46 Normies Just Explode
“Finally got caught, eh? Now, will you tell me the secret of the ancient text?”
Right after I arrived at the venue and finished with my greeting to the duke, Luke caught my hand and wouldn’t let me go.
Darn, it seems I got caught by a troublesome fella. I grumbled to myself. However, this was the party that the duke’s daughter held. And though I knew that this was gonna happen once I came, I had no other choice but to attend it. After all, both Elliot and Frederick were attending too.
Eh, then again, not that I could skip this party for no reason. Nor did I prepare a good enough reason to skip, so…
“I heard from Miss Oriana. She said you wrote the pronunciation of the ancient text very smoothly, as if you could read it from the very beginning. And… though we’re saved thanks to that, and I do owe you a gratitude for that, you kept insisting that it’s only by chance that you know about the translation. Sorry to say, but that blatant lie won’t work on me. You… You actually can read the ancient text, right?”
“Haaa, no matter how many times you ask, I’ll tell you the same thing again and again. I don’t know. I just felt that the pronunciation I gave was the right one. I mean, it’s one of the most famous catchphrases in the Saint’s Legend. And since it’s supposedly a gift from the six Gods, I guessed that the line might be their love confession.”
“I know that you’re completely in love with romance stories, but… I have never thought that you’ll delve that deep into it.”
Wait a minute.
“Who did you say loves romance stories?!”
Luke looked at me with a dumbfounded expression when he heard my incredulous question.
“Wait, are you seriously, like seriously, unaware of that? I mean, you’ve always gotten along with Miss Muriel. And WHENEVER you two meet in the party, you always ignore the other girls completely. On top of that, you have always given her a lot of gifts, causing me no end of misery. Thanks to you, I always receive a mouthful of Miss Oriana’s sharp remarks. Something along the lines of ‘Theodore-sama truly knows how to treat girls, if only some of that attentiveness can be passed on to Luke-sama.’ or ‘If only you can give me a little bit more attention rather than keep tinkering with those magic tools’. Honestly, I really don’t understand what’s in their mind. One time, I tried to invite her to go with me, tinkering magic tools together, yet you know what she said? She said she can’t do that. Now tell me what to do if you’re in that situation?”
""
For some reason, his inquiry had turned into complaints midway speaking, but well, I didn’t really mind. In fact, I was grateful for the change of topic, so I simply moved along with the flow.
“It’s only natural that girls won’t be interested in that, alright? Anyway, you do know that she wants to play with you, right? Since that’s the case, then as a man, you have to try to match your hobby with Miss Oriana.”
“Unlike you, my interests don’t lie in love and romance alone. And I do have a similar interest with Miss Oriana in magic tools. Only, Miss Oriana’s interest lay in how to turn accessories into magic tools. What a joke, magic tools aren’t toys.”
Although the first half of his remark pissed me off, I guess I could let him go with at least that much. Still, my brain is filled with romance, he said? HAH, I just enjoyed my time with Muriel! Being with her healed my wounded heart… Whoops, my train of thought got derailed, hehehe.
Anyway!
“It’s only natural that Miss Oriana is interested in that, especially with the fact that the legendary magic tools are none other than the ‘Saint’s Ornament’. That’s the main reason the girls are yearning for it, you know? In fact, I’m pretty sure that Miss Oriana actually wanted to talk with you about ‘Saint’s Ornament’ you know?”
“S-Saint’s Ornament isn’t your run-of-the-mill accessories…”
“IT IS STILL ACCESSORY, in the form of MAGIC TOOL. But, well, let’s forget about it being a magic tool for now. Let’s go to the more important question. Do you know the reason why women are all crazy about the Saint’s Ornament?”
Luke fell silent when he heard my question. It seemed that he only saw the Saint’s Ornaments as magic tools and completely neglected the fact that it was actually accessories. Then again, this might be because his house was entrusted with the Saint’s Cane…
“Listen to me, Luke. I think it’ll be okay even if you have another interest outside of magic tools, right?”
Miss Oriana might not mind it, but I still wanted them to at the very least have a little bit of discussion between them about their respective interests. Furthermore, Miss Oriana had such a sharp tongue with thorny remarks – that stabbed deep into my heart when she directed it to me – that might be good for constructive discussion.
