My Youngest Keeps Bringing Home Male Leads - Chapter 56

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 56
If things went that way, she could be reckless, make unreasonable demands—whatever she wanted.
‘These people came to me because they want to be chosen by me.’
So she could afford to be a little more selfish.
Instead of worrying whether she was asking too much of people she hardly knew—
‘I have to do whatever it takes.’
That was the only way to give Amy a sense of security.
Her sister was managing so well on her own now; she didn’t need to worry anymore.
Just then, laughter rang out unexpectedly.
Kesenor was chuckling to himself.
“Miss Agnes is the first person to tell me, the Arch Mage of Celestial, to behave myself if I don’t want to be driven out.”
As he spoke, Kesenor’s gaze flickered toward Rupert, who stood behind Agnes.
‘He doesn’t seem to have Rupert in mind at all.’
If Rupert wanted to throw them out by force, he could manage it.
But Agnes assumed that if she asked, they would simply withdraw—as was only natural.
She held that much authority, after all.
For some reason, this delighted him all the more.
Kesenor smiled genuinely and nodded.
“The answer was decided from the start, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Agnes sat in the place of honor, her expression austere and resolute.
Within Kesenor’s gently curved eyes, amethyst pupils gleamed like brilliant jewels.
‘She couldn’t accept that she was someone special, and she always felt burdened when I helped her.’
It must have changed because of Amy.
Like a mother beast that will charge a predator with desperate fury to protect her young.
Kesenor found himself recalling that first meeting in Valdemar.
The small bird that had trembled with shock and anxiety, seeming ready to submit even if swallowed whole, had become unrecognizable.
How far could this seemingly insignificant girl actually soar?
If he wished it, he could break her wings and cage her even now.
‘I could eliminate every choice before her and leave only myself.’
But he had no desire to make such a tedious choice.
So Kesenor nodded readily.
“Very well. I shall see it done. Please use us as freely as you wish.”
“Wait, I haven’t said anything yet—!”
Lapitor tried to interject, but Kesenor silenced him with a gesture before continuing.
“Miss Agnes, you need not hold back. Are they not all males competing for your favor? Then I must make my nest beautiful and display the most brilliant plumage of all.”
Though flustered by the blunt words, Agnes did not deny them.
“Yes, please do whatever you can.”
Agnes’s gaze extended to Ignitan and Lapitor as well.
“If it’s for protecting me, anything at all.”
Unlike the amused Kesenor, the two othersfolk nodded in ready assent.
For them, protecting Agnes was both destiny and duty.
Having been born as a Seed, it was simply what they were meant to do.
“Don’t worry! I’ll show you my abilities starting tomorrow!”
As he spoke, Lapitor gave Ignitan’s shoulder a couple of encouraging pats.
“How about it? Ignitan, lend me a hand over there.”
Ignitan let out a thin sigh.
Lapitor’s excessive eagerness seemed to burden him greatly, yet he did not refuse his words.
“Then, my lady, could you heal Ignitan as well?”
“Of course.”
Ignitan frowned slightly but did not resist, offering his legs and arms to Kesenor.
Thanks to Kesenor’s magic, the grotesquely severe wounds healed quickly.
“For now, you must be careful. Even with magical treatment, your body is weakened.”
“Wow, it’s like a lie, isn’t it? Why did those guys get magic and not—… No, that’s not it. Agnes! I absolutely wasn’t complaining! I was just saying how nice it must be that the mages can use magic!”
Watching Lapitor grumble habitually before quickly correcting his tone, Agnes let out a wry smile.
After healing Ignitan, everyone left the reception room.
A waning crescent moon had risen beyond the window—midnight had already passed.
As they climbed the stairs together, Kesenor drew closer to Agnes and whispered.
“Sleep well, Agnes.”
Rupert, standing beside her, seemed to feel that the distance had been closed too far; his gaze sharpened.
Without the slightest hesitation, Kesenor offered Agnes a cheerful smile.
“Starting tomorrow, everyone might become rather boisterous, after all.”
“Good heavens…….”
Agnes pressed her palm to her forehead and sighed, her expression clouded with embarrassment.
“I’m afraid I must ask the Duke for another favor.”
“What might that be?”
“Please……. Do be more careful with your choice of words. Sometimes it’s as if…….”
Unable to voice the words she’d been about to say, Agnes paused before whispering them.
“……as if you were some low-bred philanderer.”
“One moment, Miss Agnes. What exactly were you about to say before?”
“A rake or a blackguard, I should imagine. Wouldn’t you agree, miss?”
Whether Rupert’s interjection was sincere or not, Agnes’s ears flushed crimson.
