The Best Assassin, Incarnated Into A Different World’s Aristocrat - CH 133

At last, the party had begun.

We held it in a standing buffet style to make it easier to converse, and I had placed three small standing bar tables in the center of the room.

As for the dishes, I placed them alongside the walls.

The idea was to allow everyone to take their favorite dishes and eat them while chatting with whoever they wanted to eat with.

[Everyone, get your favorite dish first. Then we’ll drink a toast.] (Lugh)

[Ooh! There are so many different dishes to choose from. Ah, there’s gratin! And it’s served in crab shells! So cute!] (Dia)

Whenever we took a serving of gratin, it always looked sloppy and messy.

I didn’t like that, so I stuffed it into small crab shells and cooked all of them in the oven.

Of course, I used the crab meat as a garnish to create a superb crab gratin, making it both eye-catching and delicious.

[They all look so tasty I can’t make up my mind!] (Tarte)

[It’s been so long since I’ve had your cooking, Lugh-niisan. This is the best treat I could ask for.] (Maha)

[Cian, it all looks so appetizing.] (Esri)

[It certainly does. Let’s help ourselves as well.] (Cian)

The reason I decided to have this kind of party even though there were only six of us was so rather than chatting noisily with everyone at the same table, we could all have an in-depth conversation with whoever we wanted in particular.

A while back, Dia was hoping to chat with Maha in private, and even my parents wanted to have a formal conversation with each one of my fiancées.

[But I have to say, they look really gorgeous.] (Lugh)

I gazed at the girls once again.

All of the dresses Maha had procured suited them really well.

Dia’s dress was mainly white, and decorated with frills here and there. She looked as lovely as a fairy.

Tarte’s dress was a fluffy, gardenia-colored dress with a daring cleavage window. That reddish yellow color fitted my image of her as a warm-hearted girl perfectly. And what’s more, she looked sexy.

Maha’s dress was purple with a mature design, and impeccable through and through. It had a slit on the side of her leg area, giving her a beautiful, cool, and bewitching appearance.

All of those outfits were state-of-the-art creations made by top-class artisans, using the best materials in the world.

I’m amazed that she managed to purchase them on such short notice.

[I see that you’ve all picked up your dishes. Before we toast, I wish to say a few words. First of all, Dia, Tarte, Maha, thank you for loving me. You’re all beautiful, adorable, and talented girls. And I thank you for picking me in spite of all the other guys you could’ve selected. Choosing me was not a mistake. And I intend to prove it in the life we’ll spend together from now on.] (Lugh)

I despised modesty.

Saying things like “someone like me”, “little ol’ me”, or “a good-for-nothing like me.”

Those were typical lines, but I would never say them since it would be the same as claiming that the girls had bad taste in men for choosing me.

So, I declared that their choice wasn’t a mistake.

I did realize that I was setting the bar high. But if I was the kind of man who couldn’t keep his word, then I wouldn’t even deserve to be with them.

[You can count on me to make you all happy. However, I only have one request to make of you. I want you girls to make me happy as well. If we all work hard on each other’s happiness, we can achieve a future much better than if I were the only one to work on it. …Like what Father and Mother have. I want us to build a warm family, like my parents did.] (Lugh)

Before my reincarnation, I was just a tool used for killing.

The man I used to be did have knowledge of the preciousness and warmth of life, but that was it.

I used to think that love and romance were nothing more than two of many acting tools to facilitate murders.

But now, it was no longer just knowledge, but a personal experience thanks to being born in Tuatha Dé, and raised tenderly by my parents.

They turned me from a tool into a human being.

And for that, they had both my gratitude and my admiration.

[Of course. I can’t let you be the only one of us who makes the other happy.] (Dia)

[I belong to you, Lugh-sama. I have always lived for your sake, and that will never change!] (Tarte)

[I feel the same as Tarte. But… Let’s just say that I will show a little less restraint from now on.] (Maha)

I liked their replies.

My heart felt hot. Surely it was because they were the best partners for me that I felt so excited without an ounce of anxiety at that moment.

[And that was the end of my speech. Now, let’s have a toast.] (Lugh)

We all raised our glasses.

The drink I served was a local brew from Tuatha Dé. It was made with maple syrup.

The thing about maple syrup was that it could only be collected during a very short period of time in the winter, and a single tree never contained much of it.

It was a modest luxury that was exclusively consumed in our domain.

And so, this brew was only available in our land.

Which is why I chose it to toast to our engagement party.

[Cheers!] (Lugh)

We clinked our glasses.

With smiles on our faces.

Let the party begin.

The party had begun.

My parents immediately called each one of us at a time for an interview of some sort.

The first one to talk to my parents was Maha.

So we split up: me, Dia and Tarte at one table, and my parents and Maha at another.

