Unspeakable bubbles

Before he could finish speaking, the man said curtly, "A gift? I don't recall ever helping you with anything, so there's no reason for me to accept your gift."

"Oh, it's just a little bit of pastry."

"Snacks? We've already had dinner." The man frowned, looking at Masumi with a suspicious gaze.

"Is he a foreigner?" Masumi sized him up, then carefully noted his accent.

"If there's nothing else, please..."

"Hello," Bubble greeted the unfriendly uncle.

Hello.

The man subconsciously bent down and spoke in a restrained tone.

But he quickly realized something was wrong. The man straightened up and looked at Bubble hesitantly, asking, "Are you from Sien?"

"what?"

"We have other things to do, so we won't bother you any longer."

Masumi quickly hid the bubbles behind her back, shielding herself from the strange man's gaze.

Now, it was Masumi who became wary.

'What's wrong with this guy? He was so cold to me, why is he hitting on Bubble?'

"Huh?" The man awkwardly touched his nose. He was about to speak when a woman's voice came from behind him.

"Honey, is it someone we know who's here?"

"Oh no, it's the upstairs neighbor."

"Oh, then why don't you hurry up and let them in and have a seat? What are you doing blocking the doorway?"

A woman of similar age to Masumi came out of the house and greeted her warmly: "Hello, you look unfamiliar. Did you move in recently?"

"Come in quickly, it's my fault, Wayne."

"Honestly, it's been a year since you left Sien, and you still haven't gotten used to it?" the woman said reproachfully to the embarrassed Wayne.

Section 134, Chapter 133: Glory Above All Else

"Oh, so Masumi works in a government agency. I'm so envious."

"Haha, your daughter is so cute."

"Oh, no, not daughter, but younger sister," Masumi said quickly, looking at the overly familiar woman.

Yukio looked somewhat surprised. Her daughter might resemble her father, but her younger sister... Bubbles and Masumi didn't look alike at all. However, the surprised expression on her face disappeared in an instant.

"It turns out to be my younger sister. She looks like a sensible and obedient child."

"How could you possibly mistake Bubbles for my daughter?" Masumi thought helplessly.

"Yes, Bubble has always been sensible. I feel lucky to have a sister like her."

"Don't stand, please sit down. Honey! Haven't the tea and drinks been prepared yet?"

"We're just here for a visit, since the gift has been delivered..."

“We’re all neighbors, don’t be so formal.” Before Masumi could finish speaking, Yukio pulled her down to sit.

"Bubble, would you like milk or juice?" Yukio asked with a smile.

"milk!"

"Okay, I'll be right there. Where's Masumi?"

"Mineral water will do." Seeing how enthusiastic the other party was, Masumi had no choice but to give up the idea of ​​going back immediately.

"I'm sorry, I offended you just now."

Wayne carried a tray with juice, tea, mineral water, milk, and some snacks.

“It’s nothing. Mr. Wayne is a foreigner, isn’t he?” Masumi asked.

"Well, I was originally from Saine, but I transferred my citizenship to the State of Statt less than a year ago, so I'm not very familiar with some of the local customs."

Wayne bowed deeply and said, "I'm so sorry if this has caused any trouble."

Masumi initially had a very bad impression of this man, but after he said those words, Masumi's feelings towards him improved a lot.

"Don't worry about it. Mr. Wayne, your Commonwealth language is quite good."

He shook his head. "The languages ​​of the major countries today are all derived from the ancient human languages ​​excavated from ruins. Although there have been changes, they are still largely mutually intelligible."

"I was at about this level before I came to the Federation, and after a year..."

"Hmm, darling, you should accept compliments from others with grace." Xuexu pinched Wayne's arm.

"Oh, I see."

Wayne was a rigid man, and when his wife said that, he didn't know how to respond.

"Yukio, you don't seem to be one of Sain's people. How did you two meet?" Masumi changed the subject.

“I am a native of the Federation. My family is in the timber business, and it’s quite a large one. We also have sales channels in Sain.”

