Chapter: 595
After Benedict’s rampage turned the situation chaotic, I realized I had fallen into a massive delusion.
It was just a simple sparring session, right!?
I thought the First Prince had gone on a rampage out of jealousy to make a mess of Arthur!
In reality, there was a scenario in the game story where it was possible to incapacitate your opponent during a spar!
Seeing Arthur bleeding made me remember how the fairies acted so dramatically!
So, without thinking about the aftermath, I just blurted out whatever came to mind towards the First Prince, but it turns out he wasn’t even at fault!
“Hey, incompetent prince. Can’t you at least explain something properly, you pathetic loser?”
“…I apologize for not stopping you. But don’t you think you’re a bit too hasty?”
“Seriously? You call the prince my toy? Of course, I’m going to get mad seeing some idiot playing with it!”
Before we were friends, I might not have cared. But now Arthur is as precious to me as my other friends.
How can I just sit and watch while a creepy, smug guy who thinks he can charm all the girls with a single word is beating him up?
Naturally, I thought of rushing in to teach that jerk a lesson.
Haa… Looking back now, it’s lucky I’m weak Lucy. If I’d been in top form, I would’ve charged in with my mace right away.
As I sighed in relief, I noticed Arthur turning his head towards the window with his ears flushed red.
“Were you really that happy being treated like a toy?”
“Oh. No, I—”
“Haa. I’m worried about this country’s future. A masochistic pervert as a prince?”
“That’s not true! You little brat!”
Arthur, his face all red with anger, turned his gaze towards Benedict at last.
Benedict, interpreting what I just said as “I love Papa more than anything in the world!”, was now lounging with the air of a winner.
Can someone who almost killed royalty from a misunderstanding show such a smug face?
Well… I can’t really judge, since I was the one who insulted royalty out of my own delusion.
“Are you even listening to me!?”
“I get it, so could you please tone it down? I’m aware that the incompetent prince recognizes his place and is trying to flirt with the dumb knight.”
“…What?”
Wow. When the talk of marriage came up before, I wondered if Arthur had feelings for me?
I mean, mentally I’m a girl, so dating another guy is a bit much for me, you know.
But thinking it through, maybe I don’t need to worry about that?
If Arthur really had feelings for me, he wouldn’t just turn down the marriage proposal.
Wow, that was some serious overconfidence on my part.
There’s no way this little brat, who loves teasing people and has a rotten personality with zero girly vibes, could have any affection for me.
“I’ll be cheering for you. A combination of a fool and an incompetent? They really match well, don’t they?”
Arthur, who’d turned bright red and was expected to blow up in frustration, just buried his face in his hands and said nothing.
Was he so shocked at being found out? But come on, it’s hard not to notice that we’ve been poking fun at each other all this time.
‘Right?’
[Don’t ask for my agreement.]
[Well, that’s a tough question for me to answer.]
‘…Why? Did I say something wrong? That can’t be right?’
Who else could it be but Frey? My childhood friend Joy? Or maybe Phoebe, who always catches my eye in multiple ways?
Ugh. Either way, these are all precious kids that I don’t want to pass off to someone else, but if those two like each other, what can I do? I just need to quietly cheer them on from the sidelines.
“Please, just shut up.”
“Is that not right? Oh no, are you saying the incompetent prince has feelings for that clumsy fox? You really have a strange taste.”
“I just want you to zip it already?!”
Why is he so mad? Teenage brats can be so troublesome.
As I grumbled and turned my gaze forward again, I found Rene looking at Arthur with a sympathetic expression.
“Little brother. I don’t know if I should say this, but… hang in there.”
“I don’t want pity from you, brother!”
“Knowing that, I want you to just get more annoyed. That’ll make me feel better.”
Though I tried to brush it off lightly, what I and Benedict did wasn’t exactly something to laugh about.
We’d ignored the soldiers’ attempts to stop us, intruded the training ground, insulted the First Prince, and almost hurt Arthur.
Breaking into the palace. Insulting royalty. Attempting to murder a royal. If I listed them, the charges would pile up.
So what can they do if they decide to take action? Surely there isn’t much they can do, but still, Grandfather and Garad agreed that it would be better to follow Rene’s advice, so I obediently followed behind him.
What was it again? If I do this, I could tarnish Rene’s reputation as that dirty human?
“Lady Alrn.”
When I jumped back at Rene’s annoying voice, he let out a deep sigh.
“Fine. Lucy Alrn. Is this how it should be?”
Finally back to his normal voice. It’s still kinda irritating, but at least it’s bearable.
“I’ll say it openly. I refuse to have a marriage discussion with a brat like you. I can’t go against what the First Queen commanded…”
“What’s wrong with our Lucy!? She’s cute, strong, and kind!”
“Dad-brain.”
“Of course, I don’t plan to hand over our Lucy, but how can you say it like that…?”
“Wanna be called Dad for life?”
“Sorry!”
Once I easily subdued Benedict, Rene looked at me with a strange gaze. What? Is it the first time he’s seen someone tame a daughter fool?