… Eh, that sharp tongue and thorny remarks may be the main reason for Luke to not be able to raise his face in front of her.
Anyhow, despite all these, Luke himself seemed to be interested in Miss Oriana, so… Good for them.
“Sure enough, someone thinks the same as me! I also think that Luke shouldn’t just focus on magic tools this early.”
I heard someone speaking behind me as a hand tapped my shoulder. When I turned around, the speaker turned out to be Bates.
Geh, so this guy is also coming, huh.
“I don’t want to hear that from Bates-san who still has no fiancee at your age.” Luke replied, sarcasm dripping all over his words as he glared at Bates with half-opened eyes. However, Bates didn’t rise to the occasion and take the bait. He just shrugged.
“You’re right about that. And I’ll be troubled if you ended up running away from your fiance just like me, so… You should enjoy your time like how a child should be. Playing with Theodore for example.” Bates said, patting my head without reservation as he looked at Luke playfully.
“Are you coming here to question me again? I’ve been telling you that not even I know how I understand that.”
My voice was slightly stiff when I spoke to Bates, mind inadvertently remembering the relentless way Bates questioned me whenever he came.
“I know, I know. Don’t worry, I won’t ask you about that matter anymore. The same applies to you too, Luke. You know what I mean, right?”
“I understand.” Luke replied albeit with a slightly dissatisfied expression on his face. Although it might just be by the skin of one’s teeth, the fact that he accepted the fact that he couldn’t press me for answers made me feel more relaxed.
At this time, when I was still chatting with Luke and Bates, my father had ended his conversation with an uncle with a grim look that somehow resembled Luke and was coming over with the other.
“You are… Theodore-dono, I presume?”
“Yes, I’m the son of Owen Goldberg, Theodore Goldberg. It’s nice to meet you.”
After I greeted him, the uncle with the grim look stared at me for a while before smiling.
OH CRA*P, THAT IS SCARY! HOW CAN A HUMAN’S SMILE LOOK THIS SCARY?! It’s as if he was glaring at me, but he’s actually smiling at me, like, seriously, grim uncle?
“Oh, how rude of me. My name is Anthony Greenwell. My rank is that of a Count. And I’m Luke’s father. Thank you very much for getting along with my stupid son. In addition, I also want to express my gratitude for the matter a few days ago.”
The grim uncle, who I now knew was Luke’s father, offered his hand to me for a handshake. I see, this person was Luke’s father, eh? I had no idea about it since I had never seen the two together. And he was as scary as the rumor said, well, his smile that’s it.
Despite that, he seemed like an honest person, one with integrity. I mean, look, he specially came to express his gratitude to a child like me, something that was rare to find in any adult. I guess I could see from whom Luke inherited his level-headed personality.
While thinking over those in a split second, I grasped his big hand and said, “Thank you very much for allowing me to befriend your son. He also helped me with my problem once before. And regarding that matter from a few days ago, I really can’t say that it’s my achievement since it just somehow clicked in my mind. However, I feel honored and grateful that you personally come to greet me.”
For some reason, after I spoke, Count Greenwell’s frown deepened to the point that the area between his eyebrows formed a vertical slit.
“Hahaha, Theodore is so formal, eh. You can actually act like a kid your age, you know?” Bates said, laughing when he saw me acting so formal.
However, this was the minimum that I should do to gain approval from Muriel’s father. I meant, Luke’s father was the superior of Muriel’s big brother after all, so I had to be very careful and polite when I talked to him to prevent more misunderstanding.
After that, Count Greenwell spoke a word or two with my father, then left along with Luke.
“Come to think of it, Theodore, what do you think of Duke Lilac’s daughter? Do you like her?” Bates, who was following the two of us, asked curiously.
What in the world is this person talking about? I thought, flabbergasted by the sudden question.
“Uhm, if I have to choose between hate or like, then my answer is like. She’s a respectable comrade. I mean, not just anyone can pay attention to their surroundings as much as her. On top of that, she’s also smart. I think she’s a woman befitting to become a queen.”
