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Translator Note:
This is a long long long chapter. Longer than previous chapters...
So...... Bear with me, please (/▿＼ )
Thank You!
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Chapter 7 – Is This the Green Light? (1)
"Princess, should I put this as it came
before?"
"Could it all be?"
"Yes! This is an invitation letter."
I followed Hannah into the next room and felt slightly
confused when I saw the pile of letters. I thought the letters that came before
were the last, but today the letters came again, in fact, the number was twice
as many as before.
"There will be more later."
Carefully, Hannah separated the letters that came to
me today. At first, I was surprised because I thought I had to open them one by
one, but Lily said that wasn't necessary. The maids would sort out the
important letters and give them to me. Then, I will look at the letters and
decide whether to reply or not.
The day after debutante, invitation letters started
coming to me like this. I was confused by the letter that was sent to me for
the first time in my life, but apparently, the other maids had already
predicted this situation. They said, 'This is it!', they seemed a little
excited about this. The letter that had been checked for security was carefully
taken by Lily, then Lily handed it to me. And what surprised me was, that the
letter said that the person who wrote this letter wanted to invite me to a
party they were holding in 15 days.
I was moved to see the letter. Is this the effect of
Claude? In the original story, where Claude treated Athanasia as someone who
didn't exist, the nobles also ignored her. But since I appeared in debutante
with Claude as my partner, does that make me get this kind of attention?
Uwaaaa. The Emperor's popularity was extraordinary.
"Ah, finally a day like this has come. I'm really
happy."
Apparently, the other maids also looked happy. When I
was little, I was trapped in the Ruby Palace as a neglected princess. Ugh, how
evil. Is this a human victory? Of course, there's still a long way to go, but
now, it's time for me to feel proud, right?
"Umm, it's finally here."
But, while all the maids were happy, Seth was the only
one who had a serious face.
"I was hoping for this day, the day where the Princess
becomes more beautiful day by day. But, if there are 'evil insects' swarming
around you like the incident at the Debutante Ball, please tell me at any time.
I will bet my life on it. "
"Oh my, Seth, you are so strong. That's
cool!"
Hannah responded to Seth's words by clapping her
hands. The heels of Seth's high heels that were visible under her long skirt
were exposed to the sunlight and twinkling, eerie. How many bugs had she
stomped to death over these years? Seth, I appreciate your concern, but it's a
bit scary…… Seth, you really are the best at taking care of bugs!
"By the way Princess, which family's invitation
will you accept first?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure yet."
Ah, can I go to a place like this? Come to think of
it, I've never been out of the palace at all. Of course, Claude never told me
not to go outside, but somehow, I never left the palace until I was 14 years
old. Hm, should I just ask Claude?
“What about the invitation from the Marquis Elaine
Family who sent an invitation on the first day? I heard from the other maids
that the Elaine Family has a very famous Young Master……”
"Hannah, the Princess will decide. Besides, the
Princess hasn't even opened all the invitations yet."
Lily scolded Hannah who was talking to herself
excitedly. But Lily didn't seem truly angry with her, so Hannah continued to
ramble about that Young Master and the Young Masters of other noble families
until she was satisfied. I looked at her from head to toe, she really looked
very happy. Well, she was more excited than I was.
"Oh, my goodness. I forgot to feed Blackie!"
In the end, Hannah had to rush out of the room because
she had to feed Blackie. After that, Lily could only smile with a face that
couldn't do anything, in the end, Lily was the only person who took care of the
rest of the invitation. I decided to go to Claude to solve my curiosity.
***
"Daddy!"
Today, Claude was in his office. I didn't know,
apparently, Claude was an Emperor who managed the government directly, and
that's why he seemed very busy every day. Meanwhile, I was truly amazed
—remembering that he could always make time to drink tea and have dinner with
me. As soon as I opened the office door, I saw Claude holding documents in his
hand. Oh, the guy at work sure looks cool! Hey, dude. You look cool today.
"Are you busy, Dad?"
I didn't go into the room, just stuck my head through
the crack of the door. Then he said to me,
"Sit and wait."
Even so, he didn't say 'Don't come in.' or 'Go away,
don't bother.' to me. I don't remember exactly when it happened, but several
years ago, when I first walked into Claude's office and saw Claude who was
taking care of state affairs, at that time, I was very intimidated by Claude's
seriousness as soon as I opened the door. So, I chose to walk back and close
the door gently and return to the corridor, but Felix instead took me, who was
shaking with fear, into the office.
"I will be silent."
After I said that, I sat on the sofa in one corner of
the office. Claude looked back at the documents on the table and wrote something.
Sniff, sniff. The smell of ink. Come to think of it, this guy Claude always had
the smell of ink. Honestly, when I was little, I thought he was just eating and
having fun —not caring about the state of the country. But once I saw him like
this, I felt that he was an extraordinary Emperor. Yes, perhaps he was quite a
good Emperor. Even history books recorded him as a saint. Saint? Saint! What
the hell!? Oh, no! I don't have enough resistance*!
T/N: *Athi wants to deny that Claude is a good Emperor,
but Athi has no reason to call Claude an evil Emperor because basically, the
government led by Claude is running well.
I shivered to myself for a while, and when I looked
back at Claude, I thought I was going to be hit by a pretty harsh reality, so I
turned my head away from him. Claude's office still looked exactly the same as
I had seen it before. Oh yes. Actually, the sofa I'm sitting on now and the
small table in front of me wasn't here at first, but one day suddenly these
things were here. Don't tell me he put it on purpose so I could sit…… Ah, no
way. Mostly because many people came to Claude's office.
Hah? This, wasn't this the thing that was usually on
Claude's desk? Since there was nothing I could do, I started observing the
black ornaments in front of me. But this thing looks a little strange. I don't
know exactly what this thing is, but it looks like a mythological creature,
Haetae*. Hmmm. But it's black, so it looks like a mini version of
Dolhareubang*. I felt strange because when I saw this thing, it felt like there
was a superstition that said that if I rubbed its nose then my wish would come
true.
T/N: *Haetae (해태) is an animal in Chinese and Korean
mythology called the Fire-Eating Dog. This animal is a symbol of protection
from fire.
T/N: *Dolhareubang (돌하르방) is a human-shaped statue carved from
stone. This statue is a symbol of Jeju Island, it is said that this statue
functions as a guard and repels evil.
"You want it?"
Whoa! Without realizing it, I was already rubbing the
nose of this mini version of the black Dolhareubang in my hand. Claude asked me
if I wanted it. Uwaaaa, this is embarrassing! Wait a minute. You, you asked me
if I wanted to have this!? What does this man actually think of my aesthetic
taste?
"No. This stone is strange, I mean…… It's not
like that…… This stone seems to have its own story. Hehe."
I don't need that. No need! But, seeing as Claude kept
this object in his office, maybe this object was an antique. But as soon as
Claude laughed at me, I knew that this thing was worthless.
"A rock with a story? It's just an ugly piece of
rock."
Ughh, Claude said that this was just a rock, so this
is just a regular old rock? Then why do you keep it on your desk? I don't
understand, it turns out your taste is a bit unusual…………
"I'll give it to you if you want it."
No, I don't need it! I can't believe it, it turns out
my father's taste is so unique like this. I won't laugh at it! I wouldn't have
thought that it was strange! Looks like you like Dolhareubang! I, in my own
way, wouldn't understand if you just thought of it as a display! Oh, no, this
is a little different.
"Did you come to say something?"
When I was confused because of this black Haetae
statue, Claude asked me. Srak, srak. I wanted to ask about the
invitation letter that was sent to me and wanted to ask if I could go outside
the palace, but he seemed very busy. I thought for a moment, then said,
"I only came because I missed you, Dad. But it
looks like you are busy, so I'll just go back."
"I'm not that busy."
No…… Even if you say that, haven't your hands didn't
stop moving since earlier?? And, are you saying 'not that busy' because you
want to make time for me?
"Felix."
Kriett.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
When Claude called his name, Felix, who was waiting
outside the door, immediately entered the office. And what Claude said softly
made me a little surprised.
"There are remaining documents that need to be
taken care of today, you replace me to take care of them."
Ah, so you're not busy because Felix will be the one
doing it from now on!
“Your Majesty, how can I……”
"I've finished reviewing it, so there's not much
to do. I'll lend you this since you'll need it."
Hah? Claude threw the black Dolhareubang that was on
the table in front of me to Felix.
While I was confused about what was going on, Felix
placed the Dolhareubang carefully in Claude's desk bag. He received the
Dolhareubang with both hands, he seemed very, very careful in holding it.
"Your Majesty! How can you treat an Imperial Seal
that is no different from a national treasure like this!"
Yes……? Wait a moment. You mean that Haetae? Seal?
Imperial Seal? That thing that looks like Dolhareubang? That thing that Claude
wanted to give me? Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. It seems like I haven't been getting
enough sleep lately. Why can my ears hear strange words like this?
"Besides, I already told you before. You must
keep the Imperial Seal in a safe place, not in an open place where the
ministers can come. Keep this precious Imperial Seal somewhere like a
safe."
"I told you to work, not nag me. If you have time
to talk, you should sit down and finish one more sheet of paperwork."
"Your Majesty!"
This is not a hallucination. So, is that really an
Imperial Seal? Ahhh! Wait! But Claude treated it as if it was nothing important!
He even wanted to give it to me! I don't know what that thing was, what if I
want it? Is it because you don't want to work anymore, so you leave it to me?
"Finish all that before I come back."
"Your Majesty! You are simply too much!"
Claude, whether he knew or not that right now my
pupils were the same as Felix's, was shaking in shock. In the end, I followed
Claude who was standing with his back to Felix, and opened the door, then we
left the office.
"I told him to work, so he won't be a bother for
1 or 2 hours."
Wow. This person…… This is the power of power? Ughhh.
Cheer up Felix. Eh, but wait a minute... Come to think of it, maybe all this
time Felix was pretending to be blind (not knowing) about what happened to
Claude and secretly solving it for me......? What is this? Claude and Felix
were both very suspicious.
"I'll ask them to prepare dishes and tea in the
garden. Felix……"
"Dad, you just left him."
As was his habit, Claude called Felix's name and he
immediately realized that Felix was not beside him, and in an instant, his
forehead frowned. Pftt, I feel like I want to laugh. Hey, hey. Didn't you leave
him in your office yourself? It's your own fault because you have acted like a
tyrant! Even if you act tyrannically, you regret it in the end! What a valuable
lesson! That's why, don't treat me carelessly!
I demonstrated in my heart for a while, remembering
the pain I felt in my previous life. Now Claude feels sad because Felix is
not here, even though it's only been 5 minutes since we left his office. I
suddenly remembered something, I looked at Claude, and finally, I said,
"Dad. Don't go to the garden, we……"
***
Sraaaaa.
The sound of the boat cutting through the current was
quite loud. Claude who was sitting across from me said something while I was
admiring the sparkling lake water.
"Boating. Weird."
"Really? The weather is nice. And doing this once
in a while, it doesn't seem bad."
I answered calmly while twirling the umbrella I was
holding in my hand. It's been a while since I've been boating on this lake, but
it's still a great boating sensation. At that time, I was thinking about how
this boat moved, but it turned out that the boats used in the Imperial Palace
used magic power to move them. Come to think of it, using magic power is a safe
way to boat on the lake where strange magical creatures live.
"You fell into this lake when you were
little."
Then, Claude, who had been making expressions that I
couldn't understand, suddenly started talking about the past about boating.
Wow, you haven't forgotten that. What a surprise. Of course, I'm not a
5-year-old kid, so I wasn't traumatized by the water because of the incident,
but it was still a scary enough event that I had some lasting side effects
because of it. And you are the cause. Uhuhuhuuuu.
"I don't really remember."
Claude stared at my smiling face for a long time. Even
though it wasn't revealed in his expression, maybe Claude and I, we both wanted
to know what each other was thinking. His gem eyes were a shade darker than the
lake water. I smiled at Claude's expressionless face, then I turned back to the
sparkling lake water. How charming. I put my fingers on the surface of the
clear water.
"Don't get too close to the water, it's
dangerous."
Claude warned me. I want to laugh. Maybe this wasn't a
bad idea, but I confirmed something in the words he said as usual. When I was
little, he just saw me falling into the lake just like that. But now, I can
clearly feel that many things have changed from that time.
"Dad, Daddy."
After learning about that fact, I became a little
excited like a child.
"That flower, I want to see it up close."
"That flower?"
"Yeah. It's a magical creature, right? But it
won't be dangerous because you are here. Right?"
Honestly, it was a childish idea. Just like before,
when Claude stretched out his hand as soon as I approached the edge of the
boat, I wondered how he would react to my words this time.
"When you were little you also showed interest in
those flowers. Do you like things like that?"
In the past, you only saw me trying to grab that
dangerous creature. What about this time? Besides, as before, flowers are
dangerous, so aren't you going to tell me that flowers are dangerous? I looked
at Claude with a pounding heart. But, suddenly he clicked his tongue when he
met my sparkling eyes.
"Your taste is quite unique."
At that moment, my pounding heart suddenly stopped.
No! I don't want to hear it from you! Of course, Haetae is not made according
to your taste! But I'm trying to understand you! How could I say what I think
in my heart!? This is treason! Aaaahhhh! Though I tried to understand Claude,
even if Haetae being similar to Dolhareubang was his personal taste, but I felt
that all this was very unfair.
"Wait a moment."
