the place.

This lady looked after the neighborhood children a lot. Michelle used to go pester her for apples all the time too.

For that reason, there was enough possibility that she could connect my habits during my childhood here to the current me.

It was best to quickly evacuate from people who knew me well.

Finia also said her thanks and trotted back to my side.

She used to walk a little behind but now that she was next to me, her tension was probably gone.

“But is this really already?”

“Hmm, the apples? I mean, if she gave it to us, just take it.”

“Not that, I mean about Lady Cortina!”

“Ah, that?”

Finia held the apple with both hands and gnawed on it like a squirrel gnawing on a walnut.

It seemed like she was also trying to hide her face by doing that.

“I meet Lady Nicole every day… while Lady Cortina rarely does so, but she handed this chance to me…”

“Well, I was meeting her only once a month. But even you, Finia, were avoiding going out with this me in consideration of her, so no rumors would spread, right?”

I only met Finia as Reid as often as Cortina.

But Finia was avoiding spreading the rumors that I was cheating and deceiving Cortina, so she avoided walking alone with me to the utmost.

In Cortina’s case, we often went to eat and walk together, but in Finia’s it was mostly eating inside some stores or secluded places and shop corners.

Both Cortina and I thought about whether this kind of life wasn’t giving her stress.

I had to thank Cortina for creating this chance for today.

“Well, Cortina gave us the go-ahead, so no need to hold back. Come, the crowds are forming.”

Finia was startled to get pushed away by the passersby so I went and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer. I held the apple in one hand while escorting Finia with the other.

“Cortina should have no complaints with this.”

“Lady Cortina?”

“Yeah. Check behind you. Take a peek past the general store.”

I said that and gave Finia a hand mirror I picked up from the accessory store.

The shopkeeper started the sales speech in vigor, but we just ignored it.

“…Oh.”

“See?”

Finia realized my intention and peeked behind with the mirror.

There, in the corner of the general store, Cortina and Ashella were seen peeking their faces.

“If they wanted to monitor us, at least choose a better method.”

“Tailing you is quite an absurd thing to do.”

As Finia said, if I failed to sense the tailing of amateurs like Cortina and Ashella, I would seriously have to consider retiring.

“Still… she told us to go and have fun, but she intended to make us a show all along.”

“That is simply how it ended up as. Lady Cortina is a kind person. She is a little too curious, though.”

“Curiosity killed the cat, as they say.”

There was no need to even make an assumption for that half-elf loli granny next to her.

But still, this could be amusing in its own way.

Whenever I held Finia’s hand or embraced her, Cortina was flailing her arms in excitement.

And Finia went beet red each time, so of course I found the whole thing amusing.

Like this, come afternoon, after I had my fill teasing Finia with Cortina tailing behind, I headed back to Stollar.