Chapter: 598
Joy started to show her face in the social circle when she was old enough to understand.
But it wasn’t because the atmosphere in the social circle was enjoyable.
If you had to pin it down, Joy felt burdened by the unique vibe of the social scene.
The constant power struggles. The backbiting that’s awkward to hear but impossible to ignore. The nobles placing obsessive importance on their relationships.
Despite the good food, nice songs, and conversations with famous people from time to time, the social circle made her think the cons outweighed the pros, which was just like a fuel to her obsession with romance novels.
Nevertheless, Joy attended the social gatherings to fulfill her duties as a duchess.
That’s why she did her best to gain something from every social event she attended.
If she had to return after all that hardship with nothing to show for it, she would genuinely feel like bursting with frustration.
“I tried my best to be the former Duchess I was back then. You wouldn’t believe the hardships I went through to reign while coordinating relationships among the young ladies.”
Studying the relationships between families in advance, grasping all the events from the past to the present, and intervening before someone’s feelings got hurt.
Joy shared tales of her bravery wanting to hear how impressive she was, but the responses she received were nowhere near what she expected.
“An airhead like you could do that?”
“Joy. You have to strike the right balance with your bravado, or no one will believe you.”
“I’m telling the truth! Why would I lie about something like this?! Do you think I’m just a nobody dividing the noble young ladies’ power?!”
“Isn’t she just a frontwoman thinking too highly of herself?”
“What can a person who can’t even control their own emotions do?”
“Aaah! Fine! I’m getting back to the main topic!”
It was entirely natural for Joy, who was trying to grasp everything around her, to catch sight of the First Prince and Lucy talking.
Regardless of Lucy’s personality and reputation being at rock bottom during that time, she was the only daughter of the continent’s strongest martial artist, Allen, and her counterpart was the First Prince, who was widely recognized for his talents.
“Things probably didn’t go smoothly at the start. I heard the First Prince was furious, and that became quite the topic of discussion.”
The news of the First Prince, who usually treated even the children of obscure families respectfully, shouting loud enough to fill the social hall was extraordinarily newsworthy.
“I still remember how Count Allen rushed in looking as pale as a ghost shortly after the commotion began. He really suffered there. I’m so glad to see him getting rewarded these days.”
As Joy brought up Benedict’s cheerful smile, Lucy’s eyes fluttered.
Ah, I messed up! This isn’t a story to bring up lightly! Joy, flustered as she caught Arthur’s glare, cleared her throat and switched topics.
“Anyway, after Count Allen took you two away, it seemed like the conversation went well, and the First Prince said with a smile that there was just a misunderstanding.”
Many people had endless questions about what had happened, but the First Prince brushed them all aside.
Not only that, he even blocked gossip about Lucy Allen.
At the time, it was thought that the First Prince was responding out of concern for Count Allen’s reputation, but perhaps something else happened back then.
“Around a month later, when the two met again at a social event, they appeared to show no interest in each other, but later, I heard from a young lady from the hosting family that they rented a private room and had a conversation.”
“Why were you asking about that? Airhead? Do you have a crush on the moody prince?”
“No way.”
If she had a bit of affection, she might have blushed, but Joy only answered in an extremely dry voice.
She thought the First Prince was impressive in many ways, but strangely, she felt no attraction to him. Maybe it was because her brother told her to keep her distance while getting along.
“I didn’t even ask about this. That young lady brought it up first.”
The phrase implying it was special just for you is quite common in the social circle. If the noble young ladies value the group, even more so.
“I also heard from several young ladies later on that they continued talking afterwards, but that meeting stopped at some point. I thought maybe I just didn’t know, but that wasn’t the case.”
It was clear that something happened, but no one knew exactly what it was.
Their relationship had never leaked to the outside world.
“Guess we could at least speculate about the timing, right?”
At Arthur’s question, Joy nodded readily.
“Do you remember when the First Prince entered a rank A dungeon alone and achieved results? I suspect that was around the time they became close.”
“Oh, I remember. There was quite the commotion then.”
“It was the day the First Prince reaffirmed he was a genius.”
“Did it seem like that from the outside?”
“Was it different inside the palace?”
“It was chilly. That dungeon conquest was something my brother did on his own, going against the First Queen’s orders.”
The First Queen giving such a stern look was probably the first and last time, Arthur muttered, suddenly noticing Joy rising from her seat, and flinched.
