Epilogue: Please Don’t Flirt in Front of My Grave

Two days had passed since the incident in the Drefon Great Labyrinth. It was now a quiet early afternoon.

Lucretia and I were currently swaying back and forth in a carriage, bound for a certain destination. It was apparently located halfway up a small mountain, and the carriage was making slow progress along the narrow, winding path.

We reached a section of the road that had recently suffered a minor washout, causing the carriage to jolt violently.

“Oh!”

The impact sent Lucretia tumbling toward me.

“Are you all right?” I asked, catching her slender, dress-clad frame.

She murmured a soft “Thank you” and offered a smile. It wasn't just a look of girlish charm; there was an undeniable air of nobility in her expression.

That was only natural. At this moment, she wasn't “Lugue,” the boyish student.

She sat beside me as Lucretia von Reese, the Seventh Princess of the Kingdom of Reese.

Man… she looks so cute in that dress.

The last time I’d seen her in this white-based gown was when Prince Lucas had summoned us to the royal castle the day after the opening ceremony. The sheer elegance she radiated—a side of her I rarely got to see—was so refreshing that I couldn't help but stare.

Before I knew it, Tia and I were locked in each other’s gaze. The atmosphere turned heavy with a sweet tension, as if our lips might meet at any second.

“A princess and the dragon-slaying hero… What a perfect match!”

The voice of Merry, sitting across from us, shattered the mood instantly.

The girl, who looked remarkably like Tia but was dressed in a maid’s uniform, gripped the two tufts of her grayish hair with both hands, watching us with a look of pure, unadulterated excitement.

Beside her, Prince Lucas wore an expression so exasperated I could practically feel it through his blindfold.

“I’m not saying you can’t be lovey-dovey,” the prince sighed, “but could you at least try to maintain a shred of decorum?”

““W-we’re sorry…”” we stammered in unison, bowing our heads.

“Good grief,” Lucas muttered. “Well, I don’t intend to nitpick your relationship at this point. After all, Hugh, you’ve achieved a feat more than worthy of such a reward.”

“So, that Black Dragon I defeated… was it really Drefon?” I asked.

“If my uncle’s journal is to be believed, then yes.”

Prince Lucas held a single notebook in his hand. It reportedly contained a preposterous plan to revive the Black Dragon Drefon and then slay it to justify the restoration of the House of Drefon.

It was a scheme so grandiose and reckless that I never would have guessed it from the impression I got of the town of Balread, or from Viscount Drefon’s behavior at the luncheon. Lucas hadn't voiced it out loud, but I couldn't help wondering if someone else had been pulling the strings from the shadows… or was I just overthinking things?

“Slaying a Black Dragon is a feat unparalleled since the first head of the House of Drefon—our maternal ancestor. Given the precedent of a commoner adventurer being granted a family name and the title of Count for such an act, it stands to reason that you, as a nobleman already, would be fit for the rank of Margrave and a marriage into the royal bloodline.”

That meant I could marry Lucretia with the world’s blessing.

…But things were rarely that simple.

“That’s only assuming everything goes ‘to reason,’ right?” I asked, seeking clarification.

Lucas nodded, looking satisfied that I caught his drift.

“Precisely. The biggest issue is that this journal is the only thing proving your accomplishment. You and your companions are the only ones who actually saw the dragon. It sounds great to say you prevented a catastrophe before it happened, but if you can’t prove it, it doesn’t count as a formal achievement.”

Lucas shrugged. “The story would be different if the Black Dragon had already razed two or three towns before you stopped it, of course.”

If we hadn't encountered the dragon, and it had made its way out into the world… how much tragedy would have followed?

Honestly, I suspected it wouldn't have stopped at just two or three towns. Considering that, even if it didn't result in a flashy reward, slaying the dragon at that exact moment was a stroke of incredible luck. It was a bit of a shame, but there was no helping it.

“Hmph. And here I thought I’d finally get to marry Hugh…” Lucretia pouted, her cheeks puffing out.

“Well, it all depends on how Father judges the contents of this journal. Depending on the situation, I can’t rule out the possibility that the Crown will uphold Hugh as a ‘Dragon-Slaying Hero’ regardless.”

