The Archmage’s Restaurant

# 160

Chapter.36 Hibiren Flowers and Concert Soon

Verna and the Gray boy left the concert hall according to the Duke’s orders.

At the same time, Duke Delian’s voice was heard. It was a very cold voice.

“They are trivial things.”

The blonde woman responds to that voice.

“Uncle?”

Immediately afterwards, the Duke’s voice followed.

“He is the one who dared to refuse even though we were given a glorious opportunity to serve the Duke of Delian. Before taking over all of Gray City’s business, would you make the Gray Count family a laughing stock in the aristocratic society? “Those who are overconfident in their situation will have a fitting end.”

“Then what you mean by letting them pass is…” no way!”

“Yes. He’s not good at playing properly, so he’s probably the type that’s weak in practice. There is no need to even look at the skills he possesses. Where would the skills of rural nobles go? “If not, it would have been known already.”

The blonde woman seemed to be in a better mood at Duke Delian’s assertion and responded with a smile.

“That’s it! I don’t even know that… . In that case, all that remains is to show my overwhelming skills and make myself a laughing stock… .”

But the conversation was soon cut off.

“There is no need for that. “The moment you start playing, your hands start shaking, and even if you force yourself to play, won’t you be ridiculed and jeered?”

“Ho ho ho. “You are my uncle after all!”

These are things that fit well together.

Well, it was strange ever since we discussed passing the exam, and I thought it was something like this.

Thanks to the Duke, it became very clear what was going on.

So I laughed.

I think the finals will be really fun.

It would be even more fun if Lurin showed off her skills as a dragon.

“you? “What are you doing, really?”

As I was lost in those thoughts, Lurin summoned me back to reality.

Lulin just said this. Those words overlapped with the Duke’s words, so I stood by for a while, but Lulin said that he definitely felt strange. About this wall hitter.

“Well, this wall-hitting thing is… .”

At that very moment, I suddenly remembered something from yesterday.

Now Lurin is crossing her legs. Still, he looks at me shyly.

The ears were red.

That’s what it means to feel strange.

In other words, it was a very good atmosphere for kissing.

We were that close, and my arms were almost touching Lurin’s ears, and I was restraining her by leaning against the wall.

Rurin, who rejected my kiss the day before yesterday.

But after that, other than that, nothing was different from usual.

Even now.

A golden opportunity to relieve the discomfort of that time.

No one is looking this way. Due to the structure of the building, this side is not visible. The distance is close enough to hear Rurin’s breathing.

So there was no hesitation. I just gained momentum and tried to kiss him.

However, Rurin, who was staring at me with a shy expression, suddenly turned her head right before our lips met.

Thanks to this, it was Rurin’s cheek that my lips touched. Even that, because Lurin turned her face so sharply, it slipped past her cheek and touched the air.

“Lurin?”

It was absurd. At the time, one might have thought it was because he was sleepy, but now his intention to refuse was very clear.

I gave him an intense look, and Lulin glanced at me with a mysterious expression, then turned his head again to avoid my gaze.

“You avoided the kiss the day before yesterday, right?”

“… “There is something like that.”

There is such a thing.

In other words, it means that I clearly intentionally avoided it last time as well.

why?

To the subject who looks embarrassed in front of me like this. Why on earth are you blushing even to your ears?

Some strange feeling is boiling over.

I never even thought about Rurin rejecting me.

Lulin has never rejected me since she expressed her affection for me.

That’s why I have maintained the firm belief that Rurin likes me.

And Lulin always showed that belief through action.

But why?

Feeling frustrated, I grabbed Rurin’s chin and turned it towards me. Lulin’s face was helplessly drawn into my hand. My image is reflected in Lurin’s two black eyes.

If the goal is to kiss you, you can force it.

but.

The kiss itself is not the goal.

So I wanted to hear the reason for the rejection. That is a natural feeling and desire. So, like a parrot, I repeated why.

“why?”

But Lulin was still a parrot. Repeat the same words.

“There’s something like that!”

So I asked.

“What if I still kiss you?”

“That’s great! Ahhh no. not good!”

The answer that came back was a two-fold response. When he let go of Lulin’s chin, Lulin covered his face with both hands.

“Nanananana there is no me! “Because I don’t have it.”

“Rurin, you get angry when you come out like that without even telling me the reason?”

“Don’t be angry! Wait for that! If you wait, I’ll tell you. “No, no, no!”

As Rurin said that, she crouched down and covered her face. Then he wrapped himself up, covered his face, and raised his voice.

“You, you! “I go and practice first!”

And then he used teleportation and ran away. I was dumbfounded for a moment by the absurd situation and looked at the spot where Lurin had disappeared.

Wait?

Nothing has changed. But he refuses to kiss me. In this state, even if you try to screw him, he’s probably going to run away.

Is it nonsense to ask you to wait and have you changed your mind?

Are you saying I changed my mind and should wait?

I thought it was ridiculous, but my firm belief was slightly shaken.

I have never thought about this situation before.

Rulin likes me so much that she always says so herself, so she will never reject me.

Because I just thought that way.

I don’t feel like kissing.

In situations where the situation is ambiguous, rejection itself is quite possible.

But just now, the atmosphere was so good that when he mentioned that he was feeling strange, he gave me a bright look and his ears turned red.

Since he left an odd comment telling me to wait, I think he has some plan.

