Volume 1 Chapter 15 Only Those Who Can Play The Fool Are Adults
The morning after Eleonora's selfishness──
"Well, what should I do?"
──Randy wandered around the mansion, deep in thought.
Right now, Eleonora, or Elizabeth, was out exploring with her parents in the Victor's territory. With guards like Harrison and knights around, there was no way any troublemakers would dare to approach the guests of the Victor family in this territory.
So, he could take his time to think, but the things he needed to consider were too overwhelming, and he couldn't organize his thoughts at all.
(If I think about it normally, the answer is definitely no...)
Randy sighed deeply, going in circles, but he actually thought it would be okay for Eleonora, or Elizabeth, to attend the academy. If they were at the academy, they could have various discussions like they do now.
Plus, there was Eleonora's teleportation ability.
If she had been to a place once, her teleportation could defy the concept of distance. This meant that on weekends, she could return to Lord Victor's territory and continue various reforms.
Now that the management of the territory was starting to get on track, these two advantages were incredibly appealing to Randy.
And then there was Elizabeth.
She acted strong, but as far as Randy knew, Elizabeth must have had friends. They might have been her entourage, but he had seen her having lunch with a few people sometimes. He remembered her soft expression during those moments.
Since she had finally met her parents, it was only natural for Randy to think that next, she should meet her friends too... She was working hard in such a remote and empty place. He thought it was normal to want to ease her worries as much as possible.
Even without that, Randy felt guilty about enjoying the academy while making her work alone──whether he was really enjoying it or not was another matter.
Of course, this was under the condition that Elizabeth wanted to return to the academy.
(That said, there are disadvantages...)
It looked like an exile drama where death didn't matter; it seemed like a plan to kill her. Although the Marquis family wasn't involved, he didn't know how many people, including the heroine──whose name he had already forgotten, Catherine──and the Crown Prince, were complicit in Elizabeth's exile.
As Randy pondered in the middle of the hallway, maids passed by, giving him strange looks.
After being exposed to those gazes for a while, Randy suddenly decided to head to his father Alan's office. When he couldn't figure something out alone, he needed to hear the opinions of someone older. That was the only way.
Fortunately, Alan and Keith were in the office, and Randy explained what had happened the previous night. Luckily, Keith had been there too, so Alan was already aware of the details.
"Does Lady Eleonora wish for a school life?"
Alan, looking troubled with one hand on his head, didn't seem to completely reject the idea.
"Normally, the answer would be no, but──."
"You want to let her go, right?"
With a slightly exasperated smile, Alan looked at Randy, who nodded without specifying either way, "Well, if possible."
"I would normally want to say it's impossible, but──."
Alan turned a serious expression toward Randy. Since he rarely saw his father looking so serious, Randy tightened his own expression for the moment.
"──It's likely that Miss Elizabeth's survival is known at the kingdom's center."
"Well, that makes sense..."
Randy made a bitter face, but he had recognized yesterday that there were "those kinds of people" lurking in the shadows of the Marquis family. They usually kept outsiders at bay, but a merchant group had recently stopped by.
(I thought they were just bodyguards.)
Randy remembered that among them were a few capable-looking individuals. He and Alan suspected they were probably spies sent by the kingdom.
"But if they just confirmed her survival, why aren't they doing anything special?"
In response to Randy's reasonable question, Alan shrugged. The truth was that Catherine had simply said something like, "I'm worried about Lady Elizabeth," which prompted Crown Prince Edgar to move the kingdom's shadows.
──According to the game (the official story), they had only confirmed that Elizabeth was alive and being taken care of in the Viscount territory... However, neither Randy, Alan, nor even Lord Lucian knew this.
Thus, they were steering away from the main story of the game.
"Yesterday, after dinner, I exchanged opinions with His Excellency Marquis. The other party is most likely a central noble. The fact that the territory noble, His Excellency Marquis, has advanced to the central position as Minister of Finance has probably made others feel uneasy."
