Chapter: 239
Why on earth did this person just show up in person?
As I was observing Senar Soladin’s phony smile, I couldn’t hide my bewilderment. I hadn’t expected Senar to make direct contact at this point.
You don’t have the luxury for this! In just a year and a half, the king will announce the heir, and you’re supposed to be running around without a moment’s rest!
Why is someone who rarely makes an appearance in the game showing up in person?!
The situation was dire. Senar was the Second Queen of the current kingdom and the daughter of Duke Bedford. She was the de facto ruler of the Second Prince faction.
To put it simply, this woman held one of the few significant powers in the Soladin Kingdom.
Try spouting something insulting to someone like her, and you’ll be in for a world of trouble.
I had already built up resentment from calling the Second Prince the ‘Pitiful Prince,’ and if personal grievances were added into the mix, I couldn’t imagine what would happen.
I really didn’t want to think about it.
What worried me more was that I had no idea how the Mesugaki Skill would address her. Senar didn’t have a nickname since she hadn’t played a significant role in the game.
If I were to guess based on her backstory from the later setting book, it might be something like ‘filthy’? ‘Miserable’? ‘Disaster’? Roughly along those lines.
There was also the possibility of referring to her as the ‘Pitiful Queen’ since she was the mother of the Pitiful Prince.
Regardless of the direction it took, I thought it would be problematic to open my mouth, and then Senar let out a laugh.
“Oh, it seems you’re quite flustered. I understand. It’s only natural that I appeared without any warning.”
She interpreted my silence as shock and continued to speak as she pleased.
“I have many things to discuss. Starting from whether Sir Benedict is doing well to why I contacted you. Or perhaps recent events regarding the Second Prince.”
Through her charming smile, I caught a glimpse of her icy cold eyes.
Those eyes were filled with reproach.
Normally, the meaning behind such a gaze would convey anger for someone insulting her child, but in Senar’s case, it was different. She didn’t care one bit about how badly the Second Prince was doing.
So why was Senar showing annoyance?
It’s obvious. My actions probably shattered the Second Prince’s public reputation.
“The ‘Pitiful Prince’. It’s a straightforward and insulting term that describes our prince quite well. This is troublesome! The more well-suited the derogatory name, the faster it spreads.”
Look at this person; she didn’t even comment on me calling the Second Prince a ‘Pitiful Prince.’
Instead, she acknowledged it as a fitting nickname. If that nickname hadn’t spread like wildfire with rumors, she might not have brought it up at all.
“To mitigate this, I would need to officially protest to the Allen Family and gift needles and threads to those who use derisive names.”
Listening to her, it felt like a threat.
“However, I won’t do that.”
Nope.
“This incident also involves the fault of our prince. I can’t trouble someone likely to be the future of the kingdom over such trivial matters.”
She declared she wouldn’t press further.
“Strictly speaking, the prince has gained enlightenment from this situation. Consequently, the prince’s talent has begun to spread. It seems like there’s more to gain, so I prepared a gift for you. Nabil?”
“Yes.”
It didn’t stop there. As soon as Senar finished speaking, Nabil produced two potion bottles from within his cloak.
“These are potions. I prepared them to aid the Young Lady’s growth.”
With my Emotion Skill, I could confirm it.
A Strength Potion and a Stamina Potion.
These were rare items, even among the few stocked in the Allen Family’s warehouse, and they would definitely be useful to me at this moment.
And she offered these as gifts.
Even though the incident with the Second Prince started because I stirred up trouble and ended with me defeating him.
‘…What on earth is going on? Grandpa?’
It’s been nearly a year since I took the potions, so I need to source them again.
Out of the three I need, getting two for free should be a reason to be happy, yet I couldn’t feel that way at all.
It was the goodwill that terrified me. I had no idea what would happen if I accepted that as something good.
Why is this auntie acting like this?!
You’re not that kind of person!
A variable?
What kind of variable could it be?!
“I have several anticipated reasons.”
While I was perplexed and didn’t know what to do, Grandpa calmly elaborated.
Maybe she evaluated my worth highly enough.
Maybe she didn’t think I was the type to bend under threats.
Perhaps to elevate the Second Prince faction’s reputation?
“But the biggest reason would be that she’s trying to draw in Benedict through you.”
‘…What do you mean by that?’
“Think about it. If it’s something his daughter said, he wouldn’t be able to refuse. What do you think would happen if you told Benedict that you wished for the Second Prince to become king?”
Oh come on, Grandpa. You’re exaggerating. No matter how much of a softie Benedict is, there’s no way he’d get involved in a succession battle.
…Right? I couldn’t be certain.
If I end up calling him Papa and acting cute, he might not have a choice. He really is an enormous softie for his daughter.
“Even if that weren’t the case, just leaving debt with Benedict would be valuable. He’s a born knight, so he wouldn’t take such an emotional debt lightly.”
I recalled Benedict’s reputation.
The hero of the nation. The kingdom’s protector. The strongest knight on the continent. An object of admiration and respect.
If I could leave such a debt with this kind of person, it’d be excusable.
Ah, could it be that the First Prince referred to this as a debt?!
Did I end up getting a ticket to use Benedict?!