[Wow…! This gratin is so delish!] (Dia)

[I used crab fat as a secret ingredient to give it a nice flavor.] (Lugh)

[Um…! What is this soft and plump fish!? I have never tasted such delicious fish before!] (Tarte)

[It’s eel. Eels are best eaten when cooked like this.] (Lugh)

The food was well received, and the excitement in the room was high.

Both of them were eating more than usual.

When I glanced at Maha from the corner of my eye, she was happily chatting with my parents even though they had never met before.

Maha’s social skills were stupendous.

The fact that she could mingle with all the malicious individuals prevailing in high society as Orna’s representative was no small feat.

[Maha is a real beauty, isn’t she?] (Dia)

[I envy her.] (Tarte)

Maja was beautiful in appearance, in the way she stood, in the way she spoke, and in everything she did.

Some of her qualities were from birth, but many of those were acquired through her own hard work.

[When you two put on your party clothes, you’re as pretty as she is, you know? There’s that gap between dressing up on a regular basis and occasionally.] (Lugh)

Both of them were blessed with excellent looks. The rest was only a matter of how to make the most of them. But in Dia’s case, as the daughter of the county of Viekone, she had been thoroughly trained in etiquette, and I had trained Tarte as the personal servant of an aristocrat so that she wouldn’t embarrass herself no matter the place.

[I have to make it the norm for me, or else I’ll feel inferior.] (Dia)

[I feel the same. I think being able to look so pretty 24h a day like Maha does is a true talent.] (Tarte)

She’s got a point.

…Although, even Maha tends to revert to a regular girl when it’s just the two of us, but I’d better keep that to myself.

After that, Maha came back to us.

This time, Dia was next.

[Welcome back. What did my parents tell you?] (Lugh)

[They asked me to take good care of you.] (Maha)

[So they’ve fully accepted you.] (Lugh)

[They’ve accepted me from the very beginning. They said that they knew any girl you picked would be a good choice. They simply wanted reassurance. So I let them know who I was without hiding anything about myself.] (Maha)

Looks like they put a lot of trust in me.

[That’s good news.] (Lugh)

[Yes. I’m also relieved that they’re such nice people. I think we can work this out. But there’s only one problem. I want to protect Orna. But your parents said that I can’t leave Tuatha Dé… So living together would be hard.] (Maha)

Well, no surprise there.

Orna conducted business all over the country, and even the world, but the main store was in Milteu.

Maha couldn’t leave that place.

And at the same time, she wasn’t about to give up her position as Orna’s representative to someone else.

[I’ll try to visit you as much as I can. I could also take my parents along for some sightseeing.] (Lugh)

[…I’ve always managed to remain patient about it until now, but living apart despite being engaged sounds too lonely for me. And so, I’ve come up with a great idea.] (Maha)

[I’m having a bad feeling about this.] (Lugh)

[I will relocate Orna’s main store to Tuatha Dé.] (Maha)

[What would be the point of relocating the main store to such a rural area?] (Lugh)

[I could contribute to the development of Tuatha Dé, and make it greater than Milteu. Then no one would ask questions about Orna’s main store being here, right?] (Maha)

That was one crazy proposition.

Milteu’s growth was in large part due to its advantageous location.

Since it was situated in the center of the country, it was easy to get to from anywhere. The nearby roads were also well-maintained. Additionally, it had the largest port in the country, making it extremely easy to transport merchandise.

On the other hand, Tuatha Dé was located in the westernmost part of the Alvanian Kingdom, with neither coasts nor large rivers that ships could pass through. If anything, the mountainous terrain was extremely disadvantageous to distribution.

[You do realize that developing Tuatha Dé into a commercial city is realistically unfeasible, right?] (Lugh)

[I know. But even so, I have a plan to make it happen. You can look forward to it.] (Maha)

[So for now, you still wanna keep it a secret?] (Lugh)

[Yes. Because it’s more fun this way.] (Maha)

Well, if Maha came up with it, it shouldn’t be a bad plan.

It won’t change Tuatha Dé in a way I don’t like.

While we were having that discussion, Dia had finished talking to my parents and came back… except not, as she went to get more food instead.

This time, she went for the deep-fried shrimps I cooked using lobsters.

Mom was beckoning Tarte to come to their table when Dia returned to ours.

[Wow…! This seafood is so sweet and tender! And this sour sauce is a masterpiece! Hmmm…! What bliss!] (Dia)

[…So, how was it?] (Lugh)

[It’s delicious.] (Dia)

[I mean your conversation with them.] (Lugh)

[It was nothing weird. They just excitedly mentioned how they wanted us to have children as soon as possible, and that although I’d be your first wife, only the most outstanding of your kids would inherit Tuatha Dé, and that I shouldn’t hold a grudge if none of my kids were chosen to hold that position. See? Nothing but a common subject.] (Dia)

[I think that was a rather heavy subject, though…] (Lugh)

For her to make light of such a topic, Dia really was a trueborn aristocrat.

