abcnovels
Chapter 128
Chapter 128
Chapter 128
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
Chapter 128: An Unwelcome Guest (3)
***
However, they couldn’t start investigating Ballad Hugo right away.
“He had come here to meet Louise while on vacation, with plans to stay for a few days.”
While Ballad spent his time with Count Haksen’s family, Damien also took a break. He didn’t forget to give his family the bracelets he had obtained from the Church’s treasury.
“Thank you so much for the past few days.”
On the day of his departure, Ballad bowed his head to the people of the Count’s family and expressed his gratitude.
“Is there any need for gratitude between us?”
“That’s right. We’re going to be family soon, aren’t we?”
The family members saw Ballad off with a smile.
As soon as Ballad left, Damien and Louise immediately took action.
They made an excuse to their family that they were going to see a performance in the capital and headed to Ocean City to follow Ballad.
***
Arriving at the Ocean City, a breeze laden with the scent of the sea greeted the two.
It was Damien’s first time seeing the sea since his regression.
However, there was no leisure to enjoy the sea. Ballad was entering the castle.
Carefully, the two followed Ballad, making sure he didn’t notice.
“Ah! Mr. Ballad!”
It was when Ballad was walking down the street.
A girl selling flowers ran towards him with a cheerful face.
“Already finished your vacation? Did you have a good time at Viscount Haksen?”
“Fleur, it’s been a while. Oh, and it’s not Viscount Haksen anymore, it’s Count now.”
“Oh, I forgot!”
The girl grabbed Ballad and chatted away. Ballad listened to her gossip without any sign of annoyance.
“I must be going now. I have to get to work.”
“But I still have so many questions…”
“We’ll talk next time.”
As Ballad said that and left, the flower shop girl looked disappointed.
The person who grabbed Ballad wasn’t just the flower shop girl.
“Oh, Mr. Ballad!”
The young mistress of a general store recognized Ballad and spoke.
“Why haven’t you been visiting our shop lately?”
“I still have candles left over from last time.”
“You should have guessed they’d burn out soon. That way, I’d get to see Mr. Ballad more often.”
And this wasn’t the end.
Similar incidents repeated two or three more times afterward. Watching this scene, Damien felt a sense of unease.
“As you said… he’s really popular, isn’t he?”
“So, you didn’t believe me until now?”
Louise frowned slightly.
“Do you know how many women were hanging onto Ballad when we were in the west? If I hadn’t fought fiercely, I would have lost Ballad. Just thinking about it still gives me nightmares.”
Damien felt greatly confused by Louise’s words.
“Is it true that you were hanging onto him?”
As Damien, it was a reality that was hard to believe, or rather, one he didn’t want to believe.
That such an outstanding woman would cling to such a man.
“That’s why Ballad didn’t want to come to this city…”
While Louise lamented, Ballad entered the government office of the city.
“What should we do? We can’t go inside…”
Louise tapped her foot anxiously. Damien looked around and asked Louise,
“Do you know which floor he works on?”
“Huh? Probably the third floor?”
Damien hugged Louise and then leaped onto the rooftop of a building roughly the same height as the government office’s third floor.
“Oh my, my little brother is really amazing.”
“It’s not that difficult.”
The two peered into the government office’s windows, waiting for Ballad to appear.
After a while, Ballad came up.
‘It must be hard for my sister to see.’
The distance between the government office and the building was quite far. Damien might be able to see, but Louise, an ordinary person, would have a hard time observing.
“Sister, are you uncomfortable…….”
When he looked next to him, he saw Louise taking out her binoculars.
“Huh? Why?”
Louise, who noticed his gaze, tilted her head and asked. Damien asked with a confused voice.
“……When did you prepare that?”
“I thought something like this might happen, so I bought it in advance. Oh, you can also hear the conversation because it’s a magical artifact”
Damien felt a slight headache. What on earth did that man say to make Louise act like this?
“……You’re very well prepared.”
“Is that so?”
The two siblings lay on the rooftop and observed Ballad.
Ballad brought a pile of documents from somewhere and put them on his desk to start working. He was sitting by the window, so his side was visible.
Just then, someone approached Ballad. Judging from her clothes, she seemed to be a maid working in the government office.
– Mr. Ballad! You should have told me to come when you came back! How long have I been waiting!
– Oh, Emily. I’m sorry. I have a lot of work to do.
Ballad greeted the maid with a smile. The atmosphere was very cheerful.
– You have a lot of work to do. You mean Mr. Ballad has to handle all of this?
– Now that I’ve rested, I have to work that much. I think I can finish it by tonight.
– You’re amazing!
The maid clapped her hands in admiration. Then suddenly, the maid’s eyes became sticky.
– So…… you’ll have time in the evening, right?
The maid slyly put her hand on Ballad’s thigh. The moment he saw that sight, Damien felt a surge of anger.