Perhaps, just perhaps, because my answer was outside of Bates’ expectation… he ended up pondering while muttering about something.
At a loss, I looked at my father to ask him about what we should do, but he just looked at me with a wry smile on his face… In the end, he took me and left this place as well as Bates as if he had given up about it.
Hmm, it seems my father is well aware that Bates is a rather peculiar person. In the end, that was the only conclusion I could make.
Some time passed by, and just when I thought it was about time for me to go to the children’s venue, Viscount Amber came to greet my father.
It had been quite a long time since the last time I met him – last I saw him was during that incident of the engagement proposal – but his expression was stiff as he opened his mouth.
“Long time no see, Marquis Goldberg.”
“Long time no see, Viscount Amber. You seem to be more lively than before. Have you managed to talk to your daughter?”
“Yes. About that… I honestly have no idea what to say about this misunderstanding… But, my deepest apologies for that matter.”
Although he didn’t make it clear, it was obvious to us that the viscount was apologizing for the matter of rejecting the engagement proposal due to the various rumors about us. It seemed that the deciding factor of reversing his decision was when he saw me shaking hands with Count Greenwell.
However, since we couldn’t just send another engagement proposal, we had no choice but to do as he said. Wait for three years until after the magic unsealing ceremony. At that time, he would accept the engagement proposal if my feelings for Muriel stayed the same.
Nevertheless, though I was forced to wait, he didn’t prohibit us from sending letters to each other or conversing during the party, so there’s that.
“Thank you very much, Viscount Amber. That’s more than enough. May I go to see the Young Lady now?”
Viscount Amber had no choice but to agree in this situation, hence his words. “If I don’t even allow this, then my daughter may never talk to me again.”
Thus, with Viscount Amber’s permission, I went toward the children’s venue.
When I arrived there, I hurriedly looked for Muriel’s figure. However, perhaps due to my haste, I had a hard time finding her.
Haaa, since that’s the case, let’s look for Katrina first. She may know where Muriel is. I thought, deciding my course of action snappily. Fortunately, it only took me a moment to find Katrina.
She was standing in the center of the children’s venue, being surrounded by the other noble daughters, including Muriel, the very person I was looking for.
I took a deep breath twice to calm myself before I walked toward Muriel. And Katrina, being the observant person she was, noticed my figure immediately.
“Everyone, there’s a new kind of sweets over there that I want to taste.” Katrina said as she discreetly tried to lead the other noble daughters along with her. And while her kind intention was appreciated, she made a big mistake by saying ‘New kind of sweets’ there.
I meant, Muriel was a certified glutton. She would obviously be curious about the so-called ‘New kind of sweets’ Katrina was talking about. Hence, her following along with Katrina seemed obvious to me.
However, this time, I was mistaken. She was left behind.
In a normal situation, she would gladly follow them, but… perhaps she chose me over the temptation of a new kind of sweets. If that was truly the case, then I would be overjoyed. There was no way I would feel anything less than delighted.
“… Long time no see, Miss Muriel.”
“Yes, Theodore-sama.” Muriel replied to my greeting with a beaming smile adorning her cute face, and I beamed back.
“I have received permission from your father. He has allowed me to talk to you again.”
“Yes. I’m really happy to hear that since there’s a lot of things I want to share with you. Do you want to hear it?”
“Yeah.”
However, before that.
“Shall we go then?”
“Eh? T-To where?”
“The new varieties of sweets. You want to try it, right? I’m also curious about its taste.” I said and smiled.
Hearing my words, Muriel’s face bloomed with an absolutely enchanting smile, but then she pouted, cheeks bright red.
“I-I, I’m not a glutton.”
“Ah, my bad. But, you still want to try it, right?” I asked, inviting her with my hand, just like how a gentleman would.
Thanks, Papa, for this.
“I’ll go. Please escort me.”
“With pleasure, my princess.”
Thus, both of us headed toward the table where Katrina was currently explaining about the sweets and its origin, wearing a bright smile on our faces.
‘Normies just explode.’ Katrina muttered beneath her breath as we greeted her.
Hmm, it seems the phrase ‘Normie just explode.’ exists in this world too. Or, well, it may just be my imagination.
