Chapter: 598
Joy had steadily made her rounds in high society since she was somewhat old enough to understand it.
Not that she was particularly thrilled by the social scene.
If anything, Joy found the unique atmosphere of high society to be quite burdensome.
The constant battle for superiority. The whispers that were uncomfortable to hear but couldn’t be disregarded. The excessive importance placed on the noble families’ rivalries, almost bordering on obsession.
Even with delicious food, lovely songs, and occasional chats with famous people, the social scene made her feel like the downsides outweighed the upsides, driving her to obsess over romance novels instead.
Yet, despite all of this, Joy attended these gatherings to complete her duties as a Duke’s Young Lady.
Thus, Joy poured her heart and soul into each social occasion, determined to get something out of it.
With all the effort she put in, it would be infuriating to leave empty-handed.
“I did my best to become the former Duke’s Young Lady that I once was. You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to balance relations among the Young Ladies while holding the reins.”
She had studied the relationships between each family in advance, kept tabs on events from the past to present, and intervened beforehand when it seemed someone’s feelings might be hurt.
While Joy spun grandiose tales of her experiences to earn praise, the reactions she received were, to say the least, not what she had hoped for.
“An airhead like you could do that?”
“Joy, there’s a limit to how much you can brag before it becomes too unbelievable.”
“I’m telling the truth! Why would I lie about this? Do you think I just want to be seen as someone who divides the noble Young Ladies?”
“You’re just a figurehead, mistakenly thinking you’re more important than you are!”
“A dimwit who can’t even manage their own feelings has no say.”
“Ahh! Enough! Let’s get back on track!”
It was only natural for Joy, who had aimed to understand everything happening around her, to notice the First Prince and Lucy engaged in conversation.
It was common knowledge that Lucy’s reputation was in tatters at that time, but she was the only daughter of Alrn, the continent’s strongest martial artist, and her counterpart was the esteemed First Prince.
“The beginning surely wasn’t smooth sailing. The First Prince’s fiery outbursts made quite the gossip fodder.”
The news of the First Prince, who usually treated even the children of insignificant families with utmost respect, raising his voice to fill the social hall was enough to rattle everyone.
“I remember quite well how Count Alrn rushed over in a panic. He must’ve had a hard time. It’s a relief he’s finally being repaid for that now.”
As Joy spoke with a smile, Lucy’s eyes shook slightly.
Oh no! I shouldn’t have brought that up lightly! Flustered by Arthur’s sharp gaze, Joy cleared her throat and switched topics.
“Anyway, after Count Alrn took the two of you away, it seemed your conversation went well, and the First Prince said with a smile that it was just a misunderstanding.”
While countless curious minds wished to uncover what had transpired, the First Prince brushed all inquiries aside.
Moreover, he even went as far as to fend off slander against Lucy Alrn.
At that time, people assumed the First Prince acted in consideration of the Count’s honor, but what if something more had happened?
“A month later, when the two met again at a social gathering, they seemed indifferent toward each other, but I’ve heard from a Young Lady of that lineage that they rented a private room to talk.”
“Why would you even be asking about this, you airhead? Are you perhaps interested in that brooding prince?”
“Not at all.”
If there had been even a smidge of fondness, she would’ve grown embarrassed, but Joy only responded dryly.
While she did think the First Prince was impressive in many ways, strangely enough, she didn’t feel any affection. Perhaps it was because her older brother told her to stay friendly but not too close.
“This story isn’t something I asked about separately. That Young Lady brought it up herself.”
The words that implied it was a special story just for her were somewhat common in high society. Among noble Young Ladies who valued their groups, it was even more so.
“Thereafter, I heard from several other Young Ladies that the two continued their conversations, but that connection eventually stopped. I wondered if it was just something I didn’t know and checked back, but that wasn’t the case.”
Something clearly happened, but nobody knew exactly what that was.
The nature of their relationship had never leaked outside.
“Can we at least guess the timelines of these events?”
At Arthur’s question, Joy nodded readily.
“Do you remember when the First Prince entered an A-rank dungeon alone and achieved results? I suspect that’s around the time their paths diverged.”
“Oh, I remember that. It caused quite the stir.”
“It was the day the First Prince re-established his genius status.”
“Did it look like that from the outside?”
“Was the palace different?”
“It was cold. That dungeon raid was my brother disobeying the First Queen’s orders and doing as he pleased.”