"Such a small-minded thing."
Randy snorted, but for now, he was somewhat distracted. After all, he had thought it was just a dating sim, but now various motives were becoming clear.
(I thought it was just an otome game about a broken engagement and exile... but is it different?)
Randy shook his head to dispel the fleeting suspicion.
(No, the flavor text not mentioned in the otome game is the source of this discomfort.)
In a game, it would simply say, "The villainous noble lady was exiled," hiding the motives behind that one line. In the real world, which is not a game, even a single exile involves various people's motives intertwining.
(Perhaps the ending of the otome game isn't as happy as it seems.)
With a sigh in his heart, Randy heard Alan ask, "Are you listening?"
"I'm listening, I'm listening."
Randy shrugged, and Alan continued with an exasperated look.
"Continuing from earlier, both the Marquis and I believe it's best to keep Miss Elizabeth in the safest place."
"I see. The safest place, huh..."
(Then the academy is definitely not an option.)
Randy sighed, and Alan returned a meaningful smile.
"Yes. A safe place. Randy, no, Randolph."
When Alan deliberately called him by his full name, Randy furrowed his brow. Whenever his father used his name like this, it usually meant he was about to ask for something troublesome.
"His Excellency Marquis wants you as her bodyguard... since it's the academy, after all."
"Huh?!"
Randy couldn't help but shout, and Alan wore a satisfied expression, then said...
"You're the best bodyguard there is, you know?"
...Hearing the voice, Randy instinctively turned around. There stood Lucian, looking slightly displeased, as if he had appeared out of nowhere.
Randy was momentarily surprised by Lucian's sudden presence, but quickly realized the trick behind it and glared at Keith, who was smiling near the door.
(That bastard Keith...)
Lucian, who was not a master, had managed to appear without Randy noticing because Keith had masked his presence with something else. The many maids passing in front of the door had helped Keith blend Lucian in and bring him close to this room.
As Randy glared at Keith, Lucian redirected the attention back to himself.
"Would you take on the duty of protecting my daughter?"
"No, but..."
"I think it's much safer in the academy, under the watchful eyes of many, than in this territory where a spy has already infiltrated. Plus, with your skills, treating an A-rank adventurer like a child is quite something."
Randy couldn't respond to Lucian's words. If he were to be pressed on that point, he could only agree. This was true for both the spy situation and Randy's reckless abilities.
However, that was a different matter. Whether Randy would take Elizabeth to the school was a separate issue.
"I don't mind protecting Miss Elizabeth. But if it's at the academy, then I refuse."
"Oh? What's your reasoning?"
Despite Lucian's narrowed eyes, Randy stared back at him directly.
"Because Miss Elizabeth's will is not present there."
Lucian returned Randy's glare with a scrutinizing gaze.
"The academy might be a significant trauma for Miss Elizabeth. I cannot take her there without hearing her wishes."
From behind Randy, Alan interjected.
"But Randy, you just said Miss Elizabeth──"
"Shut up, old man!"
Randy retorted harshly to Alan, but this time Lucian spoke from behind him...
"Isn't this perfect? If you want to take my daughter──"
"I said no... ah──."
Randy, caught off guard, spoke harshly to Lucian but then grimaced and shouted, "Oh, come on!" as he turned back to Lucian.
"At this point, I ask for a little leniency with my rudeness!"
Randy's voice, not fitting for someone speaking to a high noble, rang out loudly. Under that pressure, Lucian could only nod silently.
"Listen carefully. I'll say it again, unless Miss Elizabeth's will is involved, my answer is no."
Randy's raw tone shook the window glass.
"I agree to protect her. But what about her feelings? If you're going to force her into a place she hates, then I'm sorry, but I'll be protecting her from you guys."
Randy, comparing Lucian and Alan, opened his mouth to continue his attack without letting up.