Without knowing what was in my heart, Claude stretched
out his hand a little slower into the lake water.
Eh? What would you do? I thought magical creatures
were dangerous, so you would tell me not to be interested in them. But what do
you do? Instantly, my question was answered.
Cruaakkk.
The boat we were on swayed for some time, and suddenly
something appeared from the surface of the water in the direction where
Claude's hand was reaching out.
Ta-da!
I stared at him with wide eyes as I saw something
flying through the air. And after a while, I froze when I saw the water
droplets falling on my feet.
"I won't let it move, so you can watch it slowly
as you like."
What Claude brought before me was a flower that I had
just wanted to see up close, and beneath that flower was some kind of
mysterious and transparent octopus leg. As I was at a loss for words, the legs
of the octopus pretending to be a lotus flower twitched as if it felt my gaze.
Its slippery-looking tentacles wiggled and writhed. My pupils shook
uncontrollably.
"Kyaaaaa."
Finally, I got scared and screamed.
"Ughhh! What's that!"
It's kind of like an octopus, but it's spotty!
Disgusting! Go! Go away from me! I flinched and pulled my body back, Claude
looked confused when he saw my attitude.
"Why? You said you wanted to see it up
close."
"No, that! I didn't know it was a tentacle
monster!"
Maybe because it heard my scream, the lotus flower
monster extended its tentacles towards me. Subconsciously, I moved away to
avoid the tentacles. Right at that moment, Claude furrowed his brows and opened
his mouth.
"If you move like that, it's dangerous……"
When my ears heard the slightly urgent voice, my body,
which was attached to the edge of the boat, immediately lost its balance, and I
fell.
"Athanasia!"
But I didn't fall into the water. Because somehow,
Claude got up from his seat and grabbed my hand, and the magical creature that
had been in front of me disappeared. Did I almost drown again because of that
octopus lotus flower?
"Ah, Dad. Uhuhuuuu."
I had a bad relationship with octopus tentacles in my
previous life, past and present. 2 times! No, Claude, it's your fault too! Why
didn't you give a warning first before you took out a creature like that? How
could you suddenly throw it in front of me? Huhuhuuuuu.
"I told you to stay away from the water because
it's dangerous…………"
"T-Tentacles, Octopus tentacles, Wriggling,
Uhuuhuuuu."
The bottom of the flower was an octopus tentacle, and
it was disgusting and spotty, even I didn't even think for a moment that it
looked delicious! Ughhh, cancel, cancel, that doesn't look like an octopus.
It's just a tentacle monster. I'm sorry for comparing you guys like that, Mr.
Octopus!
Hah? But why, suddenly the tentacles seemed to grow
bigger?
"D-Dad! There, there!"
What? It's not gone! Now the creature appeared to be
floating in the air, only some distance from the boat. The mysterious flower on
top of the tentacle looked strange and disgusting.
"Dad, that! I don't like it, get rid of it
quickly!"
Get rid of it! Get the hell away from me! I don't
know, but I seem to have a phobia of tentacles. I couldn't realize what I was
doing right now, and I just hugged myself as if it was my lifeline. Then,
Claude who saw me like this, immediately got rid of the lotus monster that was
in front of my eyes.
"Uhuhuuuu."
After that, I cried and kept crying because the image
of the tentacle was still in my head. Ugh, my eyes! My eyes have been
contaminated! I've never seen a tentacle monster!
"You're fine."
Claude looked surprised and confused by my appearance
which he had never seen before. It's amazing that I've made such a fuss like
this. Isn't this the reaction you would get when you saw a disgusting insect,
like a cockroach? Ughhhh. In my previous life, I couldn't even raise my eyes
when I saw a cockroach, but I didn't expect that fear to be inferior to my fear
of these tentacles.
"D-Dad, you scared me. Suddenly there were
tentacles in front of my eyes. You should have said it first."
I wouldn't have asked him to do something like that if
I knew, but when I remembered that he asked me how I was, I subconsciously
became annoyed with Claude again. By the way, it's amazing that the boat
doesn't rock in the middle of such chaos. Truly extraordinary! I thought about
the seat which also didn't shake. It's great, but Claude who is fighting hard
to maintain control of this boat and not budge is great, but……………
Just when I realized. Hah? Right now, where am I? This
arm, I seem to have seen this before. Besides, what did I just say? When I
heard a low-pitched voice above my head, my mental breakdown suddenly
skyrocketed.
"Not again."
What did Claude say? Are my ears hearing the real
thing?
"I didn't know you would be so scared like
this."
I froze. This alone was surprising, then in the next
moment, there was an awkward touch that landed on my back which was still in
his arms.
Ugh. Crazy. Oh, yes. I can't do this or that and have
no choice but to stay in this state. It wasn't because Claude's actions were
like a storm (shocking), but it was because of the shame that swept through my
whole body. Da#n it. If this guy had said it first, I wouldn't be this scared,
right? I don't know, but what is clear is that I have recorded another dark
history. Oh no! I'm embarrassed! This is my grave! What should I do now, this
is so embarrassing. Ugh! I still felt awkward with the hand patting my back,
and I screamed in my heart.
***
I asked, but in the end, Claude didn't allow me to
leave the palace. No, it seems like this is a different issue with
permissions……
'They act arrogant. How dare they ask a princess to come?'
After the tentacle incident, the trip back to the
lakeside became quite awkward, and as soon as I changed the topic to get rid of
the embarrassment, Claude said something scary. It seemed he wasn't happy that
the other noble children invited me to their homes. Alas, but what's wrong with
inviting and visiting a friend's house? Let's be honest, you don't have any
friends, right!? You've never been to a friend's house and you've never been
invited to a party, right!?
Then, a few moments later, something unexpected
happened. He summoned the people who sent the invitation to my palace. Of
course, not all of them, the people who were summoned were those Lily had
carefully selected.
"May Obelia's prosperity be with you."
"Princess Athanasia, thank you very much for the
invitation."
So now I invite the noble children to the Emerald
Palace. Wow. During my stay at this palace, this was the first time I received
a guest like a main character. I couldn't imagine something like this happening
while I was still living in the Ruby Palace.
"Thank you for coming."
Control facial expressions. Facial expressions. I
greeted them with a smiling face like when I practiced many times in the
mirror. Whoops. By the way, I was worried about the number of invitations I had
to answer first, so I didn't know that gathering together like this was a good
thing.
"Wow, I've never seen such an amazing
garden."
Today's Tea Party was held in the Rose Garden at the
Emerald Palace. The young girls who had been sitting under the guidance of the
maids looked around and each of them admired this garden. Yes, even from my
perspective, this garden is the most colorful and beautiful garden in the
Imperial Palace.
"This is a garden my father made because I like
roses. I also really like this garden."
That is true. What should I say when I gather with
children this age? Without thinking, I answered someone's compliment, and they
immediately gave a surprising reaction.
