Stranger’s Handbook

“Suu, I’ll be away for a bit. However, I’m still here. Do you understand?”

“………Certainly!”

Suu bowed her head, as I left her inside the room and walked down the corridor.

If it’s her, she’ll guess the meaning behind that.

In order for no one to find me, I erased my presence as I walked towards my mother-in-law’s room.

Bea and Toto are sound asleep, so it’s all right.

I made them an ample ma.s.sage fused with healing magical power so they won’t wake up until morning.

Although it’s midnight, this is the inside of a palace.

I walked stealthily in order to pa.s.s the patrolling soldiers unseen.

I never thought that I would use detection magic at a time like this…….

I somehow managed to arrive safely to my mother-in-law’s room.

I left the corridor and entered a small pa.s.sage.

This pa.s.sage that didn’t have any carpets was a secret path used by the palace employees.

I used the key the maid gave me and slipped into the room, trying to make as little sound as possible.

“I waited for you, son-in-law-dono. Fufu, did Bea find out?”

“It’s been a long time, mother-in-law. Urm……. will you put something on please?”

Mother Lamia was relaxing in her room.

It was the middle of the night……..so she was wearing night-clothes…….

Some night-clothes that make your heart race.

“Oh my! You panic because of something like this?…….Won’t Bea wear some for you?”

She let out a roguish laugh.

She wore a simple dress with a large opening around the chest region; it was quite an erotic view……

The collaboration between her soft-looking raw materials and chest was wonderful.

Even though her age…….I’ll just stop here; I don’t want to die.

She finally put on an outer garment, as she told me to sit on the sofa.

I was already tired before getting into the main subject.

“I can’t tease you too much cause you’re too pitiable. Fufufu, it’s been such a long time since a youngster had this reaction, so……you know, I couldn’t help it.”

A youngster?……I’m in my middle thirties, you know?

If this is young, then my mother-in-law…….

“Son-in-law-dono? You don’t have the liberty to think about unnecessary things.”

“Yes, mother-in-law.”

Even though you started it…….

“Good! Now…….The n.o.bles are planning to disrespect the elf prince and make you and Bea fight each other. I want to kill them as fast as possible, but this will cause a big commotion…….If we succeed, then everything’s good…….but if we don’t”

“I’ll lose my dignity as a n.o.ble. They’ll say that someone like me isn’t suitable for being a duke……or something along these lines?”

“In order to prepare for this, they want you to accept a concubine. And it’s not only you, son-in-law-dono. They want Bea……..to accept one too.”

“……..If Bea leaves me and makes her own duke’s househo
ld, my power will weaken considerably……or something like this?”

So, they didn’t give up yet.

With diplomacy as an excuse, they want to split up my duke’s household.

Because both Bea and I received the duke’s t.i.tle after all.

It’s not like their plan is impossible……..

“The n.o.bles in the imperial capital are making light of me, aren’t they?”

“They’re all complete idiots who take peace for granted. If you get the chance, you can slice some of them off. His Majesty won’t complain if they’re lower than viscounts.”

This was quite a dangerous talk, but for me, as a high cla.s.s n.o.ble, it was a dreadful situation.

If I continue to allow them to make light of me, they’ll take advantage of it.

I must implant some fear into them…….

“Understood. Let’s give them a little warning then.”

“I got the perfect idiot for this. I left him alive precisely for this situation. Take your time and do what you need.”

You made a list of candidates?

You are such a frightening mother-in-law.

As one would expect from the Frontier Count’s daughter……

I made a small pause to take a breath, then drank some black tea.

Since there were no maids around, my mother-in-law prepared this tea.

“……Ahem! Ack! Blech!”

I instinctively spout it out.

Gross……Hopelessly gross…….

As one would expect from Bea’s mother; her awful cooking seems to be hereditary.

Still, how can one even prepare such a gross tea?

“Oh my! Son-in-law-dono, are you all right?”

“Blech……I’m…..I’m all right.”

I covered my mouth with my hand so the damage I received was little.

I took out a handkerchief and quickly wiped my mouth dry.

“………Such a strange handkerchief you got there, son-in-law-dono.”

She looked at me like she was looking at garbage.

Oh, this is kind of nostalgic; she looks just like old Bea…….

Wrong, wrong! What’s this? Why is she looking at me like that?

