Chapter : 12
The Single Noble Is Misunderstood
“Uncle, you still haven’t gotten married?”
As soon as the introductions were over, Sera suddenly said this.
“Well said, Sera!”
“Jiluk, you’re already twenty-eight, right? When are you going to get married?”
Ilia and Mother, encouraged by Sera’s words, joined in.
I was already weary of this topic, as it had come up countless times before.
“I’ve told you, I’m not getting married.”
“Why not?”
“Because I like being alone. I’m not interested in something like marriage.”
Even after I answered that way, Mother and Ilia looked utterly baffled.
“Why? Don’t you want to live with a woman you like? Don’t you want to have children and build a happy family?”
“No way. I like living alone. Besides, I have no interest in raising children.”
“Ehh—”
Ilia’s face expressed complete shock at my declaration.
In this world, life isn’t as diversified as in modern Japan.
Like in the early Showa period, a “complete” adult is someone who gets married and has a family. And that, they believe, is the standard measure of happiness in life.
For people like Ilia and Mother, the idea of living without marriage isn’t even a conceivable option—it’s an impossible life.
“…Brother, do you perhaps like men?”
“No.”
Ilia asked cautiously, and I immediately denied it.
She must have thought that since I wasn’t interested in women, I might be homosexual. Even as my sister, her assumption was wildly off.
“Then why don’t you even have a single girlfriend?”
“Like I said, I like being alone. I’m tired of things like romance.”
“Brother, have you ever even had that much experience with love?”
Ilia stared at me intently as she asked.
Sharp. What I’d just blurted out included experiences from my previous life as well.
I wasn’t always like this naturally. Through various past experiences, I learned and came to feel this way.
Ilia’s suspicion is understandable—she’s never seen me date a woman in this life.
“As far as I’ve seen, there hasn’t been a single woman you got along with well.”
“But you were often approached at work or in social gatherings, weren’t you?”
“Well, yes.”
As Mother’s eyes sharpened, Ludwig stepped in to help.
“Ah, but from an outsider’s perspective, you have ideal conditions. Tall, good-looking, a magic tool craftsman with a high income, a graduate of the Noble Academy, the eldest son of a viscount family. And you’re single… there are probably very few women who wouldn’t be interested.”
“Isn’t there some wonderful woman who could catch his attention? Then we could see grandchildren.”
“You only care about seeing grandchildren, and don’t care about me at all…”
I commented, but Ilia and Mother continued speaking freely.
They talked about what kind of woman would be my wife, what the children would look like, and so on.
I felt sorry, but such a future would never happen, so it was pointless.
“Well, let’s leave that topic for now. Let’s eat instead.”
Father, who had been quietly observing, ended the conversation.
“Yeah. I’m getting hungry.”
“Sera’s hungry too!”
“All right then, let’s eat.”
Ilia, who seemed dissatisfied with Father and my opinions, instantly changed her expression when Sera spoke.
Hmm, that’s convenient.
From now on, whenever troublesome topics come up in the mansion, I can just use Sera.
Father called to Gilliam, and the door opened as the servants came in, arranging the dishes on the table.
“Oh? By the way, where’s Arto?”
While the preparations progressed, I noticed that Arto and his wife and child hadn’t arrived.
“They’re at a social gathering, so they can’t come,” Ilia explained.
“What? He’s allowed to skip it, but I’m not?”
It didn’t sit right with me that only my younger brother could decline while I couldn’t.
“You haven’t come home in a year, Jiluk. You don’t have the right to decline.”
“Besides, Arto’s busy because I don’t inherit the territory or appear in society, right? Do you realize that?”
“…Fine. I’ll allow Arto to skip it.”
Though I had some objections to Mother’s words, I had no counter to Ilia’s.
Arto takes care of the territory for me and attends social events on my behalf because I’m bad at interacting with people.
That I can live freely as a noble without the usual constraints is largely thanks to Arto’s efforts. I mustn’t forget to be grateful.
“I’ll send Arto a new magic tool and maybe take him to a good restaurant,” I decided, subtly expressing my gratitude.
Meanwhile, dishes and utensils continued to be arranged on the table.
Colorful salads, chilled potato soup, vegetable and meat stews, and the Savana fish I caught earlier were all served.
“Oh? I’ve never seen this fish before.”
“Did you catch it outside, Brother?”
“Yes.”
I was in the mood for fish today, so I insisted the chef add it to the menu.
“Wow, Jiluk caught it? It looks delicious.”
Ludwig, who loved seafood more than meat, lit up when he saw the grilled Savana.
“Then, here’s to the prosperity of the Luren family!”
Father raised his glass for a toast, and we all followed suit.
The clear clinking of glasses echoed through the dining room.
“Sera, toast with Uncle too!”
“Cheers!”
Ilia forcibly took Sera’s hand to make her toast.
She didn’t need to, but Sera obediently followed along.
A sip refreshed my throat.
Perhaps because I had drunk Cerberus wine earlier, I couldn’t fully enjoy this one—it couldn’t compare to that rich aroma and flavor.
…Better not drink red wine today. It’s best to skip it when you can’t enjoy it.
“By the way, Jiluk, do you actually cook at home?”
“I’m good at cooking. I do cook for myself.”
“Do you just buy expensive meat and grill it? Or make snacks to go with strong liquor?”
“That’s not…”
I started to argue but then recalled my recent diet.
I went out for grilled meat not long ago, and today I had smoked food for lunch.
I couldn’t really argue against Ilia’s point about my diet.
“Ah, you’re hesitating! I knew you eat exactly like I said!”
“If you keep eating such unbalanced meals, you’ll get sick!”
Fortunately, I’ve been blessed by the Divine God with a healthy body, so I don’t need to worry about illness.
“It’s fine. I won’t get sick.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“I’ve never been sick in my life.”
“Indeed, I’ve never seen you bedridden from illness! Isn’t that kind of amazing?”
Ilia seemed to recall past events and exclaimed.
“But when you get older, your body weakens. You have to eat properly.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Father looked worried, and I nodded.
Thanks to the Divine God, I’m fine, but my parents wouldn’t understand that.
Still, an unbalanced diet is bad for my body and lowers performance. I should revise it a bit.
“Is this really Savana? It tastes completely different from what I’ve had before.”
“It is. Unlike simple salt grilling, it has a complex flavor…”
As I ate the salad, Ludwig and Ilia expressed amazement.
“That’s because Lord Jiluk used a special cooking method with a magic tool,” Gilliam, who was standing by, explained.
“A magic tool for cooking?”
Ludwig asked for clarification, and Gilliam’s gaze turned to me.
He meant I, as the creator, should explain.
“You burn a dedicated chip and smoke it. That enriches the flavor and taste.”
“Wow, there’s such a cooking method. Another amazing magic tool. Do you sell these?”
“This smoker is for personal use, so it’s not for sale.”
It’s not that hard to make, but I don’t want to increase my workload.
I like keeping a buffer so I can always act freely.
“This is delicious.”
“Oh? Sera can eat it too? I thought you hated fish because it smells…”
“This doesn’t smell!”
Even at four years old, she could appreciate smoked dishes. Impressive.
“Hey, Jiluk. Can you sell me one of these?”
“Father wants one too! With a smoker, we could enjoy many kinds of meals.”
Following Ludwig, Father also asked.
“…Fine. I’ll make one and send it to you.”
It would be troublesome if they kept calling me just because they didn’t have a smoker.
Better to send it and let them be.