[The women of House Viekone give birth to strong children, so you can count on me in that regard. I’ll do my best as your wife.] (Dia)

That statement wasn’t based on the occult, it was a fact.

That explained how I was born as the Tuatha Dé clan’s greatest masterpiece, and why some great noble aimed to abduct her.

[I don’t really care about that kind of stuff.] (Lugh)

Regardless of whether they’d be outstanding or not, I planned to treasure all of our children.

[Whether they’ll be exceptional or not, I can love them just fine, but there’ll be less to worry about if they’re capable. Life is never easy for aristocrats. So for the sake of our children as well, we’ll need to raise them to be strong. With a strict education.] (Dia)

[In moderation, then.] (Lugh)

[Hmm… I think… you would be much more reckless than me in educating them. After all, when it comes to training us, you’re a real devil.] (Dia)

[It’s not like I’m too hard on you girls, though.] (Lugh)

All I did was analyze Dia and Tarte’s physiques, and push their training to the limit of what they could handle for maximum efficiency.

I would never ask too much of them.

[Yeah, I knew you would agree. Ah! Tarte is coming back.] (Dia)

Tarte was walking toward us.

[Everything alright?] (Lugh)

[Y-Yes! They gave me plenty of advice about being the wife of an aristocrat. Like how I should prepare myself for people gossiping about me at social gatherings for being from a commoner background and such. It will serve as a good reference.] (Tarte)

So they weren’t asking her if she should allow it or not, they were giving her advice for the future.

Tarte had been like a member of our family for years. I guess Mom and Dad weren’t going to test her now of all times.

[And next… Mother-in-law said that since you were the herbivorous type and weak to pressure… then… I should start taking the lead. And that soon… she would make me… something amazing… to get you in the mood.] (Tarte)

That last part left her bright red.

…That mother of mine is unbelievable.

[…Don’t think too much about it.] (Lugh)

[Yes! I mean… I will do my best!] (Tarte)

She totally can’t stop thinking about it.

I’d better keep an eye on Tarte for a while.

And then, they called me over next.

I wonder what my parents are going to tell me.

I moved to my parents’ bar table.

Both of them had such a serious look in their eyes. It was nothing new with my father, but I had hardly ever seen my mother make such a face.

[All of your fiancées are such wonderful ladies, Lugh. I guess you truly have an eye for women.] (Cian)

[Well done, my son! I’m so glad we’ll have such nice girls as our daughters-in-law.] (Esri)

Mom gave me a thumbs up.

[Yeah. They’re all great.] (Lugh)

[But having three wives will be lots of work. Even I already have a hard time with just Esri alone.] (Cian)

[Now what do you mean by that?] (Esri)

Mom was smiling, but her eyes were saying otherwise.

[Ahem…! Anyway, there’ll be all sorts of hardships.] (Cian)

[I understand. I’ve resolved myself to make them all happy. No matter how hard it gets, it will be a far cry better than letting some other men take them.] (Lugh)

It wasn’t like I intended to make them all my fiancées from the beginning.

I was going to pick someone eventually, and even if the girls wanted to marry someone else, I would’ve been rooting for them.

But despite having already started a relationship with Dia and Tarte, when Maha was proposed to, I felt helplessly lonely, fearful, and angry that she would be taken away from me.

That was when I made my decision.

I wouldn’t let go of anyone. And I would make all three of them happy.

I was convinced that the happiness I would gain would be worth any kind of trouble.

And I decided that if I was gonna be selfish, then I had to make them happier than any man in the world ever could.

[Being open-minded is a good thing. But now that you’ve given your word, you’ll have to follow through with it.] (Cian)

[Of course. And I know I can. After all, you’ve raised me to be strong enough for that.] (Lugh)

[*Sob…!* Lugh-chan, you’ve grown into such a splendid man. Also, Mommy wants to see the faces of her grandchildren as soon as possible, so be sure to work hard on that too!] (Esri)

[That’ll have to wait.] (Lugh)

I wanted to save that for after I saved the world.

The girls weren’t just my lovers, they were also my greatest assets.

[You meanie.] (Esri)

Mom was giving me the stink-eye. I knew that was the one thing she wouldn’t let up on.

After that, we talked about the future.

My father and mother were both smiling. And at the table next to ours, all three girls were chatting and seemingly having fun.

I think we’re all gonna get along just fine.

They’re all good people.

And I’ll do my best to preserve this happiness.

With that same determination in my heart, the engagement party went on until late at night.