Taming The Villainesses-Chapter 402: Black Angmar Company (7)

Baron Voltaire was a man quick to assess a situation.

Unlike the reclusive individuals living within the monastery’s secluded walls, he was a nobleman—and it seemed he recognized me.

“You... by any chance... are you Teo Gospel?”

But his question was laced with suspicion. It was probably hard for him to believe that someone as famous as I currently was—one of the most renowned figures in the kingdom—would be in a tucked-away place like this monastery.

I mean, if the President of the United States were eating chicken nuggets at the burger joint I frequent, with no security in sight, I’d probably have doubts too.

Before I could respond to that skepticism, the baron spoke first.

“No, it was a pointless question. Anyone who saw the tournament would recognize you. There’s no way not to. It is truly an honor to meet you like this.”

Baron Voltaire rose from his seat. Likely meaning to shake hands, I extended mine first. The baron grasped it.

“I am Baron Voltaire Steiner. I manage real estate, livestock, some banking, and a bit of merchant guild operations, but... in truth, there’s nothing worth boasting about in front of you.”

“I’m Teo Gospel. I came to visit this monastery, which is an old hometown for Marmar, the imp you see here.”

“Ah, I see. That explains some things...”

With his pince-nez-covered eyes, the baron swept his gaze over the room.

Only after getting a closer look did I realize—the unglassed eye looked unusually blue because it was a prosthetic. A nobleman with an artificial eye... that was certainly rare.

He said, “Forgive me for being forward, but... could I borrow a moment of your time? I’ll leave the matters here to the young imp ladies.”

Did he want to speak with me? I didn’t mind, but Narnar suddenly interrupted, sounding mildly indignant.

“But, Lord Voltaire. I wasn’t finished speaking with you...”

“It’s fine. We’ve all the time in the world. Besides, Sir Teo here is an honored guest. To think I’d encounter you in a place like this... Fortune seems to still be smiling on me.”

Baron Voltaire said this casually, but I wondered if it was really alright to leave Marmar and Narnar alone right now.

Marmar was fidgeting, clearly nervous.

Narnar looked somewhat upset.

Their stances had changed considerably since their childhood friendship, and it didn’t seem like it would be easy for them to return to that innocent past.

Still, I did want to talk with Baron Voltaire. There were many things I wished to ask him.

Given his current friendliness toward me, the conversation might go surprisingly smoothly. So I left the imps behind in the parlor, and the baron and I walked through the monastery grounds.

Step, step.

Only the sound of our footsteps echoed in the silence. I pondered where to start and what to ask.

First and foremost, I wanted to know whether this man was the kind of villain Marmar had feared. Or if, perhaps, he was actually a decent human being.

He was a baron who had once turned the monastery grounds into a hunting preserve, driving out the orphans. But today, he seemed to be generously supporting a rebuilt monastery on that very land.

Of course, I could guess at a certain correlation behind that support. Most likely, Baron Voltaire and the now-adult imp, Narnar, were in a romantic relationship.

There are plenty of men who offer kindness and act like noble benefactors for the sake of a woman they like. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

If I let my imagination run further, I could even suppose this:

—Perhaps Headmistress Narnar, in order to keep the struggling monastery alive, had accepted an unwanted romantic arrangement from the baron.

And Marmar had caught on to it, and confronted her friend out of concern. That’s just the kind of warmhearted person Marmar is.

Just then, Baron Voltaire spoke.

“Miss Narnar, the headmistress here, is a capable woman. Is it not natural to fall in love with someone like that?”

With him broaching the topic, the conversation suddenly became easier. I jumped into the current of this flowing dialogue.

“So then, the two of you are lovers—or at least something close to it?”

“I’m thinking of marriage... but things aren’t going well. That’s part of why I wanted to speak with you, Sir Teo. You’re a man who’s taking five brides at once—a man among men, truly.”

A man among men, huh. If only he knew how soft and sensitive I am, with all my half-fairy sensibilities, he might not say that so easily.

Still, being called manly was... quite the compliment.

And compliments always put people in a better mood. So I found myself wondering: Maybe this man really is better than I thought...?

But—

I’d seen my share of silver-tongued flatterers. I myself had used such tactics before. So I shifted my internal gears into neutral and asked,

“So, what exactly do you want to talk about?”

When nobles sought me out, they often rattled on about their businesses or ambitions. This baron, too, looked like a man of no small appetite.

I expected more of the same—but what he said next caught me off guard.

***

Voltaire was quite a capable man.

He said he’d worked simply because he enjoyed it, and before he knew it, he’d reached the age where people called him middle-aged. He’d thought he’d never have ties to marriage—until he met Narnar.