“I’d really appreciate it if you didn't do that…” I muttered.

While I’d be overjoyed to marry Lucretia, I wanted to avoid being turned into a political puppet at all costs. My ideal was a slow, peaceful life in the countryside with Tia and the others.

“I figured you’d say that, Hugh. Let's save the details for when we return to the capital. It looks like we’ve arrived.”

The carriage came to a halt, and the door opened.

We were at an open plateau high in the mountains. From this vantage point, one could look down upon the Drefon territory and the town of Balread. Four stone monuments stood in a row, each with fresh white flowers laid before them.

These were the graves of Tia and Lucas’s grandparents, their aunt, and their mother. The flowers looked new, and the area around the graves was meticulously maintained.

The people of Balread must visit here frequently. It was proof of how much the House of Drefon had been loved by its people.

While the royal knights stood guard, Prince Lucas and Lucretia took turns offering flowers and prayers to each headstone. When they reached the final grave, the two of them knelt, unconcerned about dirtying their fine clothes. They clasped their hands before their chests, closed their eyes, and bowed their heads.

The name carved into the stone was 『Lutiana』. This was the grave of Tia and Lucas’s mother.

Standing behind the two of them, I decided to offer my own prayer as well. For some reason, Merry was doing the same beside me. Well, I suppose it wasn't something worth pointing out.

I clasped my hands and closed my eyes.

I wonder what kind of person Tia’s mother was.

Strangely, a vision of a woman with long, white hair flickered through my mind.

She must have been petite and charming, much like Tia. Yet, I imagined she also possessed the same sharp intellect as Prince Lucas.

—Lutiana-san, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hugh Pnocis, son of Mike Pnocis, the Lord of the Pnocis territory. I met Tia at the Royal Academy, and—this might come as a shock—due to various circumstances, we live together as roommates in the dorms. Her bright smile, her adorable gestures… and above all, her kindness in accepting me for who I am… I love everything about her. I promise that I will make Tia happy. So please, continue to watch over her from now on.

When I opened my eyes, Lucretia and Lucas were already standing up and turning around.

On the way back to the carriage, Lucretia walked close to my left side, looking up at me with a smile.

“Thanks for saying hello to my mother, Hugh.”

“No, thank you for letting me come. I’m glad I could pay my respects.”

I was essentially an outsider, but Tia had convinced Lucas to bring me along. If it hadn't been for this opportunity, I likely never would have been able to stand before Lutiana-san’s grave. Even if it was one-sided, I was glad I could make my vow to make Lucretia happy.

“I introduced you to her, too. Do you want to know what I said?”

Tia peered into my face with a mischievous glint in her eyes. I knew that if I nodded, she’d probably tell me something incredibly embarrassing that would make my face turn bright red.

“S-save it for when we’re alone, at least…”

“Hehe. Fine, I’ll tell you when we get back to the academy, okay?”

Tia smiled contentedly and secretly rested her right hand over my left. We interlaced our fingers, walking hand-in-hand in a lover’s bind, hidden from the eyes of those around us.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind swept past us.

—Now, now!

“Oh!”

“Whoa!”

The sudden blast made us crouch down, reflexively letting go of each other’s hands.

I looked back in the direction the wind had blown. For a split second, I thought I saw a woman with long, white hair standing there with her hands on her hips… or so it seemed.

W-wait, was that…?

Apparently, Tia had seen it too; her deep-blue eyes were wide with shock.

“Mother…?” she whispered.

So it was her. She really was a petite, lovely woman who looked exactly like Lucretia.

The way she puffed out her cheeks in the vision was the spitting image of Tia’s own habit. Since we’d both seen it so clearly, it couldn't have been a mere hallucination.

…And boy, did she look mad.

If that was the case, that gust of wind might have been a scolding for our lack of restraint.

“Heeey! What are you two doing over there? The carriage is about to leave!”

Merry was calling to us from beside the carriage. Lucretia and I shared a look, bowed once more toward the graves, and headed for the carriage.