Marietta-hime no Konrei

“Huh?! You mean doing it, doing it?! Ah-“

Adlan blurted out in his confusion, but closed his mouth in haste.

What are you saying to a maiden, calm down, me. Though, maybe that’s something I should be telling this kid.

Adlan had not been ceremonially promoted alongside Belvant. With his considerable sword skill, intelligence, and most of all his ability to wrap anyone up in his pace and lead them by the nose, it was this man that connected the army together and brought it all under Belvant’s control, and he was rightly known as a “capable man”.

As for his outward appearance, his fluffy, bright brown hair nearly shone like gold, his features were well balanced, and his slightly drooping eyes were a vibrant green and sparkled with bold determination and friendly warmth. Most women would probably categorize him as the attractive, “young man next door” type. With his natural charm dispelling their wariness, many a lady found their heart unexpectedly aflutter for the man.

And now, this masterful schemer of a lady-killer found himself completely thrown for a loop by this silver kitten-like junior.

Sitting closer to allow her to speak easier had turned into a blunder, as the short distance allowed the woman’s soft fragrance, tempered by a light soap, to easily reach Adlan. At his heart’s sudden throb, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking.

“Hold up. Let’s see, there’s probably some circumstances involved, right? Yep, I wonder if you could explain that first, alright?”

Adlan raised his hands, gesturing against Sierra’s approaching, forceful, ‘please do it’ eyes to stop as he requested an explanation.

“Miss Maid, wait, calm down, really now, stop-“

I’m a man! So, if your good scent keeps tickling my nose like this, I might actually die!

“Just Sierra, please. If I explain and consent, would you find it agreeable to do it with me?”

Persisting, Sierra clasped her hands together as she further cornered the evasive Adlan.

“Please, please consider it very well!”

This crisis was, perhaps, the greatest in his life. Little Sierra was simply too dazzling for sullied adults.

Overwhelmed, Adlan worked his mind in overtime to try and overcome his disadvantageous position.

Listening to Sierra’s explanation, as a discerning adult man, Adlan couldn’t simply nod his head.

“Sierra, putting yourself through that just for the sake of your work is no good, you know. It’s the sort of thing you do with a lover.”

“I have nothing like a lover.”

“Not even back in the Stellaus Kingdom?”

“Not even there.”

Hearing her state it so plainly brought Adlan a small feeling of relief, for some reason.

“If it’s like that, then even if she’s an important person you need to keep an eye on, Marietta’s also an adult, right? Sierra, aren’t you…”

Pampering her too much? Adlan very nearly asked before he stopped. How would the diligent Sierra, who stood behind Marietta to protect her day in and day out no matter how the political marriage turned out, not be wounded by such cruel words?

She was only a girl of twenty-one years grasping about in a country where she barely knew her right from her left, and yet she was desperately fighting for the happiness of her lady.

Adlan, thinking of the strenuous effort she had put forth ever since arriving in this country, felt a pang in his chest for Sierra.

Trying to protect her lady, she even stared down that villainous-faced Belvant many times over, huh. Even when he could have brushed her aside with a single hand.

Adlan placed a hand atop Sierra’s silvery hair, gently brushing it as though he were consoling a child.

“Sierra, I think you should consider your own happiness a bit more, you know?”

“My own happiness, you say?”

“And don’t say anything like ‘my lady’s happiness is my own’, you hear? That same lady might be an airhead, but she’s still intelligent; if you said something like that, she’d be so sad… she wouldn’t know what to do, you know.”

Whatever she did for Sierra in response was likely to turn into quite the mess for everyone involved. It was scary just thinking about it, honestly.

“But… I still wish to return to my lady’s side and help her with her coming marriage. Beyond that, I have not thought of my own life at all. Sir Adlan,”

Beside him, Sierra stiffly fixed her eyes upon Adlan.

“It seems I am unable to obtain your understanding, how disappointing. However, I sincerely thank you for listening to my difficulties.”

“Huh? It doesn’t seem like you understand either, but what are you going to do now?”

“Given that there is no other method, I will choose another suitable-“

“Nope! Absolutely not! That method is right out!”

When he thought of the pretty Sierra’s proposal… Adlan could only picture a shuffling crowd of men surrounding her, and grew flustered.

