EP.156 The End of Semester is Always The Busiest Time
Thud-.
After carelessly tossing the barbell on the ground, I look at Elga.
What she just said, about wanting to formally invite me to House Littorio.
That was on a completely different level from her usual invitations for tea.
"You want me to visit House Littorio?"
"Yes. And to be clear, this isn't my personal invitation, but a formal one from the house."
Whether it's personal or official, an invitation is still an invitation.
I can feel another headache coming on.
I have no real reason to refuse, but I'm concerned about how people would look at me there.
Of all places, it had to be House Littorio. The house of that young lord my sister crushed.
Well, she didn't directly crush him, and he had it coming.
But the aftermath left the academy half-destroyed and the Littorio heir practically disabled.
'If it weren't for House Jonathan, Littorio would have demanded a life-or-death duel long ago.'
They're the greatest power in the empire after the imperial family.
And we crushed their direct descendant, who was likely to become the next Grand Duke.
Even if they can't show it openly, there must be people who resent us.
That's what worries me. Those very people.
If they start picking fights, they might end up in pieces by my hand.
If I lose my temper after holding back for so long, it could be disastrous.
"There's no need to worry."
But Elga spoke as if she knew exactly what Kyle was thinking.
"I told you, didn't I? This isn't my personal invitation, nor an unofficial visit - it's a formal invitation from House Littorio. It's the Grand Duke's wish. You're not an unwelcome guest, but an invited one. He's already made it clear that there's no longer any bad blood with House Jonathan."
"...But if there's someone who can't suppress their misguided loyalty..."
"Father has no need for those who misinterpret or exaggerate their master's will. And I have no need for such people either."
Elga, who initially had doubts about becoming the heir.
But lately, she seems to have gained confidence from her continued achievements.
Now she openly refers to herself as the heir to the Grand Duke's house.
All that remains is Kyle's answer. Accept or decline.
Honestly, it's troublesome. I don't want to go. I just want to finish my workout and go home.
But thinking about turns, this was clearly Elga's turn.
When I went south, it was the Imperial Princess, and before that, Tisha.
And this time after going west and visiting the Order, even the Saint.
Excluding Elga, haven't I spent quite pleasant times with all of them?
She clearly won't give up easily. I can roughly estimate how this will go.
In that case, it's better not to create unnecessary issues for later.
Being fair is the way to prevent future gossip.
'If she asks why I only denied her a chance, I won't have an answer.'
And honestly, truly honestly speaking, I want to see the Grand Duke's house.
I wonder what the empire's most prestigious house after the imperial family is like.
Other nobles are all properly fattened up with grease dripping off them.
Wouldn't the Grand Duke's house be different? Wouldn't they be strict about self-management, even if not as much as the Jonathans?
It might even become one of my future in-laws' houses.
I've visited the Imperial Palace, the Order, and I'll see Tisha's home on the way north.
So the only place left is House Littorio.
Shouldn't in-law visits be fair too?
"If I decline, would you accept that gracefully, Lady Elga?"
"Probably not."
"I see. And the Grand Duke who extended the invitation would be troubled too."
"He would be quite upset. It's been a while since he invited a guest."
You do know that this long-awaited guest is the brother of the woman who broke your son's mental state, right?
Anyway, these high-ranking people are really hard to understand.
Any ordinary parent, or even lesser nobles, would be foaming at the mouth at the thought of me coming.
Well, didn't they say he was encouraging them to fight for the heir position?
I vaguely remember. One of the reasons Elga and her brother fight.
It was because the current Grand Duke, Aias Mentaine de Littorio, their father, wanted it.
"What would you like me to do when I visit? Are there any actions I should take?"
In other words, do you need me to help you be designated as the heir, Elga?
At first, that was the purpose of our meetings and associations.
Both Elga and Kyle himself acknowledged and recognized that.
"No."
But now, it wasn't just for that purpose anymore.
At least for Elga, if not for Kyle.
"It's really just a formal invitation. An invitation to Kyle Jonathan, the Empire's Divine."
It's embarrassing to hear, but it's not wrong.
I defeated one of the Three Heroes, who was considered equal to the Top 10, right before the clash with the Alliance.
Then went south and crushed the Wave Tamer, another Top 10 level fighter.
'And then went west and wiped out all the monsters.'
Though the second and third were unofficial activities, the Grand Duke's house would know about them.
Above all, House Littorio specializes in diplomacy, meaning information handling.
They've probably already analyzed everything I've done.
There are more than enough reasons for the Grand Duke to extend an invitation personally.