Arthur muttered that it likely was the first and last time the First Queen had gotten dead serious, and then he noticed Joy jumping from her seat and flinched.
“That’s it! The First Queen must have intervened! Lucy was quite the troublemaker back then!”
“That makes sense. If it was during that time, surely they would be reprimanded for getting too close. No, wait, if that were true, there would be no reason for my brother to feel betrayed.”
“What if Lucy, thinking she was becoming a burden, purposely pushed the First Prince away?”
“Well, even a troublemaker like Lucy Alrn would still be Lucy Alrn. She could have considered the one she liked.”
With Lucy present, the two drifted into a conversation that was inappropriate to have. Throughout it all, they were oblivious to the fact that she remained silent today.
*
After parting ways with the two, I returned home, easily ignoring Benedict’s fuss, and threw myself onto my bed.
The airhead fox getting close with that perverted guy, trying to erase his scent? Gripping it tight, I brought the fox’s head closer, resting my chin on it as I reminisced about the memories that flitted through my mind.
“Lu…Lucy. It’s nice you like me, but isn’t this a bit too close?”
Rene, buzzing with excitement over what he had accomplished, and Lucy wearing her usual scowling face.
The rising voices reaching a peak at some point.
The guilt that had crept in after their separation.
As Joy speculated, there had indeed been a time when Rene and Lucy were fairly close.
How they became friends, I couldn’t tell, but they surely would’ve been in a relationship worthy of the term.
But this relationship fell apart over a single argument.
“Hey! Couldn’t you at least act as my cushion? Huh. Huh.”
Is it the first time I’ve felt such vivid emotions not related to someone being absent? Since those feelings bubbled up while I thought of Lucy’s mother?
Feeling my heart tangled with emotions that were both mine and not mine, I let out a long sigh.
Ah, damn it. If I was going to remember, why not everything from start to finish? Why just one scene to give me a headache? At this rate, I’ll end up as the villain of this story.
[Lucy, I get you’re busy thinking, but how about you let Lina go for now?]
At my grandfather’s words, I shifted my gaze toward the airhead fox, who was melting with its eyes rolled back.
‘Why is this guy like this?’
[You did this to him, didn’t you?]
‘…Me?’
[Isn’t it? Garad.]
[If you keep your distance from someone you admire for too long without reason, they’ll end up like that. I thought he was just a simple perv, but it turns out he’s a hopeless romantic.]
Oh. Did I really hold on for that long? I wasn’t quite sure, but it seemed like if I kept doing this, the airhead fox might actually have an emotional meltdown, so I let go.
[Did something come to mind?]
‘Very little, but it seems I was friends with her once.’
[Is that so.]
[From just being friends? If they didn’t share that with others and met up regularly, it seems like there might’ve been something deeper?!]
[Ignore what this guy is saying, Lucy. He thinks every girl he likes is someone he should go after.]
[No! Hey! Luiel! You’re feeling it too! This is totally a heart-fluttering story!]
From my perspective, it was just a sickening tale.
Hmm. How did the old Lucy feel about all this? Figuring this out might resolve something.
But waiting for my body to heal would take an eternity. If I dragged this out, I’d probably end up in an irreversible situation.
With my arms crossed, furrowing my brows, I suddenly had a thought and interrupted their conversation.
“Grandfather, didn’t you give Erginus a sacred relic filled with divinity once?”
[I did, since that kid needed it.]
‘If someone of my grandfather’s caliber embraced the divine, my body would probably recover considerably, right?’
[We’ll see, but there’s a high chance. Since you’ve been training with my mace, you’ll inevitably blend with some of my divine presence.]
I knew it! Alright, originally I intended to tackle this quest by myself, but given the circumstances, let’s make a reasonable compromise.
[…Wait. Lucy, the reason you’re asking is…?]
‘Yes! I’m going to meet my grandfather’s doll.’
All the companions I needed were my friends. No need to explain my circumstances, which was convenient. Besides, there was no one I could trust more than my friends.
[Doll?]
[Shut up. Garad! Lucy, just wait a moment. Isn’t it a bit much to go after that doll with your friends? It’s risky!]
‘There’s no choice; it’s the only option!’
[Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to confront it directly? You’d feel a greater sense of accomplishment!]
‘No worries. I enjoy a bit of one-sided torment as well!’
[I’m not having fun! It’s me!]
Garad, catching on to the situation, chuckled while my grandfather raised his voice in protest, but that wouldn’t change my decision.
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