Chapter: 33
The deep blue eyes looking down at me were as indifferent and cold as their color.
If someone who didn’t know the circumstances had met that gaze, they would have been so scared that they instinctively took a step back.
But I remained calm, facing those eyes with ease.
I understood too well what kind of personality Joy Partran had.
At first glance, Joy appeared to be the perfect antagonist noblewoman right out of a romance novel.
She had sharp eyes and a tall stature, with slightly curly blonde hair often referred to as a “roll bun.”
With an exquisite beauty that seemed like it could prick you if touched, she was truly a proper lady of the duke’s family.
However, her inner self was quite different.
Contrary to the many dreadful rumors surrounding the Partran Ducal Family, they were nothing but an ordinary family.
Joy, who had grown up under a father who was gruff but cared for his daughter and a nagging mother, was just an extremely ordinary girl at heart.
Her character description had also said as much.
It stated she had the appearance of a villainess noblewoman but the spirit of a timid high school girl.
Soul Academy players dubbed her the “Airhead Young Lady” because although she had remarkable abilities, her easily rattled and panicking nature often led her to forget her own skills in the heat of the moment.
“It’s been a while since we met.”
The instant I heard her dull and overbearing tone, I couldn’t help but admire her inwardly.
Seeing her beyond the monitor, I had thought that the setting of her striking fear in everyone outside her close friends was a bit too exaggerated.
Sure, Joy’s looks might mislead one into thinking she was a bad person, but was it really reasonable for her to be feared?
However, after meeting her in reality, I could understand that setting.
Her voice. Her gaze. Her demeanor. She exuded an air of superiority as if it was completely natural to crush others beneath her.
Even I, who knew the backstory, felt myself shrink back slightly; anyone unaware would have probably bowed their head in fear upon seeing Joy.
“Did you come to visit Tierra Mars?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“I heard the rumors and came looking, but this garbage of a place only allows reserved guests to enter.”
Joy’s lips hardened into a straight line after catching Lucy’s translated words, which had come out as “mesugaki.”
At first glance, it seemed like Lucy’s rude comment might have irked her, but I doubted it.
Joy had a few shallow, silly friends at school—much like the saintly woman whom we would meet soon—who displayed a nurturing spirit, but Joy wasn’t someone who would get angry or even annoyed over trivial matters.
After all, would the Airhead Young Lady, who had let her friend take her crush away yet still wished her happiness in front of her while weeping privately, really get upset over such a comment?
That expression she wore was likely just a bitter smile.
If one looked closely, her lips seemed to curve up slightly.
“Did you not know it was reservation only?”
“Yeah…”
“Yeah, I just heard the rumors. I had no idea it was such a rude place.”
I was terrified to speak due to Lucy’s mesugaki skill.
I had no idea how my ordinary words would be twisted.
So far, whatever I had blurted out hadn’t caused too much trouble.
The servants were too bound by their status to speak any words,
Benedict laughed off anything I said,
And the knights shrugged it off as nothing much compared to what they’d heard on the battlefield.
But now, it was different.
Joy wasn’t beneath me, nor was she someone who’d laugh it off no matter what I said.
If I acted rudely, that rudeness would come back to bite me in the form of Joy’s wrath.
I didn’t want to be hated by a character I loved.
I might have once said that being criticized wasn’t so bad, but that was purely a joke.
Who on Earth would find joy in being despised by someone they like?
At least not me!
I should definitely avoid mentioning Joy’s name.
Let’s not even call her “Young Lady.”
I couldn’t even figure out what to refer to her as, given that I had a habit of calling Benedict “silly father.”
If we overlook the title part, I could manage being a bit of a brat; Joy would probably just let it slide with a smirk.
Thank goodness it was mandatory to use polite language in this position.
Had I blurted out something like “Hey! Useless!” to the noble Young Lady, the consequences could’ve been disastrous.
“It’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. Rules are rules.”
“It’s my fault for not checking properly.”
“Even if you didn’t check, this place is incredibly arrogant.”
Joy being here meant that she also had plans to visit Tierra Mars, right?
Seeing her not panic when I mentioned reservations suggested she must have made one beforehand.
That ticket she was tightly clutching in her right hand—was that the reservation slip?
I envied her. I’d been longing to taste the food at Tierra Mars, knowing that the rarely expressive heroine flashed a smile while there.
It was a shame, but what could be done?
Even a noble Young Lady like her was wrong for entering a reserved place empty-handed.
Next time, I should make a reservation before coming back.
Then where should I dine?
What about that cake shop I always visited when going on dates with the characters in Soul Academy?
It was the place where my affection improved so much just by inviting someone that people joked about something being in the cake.
Going there to uncover the identity of the affection-boosting cake seemed like it could be amusing.
The idea of heading out for dessert even before the main meal made me hesitate, but as long as it tastes good, who cares, right?
