“I-I apologize. Could you, snicker, hehehe, cough, wh-wait a little? Ahahahaha!”
“……”
Without finishing his apology, Master Julius relapsed into another round of laughter. It was horrible, even for him, and I tried to stop him but to no avail.
Tears fell from the corners of his eyes as he continued to laugh, even through a coughing fit.
“You…old…fogey.”
The words were unsuitable when aimed at a good-looking man in the latter half of his 20s, but I took Georg’s feelings into consideration.
I could not stop the tears from shedding for Georg, still lying prone on the floor.
While I was at a loss, Michael had crouched down beside him before I knew it.
I watched as Michael quietly handed Georg a handkerchief and looked on him kindly.
“Use it.”
“Oh, thanks…”
Georg abruptly pulled himself up and took the handkerchief, pressing it against his slightly reddened forehead.
Michael looked at Georg sympathetically when the other looked down, an embarrassed expression on his face. Yeah, I understand, his face said. From the way he was nodding, it seems he recognized a fellow companion.
“Until when will you laugh?”
Georg dusted off his clothes as he stood, looking coldly at the uncle who was still laughing himself silly.
At the sharp edge of his piercing glare, Master Julius stopped, raising both hands in surrender.
“It was wrong of me. Don’t be so angry.”
“How well you can say that when you laughed to such an extent.”
“My nephew, famed for his unbelievably capable character, fell flat on his face in the scene I’d been dying to see most…haha…unbelievable, isn’t it?” Master Julius let his words break off, and turned his face away. Another wave of laughter seemed like it was coming.
“So you wish to be killed. I understand. I will urgently prepare a skilled assassin for you,” Georg said, expressionless. I must have seen wrong the vein that popped up on his forehead.
“Sorry. I apologize. I won’t laugh anymore.”
“Even without you kindly telling me, I know I displayed myself in the worst light possible. I also understand that in the most important moment of my life, I irrevocably made a fool of myself. Yes, a nobody who tossed away his golden opportunity. Dregs. Filth no longer qualified to be human. So I ask you, what about it, blast you!”
“I’m truly sorry.”
His nephew going ballistic, Master Julius soberly bowed his head in apology.
However, Georg had fluently flown into a self-disparaging tirade, and would not stop. Droning on and on like he was chanting a spell, until someone gently tapped him on the shoulder.
“You’re…”
“It’s OK. I often fail at the moments when I want to show myself in a good light.”
“!”
Georg stared wide-eyed, and Michael gave him a thumbs up.
“Besides, it’s natural as a man to be nervous because the princess is cute.”
“…………thank you.”
The youths smiled in secret understanding. A wry smile appeared on the face of the watching uncle.
And now I’ve been ignored for more than ten minutes.
Someone notice, please.