The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat - Volume 4 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 | The Assassin Has a Clandestine Meeting

I woke up at my usual time. When I looked to the side, I saw a naked Tarte with her arms wrapped around me. She was smiling happily and drooling.

Totally at peace. She looked adorable.

“Lord Luuugh… You’re all mine, Lord Luuuugh,” she muttered, hugging me with impressive strength.

Tarte rubbed her cheeks against me, softly biting at me in her sleep, smiling all the while. It was as if she was insisting that I belonged to her. Being able to do that while unconscious was quite a skill.

Although she tried to hide it, Tarte could be quite possessive. Evidently, sleeping with her had only strengthened that character trait.

“Hmm, I don’t really like going back to sleep once I’m awake,” I muttered to myself.

It looked like it would be really difficult to get out of bed without waking her up. We still had time before we had to go meet Duke Romalung, so I decided to enjoy Tarte’s sleeping face a while longer.

Slowly, Tarte’s sleepy eyes stirred and opened.

“Good morning, my lord… Huh? It’s already this late?! I’m so sorry! I’ll get to work on breakfast!”

Panicked, she jumped out of bed and fell to the ground. She was naked, so she ended up giving me quite a view.

“Relax. I would have woken you had I needed to. You worked hard late into the night, so I wanted to let you rest.”

“Oooh, oooooh…”

Tarte started making weird noises, and her face turned the color of a tomato. She was overheating. Undoubtedly, she was recalling what had happened. She’d really given her best effort.

“I’m sorry, I forgot myself,” she apologized.

“It’s fine. I’m relieved to know it felt good for you. It’s also more fun for me to see you so disheveled,” I responded.

“You gave me so much last night! I’ll study hard so I can pleasure you more next time!”

“If you want to learn, then I’ll teach you myself… I’m afraid of what might happen if I leave you to figure it out on your own.”

Tarte had tried hard to satisfy me despite it being her first time, but her incomplete knowledge had led her to make some mistakes. It was a bit of a difficult experience in that sense.

Obviously my mother was responsible for that.

I was confident she had filled Tarte’s head with all kinds of nonsense. I could picture Tarte blushing and nodding furiously to everything that came from that woman’s mouth.

“I’ll do my best!”

“Put on some clothes first. It’s torture watching your alluring body like this.”

“Aaah! I-I’m so sorry!” Tarte screamed, only now realizing she was naked. She covered her chest with both hands and sat down on the ground.

I turned my back to her, and before long, I heard Tarte getting dressed.

“Um, my lord, by ‘torture,’ do you mean it was putting you in…in that kind of mood?”

“I guess, yeah.”

“Then how about I give you some morning service? Mothe…I mean, I read in a book that men love that kind of thing.”

Just where did she hear something like that? Also, is my mother having Tarte refer to her as her mother-in-law? She’s taken quite a liking to her.

“Maybe next time. For now, I’m hungry. Please start on breakfast,” I requested.

“Yes, my lord. I’ll make you something especially delicious this morning,” Tarte declared, and she left the room.

Dia and I gathered at the table when Tarte had finished her cooking. We were having fluffy omelets filled with bacon and mushrooms, along with cheese toast and vegetable soup.

“Tarte, your omelets are amazing today,” I commended her.

“I had good ingredients,” she explained.

“I really like today’s breakfast, too. So much that I hope you make it again. This is the best meal we’ve had in a while. Guess that’s the power of love,” Dia remarked.

“Huh? Love? What do you…?” Tarte squeaked, blushing.

“Dia, I’ve been curious. Why did you spur on Tarte like that?” I questioned.

It was normal, even expected, for nobles to have multiple wives, but that was something many women found difficult to accept, and they went along with it because they had no choice.

“I had a number of reasons.” Dia brought a piece of omelet to her mouth, then continued speaking after swallowing. “The first was because I think of Tarte as a friend. I felt bad for her.”

“What’s the second?” I pressed.

“My duty as a noble. It will be my job as your wife to help ensure your bloodline continues. The last reason was for your sake. No matter what happens, Tarte will protect you until the end. That’s the kind of girl she is. I thought you making love to her would prevent those feelings from changing.”

“My feelings for Lord Lugh will never falter,” Tarte protested.