Before Kesenor could even part his lips, still reeling from the blow, Agnes bolted from the room.
Turning slowly to look behind, he found Rupert wearing a smile far too virtuous for comfort.
Kesenor swallowed a hollow laugh and exhaled deeply.
If he chose, he could invoke his rank and crush the man’s insolence on the spot.
But Kesenor selected a different course instead of needless venting.
“If she chooses me, I shall become your master—show a little more respect, won’t you?”
Though he’d meant to provoke, Rupert merely lowered his eyes obediently and bowed his head.
To Kesenor, who knew the predatory nature beneath that man’s calm exterior, he looked like a beast sheathing its claws.
* * *
The next day.
The Mansion at Laberose was in considerable uproar from early morning.
“What’s all this about?”
When I emerged and asked Alfred, he offered an embarrassed smile.
“Well, it seems Lapitor is fixing things around the house.”
“Why? What’s broken?”
“Oh, no, it’s not that……. He said he’d make improvements to ease people’s burdens.”
Lapitor had indeed wandered through every corner of the Mansion, collecting people’s opinions before setting about with his tools and making a racket.
Agnes tried to ask what on earth he was doing.
“You’ll see when it’s finished!”
He called out and whisked himself away to another location.
By afternoon, Lapitor appeared before Agnes.
Not only that, he grabbed her right out of her game with Amy and dragged her along without ceremony.
Though startled, Agnes could guess his intent and followed, with Amy trailing behind.
“Sister!”
“Oh, Amy! You were here! I didn’t notice—you’re so small!”
“I’m not small! And you can’t just drag people away! You have to ask, ‘Is this all right?’ first!”
“Ah, quite right. I was just so eager, you see. Agnes, I’d very much like to show you what I’ve made—will you come along?”
He asked even as he held her hand firmly in his grasp.
Faced with such an innocent plea, Agnes had no choice but to laugh.
“But next time, you mustn’t do this.”
“Of course! I’ll ask next time, I promise!”
Lapitor led the two of them toward the kitchen.
Specifically, to the hearth—a place one rarely had occasion to visit.
Elena, who had been busy preparing the evening meal, brightened at the sight of Lapitor.
“Goodness, Lapitor! Welcome!”
“Well? Much better, isn’t it?”
“Much indeed! Far less smoke, and—this is the greatest comfort! I used to have to stand over the pot constantly, but today I was actually able to sit down for a moment!”
Elena pointed to where a pot sat, and inside it, some unnamed device was turning.
“What is that?”
Inside the pot, a long wooden spoon was turning of its own accord.
More precisely, some sort of mechanism was gripping and rotating the spoon.
It was connected to the wall, and as something like a gear inside turned round and round, the spoon moved through the pot at a steady, even pace.
Seeing the two sisters’ mouths fall open in wonder, Lapitor beamed with evident pride and began to explain.
“To keep stew from sticking to the bottom of the pot, you have to keep stirring it constantly, don’t you? Elena told me that was the most exhausting part! So I made this.”
“How does it turn by itself?”
“Ah, that’s thanks to the Mana Stone. I got one from a mage. When I offered to refine a few Mana Stones for them, they were happy to give me one.”
They gave up such a valuable Mana Stone for so trivial a reason?
Agnes appraised the worth of that device—a magical tool in all but name.
‘I said it would be nice if we helped each other, but I didn’t mean for you to give up everything you own……’
Though she felt quite flustered, seeing Elena’s delighted expression somehow made her think it would be all right.
Still, she felt she ought to keep quiet about just how expensive it was.
Once Elena knew the price, she’d certainly never use it—just keep it on a shelf, untouched.
“And the reason there’s less smoke is because we burn the smoke along with it, but that’s complicated so never mind. Anyway, we Dark Elves use fire quite a lot in our work.”
While listening to the explanation of what Dark Elves mainly did, they made their way toward the garden.
There, Oliver was pushing a curious device forward across the grass.
Remarkably, wherever it passed, the long grass grew short.
“It runs automatically using a Mana Stone, and since I sharpened the blade myself it’s quite sharp, so I fitted a separate safety mechanism as well.”
“So you wouldn’t need to cut with a scythe anymore?”
“Exactly!”
Agnes gazed silently in admiration.
That he could fashion something like this in half a day was truly astounding.
“So Dark Elves really are master craftsmen!”
“Indeed! Why else would we be called Dark Elves? We’re cooped up in caves all day making things like this, after all.”
He said it modestly enough, but he looked pleased, wiping the bridge of his nose with the back of his hand.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————