My brain thought so, but after being rejected twice, a strange feeling that I didn’t know what it was kept entrapping my mind.

***

The first thing to deal with is the Great Hat.

On my way back to the imperial palace, I searched the boy’s mansion. The boy, surprised by my visit, began to explain everything about what had happened and Verna’s trauma, like a child telling his parents.

The reason why I decided to participate in this competition. And the fact that because of that decision, he unknowingly stepped into the political arena and almost caused great trouble.

“Is that so?”

Somehow, Verna’s condition was very strange, even if she had been slapped right before that.

“I don’t know what your highness was thinking, but I passed anyway, so at least I avoided being eliminated from the preliminaries like last time, but in the end, I’m still suffering because I couldn’t play the keyboard.”

Was it something like that?

The situation is clear at a glance.

So, I was curious about what the Gray boy was thinking.

“Are you sure you don’t know what you’re thinking?”

The current situation the Gray family is in and what happened at the preliminaries.

If you put all of that together, there is something you need to realize if you want to become a great lord.

If you don’t realize that, it means that you won’t even become a cotyledon that you can grow up to be.

I looked at the boy intently, hoping that wasn’t the case.

“that… .”

Fortunately, the Gray boy shook his head strongly.

“I know. And actually, I’m confident about the finals! No matter what His Majesty’s intentions are, if my mother can play the keyboard properly, she can silence everyone… . “That’s who you are!”

“Myself… is it.”

I smiled at the Gray boy.

Fortunately, it seemed like he had the insight to understand the current situation.

The growth is pleasing. Of course, I don’t yet have the resourcefulness or power to use scheming tricks.

I smiled in anticipation that such a day would come soon.

As you navigate this dirty political world, you will learn how to overcome it little by little.

“yes! but… That will only be possible if my mother can play the keyboard in the finals without having to do something like before. If only I could hit it… .”

The boy looked at me with a different expression than when he expressed confidence.

Actually, it’s not that there is no way.

Of course, I’m not 100 percent sure. In the end, it’s a problem that two people have to solve.

However, I could give advice on how to do it. That’s what I came here for.

It’s best for Rurin to win, but it’s bad for me that Verna can’t even play in the finals.

“Your Excellency the Earl of Gray.”

So I seriously called his name. The boy trembled with a startled look on his face, then straightened his back and answered loudly.

“yes yes!”

It is an attitude of listening. So I started saying how I thought.

“I think that in the current situation, closed emotions should be resolved with other emotions, even if they are a little harsh, rather than using straight-forward methods. And the Count is the only one who can use those other emotions now.”

“I tried everything I could. “They all failed!”

“Have you really tried everything?”

The Gray boy nodded. But I shook my head. And then he quietly touched the boy’s shoulder.

“You came to the capital to participate in this concert and suffered a lot of humiliation, right?”

“Okay… “Yes.”

“The real reason why the duke and nobles despise the Gray family has nothing to do with Count Dedran. “Your Excellency, have you ever been honest with Berna about the interests involved in this concert, the current situation that Gray is in, and everything else?”

“I couldn’t tell you that because I thought it would make the trauma even stronger.”

“Even though Verna looks like that, she is a person with very strong maternal love. But, if you listen to what your Excellency has said so far, it seems like that motherly love is just sleeping in your heart right now.”

“Master? “I’m not sure what that means.”

“Your Excellency, you want to show that you have grown, right? “You want to show yourself grown up and rely on your mother, who took care of you when you were young, right?”

“… … .”

This question seemed to hit the nail on the head, so I couldn’t say anything. Of course, eternal silence is impossible unless you die.

The boy immediately nodded quietly.

“I want to become an adult. As soon as possible. so… !”

“That’s a good idea, but now we need a change of direction. I’m sure Berna has been relying a lot on you these days. But on the other hand, I still want to be Your Excellency’s mother.”

“A mother is a mother no matter what anyone says! Before and in the future… !”

The Gray boy seemed to have misunderstood my words. I guess it’s a lack of entitlement because Verna is not her biological mother.

“That’s not what I meant. What I want to say is something else. Tell Verna honestly about your situation and rely on her. That is actually the way to fix Verna’s trauma. Your Excellency is still young. That’s true no matter who sees it. Even if you think you have grown and actually have grown, so you no longer need to rely on Berna, please speak up in times like this. Just like complaining to your own mother, tell everything and complain like you did when you were young. It’s unfair! I want to show those who disrespected the Gray family an example and stop them from making a fuss, and the only way to do that is through Verna’s performance! Just hang on like that.”

then.

Verna’s motherly love will be activated.

She is that kind of woman.

There is no love in this world that can beat a mother’s heart.

There is no love more sublime than the infinite love a mother gives to her child. Even if he is not his biological mother, he is a Gray boy whom Verna has already considered as more than her biological son in her heart.

It is a trauma caused by love and feeling sorry for her husband.

But if you leave everything behind and your son cries out for help. If you insist that you can show an example to those who ignored you just by playing the keyboard.

She will be able to become stronger.

Motherly love will move her. Mothers are always strong. If your child is involved.

After I finished speaking, the Gray boy made no reply.

I was just standing there blankly. You must be thinking about it.

I patted the boy on the shoulder and left the mansion. From now on, it will be up to the boy and Verna to resolve the issue.

And actually, now is not the time to be helping others.

My heart is in a very complicated state because of Lulin.