I Was Reincarnated as a Duke as a Matter of Course, So I Bought a Slave on a Whim and Now There’s No Turning Back - 43

Chapter 43: The Ash-Covered Royal Capital

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A few hours after we first started playing in the snow.

“Done!”

In the center of the garden, there stood a fairly impressive snowman.

“We did it…!”

Fia said with a hint of pride. A round body of snow, arms made of tree branches. Eyes and a mouth made of stones. And then…

“Why does it have a crown?”

On the snowman’s head sat a small golden crown. Where did she even get that?

“Because it’s a king.”

Fia said it with a straight face.

“A king, huh.”

“The Snow King.”

What a strong background story. Yuka watched from a short distance away.

“…It looks splendid.”

“Right?”

I crossed my arms.

“With Fia’s idea added, we shall name it Snow King.”

“Snow King…”

Fia nodded seriously.

…Cute.

After that, we had a snowball fight and built a snow hut, and before we knew it, the sun had already begun to set.

“…Cold.”

“Now you say that?”

“I could only feel the cold just now.”

Fia’s nose had turned slightly red. Yuka let out a small sigh.

“Let’s head back.”

“Okaaay.”

We returned to the mansion, drank something warm, and relaxed for a bit. After that…

“Shall we go out into town for a bit?”

Yuka said.

“For shopping.”

“Shopping?”

“Yes.”

Fia gave a small nod.

“I want gloves.”

Ah, true. It wouldn’t hurt to get one or two more.

“Alright, let’s go.”

◇　◇　◇

Evening in the royal capital. Snow was still lightly falling, but the city was as lively as ever.

“Wow…”

Fia’s eyes sparkled. The lights from the stalls reflected off the snow, making the town look slightly magical.

“Be careful, it’s slippery.”

“Yes.”

Fia grabbed my sleeve.

…Yeah, that’s basically her usual spot now.

After walking for a while, Yuka stopped.

“Luka-sama.”

“Hm?”

“I have a request.”

Oh, that’s rare. Actually, it’s been a while for Yuka to ask for something herself.

“I want a present.”

“…Huh?”

I ended up asking back. Yuka looked away slightly.

“Is that not allowed?”

“No, it’s totally fine.”

I was just surprised. Yuka usually never said things like that. This was the first time she’d asked for something. I’d buy her anything my entire fortune could afford. Well, my parents’ money.

“What do you want?”

Yuka pointed to an accessory shop along the street. Through the glass, small accessories were lined up. We entered the shop. The shopkeeper gave us a slight bow.

“Welcome.”

Yuka looked into the glass display. Then, without hesitation, she pointed at one item.

“I want this.”

A thin black leather choker. At the center was a small silver ornament. Simple, but it would suit Yuka. Just like Fia, everyone here had good taste. They only picked things that would suit them.

“This one?”

“Yes.”

I checked the price tag. It was cheaper than I expected. I knew she wasn’t holding back, but part of me wanted to act like a rich guy spending big.

“Alright.”

“Thank you very much.”

Yuka smiled slightly. Just a little. But it was more than enough. I paid immediately and handed it to her.

“Here you go.”

“…”

Yuka hesitated for a moment.

“Could you put it on for me?”

“…Put it on?”

“Yes.”

I took the choker.

…Isn’t this kind of, you know?

Yuka lifted her hair slightly from her neck. Her white nape was exposed. I thought she looked honestly beautiful doing that. I gently wrapped the choker around her neck.

Don’t think about weird things. Don’t run away. Don’t run away.

“…”

I fastened the choker around her neck.

“S-So, how is it?”

Yuka lightly touched it.

“…Thank you very much.”

Then she said softly, “I’m happy, since it’s from you, Luka-sama.”

…That’s not fair.

Fia was watching from the side, staring.

“Do you want one too, Fia?”

“…”

She thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“I already have something precious that I received from Master!”

She pointed to the silver ornament shining in her hair and smiled.

Seriously, how cute can you be? Please just be happy.

On the way back, the crowd thickened, making it harder to watch our footing.

“Whoa.”

On the street, Fia lightly bumped into someone.

“I’m sorry.”

When I turned, it was a young man. He had a gentle air about him. His hair was slightly long, covering one eye, but it was clear he was quite a handsome and pleasant-looking guy.

“No, no, it’s my fault.”

The young man smiled.

“Are you hurt?”

He looked at Fia.

“N-No, I’m fine.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

He smiled with relief.

“It’s slippery on snowy days.”

…He seemed like a good guy. If it were someone like him, maybe I could even trust Fia with him.

“Please be careful on your way home.”

With that, the young man left. We also resumed walking.

“…Creepy.”

I thought I heard Fia say something.

“Fia?”

“…Master, please hold my hand so you don’t fall.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The young man’s back disappeared into the crowd.

◇◆◇

In an alley a short distance away. The young man walked in from the street.

“You’re late.”

A man leaning against the wall spoke.

“What were you doing?”

The young man shrugged.

“Sorry about that.”

His tone was light, in contrast to the other man.

“I saw a cute girl, you know.”

The man let out a deep sigh.

“…Haah. Let’s go.”

He sighed again and started walking.

“…Seems like we’re short on materials for the ritual.”

The young man followed behind him.

“Aren’t the higher-ups treating us pretty badly?”

“Keep your mouth shut. You’ll get killed.”

“Haha, yeah, I’d rather not.”

The young man looked up at the sky. Snow was quietly falling.

“But well…”

The corner of his lips twisted slightly.

“Today’s catch wasn’t bad.”

There was no trace of the earlier kindness in his eyes.

“The duke’s boy, Luka, was it?”

“Yeah. He’s the target.”

“I just happened to run into him back there.”

The man reacted.

“What! You, that’s—”

“I know, I know. It’s not like I wanted to run into him.”

“They’re really cruel, those higher-ups. Instead of killing someone like that, they want us to capture him alive.”

The young man laughed as he spoke. Two shadows once again lurked within the royal capital. The apostles of ash dwelling within the capital…

“I wish they’d hurry up and make a move.”

Hearing those words, a brown-haired girl spoke with suspicion.

“It’s still too early. We haven’t received permission to use the Holy Relic (Sancto) yet.”

The boy smiled and replied, “I was joking. I don’t want to do anything reckless.”

“That’s right. Leo, you’re not as strong as Mark, so please restrain yourself.”

“So it’s not Sera, huh.”

“…Isn’t it presumptuous to compare you to her?”

For the two of them, that was obvious. They both knew it well.

“I suppose you’re right.”

Ash and light gathered in the royal capital. The day they would clash was not far away.

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