Elga herself said there were no political motives.
Given her pride, it must be true, not a lie.
"Very well, Lady Elga. I gladly accept House Littorio's invitation."
Elga breaks into a bright smile at Kyle's answer.
She says I made the right choice and suggests we prepare to leave this afternoon.
"One moment, Lady Elga. Let me finish my routine first."
While postponing an exercise not yet started might be possible,
it was absolutely impossible to stop a workout once it had begun.
Unless there was a world-ending natural disaster, this was a rule that applied to all Jonathans.
"I understand. May I wait here then?"
"Waiting is fine, but since you're going to be here anyway, Lady Elga, why don't you join me for a workout?"
'Go ahead and prepare' or 'just wait' - such phrases don't exist in the Jonathan vocabulary.
Why just watch someone exercise? If you've come this far, you might as well join in.
Making time to exercise is good, but doing it whenever you have the chance is even better.
"Phew."
Kyle continues with the barbell squats he was doing earlier.
His muscles, usually quietly dormant, now make their presence known.
These weren't just for show - they were combat-ready, practical muscles.
'He's working hard.'
The bar loaded with plates looks intimidating even just to look at.
She gazes intently at Kyle as he shoulders it for squats.
They say there's something captivating about a man deeply focused on something.
Even though he wasn't whispering sweet nothings to her, Elga's heart was racing for no reason.
The scene of such a thorough and perfect man whispering words of love.
Just imagining it sends tingles down her spine. Her heart pounds wildly.
She wishes she could be the one. She doesn't even dare hope to be 'the only one.'
She simply harbors a careful wish to be among those close to him.
'No... No! What do you mean careful! Be confident! I could be his first choice! Work harder! Get closer! If I can just turn Kyle's heart! I can do it!!'
The 'good girl' title is already claimed by the insurmountable mountains that are Tisha and the Saint.
And as for being the 'strong woman,' she can't even compare to the Imperial Princess.
What's left is being the bad girl. Yes, that's it - the bad girl!
Just as women are drawn to bad boys, men must be drawn to bad girls too!
If Kyle could read these thoughts, he'd probably say something like:
Nothing about you remotely suggests 'bad girl,' you know?
Just someone who seems a bit calculating at times, yet pure-hearted too.
Above all, you're simply a typical young lady desperately yearning for love.
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**
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"Your Grace. Are you truly... planning to invite that young man to the Grand Duke's residence?"
The head butler of House Littorio asks with concern in his voice.
He was an old man who had never once questioned his master's opinions until now.
But today, he couldn't hide his particularly worried demeanor.
"This is the first time I've seen you so concerned."
"The young master has only just started leaving his room and meeting people again. And yet..."
"How could someone with such weak resolve ever lead this Grand Duchy?"
Though they say he barely survived a brush with death, it wasn't truly life-threatening.
If there had been real killing intent, my younger son wouldn't have survived.
It wasn't luck that limited him to minor injuries. It was simply Jonathan's decision.
He provoked and challenged, and deserved appropriate punishment, but.
One without combat ability or will to fight couldn't be truly harmed.
So it ended with just one display of anger.
Though no one could have predicted it would result in half the academy being destroyed.
"But... Your Grace. He's the young master. He's your son. Aren't you worried?"
They call it the bonds of heaven. The parent-child relationship can never be severed.
Though he usually appears to show no affection for his children.
The Grand Duke of Littorio is still human. He's a father of three children.
How could he not feel concerned? How could he not worry?
"What's the reaction among the retainers?"
Instead of answering, the Grand Duke of Littorio posed another question.
The head butler sighed before responding.
"They seem somewhat confused. The young master ended up in this state because of Jonathan, yet from the young lady's close association to your formal invitation - it seems everyone is taking hints and practically confirming the young lady as the next heir."
"I'm sure some are getting even more anxious."
"That may be true, but what can we do? We're not dealing with the previous Jonathan - this is someone who's received formal commendation from the Imperial Family."
Muttering "Indeed," the Grand Duke of Littorio fell into thought.
Inviting Kyle to the Grand Duke's residence isn't simply because of Elga.
This is, literally, a final chance being given to his son as well.
He hopes it will be an opportunity to face his fears and grow further.
The next head of the Grand Duchy must know how to acknowledge and apologize for their mistakes.
So if his son can overcome everything and take one step forward in growth.
The Grand Duke was thinking of giving him another chance.
'Though I'm not sure if that child can overcome this.'
The Grand Duke of Littorio turned his head to look out the window.
In the distance, the Jonathan storm was rolling in.