“It was astonishing. She came to me and offered to buy the land within my hunting grounds—the monastery grounds. Paid double the market price.”

“So you’re saying it was Miss Narnar who approached you first?”

“That’s right. She came to me. I’d never seen such a large imp before. As you probably know, most nymphs and imps are small and childlike in appearance...”

Baron Voltaire trailed off, perhaps realizing that he was speaking to the world’s most famous half-fairy—someone who also aged slowly.

A man attuned to fairy sensitivities.

I responded lightly, “Compared to ordinary people, yes, we do develop slowly. But did Miss Narnar look like that—fully grown—even when you first met her?”

“Yes. At first, I just thought it was unusual. I figured she must have a story of some kind. Her eyes back then... they looked like a wild animal’s.”

The baron had been intrigued by her and accepted the offer. Narnar soon restored the monastery grounds, gathered orphans and workers, and built what exists now.

He said that was about five years ago.

“Narnar was a skilled woman. She helped with my business, and thanks to her, I was able to establish branch guilds in all kinds of cities. She became my lucky goddess.”

“I see.”

I nodded appropriately, understanding very clearly what he was getting at.

A mysterious woman suddenly appeared, supported him, helped him grow and prosper—of course he’d fall in love with her.

Honestly, I’d assumed the baron was some powerful noble forcing his love upon her. But that had been a major misjudgment. When I asked, he admitted that the extent of their physical contact had been limited to hand-holding.

“...No matter what, I can’t force myself on a woman.”

“Of course not.”

Pinch. I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Bael.

━Hiooong...!

What, what?

If it had been a normal relationship, I wouldn’t have resorted to anything forced, either. Really. Anyway, it was clear this man was frustrated by a relationship that wasn’t progressing.

I said, “I understand, but I’m not sure I’m the best person to advise you. Honestly, I don’t really understand women’s hearts either.”

Thinking back now, I don’t even know how I managed to win over those five noble ladies.

At the time, my head had been filled with just one goal: conquer them. You could even say I’d been possessed—like I was under some kind of spell.

The baron said, “There must be something in her past... something that made her grow up into an adult imp. I even visited the Anti-Ekk Monastic Order in Roman to learn more. But there was nothing—no records at all.”

The Anti-Ekk Order of Roman?

From recent events, I recalled them being the faction opposing the Saint. They were the ones who backed the ancient spiritual city of Roman—and had been behind the demon sword wielder, Andromalli.

Thanks to that, several thoughts sparked through my brain like electricity.

Could it be that Narnar...

“Baron Voltaire, I’ve enjoyed speaking with you. Oh, and please, don’t mind me too much. I’m just here to keep quiet and stay low for a bit.”

The baron nodded.

“Ah, they say even men get sentimental before marriage. So you came here to escape for a while, did you? I didn’t realize—my apologies.”

***

The baron and his coachmen took notes on the concerns of the servants and nuns working at the monastery, and carefully checked whether any of the children were ill.

Lunchtime.

The table was filled with food, and the children’s eyes sparkled with joy. Seeing that, I decided to let go of my suspicions toward the baron.

He was just another man in love, the kind you could find anywhere in the world. Now, the one drawing my attention was Narnar.

Swish.

As I cut into a drumstick with my knife, someone tugged at my side. Professor Balan. She leaned in and whispered softly.

“I’ve snooped around a bit... but this place really does seem to be just a plain, ordinary monastery. Which is exactly why it’s so suspicious. Especially that imp they call the headmistress...”

“I feel the same. I heard she’s from the Anti-Ekk Monastery in Roman. I’m sure she’s sitting on a trove of information we’re looking for.”

“Y-you’ve already found out that much? As expected of Lord Teo.”

I let Balan’s compliment wash past me, watching Narnar from across the room. Then, a thought struck me—and it was a sad one.

It felt painful to look at Marmar’s friend with suspicion.

If Narnar really did turn out to be one of the villains I’d suspected... how would I explain that to Marmar? That wouldn’t be easy.

But I had many things to protect now.

One of them was a child soon to be born.

For the sake of peace ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) and safety, I must do what must be done. So, after lunch, during the short rest period—

While the children played in the broad garden, and everyone watched them with smiles, I approached Narnar, who was standing alone in the corridor’s shadow, looking out the window.

“Narnar, may I have a word?”

Once, I might have tiptoed around and planned some clever approach. But now, I had the power and authority to confront things directly.

Time for a frontal breakthrough.

“I’d like to ask you something—about why you grew up into such a large imp.”