Episode 10: The Groom's New Home
Far to the north of the imperial capital lies the regional capital named Okhiroshuu.
Following the instructions in the "letter" sent from the in-laws' house, I had spent nearly three days on a sleeper train to reach this city, so I was already exhausted.
The station where I disembarked after a long journey is the largest station in the state in terms of passenger numbers.
This place seems to be the hub of various transportation networks, not only for trains but also for buses, shared carriages, and flying dragon services, and the terminal was overflowing with people.
The building inside the station is adorned with magnificent sculptures reminiscent of an art museum, colorful mosaics, and beautifully delicate stained glass, overwhelming anyone who visits for the first time.
In a quiet cafe located in a corner of the huge and beautiful station, I sipped on coffee that exuded a fragrant aroma while gazing at the newspaper.
~Attempted assassination of the Minister of Finance by the Geho-shu sect~
Suppression of bandits in the colonial states
Increase in train robberies by communists funded by the People's Federation
The newspaper headlines are all far from peaceful, making me feel even more down.
Suddenly, the clock tower at the station rang its bell, and a loud sound echoed through the square.
The clock hands point to five o'clock.
I folded the newspaper and turned my gaze to the "letter" placed on the table. According to this, it should be about time...
"Mr. Todo, thank you for waiting. I am the messenger of the sender of that 'letter'."
As the clock's chime comes to an end, a gentle voice calls out to me.
When I turned around, a woman in a butler outfit was standing there, staring at me. It seemed that the ride had arrived right on time.
Guided by the female butler, I head towards the station's boarding area.
A black luxury car was already waiting for us at the rotary.
The low, growling sound characteristic of an internal combustion engine burning magic stones was slightly grating on the ears.
The leather seats in the car are tightly upholstered, and they feel somewhat stiff to me right now.
Perhaps it's also due to the discomfort of sitting.
I felt a sense of discomfort with the car's luxury, which seemed somewhat detached from me.
The streets visible from the car moving along the main road depict a somewhat melancholic beauty, with the light from the street lamps reflecting on the cobblestone path.
A park where flowers bloom splendidly, a shopping street where local merchants raise their voices, and houses with beautifully maintained gardens.
Those reflections in the rear seat window gradually became enveloped in the evening darkness.
The car carefully reduced its speed and slowly climbed the slope covered in pure white snow.
At the top of the hill after passing through the slope, a particularly prominent building can be seen.
The mansion exuded a beauty akin to a painting, where the Western-style of deep green window frames woven into white walls beautifully merged with the Japanese style of a glossy black tiled roof.
(There's no nameplate on the gate... It might be a hidden villa of some noble or minister, or perhaps a retreat.)
The large gate, controlled by a magical circuit, opened silently, and the car smoothly slid inside.
The car door opened, and I was led into the mansion by the butler.
"I will call your wife, so please wait here for a moment," she said, leading me to a large guest room within the mansion.
Sitting on the sofa, I took a sip of the hot tea that had been prepared and looked around the reception room.
Inside, there are portraits of the past heads of this house women with stern expressions and statues that have been polished to a shine.
The furnishings in the room all had a refined elegance, and even to an amateur like me, it was evident that they were quite expensive.
(How much would this antique desk sell for? As I imagined, this house is quite wealthy...)
"Are you Toudou-kun?"
A voice, slightly damp and mixed with something, suddenly reached my ears, and I froze in fear.
When I turned around in surprise, there stood a beautiful woman in her twenties with silver-blonde hair and a monocle.
(Erika...?! No, she looks similar but it's not her. Is she a relative? I've never heard of Erika having a sister...)
The woman in front of me resembled my classmate, Erika, but her hair color and height were different.
Moreover, her breast size... it's not an exaggeration to say it's a busty size, even larger than Erika's, which is already quite impressive.
That size is unfair, right?
I was so taken aback by those massive breasts that I momentarily lost my mind.
However, gradually a sense of discomfort began to sprout, and reason was being regained.
The stunning beauty in front of me, resembling Erika, seems to be offering a gentle smile at first glance, but there was no expression at all in her eyes.
Somehow cold, distant, and inorganic, those eyes were completely different from Erika's.
"Uh, yes, I am Toudou Kai, a military student!"
When I hurriedly stood up from the sofa and greeted her in the military school manner, she adjusted her monocle and opened her mouth.
"Nice to meet you, Toudo-kun. I am the current head of the Jougasaki family. My name is Jougasaki Kyoka. Please remember me from now on."
(Jougasaki Kyoka...?! Erika's mother...?!)
I was more surprised that the woman in front of me was Erika's mother than that she was the head of a marquis family.
No matter how you look at it, the woman in front of me looks like a university student or at most a first or second-year working professional.
She doesn't look like a mother of a late-teen daughter at all.
Ignoring my astonishment and the fact that I couldn't speak, Kyoka-san stared at my whole body without any reservation.
"It's no wonder Erika is infatuated... this is..."
(What is she talking about? And I've been feeling incredibly sleepy for a while now, but this is...)
"Lady Jougasaki I am terribly sorry It seems I am not feeling well May I have a seat"
I couldn't resist the fatigue coursing through my body, and despite being in front of the superior head of the family, I sank helplessly into the sofa.
"I mixed the highest quality magical sleeping potion into the tea, but it seems to have taken quite a while... Hey, you guys, take him to the bedroom where my daughter is. Don't forget to put on the 'collar'."
I can hear her voice, speaking leisurely about something, from afar.
But right now, I couldn't understand the content at all. This is bad, at this rate...
My whole body is numb, and the sensation is fading away.
As my consciousness faded, I mustered my last bit of strength and thought.
But it was in vain.
As if falling into the bottom of a valley, my consciousness sank deeper and deeper.