In a World of Reversed Chastity, I Strive to Become an Honorable Male Knight, but Lustful Women Keep Targeting My Body - 242

Chapter 242: The Straight-Laced Viscountess and a Drinking Party

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“Yeeessss!!”

I, Gilberto Prevost, was overjoyed. The moment I stepped out of the dining room, I couldn’t hold back my excitement and clenched my right hand tightly as I shouted. A date! Yes, a date with my lord. It had been worth mustering up the courage to invite him!

While I agonized over how I should approach my lord, months had slipped by before I knew it. Naturally, nothing whatsoever had progressed during that time. My days had been desolate ones, spent merely whispering lewd gossip with Sonia-sama. And yet, at long last, I had finally managed to take a step forward. It might have been a small step, but progress was still progress.

“You’ll be heard by Al-sama if you raise your voice too much,”

Sonia-sama, who had come out with me, warned me with an exasperated look. I flushed deeply and hurriedly covered my mouth.

“Good grief…”

After letting out a sigh, Sonia-sama gave a small wry smile. Then she patted my shoulder and continued.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about. Will you have a drink with me?”

“Y-Yes. Of course.”

When I thought about it calmly, Sonia-sama was a very intense Al-sama devotee. Was it really not reckless of me to suggest a date with my lord right in front of her? Fearing she might put me in my place, I felt a bit intimidated, but I could only nod in response.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Ten minutes later, I found myself in Sonia-sama’s private room, the one next to my lord’s chamber. Come to think of it, had Sonia-sama properly sealed the peephole in this room? …Knowing her, I was almost certain she hadn’t sealed it at all.

Setting that aside, the important matter was Sonia-sama herself. After entering the room, she rummaged through the cabinet by her pillow for a while, but it seemed she finally found what she was looking for. She placed a bottle of liquor heavily onto the table.

“This is…?”

It was a brand I recognized as well. A high-end whiskey imported from the western island nation of Avalonia.

“If my memory serves me correctly, Sonia-sama wasn’t particularly fond of alcohol. Why would you have something this expensive…? Was it a gift from someone?”

“No, well… Al-sama was drinking it so enjoyably that I decided to try buying some myself, but… It was stronger than I expected, and I had no choice but to leave it untouched. Well, I suppose it’s for guests.”

“I-I see…”

That sort of unexpected cuteness was part of what made Sonia-sama so endearing. Holding back a smile, I poured the liquor into a glass myself. In Galea, whiskey was often diluted with water, but I had heard that in its homeland of Avalonia, drinking it straight was the norm. I decided to try it as is, first.

“W-Well then… Cheers.”

“Mm. …I’m having trouble getting through it, so drink as much as you like.”

“Alright…”

A little hesitant, I took a sip. …A powerful scent of the seashore and something like charcoal smoke flooded my nasal passages. I nearly choked and hurriedly washed it down with water. 

Th-This… What is it? Is this really alcohol? It even tasted medicinal…

“Impressive, isn’t it? Al-sama drinks this eagerly. Honestly, I just can’t understand his taste in alcohol at all…”

After saying that, Sonia-sama herself took a small sip of the whiskey—something that seemed equally like a foul-smelling chemical—and then, with tears in her eyes, gulped down water. Apparently, she wasn’t trying to harass me with some bizarre drink. She genuinely seemed at a loss as to what to do with it.

“T-To be honest, this is a bit too much… Wouldn’t it be better to just give it to our lord…?”

Did Al-sama really enjoy this sort of liquor? It was honestly hard to believe. There were plenty of drinks that were difficult to swallow, but this seemed excessive.

“I did consider that, but… Admitting honestly that it was ‘too strong for me to drink’ feels embarrassing, and lying about it would feel wrong…”

“Secretly filming him would be far more reprehensible, Sonia-sama.”

“……”

After pursing her lips in silence, Sonia-sama brought the whiskey to her mouth again and choked. As expected, drinking this straight was far too dangerous. At the very least, it needed to be diluted with water. …And besides, her face was already turning bright red. She was a lightweight, yet she insisted on drinking whiskey…

At this point, it seemed I had no choice but to deal with the liquor myself. I steeled myself and added more water to my glass. Without diluting it properly, there was no way I could drink much of it.

