The Count Northpole family is currently headed by Violette’s 30 years old brother, Logie.
In order to proceed with the marriage proposal with Violette, he must first contact him.
After finishing his work for the day, Hydrangea immediately approved a letter to the Count Northpole.
He wrote that he wanted to marry Violette and that he had promised this to the late Silane.
He carefully fold the paper and place it in an envelope. Dripping a candle, he pressed a ring engraved with the Duke Laudense’s family crest against it.
He throw the letter as if to throw it out the window. The address glowed as he cast the spell, and it flew away riding on the wind. This was the wizard’s high-level magic, the letter magic. The character for “letter” means “the bird’s wing”, the letter flies to the sender like a bird flapping its wings.
He should receive a reply within a week. If not, he will have to visit the house directly.
The late Silane looks like he had no intention of marrying his daughter, but that did not mean the older brother, Logie have the same opinion. Whatever the circumstances the other party has, he must talk to him once.
As he was putting on his gloves, Quince, his younger adjutant, helped him put on his cloak.
“Your Excellency, the dinner party hosted by His Majesty tonight is……”
“Of course I won’t come”
“As you wish”
Evening party, horse race, dinner party─ wherever he go, social gatherings are the place where people decide their future partner.
He did not want to visit such scary place. Even if it was hosted by the King.
It’s probably only Hydrangea that would refuse the King’s invitation.
The country of Lilliputia, which has become one of the world’s leading magical nations, cannot be managed without the cooperation of the Duke of Laudense. For this reason, it was sometimes teased as a shadow ruler.
Naturally, there are factions that dislike the big-faced Duke Laudense family.
However, no one could compete with the Duke Laudense family, which has power second only to the King and possesses great magical power.
“Quince von Monstrim, you’ve done a great job today as well. Rest well”
“Yes!”
Quince beat his heels and saluted.
After exchanging a few words, Hydrangea returned home with the transfer magic.
◇◇◇
The place where he was transferred was back of the Duke Laudense house. Hydrangea looked around restlessly and crouched down.
The thing that he quickly pulls out from his cloak was a leather bag. Inside it was dried meat. He soaked it with water magic and shock magic.to softened it.
The softened meat was placed on a plate on the ground. Then, a cat’s meow was heard from the distant.
The hydrangea moved away from the plate and watched over it.
After a while, three cats came.
“Today…… There are three cats!”
The three cats were brown, spots pattern, and black cat. Apparently, they had come with an invitation from the neighborhood.
The wrinkles between his eyebrows, which had been creased all day, were lifted, and his cheeks relaxed. Even the voice became lively naturally.
The truth is, Hydrangea was a huge cat lover. Up until now, he had picked up kittens and raised them several times, but they had always run away from him, maybe they could not stand the waves of Hydrangea’s magic power.
Recently, he gave up trying to be liked by cats and tried feeding stray cats.
IT had been three months since he first started feeding them. At first, they were wary of Hydrangea who was standing in the dark. But once they learned that he was just standing there doing nothing, they seemed to lowered their guard.
Today, they were eating the meat eagerly as well, tearing and ripping it.
Elf not only has excellent ears but also eyesight. Hence, even in the dark, he can see the cats eating the meat.
Perhaps it’s about time they let him touch them. It’s probably the time when they would relax their guard.
Hydrangea quietly removes his gloves, erasing the sound of his footsteps and approaches the cats,
He read in a book that cat fur is fluffy. And also feel good to touch.
He had never touched it, but now that chance has finally arrived.
The cat who noticed Hydrangea’s presence shriek, and scratched the back of his hand with all of it’s strength.
“Ouch!”
And then, it ran away at full speed.
What was left on his hand was not the fluffy cat’s touch, but claw marks and smeared blood.
A cold wind blew across him. It was as if the wind spirit was telling tsukkomi to Hydrangea, “just give up on cat”.
◇◇◇
The next day, and the day after that, he visited the back of the mansion frequently, but the cat did not appear.
It seems he will never see them again.
“Oi, Seventh, guess what? I heard about the cat that has been living in the back of the mansion and has been causing trouble, but it’s been gone for several days and the gardener was happy about it”
“……”
The one who spoke to the heartbroken Hydrangea was the Great Spirit “Pomeranian” in the form of a small dog.
It’s shiny fur is wheat-colored, and it’s lovable appearance is popular even in the story.
But, it is not widely known that, contrary to its appearance, it speaks in an archaic language and has a rough voice.
It had made a contract with Prince Dicentra of Lilliphiltia country a thousand years ago, but after his death, it lived with the Duke of Laudense.
The seventh, is the number of the head of the family, counted from the first generation.
The first generation lived for 500 years, the second lived for 300 years, the third lived for 200 years, but the sixth, Hydrangea’s father, lived for 55 years─and their lifespan is getting shorter and shorter as they intersect with others.
Incidentally, Hydrangea’s father died of illness.
“Probably, it’s because you frightened the little cat, right?”
“I didn’t frighten it, I was just trying to touch it”
“I think that would be considered frightening to the little cat though”
Although he was stifled at Pomeranian’s words, it did not say anything wrong when he looked at it with a cool head.
Hydrangea, which possesses magical power as high as that of the first head of the Duke Laudense family, is a threat to creatures without magic resistance.
The same can be said for people; those who are not resistant to magic will get sick just by being in the same space with Hydrangea.
For this reason, it is said that the search for a bride for the Duke Laudense family is extremely difficult.
“After they became a couple, she will be the most affected by magic power”
Letter magic, which is a high-level magic, is special magic to be used in case of emergencies or when sending important letters.
That’s why it called it passionate letter.
“First of all, why did you know the contents of the letter?”
“Listen, seventh, don’t underestimate the Great Spirit. If you read the magic that surrounds it, you will know what kind of content it contains”
The Great Spirit Pomeranian is an opponent I will never be able to get my head raised. My father and grandfather were the same.
“Anyway, I’m going to cheer you up now that you’ve been dumped by a cat. Here, I will allow you to have something fluffy”
Pomeranian looked up at the Hydrangea while showing its belly.
“I haven’t give permission to any of the previous heads of the family”
“I refuse”
”Why not!?”
It’s because Hydrangea is a cat person, not a dog person.
“What a waste. I am a high-class fluffy”
Ignoring Pomeranian, Hydrangea concentrated on finishing the papers piled up on his desk.