After the Grand Dukes gathered for the half-yearly meeting and safely returned to their respective duchies, a sudden storm hit me, interrupting my peaceful daily life once again.
“Aria! Do you have time next week—”
“Sorry. I don’t. I’m busy.”
There’s a saying that goes around the Royal Palace: “Most of the complicated, bothersome, and exhausting tasks start with a certain platinum-haired Elf.”
For the record, I’m the source of that quote. It’s based on experience.
So, when I faced the source of my deadly troubles invading my office, I instantly felt a storm brewing and reflexively pulled back my feet.
“I know you’re not busy, right? I checked your schedule.”
“…Just kidding.”
Lavina confidently let out a “Hmph.”
Ah, has the storm finally arrived? They were quiet for a while, busy with research, but as soon as the blood supplement was improved and I received a report that everything was fine at the half-yearly meeting, the chaos began.
A learned sense of anxiety washed over me. The fact that someone like her had checked my schedule beforehand meant she was preparing for battle.
There had been instances like this before. What’s the most recent one? Right! She asked if she could test her custom scent, which changes according to slight fluctuations in temperature and humidity, in the Royal Palace.
As a result, Lavina’s hand-crafted air freshener was installed in my office.
For about three days, it was fine. At times there was a faint floral fragrance, at others a fresh grass smell, and it created a variety of scents effortlessly, keeping it fresh.
The tragedy struck on the fourth day. As I trudged from my bedroom to my office, feeling gloomy, I was hit with an overwhelming foul odor filling the nearby corridor, and I felt an immeasurable sense of dread as I sought the source.
By now, anyone could guess the source of the stench—it was my office. More precisely, the air freshener within it.
To put it mildly, it smelled like a mix of month-old garbage and livestock droppings.
I nearly passed out. This was no joke; it was the greatest threat to my life I had felt since the fight with Luminous.
In fact, about three maids sent to remove the air freshener and aerate the room ended up fainting. Regular vampires were the same; with my nose that can differentiate blood from several kilometers away, you can imagine the ordeal.
That day, Lavina was scolded in my imagination as if she were hit by dust on a rainy day. It was a shame I couldn’t actually hit her because she could genuinely die.
Anyway, I had to move to another room until the stench completely dissipated, resulting in several days of significant torture.
“…If only you had no skills.”
“Aria? What did you say?”
“Nothing. I didn’t say anything.”
The problem is that she still managed to produce results despite it all.
That air freshener, which had sacrificed me as a test subject, is now sufficiently improved and spread throughout the palace, and that mysterious fertilizer that made the flowers in the garden grow like Jack and the Beanstalk has also been refined for agricultural use, and the improved blood supplement will greatly alleviate the feeding issues of the vampires.
Of course, I’ve never told Lavina any of this.
The first reason is that I can just imagine her becoming insufferably proud if she hears compliments, and the second reason is why she keeps bringing me the prototypes, putting me in a difficult position. The third reason is simply because.
At least I was relieved that there was no place for an involuntary clinical trial for the recently improved blood supplement. The moment that was finished, however, chaos broke out, and I couldn’t help but lament.
“So, what is it this time?”
“Aria, you look really tired, don’t you? Haven’t you been free since the half-yearly meeting?”
Where did you leave your conscience, at a pawn shop? Even if you asked any maid cleaning the windows in the hallway, “Today the Emperor is suddenly tired. Why is he tired?” they would all say it’s because of you.
I fervently communicated with my eyes, but of course, the oblivious platinum-haired Elf seemed completely unaware.
Honestly, I didn’t expect anything different. I’m irritated with myself for adapting to Lavina’s tyranny…
“Ahem, anyway! Clear your schedule for next weekend!”
“Sorry. The truth is, I do have time, but I don’t want to spare any for you.”
I tried to express my deep regret with my expression and tone, attempting to turn the conversation gently.
Even without the ability to see into the future, I knew I’d be dragged along by that girl anyway next week, but I figured I might as well make a last-ditch effort.
“Sniff sniff, Aria has been so cold to me lately.”
“Even without a conscience, put your hand on your heart and think about it.”