“So then… What exactly did you wish to discuss this time?”

I cleared my throat and finally steered the conversation to the main topic. Judging from the atmosphere, it didn’t seem like she intended to scold me, and I felt secretly relieved.

“Ah… It’s about Al-sama’s long ride. He seems rather carried away, so I thought I should rein him in a little.”

Following my lead, Sonia-sama poured water into her glass as she spoke.

“There are quite a few who would target Al-sama’s life, elves included. Since I won’t be able to accompany him, you’re the only one I can rely on. I understand feeling excited, but don’t let your guard down.”

“…Of course. Please leave it to me.”

Even if it was effectively a date, my role was still that of an escort. I had a duty to protect my lord from all danger, and I had no intention of neglecting that responsibility.

“Good. That will do. …That’s all I wanted to say.”

“I-I see…”

It was more straightforward than I had expected, and I felt a bit let down. I had thought she might at least make a snide remark or two…

“However… Uum, is it really alright? For me to get close with our lord?”

“There’s no ‘alright’ or ‘not alright.’”

Sonia-sama immediately shook her head from side to side.

“In the current state of Liseben, you’re the only one who can act as a proxy for both Al-sama and me. Which means…”

“Which means?”

“For me to spend a private holiday alone with Al-sama, I need you to work hard.”

“…Ah!”

At last, it all clicked. I couldn’t help clapping my hands together. In other words, she was saying, ‘I’ll allow you to go on a date, so next time, you help me with mine.’

“I’ve been troubled by this. I don’t have a stand-in and that Josette refuses to take on any position of responsibility…”

Muttering complaints under her breath, Sonia-sama sipped her watered-down whiskey. Josette, that was one of Al-sama’s childhood friend knights, if I recalled correctly. I remembered she had served as his aide during the battle in the capital.

“To govern this territory while keeping the influence of the chancellor and the bishop at bay… The two of us must cooperate closely and support Al-sama together. …You understand what I mean, don’t you?”

Sonia-sama already looked thoroughly drunk. And yet, her glass was still not even half empty… Perhaps it really wasn’t a good idea to let her drink at all.

“S-So, that means…?”

“Yes. …Of course, only if Al-sama agrees.”

It seemed Sonia-sama was considering a plan where she and I would share our lord. In the Kingdom of Galea, polygamy between demi-humans and hume was encouraged, but other forms of marriage were not forbidden. There were even cases where retainers or close friends bound by deep trust shared a husband.

Ignoring my shock, Sonia-sama gulped down more of the watered-down whiskey, then let out a breath reeking of sea and smoke. No, no, no—this was bad. A lightweight drinking at this pace was definitely a problem. I thought I should stop her, but before I could act, she continued speaking.

“I have expectations of you. To be honest, I’m aware that I’m a lust-addled pervert… After all, I’m that woman’s daughter… I’m terribly afraid that I’ll lose control like she did, hurt Al-sama, or be hated by him… Before that happens, I want someone who can stop me…”

Sonia-sama, now speaking entirely like a drunk, made her case. Her words were a bit disjointed, but in essence, she was expecting me to act as a brake for her. It seemed she thought very highly of me. A warm feeling slowly welled up in my chest.

But that woman’s daughter… That had to refer to Margrave Suolahti. I recalled the night Al-sama had spent at the margrave’s mansion in the capital. At the time, he had explained that nothing had happened, but…

“……”

A disturbing image formed in my mind, and I hurriedly shook my head. I drained my glass in one go, trying to chase away the unpleasant thoughts with alcohol.

“With you by my side, I feel like I can finally move forward. So…”

Paying no attention to me, Sonia-sama continued rambling on. …It seemed I would be keeping this drunk company for the entire night. Still, it didn’t feel unpleasant. With a small wry smile, I poured myself another glass of whiskey.

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