The next morning, five people gathered in the dining room for breakfast: Jin, Elsa, Reinhard, Fritz, and Elsa’s stepmother, Marlene.
Amidst the quiet atmosphere, Fritz spoke up.
"After this, I’d like to have Jin-dono and Elsa go and greet the old man."
"Eh?"
Elsa was the one most surprised by the suggestion.
"T-That’s..."
She clearly remembered how, just before he collapsed, her father had viewed Jin as an arch-enemy.
"Let’s go, Elsa," Jin said, speaking up before she could say anything more.
"B-But..."
"It will be fine. I’ll come along as well," Reinhard added in a gentle voice.
"Elsa, everyone is being so supportive, so you should follow their advice," Marlene said, giving her a final nudge.
"...Alright."
With her stepmother’s encouragement, Elsa finally stood up.
"Well then, let’s head out."
"...Jin-nii."
In a rare move, Jin took Elsa’s hand and stepped out into the hallway to take the lead.
...However.
"Jin-dono, I’m terribly sorry, but the old man’s room is actually this way."
Fritz pointed in the complete opposite direction.
Elsa, whose mind had been going blank due to the sudden turn of events, felt a little more at ease when she realized that Jin was actually quite flustered himself.
She gently linked her arm with his and guided him toward her father’s room. As Jin reached out to knock, Marlene stepped in front of him.
"Jin-sama, let me go in first."
Marlene knocked on the door and, after hearing a response, opened it.
"Excuse me... Good morning, dear."
"...G-G-Good morning...!?"
Georg, who had been propped up with the assistance of the automata Lara, widened his eyes. He had spotted Elsa and Jin standing right behind Marlene.
"You..."
Georg’s gaze fixed on Elsa. He saw her nestled against Jin, their arms linked, her expression shy and bashful.
"...I see."
Everything Fritz had told him the previous night finally clicked.
(I’ve never seen her make a face like that before.)
Though he couldn't find the words to say it, Georg felt a deep sense of shame as a father. Ever since he had lost the ability to move properly, he had spent his days reflecting on his life.
That is rarely a good thing for an invalid. "If only I had done this then," "Why did I do that then," "At that time..." There were too many regrets, leading to a cycle of self-torment that was ruinous for one's mental health.
However, with a soldier's characteristic single-mindedness, Georg had used that reflection to decide on his next steps. One of those steps was to give his daughter his blessing.
"El... sa... con... grat... ulations. Be... hap... py."
Before Jin and Elsa could even speak, Georg gave his daughter the words he had wanted to say for a long time.
Then, though the order of things was slightly reversed, Elsa, Jin, and Reinhard gave their formal reports to Georg.
"...Father, I am... getting married," Elsa said, tears welling in her eyes.
"Lord Georg, Elsa and I have officially become engaged. We have come today to report this to you," Jin said firmly.
"Uncle, it is I, Reinhard. I have come here today in my capacity as the intermediary for Miss Elsa and Jin-dono."
Jin and Reinhard spoke with resolute, dignified attitudes as they addressed Georg.
＊ ＊ ＊
"...I’m glad, Elsa."
After leaving Georg’s room, Jin turned to the girl beside him with a smile.
"...Mm."
With tears still shimmering in her eyes, Elsa gave a small, firm nod.
"Uncle has changed completely. Ambition... for better or worse, it truly transforms a person."
Reinhard analyzed the situation, noting that an inferiority complex toward his brother the count, a sense of rivalry, and various other emotions had likely fueled Georg’s past behavior. He took it as a lesson for his own life.
On the other hand, Jin, who was a stranger to such political ambition, spoke to Elsa from the heart.
"That must be your father’s true feelings. Now that he’s retired from his position, he’s finally able to be honest."
Neither was likely wrong. Human hearts often harbor depths of darkness that even the individuals themselves cannot fully grasp.
＊ ＊ ＊
Reinhard returned to his own territory that same day, but Jin remained at the Randol estate for two more days. During that time, he hit it off with the servants, few as they were.
Reiko was particularly popular among the female servants. Even so, she remained as blunt as ever toward anyone other than Jin.
Then, on the afternoon of March 26th, Jin and Elsa prepared to depart.
"Mother, I will come again."
"Mother-in-law, thank you for everything."
"Jin-san, please take care of Elsa."
After exchanging these farewells, Jin, Elsa, Reiko, and Edgar headed toward the Konron 2 on foot.
The Konron 2 had temporarily returned to Loizart to be moored on the roof of the mansion. Reiko had contacted the crew that morning to have it brought back to the estate, as leaving it moored in the middle of a plain for days was a security risk.
Upon returning to Loizart, Jin did not go back to his residence but went straight to the Imperial Palace. As was his custom, he requested an audience with the Empress without any formal, complicated procedures.
After waiting for about thirty minutes, he was shown into her office.
"Jin-kun, welcome. What business do you have today?" she asked in a frank tone from the start.
Today, the Chancellor was in attendance instead of Flora.
"Yes. I have officially become engaged to Elsa, and I went to her family home to pay my respects."
"So I’ve heard. I heard you gave her a magnificent statue as a gift."
Jin was privately impressed by the reach of the Empress’s information network.
"...A-And so, about Elsa..."
The Empress held up a hand to silence Jin and turned toward the Chancellor.
"I know. You wish to transfer the headship of the house from Female Baronet Elsa Randol to Moritz Randol, correct?"
"Y-Yes."
"A baronetcy is a hereditary title, so we shall have Moritz succeed it. That is acceptable, yes?"
"Yes."
With this, Elsa’s goal of restoring House Randol was officially fulfilled.
"What will you do now? Any plans for the wedding?"
"E-Er, well..."
Elsa was taken aback by the sudden question.
"We’re planning for autumn," Jin declared clearly.
"Jin-nii!?"
"I see, autumn then. It’s a season with lovely weather. I would certainly love to attend."
"Yes, if it is possible."
"Fufu, I’ll take that seriously, you know."
After those brief words, Jin and the others took their leave. The Empress was a busy woman and could not afford to spend all her time on idle chatter.
"Jin-nii..."
Elsa watched Jin, feeling that he was quite dependable for stating so clearly that they would hold the ceremony in autumn.