***
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Translator Note:
This is a long long long chapter.
So...... Bear with me, please (/▿＼ )
Thank You!
***
One day, Lucas came
up to me and held out something black to me.
"What is
it?"
"I picked it up
on the street."
I fumbled to take it
and immediately, I scratched my head.
"What is
this……?"
However, upon closer
inspection, it was not what I thought. At first glance, I thought it was a cat,
but now I realized it was another animal that looked similar. But, why did you
give this to me?
"It looks like a
cross between a Leprechaun and a Baum."
Lucas pulled out a
chair on the side of the sofa—not the one I was sitting on, and sat down on it.
I stiffened at the warmth in my arms. This jet-black furry creature had rounded
ears. Just as Lucas had said, this animal looked like a cross between a
Leprechaun and a Baum.
"But, how come
you have this animal?"
"I picked it up
on a trip."
"Then, bring it
back."
"I don't want
it, you can have it."
In short, it's a
gift. I was about to hand the animal back to Lucas when I heard a groan coming
from below me. As soon as I looked down, I groaned. A pair of round blue eyes
that were wet with moisture stared at me, as if they were saying, 'Are you
going to give me back? Are you sure you want to do that?'
I became hesitant,
not knowing what to say. Actually, I had been consciously avoiding being around
animals ever since Blackie disappeared, because I couldn't help but think of it
whenever I saw one. I guess I had been caring for Blackie with a lot of
affection without realizing it, because at that time, in this novel world,
Blackie was the only thing that truly belonged to me, the only thing that
neither Athanasia nor Zenith had. Of course, now I know that was a childish
idea. That's why I never told anyone else.
"So cute."
I muttered to myself
as I played with the soft fur in my hand. The creature in my arms purred and
rubbed its head against my hand as if it liked my touch. The warmth I felt in
my arms made me feel at ease after a long time. I leaned back against the back
of the sofa and stroked its black fur.
Lucas watched me for
a long time, his arm resting on the back of the chair, and then he turned his
attention to the book I was reading.
"Do you intend
to read all the books in the world? Aren't you tired?"
"Tsk, tsk. This
stupid little kid. Learning is never-ending."
What I'm reading now
is a book that records the achievements of great people in the past. Lucas
flipped through the pages of the book with a bored expression, then suddenly he
found something that bothered him.
"Gosh, there
really is no place that doesn't show this Bast#rd."
"Who?"
"Who? Of course,
the Crazy Aeternitas."
Uwaaa, if you pay
attention, it turns out that Lucas, this kid hates Emperor Aeternitas.
"I heard he's
close to the Black Tower Mage."
"The hell with
that bullsh!t."
Hearing my words,
Lucas looked at me with a scary expression. Wow, seeing that, made me want to
tease him even more.
"They say, the
Black Tower Mage really likes Emperor Aeternitas. So, after Emperor Aeternitas
died, it's said that the Black Tower Mage disappeared because he felt
sad."
"Yeah, I guess I
should hunt down and kick the bast#rd who wrote that thing."
Bam! My attempt
failed! As soon as I stopped teasing him, Lucas muttered something that sounded
like a whisper.
"Are you brave
enough to call this thing a book and study it?"
From the look on his
face, I knew that I would get in trouble if I said something wrong.
"Well, at least
I wrote some of it right!"
Let's lighten the
mood by saying something fun to him!
"I've written a
lot about how great the Black Tower Mage is, do you want to see it?"
I quickly flipped
through the book and showed Lucas the part that contained the story about the
Black Tower Mage. He looked at it with disinterest, then snorted.
"That's as good
as a pangolin compared to a goblin."
But, I could tell
that his mood had improved compared to before. It's simple, every time I see a
book about the Black Tower Mage, he always complains about how the book
describes him as less cool and less amazing than the original. So, I guess he
was just like me —a fan of the Black Tower Mage.
"Oh, yeah. Did
you know that the Black Tower Mage written about in those books was the second
generation Black Tower Mage?"
"Huh?"
Lucas, who was now in
a more relaxed mood, said as if he was going to tell me something in
particular. I was stunned to hear it, this was the first time I heard about it.
But, this is all a history book, not a children's story book! Whatever it is,
it doesn't matter.
"The first
generation Black Tower Mage lived for, like, 1200 years and died."
"Wow, that's a
really long time."
1200 years? That's a
really long time for me, an ordinary human. So, how much magic power did he
have?
Lucas agreed with me.
"That's the age
where you can get tired of living."
"If you live
that long, will you get bored and everything will become no longer fun?"
Then, I suddenly
remembered something from a book I used to read with Lily when I was little.
'It is said that if
he wanted to, the Black Tower Mage could easily wipe an entire country off the
world map.'
'...And that's why he
froze his own hearts.'
'When irrational
emotions precede logic, and passion precedes a cool head. If it eats away at
his minds, then his power can be used for personal gain, not for a greater
purpose.'
"Ah, so that's
why they say that the Black Tower Mage freeze his hearts. That's very
poetic."
I muttered, feeling
enlightened. Is there a difference between liberal arts and science? You just
have to write, 'I lived long enough to survive!' But, after hearing my
muttering, Lucas immediately said,
"It's just a
figure of speech, but it's not completely wrong."
It's just a figure of
speech, but it's not completely wrong. What does that mean? Then, Lucas' next
words made me feel strange.
"There are some
ancient forbidden spells, and among them there are spells that completely erase
emotions."
"Eh, but if it's
forbidden magic, isn't it black magic?"
"Not completely
black magic, but close."
More or less, I have
an interest in academics, so I became curious. But, somehow it didn't feel like
something I could say easily. However, Lucas didn't seem to mind explaining it,
as if he didn't need to explain it.
"It's
inefficient and dangerous to erase all memories, so instead,"
"If there's
something you want to forget, you can erase your feelings about that person or
thing, as if it never happened." Lucas added.
"For example,
the first generation Black Tower Mage used it when his only family member, his
son, died of old age before him. As a result, all his memories of his son
remained in his head, but his emotions were erased."
"Then what
happens?"
"Literally,"
His next words were a
little scary.
"You will forget
all your feelings about the memories in your head, and when you think about
them, you will feel like you are watching someone else's life. The feelings of
sadness and happiness that you felt will just disappear so that they mean
nothing to you. And after a while, they will feel like they belong to someone
else."
Is that what it feels
like to have your emotions erased? Lucas' words felt surreal, because I had
never imagined something like that.
"So, usually the
memories of your emotions that are erased in that way will be erased naturally
later. You won't remember things like your foot stubbing on a rock on the road,
or something meaningless, that happened to the person next to you."
As Lucas said, it
took longer than using black magic to erase memories, but it was a safer
method. However, the claim that it was a better way never came out.
"That's... kind
of bad."
"Yeah, pretty
bad."
The corners of Lucas'
mouth lifted slightly in response to my words. However, it wasn't a pleasant
smile; he seemed to be laughing at something I couldn't possibly know.
"So, I guess
that's why the first generation Black Tower Mage went crazy."
I stared at Lucas
wordlessly for a while. When I stopped petting him, the animal in my arms
whimpered.
"That guy, he
used that magic a lot before he committed suicide."
Lucas told me the
story of the first generation Black Tower Mage in a serious tone, as if he was
telling someone else's story. However, I couldn't let his story go to waste.
"And you?"
I opened my mouth
slowly, not taking my eyes off the face in front of me.
"So far, how
many times have you used that magic?"
Lucas studied my face
for a moment before he answered.
"Not that many,
because I'm not as weak as him."
Yes, I guess that's
what Lucas would say. But, that meant he had used that forbidden magic several
times in his life, perhaps quite a lot. For the past 3 years, I asked Lucas to
teach me about magic. Every time Lucas taught me, he said something like, 'Forbidden
magic isn't forbidden for no reason, so don't use it unless you're going to
die.' If he used a magic spell to erase his emotions, it was probably because
he felt like he was going to die.