So that’s why you let me off the hook?!
…Wow. Benedict is quite the massive backing.
“In simpler terms, it’s a political calculation. They think that it’s more beneficial to show forgiveness and generosity rather than digging deeper into this beyond just clarifying.”
Hearing Grandpa’s explanation, I let out a sigh of relief. I thought there was something strange about this auntie evolving, but it turns out she’s just how I remember.
Thank goodness. I was worried she might have changed weirdly.
“We really treasure the Young Lady…”
“Your Majesty. Just a moment.”
Suddenly, another voice came through the crystal. Senar asked for understanding before standing up and headed somewhere.
“My apologies, Young Lady.”
Not long after, she returned with news of an urgent matter and cut off the contact.
I didn’t know what was going on, but that was good. Thanks to that, I wouldn’t have to see how the Mesugaki Skill addresses Senar.
“Oh dear. I apologize. As you can imagine, our Queen is a very busy person. I appreciate your understanding.”
Nabil awkwardly smiled and placed the crystal back into his robe before continuing.
“For now, let’s conclude the conversation here, as it seems the Young Lady is busy.”
Really? So you’re just going to wrap it up without further talking about the Second Prince? Isn’t there more we should discuss, like persuasion or coercion?
While I was blinking in confusion, Nabil adjusted his top hat.
“Oh, and if there’s another opportunity to speak, please extend my courteous regards to the Second Queen. She is, after all, the Queen.”
Um, you see, I kind of want to be respectful, but…
My mouth tends to cause problems, and if I open it, issues increase.
So, see that’s…
Ugh.
“I’m so sorryyy.”
“Why should I show courtesy to that filthy old witch? I don’t like wrinkly faces like yours.”
Unconsciously voicing my apologies, I froze upon hearing those words warped by the Mesugaki Skill.
It was the same for the other person.
Nabil, forgetting to put on a facade, stared blankly at me before snapping back to reality and smiling.
With a perfectly straight gaze.
“…Oh. How interesting.”
After that brief exclamation, Nabil vanished, leaving me alone in the room, staring at the two potion bottles sitting forlornly on the table, finally slumping down into the chair.
…It’s a good thing I kept quiet during the communication.
I almost ended up in serious trouble.
*
“Um, Employer? Calling her a filthy old witch is referring to the Second Queen, right?”
“Yes, it seems so.”
“Isn’t it fitting though?”
“…I get it. Now, I’ll do my best to ensure there’s no meeting between you and the Second Queen.”
The term used by the Mesugaki Skill to address Senar was like this.
Filthy Old Witch.
This nickname, insulting both the Second Queen’s actions and her appearance, provided Senar enough motive to want to destroy me.
After passing through the ‘Pitiful Prince’ bomb, another new bomb emerged.
The only good fortune was that there wouldn’t be many chances for Senar and me to cross paths. She’d be busy running around regarding the succession.
“By the way, it seems the Second Queen personally approached you. She must really want to claim you.”
I thought the same. I wasn’t sure if I was important or if the Benedict behind me was more crucial, but it was clear she wanted to pull me into her affairs.
Not only sending Nabil, but showing her face personally! If that’s the case, wouldn’t it have been better for her to come herself from the beginning instead of sending the Second Prince? Then we avoided fate entirely.
No, if that happened, the filthy old witch could have emerged instead of the Pitiful Prince. That would’ve created a worse fate. Yep.
“It seems the Second Queen is busy working on matters related to the Burrow Ducal Family, yet she still made time to talk with you.”
“The Burrow Ducal Family?”
“Burrow?”
“Oh. It seems you might not know yet. It’s still a fresh piece of news. The Burrow Prince, who is in the same grade as you, put in a leave of absence.”
The reason the prince applied for a leave was this.
The Burrow Prince? He’s been taking a break from the Academy?
That explains why I’ve never run into him!
I thought he was avoiding me like last semester, but he’s been MIA from school! What ever happened that made that guy take a break…?
Oh wait?
That’s odd.
In the scenarios I know, there’s no case where an inferior prince takes a break from school.
He’s too desperate to fight because of his strong inferiority complex.
This is the same guy who wouldn’t put down his pen even when he was in life-threatening illness!
And now he’s taking time off from the Academy?
A chill ran down my spine.
It was a variable.
A type of variable I hadn’t known.
I’ve crossed countless variables up to this point.
That’s why I know.
Most of these variables usually come back as problems.
An ominous thought wouldn’t leave my mind.
No matter how much I told myself it probably wasn’t a big deal, the only thoughts playing in my head were the worst-case scenarios.
It was impossible to think positively.
There had been far too many dangers I had faced until now.
– Ding!
Suddenly hearing that sound, all my thoughts halted.
No, don’t do this.
Don’t butt in without a clue, Sloppy God.
This isn’t a time for jokes.
I’m really serious here.
Hoping, as usual, that the Sloppy God was just messing with me for a laugh, I looked up but—
[Something strange is happening in the Burrow Ducal Family.]
It wasn’t that.
[It seems something unusual is occurring in the Burrow Ducal Family.]
That message held no jokes.
[Please investigate this.]
It was undoubtedly an omen of disaster.
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