46 Normies Just Explode
“Finally got caught, eh? Now, will you tell me the secret of the ancient text?”
Right after I arrived at the venue and finished with my greeting to the duke, Luke caught my hand and wouldn’t let me go.
Darn, it seems I got caught by a troublesome fella. I grumbled to myself. However, this was the party that the duke’s daughter held. And though I knew that this was gonna happen once I came, I had no other choice but to attend it. After all, both Elliot and Frederick were attending too.
Eh, then again, not that I could skip this party for no reason. Nor did I prepare a good enough reason to skip, so…
“I heard from Miss Oriana. She said you wrote the pronunciation of the ancient text very smoothly, as if you could read it from the very beginning. And… though we’re saved thanks to that, and I do owe you a gratitude for that, you kept insisting that it’s only by chance that you know about the translation. Sorry to say, but that blatant lie won’t work on me. You… You actually can read the ancient text, right?”
“Haaa, no matter how many times you ask, I’ll tell you the same thing again and again. I don’t know. I just felt that the pronunciation I gave was the right one. I mean, it’s one of the most famous catchphrases in the Saint’s Legend. And since it’s supposedly a gift from the six Gods, I guessed that the line might be their love confession.”
“I know that you’re completely in love with romance stories, but… I have never thought that you’ll delve that deep into it.”
Wait a minute.
“Who did you say loves romance stories?!”
Luke looked at me with a dumbfounded expression when he heard my incredulous question.
“Wait, are you seriously, like seriously, unaware of that? I mean, you’ve always gotten along with Miss Muriel. And WHENEVER you two meet in the party, you always ignore the other girls completely. On top of that, you have always given her a lot of gifts, causing me no end of misery. Thanks to you, I always receive a mouthful of Miss Oriana’s sharp remarks. Something along the lines of ‘Theodore-sama truly knows how to treat girls, if only some of that attentiveness can be passed on to Luke-sama.’ or ‘If only you can give me a little bit more attention rather than keep tinkering with those magic tools’. Honestly, I really don’t understand what’s in their mind. One time, I tried to invite her to go with me, tinkering magic tools together, yet you know what she said? She said she can’t do that. Now tell me what to do if you’re in that situation?”
""
For some reason, his inquiry had turned into complaints midway speaking, but well, I didn’t really mind. In fact, I was grateful for the change of topic, so I simply moved along with the flow.
“It’s only natural that girls won’t be interested in that, alright? Anyway, you do know that she wants to play with you, right? Since that’s the case, then as a man, you have to try to match your hobby with Miss Oriana.”
“Unlike you, my interests don’t lie in love and romance alone. And I do have a similar interest with Miss Oriana in magic tools. Only, Miss Oriana’s interest lay in how to turn accessories into magic tools. What a joke, magic tools aren’t toys.”
Although the first half of his remark pissed me off, I guess I could let him go with at least that much. Still, my brain is filled with romance, he said? HAH, I just enjoyed my time with Muriel! Being with her healed my wounded heart… Whoops, my train of thought got derailed, hehehe.
Anyway!
“It’s only natural that Miss Oriana is interested in that, especially with the fact that the legendary magic tools are none other than the ‘Saint’s Ornament’. That’s the main reason the girls are yearning for it, you know? In fact, I’m pretty sure that Miss Oriana actually wanted to talk with you about ‘Saint’s Ornament’ you know?”
“S-Saint’s Ornament isn’t your run-of-the-mill accessories…”
“IT IS STILL ACCESSORY, in the form of MAGIC TOOL. But, well, let’s forget about it being a magic tool for now. Let’s go to the more important question. Do you know the reason why women are all crazy about the Saint’s Ornament?”
Luke fell silent when he heard my question. It seemed that he only saw the Saint’s Ornaments as magic tools and completely neglected the fact that it was actually accessories. Then again, this might be because his house was entrusted with the Saint’s Cane…
“Listen to me, Luke. I think it’ll be okay even if you have another interest outside of magic tools, right?”
Miss Oriana might not mind it, but I still wanted them to at the very least have a little bit of discussion between them about their respective interests. Furthermore, Miss Oriana had such a sharp tongue with thorny remarks – that stabbed deep into my heart when she directed it to me – that might be good for constructive discussion.