"What is
this?"
Suddenly, I felt a
little guilty. So, I put my hand on Lucas' head. I stroked him gently, and I
could see his face full of questions.
"I'm comforting
your wounded soul."
"Forget it, take
your hand away."
"Aaah, be nice
and don't push it away."
"Hey, aren't I
old enough to be comforted by you?"
"Didn't you say
that we were the same age?"
I said, referring to
something Lucas had said to me when I was little. His expression turned to
disbelief, but I just patted his back like I did to Blackie back then. Lucas
frowned at me, but he didn't pull my hand away.
***
"You want to
keep that puppy?"
Claude raised his
eyebrows at the bundle of black fur I was holding.
"It's not a
puppy, but it looks like a cross between a Leprechaun and a Baum."
"Whatever it is,
it's a dog family."
Different, that's different.
But, I guess it would be a waste of time to argue about it here, so let's just
leave it at that.
"Lucas has
checked it, and Lucas said that it's not dangerous, at least it's not a magical
creature."
Just then, Claude's
eyes widened slightly. Oh, that wasn't a good look, so Claude was against it? I
looked at the animal that was licking my hand in disappointment. But after a
while, Claude straightened up and said casually.
"If that's what
he said, then I guess it's okay."
Wait... There was
something strange about those words, and what kind of inexplicable trust was
that? I didn't realize it until now, did my daddy, Claude really trust Lucas?
Or, could it be that he knew something? I hesitated for a moment, then I opened
my mouth.
"Dad?"
"What's wrong?"
And finally, I said
what I had been harboring all this time.
"I think Lucas
is the Black Tower Mage."
Actually, I had
secretly thought that Lucas might be the Black Tower Mage. However, Lucas had
never told me, and I thought it might just be a delusion caused by my interest
in the Black Tower Mage... However, yesterday's incident finally confirmed my
long-held suspicions.
"Did he tell you
that?"
"Not really,
it's more like my guts."
Claude listened to
me, he stared at me for a moment and finally said in a serious voice.
"Yeah, I
understand."
Eh? What does that
mean?
In my heart, I was
confused by Claude's very casual response.
"Dad, do you
think so too?"
“I did think that it
was suspicious.”
I was glad to hear
that I wasn't the only one who thought so, and I shuddered to think that I was
the only one who found out too late.
"Then get out of
here. The dog's fur is flying around."
"It's not a
dog!"
"A dog, Baum, or
something."
Ugh, even back then,
he was like that to Blackie! Apparently, my Dad doesn't like pets. Even though,
it is so cute, why?
"That dog, don't
let it into the room when you come here."
At least he didn't
tell me not to come here.
"Come on, Dad.
Can't you try hugging it?"
"Get rid of
it."
Claude gave me such a
scary look that I gave up on him. I left Garnet Palace, wondering what name I
should give to the furball Lucas gave me.
***
It seemed that, ever
since the last hunting tournament, there had been a lot of camaraderie between
the young nobles of Arlanta and Obelia. Since then, there had been occasional
gatherings to drink together, and since the delegates had come with good
intentions, even the older nobles thought that some interaction between the
younger generation wouldn’t be a bad thing.
“Sir Ernst, please
sit here in the middle. You have no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to
this meeting.”
“Me too!”
Among them, Kavell
Ernst was particularly popular among the Young Ladies of Obelia, and this was
the reason why!
“Will you tell me
about Young Master Alphaeus again today?”
“I would love to hear
about Young Master Alphaeus’ time as a student.”
The story of
Izekiel’s school days! How could they pass up such a rare opportunity?
“If Lady Magritta
wishes, I will tell you the story.”
Ever since their last
meeting, Kavell had been on the offensive towards Zenith; his attitude was a
little too friendly for a friend to be towards his friend’s younger cousin, so
many people were glancing at the two of them with suspicious glances.
"Sir Ernst,
that's very kind of you. But, would you mind telling us for the sake of
everyone here?"
"I would be
happy to do so for Miss Magritta —whether it's a hundred or a thousand
times!"
Zenith, who was
initially uncomfortable, has now gotten used to Kavell's attitude and can now
speak quite comfortably. Furthermore, not only Kavell but Zenith also speaks
comfortably with other people, I think it must be because of Kavell Ernst's
influence. Maybe it's because of our brave supporting character, or maybe it's because of Kavell's 'Magrittaing'*, but
people also seem to be close to Zenith. After the hunting competition, the main
pattern is this,
T/N: I don't know
what this means, maybe it's a joke from a certain reference. Maybe it could be
interpreted as the 'Magritta effect' or something(?).
First day.
"Miss Magritta!
You have no idea how much your face has changed in the past few days that I
haven't seen you, and today you're as beautiful as ever!"
Second day.
"Miss Magritta,
would you mind calling me Kavell? And if you don't mind, I'll also change Miss Magritta's
nickname to..."
The third day.
"It's an honor
to be able to sit next to Miss Magritta. Now, if Miss Magritta would just call
me Kavell, I won't have any more trouble..."
That way, everyone
would know that Kavell liked Zenith, and surprisingly, Zenith didn't seem to
mind it. Of course, she didn't like Kavell rationally, but at least she thought
of him as someone fun to be around.
"That's why I
had to give up the undisputed number 1 position for the first time because I
didn't turn a blind eye to Izekiel's predicament and postpone the fight."
"So in essence,
Young Master Alphaeus did win?"
"The most
important thing isn't winning or losing! One of the people I respect, Sir
Twalot once said: The most basic virtue a knight should have is to prioritize
the weak, not ignore the suffering of their comrades, and accept whatever the
outcome is with an open heart..."
U-Uhmm. However,
Kavell's story about Izekiel's school days often went off track. Often, he
would talk about Izekiel, and then switch to bragging about himself. I wonder,
was that his subconscious way of impressing Zenith?
"And, my little
sister told me that losing in that situation was the same as winning. So,
Izekiel and I played a draw."
"I've noticed
before, it seems that Sir Ernst is very close to your little sister."
"Miss Magritta,
just call me Kavell. And, my little sister is the one who likes me very
much."
Starting again. It
was obvious that he liked his little sister, but he said the opposite, and he
even said proudly that his little sister was the one who liked him. I looked at
him with a dubious gaze, wondering if the others were thinking the same thing
as me.
“By the way, have you
found the lost item? Didn’t you say it was a gift from your little sister?”
“No, not yet……”
Kavell, who was
previously very excited, has now turned sullen. It seems that you still haven’t
found the sword ornament. He said, he didn’t know where he dropped it, so he
lost it on his way back from the hunting tournament, it might be hard to find
it. Pfft, even then, the stitching is already starting to come apart.
“Cheer up. I almost
lost something precious to me not long ago, so I know how you feel. I was able
to find it quickly, so maybe Sir Ernst will get good news soon.”
“Miss Magritta……”
Kavell’s eyes filled
with tears after hearing Zenith’s consolation. Good, a supporting character is
still a supporting character……
“Anything
interesting?”
The voice that
suddenly appeared from beside me was, of course, Lucas’ voice. Even though I
was used to this, I was still a little surprised because he suddenly appeared
without warning. Especially since the place I was currently in was on top of
the angel statue’s wings.
“What’s so
interesting……”
He must have come to
see me because he was bored too. I muttered something under my breath and
turned around, and when I saw Lucas, I couldn’t help but exclaim in disbelief.
“Lucas, how could you
do that?!”
Lucas flinched at my
outburst.
“What did I do?”
I shouted at him in
disbelief.
“You sat on my
beautiful Angel Eonni’s head!”
“What?”
“That’s an insult to
my beautiful Angel Eonni!”
Lucas seemed to be in
disbelief at my words. But hey, I couldn’t even put my butt on Angel Eonni’s
head, so I just borrowed her wings to sit on!
“Come down quickly!
Get down, get down here.”
