Chapter: 211
I rarely heard someone say thank you.
If it was the first time seeing the person today, it felt even more odd.
The repercussions of what Lucy had done in the past spread far and wide, beyond my wildest imagination.
For a stranger to throw a greeting my way, “this damn girl!” seemed about right.
Maybe there could be a polite touch and a hint of sarcasm, but the essence would hardly stray far from “this damn girl.”
So, I was perplexed by the sight of Frey’s younger sister, Parnah, bowing repeatedly and expressing gratitude.
Thankful that I made Frey a person? Me? Frey?
Was she not misunderstanding something?
The only thing I’d done to Frey was knock her down in a duel and get her riled up with my Mesugaki Skill!
“I’ve seen my sister talk to Dad and Mom properly for the first time in her life! The same goes for asking Dad for something!”
What?! She spoke up?! Frey?!
I was surprised to hear Parnah’s story just like everyone else.
Because her talking to family and asking for something came after she met the current Sword Saint, learned the joy of emotions, and grasped swordsmanship.
For her to be speaking to family before even meeting the Sword Saint was unfathomable.
I recalled seeing Frey swinging a sword at a street vendor earlier today during my bewilderment.
So, her skills had improved? Did she learn them by asking the family for swordsmanship training?!
“And it’s the first time I’ve seen her behave herself in a gathering with so many people!”
I could somewhat guess this part.
Until entering the Academy, Frey was a crazy girl who would swing her sword without a care.
I myself wasn’t spared from her attacks during the entrance ceremony.
However, the recent Frey hardly did those crazy things.
The reason was simple. She had a fixed target now. Frey took an interest in me as a toy and didn’t consider anything else until I broke.
From my standpoint, Frey was a sturdy sparring partner, so I had no reason to refuse her treating me like a toy.
It was a win-win situation.
“Most importantly, it’s the first time I’ve heard her say someone else’s name!”
That was surprising. No, very much so.
Frey uttering someone else’s name in a game scenario was almost nonexistent.
I glanced at Frey, trying to confirm if this was true, but she seemed too preoccupied stacking food to pay attention.
Usually, someone would at least show signs of embarrassment after saying something like this. Typical Frey.
“I’ve also seen Mom and Dad smile while talking about my sister! It’s all thanks to Lady Allen!”
Parnah’s words were so direct and full of energy that they felt a bit burdensome.
However, knowing her situation, I couldn’t bring myself to ask her to stop.
In the game I knew, Parnah treated Frey like she was invisible.
Just because she was born as a younger sister, she had to endure all of Frey’s antics.
Every time she swung a sword, she was compared to Frey.
Whenever her sister got into trouble, she had to clean it up.
Parnah had no choice but to dislike Frey.
How could she like a crazy girl who casually killed her beloved pet and replied indifferently?
It didn’t matter how much she yelled, begged, threatened, or clung to her. The human Frey did not change at all.
So Parnah and the Kent family resigned themselves. They thought Frey would always be like that.
Yet there she was, changing after entering the Academy. How could anyone not be thrilled?
“I heard various rumors that Lady Allen is a terrifying person, but they were all nonsense! She’s so beautiful, cute, confident, and talented!”
That was no nonsense. Lucy’s mischief only contained facts.
What if someone spread such stories elsewhere?
The gazes flying at me now made me cringe. Being next to Frey was this bad; how awful would it be to say such things alone?
“Hey…”
“Hey, listen to me…”
“Lady Allen! I’m entering the Academy next year! I haven’t taken the exam yet, but I’m sure I’ll pass!”
As I watched Parnah clench her fists while ignoring me, I recalled who she was.
Right, she wasn’t normal either.
While Frey moved at her own pace, disinterested in others, Parnah couldn’t see her surroundings when her emotions were stirred, also moving at her own pace.
If they heard the story, it would terrify them, but they were different yet similar.
“If that day comes, I’ll spread all the good things about Lady Allen throughout the first-years!”
No, Parnah, what a crazy thing to say.
“…You’re joking, right?”
“What? I’m just kidding, aren’t I?”
“It’s not a joke! I’m serious!”
Then why are you serious?! Why walk straight into the fire of public scorn?! Because Frey is changing, are you planning to make your life harder again?!
“Wait for me! I’ll definitely… Ugh! Ugh!”
As I racked my brain to stop her, a grown man ran from a distance, scooped up Parnah, and covered her mouth.
Parnah mumbled something with her mouth blocked, but there was no gap in the man’s grip.
“Sorry! Lady Allen! Our daughter has caused trouble!”
Count Kent, with a pale face, apologized and thanked me for getting along well with his daughter, saying he would treat me grandly if I visited their territory later, before disappearing like the wind.