… Eh, that sharp tongue and thorny remarks may be the main reason for Luke to not be able to raise his face in front of her.
Anyhow, despite all these, Luke himself seemed to be interested in Miss Oriana, so… Good for them.
“Sure enough, someone thinks the same as me! I also think that Luke shouldn’t just focus on magic tools this early.”
I heard someone speaking behind me as a hand tapped my shoulder. When I turned around, the speaker turned out to be Bates.
Geh, so this guy is also coming, huh.
“I don’t want to hear that from Bates-san who still has no fiancee at your age.” Luke replied, sarcasm dripping all over his words as he glared at Bates with half-opened eyes. However, Bates didn’t rise to the occasion and take the bait. He just shrugged.
“You’re right about that. And I’ll be troubled if you ended up running away from your fiance just like me, so… You should enjoy your time like how a child should be. Playing with Theodore for example.” Bates said, patting my head without reservation as he looked at Luke playfully.
“Are you coming here to question me again? I’ve been telling you that not even I know how I understand that.”
My voice was slightly stiff when I spoke to Bates, mind inadvertently remembering the relentless way Bates questioned me whenever he came.
“I know, I know. Don’t worry, I won’t ask you about that matter anymore. The same applies to you too, Luke. You know what I mean, right?”
“I understand.” Luke replied albeit with a slightly dissatisfied expression on his face. Although it might just be by the skin of one’s teeth, the fact that he accepted the fact that he couldn’t press me for answers made me feel more relaxed.
At this time, when I was still chatting with Luke and Bates, my father had ended his conversation with an uncle with a grim look that somehow resembled Luke and was coming over with the other.
“You are… Theodore-dono, I presume?”
“Yes, I’m the son of Owen Goldberg, Theodore Goldberg. It’s nice to meet you.”
After I greeted him, the uncle with the grim look stared at me for a while before smiling.
OH CRA*P, THAT IS SCARY! HOW CAN A HUMAN’S SMILE LOOK THIS SCARY?! It’s as if he was glaring at me, but he’s actually smiling at me, like, seriously, grim uncle?
“Oh, how rude of me. My name is Anthony Greenwell. My rank is that of a Count. And I’m Luke’s father. Thank you very much for getting along with my stupid son. In addition, I also want to express my gratitude for the matter a few days ago.”
The grim uncle, who I now knew was Luke’s father, offered his hand to me for a handshake. I see, this person was Luke’s father, eh? I had no idea about it since I had never seen the two together. And he was as scary as the rumor said, well, his smile that’s it.
Despite that, he seemed like an honest person, one with integrity. I mean, look, he specially came to express his gratitude to a child like me, something that was rare to find in any adult. I guess I could see from whom Luke inherited his level-headed personality.
While thinking over those in a split second, I grasped his big hand and said, “Thank you very much for allowing me to befriend your son. He also helped me with my problem once before. And regarding that matter from a few days ago, I really can’t say that it’s my achievement since it just somehow clicked in my mind. However, I feel honored and grateful that you personally come to greet me.”
For some reason, after I spoke, Count Greenwell’s frown deepened to the point that the area between his eyebrows formed a vertical slit.
“Hahaha, Theodore is so formal, eh. You can actually act like a kid your age, you know?” Bates said, laughing when he saw me acting so formal.
However, this was the minimum that I should do to gain approval from Muriel’s father. I meant, Luke’s father was the superior of Muriel’s big brother after all, so I had to be very careful and polite when I talked to him to prevent more misunderstanding.
After that, Count Greenwell spoke a word or two with my father, then left along with Luke.
“Come to think of it, Theodore, what do you think of Duke Lilac’s daughter? Do you like her?” Bates, who was following the two of us, asked curiously.
What in the world is this person talking about? I thought, flabbergasted by the sudden question.
“Uhm, if I have to choose between hate or like, then my answer is like. She’s a respectable comrade. I mean, not just anyone can pay attention to their surroundings as much as her. On top of that, she’s also smart. I think she’s a woman befitting to become a queen.”