"She's your daughter, but right now, she's an important member of our family. In other words, she's part of Victor's family. I can't agree to anything that would harm her. Besides, if we're talking about a safe place──."
Randy was full of energy, but...
"──the Marquis territory... or...?"
His voice trailed off as if he realized something, and he turned to Alan with a shocked expression, then looked at Lucian. He also noticed that the presence waiting by the door felt different...
(They got me)
He glared at Keith again.
"Young master's soul's cry. This Keith is deeply moved."
Keith bowed his head dramatically, and Randy's jaw twitched as he turned back to Alan. When Randy's gaze was suddenly diverted, he growled, "Old man, you..."
"Hahahahahaha! Just as I thought, you're a pleasant man!"
Lucian's loud laughter changed the atmosphere in the room.
"Is that so? Liza, tell me how you feel."
When Lucian spoke to someone beyond the door, Keith opened it as if he had been waiting for this moment. In walked Elizabeth, blushing, accompanied by Marchioness Flora.
"Miss Elizabeth..."
"Sir Randolph, I apologize for the embarrassment, but if possible, I would like to return to the academy."
Seeing Elizabeth bow her head, Randy was certain.
(These guys, they did it)
When Randy said "these guys," he meant the adults, excluding Elizabeth. They probably confirmed her wishes before bringing her here.
"Miss Elizabeth, may I ask you two questions?"
"What is it?"
"Why do you want to return to the academy?"
Elizabeth looked a bit troubled by Randy's question and hesitated, saying, "Well..." She fumbled with her words, mentioning something about the development plans of the territory and how she missed her friends at the academy, making statements that were uncharacteristically vague for her.
But the strange passion behind her words was clear. She really wanted to go back if she could.
(Eleonora? What did she say to her?)
He was right. Eleonora had told Elizabeth things like, "Without the boy, the reforms won't progress," and "It's time to follow him and repay the favor," encouraging her.
In short, Eleonora had thrown Elizabeth a reason to support her desire to follow Randy. Of course, Eleonora herself likely wanted to enjoy the academy with Randy as well.
Randy sensed Eleonora's presence somehow, but he could only grasp the outer edges of her intentions, thinking, (How much does she want to go?)
"For now, I understand why you want to return to the academy."
"I'm sorry for the trouble."
"No, it's fine. By the way... did you say it would be a bother for me or something?"
Randy understood from Elizabeth's wide-eyed reaction that this whole act was completely planned.
Between Lucian and Alan, they shared their thoughts on how strange this exile drama was, and that the kingdom likely knew about Elizabeth's survival...
In the future, it was decided that the academy, where only a limited number of people could enter, would be safer than this place, which would see a lot of comings and goings. Of course, Lucian also wanted to gauge the situation by surprising the opponent.
However, when it came to bringing Elizabeth back to the academy, her wishes were the most important. Additionally, strong bodyguards were necessary.
When they checked with Elizabeth, she responded that if she could return... she would. But then she also mentioned how it would trouble Randy.
Knowing how kind Randy was, it was clear that if Elizabeth asked, he would agree without hesitation. That's why Elizabeth couldn't ask Randy.
So, Alan, Lucian, and Keith decided to put on a little act with Marchioness Flora, of course without informing Elizabeth.
As a result, even though Elizabeth was outside the door, Randy boldly declared to the Marquis that it was up to Elizabeth's wishes.
Randy realized this when he said, "If it's a safe place, then it could be the Marquis's territory." It was indeed true. If safety was the priority, they could secretly place her under his protection. As Randy calmed down to think of reasons not to do that, he finally sensed Elizabeth's presence.
This declaration became embarrassing for both Randy and Elizabeth... but the one who seemed to enjoy it the most was Marchioness Flora.
"See? I told you it would turn out this way, didn't I?"
Marchioness Flora smiled at them, and Lucian, with a resigned smile, replied, "Yeah, you were right."
Thus, Randy's eventful second semester was promised.
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