"When I was young, I wanted to go out and explore, so I often went to Saien with my father to deliver goods. Haha, who would have thought that I would meet him there."

Wayne's initially awkward expression softened, and he looked at his wife gently, "Xuexu, the first time I saw you, I knew you were different from those old-fashioned ladies around me."

"Honey......"

Masumi, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it anymore and quickly handed the milk to Bubble.

"Drink up, and remember to thank your uncle."

"Thank you, Uncle."

Upon hearing Bubble's thanks, Wayne jumped up from the sofa.

He returned the greeting respectfully, "No need to be so polite, Your Excellency."

"Eh"

"Mr. Wayne?"

Not only Bubbles, but Masumi also seemed a bit off.

“Darling, you need to know that this is no longer Saien.”

Yukio frowned. "All people in the Federation are equal. There are no nobles or kings. Why are you so nervous when you see Bubbles?"

"Bubble... Miss Masumi, is either of your parents from Sien?"

"No, is there a problem?" Masumi asked calmly.

"But it's too similar, golden hair, azure eyes, and snow-white skin... If you appeared in Sain, no one would doubt that you are a noble lady with illustrious blood."

Seeing her husband's distraught state, Yukio became somewhat angry.

He's good in every way, except he hasn't shaken off the bad habits of that closed and ancient country.

All people are born equal; this is something Yukio has understood since she was a child.

Now, Wayne felt her face burning with embarrassment at seeing a little girl with the features of a noble family like Thane acting so reserved.

"Hey, Wayne, don't make a fuss. There are plenty of blond-haired, blue-eyed people in the Federation. Are you going to bow to every single one you meet from now on?" Xuexu said jokingly, but there was no smile on her face.

"Different"

Unaware that his wife was already angry, Wayne explained earnestly, "It's not as simple as it looks golden all over; Miss Bubble's hair doesn't have a single stray color."

As he spoke, Wayne tossed his hair aside. "Look, someone like me is a classic example of something impure."

Masumi and Yukio looked carefully for a while before finding a few inconspicuous brown hairs.

“Mr. Wayne, your eyesight is excellent,” Masumi said sincerely.

“Darling, any beauty salon these days can give you 'perfect' blonde hair instantly.” Yukio emphasized.

"Hmph, a noble color cannot be obtained by faking it."

Wayne said dismissively, "Yukio, you're not from Sien, so you're not sensitive to these things. I bet if someone dyed their hair blonde and went to my hometown, they'd be hanged!"

"Uh, that's too much..." As she spoke, Masumi noticed that Yukio surprisingly didn't refute her, which made her shudder.

'I knew Saine was closed-minded and conservative, but I never imagined it would come to this.'

"Not just the hair, but also the skin tone. Not the pale white that never sees the sun, but a vibrant, flawless milky white."

Wayne showed no sign of stopping. "The most important thing is her eye color. My God, the moment I first saw Miss Bubble, I knew she was no ordinary person."

"A viscount, or at least someone from a viscount's family, can..."

“Wayne, you are now a free Commonwealth citizen,” Yukio interrupted her husband.

She stared into Wayne's eyes. "Forget those greedy, cruel nobles who only know how to exploit the people and are cowardly. Forget that damned country with no human rights."

"Hasn't a year already made you appreciate the value of freedom and equality?"

“Bubble is Miss Masumi’s younger sister. They have no relatives in the Saine family. Both sisters are proud citizens of the State Federation of Statt.”

"Um, I, uh..." Wayne stammered, unable to speak after being interrupted by his wife.

He was so anxious that his face turned red, and after a long while he finally said, "The Federation is very good, very good. I just, yes, I just haven't gotten used to it yet."

"However, my dear, you're wrong about one thing."

Yukio's eyes twitched. "Something's not right?"

"The nobles of Saine may be greedy or cruel in their rule, but none of them are afraid of death."

Wayne said almost piously, "Glory is above all else."

Section 135, Chapter 134: The Savage Kingdom

Honor above all else? These words held no sway over Yukio, who had been born and raised in the Federation.