“Probably. But living with unrequited love over an extended period of time is hard. You may have been fine for a while, but who knows how you’d have felt in the future? That’s why I wanted you to sleep with her, Lugh—to ensure that she’ll protect you.”

Dia finished eating and placed her utensils down.

“This is probably an unfair question at this point, but I’m going to ask anyway… If you didn’t have those three reasons, would you have been against Tarte and me having sex?” I inquired.

“Of course. I want to be your only love,” Dia answered immediately.

I didn’t know what to say.

“But I do have those reasons. Tarte is a friend and I want her to be happy, and multiple women is best for producing an heir. I want you guarded by someone willing to lay down their own life. When I consider all of that, it outweighs my desire to keep you to myself. Ah, Tarte, is there any dessert?”

“Oh yes. Today’s is orange jelly,” the maid responded.

“Nice. Give me a large helping, please,” requested Dia.

“I’ll fetch it right away.”

Tarte disappeared into the kitchen.

Dia sighed. “Lugh, don’t make me say those kinds of things. Putting those feelings into words is embarrassing.”

“Thanks,” I replied.

“You’re welcome. Good luck this afternoon. It looks like I can’t go with you, so I’ll pray for your safety as I work on developing spells today.”

“Please do. Let’s take a different route on the way back home to Tuatha Dé. There’s a path that passes through a famous tourist spot. It would be perfect for a date.”

“That sounds great. I look forward to it.”

Dia and I smiled at each other.

She’d been so considerate. I needed to find a way to repay her.

When afternoon came, Tarte and I left the apartment. I was wearing ceremonial clothes specially made for the Holy Knight, and Tarte was in servant attire.

My outfit had been fashioned from exquisite materials, but it was not made for combat. It wouldn’t do much to defend me, there was nowhere to hide any assassination tools, and most importantly, it was difficult to move in because the attire prioritized appearance over all else.

I wanted to avoid wearing these garments, but if there was even the slightest chance of my encountering a member of the royal family, I had no other choice.

Undoubtedly, I would have to don these clothes more in the future, so I thought it wise to create an identical set that was more suited to battle.

“Um, have you ever met Duke Romalung, my lord?” asked Tarte.

“Not directly, no. But I know what kind of person he is. He’s a brilliant man, and he is unbelievably loyal,” I answered.

The jobs sent to the Tuatha Dé clan told me what kind of man he was. He was highly calculating, very cautious, and extremely faithful to his country.

All of our previous assassination jobs had been for the benefit of Alvan. Some had been helpful to Duke Romalung as well. However, the duke never sent us requests that solely advanced his agenda. Despite being in a position he could abuse, he only acted on the kingdom’s behalf.

That didn’t mean he was a totally innocent aristocrat who gained absolutely nothing from this arrangement. If a plan that aided the country also happened to suit him, he would enact it. On the other hand, he was not hesitant when it came to jobs that were to his disadvantage.

His sole consideration was Alvan. Duke Romalung possessed the talent to realize the greatest possible benefit for the country, and above all, he was fiercely loyal to the kingdom.

“He’s an amazing person,” said Tarte.

“Yeah, that’s what makes him scary,” I replied.

This was a man who did not fear executing a plan that worked to his detriment. In other words, he would cast aside the Tuatha Dé clan in an instant if we were ever judged to be harmful to the kingdom.

“We’ve arrived. I can’t believe we’re still inside the palace,” remarked Tarte.

Nodding, I said, “I’ve heard about this place, but I never thought I’d get to see it for myself.”

We had reached a section of the royal castle called the Alvan Garden, named after the nation. It was said to be a paradise. The kingdom proclaimed it to be the most beautiful place in the world.

A diverse variety of flowers were collected here, all arranged in the most pleasing manner, and jewels and pieces of art were placed liberally throughout.

It truly was the most beautiful and extravagant location in the world. Consequently, entry was extremely restricted… The duke had likely chosen this location as our meeting spot so that nothing would be overheard.

Tarte’s eyes went wide as saucers as she beheld the many splendors of the garden. Truthfully, I had a similar reaction. I wished I could have brought Dia along.

“Sir Lugh, please come this way,” called a servant. She showed us through the verdant conservatory. After a moment, I realized that the young woman wasn’t merely an attendant, but the daughter of a high-ranking noble family.

