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Volume 8 Chapter 2 Part 4

「Of course he must’ve done that. That she was able to fight like that, it’s only natural for her to have learned some of Lord Michio’s battle arts.」

So even someone as strong as Gozer views Roxanne as someone genuinely strong? Well that makes me feel flattered.

「No, no, not at all. Everything she can do she learned by herself. I had very little to do with her…」

「Now that you mention it, her fighting style did centered around keeping her opponent as close to her as possible, so that might be the case here.」

「I see. So it was like that.」

These guys are probably thinking that Roxanne adopted her fighting style by watching me battle our enemies for so long, just like in that famous saying that 「You learn, from what is around you without even realizing it」, but when it comes to her, that’s really not the case here.

「She is a little bit special.」

「Hou? Oh really now?」

As soon as I mentioned that, the Duke immediately becomes interested in her. No! Not Roxanne! Absolutely not! It’s impossible! I will not allow it! Keep your pretty little pretty boy hands off my Roxanne, you hear me? Even if you offer me Cassia in exchange… I’m not going to accept that trade offer!

I’m not going to let go of Roxanne, and the same thing applies to Sherry, Miria and whatever members of my harem that are going to be joining it in the future!

The Duke grins at me, and in response I stare back at him. All right, we had our share of shits and giggles, but I don’t want this particular topic to go on for any longer.

「Erm… Lord Michio, I think that you would also like to know that we have already gifted the Palmasque Mirrors that you have bought on our behalf to the two influential figures of the territory, and their opinion of them was quite favorable.」

Reading the mood between the Duke and me, Gozer tries to change the topic of discussion to prevent the things from going south. As expected of Gozer. He truly is a man of the world, much wiser and more tactful than the Duke, who often tries to mess with me on purpose. And if he behaves like that not only towards me, but other people as well, then I cannot even begin to imagine how Gozer must be struggling while working under someone like that.

「That’s great to hear. I’m glad that they ended up liking the gift.」

「We’re happy about that as well. And that’s why we have already decided to gift one more mirror to someone.」

「Someone?」

「That’s right, someone.」

Gozer nods his head and the Duke confirms. They don’t tell me who that someone is, though, which is a little annoying.

Well, it’s not like I particularly want to know who they’re going to be giving it to anyway, so if they don’t want to tell that to me then that’s their business.

「We would like to keep using the Palmasque Mirrors decorated with frames made in Talem as gifts. Therefore, we would like to replenish the stock of three mirrors which we have already dispensed. Can we ask you to do it for us?」

Ahh, I see. So one of the reasons why I was called here today was so that they could rope me into getting more Palmasque Mirrors for them?

「If that’s what you want me to do, then I’ll do it.」

I accepted the offer, or rather the order that the Duke and Gozer have extended to me. After all, I need as much money for the upcoming auction as I can get, and if they just want to give it to me in exchange for delivering more Palmasque Mirrors to them, then there’s no reason for me to actually decline their little request now, is there?

「Be at ease, Lord Michio. Even if we ask this of you, there is no need for you to be in a rush. It’s going to be perfectly fine if you bring them to us one mirror at a time, exactly like you did before. And if you happened to buy two or three of the mirrors in excess, then we wouldn’t have mind it either.」

They didn’t pursue the matter of the duel any further and simply placed the order for more Palmasque Mirrors. That’s a perfect turn of events for me, especially since I was fully anticipating that they’re going to be on my ass about the duel and what happened during it. I guess that just goes to show that the fear of danger is greater than the danger itself, as the saying goes. This is just such a world, and in that regard, I guess I should be thankful for it.

Having resolved that matter much in my favor, I return home in pleasant mood. And after that, I didn’t go to the amber merchant, nor Palmasque. This time, I went straight to the Imperial Capital, and that’s because today is supposed to be the day when the custom ordered aprons should finally be finished, so my destination was the clothing store, which I have visited a little before the coming of the evening. I quickly received the finished aprons and returned home with them in tow as soon as possible.

「It looks great. Thank you very much for getting these for us, master!」

「They do appear to be very well made indeed.」

「Lovely and cute, desu!」

When I arrive at home, the three girls receive their aprons from me and immediately proceeded to check them out as they frolicked with one another.

They seem to like the aprons, which fills my heart with joy. I had them custom-ordered precisely so that they could wear them without having to worry about them not being cute at all, and I think that it’s safe to say that my aim has been well and thoroughly achieved here.

The aprons tailored by the clothing store of the Imperial City are adorned with a generous amount of  frills, which gives them a really girly feeling that’s ideal for Roxanne and company.

The hem of the silk apron is also delicately laced, and although there’s no lace in the apron made of ordinary fabric, it still looks pretty nonetheless.

「Now that we have obtained these, you can easily wear them while preparing the food, which is going to be even tastier than before, trust me.」

「But it will be bad if it gets stained. It’s silk after all.」

「Normally that would be true…  but the silk apron is not for use in the kitchen.」

Sherry’s concerns appear to be pretty rational, but thankfully I already had an answer ready for that particular worry of hers.

「Not for the use in the kitchen? But if we’re not going to be using it there, then were are we supposed to be using it?」

「Silk apron is to be used exclusively in the bedroom, according to an age-old tradition that originated in the country where I am from. Normal aprons are to be worn when you prepare the food, but the silk apron is worn in the bedroom where you will wear nothing but that apron while serving me the 「food」. That’s why I want all of you to do that from now on.」

Even though what I told them is not exactly true, then I don’t think that my interpretation of the culture of apron-wearing can be classified as a wrong one, or I don’t think so at least. It’s also true that the 「Naked Apron」is a tradition as old as time itself… in some cultured circles.

「Oh, is that so? Then I’ll try it on tonight.」

「We really are to wear… nothing but the aprons? Seriously?」

「I will do it, desu!」

Roxanne and Miria seem to be up for wearing the naked aprons for me, and while Sherry is going to take some convincing, then I am sure that she’s going to eventually cave in as well.

After having dinner, I wash their bodies with warm water and then we head straight to the bedroom from there. Somehow, it feels like we’re all newlyweds who’re about to have their very first night together.

While my heart was all aflutter, the door to the bedroom opens, and even though I washed their bodies myself just now, I have to say… that this sight really does hit different, even though it shouldn’t be all that different from what I usually get to see every day.

Well, I guess it’s the same as with the talk of humans having different kinds of stomachs.