Chapter 80: Running Wild
Lucian's mouth was open slightly, brows pressed down.
The composure on his face had cracked. Genuine bewilderment showed through underneath.
"Though," Sebas added, his voice remaining entirely serious even on a topic like this, "it would naturally depend on what my lady herself thinks."
Lucian looked at him.
There was not a single trace of a joke anywhere on Sebas's face.
The old butler's expression was earnest. More than that: it carried the particular gravity of an elder discussing a younger person's marriage prospects. In those pale grey eyes, there was even a glimmer of something that could only be described as I understand.
No.
Lucian's thoughts, after a brief halt, began running very fast.
I was talking about protecting Solution's safety. How has this become "Lucian has feelings for her"?
He ran back quickly through everything he had just said.
He had said that clearing out Eight Fingers was for Solution's safety, because both he and Sebas would be leaving the capital and she would be here alone.
Those were, in fact, his exact words.
But.
Would any reasonable person deduce "Lucian likes Solution" from that logic?
Lucian looked at Sebas's completely oblivious face.
There was a real chance Sebas genuinely would.
As Nazarick's undisputed master at winning women over, Sebas had a considerable sensitivity to romantic matters. In the original story, he had effortlessly won Tsuare's heart after knowing her only a short time, to the point where she would disregard her own life for his sake. And judging by the principle that guardians tend to resemble their creators, that thick-browed, bright-eyed Touch Me was probably not entirely innocent in this department either.
So a mildly romance-brained Sebas had concluded that Lucian's concern for Solution meant he had feelings for her?
The corner of Lucian's mouth twitched, very slightly.
He opened his mouth, intending to say something that would correct this absurd misunderstanding. Then he stopped.
How, exactly, would he explain it?
That he had simply been guilt-tripping Sebas so he could use his combat power against Eight Fingers? That would be genuinely finished.
He closed his mouth.
The shock had been significant enough that even Lucian, the seasoned performer, was half a beat slower than usual switching back to his sunny mask.
"Mr. Sebas." There was a carefully calibrated note of embarrassment in Lucian's voice. "I think... you may have misunderstood."
Sebas looked at him. In those pale grey eyes, a faintly entertained gleam still lingered.
"Mr. Lucian needn't be shy." The old butler's tone carried the generous understanding of someone who had seen this before. "It's entirely natural for a young man to have these kinds of feelings."
No.
Lucian said, internally.
Absolutely not.
"I only..." Lucian paused, choosing his words carefully. "I only feel that Miss Solution is a guest of mine, and someone important to Mr. Sebas, and so naturally she should be protected. Nothing more than that."
He said it so sincerely that he nearly convinced himself.
Sebas was quiet for a moment. The old butler's gaze rested on Lucian's face, as though confirming that he genuinely didn't have any such feelings.
"Mr. Lucian is right." His voice returned to its usual steadiness. "I read too much into it."
Lucian let out a quiet internal breath of relief.
Then Sebas's next line brought it straight back up.
"That said, I still think Mr. Lucian and my lady would be very well-suited."
Lucian's fingers went still on the armrest for one brief moment.
Surely nobody's claiming I'm a compatible match for a slime.
Sebas rose, inclined forward slightly, and straightened with his characteristic composure, the black tailcoat moving with him in a clean, quiet arc.
"In that case, since this also touches on my lady's safety, regarding Eight Fingers, I will give Mr. Lucian my full assistance."
When Sebas said it, his voice carried the weight of genuine resolve.
Nothing about it suggested the manner of a man being guilt-tripped. Or rather, Sebas was the sort of person who welcomed being guilt-tripped into this kind of thing. It gave him a perfectly legitimate reason to help the weak and punish the wicked.
Lucian allowed himself a small internal smile. He had worked out the correct way to use Sebas.
Externally, he only nodded.
"Thank you, Mr. Sebas."
Sebas straightened and walked toward the door at his steady, unhurried pace.
The door was pulled softly shut. The sitting room held only Lucian.
He sat in his chair, in exactly the same posture as before, motionless.
Some time passed.
Lucian raised his hand and covered his face.
The expression underneath his fingers was somewhere between wanting to laugh and wanting to sigh, and he couldn't have said which.
"...What is even happening."
His voice was muffled, drifting through the empty sitting room and going nowhere in particular.
*
Sebas pushed open the door of the residence to find Solution already sitting in the parlor.
At the sound of the door, Solution looked up.
"Sebas-sama." She inclined her head slightly.
Sebas closed the door and walked toward her.
"Solution, I'll need to go out again shortly."
Solution tilted her head, waiting for the rest.
"To destroy Eight Fingers."
Solution's expression didn't change at all. She blinked. The name Eight Fingers clearly meant nothing to her, but she asked anyway: "Don't we need to report to Ainz-sama first?"
Sebas was quiet for a moment.
By Nazarick's protocols, he should. An operation of this kind was meant to be reported to Ainz-sama in advance.
But Sebas went back through everything Mr. Lucian had described. The slave trade. The illegal brothels. People tortured to death for the entertainment of others.
Those people had done nothing wrong. They were simply weak, and that weakness was all it had taken to make them expendable.
Ainz-sama would agree with him going ahead. A lord of that compassion could not tolerate this kind of evil. And since that was the case, there was no need to bother Ainz-sama, who had more than enough on his hands, with something this small.
"No need." Sebas's voice was steady. "It won't take long."
Solution hesitated, but ultimately said nothing more.
"I understand, Sebas-sama."
Solution's compliance wasn't without reason. Destruction was simply what Nazarick members did. If Sebas had said "I'm going to rescue someone," that would have made her seriously consider whether something was wrong with him.
Sebas looked at her. Light from the window fell across his salt-and-pepper hair.
A subtle expression moved across that lined face.
A few seconds passed in silence.
"Solution."
"Yes, Sebas-sama."
"Mr. Lucian... your impression of him. How do you find him?"
Solution blinked. The question came somewhat out of nowhere, but she thought about it carefully.
Lucian Aindra. That human noble. His abilities were decent enough by human standards. His appearance was acceptable. His personality... Solution searched through the scattered fragments of memory she had of Lucian.
***
40+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces