“There’s no changing your mind about this…?”
“Nope, there isn’t.”
“I see…”
We’d gotten to Inagawa Technologies slightly before our appointment, but they’d prepped for our arrival in advance, so we were immediately shown to a meeting room. Rather than a reception room, we were taken to a chamber that looked like an important company executive’s office. Upon entering, we were greeted by the sight of an office desk that likely had a holo-display built in; in front of that was a comfortable-looking sofa. A table made of glasslike material matched the sofa’s height, although I wasn’t sure whether it was actually made of glass.
Across that table, we now faced a stern-looking older-middle-aged man who had a bearing similar to that of Chris’s grandfather, Count Dalenwald. According to what Dr. Shouko had told us in advance, this man was her direct superior and doubled as her foster father.
At the moment, he sat glaring at me. “It seems you did a thorough job of seducing her away from us.”
“I never really had that kind of intention; things just ended up like this. Still, I’m not going to apologize.” I faced the man’s glare head-on, glowering right back.
“I understand your position and standing,” he told me. “But wouldn’t you agree that it’d be better for you to show some humility here, for the sake of fostering a cordial relationship?”
“It might be, but my position still demands that I prioritize Dr. Shouko’s wishes. Apologizing would sully those wishes and the courage she’s shown, so I’m not going to. Since things turned out like this, though, I’ll do whatever’s in my power to protect her and ensure that she doesn’t regret this decision. I’ll act in a way that lets me live up to her expectations. I’m willing to promise that here.”
The man—who’d introduced himself as Dixon—stared at me for a while before looking downward and sighing in defeat. “I knew that one day, when Shouko found someone to marry, I’d have to see her off as a bride. But I didn’t expect a mercenary of all people to steal her from me.”
“Bride?! Um, Father…Hiro and I aren’t… Wait, are we like that?” Dr. Shouko asked, cocking her head at me.
“I’m fully prepared to take responsibility,” I told her with a nod.
I was ready to at least do that much. After all, there was a weird attitude in this universe regarding a woman who boarded a man’s ship. I was welcoming Dr. Shouko aboard fully understanding that implication, so assuming responsibility for my actions was only natural. Not that I had any choice either way at this point.
Dr. Shouko blushed. “I see…I see,” she said. “So that’s how it is. Makes sense. I’m starting to feel shy…”
Very cute. Did Dr. Shouko only join us as a fellow comrade to sail among the stars? Probably—I doubt she put much thought into it. “That said, I don’t plan to strut around as your husband or anything,” I added. “These things take time, and there’s a certain process to them.”
“Ah ha ha…For a mercenary who flies from one star to the next, you have an awfully cautious, reliable personality, Hiro,” Dr. Shouko told me.
As Mr. Dixon watched her converse with me, his stern face softened somewhat. “I didn’t expect a man to show up who could make Shouko laugh like you do. She seems quite determined to go through with this, so I doubt anything I say will make a difference. Her paperwork has also been handled perfectly, so I have no way of stopping her either.”
“Thank you, Father. By the way, Hiro… What number am I among your wives?”
“Huh?” the expressions of confusion from Mr. Dixon and I overlapped.
“Mimi’s going to be your legal wife, right? No—perhaps it will be Elma, given her social position? Assuming they’re numbers one and two, next would be Mei, right? You seem like the type to treat an AI as an independent person.”
“Um…Dr. Shouko?” I tried to stop her, since I could see Mr. Dixon’s expression grow increasingly sour as she rambled on.
“After that would be Tina and Wiska, and of course Kugi as the newest crew member.”
Sitting next to me, Kugi nodded. “Yes, Lady Shouko, I’m the newest member.”
“Which makes me number seven. So I’d be your seventh wife? I doubt even many nobles have that many wives,” Dr. Shouko said with a hearty laugh.
Mr. Dixon was also all smiles now. “Although I’m only Shouko’s foster father, I consider her my daughter. So as the father of the woman being wed to you as your seventh wife, I believe I should introduce my fist to your face. In fact, I feel that duty requires me to do so.”
“Please, anything but that…”
I raised my hands in surrender as Mr. Dixon’s clenched fists visibly trembled in rage. There was nothing incorrect about what Dr. Shouko had said, but I had no intention of ranking my wives. I planned to love them all equally. That was what I’d meant by “taking responsibility.” Please forgive me.