Chapter: 210
“…Lady Partran?”
The expression on Serlan’s face was one of sheer bafflement, like he had stumbled upon something he shouldn’t have.
“Could you please answer?”
Normally, Joy would give someone time to calm down and respond, but today was different. She urged him for an answer in an oddly cold voice.
“Uh. Well, you see. I just saw Count Alrn’s daughter anew at this festival and was expressing my admiration.”
Just moments ago, Serlan had been blushing from my provocation, but after Joy showed up, his complexion changed entirely. Now, his face was as pale as a corpse.
I couldn’t grasp it. Was Joy that terrifying? Sure, her demeanor was frosty, but inside, she was just a goofy young lady, right?
Why was someone like Serlan, who was from a similar duke’s family and clearly much older, sweating cold bullets when facing Joy?
“I see. Thank you, Serlan. For conveying your compliments to my friend.”
“It was nothing, really.”
“If you have no further comments, could you please leave? I have some private matters to discuss with my friend.”
Serlan looked like he had a lot to say but kept it all inside. Reluctantly, he left after that.
Once he was gone, Joy lowered the fan she’d been using to hide her face.
“Lady Alrn, just kick those kinds of people away. Don’t linger around observing how long they last.”
‘What did he say?’
“Clumsy lady. What did that creep of a nobleman do that warranted such behavior?”
“Don’t you know?”
Of course not. He probably wasn’t mentioned much in the game.
The Serlan family itself didn’t have much weight in the game.
Was it Serlan’s son?
I thought back but couldn’t recall anything significant.
If a character had weight, I usually remembered them easily. If they had an illustration, I’d even remember their face.
But even with my memory, recalling Serlan’s son was a tough ask.
That dude must really have been inconspicuous.
“…Oh, right. Lady Alrn, you’re not very experienced with this kind of stuff, are you?”
Joy nodded to herself and then informed me that he had caused quite a scene recently.
“He’s looking to fix things up because it nearly got him kicked out of his house.”
That rang a bell.
Serlan’s son—the one who always suffered because of his idiot younger brother! So that was him!
“It’s likely we won’t have to deal with him anymore by the time we graduate from the academy.”
Joy finished saying that and dropped the topic about Serlan’s son.
At the academy, I’d only thought of him as being clumsy and adorable, but now I could see a duke’s daughter’s side in her.
“Impressive, Joy.”
“Hey, clumsy lady. Are you trying to show off? ‘Look at me, I’m so cool~’?”
“Wha?! Not really…”
Wait, was this for real?!
Was Joy actually thinking I was cool?
I’m taking my compliment back, Joy. Looks like you’ve always been clumsy, huh?
As my expression turned lukewarm, Joy cleared her throat.
“Ahem. Anyway, Lady Alrn. You don’t have anything planned right now, do you?”
‘No.’
“Okay. So?”
“Could you follow me for a moment? My father has something he wants to discuss with you.”
Duke Partran? Why would he want to talk? Could it be suspicious business?
If that’s the case, I’d really end up being a weakened mesugaki again. I’d probably hit myself in the head until I fainted!
Following Joy, we headed toward a reception room outside the party hall.
There, besides Duke Partran, was Benedict. So that’s where he had disappeared after the party started.
With those two together, the atmosphere was intense. It felt like a mob boss and his muscle were standing side by side.
If someone told me they had just discussed who to take out, I would totally believe it.
Maybe it was because I was seeing Benedict for the first time since the incident with Tabol; he looked like he had plenty to say but kept it bottled up.
“Father, I’ve brought Lady Alrn as you requested.”
Joy broke the silence in the room. If I wasn’t mistaken, her tone was sharper than usual, which earned a wry smile from Duke Partran.
“Good job, Joy. You can go back now.”
“No, I’ll stay here. That’s okay, right?”
“…Sure. Do as you please.”
What the? Has Joy hit her teenage angst phase?! What’s with this ‘I hate you, Dad’ thing?!
While I understood nothing of what was going on, I followed her lead and sat in a chair.
“I apologize for interrupting your party, Lady Alrn. I have some private matters to discuss with you.”
‘It’s fine.’
“Glad to hear that. Sorry about the lackeys around; they were making it dull anyway.”
“Then that’s a relief. First off, I have to say this: I’m sorry, Lady Alrn. I put you through unnecessary trouble.”
Why is this guy apologizing to me?
At first, I couldn’t make sense of it and tilted my head. However, as he continued, my thoughts started to shift.
I had no idea that Duke Partran’s insistence for me to make a speech would lead to this predicament!
