One million is too vulgar!

As the thigh I’m clinging to and the protagonist giving me an order, of course I can’t court death by ignoring it.

So, even though I have a strong feeling that I’m about to get crushed into dust by Kefiel’s father, I can only grit my teeth and agree.

After enjoying Miss Nilu’s chest pressing on my head and her little hands wandering—cough, I mean after she simply tidied up my appearance—I followed her guidance, walking through the enormous Kefiel family estate until my legs almost went numb, and finally arrived at the main building I had seen when I got off the carriage this morning.

Maybe they were informed ahead of time, or maybe Nilu’s grooming skills were just that good?

I didn’t encounter a single obstacle along the way and arrived directly at the door to the meeting room Kefiel had mentioned.

“Mr. Euclid… I can’t accompany you any further from here.”

After a deep bow, Nilu’s eyes sparkled with little stars as she looked at me.

“Um… please do your best.”

“Mm…”

Do my best, my ass.

Even if he’s just an older uncle, he’s still the protagonist’s dad.

Now that the dad knows his daughter was walking arm in arm with some shady-looking punk, won’t he just cut me down on the spot when he sees me?

I can only pray Kefiel’s protagonist halo will keep me alive.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door.

“As for the selection of candidates for the Goddess Ruins expedition, I will consider carefully and make a fair—hm!?”

The moment I stepped inside, a deep, authoritative male voice abruptly stopped.

Immediately, several gazes shot toward me!

“Father, he’s here.”

“…”

I don’t even need to guess which gaze is the most dangerous.

Kefiel’s father.

An eighth-rank powerhouse—basically equivalent to an entire fully-armed army.

And now this father happens to know I ‘molested’ his daughter.

I won’t even get the chance to explain before I’m chopped into tiny pieces!

I raised my head nervously, only to see a white-haired man with a stern face and sword-like eyes.

But the script fragment that popped into my mind about him seemed… strange.

[Kefiel’s father is not overthinking this right now.]

Huh?

Shouldn’t he be thinking whether to kill me with a slash, or just crush me with his bare hands?

Before I could think more, an irritatingly shrill voice suddenly chimed in.

“Uncle Zerola, it’s him!”

It was that Louis Twenty-Three.

Her being here proves Kefiel was right—Louis Twenty-Three really is my rival this time.

She stood up with a smug grin like she had some invincible secret, walked over to the uncle’s desk, acting as if he were her father, then leaned in with a nasty little face and started whispering.

“He’s the man Kefiel brought back.

I did some digging and found nothing special about him.

Look, he even changed clothes on purpose to look all polished—clearly trying to suck up.

This kind of guy is all over the empire.

Every last one of them is a good-for-nothing scammer or freeloader.”

If I let her keep going, Louis Twenty-Three could probably spin an entire novel about my identity.

But then, with the chilling sound of a blade being drawn, she shut her mouth instantly.

Kefiel had unsheathed her sword, her voice icy cold.

“Point fingers at the man I brought back, and you die.”

[Zerola’s eyes lit up!]

“Kefiel!

What is this behavior?

Put your sword down!”

“…”

The scolding wasn’t surprising, and Kefiel did as told, but…

Why did the script say his eyes lit up!?

Before I could figure it out, Louis Twenty-Three put on a pitiful ‘I’m doing this for your own good’ face.

“See, Uncle?

Kefiel has clearly been bewitched by some outsider.

Kefiel, I’m only thinking of you!

Even if you’ve become so ordinary lately, you can’t stoop so low as to pick random men off the street.

If it comes to that, I can introduce you to some noble heirs in the empire.

Come on, isn’t that better?

Get rid of this guy before he clings to you forever.”

It sounded like she was worried for Kefiel, but between the lines, she mocked not just me but Kefiel too.

Sigh, this isn’t a background character anymore—this is full-on villain behavior.

Choosing to pick a fight with the protagonist like this… what a dead-end path.

Next moment, Zerola, who had been stern with Kefiel the whole time, waved a hand to silence Louis Twenty-Three.

Then he slowly stood up and walked toward me.

Kefiel immediately stepped in front of me, but he shoved her aside with a furious look.

Clearly, he’s restraining himself for the sake of appearances—otherwise, he’d tear me apart alive.

But something had been bothering me since I entered.

[Zerola asks Euclid a few questions.]

The script’s gone this far, and yet there’s still no ‘kill Euclid’ option?

The pressure was crushing me; I didn’t have time to think.

Under Louis Twenty-Three’s gleeful gaze, the man who could kill me with a single finger spoke in an icy tone.

“Li De—that’s your name, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

I felt his eyes sweep over me from head to toe, then came a mocking chuckle—like a veteran laughing at a rookie.

Simple, natural, and impossible to refute.

“Just an ordinary nobody, no different from trash.

Since you know my daughter’s identity, and my family’s, I advise you to stop clinging to her.

Pack up and get lost.”

“Father!”

Kefiel tried to rush over to defend me, but Louis Twenty-Three deliberately blocked her way.

As Kefiel forcefully shoved her aside and strode over to ‘cover me,’ I had already spoken my answer, one word at a time.

“Can.

Not.

Do.

That.”

I said it with absolute conviction, head held high, brimming with defiance.

As a villain whose entire script is just death, death, and more death, how can I not cling to Kefiel’s thigh?

Kefiel froze in place, stunned.

But her father’s reaction was even more shocking.

He stared at me in disbelief, then took a deep breath and reached into his coat like Doraemon.

And pulled out… a small pouch.

Then he spilled it.

[Clatter!]

Gleaming gemstones scattered all over the floor.

“These are worth a million gold coins.

Leave my daughter and disappear!”

What era is this?

Still pulling the old ‘one million’ routine?

“Quite a lot.”

“Then take it and go.”

“But I refuse.

My relationship with Kefiel cannot be measured with money.”

Kefiel and I have a bond deeper than life and death—thigh and thigh-hugger!

Even if I took the money and ran, I wouldn’t live long enough to spend it.

With Kefiel’s protagonist halo covering me, what’s there to fear?

Go big or go home!

I kicked the gems with a clang right back to the uncle’s feet.

“A mighty eighth-rank warrior… how vulgar.”

—

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