Chapter 58: Unexpected guest

It was just another day, Cranberry and Zombie finished their morning training and were returning to the mansion.

"It's getting harder and harder to find monsters in our territory, I think we might have overhunted them a bit..."

Cranberry groaned while raising her arms and stretching her back.

"Graough... (True, we haven't encountered anything stronger than a passing griffin in a while...)"

Zombie crossed his arms and nodded with a solemn expression.

Suddenly a grumble came out of Cranberry's stomach making her snort.

"Pfft...! Haa... I see, better to go get breakfast."

She sighed patting herself on the stomach.

"Must be nice, never to feel hungry."

She added poking Zombie's side.

"Graough. (Yeah, I can't complain.) Graough. (I sometimes miss it though, but watching you eat always makes me satisfied.)"

Zombie skillfully dodged her finger and groaned playfully in response.

"Graough, graough... (Though it would be much better if you could eat your fill in peace, without your mother butting in and forcing you on some idiotic diet...)"

He suddenly frowned and grumbled in a low voice.

"Haa... I guess you are groaning about my mother decreasing my food portions, right?"

Cranberry rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Even after I trained myself to this point, that woman has the guts to tell me I'm too fat... Could she be any more obvious...?"

Cranberry once again patted herself on the muscular stomach and made a sour expression.

"Tsk... With jealousy that obvious, you would think that she was originally from the Envy family or something."

She clicked her tongue and complained.

"Speaking of parents... I never asked you that before, but..."

Suddenly she stopped and hesitated for a bit, her expression clouded.

"...do you want to go see your parents or something? I do remember where my carriage had... you know..."

She spoke slowly as if she actually didn't want to know the answer.

"Graough. (No. I don't care.)"

Zombie shook his head and dismissed the proposition without even a second of hesitation.

"Haa? You don't? Why? Were your parents similar to mine...?"

Confused Cranberry raised her brow doubtfully.

"Graough! (Oh, no, nothing like that!) Graough. (They both were great people and loved my sister and me a lot.)"

Zombie explained with a slight smile.

"Graough. (But as I am now, I have no interest in most living beings.) Graough. (The only one I care about is you, master.)"

He pointed at her although he was unsure whether he can properly convey what he means with groans and gestures.

Though a slight blush and barely noticeable fidgetting were rather good indicators that indeed Cranberry got most of it right.

"Graough. (Besides, they surely think that I died years ago.) Graough. (Going to them now, looking like this would be kind of cruel.)"

He added.

"I see..."

Cranberry nodded lightly and started walking again.

The two of them were closing on the walls encompassing the mansion's grounds, as always, they wouldn't use the main gate and simply jump over them and reenter from the gardens.

But this time it was a bit different.

There was a commotion in front of the main gate.

"Looks like some unexpected guests..."

Cranberry leaned to the side and squinted her eyes.

"Haa? I think that's the crest of the Lust family on that carriage... weird... We're not in the best relationship with them... Wait! No way!"

She tapped her chin with her thumb.and then suddenly she gasped in a realization.

"Graough...? (Master, should we go see what's this all about?)"

Zombie growled curiously.

Cranberry looked at him and then at herself.

They both were wearing rather simple hunting clothes, completely unsuited for welcoming guests.

"Graough...?! (Wait! Master, do you think that your mother started arranging your marriage with someone from the Lust family?!)"

All of a sudden Zombie gasped and grabbed onto Cranberry's shirt.

"N-no I don't think so... Or maybe after all...!"

From how pale she became, it seemed that his master thought about something else at first but then she had second thoughts.

"...if this is a delegation sent to seal the marriage deal..."

She once again checked her attire.

"...say Zombie, as long as my attitude is correct, my pride shouldn't suffer no matter what I'm wearing, right...?"

A nasty smile bloomed on Cranberry's face.

"Graough! (Of course! Only a blind idiot would ignore your charm because of some plain clothing!)"

Zombie growled with approval.

