Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [158]

“Are Allen and the others still in class?”

“Yes, Madam.”

Hilda sipped her tea, eyelids lowered.

Her face was reflected in the surface of the tea.

Ripples spread.

She smiled faintly.

Then raised her eyes, looking at Sylphy, seated across from her.

Her expression held a trace of helplessness, a posture almost of “complaint.”

But...

Her features only softened further.

“Luffy, you don’t have to do this. Doesn’t this count as skipping class? And you’re a teacher.”

“It’s fine, Madam. I don’t need to attend swordsmanship class anyway.”

Sylphy held her teacup, sitting very upright in her chair, meeting Hilda’s gaze as she spoke.

Hilda set her cup down, met Sylphy’s eyes for a moment, and shook her head.

Then turned away.

In her sight, the trees beyond the bedroom’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

The shade was still thick.

But no longer as lush as in summer.

“It’s all right. I’m used to it.”

The two were in Hilda’s bedroom.

The tearoom’s purpose was, of course, not only for tea.

During those periods when its “true purpose” hidden beneath the surface was absent, the tea conversations would naturally shift here, to Hilda’s bedroom.

After all, in the afternoon swordsmanship class, those two habitual truants certainly wouldn’t be running off to the eaves.

One genuinely wanted to learn, and the other truly wanted to teach.

Though Allen’s body was occupied by an outsider’s soul, in blood they still resembled siblings as they ought to.

At least in their reactions toward swordsmanship talent and interest, they were strikingly alike.

“I didn’t expect that in just half a year, Eris could grow so close to Allen—it caught me off guard. If a year ago someone had told me that in six months she’d be sticking to a ‘new’ private tutor almost every day aside from Ghislaine, I would have been stunned.”

Sylphy blinked at this, the corners of her lips lifting.

That was more pleasing to hear than praise for herself.

After all, this was Allen.

On the surface, Allen seemed to have all his talent in swordsmanship—but did he also have the same natural gift for handling human relationships?

Yes.

That “talent” in human dealings had long earned Sylphy’s genuine admiration as she quietly observed him.

And that “talent,” after a process of watching, processing, learning, and imitating—

Had become one of the base colors in Sylphy’s current personality.

She was no longer the familiar “White Mama” of the original story.

At the very least, she now had the shape of someone who could speak beautifully.

“No, Madam. It’s because Eris has a gift that makes people ‘like’ her. She’s straightforward, like a bright flame—you can’t help but want to get closer.”

Hilda paused.

“That’s only for people she approves of. For those she doesn’t, acting like that will just bring trouble down on her.”

Sylphy’s expression didn’t change as she lifted her cup to take a sip. Behind the cover of the porcelain, she couldn’t help but smile.

She remembered when Eris had just learned Fireball.

Performing it right there in the classroom—burning the curtains—while Rudy was still focused on guiding Ghislaine’s Fireball practice.

And ending up literally catching fire himself.

It wasn’t until Allen said, “Rudy, you’re on fire,” that Rudy had scrambled to douse the flames climbing his clothes with Waterball.

Every time this scene surfaced in her mind, Sylphy couldn’t help laughing.

Not just at Rudy’s shock—

But at the rare, “wonderful expression” Allen had worn on the side.

“Luffy.”

She bent forward slightly, carefully setting her cup down, her face still smiling, her mind still half in that image.

Hilda’s voice slipped into her ears.

“How about letting Allen marry Eris in the future?”

Sylphy’s smile froze.

A little dazed, a little blank.

Then...

As if she’d thought of something—sudden panic.

Her head jerked up.

Her red-brown eyes locked on Hilda’s face.

Hilda narrowed her own eyes slightly, lips curling into a smile a bit like Eris’s.

Her gaze carried obvious teasing.

Sylphy’s ears flushed pink; she waved her hands quickly in front of her.

“Ma—Madam! That—th-that’s not—no, it’s not possible—”

Hilda looked at Sylphy’s about-to-catch-fire expression with calm detachment, blinking.

“Luffy’s flustered look is cute too. So… when will you ‘take action’?”

Sylphy’s hands froze. She lowered her head, placing both hands on her lap.

The air stayed silent for a while.

She peeked up.

Hilda’s smile was unchanged.

Sylphy realized she was being teased. Beneath her inner fluster, she couldn’t help but breathe a small sigh of relief. She turned her gaze aside, looking at her own hands.

As for her own “situation”—she didn’t know when it had been exposed, but by now, her liking for Allen was entirely above water in Hilda’s eyes.

Is it really that obvious…?

From the corner of her vision...

Even though all she could see were her own hands clutching at the edge of her skirt, the feel of her thighs reddened under her palms and the damp sweat in her hands told Sylphy she was still nervous.

The fact that her feelings for Allen were out in the open had already numbed her—

But behind that was another truth:

Do you know what it feels like to be asked by the mother of the one you like—when will you make your move on my son?

Even if Hilda didn’t know Allen’s true identity, the meaning behind her words was enough to make Sylphy’s heart pound.

Outside her tangled thoughts, Hilda’s teasing voice continued:

“Eris’s tenth birthday would be a great opportunity.”

Sylphy blinked.

She looked up at Hilda.

The latter blinked back.

“Eris’s… tenth birthday?”

“Five, ten, and fifteen years old are important milestones. I’m sure you—”

Here Hilda paused, glancing at Sylphy, then shifted the topic to nobility.

“Mm, generally speaking, they’re always celebrated. In noble circles, it’s a very important matter. Families will host large-scale banquets for their children and celebrate with great enthusiasm. The Boreas will even invite nobles of all ranks from Roa to attend.”

Hilda propped her chin on her hand, her expression touched with memory.

“For Eris’s fifth birthday, we held a banquet. At first, Father’s plan was a self-service dining format. But dear reconsidered—thinking it was a chance to draw in our vassal nobles, to make Roa’s nobles aware of their own worth, and give everyone a place to ‘socialize.’ So on his suggestion, it became the ‘ball’ format we use now.”

Sylphy blinked, a glimmer passing through her eyes.

“…A ball?”

Just then, Hilda suddenly leaned forward—

Her face closing in on Sylphy’s.

“Yes. A ball.”

She tilted her head slightly, the same crimson eyes as Eris’s glinting with interest at Sylphy’s flustered, caught-in-the-act expression.

“Will you—”

“Dance with Allen?”

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This is a fan translation of 无职转生：剑，魔法帽与恋爱系统 by 意外火灾 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!