第１６２５堀：港町の次の段階 (Part2)
"It warms my heart to hear you say I’ve grown, but I do worry that I’m becoming a hindrance to Fiora-sama."
"Ahaha! Please, don't hesitate to ask when you want to be spoiled. I’ll make sure to clear the seat for you!"
"I-I-I wouldn't dream of getting in the way!"
"Now, now, there’s no need to be so formal. You know we’re quite close when the sun goes down, don't you?"
Indeed, that was strictly a matter for the daylight hours. At home, in the evenings, we were all on excellent terms, including the other wives, so it wasn't as if we were suffering from a lack of communication.
"Ahaha, you and your wives really are close, Yuki-sama. It’s thanks to that that we hardly ever get a turn to do anything."
Lyushi said this with a laugh. But as for "turns"...
"What do you mean, 'turns'? Do you feel like you’re taking up too much space at home?"
"Not at all. I chat happily with the wives all the time. When I say 'turns,' I mean taking care of you. You’re basically perfect at everything, aren't you, Yuki-sama?"
At Lyushi’s words, Fiora and the others—including Prol—nodded in agreement.
"It’s true. There’s simply no room for us to be of service. It’s no wonder Kirue-sama and Sasari-sama offer such wry smiles."
"But the food is delicious, and I don't mind just being by your side."
"Exactly! You even bring out tea and snacks, and we play games together, too."
"You always move to brew the tea before anyone else can even think of it."
Well, it was my own home, a place I knew like the back of my hand. I couldn't exactly let Prol and the others, who hadn't lived here as long, beat me to the punch.
"I sometimes forget who the servant is, given how kindly I’m treated. Even though, on paper, I was taken in as a servant or someone of even lower standing."
"That’s just for show, though. I did promise your father I’d take good care of you."
"Sigh, even so, there are limits. At this rate, I have no room to act as your wife, even in my official capacity."
"You’re doing just fine at work, though. Look at how you handle the matters regarding the smaller nations; you’re standing right on the front lines."
"Even then, it’s not quite the same. If I lead with my official status as a servant, most people back down. I even exaggerate how the country treats me."
"That’s good to hear. It seems our prior coordination is working well."
I had entrusted Fiora with handling the meeting requests from smaller nations. Unofficially, of course. Officially, those matters were routed through the major powers to Seraria or myself, so they never reached Fiora. However, those without such connections would try anything to make contact—specifically, the weaker small nations or independent merchants. One couldn't simply dismiss them as insignificant just because the major powers deemed them unnecessary. After all, they might be in a desperate situation, like Fiora’s home country, with no time to rely on the major powers. I kept that window open to avoid those kinds of urgent troubles. For now, it was mostly just people trying to butter me up.
"Ah, we’ve arrived."
While we were talking, we reached the General Government Building. Ratz was working in the Commerce Division; I had confirmed it, so there was no mistake. Surprisingly, since Ratz had moved from being a representative to a vice-representative, her workload had decreased slightly, allowing her to frequently inspect the Super Ratz sites. She was also busy overseeing the stuffed animal shops entrusted to the Holy Sword users, as well as the cafes run by Lari and the others—acting as a consultant for the cafes I had commissioned. Naturally, when faced with the impossible criteria of "who is the most knowledgeable, successful, and trusted person in Weed regarding business," Ratz was the only one who fit the bill.
That said, she was so busy that one couldn't exactly just walk in and have a casual chat...
"Oh, you’ve come, Onii-san!"
As we arrived at her department, she stood up from her desk to greet us immediately.
"Sorry to bother you while you're busy."
"Not at all! Since it’s a request from you, Onii-san, it takes priority over everything else!"
That was the "joker" card of being married. Not that she could neglect her other work, but it meant there was nothing so urgent that she couldn't prioritize me.
"Thank you. Sorry to jump right in, but can we talk?"
"Yes, yes! Right this way!"
And so, I entered the reception room to begin discussing the resort project. Even with the land secured, there were so many factors—who would build it, who to invite, and so on. Connections, after all, are what matter most at times like these.