I love time travel the most!

"Ah."

The boy smiled and nodded in response.

Then the Marquis, standing by the French windows, seemed unconcerned, not even glancing at his younger brother, and continued to ask:

"Simi, is there anything else?"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

Simi, who had just greeted us, lowered her head again as if she had done something wrong. After a pause, she said, "...And Princess Lana, she hopes we can grant her request, and she is willing to use [that] as a bargaining chip."

"Tsk, that willful and arrogant princess!"

Reibourn narrowed his eyes, his already long and narrow blue eyes now looking even more dangerous, like those of a snake.

"I have my own plans for this matter."

Then there was silence.

There was a silent silence in the room. Simi kept his head down and his back bent until he was sweating profusely from the oppressive atmosphere. Then the Marquis's voice slowly drifted over.

"If there's nothing else, you may leave now."

"call……."

Ximi, her forehead damp with sweat, exhaled softly, her tense body relaxing. But then, a deep sense of sympathy welled up within her for the light blue-haired boy beside her, whose lips held a serene smile.

The other party was clearly the second son of a marquis, yet he was treated so badly by the marquis, who even stripped him of his family name. One can only imagine how awkward it would be for a nobleman to be stripped of his family name.

But this was the Marquis's family matter, and it was not something he, as a lower-level administrative official of the territory, could meddle in. The pressure he had just exerted had already left him drenched in sweat.

"My lord, I shall take my leave now."

"Ah."

Upon receiving a response, Simi bowed and quickly left.

There was another moment of silence.

After a while, the marquis, who had been standing in front of the French windows, suddenly stopped, turned around, and took a few steps to the boy's side. He then hugged the boy tightly, a stark contrast that surprised everyone.

"Um, Your Excellency Marquis..."

"Ok?"

“Brother Elias.”

"Ok!"

Upon hearing the satisfied address, the Marquis, whose face had been as cold and sinister as a snake, had his icy expression melt away and a friendly smile appeared on his face.

Who would have thought that a man who, just five years ago, was ambitious and wanted to make a name for himself in the kingdom, even planning to usurp the throne and marry the daughter of a marquis to further achieve his goals, would lose all his ambition the moment he had a child, and become someone who dotes on his family, even to the point of being somewhat pathological.

For example, to prevent his younger brother from being exploited by other nobles and persecuted by the royal family, he would first abolish the family name and then pretend to have a very bad relationship with outsiders... and so on.

The boy being hugged whispered:

"It's been half a year, hasn't it, brother Elias?"

"To be precise, it's been six months and twenty-two days, Lin."

"Could it be that my brother is blaming me for not writing during this time?"

"How could that be? It's just that your sister-in-law and nephew miss you very often."

“…I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Lin simply lowered his head and admitted his mistake.

He knew that he must never talk back to his brother when it came to matters of family, or he would face a three-hour long lecture.

The two went to the sofa and sat down facing each other.

Reibourn exclaimed, "But this trip is really long, it's been half a year."

"Indeed. If it weren't for the kingdom's order, we might have been required to stay for a while longer."

"So, how?"

"Yes, this visit to the Holy Kingdom of Lobul has greatly improved my understanding of faith-based magic."

Although the religious beliefs of the Holy Kingdom of Lobul are not as strong as those of the Slane Theocracy, it is still a country with a strong religious character, ruled by a Holy King and in cooperation with the temple forces.

The nobles there are all very knowledgeable about magic, especially faith-based magic. Kobayashi, who is also proficient in faith-based magic, has indeed gained a lot this time.

“That’s not what I meant, Lin. I know that the reason the delegation hasn’t returned for so long is because that Holy Princess refused to come back, or more precisely, because of you, right?”

"Brother Elias, what are you doing..."

“Unlike someone else, Her Highness the Holy Queen has sent several letters.”

"Aha……"

"Moreover, there was a request in the letter that you could become the Holy Princess's husband, and the letter was even forwarded to His Majesty the King."

"What did you say?!!!"

The boy named Lin was immediately dumbfounded.

He wanted to tell his brother to stop teasing and making fun of him, but seeing his brother's genuine expression and considering the possibility that the Holy Queen might actually do such a thing, he fell silent.