“That’s it! The First Queen definitely intervened! Lucy was a wild one back then!”
“That makes sense. If it was that time, it’s understandable she’d be harsh about not getting close. No, wait. That wouldn’t give my brother any reason to feel betrayed.”
“Was it that Lucy, thinking of herself as a liability, purposely pushed the First Prince away?”
“Well, even if she was wild, Lucy Allen is still Lucy Allen. She might have considered the person she liked.”
Although it was an inappropriate conversation with the wild one right in front of them, neither person would pick up on it while lost in thought.
Normally, Lucy would have added another remark, but today, she remained silent.
*
After parting from the two, I effortlessly ignored Benedict’s fussing about whether something happened and flopped onto my bed.
Not sensing the mood, the sloppy fox that had come close to me was rubbing against me to get rid of the perv’s scent, so I grabbed it and hugged it tight, resting my chin on its head, reminiscing about the scenery that flashed through my mind.
“Lucy. I appreciate that you like me, but isn’t this a bit too close?”
Rene, excitedly babbling about what he achieved, and Lucy, looking as displeased as usual.
The rising tempo of voices at some moment.
The self-reproach after parting ways.
As Joy speculated, Rene and Lucy were probably quite close at some point.
Just how did they become friends? I bet it was a relationship deserving to be called that.
Then this relationship fell apart after just one day of fighting.
“Uh, could you stop sitting on me like a cushion? Heh. Heh.”
I hadn’t gone anywhere, but feeling such vivid emotions was the first time since recalling my feelings about Lucy’s mother.
Feeling my emotions, which were both mine and not mine, become complicated, I sighed deeply.
Ah, damn it. If I were going to remember, I should remember from start to finish. Why does only one scene pop up to give me a headache? At this rate, I’m going to end up as a villain.
[Lucy. I know you’re busy thinking, but how about letting Lina go for now?]
Hearing Grandpa’s words, I turned to the sloppy fox, now melting with just its whites showing.
‘Why is he like this?’
[You made him that way, didn’t you?]
‘…Me?’
[Right? Garad.]
[If you stay close to someone you are even overly grateful for, you’ll end up like that. I thought he was just a simple pervert, but turns out he’s a romantic pervert.]
Oh. Did I really hold on for that long? I’m not quite sure, but staying like this feels like I’m going to witness the sloppy fox dying.
I let go of it.
[Did something come to mind?]
‘Just a tiny bit. It seems like we were indeed close back then.’
[Is that so.]
[Is that all? If you met privately and kept meeting, it might have been a deeper relationship!]
[Ignore what this guy says. Lucy, he just thinks like that because he hit on every girl he liked.]
[No! Hey! Ruel! You’re feeling this too! This is a totally thrilling story!]
From my standpoint, it was simply a nauseating story.
Hmm. What did the old Lucy think? Figuring that out seems like it would solve something.
But waiting for my body to recover would take too long. I feel like if I drag this out, something irreversible will happen.
Furrowing my brows with my arms crossed, I suddenly thought of something and interrupted their conversation.
‘Grandpa. You gave Erginius that sacred object filled with divineness, right?’
[That kid asked for it, so I gave it to him.]
‘If someone as heroic as grandpa embraces that divineness, my body will recover quite a bit, right?’
[We’ll have to see, but there’s a high possibility. Since you’ve been training with my mace, you’re bound to blend with some of my divineness.]
I see, it’s like that. Fine. Originally, I planned to enjoy this quest alone, but given the circumstances, I’ll compromise.
<...Hold on. Lucy, the reason you’re asking that is…>
‘Yes. I’m going to meet grandpa’s doll.’
The people I’ll go with can be my friends. No need to explain the situation separately; it’s convenient, and more than anything, there’s no one I trust more than my friends.
[Doll?]
[Shut up. Garad! Lucy. Just wait a moment. Isn’t it a bit much to go face that doll with your friends?]
‘I can’t help it. This is my best option.’
[Wouldn’t it be more enjoyable to smash it head-on? The sense of accomplishment would be greater!]
‘It’s okay. It’s fun to torment it one-sidedly, too.’
[I’m saying I’m not having any fun! I am!]
In Garad’s laughter, noticing what was going on, Grandpa screamed in a voice almost close to shrieking, trying to stop me, but my decision wouldn’t change.
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