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Heavyweight [Part 2]
“Arghh! I knew it. I’m going to the academy after all!”
“D-Dear! Wait, don’t go, hey!”
Leonard dashed towards the small door for the family and servants’ use next to the mansion’s gate.
“Oomeow!”
“Gah—”
Leonard was blown off before Melsa could stop him.
Before anyone could react, Koumei had suddenly rammed her body into Leonard with an immense force.
Even Leonard, who had a huge body by human standard, could barely put up a fight when the opponent was Koumei.
“Ugh, hey
 Koumei-san, wasn’t that a little too cruel?!”
*shwipp!* Despite being caught off guard and blown away by several meters, Leonard managed to land smoothly on his feet. When he raised his face, wanting to complain about the cat’s relentless attack, the door he had been heading for until earlier was opened from the other side.
“Ah! Koumei-san! Nee-sama, Koumei-san comes to pick you up!
William opened the door and was the first one to step inside, followed by Joshua who was carrying Emma in his arms. George was the last to enter with a gloomy expression (something unusual on days with the Ancient Imperial Language class).
“Emma!”
Annoyed with the distance between him and the door, Leonard immediately broke into a run upon seeing his daughter.
“What happened? Are you hurt?”
Emma clung to Joshua’s neck tightly, showing no signs of letting go and refused to answer.
“Meow!”
Koumei squeezed her way to take up a spot in front of Leonard and meowed.
“! Koumei-san!”
As if snapped awake by that meow, Emma lifted her head.
Joshua gently put Emma down when she stretched her hand to hug Koumei’s neck and left his embrace.
“Meow! Mew?”
“Koumei-san, Koumei-san, Koumei-san.”
“Mew? Mew!”
“Why
?”
“Mew mew meow?”
“Scary, so scary. I’m scared, I’m scared.”
“Meowww
”
Koumei wrapped her soft body around the quivering Emma. Licking her face gently, and rubbing their cheeks together, Koumei tried to calm Emma down. Ryuu-chan, Kan-chan, and Chou-chan also drew closer and surrounded Emma while sniffing her scent worriedly.
“Joshua-kun? Care to tell me what situation this is?
“Eekkk!!! Leonard-sama! Please calm down! You can’t! Murder is never an option!”
After seeing Emma’s current state, Leonard turned to look at Joshua with a furious face that was a hundred times scarier than what Evan saw earlier.
“Father! Joshua saved us! We will explain the details later, so please calm down first! For now, take your hand off your sword!”
“Father, cool your head! It’s shameful to admit this myself, but if it were only the three of us, we might still be trembling hopelessly in the academy now.”
William and George rushed to defend Joshua.
“In the first place, how could Emma be this frightened when you are with her?”
Hearing the brothers’ voices made Leonard shift the target of his anger from Joshua to them.
“T-That couldn’t even be called unexpected anymore. Something truly impossible has happened!”
“Y’know? Even I was shaking because of what we saw!”
It was such an unforeseen situation that they were at a loss on how to deal with it.
At that moment, not only Emma but George and William were also rooted to their spot.
“Leonard-sama, I will leave Emma-sama in your care. I shall excuse myself now.”
Completely unfazed by the threatening pressure Leonard oozed, Joshua glanced at Emma, who was surrounded by the cats, before bowing and turning on his heel.
“Joshua! You saved us big time today, thanks!” William shouted from behind before Joshua completely left. He was taken aback and felt ill at ease when he saw Joshua returning so readily. He usually would be very reluctant to part with Emma in normal times

“Don’t mention it,” Joshua responded back with a smile, but for some reason, William felt a chill running down his spine upon seeing that smile.
♠♠♠
“Hue, you there?”
Joshua left the Stuart residence and whispered before getting into his carriage.
“Of course.”
*flash* The slum boy who had learned ninja techniques, Hue, appeared before Joshua.
“Damn
 Leonard-sama was super scary
 Huh, woah! Big Bro Joshua, too, what kind of face are you making?!”
Hue took a step back upon seeing Joshua’s face.
“What happened?”
“It’s exactly as what I’ve said in the hallway. The three fell into that state the moment they looked at the Holy Maiden
”
“I also couldn’t make heads or tails of it even though I witnessed the whole thing from start to finish,” Hue shrugged his shoulders.
“
What’s certain is that the Holy Maiden is the most suspicious one
 Grasping the situation comes first. Hue, I will pay you handsomely, so can you go investigate Lady Joanna for me?”
“Sure thing. After all, I’ve also been in Emma-sama‘s care. I will investigate her thoroughly. But hey, isn’t everyone being a bit too overprotective?”
Leonard-sama, the cats, Big Bro Joshua, and even the prince
 But I guess seeing her frightened to that extent does make you worry

Oh well, I really can’t understand nobles, after all. Hue tilted his head in contemplation.
“Hue, what do you think is the most foolish thing to do in this world?”
“Huh?”
“It is to rob Emma-sama of her smiles.”
“Ehh, that’s scary.”
Hue, the Ninja went to spy on Lady Joanna to escape from this suffocatingly perverted love.
♠♠♠
Author’s words: It’s been a while since the cats’ last appearance.
Mr. Serious & Mr. Crisis: “ “We are doing our best.” ”
Readers’ Corner:
Reader A’s comment
Excuse me, but may I ask you to translate Koumei-san‘s lines?
Author’s reply
“Meow! Mew?” (Emma! Are you alright?)
“Koumei-san, Koumei-san, Koumei-san.”
“Mew? Mew!” (Are you scared? I’m here by your side!)
“Why
?”
“Mew mew meow?” (What’s wrong? Everything’s alright now, okay?)
“Scary, so scary. I’m scared, I’m scared.”
“Meowww
” (C’mon, Emma, you don’t have to worry
)
Reader B & C’s comment
-Joshua was so cool!
-While Joshua’s a little terrifying, I still like him. He has never misunderstood Emma and likes her oddball self the way she is. This time, Joshua was present physically, not just providing financial support. Tbh, he is the coolest of all!
Author’s reply
This month is Joshua Empowerment Month.
Joshua stays as popular as ever even though he’s a dangerous pervert

I intended to write about Joshua’s cool side, but he already came off as stalkerish and yandere-ish when I realized it. It’s hard to find the balance to not put the readers off in one sitting. I will do my best not to make you feel disgusted by Joshua suddenly one day.