"Would you like to see the letter?"

"……never mind."

He shook his head and refused.

Choosing to watch it will only make things more awkward.

Seeing his reaction, Marquis Reiburn asked with some curiosity, "Why are you so nervous? It's rumored that the Holy Princess possesses a beauty that's considered a national treasure. Is that not true?"

“No, it’s true.” Lin shook his head and whispered, “Even the new magic she developed for skin care was something we discussed together.”

"What did you say?"

"nothing."

It's best not to spread the news that the king of a country developed magic specifically for the sake of beauty. Moreover, the Holy Queen also requested the same thing and has already paid hush money in advance.

—The two of them discussed magic together.

However, when the two were alone, they were constantly being coveted by each other, and they always felt that they were the ones who were at a disadvantage.

"Lin, do you perhaps look down on the Holy Princess?"

"How could that be? A lovely yet fiercely beautiful face, long golden hair radiating luster, and a smile that alone could call her a saint, a smile like the wheel of an angel. Any man who sees her would be amazed by her beauty."

"Then how..."

"How should I put it? Although the Holy Princess is clearly capable, charming, and well-liked, she seems incredibly eager to get married, which has discouraged many men who admire her."

In fact, Kalja Besares... that Holy Princess is in a more serious situation than Lin described.

As she grew older, the Holy Princess became increasingly anxious, desperately wanting to find a husband. Her anxiety reached the point where she would accept any man, as long as he wasn't using her and truly loved her.

Incidentally, there's also this reason behind developing faith-based magic to maintain one's skin and youth.

Marquis Reiboun feigned melancholy and said, "Is that so? Princess Saintess is so outstanding, and you're of marriageable age too."

"Brother, can you please stop looking so worried about my future?"

"Well, after all, you have many supporters in the capital. If you were to announce that you want to get married, I'm sure those noble ladies would flock to you."

"Brother Elias!"

Under the boy's slightly embarrassed and annoyed glare, the Marquis shook his head and stopped teasing him.

Lin said helplessly, "Besides, my brother knows I can't go, because there are things I can't let go of."

"Oh, you mean the church you founded? What's it called... something again?"

“The Axis Church. Brother, you’ve been funding the church, you should at least show some concern for it.”

“I am very concerned. For example, they always loudly proclaim the goddess they believe in and spread strange declarations of conversion; and they also indiscriminately recruit people into the church on the street, harassing those who refuse to join, causing passersby to avoid them like the plague… and so on?”

"...What are you saying? We are a legitimate church."

He turned his head away from looking at the other person, while the older brother enjoyed the unusual awkwardness on his younger brother's face.

Lin couldn't help but sigh, "As expected of the Marquis, he has grasped my lifeline in an instant."

"Ahem, in short, I'm not getting married for the time being."

"That's a real pity. The Holy Queen's letter was very sincere and urgent."

Reibourn was somewhat disappointed.

It's truly a pity. The Holy Queen is renowned throughout the continent for her looks, status, and talent. Wouldn't it be a shame to refuse her?

However, he also knew his younger brother's personality; his refusal must have its own considerations. After all, ever since he gained the "wisdom of the goddess" at the age of six, he had become exceptionally intelligent.

"Speaking of which, brother, regarding Princess Lana in our conversation just now..."

"Lin, it's getting late, and you've just gotten back. Go and get some rest. There's a family dinner tonight, so go and prepare."

"I...I understand. I'll take my leave now, brother."

Seeing that the other party was unwilling to say more, Lin could no longer ask any questions and had no choice but to turn around and leave.

Close the door.

"Honestly, do you still think of yourself as a child? There's a limit to not wanting your family to get involved in this mess, you worryy older brother."

He muttered something quietly.

At that moment, a maid appeared behind them.

A beautiful woman with thick, flowing blonde hair and deep-set features wore a dignified maid outfit with a large apron and a long skirt. She was about 170 centimeters tall, with a slender figure, and her full breasts almost overflowed from the chest area of ​​the maid outfit, making her very eye-catching.

Overall, it gives people a gentle and elegant feeling.

At this moment, she bowed slightly to the boy in front of her.

"Master Lin."

"It's a 'flower'."

"I have something to report to you."