Chapter 203 I Will Love You Forever 2
A stern voice rebuked the wayward sword saint. The dignity and elegance in her voice echoed in the hall. "Tsugumi, Sit down. That is no way to behave as a lady of the Musashi."
"But Raylene-Nee-sama! How can you all be so relaxed?! It's the Prince! The shit we have done is enough to get us executed. How can Nii-sama sit and eat bacon with him?!"
"Tsugumi-chan, remember who Hiro-sama is. If we were in any danger he would be the first to attack. I know it is hard to understand but please sit down and enjoy your meal."
Kind but firm words from Vanessa disarmed the Sister of the Mitsurugi. Reluctantly she sat back down and unhappily started stabbing her food.
Tsugumi then felt a hand softly rubbing her head. "Imouto. Thank you. Will explain later. For now, bear it okay?" The pink-haired woman then took some toast, added jam to it, and placed it on her plate.
Once she saw the toast, the young woman felt like tearing up. As someone who never had a family, Tsugumi was fiercely protective of the one she gained. She could not understand it and felt mortified that her efforts were disregarded.
Yet after the toast, Lene placed a couple of sausages while Nessa added a couple of sunny-side-up eggs. Both of them had loving smiles as they showed concern added.
"Tsugumi, eat these too. You need to eat a lot and grow big and strong. I will explain later okay? Thank you for worrying about us."
"Tsugumi-chan, do not worry, we will not be going anywhere. Not everyone is an enemy. You are no longer alone."
The young girl suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion, with the hand of shadows due to her history not one of them wished to get to know her.
She often ate alone and went for days not having a conversation partner. The care and kindness in the voice of her sisters. Melted her heart. This warmth, this feeling. Was this what it meant to have a family?
Suddenly a couple of plates full of bacon were placed beside her by Aurum and Lars, they smiled before returning to their seats. Geo placed a glass of orange juice and similarly left. The young woman blushed as the trio of good looking men left.
Jade then asked in a playful manner. "Who is it?" Tsugumi who looked on the San-Baka got her delusions cut short as she stammered. "Ah. No oone in particular. What are you asking Jade-Nee-sama?"
Their table started to get lively as all three of her sisters joined in the teasing.
"Hiro-sama told me you staked a claim on all of them in anvil. Two of them even shared a kiss with you. How was it?"
"All three of them are fine gentlemen, Darling said you wanted to become his nanny for the sake of marrying one of them?"
"Amazing. Will you be making an Arcus with all three?"
"Wha…? Nee-sama's please stop teasing me! I mean that did happen but…"
Very quickly their table started to have sounds of vibrant laughter and playful giggles. Meanwhile back at Hiro's table. "Your sister is cares very much about her family huh? Maybe I should marry her to become family with you?"
At that moment three of the four legs of the Prince's seat suddenly exploded causing the Prince to hit the ground. He quickly stood up and slammed his hand on the table. "Come on man really? How childish can you be? I haven't even said I would do it."
Hiro continued to eat but the Prince saw the change in demeanor. If earlier he looked like a sulking husband, now the man's eyes were akin to a beast waiting for its prey to drop their guard. Unable to say anything in response, the Prince took a chair from a nearby table and returned to his seat.
Knowing that he just step on Hiro's tail, he opted to get down to business matters. "Okay, I will send a wedding coordinator and the royal couturier to organize your wedding. They will handle everything else and I will foot the bill. I cannot leave you unsupervised though. So my girls and I will stay at the Arcus Kiss until your honeymoon is done is that acceptable?"
Hiro simply nodded as he took a bite of his toast. "What do you want in exchange?", he asked. Dyan then quickly summarized what he wanted. "You already mentioned it but fight under my banner in the duel between Rhyne and me in three and a half months from now."
"I get that, but do you even need me? You sit at 3rd right? Isn't that why Rhyne is scrounging up transmigrators since you play dirty? And have her on the ropes?"
"Hmm. I don't know why you think that way but you got it backwards. Gae-bolg sits at Sixth, 3rd has been Starfall rank. And I did not send her traps, she sent me one twice."
Hearing that the information he got was incorrect, Hiro understood that Rhyne must have been a compulsive liar and painted herself as the victim of sympathy. "Does she have the ability to fake details in the Status window?"
Dyan, aware that Hiro must have understood something replied honestly. "Yes, one of her skills is a mind guard class skill while she had a forging skill. So any and all skills from the Inspection family are useless on here."
By this point, Hiro accepted that everything Rhyne told him must have been false. If such is the case it would better to disregards everything he knew about her and her subs and gather intelligence anew. But before he could agree to fight for Dylan he needed to know how his crimes would be treated.
"How much do you already know?"
"The massacre at the Anvil auction, Creation of the terrorist group Redeemed and Summoning the Monster invasion at Akontio. Oh and illegal entry in my city."
Impressed at the scope of his information network, Hiro then asked "And how will you handle it?"
"Play dumb with the first two, ignore the third as fake news, and forge records for the last."
"Why? Why would you agree to fix this? Aren't you one of those save the weak types?"
"Because you have the power to change the board. As the underdog, I am in desperate need of allies. Having you as a card will be a great boon to me." the Prince replied.
"Why were my wives under your care to begin with?"
"Krayto Alabarda and Riluttante Zhertva. One told me that you were a reliable ally, another begged me to consider helping you."
"You knew Rilu?"
Dylan smiled wryly as he answered. "I did she was a tragic soul that successfully broke my sister's mind control in a way I do not know how. The moment she did she came to me as told me she would willingly work as my spy so long as I ensured no one would suffer like her ever again.
"She told me a day before she left that I need to ensure the women of the Trash swordsman were kept safe. If I successfully protected them I would gain an ally against Rhyne. And that if I failed I would create a demon that would destroy the continent."
Dylan then continued to talk as he sipped his cup of coffee. "I thought she had a flair for exaggeration and ignored her. Only to receive a letter from Lord Krayto telling me to do the same thing."