I was so fed up with
Lucas’s bad behavior that I pulled him up. My Angel Eonni was so beautiful and
had really big wings, so there was enough room for 2 people. Lucas looked at me
in confusion and let me pull him up, but when he shifted his hips to the side,
I lost my balance.
"Urgh!"
I didn't let out a
cute little scream like 'Kyaa!', a scream that a protagonist in a fictional
story would use. But, Lucas caught me as I lost my balance.
"Careful."
He whispered right
next to my ear, his voice hoarse and low. I turned my head, stunned. But, I
shouldn't have done that. The moment my eyes locked with the red eyes staring
back at me, I became even more uncomfortable in my seat.
I gently pulled my
hand out of Lucas' grasp and said,
"I-I won't get
hurt even if I fall."
"Yeah, but the
ground will get hurt."
This guy!? I think
he's trying to get out of his usual character and help me.
"That's not what
I meant, can't I use magic before I fall to the ground?"
"Yeah, what I
meant is that your magic will hurt the ground."
"That's not what
I meant!"
"Then, what do
you mean?"
Unfortunately, I gave
up on arguing with Lucas. I glared at him, but he just looked at me with a
condescending gaze, as if he wanted to say something. I moved the corner of my
mouth for a moment, then turned my head forward with a pout.
"Are you
pouting?"
Lucas asked and
looked at me with an amused laugh.
"I'm not
pouting."
"If you're not,
look over here."
But, I really wasn't
pouting. The young ladies and gentlemen were still chatting, creating a harmonious
'haha' and 'hoho' scene. I cleared my throat and said,
"I've named the
animal you gave me."
"What's its
name?"
"Knox."
"Heol*."
T/N: A slang word
used to show surprise or disbelief at something.
Right at that moment,
Lucas turned his head towards me, and his face hardened.
"Who are you?
You're not Athanasia, right? Tell me who you are."
"What do you
mean?"
"Because the
Athanasia I know doesn't have such a cool naming sense."
"Hey, don't
underestimate my naming sense!"
Argh, I'm speechless,
really!
"So, you really
gave it that name? Then, didn't your naming ability suddenly evolve, from what
was Blackie and Bluie?"
"Why, cool? Are
you surprised? Are you amazed?"
Ahem, that was the
name I worked so hard on! The Leprechaun-Baum hybrid that Lucas gave me had
black fur like the night sky and blue eyes like the dawn. So, after days of
deliberation, I named it Knox which means 'night'. Wow, praise me more! I'm
different! I'm not the same me anymore!
"Do you like
it?"
"I already gave
it a name, isn't that how it should be?"
"You like the
name, and also the dog."
"He's not a
dog."
"He looks like a
dog, so there's no harm in it."
Ugh, Claude and
Lucas, why do they both define my pet's identity as a dog?
“In the future, when
something happens, don’t keep it to yourself, but carry it and play with it.”
That made me
speechless and I kept staring at Lucas. What did he mean by that? Did he give
it to me on purpose because I looked depressed whenever I thought about
Blackie? Did he have that sensitive side to him? No, more importantly……
“You……”
I’m pretty sure he
likes me……?
“What?”
“No, nothing.”
Lucas looked at me
suspiciously with narrowed eyes, but I kept my mouth shut. The early summer sun
shone down on us from overhead, and for some reason, I blushed a little.
***
“Zenith, would you
like to join me for a drink at the Emerald Palace this afternoon?”
“Ah…… I'm sorry,
Princess. I have an appointment today.”
Oops, I was rejected.
Zenith looked at me with an apologetic gaze and declined my invitation to have
a drink together. But, she already had another appointment, so it couldn’t be
helped. She had become very popular among the Young Ladies and Young Masters
lately. Here and there, they were shouting to invite her, or being invited by
her.
"Well, that's too
bad. But, it can't be helped if it can't be done."
I felt like an aunt
—no, like a mother…… looking at her grown-up child. But now, I felt that
Zenith's personality had become brighter than before because she had gotten
along with many people, and she seemed to have become more confident. In that
case, I thought it was a good thing for her, but on the other hand, I wondered
if it was because of my knitting magic, so I paid attention to her.
"Princess."
"Yes?"
"No…… It's
nothing."
What? What's wrong
with you?
Zenith looked like
she was about to say something, but then her words stopped and she smiled
wryly. She looked no different from before, but I couldn't be fooled.
"Well then, see
you later, Miss Magritta."
But, without asking
why, I immediately said goodbye to her. I watched her for a moment as she
walked across the flower-lined path, then she turned around. Hmm, I saw Zenith
going to the Sapphire Palace again today. I was also invited to have fun with
them, but I declined because I was too busy preparing for the Harvest Festival.
"Miss Magritta
seems busy lately. What a shame."
I narrowed my eyes
when I heard what Felix said next to me.
"Since long ago,
Felix has always been paying attention to Miss Magritta."
"Because she is
your friend, Princess."
So, that's what you
said. Back then, when the Albie tried to bring me closer to Izekiel and Zenith,
I fueled your own sense of rivalry by saying that you would be the right person
to be my friend. You even read books —studying all day to match your
intelligence with mine! So now, why are you trying to bring Zenith and me
together?
"Hm? Princess,
what's wrong?"
I stared at Felix's
face for a moment, then I reached out to him. My palm touched his chest, and he
looked at me in confusion. Then, I cast a purification spell on him without
explanation.
"Ugh, what was
that? Why do I feel so light?"
Felix asked curiously
while feeling his body.
"Do you feel
anything else besides feeling lighter?"
"If you mean
other sensations, then... I'm not sure."
Felix looked
confused. Well, looking at his usual cheerful expression, it seemed like there
was nothing else wrong with him. I was too sensitive. But, this cleansing spell
would make you feel fresh, clean, and confident, just like any cosmetic
advertisement would say, so there was no harm in trying it.
"If you feel
stiff and suddenly get in a bad mood, just tell me."
"Ah, is this
some kind of mind and body circulation spell? Lately, my body has been feeling
heavy and tired."
"Hmm, something
like that."
"I'm impressed
that the Princess is taking such good care of this little Felix."
Ke-Keugh. It was
nothing, but his eyes were sparkling so brightly that I couldn't help but shrug
my shoulders.
"Let's go."
"Yes,
Princess!"
After his body was
cleaned, Felix looked livelier than before, and he even walked very briskly.
Seeing him like that made me wonder, should I have cast a cleansing spell on
him earlier? Yes, from now on, Felix will be cleansed once a day! Shaking my
head to myself, I headed towards the Emerald Palace.
***
"Miss Lilian,
isn't it tough? Just leave it to me."
"Today, I dueled
with knights for the first time in a long time. It was very refreshing."
"Princess,
please order this little Felix to do whatever you want in the future."
Maybe it was because
of the purification spell I used on Felix every day, but Felix had been flying
high like a bird (too excited) lately. Just in case, I asked Lucas to check it,
but he said that purification magic helps the body to purify itself, so it's
okay to use it every day because there won't be any side effects even if the
purification magic accumulates.
I know that because
I've used it on myself too, and it feels really refreshing afterward. It's like
taking a throat lozenge and feeling like, 'Hwaa!' or like applying a paste and
feeling like, 'Pah!'. I feel like that's the easiest way to describe it, but
whatever!
"Princess, I've
started studying again after a long time."
I felt a little
doubtful when I saw Felix who had changed, he seemed to have undergone
rejuvenation and some levels became younger looking.
“As I get older, my
head feels heavier, and I get tired more easily than before, making it hard for
me to find free time to improve myself. But, lately, my body feels lighter and
my mind is clearer……”
This is strange.
Purification magic shouldn’t work this well, it’s not a cure-all, it just
relieves fatigue or improves mood temporarily.
“So, recently I
started reading the holy scriptures of the Holy Saikansia Empire as a hobby.”
But, it was clear
that Felix was much more energetic than a few days ago, he was babbling
excitedly about what he had been doing lately. I didn’t realize it, but now I
could see the difference from before… Is it because we’ve been seeing each
other every day? I just thought that he would be like usual, but not like this!
He’s come alive, like wilted grass that turns green after the rain!
“Princess, that
purification spell, can you use it on me? I wonder how it feels.”
When Felix said that,
Hannah seemed to be curious about the effects of the purification spell. It
wasn't that hard, so I cast the spell on Hannah.
"Hmm, this is
strange."
Hannah's eyes
immediately widened after that. Hannah had the same tiger energy as Felix, but?
"Did it
work?"
"No, it was just
so-so!"
Keugh! Hannah said as
she looked at me curiously,
"Ah, is that
so?"
"Yes. I mean, I
did feel refreshed for a moment, but I didn't feel as energetic as a foal
learning to run as Sir Robane."
Ha-Hannah, so that's
what you think of Felix. Although, it's true that he's been overly energetic
lately, and has been running from east to west.
"Seth, come here
for a moment."
"What's
wrong?"
"Princess, could
you cast the same spell on Seth?"
Of course, it wasn't
hard. I cast a purification spell on Seth who had just entered the room.
"I'm not sure, I
just feel a little more refreshed?"
But, she also could
only shake her head.
"That's strange.
Maybe it's because Hannah and Seth are still young."
"That could
be."
Drak, kwangg!
Just then, I heard
something heavy hit the floor next to me. I turned and saw Felix slumped in
front of the tea table, his shoulders drooping. I had just asked him to move
the table to the other side.
"Yes, age…… Also
can't lie, I'm almost 40 years old…..."
Ugh, we suddenly
remembered the conversation we just had and I immediately gasped. I-Is this
factual violence?! We were just talking normally! I didn't expect him to be
this shocked because usually, Claude would just snort when I talked about age
with him.
"N-No! How old
are you, Felix? You're still young! It's just that Hannah and Seth are younger
than you."
"That's right!
Sir Robane is still in his prime."
"That's right,
Sir Robane."
"You don't have
to comfort me like that."
However, Felix was
already depressed, and it seemed like our words couldn't comfort him. His
shoulders were already drooping —entering a melancholic mode, unlike before.
A-Are you feeling a little upset?
"Princess, would
you mind if I take a short break? I was fine until a few minutes ago, but I've
gotten older and suddenly my legs started to hurt."
"O-Okay."
"Maybe I should
look for some health supplements, or maybe yongbongtang* to maintain my
health."
T/N: A healthy
food usually enjoyed by the Royal Family and high-ranking nobles. That's
because the ingredients of yongbongtang are very expensive. It's said to be
good for increasing stamina.
"Yo-Yongbongtang?"
"I don't want to
bother other people, so as I get older, I should take care of myself."
With that, Felix
turned around and started walking towards the door unsteadily.
"I don't think
I've ever seen Sir Robane look so gloomy."
"D-Did I say
something wrong?"
"I think
so."
We stood side by side
in cold sweat, watching his back slowly move away.
***
"Dad, don't be
so frustrated. Cheer up!"
Claude's eyebrows
rose asymmetrically when I suddenly entered his office. I was in a sharp
reflection after the incident with Felix. So, I said to Claude,
"I think, all
this time I've been very ungrateful to you, Dad. I'm a bad daughter."
"What do you
mean?"
It seems, all this
time I've been annoying him because I often nag him to exercise, no I mean, I
do that because I'm worried about Claude! Also, I often say things like 'Dad is
getting old' or 'I don't think Dad is still young' to him. At that time, I felt
annoyed that he didn't take care of himself, but after seeing what happened to
Felix, I think I was too harsh on him. He must have been very shocked and
upset, and I can't imagine how Claude could be like that. Moreover, Claude is
older than Felix!
"Getting old is
a natural phenomenon that can't be avoided, but all this time I've been saying
it too harshly, haven't I?"
That thought suddenly
touched my heart. I walked over, held his hand tightly and said,
"I don't want
you to cluck like a sick chicken with eye bags like that, and it's natural that
last year was different from the year before, and this year is different from
last year. But, all this time I've been inconsiderate of your position."
"What..."
"But don't
worry, Dad. You have me."
Claude's eyes widened
as I continued my words.
"Even when
you're too old to move, I'll always be there for you, Dad! So, stay with me for
the next 1 million years, until you need to be helped to eat and go to the
toilet..."
"Who blew such
useless wind* at you? Is it Felix?"
T/N: Proverb for
'talking nonsense'.
Dugum!
The aura emanating
from Claude's body quickly became fierce.
"N-No, it's not
just because of Felix..."
"Felix!"
However, Claude had
already called out to Felix who was standing outside. As usual, the door opened
when he called him.
"Yes, Your
Majesty."
"I'm sure you
know why I called you."
Claude's cold gaze,
which seemed to say, 'Do you know what your sins are?' made Felix fall silent.
I was just as confused as Felix. No, why are you doing this to Felix who is
depressed?
"Dad, Felix did
nothing wrong! It was just me who..."
"Forgive me,
Your Majesty. I am guilty and deserve death!"
Felix suddenly knelt
in front of Claude and began to apologize.
"I sinned by
forgetting my place (position) and fulfilling my own selfish desires, even
dying a hundred times would not be enough to apologize!"
W-What? I'm confused,
why is Felix apologizing? At first, I thought he was just apologizing because
Claude was in a bad mood, so whatever it is, just say sorry and get out of this
situation! I thought it was a conditional reflexive apology, but somehow it
doesn't feel like it. I-It's like we've caught a rat in a puddle, and you're
being accused of acting in your own self-interest. What have you done that you
feel you deserve all this? Hmph! Felix, I don’t think you would accept bribes
or steal the Empire’s money secretly, right? Because Felix couldn’t possibly do
that!
However, Felix’s
behavior made the atmosphere even worse, and even I became serious. The guilty
expression on Felix’s face told me that this was not normal. It seemed that
Claude also didn’t expect Felix to be like this. Claude’s eyebrows furrowed and
he looked at Felix suspiciously.
“Alright, if you know
what sin you’ve committed, then tell me about it out loud.”
It seemed that Claude
didn’t know what was going on with Felix, but he didn’t show it and he waited
patiently for an answer. However, the tension in the room was broken by Felix’s
words.
“Yongbongtang, the
precious yongbongtang, I spent it all by myself……! I should have told Your
Majesty before I put it in my mouth, but I was short-sighted!”
Yong-Yongbongtang?
The unexpected words that came out of Felix’s mouth made me speechless. Last
time, when you said that you would try to get yongbongtang to maintain your
health, you actually did it!
It seemed that Claude
was also surprised.
"Yongbongtang?"
“Lately, I’ve been
feeling weak, so I thought about buying some herbs from the East to nourish
myself. I didn’t expect Your Majesty to be so furious…… No, that’s not it. Of course,
Your Majesty, who is older than me, would have a harder time!”
At that moment,
Claude’s eyebrows twitched.
“Compared to Your
Majesty, my hardships must be nothing but a drop of blood. How foolish of me to
not think of that. I’ve made a mistake! Please punish me!”
Fe-Felix! This is
dangerous! I was choked by the aura emanating from Claude’s body. However, it
seemed like Felix didn’t notice it because he was too busy feeling sorry for
himself.
Soon after that, a
pouting voice came out of Claude’s mouth.
“So, do you like the
taste of the yongbongtang that you secretly ate?”
“No! They brought it
from the East and said that it didn’t suit the tastes of the Obelians, and that
was true. As soon as I bit into it, it was extremely fishy and disgusting. But
I still forced myself to eat it because I thought it was medicine…… However, I
felt nauseous for 3 days afterward.”
"Yes, it's
disgusting."
However, after saying
that, Felix added that he regretted eating it because he felt nauseous. And from
the way he said it, it seemed like he thought that Claude was interested in
yongbongtang.
“Ah, but basically, a
miracle drug does taste bad. So, if Your Majesty can tolerate it, it will be
good enough for you……”
“Felix Robane, you
must eat that yongbongtang every day for the next month. This is an order.”
“What?”
“If you don’t obey it
for even one day, then I will punish you with something even more terrible.”
And then, we were
told to leave by Claude whose mood had dropped drastically. I was sure that I
came here to cheer him up, but it seemed like I put him in an even worse mood
than usual, didn’t I? Then, I turned to the side, and I stopped panicking
because I saw Felix’s face shining with emotion.
“His Majesty cares
about my health so much that he was so kind and told me to consume
yongbongtang……!”
U-Uhhh? I-I don’t
think so? Didn’t Claude just say, ‘If you don’t obey it for even one day, then
I will punish you with something even more terrible’? Not just, ‘terrible
punishment’ but ‘punishing you with something even more terrible’, meaning that
ordering you to eat yongbongtang is a form of punishment itself! Ughh.
“I, little Felix will
continue to be loyal to His Majesty with all my heart!”
Even so, Felix was
already moved so I couldn’t pour cold water (reality) on him. No, I mean, even
if I said it, he definitely wouldn’t hear it…… By the way, was this a happy
ending for everyone? In the end, Claude punished Felix as he wished, and Felix
accepted it happily —he thought of it as a reward…… Keugh. Together with Felix,
I walked away from the scene with wide eyes.
***
“Oh my, so that’s
what happened?”
That night, when Lily
heard my story, she covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. It seemed like
she found today’s incident funny. Come to think of it, I also found it funny,
so I laughed along with her.
“So, Felix said that
starting tomorrow he will eat yongbongtang every day.”
“Then, from now on we
don’t need to make a portion of food for him in the Emerald Palace.”
I looked at Lily’s
smiling face and gently said to her.
“Doesn’t Lily want to
get married?”
My question surprised
her, and she stopped tidying up my blanket and turned to look at me.
“I’m fine, so if you
find someone, just get married.”
This had been
bothering me for some time, I wondered if Felix, Lily, and the others were
still alone because of me? Of course, when I told them this, they told me that
I didn’t need to worry about it because it wasn’t like that…… In fact, when I
was little, I used to think that there was a possibility that Felix and Lily
would get married, but that never happened. In Obelia, Felix was also known as
the Red Blood Knight…… Mmm. Anyway, since he was a famous knight with that
title, and Lily also had the position of my personal maid —she should be able
to meet and marry a good person whenever she wanted, but I wonder if I’ve taken
away their freedom?
But as usual, Lily
just smiled sweetly.
"Marriage never
crossed my mind, because what I want to do the most is to take care of you, my
Princess."
Yes, Lily sounded
like Felix now, but I still felt bad for her. In fact, even as I said this, I
thought about myself wanting her to stay by my side and not go anywhere.
"If I could have
a child that looked like Lily, I would say yes."
If Lily had her own
biological child, she would be a very good mother, just like she was to me now.
"My child is
you, Princess. And that is enough for me."
I wonder, is it
because I am a naughty girl that I feel happy with what Lily always says?
"Actually, I
also feel that you are my Mother."
"I'm sure Lady
Diana will be sad to hear that."
"Yes, that's why
I have 2 Mothers. I am very lucky. Right?"
As I said that and
smiled, Lily stopped moving for a moment, and then she stroked my hair with a
gentle hand. Her eyes watered a little, and I smiled wider than she did.
***
"Doesn't that
seem weird to you?"
I sat on the branch
of a flowering tree, observing the people below, and turned to Lucas who was
next to me.
"They're
definitely not normal."
Lucas agreed with my
question somewhat. I looked at Zenith —who was in the middle of the crowd, with
a slightly disturbed look.
"This is a gift
I carefully selected for you, Miss Magritta!"
Outside the Palace,
the Young Masters and Young Ladies were mingling together. I wasn't present at
today's picnic because I had attended a dinner at the Sapphire Palace the day
before. However, no matter how I looked at it, this wasn't a social event
between Young Masters and Young Ladies, but rather a gathering of Zenith fans.
At that time, another person came and gave something to Zenith. Of course,
there was nothing wrong with that in itself, but the point was that the
behavior of the people had changed drastically in the past few days. It could
be that they had begun to see Zenith's charm magic... That made me nervous.
Lucas, who had been
perched on the branch of a flowering tree with me, now moved towards where I
was looking. Immediately after that, he flashed me a rotten grin, as if he
found it rather ridiculous.
"To say that he
had a present to give, he had prepared such a poor present."
Was he referring to
the Young Master who had given something to Zenith a while ago?
"What did he
give her?"
"Something ugly
from an ugly person."
Isn't it a bit rude
to say that to someone you just met? What did the Young Master give Zenith? I
wondered, but then he shifted position, so I couldn't see it.
"What do you
want to do with that chimera?"
Lucas suddenly asked
me that, was it just a question or was there something deeper to it? From the
way he looked at me, he seemed to be saying, 'Do you want me to get rid of it
right now?'
"The weather is
so nice today, and look, the flowers are blooming."
"No matter how
pretty the flowers are, they can't compare to Miss Magritta's beauty."
I looked down at the
people enjoying their picnic down below.
"I guess it's
impossible to stay like this forever."
But, even as I said
that I knew that it was just my own greed. It would be nice if we could
continue our peaceful lives without having to come to any definite conclusions,
but…… That would mean nothing, other than a status quo that was neither hers
nor mine, and there was no way Zenith would be convinced by that.
"Well, it'll all
be over soon. So, don't worry too much."
"What? What do you
mean……"
"Come on, we
should go play too."
At that moment, Lucas
said something I didn't understand, so I wanted to ask him. But, before I could
finish my words, Lucas had already grabbed my hand.
"Aah,
wait!"
But as usual, that
moment only lasted for a moment. The next moment, I stepped into the air while
holding Lucas' hand. Flower petals fell from the flowering tree we were sitting
on.
"Oh my God,
there must be a bird perched there."
I saw flowers flying
in the air and heard whispers from below.
"I mean, give a
warning first before doing it!"
"Why are you
like that? Like an amateur."
Of course, Lucas and
I had done this before, floating... Or should I say, walking on air? Besides, I
had walked on air before, so I wasn't too surprised. Lucas probably knew that
too, so he just snorted when he heard my criticism.
"But, where are
you going?"
For some reason, I
felt suspicious of the direction he was heading.
"Didn't you say
earlier that you wanted to get closer to the lake?"
"No, not really,
but... Aargh!"
Lucas took my hand
and we started walking towards the middle of the lake! The lake looked
beautiful, sparkling like a silver tray in the sunlight, but it wasn't like I
wanted to see it up close like this!
"Are you scared
to death?"
Lucas looked at me
and said in an amused tone. And at that moment, I was stunned. Ugh, walking on
air earlier, and now on water!
"T-This isn't
good."
Of course, I knew how
to swim, but that was about it, and I didn’t want to fall into the water. From
a distance, the lake didn’t look that big, but once I landed in the middle of
it, I felt like I was floating in the middle of nowhere. Earlier, when I was
floating in the air, I was still holding hands with Lucas, but then, he went
down first and floated above the water, and then he looked up and smiled at me.
Of course, it was a sneer.
“That’s a very new
posture. If you’re trying to be funny, then you succeeded. I wish I could break
this invisibility spell and show them.”
“If you break this
spell, you’ll die!”
I glanced down at where
Lucas was standing. I-It seemed safer than I thought……
“You’re not going to
just leave me like that, are you?”
“Why would I leave
you?”
Lucas snorted as if
he didn’t care.
“We were just walking
on air. Wouldn’t it be better to walk on water than on something that doesn’t
exist?”
