Audrey's cheeks began to burn up.
"Klein, don't mind Susie. She likes to, uh, smell strangers..." she said, trying to excuse Susie's unusual behavior.
Klein looked down at the dog beneath him. "So your name is Susie, huh?" He reached out with his right hand and petted her.
"Woof!"
He smiled at Susie as he continued petting her. After a few more seconds, he stopped and took off his hat, bringing it to his chest.
"Audrey, after being stuck on the Forsaken Land of the Gods, I have no place to stay. I've already been evicted from my previous apartment." Klein was lying through his teeth, but his Clown powers prevented Audrey from noticing. "I was hoping I could stay here for a night. I'll leave as soon as possible tomorrow to find an apartment. I don't wish to be an inconvenience."
Ah! I forgot he's basically homeless now! No landlord would still allow him to live after not paying rent for so long... Audrey realized. "Yes, you can stay. And... you can stay here for as long as you need, there won't be any problems," she said, but in her mind she thought, You can stay here forever, you know? I don't mind...
"Really? Thank you very much." He then turned his attention back to the dog at his feet. "Looks like we'll be seeing more of each other, Susie."
Of course, all of this was carefully planned out by Klein. He had taken into account Audrey's kind nature and their relationship. He was basically certain that Audrey would allow him to stay here. He also felt very confident that she would let him stay for as long as he needed.
I'm glad this worked... I would've died of embarrassment if I straight-up asked her: 'Audrey, can I live with you?' Klein thought, chuckling in his mind.
"I'll get one of the maids to get a room for you. Oh! I'll also have to introduce you to Father and Mother. They both happen to be here today."
Klein choked for a second. "What?!"
She tilted her head to the side and said, "Guests have to greet the owner of the house. That's just common courtesy."
For a noble like Audrey, this was the norm whenever one had to stay over at someone else's residence. It was manners that had been taught to her since a very young age, and she didn't think much of it.
Meet her parents? That's too early! Klein was freaking out on the inside. His mind was trying to come up with ways to gracefully decline. A direct refusal was out of the question—it would be rude and utterly suspicious. He needed a plausible excuse.
"You are absolutely right, Audrey. It is only proper."
Audrey beamed, pleased by his understanding of etiquette.
"However," Klein said, "I must admit, after all of the recent events, I am... very exhausted. I couldn't possibly present myself before an Earl and his wife in this state."
"Ah, you're right, of course. Forgive me, Klein. I was so caught up in the formalities that I didn't consider how you must be feeling. I'll take you to a guest room myself. I'll have the servants bring up some hot water and a meal for you. You don't have to come down for dinner if you don't feel up to it."
"That would be wonderful. Thank you," Klein replied as he followed Audrey to a guest room. He cast a final glance down at Susie, who watched him go with a curious tilt of her head before trotting happily behind him, her tail wagging.
It seemed he had passed the dog's inspection. However, Audrey's parents will be an entirely different matter.
That's a problem for the future me... Klein joked.
...
"Audrey... are you sure this is a guest bedroom?"
"Hm? Yes, of course. Is something wrong?"
Klein stood in front of the wide-open door of the bedroom. In front of him was a room that could be considered double the size of the average master bedroom in a normal house.
This is not a guest room, Audrey! This is a whole living room! He thought. "Uh, no, it's fine." Klein walked inside the room and looked around, ready to settle himself and rest.
"I'll call the maids to bring you a meal from downstairs," she said as a small smile formed on her face. Klein's presence clearly made her livelier.
"Thank you. Ah, can you tell me where the bathroom is?"
"It's down the hall to the right," she replied. She then gave him a slight nod and left to get the attention of a maid.
Klein left his room and made his way down the hall in search of the bathroom. As he turned the corner...
"... can you believe Duke Leo—oh, and who might you be?"
He had run into two people. An older gentleman, neatly dressed in a navy-blue suit, and an older lady in a beautiful, long yellow dress. Klein instantly recognized the pair.
Her parents?! His heart skipped a beat. Klein cleared his throat and said, "Good evening. My name is Klein Moretti. I am a guest of Miss Audrey. I was just on my way to the bathroom—"
The man, Audrey's father, raised an eyebrow. "A guest? Audrey didn't mention we were having a guest tonight."