Having made such a decision, I tore my eyes away from the ticket and looked up to bid farewell.
In that moment, Joy’s rigid gaze locked onto mine.
Why is she looking at me with such a scary expression?
I know she’s not angry, but it still feels a bit prickly, you know?
“Lady Arlen.”
“Yeah?”
“Is something the matter?”
“…Would you like to join me for a meal?”
What?
*
Joy was internally screaming as she stared at Lucy Arlen, who was sitting across from her with a sulky face.
What was I thinking?
Why did I just invite Lady Lucy to have a meal?
I had been eagerly anticipating tasting the food at Tierra Mars, so why did I have to sneak Lucy into that delightful experience like a complete idiot?
But back then, it was beyond my control.
Lucy had sulked about not being able to enter the restaurant, then kept staring at the ticket in my hand.
How was I supposed to act when the porcupine’s radar had picked up my ticket?
What if I just left her behind and went in?
She would have thought I was bragging right in front of her!
If I pretended to ignore her and entered, I’d probably have earned an even greater grudge!
Joy didn’t want to earn Lucy’s disdain.
It was terrifying… sure, but that wasn’t the only reason.
After all, Joy was the noble Young Lady of the Partran family, so Lucy couldn’t really cause her any harm.
So then, what made me hesitant about Lucy was her attitude.
Ordinary people found it challenging to deal with Joy.
She was the Young Lady of the Partran family, and her intimidating appearance certainly contributed to that.
Excluding friends and family she had known since childhood, most people tended to treat her with a certain type of kindness.
It wasn’t that there were no exceptions, but certainly no one, like Lucy, outright displayed hostility.
Joy still remembered that first encounter with Lucy even after several years.
She remembered that day when Lucy was so small and beautiful it seemed like a living doll that had caught her attention.
Then she recalled, “Why are you talking to me, you pathetic loser?”
That haughty gaze that made it feel even though Joy was looking up at her, Lucy was somehow looking down on her.
“Do you think I’d be scared by a pathetic loser just because you’re bigger?”
Later, after figuring out what had happened, Benedict came along with Lucy to apologize, but Joy couldn’t ever forget that day.
It was her first time experiencing such direct animosity and insult.
Eventually, she would come to realize that it was better when people were more straightforward.
However, looking back—with today being different—Joy noticed that Lucy was unusually quiet.
That was strange.
Though it might be rude to say it this way, Lucy was typically far from being quiet.
She appeared as if she was always seeking to upset at least one more person, and she was the epicenter of chaos.
Yet today was different.
Lucy sat quietly, waiting for the food to be served.
Though she glanced around, observing others eating, that was all there was to it.
That silence was both awkward and intriguing, but Joy refrained from pointing it out.
There was no need to light the fuse of a time bomb that was sitting still.
“It’s an appetizer soup.”
As time passed in silence, a servant brought the first dish.
Though the servant babbled something while presenting the soup, Joy didn’t listen closely.
As long as it tasted good, it was fine.
Studying was hard enough; she didn’t need to study food too.
Once the servant left, Joy picked up her spoon and took a bite, her eyes sparkling in surprise at the deliciousness.
The gentle smoked aroma spread as soon as it entered her mouth, dancing beneath a storm of butter flavors.
The soft potatoes and onions melted upon contact with her tongue.
And amidst it all, the salmon played its part perfectly.
The servant’s description was unnecessary.
This dish was basically its own flavor manual.
Did Lucy feel the same way?
As she casually glanced at Lucy, she noticed her spoon flailing away without hesitation.
Those large, round pink eyes were glued to the soup.
Just a moment ago, her tightly shut mouth seemed utterly lost in savoring the flavors, and
that little hand moved so quickly, it could almost leave afterimages.
What startled Joy even further was that Lucy, despite her frantic eating, was maintaining at least some semblance of decorum.
Joy, having forgotten about her own meal while observing Lucy, only returned to her soup upon noting Lucy gazing longingly at her depleting bowl.
After that, every course served at Tierra Mars was nothing short of delicious.
Even Joy, who had savored all kinds of gourmet dishes from the duke’s family, was astonished.
However, she was more focused on watching Lucy eat rather than indulging herself.
If only she wouldn’t open her mouth, she’d be the cutest doll ever.
In terms of being mismatched on the inside and outside, she might be quite similar to me.
In my case, I look tough on the outside yet have a gentle heart, while she appears soft on the outside but has a tough heart.
Wait, isn’t that the exact opposite?
When they finished their meal, Lucy wore a satisfied smile that Joy had never seen before.
Was I captivated by that smile? Joy momentarily forgot who Lucy was and asked first.
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
Upon hearing the question, Lucy flashed a crescent-eyed smile and replied,
“It wasn’t bad, Airhead Young Lady.”
What? Airhead Young Lady?
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