*smack*

Cranberry blushed embarrassed and lightly slapped Zombie's shoulder.

"Groaugh...? (Umm... Master...?)"

Zombie tilted his head like a puppy.

"It's nothing. I'm going to reject every proposal anyway so it doesn't matter what I'm wearing anyway!"

The red-haired girl scoffed and rushed towards the main gate.

Of course, Zombie followed her.

And there they witnessed a rather peculiar scene play out.

"Sir, as I said before, no one is allowed to enter unless they are invited."

The guard by the gate was shaking his head at the tall, handsome man wearing a stylish three-piece suit, sitting on the carriage.

"And I'm telling you that my master came to visit the head of the Pride family!"

The man clicked his tongue and complained.

"Can't you see the crest on the doors? I'm here with the head of the Lust family! We were summoned by your master, just let us in!"

He groaned furrowing his brows.

"Sir. Whoever wants to enter Prides' territory, has to do so on Prides' rules. And no outsider can enter the mansion without being invited. Not even the queen. And no notice was sent to the guard post either, so that means you're making it up."

The guard looked even more annoyed than the handsome man.

"Oh, please..."

The handsome man rolled his eyes.

Suddenly those very same eyes started glowing.

"You're such a dutiful man... I'll have you know that I'm a guard as well. Why don't we... compare our qualifications after you allow my master in..."

His voice turned seductive.

For a moment the guard looked as if he was hit over the head with a blunt object.

His eyes became cloudy and his stiff expression mellowed.

But then the ring on his middle finger started glowing, and he shook his head.

His eyes cleared out and he glared at the handsome man.

"...I'll give you one chance to turn around and leave, as a sign of respect to the Lust family."

The guard clenched his fist on the short spear.

"If you'll try using a seduction skill against me again, I will consider you a trespasser and used force to remove you. Permanently."

"..."

The handsome man looked away concerned.

"Maser Claymore, I don't think he's joking..."

He called looking at the carriage.

"That sucks."

A charming voice responded to him from the inside.

"Are you sure that we were invited here...?"

The handsome man asked nervously glancing at the angry guard.

"...the letter might have said to write back, but talking in person would be much better anyway, right...?"

The charming voice hesitated and asked innocently.

"...!"

The handsome man flinched and slowly turned back towards the furious guard.

"...well... by any chance could you send someone to your master to tell her that the head of the Lust family, Claymore Lust has arrived to talk about taking young lady Cranberry's hand in marriage, just as she wrote before...?"

The handsome man smiled awkwardly.

Cranberry and Zombie, listening in from a distance looked at each other with grave expressions.

Cranberry shook her head and approached the carriage with confident steps.

*WHAM*

"HEAVENS...!"

She slammed her fist into the side of the carriage making it sway terribly - almost throwing off the handsome man who cried out loudly in fear.

"Claymore, is that really you in there?"

*WHAM*

Cranberry called, smacking the carriage again for the good measure.

"If you came to visit as lord Claymore, turn back, I'm not allowed to have guests of the opposite sex."

She said flatly.

"And if you seriously want to ask for my hand, just go away. I'm not interested, and I wrote you that before!"

"Y-young lady...!"

It took him a while to react, but eventually, the shocked guard straighten his back and saluted the red-haired girl.

"Young lady? Her?!"

The handsome man gasped in shock staring at her with disbelief.

"Cranberry... you're a meanie..."

A charming voice, now rather sulky, came from the inside of the carriage accompanied by the sound of someone getting up from the floor.

"This is what you meant in your previous letter? If trying to marry me is that surprise you had for me, I don't want it. Go away."

Cranberry moved a step forward and leaned against the door, blocking anyone from exiting.

"Graough...? (Master, you were a pen-friend with Claymore Lust...?)"

Zombie growled surprised.

He knew that his master often exchanged letters with someone but never asked about it, since it was a private matter.

"..."

Cranberry frowned and looked away.