Hey! Sir! Is it okay to treat your daughter’s friend like this?!
What about this cute little girl made it alright for you to do such things?!
Is this it?!
‘You didn’t like being called ‘the sloppy duke,’ did you?!’
“Are you telling me that because I called you ‘the sloppy duke,’ you went around acting petty? I thought someone like the head of a noble family would be bigger than that!”
“There’s no way that’s true! Lady Alrn, you saved Joy’s life! Would I really behave foolishly over such a silly nickname? I actually found it amusing! There’s no reason to hold a grudge!”
After that little rant, the duke finally revealed why he had stirred the pot.
To sum it up, he thought Joy was too attached to me, and he wanted to evaluate if I was a person someone could trust completely.
Listening to the duke’s excuse as it spiraled into a larger issue reminded me of why he was considered a comedic character in the community back then.
Duke Partran was definitely a capable person with power backing his abilities, but anytime he tried to take charge, he’d slip up.
Hearing his story, it brought up all the memes floating around the community, and the thought of being mad was impossible.
Anyway, it was over, and I received an apology. Plus, he promised some form of compensation, so I had no reason to stay angry.
But if the duke was behind this whole mess, did that mean it had nothing to do with the first prince?
I totally thought he was the mastermind behind it all!
In the end, to hear that the one who walked away with the spoils of this whole affair had no connections to it was astonishing! Did he drop the ball on his responsibilities?!
“We can discuss the compensation later. If we’re not careful, we could be talking here until the party ends.”
As he said that, the duke escorted us back.
On the way returning to the party hall, Joy offered me an apology.
I learned that she had been summoned by her father just before the party started.
Apparently, his magic had bound her, making it impossible for her to move.
By the time she managed to break free and return to the party hall, Tabol was already at full volume.
Joy didn’t have her usual cold demeanor for no reason. This was clearly a situation that even the nicest person would be furious over.
“I’m really sorry, Lady Alrn.”
Her apology anchored several layers of meaning.
An apology for her father’s actions. An apology for not helping sooner. Plus a few things I couldn’t guess.
Even if her sincerity was evident, I didn’t appreciate the apology.
It wasn’t something Joy should be apologizing for.
‘Why are you apologizing?’
“Clumsy lady. Why are you making that whiny sound instead of speaking?”
“…Huh?”
‘Right now, I should be the one thanking you, shouldn’t I?’
“I don’t get why you’re sulking after helping. Are you trying to evolve from a clumsy lady into a timid clumsy lady?”
“Are you dropping the ‘lady’ part entirely now?!”
Well, I guess it was too hard to call her a lady when she was being this clumsy.
Amused by Joy’s reaction, I was chuckling both inside and outside as Joy managed to smile as well.
Her smile was still intense, but it was definitely better than the sulking.
After cheering Joy up, we returned to the party hall, where the atmosphere was buzzing.
The sound of a grand and beautiful orchestra playing filled the air. Nobles danced in the center, while groups of people laughed around them.
I was in awe of the scene that felt like something out of a movie, and just then, I heard Joy’s sigh beside me.
“I’m sorry, Lady Alrn. I have something to attend to.”
Joy said that and headed toward a group of noble ladies who were exchanging sharp glances.
Is it something dukes’ daughters have to do too? But Joy is also the head of several noble ladies, so she must have to take care of things.
If possible, I wanted to help Joy, but if I mixed in among them, I’d just add more work for her.
So, I quietly slipped to a corner of the party hall.
Wasn’t me not being in anyone’s sight going to relieve Joy’s worries?
After all the happenings, I was feeling a bit hungry. I had a craving for something sweet.
There seemed to be tasty desserts at the party. Maybe I’ll find a nook to eat some.
Thinking that, I headed toward the food area and bumped into Frey and her little sister.
With Frey constantly filling her plate, and her sister nagging her, it was quite a sight to see.
Shouldn’t they be on more formal terms at this stage?
“Hey! Are you listening?! …Ah. Lady Alrn.”
“Hello, Lucy.”
Frey’s sister, who had been raising her voice, suddenly shut her mouth when she saw me, while Frey just greeted me, still clutching her fork.
Is she really planning to demolish every bit of food at this party?
I knew Frey could eat, but I had no idea it was this extreme.
With her appetite, she should have been born in modern times. If she had done an eating broadcast, she would have definitely excelled!
“Hey! Lady Alrn!”
While I was staring at Frey in amazement, her sister stepped up to me.
“Thank you! For helping my sister become a better person!”
With that, she bowed deeply.
It wasn’t just a light greeting; it was more like an intense acknowledgment of my benevolence.
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
