About five days had passed since Alicia’s arrival.
I'd been keeping a close eye on her during that time, but so far, she’d been quiet. There were no outbursts and no vitriol.
Since we hadn't shared a meal yet, I hadn't had a single chance to actually speak with her. I had no clue what was going on in her head, but at the very least, she didn't seem to be plotting the sort of villainy I remembered from the game.
"Ugh, so annoying."
For the past five days, I’d been buried in chores, alternating between observing Alicia and exterminating Magic Insects.
The pests were everywhere she walked. I spent my time finding and crushing them over and over again; that constant cycle was the reason I hadn't been able to communicate with her at all.
Magic Insects didn't just attach themselves directly; they could be sent flying with magic if the caster used a catalyst—like a strand of the target’s hair.
Was that the trick? Because they were being sent our way without pause, hitting the mansion windows with a wet thwack and wriggling there in a disgusting mass.
"Shoo! Get lost!"
"You certainly have your hands full, Young Master."
Sebas was watching me, his expression as unreadable as ever.
"If you can see them, then help me. There’s an insane number of the things."
They reminded me of those stink bugs that swarmed the windows back home in early spring. Stink bugs released a foul odor when caught, but when you crushed a Magic Insect, it leaked a tiny bit of a curse that felt incredibly oily and unpleasant.
I was utterly fed up with the constant barrage of Mental Pollution curses.
Of course, there was no way the bloodline of House Brave would fall to such a measly hex. We were used to fighting monsters that wielded far more potent Mental Pollution magic.
Furthermore, enemy nations were known to use Mind-Altering Magic—tactics often branded as heretical or taboo—during their assaults. To counter this, House Brave championed a method known as "Awakening via Pain."
By overcoming the fear of pain—or rather, by becoming intimately familiar with the sensation of death—one's mind became naturally resistant to mental interference. Through that brutal training, my body had become extremely resistant to pain. I wouldn’t even flinch if my stomach were ripped open.
"Is it not wonderful? A tale of a lord rescuing his cursed fiancée," Sebas remarked.
"Don't give me that..."
Generations of House Brave had been completely hopeless when it came to romance. Even the young ladies who married into our family usually arrived in a state of total despair.
How that battle-crazed old man of mine ever managed to produce me is beyond me. That’s just the kind of family we are.
"Is it not exactly the same as now? Even the Previous Head could not resist his biological urges," Sebas said. "If I may offer some advice... let's see. The late Eldest Son was born exactly one year after the Previous Head sustained a near-fatal wound in a decisive battle against the neighboring kingdom."
"I... Is that so?"
After nearly dying? Did some kind of survival instinct kick in to ensure the lineage continued?
"As for you, Young Master, you were conceived right around the time he lost an eye in a duel with a demon."
"Shut up! Just shut up!"
I really didn't need to hear those kinds of stories about my parents. I wondered if I, having inherited his blood, would end up the same way. The man was practically a beast.
Up until now, we’d been treated like discarded, low-ranking nobles, so it hadn't mattered. But if I did something like that to a Duke’s daughter, I’d probably be framed for some crime and beheaded. It was a terrifying thought.
Even if she’d been exiled to the Abandoned Land after a scandal, she was still a high-ranking noble. If I acted disrespectfully, I had no idea what would happen to the standing of our house.
"So, do you intend to spend the rest of your days exterminating Magic Insects?" Sebas asked pointedly.
"Grrr..."
As usual, the butler knew exactly where to poke. Even if the insects weren't being attached directly, the fact that they were being drawn to her was largely due to her own mental instability.
I had to help her recover eventually.
"Look, it's been five days! I can't just jump into that kind of relationship with a woman I barely know! This is a delicate matter, and I'm going to handle it slowly!"
"Good grief. In one month, your relationship will be public knowledge and you will be attending the Academy together. If you move at this snail's pace, you will never be ready in time. And if things go south, House Brave will be the one left holding the bag."
"Damn it! It's all because of these bugs! Who the hell is sending so many of them?!"
No matter how many I crushed, more swarmed from every corner. Even with my mental training, the combination of paperwork, unfamiliar duties, and this forced marriage was enough to make me lose it.
"...Maybe I should just trace where they’re coming from and kill the source?"
If I had a month, I could find the person responsible and put an end to them. If the infestation wouldn't stop until the source was cut off, then I’d just have to cut it.
"You cannot. House Brave has no legal justification, and you would be stripped of your title. You have a duty to carry on the will of the Previous Head, Young Master."
When he put it like that, my hands were tied.
"Sebas, give me a hand. I’ll try my best. I’m clueless when it comes to women, so I need you to support me as a butler should."
"How unmanly. What exactly do you expect me to do? You are who you are, Young Master. You should simply face her as yourself. Putting on airs will only cost you her trust."
"But I'm not allowed to take her to a dungeon with me, right?"
"Indeed. That would be far too dangerous."
"Then what the hell am I supposed to do?!"
Thud. Thud. Thud. I slammed my head against my sturdy desk.
The only reason I could handle paperwork at all was because I had memories of a world outside of battle. The basic education from my aimless life in modern society was the only thing keeping me afloat.
But romance? Sadly, I had no memory of that from my previous life either.
And what about this world?
"I'm a brat who’s been given nothing but a 'gifted' education in slaughter since I was three! I never had time to play! I spent my childhood subjugating monsters and warring with foreign soldiers! Even my brothers were just training partners or rivals! Alicia is the first girl my age I've ever even spoken to!"
Pant, pant... What even was "fun"?
Wasn't the only entertainment for a boy my age supposed to be killing monsters or hunting down spies?
I knew House Brave was disconnected from reality. That was why I was trying so hard to handle this as peacefully as possible.
"But these bugs are driving me to my breaking point..."
"Now, don't be so bloodthirsty. Why not use this as an excuse to visit the town? You can't stay cooped up in this office forever. Besides, if you're by her side, dealing with the Magic Insects will be much easier."
"Wait, really? I can go?"
"You've been working non-stop. I believe a short respite is in order."
Finally, the sweet release from my chores had arrived. I’d been waiting for this.
It was a shame I couldn't visit a dungeon, but it was for the good of the family. I’d just have to do my best to make the Duke's daughter happy.
"Sebas, is there actually anything to see in this town? Any tourist spots or something like that? Am I missing something?"
"There are none."
"Right. Of course."
Even for my own territory, this place was a dump.
"Everywhere you look, there are only haunts for thugs and ruffians. Gambling is quite popular, though they mostly bet on which Adventurer will be the next to die. I believe some people made quite a sum betting on the Previous Head’s death in battle."
"That's charming. Tell me who they are so I can kill them."
"I have already disposed of them."
"Oh. Good."
Yeah, this place was a nightmare.
But here, that was the norm. Human life was cheap; that was why the other nobles called it the Abandoned Land.
"Well, the nature here is lush, at least. I'll take her somewhere safe. Seeing the magnificent, monster-infested wilderness of the Brave Territory should be enough to change her outlook on life."
"I wonder if a young lady from the capital can truly enjoy a place with absolutely nothing to offer?"
"Seriously, why do you have to be like this?"
The man had a truly nasty personality.
"The Previous Head commanded me to raise you strictly, after all."
"Damn it!"
I’ll bet a damn fortune on Sebas kicking the bucket in the next monster riot. I swore that much to myself.