“That bastard?”
His sister’s guess was right. He was definitely two-timing her.
He was leaving his angel of a sister behind and doing such things.
“Sister, wait here. I’ll go and break that bastard’s legs!”
“D-Damien! Calm down! Let’s just watch a little longer, okay?”
“What more is there to watch? It’s all clear!”
Louise grabbed Damien. While the two were arguing,
– Miss Emily, I’m sorry, but I don’t think that will be possible. I have a separate appointment in the evening.
Ballad took the maid’s hand and moved it to the side. The maid then made a heartbroken expression.
-……I see. Then work hard.
The maid stood up from the chair angrily.
At that sight, Damien’s actions stopped abruptly. The anger that had flared up lost its direction and scattered.
“……Ballad!”
Louise was looking at the sight with a moved expression.
“Tsk.”
Damien clicked his tongue with a disappointed look.
***
Time passed, and it was lunchtime.
Ballad also came out to eat.
“Sister, let’s follow him.”
“Okay.”
The two of them followed Ballad closely. Ballad entered a restaurant in a corner.
Damien and Louise approached the window of the restaurant. They peeked inside.
“Oh, Ballad!”
The waitress who was sitting on the chair jumped up and greeted Ballad as soon as she saw him.
“Why haven’t you been here for so long? Was our food not to your taste?”
“How could that be? I was away on vacation.”
“Vacation? You should have told me. I’ve been waiting for you.”
The waitress slapped Ballad on the arm and said.
“Sit down. What do you want to eat? The usual?”
“Yes, please.”
“Okay. Dad! Ballad is here! Make him a set meal!”
Ballad sat at an empty table. Then, as if it were natural, the waitress sat down next to Ballad.
“Ballad! I have a favor to ask. Can you do it?”
“What is it?”
“Can you take me to the beach you took me to last time? I want to see the full moon reflected in the sea again, but it’s in a remote area and I’m scared to go alone.”
Damien’s eyes widened at the waitress’s words.
A young man and woman going to the beach together in the middle of the night? And to a secluded place?
“……Sister, that woman is definitely the one.”
“Oh, Damien?”
“Stay here. I’ll go and break that bastard’s arms and legs right now!”
“Wait, Damien! Just a little longer! Just a little longer!”
Louise desperately stopped Damien. Meanwhile, Ballad opened his mouth with a smile.
“Susan, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do that.”
“Why? You took me with you last time!”
“That was because you helped me a lot when I first came to the city, and I wanted to repay you. It’s not good for a young woman to be with a man alone. People will talk.”
The waitress hesitated at Ballad’s words.
“……I don’t care about rumors.”
“I do. As I told you before, I’m engaged.”
At Ballad’s words, the waitress sighed and backed down.
Damien glanced to the side. As expected, Louise was looking happy.
“Ballad……!”
Louise was even shedding tears of joy.
Damien could not help but suppress his unpleasant feelings.
***
After that, the two of them continued to observe Ballad.
Although a few women approached him as before, Ballad continued to politely refuse them all.
“I think I misunderstood.”
At sunset.
Louise spoke to Damien.
“I’m such a bad woman. I didn’t trust Ballad until the end.”
Louise looked at the government office with affection in her eyes. Ballad was working hard inside.
“……It’s fortunate that it wasn’t like that.”
“Huh? But why do you have such an unpleasant expression?”
“It’s nothing.”
Damien clicked his tongue inwardly.
He had wanted to find a better man for Louise on the occasion of this incident, but it had all come to nothing.
‘But I have to admit it.’
On the other hand, thanks to this incident, he came to see Ballad in a different light.
After all, he refused all the many women who worked there and only looked at Louise.
‘Yes, as long as my sister is happy.’
That was what Damien was thinking when it happened.
The door of the government office opened and Ballad walked out.
“It looks like he’s getting off work now. He must have worked hard.”
But for some reason, Ballad didn’t go straight back to his quarters.
He stood at the entrance of the government office and checked his pocket watch several times.
“Ballad!”
Just then, a woman approached Ballad, waving her arms.
She was an exotic beauty with jet-black hair and brown skin.
“Did you wait long?”
“No, I just finished work too.”
The woman took Ballad’s arm. Ballad gave her his arm in a very natural way.
“I’ve made a reservation at a good bar for tonight. Let’s go quickly.”
The two disappeared into the darkness.
“…….”
Damien couldn’t help but open his mouth wide.
“Sister? Did you see that?”
The moment he turned to the side, Damien couldn’t help but be startled.
Louise was staring at the two of them with an icy cold gaze.
Damien was surprised and felt goosebumps all over his body.
This was the first time he had ever seen Louise with such a frightening expression on her face in all his life.
“Damien?”
“Uh…… Yes, sister.”
“Let’s follow them right now.”
Louise said in a voice full of anger.
Damien could only nod his head.
***
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]