“I wonder if Sir Andrew would make a good first choice?”

“You already have your eye on someone?!”

“We have been practicing our martial arts together recently. He’s such a kind gentleman, so I’m sure if I made a request-“

“No way! Even if he isn’t a complete meathead, he’s still more than halfway there, so if you ever even hinted at letting him have his way with you, he’d pin you down for three days and nights, and he wouldn’t even let you go if you cried, and after it all your lower back would be so weak you wouldn’t be able to work well and it would inconvenience your lady, so that guy is absolutely no good! Or rather, you two were sparing? That guy works fast…”

Adlan, for some reason, was quite desperate.

“I also received a pleasant gift from the noble Sir Franz.”

“That’s the definition of a blatant lure! Getting pulled in and caught is definitely no good! Being toyed with by some flighty, well-off greenhorn until you get pregnant will just throw your entire life into shambles you know!”

“… In that case, is a woman like me to remain a maiden her entire life?”

“That’s not what I’m saying! In the first place, how can you just make someone your lover?!”

Sierra cast her gaze to the floor. The downhearted maid looked so precious that Adlan had to struggle not to sit her in his lap and console her.

“Well then, I am unsuitable. In order to assure my lady’s bridal night is a success, she needs instruction before the wedding ceremony, and yet I am unable to provide it.”

“Well sure, it seems it’ll be necessary to drill some straightforward information into that virgin Belvant so he doesn’t end up hurting the princess, but…”

At his statement, Adlan saw Sierra shift her gaze to glare about the room.

This is bad, I have no idea what this kid will do if I take my eyes off of her! She is unmistakably coming up with some dangerous idea right now!

“I got it!”

Adlan shouted, and in the next moment he had flung both his arms around Sierra.

“Let’s just have me become your lover!”

Adlan, without restraint, tightly embraced Sierra’s firm body. Though she had tempered her body diligently, Sierra found herself snugly settled within Adlan’s arms like a slender girl.

As it was, his whole body was stuck fast to hers, his face buried in her shoulder. It was to the point where Sierra was completely wrapped up in a man’s body.

Frankly, Adlan expected Sierra, with her inexperience with men, to be nervous. Even though she spoke boldly, a virgin woman being embraced by a man who isn’t her lover ought to be considerably unpleasant. With this, he might have bought a bit more time to plan.

As per Adlan’s expectations, Sierra’s body went stiff at the abrupt embrace.

Alright!

The non-verbal denial left an unpleasant prickling in his chest, but Adlan would get another surprise shortly.

… What’s this?

Suddenly, all the tension drained from Sierra’s body. Fearing his hug may have pushed her too far in an inappropriate direction, Adlan looked down into Sierra’s face to see her cheeks had been dyed faintly pink.

“… I’m relieved…”

Sierra murmured.

“Huh?”

“I, since I thought Sir Adlan is the best… Rather than any other gentlemen, I wanted Sir Adlan to accept most of all.”

Completely at ease, she entrusted her body to him, her soft warmth spreading through his core.

It might not yet be love. However, having come to Oltaire knowing none besides Princess Marietta, Sierra had come to trust this man Adlan who was always watching over her. Seeing his soft smile, receiving his gentle words, Sierra felt the tension slide out of her shoulders. As such, when she considered that someone would have to take her maidenhood, she secretly hoped that that someone would be Adlan.

“I’m glad…”

With cloudy blue eyes, Sierra gazed at Adlan with a sweet smile.

“It’s good that it is Sir Adlan. Please, consider me favorably from now on.”

Sierra’s face gently pressed into Adlan’s chest, and, timidly, her slender, white arms encircled his back. free𝚠𝚎𝚋𝒏𝚘ѵ𝐞l.𝑐oｍ

“!… Ahem-“

Looking over Sierra, Adlan’s face flushed red straight to his ears in an instant.

“… I give, I’ve been completely defeated.”

And that was the very moment where Adlan, the thirty year old second in command of the army and superior article of a man, perfectly fell for the silver haired attendant from Stellaus.

Author Note:

He falls~, the schemer Adlan was shot down!

It’s the airheaded maid Sierra’s complete victory.

Next time, as it becomes Adlan’s turn to get serious, will the sweet seme explode?!

Stay tuned! (lol)