"Oh my! His Majesty is so kind."
"Actually, I saw His Majesty from afar in the Debutante
Ball and I thought he was a bit scary. But, after I saw his treatment of the
Princess, it didn't seem like he was like that. He was very kind to you,
Princess."
"He made a garden like this, he really cares
about you, Princess."
Suddenly I felt overwhelmed by their sparkling eyes.
O-Oh my. What is this feeling? Come to think of it,
it's like a situation where one day my classmate came in wearing a pretty new
outfit and I said, 'Wow, your outfit is so pretty!' and she proudly said, 'My
father bought it for me!'. Haha. Thinking about it, that made me feel even more
awkward.
"At the Debutante Ball, His Majesty and the
Princess looked like a painting."
As soon as I sat down, Claude suddenly became the
topic of conversation.
"Come to think of it, at that time, I heard His
Majesty whispering to the Princess. He said that there would be no other girl
as beautiful as the Princess in this world, so the Princess doesn't need to
worry. At that time I was standing near you and I heard it clearly. Princess,
could it be that you were feeling nervous at that time so His Majesty
encouraged you?"
"Ah, I heard that too."
What the hell is that? In my memory, those are not the
words I heard. Did Claude really say that? Did you remember wrongly, maybe you
confused it with a sentence in a romantic novel?
"You are right. The Princess did look very
beautiful that day."
"Yes. So far I have only heard rumors about the
beauty of you, Princess. However, when I met you, I was surprised because you
really looked like a fairy in a fairy tale, Princess."
"Ahahaha…… I get embarrassed when all of you keep
praising me excessively like that."
Ugh, they all give me too much attention. My face felt
hot. After all, it was true that Claude's charm buff was leaked that day.
Seeing how they're making small talk like this, even though the debutante has
been around for quite a long time, what else should I say to them? I was a
little worried because they were all noble children, but they looked like
normal girls. This is similar to the conversation that middle school students
have, only their behavior is a little more elegant and formal, don't you think?
Maybe it's because they're all still teenagers.
One strange thing was that, for some reason, only
girls were invited here. However, it's strange that I don't see any noble boys
here. I'm sure there are invitation letters I got from the Marquis Family, but
it's strange because the Young Master of the Marquis Family isn't here. Is this
just a coincidence? I narrowed my eyes and glanced at Felix who was standing in
the corner of the garden as my bodyguard. Later I will ask him about this.
By the way, Felix is standing there in a knight's
attire, he looks cool. I could see that there were several girls at this table
who were glancing at Felix, their faces were red. The sun was shining brightly
and the fragrant aroma of flowers wafted through the garden. I felt so at peace
while beautiful girls of such a young age were chattering away, that I spent my
tea time giving a few nods to their conversation. Then, one of the girls
sitting to my left suddenly said, 'Ah.' as if he remembered something. Then,
she opened her mouth at me shyly.
"Princess, sorry for being late in introducing
myself. I'm Helena from the Marquis Elaine Family. Do you remember me?"
Wait a minute, who? She felt familiar. I remember it,
I remember a girl who wore a lily decoration on her head. There's no mistaking
it, she's the Lily Girl I met as a debutante!
"We danced as debutantes, right? It's nice to see
you again."
Seeing that she wore lilies in her hair again today,
it seems that she really likes them. When I said that I remembered it, the Lily
Girl blushed.
“Princess, I am from the Duke Family……”
“I am from the Easton Family……”
"I am from……!"
The Lily Girl opened her mouth as if she remembered
the self-introduction that everyone had forgotten. And that girl, the person I
had pretended not to care about for some time, she finally revealed her name
with her beautiful voice.
"I am Zenith Magritta. I am very happy because I
can meet you again."
It was Zenith that I met as a debutante.
"That day, I brought you the ribbon you dropped,
Princess."
Ugh, to be honest, I've been afraid of being scolded
because I've only been paying attention to Zenith compared to the other girls.
Is this the effect of the main protagonist? While everyone was wearing
luxurious dresses, Zenith was the only one wearing a relatively simple silk
dress —which seemed to emphasize her beauty even more.
"I remember. Thank you."
When I answered, Zenith smiled broadly as if she was
very happy. And I saw the girl sitting across from Zenith blink as if she saw
something dazzling. But, that ribbon, Claude threw it away. Seeing that smile
that was like an angel's, I felt a little guilty. Right at that moment, there
was a girl who was fascinated by Zenith's smile, she screamed as if she
remembered something.
"Ah! Come to think of it, when you were
debutante, you were Young Master Alphaeus' partner."
Albie's cousin's family, that's the last name Zenith
borrowed. It seemed that was not the name of a Noble Family in the Capital.
Yes, the Alphaeus Family must hide Zenith's whereabouts until Zenith's identity
is revealed.
"Miss Magritta, do you have any relationship with
Young Master Alphaeus?"
It seems that Izekiel is the hot potato among these
girls. As soon as his name was mentioned, all eyes immediately turned to
Zenith.
Zenith just smiled and answered.
"Because I grew up in the Alphaeus Family since
childhood, he is like my biological older brother."
Ugh. Why are you smiling so prettily like that? It
felt like I was seeing an illusion, there were flower petals scattered around
you! Protagonist, how scary! She even has a flower-scattering buff!
"I'm so jealous. Young Master Alphaeus even
became your partner."
"After seeing him in person, I realized that the
rumors circulating were not exaggerated. His figure is so tall."
"Ah. You're right, he looks like the Fioreche
Statue."
"Haa."
Alas, it's not just Zenith. The buff that the male
protagonist, Izekiel, has is also no joke. It turns out that there are also
many girls here who are affected by love sickness because of Izekiel. But no
matter what, the male protagonist only exists for the main protagonist.
To be honest, I didn't expect that I would meet Zenith
so soon, but, it seems like I can't avoid it unless I continue to shut myself
up in the Imperial Palace. Because today she was invited to my Tea Party, and
because Zenith is protected by Duke Alphaeus, I couldn't ignore her. Moreover,
the main protagonist of the novel, Zenith, seems she have a strong desire to
meet me. I concluded that because she picked up the ribbon I dropped and gave
it back to me. Because of that incident, it was certain that I would meet her
again, and now, that day accelerated to today.
“Um, then, do you know what kind of female………… Young
Master Alphaeus likes?”
Meanwhile, there was a girl who gathered her courage
to ask something like that. Everyone pretended not to be interested, but I
could feel that their ears were straining to hear the answer Zenith would come
up with. But, Zenith actually said with an awkward voice and expression.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know about that
either……"
"Well, I was just trying to ask. I'm not that
curious."
"Haha."
"Haha."
