The relentless scolding from the Marquis continued.

All I could do was apologize profusely, saying, "I’m sorry for causing so many problems."

"Seriously now..."

When Rey caused a commotion or Ivy brought Icicle, all I could do was apologize. Once again, I had ended up troubling the Marquis in some way or another.

Resigned to this, I bowed my head as if it were second nature. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Maria.

Seeing her look so apologetic made my chest tighten for some reason. I immediately understood the reason for my pounding heart.

—Wasn’t bringing Maria here supposed to spare her from making that kind of face?

(What am I doing? At this rate, she’ll keep feeling out of place.)

I had brought her to this town of Akoup so she could live peacefully and freely.

Everything that happened before we got here was mostly beyond my control. But even so, if I had wanted to, I could have refused.

Still, I chose to accept her. That was my decision, nobody else’s. Which is why I had to take responsibility for my actions.

"Marquis."

"What is it?"

"Please rest assured, we won’t cause any more trouble."

"Even if you say that..."

The Marquis seemed to have more to say, but I pressed on.

"Even if something does happen, we’ll handle it. In fact, we’ll make you say you’re glad you brought us along."

"Mii!"

Ivy raised her voice energetically, as if to support my opinion. Then, as if reflecting our determination, a strong wind blew around us. It wasn’t magic—so what was it?

The Marquis, whose bangs were blown upward, opened his eyes wide. Only Katya, standing beside him, was smiling for some reason.

"...Fine. If you’re that confident, I have nothing more to say."

"Mii!"

Ivy nodded emphatically, as if to say, "That’s right."

I turned to Maria, who had been watching anxiously, and gave her a reassuring smile.

It’s okay. Please don’t worry.

(Besides, I wasn’t just recklessly defying the Marquis. Bringing Maria to our side holds great significance.)

Maria, the former saint, was immensely popular among the populace. Having someone like her on our side was extremely valuable from a political perspective.

As long as Maria, who seemed to have the Pope’s favor, resided in Akoup, the town wouldn’t easily be targeted. Any action against her would risk backlash from the people, forcing those in power to maintain friendly relations with us.

The only remaining threat would be a covert assassination attempt by the Black Scripture or some similar group, but as long as we were here, we wouldn’t let such shady characters lay a hand on her. Honestly, Ivy’s home might be the safest place in the world.

Perhaps the Pope had entrusted Maria to us with all of this in mind. If so, we were completely dancing in the palm of his hand.

...Well, if that’s the case, so be it. If taking care of Maria could serve as a bridge of friendship between our nations, I’d gladly accept that role.

After all, with Rey and Icicle staying at my place, things were already pretty chaotic. Adding a former saint to the mix wouldn’t change much—though it would definitely make things noisier. But maybe a little noise would make every day more enjoyable.

When I smiled at Maria, she returned the gesture with a radiant smile of her own. Behind her, Hamill watched us, her mouth set in a straight line for some reason.

In any case, the Marquis had given his approval. Maria and Hamill, who had some procedures and other matters to handle, would join us later.

"Once everything is settled, I’ll come to your mansion, Bruno," Maria said as we parted.

With a confident nod, I replied, "Welcome to Akoup!"

It might be a little noisy, but I’m sure you’ll love it here. So once again... Please take care of us, Maria.