My mother-in-law’s glance was focused on my hand.

She was looking at the handkerchief I used to wipe the tea.

……………It was a pair of panties.

“Son-in-law-dono? That handkerchi…….”

“…….Dear me!? Why is such a thing in my hand!?”

Even for me, this excuse was stupid.

Still, this was my limit.

A n.o.ble who walks around concealing his wife’s panties………would normally be finished.

To say nothing of showing them to his mother-in-law; there’s nothing more I can do but kneel down and beg for forgiveness.

“Those…….are the underwear I left back home, you know? And now you used them right in front of me………….Don’t say! Son-in-law-dono!?”

Let me correct it.

There’s nothing more I can do but commit seppuku 1.

A son-in-law who carries around his mother-in-law’s panties……Even without thinking about it, this means I’m finished.

“I….I am your mother-in-law, you know? This is……To Bea this is……..I know! Because Bea is pregnant you gave in to temptation! You’re not serious about it, I’m sure!”

Confused about this situation, mother-in-law’s face got bright red.

Similarly to her, I was in a confused state as well.

“Wa…..please wait! Mother-in-law! This is different! I used them without knowing they were yours, so it’s all right!”

“………I know, that’s the only thing you can say now.”

“It’s different! I didn’t know, so it’s all right!”

“I…I see! You didn’t know, right? It’s safe then!”

After that, an unproductive conversation of repeated a.s.surances that everything was all right, lasted for two hours.

I finally exhausted myself and gave up.

My mother-in-law was under the impression that I lied in order to deceive her.

All I could do now was to bring Suu here to explain her what happened.

…….This in itself was h.e.l.l, but it was still better than becoming a panties thief.

She retrieved her panties, stained with tea, and left her seat.

Today’s secret meeting was over, but it appears that I’ll receive a letter.

Well, we couldn’t have a fair and square conversation after all……..Oh dear!

I somehow pa.s.sed through these hours when all I could think about was running away.

It was the first time I received such a mental blow.

A short time later, mother-in-law returned with a letter.

“You have inside a list with all the n.o.bles you can erase without problems and today’s main topic. You should only check it once you get to your room! All right? You must check it right away!”

The main topic? Did some other major incident happen?

Still, mother-in-low seemed to have received a mental blow as well.

Her face looked utterly exhausted……. Misunderstandings sure are frightening.

“Understood. Mother-in-law, next time I’ll bring Suu along.”

“?……..Suu? Right, understood.”

We both felt awkward and couldn’t let our eyes meet.

I gave up for now and decided to go back…….I greeted my mother-in-law, then dragged my tired feet to my own room.

Once I returned to my room, I opened the letter.

I really wanted to go sleep now. But the panties thief thingy stuck to my mind.

I can’t possibly fall asleep……..I feel like crying.

As mother-in-law said, the first sheet was a list of n.o.bles.

So, I can kill these guys without any problems, huh?…….

I can’t go slashing at them all of a sudden though; I must first entangle them before cutting them off.

As for the second sheet, it contained something that made my confused head clear up in an instant.

‘Because he felt danger for his life, the elf prince is putting on an act.

His Majesty is suspicious about this too, but because he has no positive proof, he didn’t tell you anything about it.

The prince seems to want to speak with you in private, so make sure to make some time for it.’

Again……..the problems are multiplying………

So, if he doesn’t act like an idiot, he’ll get killed?

In this case, the elf accompanying him this time………That guy is suspicious.

Was their objective to kill both the stupid prince and the fake Ministry of Foreign Affairs last time?

And because they failed, this time, they’re making a move by themselves……..

I burned the second sheet of the letter.

It would be dangerous for someone to see it after all.

I stared at the burning letter, placed on a silver tray.

I was worried about the stupid prince, but a prince who acts like an idiot in order not to get killed…….is even more troublesome.

I checked to see if the letter burned completely, then inspected the insides of the envelope once again.

Having done so, I found a small wrap inside it.

There was something else inside too…….Just give a break, will you?

I opened the small package.

It was something wrapped in paper, about the size of my palm.

It was as small as a cigarettes box, but half its thickness; I unwrapped it.

Inside were a note and a piece of cloth.

‘Son-in-law-dono, this is the last time since it’s way too embarra.s.sing!’

Mother-in-law……I really don’t need your panties……..

All I could do at that moment was burst out crying…….