I sipped my tea and watched their animated and interesting
conversation. Ahaha. Seeing this, they are all very cute. It was refreshing to
see such beautiful young girls, each of them with red cheeks talking about the
boys they liked. Haha. It felt very funny and touching to see girls in their
mid-teens chatting like this. This makes me feel very old. Huhuhu. When I was
looking at them with a faint gaze, the Lily Girl suddenly turned to me. Uwaaa,
control my expression, control my expression. Instead of showing a smile like
an old person looking at a young child, I put a princess-like smile on my lips
again.
"Come to think of it, the Princess also danced
with Young Master Alphaeus, right."
Ugh. Why does this topic come up to me again? I'm
embarrassed. That day, I stepped on Izekiel's feet many times! Those are
memories I want to forget!
"I'm dancing……"
"I saw it too! Young Master Alphaeus asked the
Princess to dance!"
As I looked at their sparkling eyes as if they had
found prey, I felt cold sweat running down my back.
"Izekiel asked you, Princess?"
Zenith was silent for a moment as if she had never
heard about this before, she asked me back. Ugh, I feel like I want to leave
this Tea Party immediately. I'm very unfamiliar with conversations like this.
As expected, Izekiel really was very popular. Seeing all this, the fact that he
was a male protagonist came to mind. Isn't this still better than Claude being
the main topic of conversation? But, should the topic of conversation instead
shift to the topic of male protagonists?
"At that time, the figure of Young Master
Alphaeus and the Princess looked like a scene from a fairy tale book!"
Usually, girls always read fairy tale books. And, the
popular theme of fairy tale books is the story about the Princess and the
Prince, or the story about the Princess and the Knight.
"Princess, how does it feel?"
"If he also asked me to dance. Aaahhh."
Apparently, they wanted to hear my impression of
dancing with Izekiel. Their sparkling eyes made me feel depressed. But, the
embarrassment was only momentary. Ugh. Again I felt like an old man and got a
little sentimental. Of course, Izekiel is a male protagonist, but he is still
only 17 years old. Even so, he was already that tall, and he also had a
handsome face that made girls' hearts flutter. The combination of his striking
golden eyes with his silver hair, wasn't that enough to label him as the male
protagonist? Moreover, since ancient times, the male protagonist in romantic
stories had to be a perfect man. So I wonder, will Izekiel be the best in the
world in every aspect? Even so, Izekiel, you shouldn't tease me…………
'There isn't anything.'
'Next time, I…'
Hmmm. Well, at that moment, I couldn't take my eyes
off Izekiel for a moment. I opened my mouth as I tried to dispel the image that
kept popping up in my head —the image of the incident when Izekiel and I were
at the Alphaeus Residence. Hmmm. Since they are all very cute girls, can I
match the rhythm?
"Actually, I was a bit surprised because I didn't
expect Young Master Alphaeus to ask me to dance."
Hearing the words I said, these young girls made a
fuss.
"I've heard about Young Master Alphaeus for a
long time, so I've always been curious about him."
Even though they were just words, they all fell into
the rhythm I created. Geez. It's like an idol fandom where everyone gathers with
one heart and one mind. Oh, no. Get me out of here!
"As expected, rumors about Young Master Alphaeus
have even entered the Imperial Palace!"
"On the contrary, public rumors will be held
tightly (better known) by the palace servants."
"Wow, amazing!"
Perhaps because they were all young, their reactions
were very blunt and modest. No. In any case, isn't this talk too much for a
noble girl? However, since the atmosphere is like this, I feel much more
comfortable than I did a moment ago.
"So, when I was just about to leave the
dance..."
"Oh my!"
“Someone next to me called me and said……”
"Oh!"
“Then, I turned around and……”
"Kyaaaa!"
Every time I say a word, the reaction is no joke. They
are a valuable audience to talk to. Still to me, they all looked cute because
they weren't jealous because I danced with Izekiel, they were just jealous
—jealousy that was still so pure.
In fact, in <Lovely Princess>, there are so many
extras who are bullied by the other girls because of jealousy and trivial
reasons! Huhuhu. All of this is clearly visible from the narrative depicted
every time a female character approaches a male protagonist, but that narrative
does not exist when the main protagonist approaches a male protagonist.
That's because the novel is a novel written solely for
Zenith, about Zenith, and belongs to Zenith. All the women who came into
contact with Izekiel disappeared quickly without their existence forming a
proper conflict. On the one hand, such a plot is a tool to explain the
popularity and cool side of the male protagonist, Izekiel —a person who never
looks away from temptation (another woman).
"So that's how it is? I was away for a while at
that time, so I didn't know that Young Master Alphaeus and the Princess were
dancing."
And our angelic protagonist, Zenith —she never gets
jealous or offended by the girls. Because Zenith is the main protagonist who is
innocent, full of affection, soft-hearted, and beautiful.
"That's a shame. I wish I could see it. It would
be a very beautiful sight."
Actually, Zenith didn't even need to feel such
negative emotions. Because from the start, everything in this world existed for
him.
"Yeah, I saw it myself. Too bad you don't know
how cool it is!"
"In fact, everyone in the Hall was looking at the
two of them with admiration."
"Apart from Miss Magritta who was his partner,
the only person Young Master Alphaeus danced with that day was Princess
Athanasia."
Once again, the atmosphere became lively. Wow, almost
all the girls here admire Izekiel. What a man full of sin.
“Umm, I think the Young Master Xavier I met on
debutante day is cool too.”
However, there are also subtle differences in taste.
There are names of other men starting to appear apart from Izekiel.
"Young Master Xavier!! That Lone Gray Wolf!"
But then, the sound that pierced my ears made me
almost spit out the tea I was drinking. What did I just hear? What? Lone Gray
Wolf?
"Ah, that's right. If Young Master Alphaeus has a
gentle charisma and perfect beauty that can melt a woman's heart, then Young
Master Xavier has the aura of a lone wolf who has escaped from the pack."
“Umm, since earlier, I keep seeing the knight standing
over there……”
I turned my head to the side, towards the timid voice.
And I saw Felix standing in the corner of the park.
"Ah, me too! A sharp gaze that looks like it can
cut anything! But I'm sure, behind that cold feeling, there must be a passion
that burns like a flame!"
N-No, I don't think it's Felix they're talking about.
'Behind that cold feeling is a passion that burns like a flame'? There's no way
Felix could be defined like that.
"Princess, do you know who that handsome,
red-haired knight standing there wearing a black uniform is?"
But, no matter how hard I rubbed my eyes and looked
around for the person they were referring to, the only red-haired knight I
could see was Felix. I answered with a little surprise.
"You mean my knight...... Sir Robane?"
"Ah! If that's Sir Robane, could it be Felix
Robane, the Red Blood Knight?!"
Ah, I see! Eh?! The moment I heard those words, my
whole body got goosebumps. The Red Blood Knight? What else could it be?!
"If that is the Red Blood Knight, then he is the
one who wiped out the enemy army and turned the entire area into a sea of blood
when His Majesty saved Obelia from the black magic!"