A certain status was required to enter this place, even if you were waiting on another. An exception was made for Tarte because she served a Holy Knight.

The young woman brought us to a gazebo in the middle of the garden—the perfect spot to talk, drink tea, and partake of the view. What’s more, there were two people already there.

“Princess Farina, Duke Romalung, the Holy Knight and his attendant have arrived,” the servant announced.

Tarte and I stepped forward, and she positioned herself behind me.

I knew who the pair were. The first was a girl in her mid-teens with wondrous pink hair, a trait only the royal lineage possessed. The other was a man in his mid-thirties with hair so golden that it looked like real gold had melted on top of his head.

They were both so beautiful it made them look inhuman. The royal family and House Romalung practically radiated that sort of presence.

“It is an honor to meet you both. I am Lugh Tuatha Dé, son of Baron Tuatha Dé and head of the Tuatha Dé clan,” I said, going to one knee and bowing my head.

I wasn’t yet the head of the family, but the assassin operation had already passed to me.

“Please lift your face,” requested Princess Farina.

I did as bade.

“Wow, you’re really handsome. I never noticed when I saw you from a distance at parties.”

“This is no time for flirting. Well met, Lugh Tuatha Dé. I have heard about you from Cian. He has called you his family’s greatest achievement… I’m having a hard time deciding if your being made a Holy Knight is cause for cheer or sorrow,” Duke Romalung remarked.

“I want to destroy the demons as quickly as possible so I can accomplish my duty as a Tuatha Dé,” I answered.

“That is pleasing to know. Please sit. We had our best tea leaves prepared for this occasion.”

I took a chair, and the servant poured me some tea. I recognized the aroma.

“How do you like it?” the princess questioned. “I love the scent. It’s so relaxing.”

“Me too. I feel as though I am able to get through so much more work while drinking this tea. Hmm? Is something the matter? Do you not enjoy its smell?” said the duke.

“No, I like it fine. Natural You just started selling this, I believe, right?” I responded.

I had created this tea leaf to help me be more productive at work, and I’d tailored the recipe to suit my tastes. Obviously, I didn’t hate it.

“You know about Natural You, Sir Lugh? I’m a big fan. Their cosmetics, sweets, and tea are all the best on the market. Check this out! I have a platinum member card,” boasted Princess Farina.

Platinum membership was a service my company offered. In exchange for a high membership fee, customers received regular shipments of items one step up in quality compared to what could be found in Natural You’s retail shops.

Natural You was an extremely popular store, and goods flew off the shelves. Despite the expense, platinum membership was popular because it guaranteed people the items they wanted. The company was practically drowning in applications.

I knew that Princess Farina was a member. The same went for Duke Romalung’s wife and daughter as well.

Was it really a coincidence that they were presenting me, Natural You representative Illig Balor, with this tea?

“My mom is a member; she introduced Natural You to me,” I explained.

“I think we would get along quite well. Ah, that reminds me, Natural You will soon be holding a new product launch here in the capital. I had to make a bit of a fuss for them to do so, but it worked. It sounds like Illig Balor won’t be able to make it, but the proxy representative, a girl named Maha, will be attending. I was surprised to learn that a girl about my age manages Natural You. I wonder what kind of person she is. I’m looking forward to finding out,” said the pink-haired princess, looking at me while wearing a smile as sweet as a flower.

I had actually fought against the new product launch. Natural You couldn’t keep up with the overwhelming demand, and I didn’t like the idea of devoting resources to an event designed to expand our consumer base. Despite my objections, pressure from above had forced the issue.

“Princess Farina, let’s move on to why we called Lugh here. He looks like he’s had enough of this topic,” the duke stated.

Maintaining her grin all the while, Princess Farina explained, “Sorry, Uncle. Meeting Sir Lugh was distracting. On to the main topic. Ahem. We have a request for you not as a Holy Knight, but as a noble assassin. Please kill my older brother. He’s been bewitched by Countess Granfelt and made into her puppet. As he is now, he’s a lost cause who will only bring harm to the kingdom. I don’t think fixing him is going to be possible, so I’d like you to dispose of him.”

The young woman was requesting that I slay her sibling, yet she spoke of it as though we were still discussing tea.