“Anyway, I have a mission to accomplish, so I’m acting like I’m making an effort, but I hope this story doesn’t escalate.”
“This time your tricks are getting a bit better. But even if that’s the case, you still give off the vibe of a pitiful loser.”
“I’m speaking seriously. Think about it. Would you want to throw away a position you’ve already got in your grasp like this?”
I know Rene is someone capable of doing just that. Having lived as a puppet tied to strings his whole life, he’s more like a marionette than a human.
Yet this is reality, and it wouldn’t be strange if Rene changed due to some variable. I’ve seen quite a few people transform into something else.
“My faction within the palace is already operating under the assumption I’ll ascend to the throne. If I stall for time and spread rumors, counseling will come from places far and wide.”
There’s a part of me that can’t definitively say he’s changed. The day I assume the First Queen had spoken to him about a marriage proposal, the look he exhibited was genuine.
He truly considered forsaking the throne and showed jealousy towards Arthur, who took his place.
“So until then, cooperate with me.”
Most importantly, I sensed an odd vibe from Rene.
Common signs of weaknesses trying to hide indicate signs of lying.
Rene tries his best to mask it with his acting, but when faced with an unseen blessing, there’s always a limit.
I wonder if Kara could erase such intricate details perfectly.
“Anyway, you probably hate me too, don’t you?”
I can’t quite identify what’s real and what’s a lie, but it’s clear he has a plan. There’s no need for me to indulge him.
“Lucy Alrn?”
That felt eerily familiar. It’s not my memory. It must be fragments of memory that Lucy originally possessed.
The events between the First Prince and Lucy that transpired in the past captured me due to this unease.
To find out exactly what happened, I figured that a visit to that island was inevitable, but isn’t it also okay to gather information directly from this man?
“What’s this cooperation for? If you’d just say it honestly, I’m sure I’d listen.”
“Hah. Right. It’s an excuse to hang out with you. Does that satisfy you?”
“Wow. You really said that because I asked? Look at that, even gloomy prince is a straightforward pathetic loser in the face of love. How cute!”
“…Then stop blabbing and just answer me.”
“Alright! Is that what you wanted to hear? No! I don’t want to be around you, because I feel like mold will spread!”
With Rene glaring at me without saying a word, I grinned widely.
“Did you really expect anything else? Hahaha. With such naivety, maybe you should just stay under your mom’s wing.”
“If you’re not going to cooperate, then leave. Get out.”
“Your voice is so sharp! Did I hurt your feelings? Are you going to cry once I’m gone? Can’t you just weep in front of me? I think that’d be hilarious.”
“I refuse to play the toy, brat.”
“But you, gloomy prince, are also childlike in many ways, aren’t you? If you want to become an adult, you might want to try a bit harder.”
With a smug smirk resting on my chin, Rene rubbed his forehead.
“Hah. Fine. Let’s change the subject. In exchange for sorting out what happened in the palace today, I’ll take you for a day.”
“Isn’t that a bit too greedy? Do you know how hard it is to be with a loser like you?”
“Though it’s called a day, two hours is enough. Is that good?”
“Since you’re being so persistent, I guess I have no choice.”
After all, it’s going to take some time before I can move properly. Might as well have some fun while I pinch Rene’s wallet.
Hehe. I’m so curious about how far the First Prince’s funds will stretch!
*
“Date!?”
Joy shot up from her desk and met Arthur’s disbelieving gaze, then sat back down sheepishly.
“R-Really? You’re saying Lucy and the First Prince are going on a date!?”
“It was a profitable arrangement. It was possible due to the name of the Alrn family.”
“That’s not what’s important! If the First Prince and Lucy are together, there’ll be disaster!”
“…On that front, it’ll probably be fine. My brother seems used to Lucy Alrn’s tone of voice.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure what exactly, but that’s just how it seemed.”
Uh-huh. Come to think of it, didn’t Lucy and the First Prince meet at social gatherings before? Maybe that was it…
“I have to stop this! This is way too much of a cliché romance novel plot!”
“Have you gone nuts after learning magic from Erginius?”
“Lucy is my precious friend! I can’t let anyone take her away! She needs to be by my side!”
Isn’t that something you say when you’re worried about losing a precious friend, not when it feels like someone is about to take your toy?!
Arthur sighed dramatically toward Joy as she was gradually losing her noble charm.
“Haa. Please, calm down. Don’t go acting rashly and make a fool of yourself again.”
“This isn’t the time for that! Arthur! How many romance novels do you think I’ve read?!”
“Is that something to brag about?”
“I won’t take no for an answer! If you’re not going to cooperate, I’ll just have to act on my own! No, with Phoebe or Lina, I’m sure they would willingly assist.”
“Wait a second!”
Feeling a sense of urgency at Joy’s next words, Arthur shouted desperately.
That lineup will be a disaster! It’ll be like tossing a bomb into the situation!
“I’ll cooperate! Just calm down!”
Only after Arthur pleaded like he was begging did Joy finally nod.
Damn it. I have no choice. To prevent the potential mishap of a key royal heir dying in broad daylight, I have to humor this idiot’s antics.
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