"Somehow, at first glance, I felt that he was no
ordinary person, but I didn't expect him to be the Red Blood Knight!"
Fe-Felix? Felix is the Red Blood Knight? Not the Red
Blood Cell, but the Red Blood Knight? That, is the setting in the original
story really like that? Is that terrifying nickname really Felix’s nickname? I
moved my trembling pupils to look at Felix who was standing in the distance.
But, somehow, it seemed like Felix’s pupils were trembling just like mine.
“Ah, come to think of it, isn’t there someone in the
Marquis Elaine Family who is nicknamed the Young Master of Flowers because he
is as beautiful as a flower!”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
If it’s the Marquis Elaine Family, then it’s the Lily
Girl’s family. I turned my gaze away from Felix and turned towards these girls.
And immediately after that, my unprotected eardrums were pierced by intense
voices.
“Such a gentle charisma!”
“Lone Wolf!”
“The cold Red Blood Knight!”
“The Young Master of Flowers who is more beautiful
than flowers!”
Aahhh! My ears! What kind of genre is this? The 4
Heavenly Kings of the Noble World! Argh! And I saw it, the Lily Girl was
coughing from choking while drinking tea because of the other girls’ passionate
words. She was the first one to bring up the story about the Lone Gray Wolf,
but it seemed like she had a mental breakdown when she heard the nickname of
her younger brother or older brother. If that’s the case, why did you bring up
the story about the Wolf in the first place?! Argh!
“Princess, who do you think is the most beautiful?”
"Of course, it's the gentle and charismatic Young
Master Alphaeus who danced with you, right?"
"Or the Lone Gray Wolf, Young Master
Xavier?"
"What about the Red Blood Knight who hides his
burning passion behind his cold demeanor?"
"You've never met Young Master Elaine in person,
he's someone more beautiful than a flower."
Oh, no. Take me away from here! Now, please stop,
arghhhh!
***
"This is a very pleasant time for tea. Everyone,
thank you for visiting today."
Yes, it was pleasant. And I hope we never meet again.
Ugh.
"This was very pleasant! Princess, please invite
me again next time."
As the table was cleared, I looked even more
dispirited than when the Tea Party first started. Ever since the story about
the Lone Wolf came out, I've been hearing about the terrifying Four Heavenly
Kings of the Noble World for an hour, and it was so painful. Ugh, just thinking
about it makes me shiver!
"Princess Athanasia."
One surprising thing was that Zenith was also quite
interested in listening to the story of the 4 Heavenly Kings, she mingled with
the other girls with great interest. It was a very different reaction from the
Lily Girl who always blushed whenever the story of the Young Master of Flowers
from the Marquis Elaine Family came up. I turned to Zenith who called me.
"I am very happy that you invited me today."
Aish, wait a minute! I-I'm not mentally prepared for
you to scatter flower petals like that again—!
"I would like to talk more deeply with you,
Princess. But, it's a shame that I can't do that."
I stared at the face that was sprinkled with
intangible flower petals and felt a little ticklish.
"Can we meet again another time?"
The kind Zenith with an angelic appearance. Maybe if I
didn't know about the story of the novel <Lovely Princess>, then I could
see Zenith in a different mood than I was in now. I smiled at Zenith who was
waiting for my answer.
"Of course. Let's meet again when we have the
chance."
I felt a little confused when I saw her face that was
smiling brightly like a spring flower as I said those words. I escorted the
girls who came to my Tea Party to the entrance of the Emerald Palace. And at
that moment, I met someone I knew.
"Lucas."
"May Obelia's prosperity be with you."
Lucas greeted me politely, probably because there were
other people here. As usual, except for when he met me secretly, he was
currently dressed like an Imperial Mage. I could feel the girls next to me
looking at Lucas with curious eyes. Ugh. But, should I speak formally or
informally to Lucas? After thinking about it for a moment, I opened my mouth.
"Raise your head."
Hmph. I am a Princess. Ah! But, before he raised his
head, I could see the corner of his mouth twitch! Is this funny? Have you ever
seen a graceful Princess tell you to raise your head like this? However,
perhaps due to a misunderstanding, when Lucas raised his head, a gasping voice
was heard.
"Princess, it seems like you are holding a Tea
Party at the Palace today."
His red eyes swept over all the girls next to me. Hmm?
Why have I been hearing gasping sounds since earlier?
"Yes. I had a very pleasant and precious
time."
"His Majesty would be very pleased if you enjoyed
this Tea Party."
Ah, Lucas, it seems like you know that Claude was the
one who caused this Tea Party to be held at the Emerald Palace today. But, do
you have to say it now?
"Excuse me, but I have to leave immediately
because I received a call from the Tower."
"Oh my. I shouldn't have kept a busy person for
so long. You can go."
"Thank you, Princess. May Obelia's prosperity be
with you."
As if I had been waiting for this, I immediately told
Lucas to leave. Haa. After all, Lucas was like a time bomb that could explode
at any moment. He never acted rudely towards me when other people were around,
but strangely enough, I always felt like he was about to do something. I
grumbled in my heart as I watched his retreating back.
"Princess, who is that person?"
I turned to the trembling voice that came from the
side. Then, for some reason, this Lily Girl had red cheeks and her pupils
turned into love shapes. Huh? Come to think of it, why do all these girls have
red faces?
"Eh, umm. That's Lucas. He's an Imperial
Mage."
For some reason, I answered her because my mood had
improved. Suddenly, the Lily Girl exclaimed and held her cheeks with both
hands.
“Mr. Lucas! Even his name is so cool!”
Huh……? What did you just say? I looked back at the
Lily Girl, wondering if I had heard wrong. Immediately after that, I was at a
loss for words because of the strong reactions that erupted from the other
girls at the same time.
"O-Oh my, there's such a handsome guy in the
Palace Tower*?"
T/N: Actually, in this part, the raw uses the term
'Black Tower'. But since 'Obelia's Black Tower' and 'the real Black Tower' will
be mentioned often in the future, we decided to use the term 'Palace Tower'
when referring to Obelia's Mage Tower.
"Ah, his black hair that's like the night sky and
his eyes that shine red like rubies!"
"Earlier, when our eyes met, it felt like I was
struck by lightning!"
Co-Come to think of it, Lucas does have an
extraordinary appearance, too bad his attitude isn't as good as his appearance.
He's a self-proclaimed genius mage.
"He's a charming mage."
Even the Main Protagonist, Zenith, admires him. But,
since he still looks like a boy, it feels more like he's beautiful than
handsome. It had been a long time since I last saw him, so my memory was
starting to get a little hazy, but I thought his original appearance was very
masculine, with a thick jawline and a much larger physique than his current
one. However, I was a little confused by the commotion Lucas had caused. It
seemed like it was because of me —I saw Lucas almost every day, so I was the
only one who wasn’t too impressed with him. At that moment, the Lily Girl who was
still staring at Lucas as he walked away, fell into her fantasy and opened her
mouth again.