Perhaps, just perhaps, because my answer was outside of Bates’ expectation… he ended up pondering while muttering about something.
At a loss, I looked at my father to ask him about what we should do, but he just looked at me with a wry smile on his face… In the end, he took me and left this place as well as Bates as if he had given up about it.
Hmm, it seems my father is well aware that Bates is a rather peculiar person. In the end, that was the only conclusion I could make.
Some time passed by, and just when I thought it was about time for me to go to the children’s venue, Viscount Amber came to greet my father.
It had been quite a long time since the last time I met him – last I saw him was during that incident of the engagement proposal – but his expression was stiff as he opened his mouth.
“Long time no see, Marquis Goldberg.”
“Long time no see, Viscount Amber. You seem to be more lively than before. Have you managed to talk to your daughter?”
“Yes. About that… I honestly have no idea what to say about this misunderstanding… But, my deepest apologies for that matter.”
Although he didn’t make it clear, it was obvious to us that the viscount was apologizing for the matter of rejecting the engagement proposal due to the various rumors about us. It seemed that the deciding factor of reversing his decision was when he saw me shaking hands with Count Greenwell.
However, since we couldn’t just send another engagement proposal, we had no choice but to do as he said. Wait for three years until after the magic unsealing ceremony. At that time, he would accept the engagement proposal if my feelings for Muriel stayed the same.
Nevertheless, though I was forced to wait, he didn’t prohibit us from sending letters to each other or conversing during the party, so there’s that.
“Thank you very much, Viscount Amber. That’s more than enough. May I go to see the Young Lady now?”
Viscount Amber had no choice but to agree in this situation, hence his words. “If I don’t even allow this, then my daughter may never talk to me again.”
Thus, with Viscount Amber’s permission, I went toward the children’s venue.
When I arrived there, I hurriedly looked for Muriel’s figure. However, perhaps due to my haste, I had a hard time finding her.
Haaa, since that’s the case, let’s look for Katrina first. She may know where Muriel is. I thought, deciding my course of action snappily. Fortunately, it only took me a moment to find Katrina.
She was standing in the center of the children’s venue, being surrounded by the other noble daughters, including Muriel, the very person I was looking for.
I took a deep breath twice to calm myself before I walked toward Muriel. And Katrina, being the observant person she was, noticed my figure immediately.
“Everyone, there’s a new kind of sweets over there that I want to taste.” Katrina said as she discreetly tried to lead the other noble daughters along with her. And while her kind intention was appreciated, she made a big mistake by saying ‘New kind of sweets’ there.
I meant, Muriel was a certified glutton. She would obviously be curious about the so-called ‘New kind of sweets’ Katrina was talking about. Hence, her following along with Katrina seemed obvious to me.
However, this time, I was mistaken. She was left behind.
In a normal situation, she would gladly follow them, but… perhaps she chose me over the temptation of a new kind of sweets. If that was truly the case, then I would be overjoyed. There was no way I would feel anything less than delighted.
“… Long time no see, Miss Muriel.”
“Yes, Theodore-sama.” Muriel replied to my greeting with a beaming smile adorning her cute face, and I beamed back.
“I have received permission from your father. He has allowed me to talk to you again.”
“Yes. I’m really happy to hear that since there’s a lot of things I want to share with you. Do you want to hear it?”
“Yeah.”
However, before that.
“Shall we go then?”
“Eh? T-To where?”
“The new varieties of sweets. You want to try it, right? I’m also curious about its taste.” I said and smiled.
Hearing my words, Muriel’s face bloomed with an absolutely enchanting smile, but then she pouted, cheeks bright red.
“I-I, I’m not a glutton.”
“Ah, my bad. But, you still want to try it, right?” I asked, inviting her with my hand, just like how a gentleman would.
Thanks, Papa, for this.
“I’ll go. Please escort me.”
“With pleasure, my princess.”
Thus, both of us headed toward the table where Katrina was currently explaining about the sweets and its origin, wearing a bright smile on our faces.
‘Normies just explode.’ Katrina muttered beneath her breath as we greeted her.
Hmm, it seems the phrase ‘Normie just explode.’ exists in this world too. Or, well, it may just be my imagination.
