"It's like they never cared! All of our ancestors who fought and died for our House. The ones who sacrificed all they had for it. And they'd sell it! It's as if they're spitting in the faces of those very ancestors who fought us! Can you believe that?"
"I can't believe it at all. Perhaps your father should've handed you the reins instead of trying to do it all by himself."
"Oh… I… but… I would… never humor… but I mean… I don't think I'd be a terrible leader, do you think?"
"I think you'd be a phenomenal leader, Isobel."
"You continue to flatter me, adventurer. Though it… certainly isn't unwelcome."
Isobel and I walked down the gravel roads through farmlands, which led straight to House Greaves' doorstep—crisp night air mixing with the scents of tilled grass and livestock. Unfortunately, I couldn't see any of those livestock. Too bad, I was looking forward to it. Perhaps seeing them would've distracted me from what Isobel was doing:
She was practically squeezing my arm, her decently-sized chest pressed against it while we walked. Look, I was a professional first, but I was also a man. It would've been weirder if I hadn't noticed that!
But I wasn't going to be the creep who called it out, so I decided to think about other things. Like… like how she was nothing like the Isobel Greaves I knew! This Isobel still had that fire in her that I would've expected from her, but there was something else there in this one. Maybe it was because I met her before she fully lost House Greaves, but there was a sort of childishness to her that was admittedly quite endearing. Despite knowing how these events would ultimately play out, I found myself wanting the best for her. She seemed like a good person, at least in this timeline. If there was anything I could say or do to put her on the straight and narrow, I'd do it. I doubted it'd be the thing that clinched our victory over the Demon Lord, but not having to fight her or her House of the Unblinking Eye would certainly be a help. Besides, even if it didn't help us much with the Demon Lord, I simply wanted to help her out now.
"Hello?" Isobel asked, snapping me out of my stupor. She squeezed my arm. "Are you still there? I asked you if you'd be interested in joining me for tea tomorrow."
"Ah, I'm sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment."
"Is that so? And surely your thoughts haven't secretly been occupying your mind for our entire conversation?"
Despite her words, Isobel sounded playful. Teasing, even. I decided to play along, just to play it safe.
"Believe me, Isobel, I was hanging on by every word! Your House unfortunately fell due to mismanagement, lax leadership, and a general disregard by your father and his cabinet regarding House Greaves. Because of the patriarchal nature of the House, you weren't allowed any authoritative position, though when the writing was on the wall, you were offered the position as an 'Advisor Trainee'. They took your advice, strengthening your family's economic ties with House Hilington and the nearby House Brant, and using the influx to rebuild the House proper to look as grand as it always deserved to be. Unfortunately, your father and his cabinet decided that once the House looked pretty, they'd sell it for more than it was realistically worth… no offense."
"I'll try not to take any, adventurer," Isobel said, that air of playfulness still in her voice. She lightly tapped my shoulder a few times. "A man who can listen is a rare treat, indeed. I'm sure there's a woman out there thanking the heavens that she has you."
"Maybe there will be someday." I laughed. "I'm as single as it gets."
"Is that so? What a pity. Fate can be cruel."
"What makes you say that?"
She turned away from me and towards the dual-columned entryway of the mansion cresting the horizon. Despite House Greaves being a failing house, it was still, on paper, considered a "Great House". That meant that it could theoretically house thousands, not including the Greaves Family themselves. Looking at it from here, it was easy to see that was the truth. The place was like a castle: one massive mansion with a host of smaller houses for the soldiers and butlers and whatnot, as well as buildings for training, alchemy, botany, and educational study. How much was it going for? Six hundred thousand? That'd be a steal, honestly! Maybe Lyra and I were due for a vacation? Sure, we'd almost certainly be killed by a furious Isobel in our sleep, but I'd say we deserved a few years off by now.
"Perhaps if we'd met sometime earlier, I would have convinced you to join House Greaves as a soldier. We don't pay nearly as well as the Adventurer's Guild, but we'd provide stable living and meals. I would have taken you as a husband, and, through our union, I would become the true heir of House Greaves by right. My father would've easily given the throne up to you, and I would act as your Advisor."
Getting flirted with wasn't new to me. It came with being an adventurer. Save a woman in need, give her some kind words, get flirted with, get a kiss on the cheek, or something. Hell, there was a time in our late teens when Lyra and I would compete over who could get the most kisses on the cheek in a week! Of course, some women offered a bit more than that, but, as I said earlier, I'm a professional. I am not going to spend my life killing slimes and gathering animal byproducts for a living because I couldn't keep it in my goddamn pants.
That being said, this was the first time I'd ever been flirted with by someone I was already physically attracted to. It felt nice.
"Perhaps I would've said yes," I mused. "Hot meals, free lodging, and a beautiful wife? Beats killing bullettes every other day, that's for sure."
Isobel laughed. "I told you I'd use you to get the throne, yet you're only interested in taking me as a wife?"
"You said it, not me."
Isobel's laughter softened. We were at the front of her house, now at the foot of a set of marble steps. The massive doors inside the Great House were closed, and there were no soldiers or butlers around. She smiled, unhooking her arm from mine and positioning herself in front of me. As the tension in the air grew, I found myself searching for the right words to say, for no other reason than to fill the silence. I'd found them eventually – something about the House looking nice at night with all the lanterns and landscaping on the lawn.
I never got to say them. Isobel stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled herself close to me, kissing me full on the lips before I knew what was happening. I felt everything; the warmth of her breath as she exhaled, the scent of her rosewater perfume, the heat emanating from her body as I wrapped my arms around her waist, the feeling of her breasts as they pressed against my chest… my physical arousal at the gesture, the satisfying feeling of pressing it against her crotch, the smile she gave me in response – indicating that she was feeling what I was feeling, the softness of her tongue as it entered my mouth. I felt everything, and I wanted to feel even more.
God, Lloyd. So much for being a professional.
Isobel pulled away, resting her head on my chest and speaking in a soft tone barely above a whisper. "Fate can be so cruel, can't it? This could've been a nightly occurrence for us. Walks along the gravel road, trading stories, making love underneath the moonlight. Isn't it a shame?"
The door to House Greaves swung open, revealing a well-dressed man in his early thirties. He had Isobel's purple eyes, though not her soft face. The moment he made eye contact with Isobel, the girl froze, pushing me away and raising her arms in protest.
"B-Brother! What are you doing here?"