“His melancholic, sad eyes. The lonely atmosphere that
enveloped his entire body. Even from his back, there was a deep sense of
loneliness!”
Ugh. At that moment, my pupils started to tremble
again. Come on, do you have to start again?
“Like a Lone Black Wolf roaming the wild. Ah, I’ve
never felt this way before!”
Aahhh, Lucas, you just chased away the Lone Gray
Wolf…… And became part of the 4 Heavenly Kings of the Noble World.
***
"Princess, you shouldn't walk that fast. You
might fall, slow down…..."
"But, before I fall, the Red Blood Knight will
definitely 'save me', right?"
"…..."
"Isn't that right, Red Blood Knight?"
Hearing my words, Felix fell silent. It had been a few
days since the Tea Party was held. Since then, I liked to tease Felix by
calling his very popular nickname.
"You don't know how honored I am to have the Red
Blood Knight as my Guardian Knight. Whoaaaa. As expected, the flames of passion
that redder than blood! A hot heart soars on a cold iceberg. From now on, I
will only believe in my Red Blood Knight."
"…..."
The more I did it, the redder Felix's face became.
Apparently, hearing his nickname like this directly was a big blow to him.
Haha. The more he acted like that, the more I couldn't stop laughing.
Ahahahaha. Teasing Felix was so much fun.
“Princess, you’re too much…”
Felix, the wounded young soul, grumbled at me in
annoyance. I continued walking forward and hummed. I felt happy because I could
smell the sweet scent of the bouquet in my hand. Claude’s Palace was always
quiet wherever I went, so I planned to put these flowers in Claude’s office in
an attempt to freshen up the atmosphere.
“It looks like he’s taking a break.”
But Claude wasn’t in his office. However, this kind of
thing wasn’t uncommon, so I walked through the corridors of Garnet Palace to
look for Claude. The palace felt very quiet today. When I thought about it,
when I was a child, I thought that this was an abandoned palace and tried to
make this place a hideout for my beautiful children! Ugh.
“Daddy?”
I entered Claude’s bedroom. There was no answer when I
knocked, so I had no choice but to go in and check it out myself. Felix was
waiting outside the door as usual. Then, I found the person I was looking for
was on the sofa, so I approached him. He was sleeping here again. Why do you
always sleep in such a cramped place, wouldn’t it be better to sleep in a bed?
And I always had this feeling every time I came, he
didn’t seem to care whether anyone came in or not. What would you do if you
were stabbed to death? When I thought about it, I don’t know how many years
it’s been since he lent Felix to me as my bodyguard. Doesn’t the Emperor have
fewer people serving him than I do these days?
Claude looked very tired, he didn't even wake up from
my footsteps. He was really sleeping soundly. I wondered if I should wake
Claude up or not. Moreover, I didn't come today for any particular reason.
Somehow I felt bad waking up someone who was resting from being tired of taking
care of government affairs all the time.
Hmm. Come to think of it, his face had indeed looked
very tired lately. Even though he was sleeping soundly like this, he didn't
wake up at all from my movements. Now that I thought about it, from my
debutante to boating, he had always made time for me during his busy schedule.
If he still doesn't wake up after I call him one more time, let's just go out.
"Daddy."
I called out to Claude in a small voice. Only my voice
echoed in this quiet room, which somehow made me feel a little strange. But
Claude still didn't open his eyes, so I decided not to wake him up. However,
instead of getting up and leaving immediately, I squatted down in front of the
sofa where Claude was sleeping. Then, I put my chin on my lap and started
staring at Claude's sleeping face.
Then, I suddenly had an idea. I reached for the
bouquet that I had been holding. And I pinned the most beautiful pink flower in
Claude's hair. Wow! There's the Young Master of Flowers here! I was so happy
when I saw Claude with a flower in his hair. The Young Master of Flowers who is
more beautiful than flowers! Even the Goddess of Spring would bow her head
before this charming beauty! Do you see it, Young Master of the Marquis Elaine
Family!? Just like Lucas who kicked the Gray Wolf out and got promoted to Black
Wolf, now Claude is also threatening your position as the Young Master of
Flowers! I was so happy that I pinned a bigger and more colorful flower in
Claude's hair again. Aawww! Claude's beauty is more dangerous and more deadly
than a poisonous rose! This mature charm is no match for a Young Master who is
still fluffy………
Tak!
But, right at that moment, a hand suddenly grabbed my
wrist tightly.
"Uwaaaaaa!"
Aaahhh, what a surprise! As I turned my gaze away in
surprise, I met Claude's eyes. Arghh! I was shocked again. Why did this person
just open his eyes without a sound, but the look in Claude's eyes that I saw
was different from the one I saw yesterday.
Oh my. He must be mad at me because I changed him into
Young Master of Flowers!
"No, I just thought the flower was pretty. Daddy,
If you wore it, you could also become the Young Master of Flowers…… No, I mean,
Beautiful Man, no! I mean, what did I just say?"
I broke out in a cold sweat as I faced those cold eyes
that were giving me a cold stare. How many years had it been since I saw that
look? But, Claude's gaze suddenly changed as he listened to my messy excuse.
"Athanasia."
"Y-Yes?"
"So it's you."
Huh? H-He just realized who I am! Don't tell me you
were still half asleep and immediately scared people like that. Claude blinked
his eyes a few times to see if the person in front of him was really me. Then
he got up, sat up, and put his hands on his eyes. Hey, are you rubbing your eyes
right now? Ah, why are you acting so cute? It doesn't suit you… As I stared at
Claude with a blank stare, our eyes met again. Then, Claude's eyebrows twitched
and his sleepy eyes slowly became clear. His strange expression relaxed, and
then he fell silent.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
No…… With flowers on both sides of his head, he rubbed
his eyes, he looked really cute. Of course, if I said this, there was a chance
that my life would be in danger. Sob. But, this is really unexpectedly cute.
Right? Doesn't he look beautiful with those pink flowers in his hair?
"Daddy, you look beautiful when you wake
up!"
"Nonsense."
Wow. The gap between his rather cold tone and the
flower in his hair, it's even cuter than the gap moe.
"Felix."
Then, Claude called Felix in a low voice. Not long
after, the door opened.
"You called me, Your Majesty?"
Come to think of it, Claude always called Felix in a
voice that wasn't that loud, but Felix could always hear him. Could it be
because Felix had good hearing, or did Claude use magic power in his voice?
"Tell the maids to serve tea."
"Yes, Your Majesty…… Huh?!"
Felix who entered the room and bowed to Claude, was
surprised when he raised his head.
"What's wrong?"