I-Is that so? The
thin-eared (easily persuaded) me was immediately tempted. Besides, I had just
walked on air, so there was no reason for me not to walk on water. Finally, I
followed Lucas' instructions and stepped onto the surface of the water.
"Ooohh, it
worked, I did it!"
Immediately after, I
exclaimed happily. Then, I got a look from Lucas who asked me to look at it.
"The water is
like jelly!"
It felt different
from walking on air —it felt weird, like stepping on rubber. And every time I
walked, I felt the bottom of my feet shaking.
"Don't you feel
like you're standing on pudding right now?"
"I'm pretty sure
you're going to eat it."
This kid!? Lucas
chuckled and waved his hand in the air, making me flinch from being too scared.
"This is
especially for you, Greedy Princess."
And I could only be
stunned and watch what was happening in front of me. First, a round tea table
appeared, and then a pure white tablecloth appeared that covered the table.
Then, round plates, forks, and glasses appeared out of thin air, dancing before
my eyes.
Chararak.
This time, a 3-tier
dessert tray appeared on the tablecloth. I watched in awe as the colorful,
beautiful desserts began to fill it; not only that, but the table was also
filled with various cakes, puddings, sweets, jams, and other foods that were
usually served during tea time. A teapot appeared out of nowhere, moving by
itself to pour fragrant liquid into the teacups, and beside it, sugar bowls and
teaspoons appeared.
Next, pink flowers
began to bloom spontaneously in the crystal vase in the center of the table.
The light yellow petals scattered on the white tablecloth. The next thing I
knew, I was sitting in front of the table.
"W-What is
this?"
I was completely
shocked. Ah, no! Since when did I sit on the chair? I don't even remember when
I sat here, I just stood there and watched all this with a blank stare. A
luxurious tea table in a situation like this was really unrealistic. Even
though I couldn’t shake off this shock, Lucas still acted casually.
“You’ve never been to
a Tea Party before? You’ve always done it with other people.”
“This is totally
different from that!”
I couldn’t believe he
said that I always did this with other people! How could he see it that way?
Right now we were really on the water. As I sat across from Lucas who was on
the other side of this tea table in the middle of the lake, once again, I was
speechless.
“This is a bit
crazy.”
I looked around and
muttered in a daze. Mom, I’ve never seen something so innovative in my life!
I’ve never walked on water in my life and I never imagined it, but now, I’m
actually being served drinks on water?
"Just think of
this as a lesson. You should realize that your abilities are still at a low
level."
Lucas, who still
occasionally taught me magic, finally said something. I wondered if this was an
inevitable gap between me and an Archmage, like the gap between a conglomerate
that had existed for generations and a farmer who suddenly became rich after
winning the lottery. Even though this was my second life and I could now use
magic, my brain still hadn't left the category of an ordinary person. But
unlike me, Lucas could always do things that I never thought of.
Hehehe. I glanced at
the table in front of me, still in a daze, admiring the majesty of the desserts
on this table. Lucas had already picked up his teacup and was sipping tea.
"But the one
next to it, that's a bit annoying."
"That one is so
sensitive, you hurt its feelings."
I glanced nervously
at the paper doll beside me. I assumed that the doll was a substitute for a
maid or butler who would watch over the tea party, but why would you bother
making this when you could do it all yourself with magic? And, what's with that
bow tie around its neck? Looking at it, it's the same paper doll that was my
dance partner... Well, maybe not, but they do look pretty similar. Besides, do
you think I'll be fooled a second time?
"How funny. The
last time you said that, it couldn't understand people's words."
"That's an
upgraded version of Ann*. Look, now she's crying after hearing what you
said."
T/N: Maybe that's
the doll's name.
"Really?"
"Do you believe
that?"
I was a fool who got
fooled twice. Lucas giggled and crushed the paper doll next to me as I stared
at him with an annoyed look, but the scenery around us was too beautiful to
keep up the annoyance. For better or worse, Lucas, I don't think I'll ever get
tired of you.
"Wow, I can see
the fish swimming down there."
"Of course, it's
a lake."
"They won't jump
in here, right?"
"You want me to
get rid of them?"
"What get rid
of? Respect the ecosystem!"
Lucas and I enjoyed
the scenery around us. The surface of the water sparkled like jewels in the
shallow current. The shores of the lake were lined with white flowering trees that
made us feel like we were in paradise.
"This lake is
sparkling. It's beautiful."
But now, when I was
alone with Lucas, I somehow felt a little strange. Come to think of it, didn't
this feel like a date? No, no, this wasn't the first time I'd done something
alone with him, it was just that I was in a strange mood because of the
location.
"Yeah."
But, after my eyes
met Lucas's, he said,
"It sparkles
like your eyes."
While holding his
chin, Lucas slowly smiled at me and whispered. At that moment, I fell silent,
and I don't know why. Was I silent because Lucas made a gentle and affectionate
expression, an expression that didn't suit him? Or because what he just said
was something I had never even imagined? I blinked my eyes, somehow feeling
very embarrassed, and then I opened my mouth in a hurry.
"S-Stop saying
strange things and eat this!"
"I like watching
you eat."
But Lucas became even
more cheerful, as if he found my reaction funny, and intentionally became more
naughty. Finally, I, who was impatient, tried to force the cake into his mouth.
***
Shortly after, a
farewell party was held before the delegates returned to Arlanta.
"Her Highness
Princess Athanasia De Alger Obelia enters the Hall!"
I entered the Banquet
Hall accompanied by thunderous shouts.
"Sir Felix
Robane enters the Hall!"
Claude was scheduled
to arrive in the middle of the banquet, so Felix was my escort for the evening.
"You look very
charming today, Princess."
He complimented me
once again as we entered the Hall. It was a bit embarrassing, but I knew it. I
am very narcissistic, but my beauty, continues to increase with age, and I am
not kidding about this. Thanks to my Father and Mother who have passed on their
great genes to me!
Also, tonight is the
last party before the Arlanta delegates leave, so Seth and Hannah were very
eager to dress me up, not that I was late…… It's just that, I had just gotten
ready, and most of the people in the Hall were already well-behaved (arriving
early).
"Princess, you
look very beautiful today."
"If you don't
mind my request, would you please dance with me to the second song……"
Ugh, here we go
again.
I returned their
greetings with my usual smile. For now, we were just hanging out and chatting,
but after a while, we had to go to the dance floor and dance, I didn’t plan on
staying long at this banquet, so I would dance a bit with Felix, then leave.
“Felix, I apologize
for earlier.”
“No……”
However, despite his
words, his face was already red. That was because my dancing skills were still
similar to my debut days, not getting any better. Strangely, I often stepped on
my partner’s feet energetically whenever I was asked to dance. At least, it
didn’t look like it from the outside, right? Argh. Anyway, Felix would be my
sacrifice for today. Now, I thought to myself, there was no way Claude came
late to this banquet because he didn’t want to dance with me, right? If that
was true, then that would be a betrayal!
“I’m sure it won’t be
a problem for me. That’s because I’ve been eating healthy food and working hard
to take care of my body every day.”
A-Are you talking
about yongbongtang? But no matter how much benefit you get from yongbongtang,
your instep won't get thicker……
"So, take it
easy on stepping on my foot today!"
"I-I see."
Well, if you don't
mind that, then I won't say anything.
"Princess
Athanasia, may the prosperity of Obelia be with you."
"May the
blessings of glory and greatness bless the Little Sun of Obelia."
Right at that moment,
the Lily Girl approached me with her partner and greeted me. Ah, it seems like
it’s been a long time since I’ve seen her. Beside the Lily Girl was her
biological brother, the famous Young Master Flower.
“Helena, and Young
Master Elaine. It’s been a long time.”
“I haven’t seen you
in a long time, and I’ve missed you very much.”
The Lily Girl said
that she had caught a cold so she couldn’t leave the house for a while.
“Princess, you look
beautiful today.”
“Haha…… Thank you.
Young Master Elaine looks great today too.”