What a person who suffers a lot. I felt like I could become friends with Benedict over drinks later.
After the storm passed, I reached out toward the dessert table only to find it empty and turned my head away.
Frey had inhaled everything while everything unfolded before her.
I shot her a cold glare as a form of protest, but she remained oblivious.
“Hey, dumb swordsman♡ You’re so forgetful that you can’t even remember eating until just a moment ago?♡ If you’re not going to pig out, why don’t you stop?♡”
“Oink oink.”
Surprised by her unexpected response, I gaped while Frey puffed out her chest victoriously.
I was annoyed, but I figured responding would only pull me into her game, so I stayed silent.
Instead, I sat nearby, propping my chin up. The party wasn’t over yet, so dessert should be refilled if I waited.
[But it’s probably not going to happen.]
‘What are you talking about now?’
[The party’s almost over.]
‘…How do you know that?’
[There are signs.]
The orchestra had hardly any bad melodies left. The attendants kept glancing at their watches. High-ranking nobles left the center of the party. Conversations dwindled.
At first, I thought the old man was teasing me, but no. Everything he pointed out was all about the party’s end.
‘Then what about dessert?’
[It’s probably not coming out. Why would they replenish anything if the party’s about to end?]
“Frey!!!”
Whether I fanned the flames of revenge or not, time flowed inside the party hall.
Suddenly, the orchestra stopped playing, and a magic circle was drawn on the platform, where the duke revealed himself amidst a splendid burst of fireworks.
His mere appearance drew all eyes to him as he bowed to the applauding guests, expressing his gratitude and declaring the end of the party.
“I would like to once again express my gratitude to the esteemed guests who adorned this occasion.”
“Hold on.”
Correction: the duke attempted to declare the end but failed.
Another voice interrupted just as he was about to finish.
Had it been someone less important, the duke might have ignored it.
He had the power to do so.
However, this time, the person was someone the duke couldn’t simply overlook.
“It seems you’ve forgotten something important.”
How could he afford to ignore the voice of the next likely heir to the throne?
“Have I forgotten something?”
“Yes. Ducal Lord Partlan, you’ve forgotten something significant.”
“I apologize. I must be getting old; my memory isn’t what it used to be.”
“Haha, that could be the case. I’ll tell you this: where is the congratulatory speech from Lady Allen, who won against you?”
The First Prince spoke with that, moving his head just once to locate me, who sat in the corner.
No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t a stroke of luck or a good intuition.
He probably kept his eyes on me the whole time.
A stalker with power, ambition, and malice.
Maybe staying cocooned in the corner could warp the perspective, but this was just creepy.
A so-called First Prince is acting like this.
The kingdom’s future looks dim.
“Come on, Lucy Allen! Hurry over here! You should receive some congratulatory treatment for beating me!”
The First Prince raised his voice with a bright, innocent smile.
What the heck is this?!
Why is he suddenly acting like this?!
You’re not the type to smile like that!
Why are you trying to put me up on the platform all of a sudden?!
What’s your aim?!
In that moment of the First Prince’s sudden outburst, I, along with Ducal Lord Partlan, was frozen. As if he suddenly remembered something, he clapped his hands and stood up, approaching me.
“Right. You’ve had quite a day; you must be exhausted.”
Huh?
“My consideration here was lacking.”
No.
Hey.
Hold on.
“I should have come to you instead.”
Sit down. Sit down!
I’m telling you to sit down!
“Speak as a loser would.”
No matter how much I yelled inside, it didn’t impact reality.
The First Prince reached me and summoned an amplification spell with a flick of his hand.
So whatever I said would echo through the party hall.
“As soon as you’re ready, please speak. I’ll gladly wait, as I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond.
Not even letting anyone else jump in.
It was a perfect timing and a perfect push.
Just as he had said earlier, it was as if he had only been waiting for this moment.
<…Young Lady, prepare your heart.>
…Sigh.
Damn it.
Damn it!
Damn it aaaah!
A hikikomori stalker!
I don’t know what you’re planning, but remember this!
Even if you’re strong now, the situation will change significantly by the time I graduate from the Academy.
Be prepared to lick my feet!
Got it?!
‘This festival was indeed an honorable duel, Your Highness the First Prince.’
“I felt a lot of your consideration during this festival, especially how well you played the sloppy act. Thanks to that, I was able to have an honorable duel. Oh, by the way, were you acting all sloppy on purpose? Haha. What a blunder.”
“What nonsense is this?!”
“Lucy Allen! How insolent!”
“Lady Allen?!”
I won’t know if I can still be alive until then!
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.