Ugh. Come to think of it, there was still a flower in
Claude's hair! Felix shook his pupils as if he had seen something he shouldn't
have seen, he kept staring at Claude who was wearing beautiful flowers on both
sides of his head. However, as a loyal knight, he immediately cleared his
throat and put on a calm face.
"The flower…… It's beautiful."
Claude raised his eyebrows, wondering what Felix was
talking about. Then, Claude's gaze fell on me, as if he realized that I was
holding a flower in my hand.
"Daddy, should I put it in a vase and put it near
the window?"
I tried to act as if I didn't know that there was a
flower stuck to Claude's head. I had to pull it off before Claude stood up!
Huwaaaaa. Oh no. How to do!?
"It smells good. Dad, try smelling it."
Before Felix could say anything strange again, I immediately
thrust the flower I was holding into Claude's hand. Fortunately, Claude didn't
throw away the flower I gave him.
"It's time for Raflier to bloom, huh."
"Yes... Raflier flowers suit you, Your
Majesty."
Noisy, you Red Blood Knight! Don't say any nonsense.
Sob.
"Today you two are talking nonsense."
Fortunately, Claude didn't seem to notice.
"When you go out, tell the maids to prepare a
vase."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After Felix left the room, I became nervous. Da#n.
Da#n. What should I do with the flowers before the maids come? Felix was
surprised to see them, let alone the maids. And when that happens, Claude will
definitely notice that something is strange. And if that happens, I, the one
who pinned the flowers in Claude's hair, I will…………!
"Da-Daddy, you must be very tired today."
First of all, I have to approach Claude to calm his
mind and body. Claude put the flowers I gave him next to the chair he was
sitting on. I quickly moved before Claude got up from his chair, I can't miss
this opportunity.
"Just lean back comfortably. Isn't sleeping on
the sofa uncomfortable?"
I walked behind the sofa and stretched my arms around
Claude's shoulders, and he looked back at me with a look like, 'What are you
doing?'. Oh, no!
"Look at this. Dad, your shoulders feel
stiff."
Massage, Massage!
I tried hard to smile and massage Claude's shoulders
with both of my hands. The shoulders that my fingertips touched suddenly became
stiff. Ugh. This is too strong. Don't make your body stiff, my hands are
hurting! I relaxed my hands and massaged Claude's shoulders more gently than
before.
"Dad, no matter how busy you are, you need to
rest properly."
After I did it to a certain extent, Claude slowly
relaxed his body and leaned comfortably on the sofa. Oh my, now how am I supposed
to remove the flower?
"D-Dad, isn't it too dangerous if there's no one
guarding your bedroom?"
I decided to say something to distract Claude.
"What if someone comes with bad intentions?"
"What a useless worry."
However, Claude immediately snorted as soon as he
heard my words. It was a snort filled with confidence. I mean, what kind of
confidence does this guy have? No matter how strong your magic power is, if
someone comes with a knife while you're asleep, wouldn't it be all over?
"Dad, If you fall asleep like that, bad people
can come in here at any time, right?"
A person who's sound asleep wouldn't know that there's
an intruder! However, Claude snorted again and argued with me.
"It doesn't matter if I'm sleeping or awake. The
moment someone approaches me with bad intentions, their entire body will be
torn to shreds and they'll die."
Suddenly, without realizing it, I stopped massaging
Claude's shoulders.
“E-Eh, what does that mean……?”
“It’s protection magic.”
Claude explained calmly, as if he didn’t know that I
was feeling uneasy.
“It’s a spell carved into the body using magic so that
anyone who approaches from a certain distance with ill intentions will die a
painful death. Don’t you know that?”
How could I know that?! So… If someone approaches you
to kill you, you mean that right then and there, they will die? W-When I was
little, I was only half joking… I thought that if this person was gone (die),
then my future would be a little easier………………? Suddenly, I got goosebumps and
shivered. Claude really is a very scary guy!
However, the words that Claude said next, were very
surprising.
“Because you have a similar magic spell, you don’t
have to worry about being stabbed to death while sleeping.”
Huh…………? I also have a similar spell? Who? Who did it?
So, you mean, if someone approaches me with the intention of killing, then a
bloody tragedy will happen right before my eyes……? My pupils started to tremble
non-stop.
"Eh, since when………?"
"I don't remember because it's been so
long."
You gave me that terrifying magic spell so long ago?
You don't even remember when it happened! Argh! Still, should I thank him for
not letting me die from being stabbed by someone in my sleep? Huhuhuuu.
"But, still."
For some reason, I felt sad. I moved my hand back to
Claude's shoulder.
"I'm afraid something dangerous will happen to
you, even if it's something small."
Even though I said that, I still couldn't imagine
anything bad happening to Claude.
"Dad, you must stay by my side for a long
time."
Then, Claude fell silent for a moment. In the peaceful
silence, I remembered my mission that I had forgotten.
Huwaaaaa. I have to get rid of those flowers now! It
seems like it's time for the maids to come to make tea!
"How funny. Who's worrying about who."
Oh, no. What about those flowers? Arghhhhhhh.
"Athanasia, you..."
The low voice stopped. For some reason, Claude didn't
continue the words he was saying. With the strange silence at my back, I felt
restless myself.
Knock, Knock.
"Your Majesty."
Aaahhhh! It seems like the servants have come. Nooooo!
Claude turned his head towards the door. Ouchhhh! I
decided to use the last resort before he ordered the maids to come in.
"Daddy!"
I hugged Claude's neck from behind. And while Claude
was silent for a while, I managed to remove 1 flower that was pinned in his
hair!
"Let's go for a short walk after lunch. The sun
is shining brightly today, you will definitely feel better, Dad. Do you want
to?"
All my attention was focused on the flower on Claude's
right side. Ugh! Gently, I moved my arm that wasn't hugging Claude's neck.
"I'm busy."
"You really can't?"
Knock, Knock.
"Your Majesty?"
Since no one told them to come in even though time had
passed, they knocked on the door again.
"I can't."
In the end, Claude still said that he couldn't do it.
He said that he was very busy, but I begged him and it seemed that he had no
choice but to agree to my request.
"Come in."
Hey! Wait a minute!
"Thank you, Dad!"
Cup.
I smiled happily and kissed Claude's cheek. Hooray! A
cute pink flower, pinned in Claude's hair! I managed to get it!
"May the blessings of glory and greatness bless
the Sun of Obelia."
The maids who arrived just in time bowed their heads
to Claude and then greeted me in turn. Oops. I threw the cute pink flower in my
hand into the bouquet that Claude had put down earlier. Eh, I felt like I was
shooting a Mission Impossible movie. Oh, no. If I had been a little bit late, I
might have died. Huhuhuuu. In the future, I won't play with flowers anymore.
Sob.
"Why are you standing there? Come sit down."
"Yes."
I walked towards my chair feeling like I had aged 10 years compared to when I first entered this room.
***
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