A halo shone behind
the Young Master Flower’s head. He did look very beautiful, befitting his
nickname. So, he was rather humble when he was praised for his appearance, like
now.
“How are you, Sir Red
Blood Knight?”
“Haha……”
Hearing the Lily Girl
call him by that nickname that had a dark history in front of him, Felix could
only laugh awkwardly.
“By the way, did
something interesting happen there?”
Following where her
gaze went, I saw a group of people gathered in a crowd, and in the middle of
the crowd was Zenith. Upon seeing that, Young Master Flower spoke up.
"It's Miss
Magritta."
"Oh my, amazing.
Miss Magritta is in the middle of it. Princess, it seems like a lot has
happened while I haven't left the Residence."
The Lily Girl and
Young Master Flower, who had not attended social events like this for a long time,
looked confused. That was understandable. Until the last hunting competition,
they had not expected to see something like this.
"Would you like
to come with me?"
"Sure."
Anyway, there was
nothing I could do until Claude arrived, so I left Felix and walked with them.
Along the way, I had to stop several times because many people wanted to talk
to me.
"Is everyone
having fun?"
As soon as they saw
me, they all greeted me. The beautiful girl who was in the middle of the crowd
consisting of old and young people gave me an apologetic look.
"Princess, may
the prosperity of Obelia be with you. I apologize, I should have gone to greet
you first."
There she is, it is
indeed Zenith.
"It seems like
you guys were just talking about something interesting."
"Yes, the others
have told me about this and that."
I smiled at Zenith
and quickly cast a purification spell on the crowd. This time, I had to use
this spell on several people at once —not just one person, which meant that
Zenith's charm magic radius was larger than before.
"Huh? Just now,
I felt something extraordinary."
"I felt like my
head suddenly became clear."
"That's strange,
is it just me?"
After my magic waves
circled them, the people gathered near Zenith began to mutter to themselves
here and there. Zenith shook her head at their reactions, wondering if they
didn't realize what they had done? Ah, so they didn't know. Unknowingly, I felt
a little relieved.
"His Majesty the
Emperor Claude De Alger Obelia enters the Hall!"
Just then, I saw
Zenith's blue eyes move towards the entrance. I studied her face for a moment,
then I started walking. Soon after, everyone bowed their heads toward Claude,
so I was able to pass by them as they stopped moving and I went straight to
Claude.
"Father*, you're here?"
T/N: Just wanted to share a piece of information.
Athi always addresses Claude in casual(?) language (quite informal), but on
some occasions, she will address Claude formally. This doesn't only happen in
the dialog, but also in her monologue. That's why I sometimes use the
translation 'Dad/Daddy' and sometimes 'Father'.
"Yeah."
Claude raised his
hand, and the banquet officially began. The music that had stopped for a while
started playing again.
"Princess."
Arghh, now it's my
turn to dance on the dance floor.
"I'll be
upstairs, so you can dance to your heart's content."
Aah, how annoying.
Even though you know that I don't like dancing, I nudged Claude's arm with
mine.
"If you don't
want to, I can dance with Father instead of you, Felix."
"No, thank
you."
But Claude replied to
my words with a rotten grin. I turned away —pursing my lips, I had failed to
free Felix spectacularly. But Felix had a dull look in his eyes as if he hadn't
expected it in the first place. And then, he spoke with strong determination.
"It's alright, I
will pay for the yongbongtang that Your Majesty has kindly provided for
me."
Hey, hey. Can you
stop speaking in such a determined tone? What am I that you are so tense as if
dancing with me is the same as being ordered to go to war and face a hundred
thousand troops? Hmph.
"Ugh!"
And in the end, I
often stepped on Felix's feet.
“I-It’s fine, it’s
still bearable. Besides, the yongbongtang’s efficacy is…… Argh!”
Also, unlike a few
years ago when I stepped carefully because I felt regretful, now I just went
with the flow. Over the years, my abilities had started to develop in a
slightly strange direction; even when I stepped on someone’s foot, I could move
to the next step naturally like flowing water, without straining or flinching!
Well, but that didn’t mean I was completely comfortable. I swear, to this day,
I feel really guilty about it. Mmmm.
Tak, tak, tak!
Anyway, I managed to
finish the dance in such a beautiful way that my dance teacher praised my
impressive performance.
“Good job, Felix.”
“No……”
As soon as the music
ended, I patted Felix’s arm. Where did the straight and sturdy figure from
before the dance go? He was limping along with a reddened face. It seemed like
eating the yongbongtang still didn’t work. Keugh.
“Are you done?”
No, what did you say?
It had been 5 minutes, 5 minutes that felt like 5 hours to Felix. Judging by
the way he sat on his throne with his jaw clenched, he stared listlessly at me
as I approached, he looked very sleepy. Hey, man. Why don't you dance with me?
Maybe it'll help you stay awake!
"Father, would
you dance with me?"
"I'll consider
it if you're unarmed."
Beside me, Felix
shook his head in disbelief at what had just happened. As I had suspected,
Claude didn't want his feet stepped on by me, so he passed the role to Felix.
“Your Majesty Emperor
Claude, and Her Highness Princess Athanasia.”
At that moment, Duke
Celloid approached.
"Thank you for
hosting such a grand farewell party for our delegation."
It seemed that he had
come to greet us on behalf of the delegation. Then, Duke Celloid rambled on at
length about how wonderful today's party had been, how relaxing and enjoyable
his time in Obelia had been, and how beneficial the diplomatic meeting between
the two countries had been. Claude, who had been listening to all those words
with an emotionless expression on his face, finally opened his mouth to say
just one sentence.
"Have fun until
the end."
No, I mean, this is a
farewell party for the delegates. So shouldn't you say this and that, just like
Duke Celloid did? But, this wasn't the first time the delegates had come, and
it seemed like they already knew what Claude was like. Maybe Duke Celloid also
knew that Claude was like this, so he just smiled and thanked him, then left.
However, before leaving, for some reason, he looked at me and pursed his lips.
"What a shame,
what a shame. No matter how you look at it, they are a couple made by
Heaven..."
He muttered those
words in a low voice, and I tensed up hearing them. You still haven't given up
on connecting me with your His Highness? But, it was all in vain. Tsk, tsk.
"Cheer up, Duke
Celloid. Things don't always go according to your wishes. Isn't that
right?"
Just then, the Albie
who came to greet Claude smiled triumphantly at Duke Celloid. Finally, Duke Celloid
became embarrassed. I looked at them and thought, 'They are really stupid'.
Then, I immediately ignored them.
“I’ll be here, you
can go and play by yourself.”
“Father, you must be
bored being alone, right?”
But Claude waved his
hand in the air and shooed me away. He must have done that on purpose because
if he stayed with me we would attract more attention from people. I couldn’t
believe it. I guess, it seemed like he was really exhausted today, so I was the
one who had to deal with the people. He just sat there silently, sitting with
his chin on his hand.
However, as I mingled
with the crowd, I suddenly saw Zenith forming a focal point with her charm
magic. I wonder, has her purification spell worn off? Just as I was starting to
feel strange about it, Felix whispered to me.
“His Majesty will be
leaving for a while.”
“Why?”
“He said, the Hall is
getting stuffy. Besides, the banquet is more or less over, so it should be fine
even without him. But, since the Princess is here, he will be back soon.”
Oh my, if you were
really tired, you didn't have to come back here. Even though I'm a few years
older than before, you still care about me like I'm a child who can't be left
on the beach. I don't need something like that. Are all fathers like that? Still,
it feels bad to be raised by Claude like this. Ouch. But, while I was talking
to Felix, Zenith disappeared. Or rather, where did she go? I thought about
checking on her since she seemed to be emitting a lot of magic power.
Instead of Zenith, it
was Izekiel who appeared in front of me.
"Young Master
Alphaeus."
When I approached him
and spoke first, Izekiel turned his head towards me, and immediately after, his
eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Princess
Athanasia. May the prosperity of Obelia be with you."
