Chapter 184
Instead of answering, Heros spread his fingers wide. Then, folding them one by one, he said,
“You’ve already quit four times.”
“Huh?”
“The number of times you’ve said you’re quitting.”
“Ah! I’m serious this time!”
Pauline shouted as if throwing a tantrum, but Heros did not look even slightly flustered and instead let out a long sigh with an expression of familiarity.
“The first time was because the family I destroyed happened to be your fiancée’s family.”
“I was genuinely hurt back then. You could have told me beforehand!”
“The second time was because you got into a fight while drinking after someone said you were an aide to the hero’s family, and you got beaten up.”
“Do you know how miserable I felt then?”
“What was the third time again?”
“There was too much work! Too much! Just like now!”
Pauline cried out while pounding his chest in frustration.
“You make me do this much work!”
He shouted while pointing at the documents piled high on the desk.
“I’m really exhausted. If this keeps up, I’ll die from overwork! I don’t want to die, so I’m quitting!”
Heros interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on his hands. Then he stared intently at Pauline.
“Wasn’t it because Miss Marlene dumped you recently because you were too busy?”
“Aagh! How did you know about that too?!”
“So I should remember the fourth reason as ‘because you got dumped ”
“Don’t remember things like that!”
Pauline covered his bright-red face with both hands and huffed.
“Anyway, that’s why I’m quitting. Don’t look for me. I’m going to throw off my shackles and head toward freedom……”
“Three times your current salary.”
“……and head……”
“Four times.”
“……I’ll……”
“Five times.”
“…….”
Pauline clicked his tongue and slowly lowered his shoulders, which he had raised. Five times, five times. The amount Heros had offered was large enough that, if he endured for just a few more years, he could buy a mansion in the capital.
Uh, hmm.
Pauline cautiously changed the subject.
“Should we continue working well together from now on?”
Having easily persuaded Pauline, Heros let out a hollow laugh and said,
“I feel like you threaten to quit whenever you need money.”
“Hmph.”
Pauline snorted and sharply turned his head away.
“I may let this slide, but there really is too much work. You need to hire someone to take over for me or something.”
“Someone to take over.”
Heros released his interlaced fingers and leaned back against the chair. He remained silent for a moment before giving a small laugh and saying,
“Isn’t there a useful child among the children Daphne brought?”
Pauline immediately answered. There was also a child who had come to mind.
“You mean that kid called Bunny or Bani or whatever?”
“That’s right.”
“Hmmm.”
As Pauline appeared to ponder it, Heros added,
“You’re a mage, but you’re also an aide, aren’t you? You could train that child the same way. As Daphne’s aide.”
“Ah-ha. Yes…… Huh?”
Pauline blinked and stared at Heros. I feel like I just heard something, but am I mistaken? Or not? He barely managed to compose his gaping mouth before asking,
“D-Does that mean you intend to pass the family on to Lady Daphne or something?”
Heros shrugged.
“Is there any reason I can’t?”
“Wow.”
Pauline involuntarily let out an exclamation.
“Wow!”
Then he screamed,
“You’re really trying to kill me! If Lady Daphne becomes the head of the family, huh? She’ll work me even harder than she does now! She already treats me like some kind of slave! Huh? Haven’t you seen how she treats the other elves and such like slaves? What is that? That’s my future! I’ll end up like that too, won’t I? And yet you want me to serve Lady Daphne as my superior? Do you want me dead?!”
“That’s why I’m telling you to keep that child called Bunny.”
“……Huh?”
Only then did Pauline stop shouting and roll his eyes.
“So if Lady Daphne becomes the head of the family, I’ll retire around then?”
“That’s right.”
“And I’ll part ways amicably with Your Excellency? And meet a decent woman and get married?”
Heros wondered what he meant by “part ways amicably,” but he nodded anyway. Pauline’s face immediately brightened.
“That’s a good idea. A very good idea.”
Pauline clapped his hands and fell into deep thought.
“Then, in order to make Lady Daphne the head of the family…….”
Then his eyes suddenly widened.
“This speech will be extremely important.”
Hehehe.
Pauline rubbed his palms together vigorously with a sinister smile.
“I’ll make sure to educate her properly.”
Watching Pauline, Heros thought,
I shouldn’t go see Daphne for a while.
He’ll get an earful.
***
“Lady Daphne.”
Pauline spoke to Daphne.
“Smile. Nice and wide.”
He demonstrated by grasping both corners of his lips and pulling them upward. Daphne awkwardly tried to smile like him.
“No! That’s a scary face!”
She had tried her best to smile, yet he said it was scary.
Daphne dropped her smile and glared at him.
“Why the hell are you making such a fuss over smiling?”
“Because no one would recognize that as a smile! Huh? How many times do I have to tell you that smiling with only your mouth isn’t enough?! Smile with your eyes too!”
How was she supposed to smile with her eyes? Daphne had absolutely no idea how to do that. Pauline seemed to be making her do something bizarre and difficult.
“Shio.”
So she spoke to Shio.
“Beat that man up. I’m so frustrated right now that I don’t even have the strength to move.”
“Hahahaha.”
Shio simply laughed because Daphne and Pauline felt like they were performing a comedy routine together. But judging from Daphne’s grim expression, it seemed that she was not joking.
“You really want me to hit him?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
Shio obediently raised his fist and approached Pauline. He did not know why a mage was raising his fist, but…… anyway, Pauline raised his arms to guard himself and shouted,
“Ah, wait a minute! Am I doing this for my own benefit?! Huh?! I’m trying to help Lady Daphne so she won’t embarrass herself when she goes out there and so people will respect her more!”
“Then why does avoiding embarrassment require smiling?”
“Because Lady Daphne’s current expression is scary!”
After hearing Pauline’s answer, Shio smiled brightly and said,
“You’re asking for a beating.”
“Agh! It hurts!”
After being beaten several times, Pauline sat with his head hanging low, somewhat dispirited. Daphne glanced at Pauline, took one deep breath, and asked,
“A lot of people are coming to this gathering, right?”
“Yes.”
“And they are all people who oppose the war or oppose conscription.”
“Yes.”
“And commoners are coming to the gathering as well.”
“Yes, yes.”
Haa. Daphne sighed and added,
“And the things written on this paper are the reasons for opposing the war.”
Daphne pointed to the paper Pauline had handed her, that is, the paper containing the speech.
“Yes. That’s right. So if you express those points passionately while giving your speech!”
“No.”
Daphne firmly shook her head.
“For something like this, showmanship is important. You cannot accomplish it merely by running your mouth like this.”
“……Huh?”
“You need to persuade not only the nobles but the people as well, so look at this. Taxes this, collections that. They are far too preoccupied with thinking only about themselves. What does it matter what benefits them?”
Just as she said, the speech contained nothing but thoroughly aristocratic content. There was not a single mention of how the people would suffer because of the war or how much hardship they would endure, while it merely complained about the difficulties of taxes and levies. As if that would be very convincing.
Daphne let out a sigh.
“Shio.”
“Yes, Lady Daphne.”
“Let’s prepare.”
Daphne smiled slyly and rubbed her palms together.
“We have to deceive everyone.”
Even if I fall into the water, only my mouth will float above the surface—that’s me.
Even if Shio falls into the water, his tongue will still move—that’s Shio.
Therefore,
“Let’s make that bastard Emperor fucking furious.”
Daphne let out a sinister chuckle.