As I turned my head toward the window, I noticed Lavina, who had been whining, suddenly avert her gaze.
That was good news. If she can’t reach the level of ignoring the significant place where my now-defunct prototype air freshener used to be and where I first witnessed those massive plants, it seems my conscience, which I thought had long gone, is still just barely hanging on.
“…Great and historic inventions often come with a bit of sacrifice.”
“Shut it.”
“B-but this time, it’s an event co-hosted with Eleonora!”
Since I could not refute her logically or morally, she hurriedly brought Eleonora into it as a shield.
Nonetheless, it was undeniably surprising news, and I glanced at Eleonora, who was sitting in the corner of my office.
“Is that true?”
“…Yes, Master. For now.”
Just hearing her answer gave me an estimate. It was obvious Lavina had coaxed her into it, and after initially shaking her head, she probably gave up once Lavina sucked her willpower dry.
However, the fact that Eleonora wasn’t one of the hosts but merely agreed to it was significant information. If it were something I’d absolutely hate, Eleonora would have done everything in her power to dissuade me.
“…Fine. But what exactly is it?”
Actually, I should have asked that first. I got swept up in Lavina’s pace and only asked that question after everything else was set in stone.
But Lavina crossed her index fingers in an “X” shape in front of her mouth, grinning.
“That’s a secret for the day of the event! To ensure fair judging, even Eleonora has to keep it a secret! Got it?”
Her attempt at cuteness made my inner violence stir.
Hold it together, show the patience of a transcendent being.
Taking a deep breath, I glanced at Eleonora, who mechanically nodded with a blank expression.
She’s already halfway to enlightenment. I felt a bit sorry for her, thinking she probably suffered for me.
“…Wait. Judging?”
“Oops, gotta go see you later!”
Suddenly, it felt like a keyword just floated through my mind, and as I lifted my head, Lavina bolted away immediately.
“Fair judging…?!” I blinked at Eleonora, and she muttered with an apologetic look in her eyes.
“…It does seem like it’s about time for some competition. Master, could you please wait just a bit longer?”
“Well, what’s the harm in that?”
If it’s Eleonora making the request, it will get done.
And I’m not planning to admit it in front of her, but despite Lavina being a nuisance, she does bring some fun, at least. It’s only when it involves me that things tend to spiral out of hand.
…Thinking this made me suddenly angry again. Is it legal for me to hit her at this point?
“By the way, judging.”
While Eleonora is surprisingly keeping Lavina’s request a secret, fragmented clues began assembling in my mind.
The emotions Eleonora subtly revealed were probably…competitiveness. And fundamentally, she’s not the type to burn with competition.
But Lavina and Eleonora are competing, and the outcome is determined through the judging?
It’s unlikely to be a physical contest. Even Lavina, who’s treated like a genius among the new-generation Elves, would understand that a direct confrontation with a fully matured Dragonkin wouldn’t be feasible.
And it wouldn’t be an intellectual contest either. No matter what, Lavina would surely win in that regard.
Even if Lavina were born with brain defects, she wouldn’t seriously compete with someone over 200 years younger than her in her own field just to claim victory and rejoice.
“Wait a minute. Thinking back.”
Suddenly, the scene from recent dinners flashed in my mind.
We usually gather for dinner unless there’s something particularly busy happening.
Of course, during the peak busy times, we sometimes handle meals separately, and even now, if we have other tasks, attendance is flexible—Plona and I don’t particularly need an ordinary meal—but when we have the opportunity, we sit by and chat casually while Lavina and Eleonora eat.
But when I think about it, Lavina has been especially particular about her diet lately.
Normally, she would just eat whatever the chefs prepared without question, but lately, I noticed her wanting to have fruit-focused meals or requesting fresh vegetables without dressing.
At the time, I thought, “Ah, she must have hit a wall in her research and drowned her sorrows in a bottle,” and didn’t suspect anything further, but now that I think about it, Eleonora has seemingly been changing her diet since last week as well.
In that moment, a small anecdote from right after we repelled the human invasion of the Sahelrn Duchy suddenly came to mind.
…No way, could it be that?
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