"It was a... sudden arrival," Klein explained, trying to choose his words carefully.
Audrey's mother then asked him, "Moretti, right?" She turned to her side to look at her husband. "Darling, isn't that the name that Cassandra mentioned the other day?—"
"Ah, Mother, Father! I see you've met Mr. Moretti." Audrey arrived, slightly out of breath.
Hm? Didn't she leave to get the maids? Why is she here? Klein thought. That's when he noticed the presence of another being—a dog. Did Susie follow me?
Audrey noticed her father's unspoken question that was written all over his face. "This is Mr. Moretti. A friend of mine who's staying over due to business in the capital."
The Earl's stern expression softened slightly, though his eyes remained fixed on Klein. "I see," he said, his tone even. "While I would never turn away a friend of yours, Audrey, a bit of notice would've been great."
"It all happened so suddenly, Father, I apologize," Audrey said, "Mr. Moretti is very tired from his travels. Can we talk about this during tomorrow's breakfast?"
"I see," the Earl finally conceded, his gaze shifting from his daughter back to Klein. "We will speak at breakfast. For now, Mr. Moretti, please rest well."
Audrey's mother offered a more gentle smile. "Do get some rest, Mr. Moretti."
"Thank you, Countess, Earl," Klein said with a polite nod as the pair continued down the hall.
Now I'm forced to meet her parents! Ah!
"I am so sorry," she whispered, turning to him with an apologetic look. As far as she knew, Klein was too tired to meet anyone else tonight and wanted to sleep. Meeting her parents like this must've been tough for him.
"It's fine. For now, I'd just like to find that bathroom."
Audrey's worried expression finally broke into a small smile. "Of course. We can talk more in the morning."
With a final nod, Klein headed for the bathroom, the weight of the upcoming morning meeting already settling in his mind.
...
Klein woke up to the sound of a maid knocking.
"Sir Moretti, you've been invited by Lady Audrey to breakfast. The Earl and Countess will be there too."
"I'll be there. Thank you."
Klein got out of bed, feeling energized. In reality, he had been awake the entire time, or rather, the Klein Moretti persona went to "sleep," and he fully focused his consciousness on Merlin Hermes. He had been fulfilling wishes all night, and now that it was morning, he split his consciousness in half again.
With the snap of a finger, he Wished for brand new formal attire.
Now that he was ready, he walked out of his bedroom. To his right, a maid was waiting. She led him downstairs to the dining room. Audrey and her parents were already waiting there.
The dining room was as grand as the rest of the house. A long, polished mahogany table was set with silverware and porcelain. Sunlight streamed in through tall windows, illuminating the room in a warm glow.
"Good morning, Mr. Moretti," the Earl said, his voice neutral. He gestured to an empty chair across from Audrey. "Please, join us."
"Good morning, Lord Hall, Lady Hall," Klein replied with a polite bow before turning his head to Audrey. "Lady Audrey."
He took his seat. Maids began to silently serve plates of eggs, toast, and sausages.
Audrey offered him a small, encouraging smile, while her mother, the Countess, observed him with polite curiosity. "I trust you slept well, Mr. Moretti?" she asked.
"Yes, I did, thank you for the hospitality," Klein answered.
For a few moments, the only sound was the soft clinking of cutlery. The Earl took a sip of his tea, set the cup down, and then fixed his gaze on Klein.
"Audrey mentioned yesterday that you were in the capital on business," the Earl began, getting straight to the point. "May I ask the nature of your work?"
"Of course, my lord. I am a history consultant—my speciality being history from the Fourth Epoch. A rather fascinating case has required my presence in Backlund."
The Countess raised her eyebrows. "A history consultant? I assume you're in Backlund because of the newly discovered inventions of Emperor Roselle, right?"
"Yes, that's correct." Klein kept on lying as easily as he could breathe.
The Countess set her fork down, a thoughtful smile playing on her lips. "How interesting. You know, darling," she said, turning to her husband, "that reminds me. I was speaking with Countess Cassandra just the other day".
She turned her gaze back to Klein, her smile widening slightly. "She spoke of many things, but she happened to mention that our dear Audrey had secretly become engaged."
Klein almost choked on his food.