Your face is shining
again today. Yes, you are the most handsome man in this Empire.
"Do you know
where Miss Magritta is?"
"She felt unwell
during the banquet, so she went to the terrace to rest."
"Ah, is she
sick?"
"Just a slight
fever, nothing to worry about."
Wow, I wonder if it's
because of the excessive release of magical power? By the way, Izekiel knows
where Zenith is, that means he's been with her all this time, right? It seems
like he's been paying more attention to Zenith than before, so it's a good
thing for me to ask.
"Are you, by any
chance, on your way to Miss Magritta?"
"That's
right."
Immediately after
that, he turned and looked towards the terrace and saw a group of people who
had just entered it and said,
"But, I don't
think she'll mind if I'm not there."
Ah, there are a lot
of people where Zenith is now. Somehow, the curtains indicate that there are
people inside, so I wonder if I should go in there?
"I thought, the
Princess wanted to talk to me."
Izekiel said as he
handed the glass he was carrying to a passing servant. I wonder, should I cast
a purification spell on Izekiel?
"So it's because
of Zenith."
Oops. At that moment,
I panicked a little. I-I felt like I had accidentally teased Izekiel. And I was
at a loss for words because I was shocked by the nuances of his expectation and
disappointment.
"I know that
this is a silly thing to say."
I looked at Izekiel
who was laughing, a little bitterly.
"I am a little
jealous of Zenith."
It felt strange to me
to see a man who seemed so perfect in every way seem to be jealous of someone
else.
"No, I am not
only jealous of Zenith, but I am jealous of everyone who has ever entered your
Palace."
I couldn't put into
words what emotions I was feeling right now.
In <Lovely
Princess>, the male protagonist, Izekiel, and the female protagonist,
Zenith, are depicted as flawless people. So, they seemed to be always happy
—just like in a fairy tale.
"Is it too much
for me to ask you to accept me as one of your people?"
Perhaps, this was a
similar feeling to what I felt when I first saw the human side of Claude, the
cold Emperor in this novel. I thought I was fully aware of the reality of where
I was standing right now, but perhaps in my mind, I still saw Izekiel and
Zenith as the male and female protagonists in a book.
"That's not the
expression I wanted to see."
Izekiel smiled at me.
But, it was a smile that hid his true feelings.
"Princess, I
would love to make you smile. But, it's not easy for me."
After saying that, he
extended his hand to me.
"If you don't
mind my request, would you grant me the honor of being your second dance
partner?"
This was my second
dance request, after Felix. Actually, I had always avoided Izekiel all this
time, but now I was hesitant to refuse him.
At that moment, I
heard a commotion around me.
Hmm? What's going on?
As I began to question myself, Izekiel's gaze slid behind me.
"Unfortunately,
Princess already has an appointment with me."
A tickling bass voice
entered my ears, and I reflexively turned my head towards the warmth that was
holding my hand. Then, my mouth dropped open in surprise when I saw the face I
saw.
"Lu……!"
I could barely hold
myself back from shouting his name. Lucas! Why are you here? And what is that
appearance?
"You
are..."
Izekiel narrowed his
eyes at the man holding my hand. And for good reason, suspicion flashed in his
eyes. The person now standing beside me was the adult version of Lucas.
"Then, Princess.
Please grant me the honor of your second dance partner."
After that, he kissed
the back of my hand. I froze, and then I was led by the adult version of Lucas
to walk to the center of the Hall. As soon as I got there, the music had
already started.
"What are you
doing?"
Everyone in the Hall
turned to the two of us, whispering to each other. I also whispered to Lucas
who was holding my hand very intimately.
"Why did you
suddenly appear with an adult appearance like this and scare everyone
else?"
"I thought
something fun would happen today, so I took a risk."
In the midst of all
the attention, Lucas acted nonchalant, in fact, he seemed very relaxed. Anyone
who saw him would definitely think that he was an idol of this era who was used
to receiving attention from many people!
"If I came here
as a kid, then he wouldn't be looking at me with such annoyance."
Keugh. Now that I
think about it, the teenage version of Lucas is a bit shorter than Izekiel. So,
you didn't want Izekiel to look down on you for your height, so you appeared in
your original form. Does that make sense? By the way…… I've never seen Lucas
dressed this formally. But, there's a problem, there have been a lot of people
looking at Lucas with fascinated faces since earlier. Besides, I felt awkward
when I held hands with Lucas and danced with him.
"Oh, come to
think of it, why haven't I ever stepped on your feet?"
Suddenly I realized
that and exclaimed, Lucas smiled shyly at me.
"Because I'm not
like all of them."
With one sentence
from Lucas, all my dance partners who had sacrificed their insteps for me
instantly became meaningless. No matter if he was a mini version, a teenager,
or an adult, Lucas was still Lucas. Oh, but this is strange…… Why can't I look
him in the eye now?
"Oh, yeah...
Zenith was acting a little strange earlier. For some reason, she seemed to be
emitting a lot of magical power..."
I brought up Zenith
because I noticed Lucas leaning too close to me.
"Really?"
"Is it really
okay to leave her like that?"
A moment later, a
voice in my ear made me pause, speechless.
"Why are you
paying attention to that chimera instead of me?"
Our gazes met, and
his red eyes shone darkly.
"I came here
with the appearance you like."
"W-Who would
like it!?"
Ugh, I don't know
what's going on with his words and behavior lately. Do you think it's funny to
lift me up and down* like this? Is it funny?
T/N: Flattering/teasing
until the other person feels happy, then the other person will be brought down
with cold words/facts.
"I like the mini
version of you the most, I don't like the adult version of you the most!"
When he became the
adult version, he made me nervous. Even now, I'm worried whether my hands are
sweaty because we're holding hands, or whether my expression right now looks
ridiculous……
"Okay, let's
just say that."
"Not 'let's just
say that', but 'it's like that'!"
But, it seemed like
Lucas didn't listen to my words. And in the end, Lucas and I danced to 3 songs
in a row. Ugh, I've never given so many dances to 1 person in my life!
"But, don't you
hate dancing?"
"Of course, I
hate it."
Then, why don't you
let me go!? Lucas seemed to think for a moment as if he also realized the
strangeness of his behavior, and soon, I had no choice but to fall silent as he
turned to me.
"But, it's
really fun doing this with you."
I had noticed it
since our first meeting, but, even as an adult, Lucas still had a very
beautiful face when he smiled. Oh, my God. I always thought that Izekiel's
handsomeness could stab me at my weakest point, but it turns out that Lucas's
adult handsomeness was enough to paralyze me. Well, as long as you're happy,
I'll gladly sacrifice my legs for that smile of yours! I felt like I had to say
something.
"Wow, who's that
hot guy?"
"Seeing him
together with the Princess, both of them really look amazing. I've never seen
him before, which family is he from?"
"I don't know
how someone with that build has never been seen before..."
The chatter around us
grew louder as they debated Lucas' identity.
"It's a bit
noisy around here."
It's because of you!
I was a little
surprised by Lucas’s bluntness. However, what Lucas was talking about wasn’t
something that happened inside this Hall.
Brak!
“Huh?”
Just then, a rough
flow of magical power touched my senses.
“What is that?”
This familiar yet
slightly unfamiliar wave of magical power…… I looked around, but the others
were still staring at Lucas and me —as if they didn’t feel anything. They all
looked confused as the two of us suddenly stopped moving.
“What the heck? I
came to the Banquet Hall, but it didn’t happen here, but outside.”
Lucas muttered
something annoyed, but there was a nuance in his tone that suggested that he
had expected this to happen.
“It can’t be helped.
Then, should we go?”
However, before I
could ask, Lucas had already grabbed my hand and held it tightly.
Hwaakkk.
And then, the scene I
saw had changed.
“Lie…… That’s a lie!”
Then, I could see Zenith screaming in front of Claude.
***
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